Transcript is automatically generated and may contain errors.

[00:00:00] Chris: Hello, and welcome to the imposter syndrome network podcast, where everyone belongs, especially all of you who think you don't. My name is Chris Grundman and I'm here with, uh, my co-host Zoe rose. Hey, this is the Gerard Kalina episode. Uh, and I think you are going to enjoy it quite a. Gerard is a managed services systems analyst at healing and systems.

[00:00:32] Chris: And he's also an entrepreneur famous for tech house five 70.

[00:00:39] Chris: Hey Gerard, how's it going? Going? 

[00:00:41] Girard: Awesome. Listen, I'm excited to get to hang with y'all. I remember, you know, me, Chris, we first met last year. We did a utilizing AI podcast and then I had the honor. Get to be actually meet both of you in partisan, back of March the security field day. So I'm excited to get to be hanging with y'all again, like I've been, this is fun.

[00:00:57] Chris: awesome. We're glad to have you for sure. Did I introduce you? Well, is there anything else you wanna say kind of about yourself or where you're at? Um, before we dive in, 

[00:01:03] Girard: yeah. You introduced me perfectly again. I'm Gerard Kalina. Uh, you could find me everywhere online. I'm not hard to find I've been in it for about 15 years.

[00:01:10] Girard: So it's really exciting. You have to touch base on what we're talking about today because I, I like everybody else have faced it, but I've done everything and I've done help desk systems, admin it admin network, administrator, network tech, you name it, I've done it. So, uh, it's gonna be exciting to touch base on a lot of different things, Jack of all trades mastering.

[00:01:26] Zoe: I'm just gonna interrupt for a second. The full quotes I've been told is jack of all trade's master of none, but better than none or something. So just to clarify, you may have module skills and it's actually really beneficial. . 

[00:01:41] Chris: Yeah, well, and there is, you know, this whole growing awareness, I think, in the it industry, but beyond of kind of the value of generalists, right.

[00:01:50] Chris: And obviously we always need very, very deep domain experts, um, for certain things. But, you know, this other aspect of kind of being able to see the bigger picture and be able to connect those dots that I think is important. I mean, jar, have you kind of accidentally been a generalist through your career or was this something that you intentionally cultivated?

[00:02:07] Girard: I would say without questions, which accidentally, right? So like when I started the way I've always explained this to everybody I've said this probably like 1,000,001 times now is I always looked at kind of computer repair as like your starting point. Right. And then you could build out and branch from there, but, you know, networking or programming and develop your skills and follow your path.

[00:02:23] Girard: That's what I did. You know, I just started off, I love fixed computers. Then I got certified in that years ago. And then I went to VO tech, graduated high school. And just kind of went through the ranks per se, I guess, you know, just kinda I valued at the time and now I'm kind of doubling back ironically enough and I'm just work and on a bunch of certs.

[00:02:39] Girard: But when I started, I was more. Heavily emphasized on just sponging experience wherever I could, because my belief is, if you have to live it, breathe, it really understand it to be the best you can at it. And that's what I did. And once I felt I was the best at that level, I've really started diving into networking.

[00:02:55] Girard: Um, as I was leaving, I was actually working at GE squad. I did a lot of retail, computer repair, back and forth, you know, of those, uh, big retail bucks. not so much. And, uh, that's where I started really getting into networking. I had to reduce some of the drops and I just fell in love with it. Then my next job, that's what led me to my network technician job.

[00:03:11] Girard: I worked at a bank, uh, and then from there I became more of a generalist at another job as an it administrator. And I just went on, I also had a small business in the area for about 10 years or so. That was an old one. Uh, it was dynamic. It solutions, LLC. I was going around putting flyers on, uh, it's how old school it is.

[00:03:28] Girard: I was putting flyers on telephone posts. You know, I have the blow away, you know, cause, but it was just that entrepreneurial, that mindset, you know, I wanted to go out there and then as my skills grew over time, you know, the, the brand grew and then eventually I just, it, it got to a point. I was like, you know what, I'm not really doing the work myself.

[00:03:42] Girard: So kind of sold that off. And I, I moved back into really getting stronger at being, you know, on the infrastructure side. And that's, what's led me to where I am. 

[00:03:49] Chris: What was the spark that, you know, first brought you into that first, you said, you know, PC repair job, right. Doing the gig squad thing. I mean, yeah.

[00:03:57] Chris: Why did you choose that job? Or how did you end up in that job? Or, you know, what, you know, what brought you into technology at all? 

[00:04:03] Girard: So the grand origin of Girard Kavelines woo is, uh, I actually got punished so I've sold this a lot. I got in trouble. My mom was like, go play the basement, like, sorry. And I found it old.

[00:04:14] Girard: It was like a Dell Inspiron well, I don't remember the model, like 1580 or so. I found two of them and I said, mom, what are these? She said, I don't know, figure it out, make it work. That was literally it. You know, I just, the troubleshooting, the intricacy of like problem solving, which I always love problem solving as a kid.

[00:04:28] Girard: I mean, there's kind of still something, that's like a cognitive thing. We still teach our children today, but I just got really excited into it. And then I started taking parts out, putting drives in and swapping the boards and the cables and the power. Eventually I got it to work. And that was where I found my love was like, this is fun.

[00:04:41] Girard: I really love this. And after that, I just, then eventually I started finding, oh, there's a place you could go. And there's a career for this. Like I could, I can actually make money one day, you know, which I could not thinking I'm about thinking long term like that, but I'm like, okay, let's just see where this goes.

[00:04:54] Girard: Led me to, you know, it's ironic too. One of the things I'm blessed to do, I serve on the advisory board for my career or for the vocational school that I went to. So it's nice now to see where they've expanded in the last 15, 20 years or so. And, but they're changing and they, their curriculum also, they, they actually split it.

[00:05:08] Girard: It got so big, so they have like the support that's kind of side, and then they have the infrastructure side and it's just great, you know, cause now I get to contribute on that board and you know, we have tons of business in the area that volunteer equipment and donated and, and give it, you know, it's just great to see it expand from when I was.

[00:05:23] Girard: We were, uh, we were doing bells and whistles, literally, you know, old capacitors resistors. You had to make fans like that was what we started with. We didn't touch a computer until like the second year. So that's, that's where it started. We weren't allowed.

[00:05:35] Zoe: That's amazing. I love that you got in trouble and that's how you got into it.

[00:05:39] Zoe: Sometimes. I wonder if I am being punished in this career. sometimes it's. That that point you make about, uh, kind of giving back and also supporting the next generation, I suppose, coming into the industry. That's a really good point. I like schools that do what you do in the taking like practitioners and actually getting their feedback because we in the industry will see where the gaps are, where we didn't know.

[00:06:04] Zoe: And then we can help kind of aim that training whilst also, you know, keeping their uniqueness and letting them find all the gaps that we didn't know. . 

[00:06:13] Girard: Well, the ironic part about that is just because you segue it was perfect. And honestly, it. That was a big part of why I began tech house five, seven. Oh. So I had LLC that.

[00:06:24] Girard: That was about 10 years prior. Like I didn't have, I didn't have a blog or had nothing. I just LLC it, cause I was like, that's a great name. And I didn't, I didn't know what it was. I didn't know what I wanted to be. I just saw my business and held onto it. And then, you know, two and a half, three years later was when I started like, okay, what are my two loves, I love technology.

[00:06:38] Girard: And I love writing. And I found a way through people that I've followed, you know, like people like AJ Murray at no Blakey Blake. He was a big, his blog in Dawan library day. Those were my two pillars of. Wow. Like there's this big community out there, which is as sad as it was. I didn't know, over three or so years ago.

[00:06:54] Girard: There's this it community. I didn't know. What there was, because that wasn't when I got into it, there wasn't, I mean, you had my space lot stuff, but even then maybe a group, but it wasn't like now where you have all these social media channels and podcasts and platforms and ways to give back. And I think that was a generational thing too, from it practitioners then to now, you know, just things changed and they wanted to share more knowledge, which is great.

[00:07:16] Girard: And I found my niche per se and how I could give back. And, and that. That's the birth of, you know, my brand and what it stands for and what it means is to be able to do and give things that I didn't have. You know, and so far, but they've, well, it's not just given a book away or creating content. It's like really the experience like I've worked with people, they still talk to, you know, a buddy of mine, Charles just passed the CCNA, you know, from a giveaway we did like, that's so amazing, like where he was on his journey, he was studying.

[00:07:39] Girard: And if you could help it, even the slightest wave, if it's a book, if it's this, but that changes now he's working on a new cert and like where it puts you in your journey. It's like, I get excited for that. Because again, those are things I'd ever got to have and, and now I could help others and do things and give back in my own way.

[00:07:54] Zoe: Yeah. I love that. The reason I got into my job is I wanted to be the person I needed 10 years ago, or at least that's the story I kind of go with cuz that's, what's true, but right. That makes sense. But it's, it's the same with you. It's, you know, the resources you didn't have, you're trying to give back and provide it to the people that you know, could use it in my point of view, that's what I view as kind of the top tier people is the people that are not just progressing their career, but they're progressing every.

[00:08:23] Zoe: I think Wendy talks about the security poverty line and then falling below that. And actually the approach you're taking is more of raising everybody versus just focusing on yourself. Right. For me, that makes you better. Even not like you're a, I mean, I also view you as a superhero, but it's like, oh, thanks, Zoe.

[00:08:43] Zoe: You know, you're, you're making a difference in the industry through improving your skills, but also improving other people's skills, which I think is quite key. Yeah. Especially when it comes to security. Um, that point you make about when you started your journey into entrepreneurship, it wasn't all at once, right?

[00:09:01] Zoe: It was little bits here, little bits there was there ever kind of a, I suppose, a big mistake that you made that actually helped you learn and kind of helped you direct yourself as well. 

[00:09:12] Girard: Yeah. And it's one of those things where I caught it early and I'm not just saying that like, but like I caught it early enough or I could modify it, tweak it and then, okay.

[00:09:20] Girard: Let's take a more proactive approach in. Kind of propelled myself. So what I mean is like, you know, I was a one man band. Okay. So like when I started, you know, by business venture, whatever you would like to call it, I would drive around from house to house. Again, this is, I have 18 years old, you know, I'm 33, I'd be 34 in August.

[00:09:36] Girard: So we're going way back in the vault here. But what I started that I was a woman band and I think I bit off, more than I could chew at one point, you know, like I wasn't meeting, which I didn't again. And you look at it in the experience that I'm learning and that I learned, and I'm still learning. I didn't know, like customer deliverables, like I'm 18, I'm just trying to like make money and pay bills and, you know, supplement that with my job, you know, you know, I would take my love and see where it goes, you know?

[00:09:57] Girard: But like sometimes you don't need a deadline or, you know, they always say under promise over delivered, but like, I would do the opposite, you know, and I wasn't delivering and then I'd be late. I'm like, I'm so sorry, but punctuality and just, just life things, you know, not just professional, but personally I, I took away from that.

[00:10:12] Girard: Now as I've expanded. Okay. Here's a service order. Here's how we do this. There's more structure here. There's something that binds me and binds us to an agreement. Like just again, things just through Google and learning that I, I didn't know people that I was good friends of mine are business owners and just experiences.

[00:10:27] Girard: I got just a lot of things. Cause when you're 18, 17, 18, 19, you're not thinking about that. Maybe somebody else's, you know, that's, that's great for, I wasn't, like I said, I couldn't even keep the frigging flyers on the telephone pole. So I was a, I was a far cry from that. . 

[00:10:40] Chris: Yeah. And I think, you know, not only that, but most 17, 18 year olds, at least the ones I've met.

[00:10:47] Chris: Are also not thinking about starting their own business, especially one in a field they just got into, I guess when you're 17, 18, any field you're in, you've just gotten into. But where did that, where do you think that came from? Right. Where, where does that? Cause I there's a lot of people I think who have the cognitive ability.

[00:11:02] Chris: Yeah. Maybe even the financial ability, definitely the experience to kind of go out and run their own business. Most don't almost none do. Right. So, you know, where did that spark come from? Like what led you to make that leap in the first place? 

[00:11:16] Girard: Well, let, and I, I think it goes back to, I don't, I'm trying to think of the best way.

[00:11:20] Girard: So it's not that like, some people can have the means to do it or, or, you know, try, you gotta have the will. And I think it comes down to look it's easy for everybody doesn't want to, cuz you're not gonna fail. If you don't try, you'll never fail. And my mom just instilled in me if you're not gonna succeed, if you don't try.

[00:11:35] Girard: Cause it was just me and her, me and her were, were a team. You know, there was no, it was just me and her. And she, she really instilled like, you want these things, you gotta try. But I think that's the thing. And it's very common again in anything. If you don't try, then you can't fail. But in essence, you're still failing because you're not putting yourself out there.

[00:11:50] Girard: You're not putting your best foot forward. You're not given an effort hell at the end of the day, if I try 200 things and I fail at a hundred of them, that's fine. Cuz I'm not gonna be great at everything. You know, I can't be a sous chef, nice professional. That's why too. Another key business practice I've learned as I'm growing and, and doing different things is I would rather myself, a people 8,000 times smarter than me because you know what, they're gonna be able to propel me and I can help them in my own way.

[00:12:11] Girard: And then, and in turn, they'll be able to propel me in whatever I'm trying to do in ways that I couldn't even begin to. That's just it. I know my limits again, as I'm getting older, I know where, okay. I could hit this. Eh, I don't know that, or I'm not too sure about that. All right. There's experts out here doing this 20, 30 years, the way I've been doing it, you've been doing it.

[00:12:26] Girard: Chris's always been doing it in technology. They've been doing it in business, or they've been doing it in this. All right. I know business, or I have an acumen, but not with that to their pedigree. All right. So I'm gonna let them do it. It's about letting the rains go, but that's what really got me into it was, is I just knew if I don't try this, then I can't say, okay, well I failed, you know, I wouldn't be proud of myself.

[00:12:42] Girard: So cause that's what I do. I put 200% in everything I do and I gain my best effort. Sometimes it's work, sometimes it hasn't, but I guess that's the, the journey of life, right? 

[00:12:50] Zoe: No, I like that. I like that that point of. You have to fail. And I think that was a lesson that I really struggled with. Yeah. And I still struggle with this today because especially in security, it's hard to fail.

[00:13:03] Zoe: It's hard to admit you don't know something. Yeah. But the benefit there is admitting you don't know means that somebody that's better qualified is going to resolve it for you. Right. Right. And I think I like that point about, you know, test it, see if it works for you. If it doesn't, that's actually a learning experience and that can help.

[00:13:21] Zoe: Tailor your career better, but if you're be scared to make that mistake, then you're never going to get to know your limits. 

[00:13:28] Girard: Yeah. You don't know how far you could push it or how far you can't 

[00:13:30] Zoe: mm-hmm mm-hmm would you say that doing the kind of entrepreneur bit, whilst also working has really helped kind of focus yourself then like figure out what you like essentially.

[00:13:42] Girard: Yeah. And you know what? I haven't said this anywhere. I haven't written it. I haven't, this is the first time I'm saying it. I had a, a thought, I think about a week ago or two. That's why I always like to keep these gems cuz it's the first and it it's something there's gonna be a day. I'm not an engineer. I know.

[00:13:56] Girard: Right? Like I'm not trying to, but there's not like I'm 34, but tomorrow I might be 54. Like it goes quick. And I got five kids at this juncture. Everybody knows that I got five. So I'm always busy. I got five kids. And the overall goal is without questions, you know, helping people and changing industry in my own way and, and doing those things.

[00:14:13] Girard: But what are you gonna leave afterwards? Like what are people, you know what I mean? It's not just leav. Thousands of hours of content and blogs and things that will help people and still can for years to come. But it's about, what's, it's a bigger picture, right? Something I, maybe I could help my children in, in, in their futures and what they're doing, you know, with my experiences and like, again, the legacy you leave for them.

[00:14:31] Girard: Like I said, I still wanna be able to do things even when I'm retired one day, you know, I still wanna be. On my boat help people out or do, because that's just, that's, it's my, it's my thought. It's my mentality. It's what I believe in. It's just what keeps me going. I know there's a bigger picture here than just me even doing this, you know, there's showing people out there so many different companies, so yeah, that's, that's what keeps me going, you know, I just, I love the fact of creating something, seeing it, and then just again, expanding out of that.

[00:14:55] Girard: Okay. Well, where can we try? What can we do next? I, I tried helped people this way. I've tried this way. All right. What's the next thing I could do. It's just a mind. It's just something I've developed over time. Something I love to do. It's. It gives me excitement to see others succeed. 

[00:15:07] Chris: I had a, a friend in one of my first jobs who, uh, he said something similar.

[00:15:11] Chris: He said, you know, what are they gonna put on your tombstone? Right. And hopefully it's, you know, for me personally, and I think it sounds like for you as well, right. It's you know, maybe loving husband, good father, great friend. Yeah. But it's probably not gonna be, you know, a plus certified network engineer.

[00:15:24] Girard: Right. I mean, that's, that's probably not what, no, probably. Probably not. It might just say finally, let me sleep. sorry. Somebody will need something. I already have a feeling about that. dad. I need some money. 

[00:15:37] Chris: yeah. So you mentioned your five kids in, in this business, right? So, I mean, you've got five kids, you've got a full-time job and you've got a company you're running, which one?

[00:15:47] Chris: Just, I just kind of wanna star that and just, you know, the, the dynamism and energy you've you've got is pretty amazing. So, you know, kudos for being able to, you know, keep all those balls in the air. That's awesome. But diving into that, the, the fatherhood thing, right? I think I've seen you write a blog post fairly recently, right.

[00:16:01] Chris: About, you know, how fatherhood has affected you as an engineer. I wonder if you could tell us a little bit about, you know, the, the interaction between those two roles in your life. 

[00:16:09] Girard: Yeah. So believe it or not, I, we shared it this year. Cause it was just one of those pieces where like, I could have wrote a new one this year, but it still resonated so heavily from when I originally wrote it.

[00:16:19] Girard: I was working with a good friend of mine who works for it. One, his name's John mark, Ivy. Lemme tell you, I wanna give him a quick shoutout because a lot of people don't know when I started blogging and I had tech house, he gave me my first opportunity outside of tech house. Like he was working for a company called skyline.

[00:16:36] Girard: He's like, Hey, can you send me sample piece? And I wanted to expand again, expand out. This is an example I wanted to do different. I said, Hey, you know, you think I'd be able to write success on me, a sample. And the rest is history. Me and him worked on so many pieces together. We collab with ideas. So it was because of him that I've expanded outside of.

[00:16:50] Girard: He was a big propellant in that and helped me with different things that I didn't know. So I mean, shout out to him. But when I wrote that piece, I, I sat down and again, just like all my, everything I write, I. Let it flow. Like how does it correlate? I mean, think about it. You know, you gotta have balance, you gotta have most importantly patience.

[00:17:06] Girard: They got five kids, you know, three of them are under three. All their birthdays actually just happened except for my one daughters next week. So I got a three year old, a two year old and a one year old and then a seven year old and eight year old. So if you're gotta be patient, they don't know patience when they want their sippy cup, they want it.

[00:17:19] Girard: Now, when they want this, it's no different. You have. Treat it very differently, but the same way, if you think about it with a client, you know, they have needs, they have demands, they have wants, and they wanna assure their environment, their infrastructure safe. They wanna make sure, you know, they're treated like the top priority has everyone should.

[00:17:33] Girard: So how do you do that? And that's why I started really kind of diving in some, some, some fun, but like real examples on how to do that. You know? And that's, that's what really, again, motivated me and inspired me to write that piece was fathers. There's a perfect time, but a lot of people, you know, we get lost in it so easy to not realize how, how much the parallels are.

[00:17:49] Girard: Very similar. 

[00:17:50] Zoe: I really like that point. I would like to say that I am a mom of one . So the fact that you can handle all of this add five children is bloody impressive. Honestly, I think I would get lost in even just the laundry in a week. Nevermind. 

[00:18:06] Girard: Uh, I don't even wanna talk about the LA, I mean, not even kidding is yesterday no day before.

[00:18:12] Girard: I mean, there's like 800 miles of laundry and I folded like one ninth of it. And I was like, like, I didn't get through it. Don't get it wrong. Like, you know, and I would, I wouldn't change it for the world, but there's days, you know, again, like everything else I fail. Mm-hmm I, I tell people like, cuz I'm not gonna sit here and be like, oh yeah, father five.

[00:18:27] Girard: It is it's it's a lot, but I fail, you know, I don't always get the sippy cup on time or some spills or I. Like everybody else, but I get that's that's part of, okay, how do we do it different tomorrow? How do we all right. And then, and you know, like everybody says it they're always gonna be that way. They will grow up and they get a little, they'll be a little more breathing room.

[00:18:44] Girard: So still got time to get to the breathing room, but working at it. 

[00:18:49] Zoe: I saw a chart a while ago, and I struggle with motivation. I struggle with capacity and being a top performer. I would define you as a, I would define you as a top performer. That's very clear. You are high performing, you get stuff done.

[00:19:03] Zoe: You're self motivated in all of those great bits. That, you know, you're very impressive. But the thing to learn about that is, yes, you're a high performer, but you, like you said, you can't do it all all the time. You know, there's dips and there's really, really productive days and there's not so productive days.

[00:19:21] Zoe: And I think when we look from an external point of view, We look at these top performers and we say, oh, how can they, how can I get to that? How can I do what they're doing? Because they don't see the negatives, they don't see the downs. They don't see the, yeah. The failures, they see all the positives, all of the, you know, success, brilliant work, but they don't see the hours you put in behind that.

[00:19:44] Zoe: Right. So is there any, I suppose advice you would give people trying to figure out how they can get their own sort of standing, I suppose. 

[00:19:53] Girard: Balance, you know, don't take it all. Don't bite off more. You could chew. And I don't mean to go have like 10 kids. No, I'm just saying like balance what you do. You know what I mean?

[00:20:02] Girard: Like when I do these things again, for example, all of my business work, you know, you know, for my brand work, be partnerships, whatever I do during the day, have a hard stop. Excuse me. Rest of the day, spend with the kids cook clean. Spend time go to sleep for my four hours or three hours, depending on the day, which I'm working on.

[00:20:20] Girard: That if you're at work, I get a little bored. My sleep is split right now. And then I get up at night cause I work nights so that I go, when I work night, you know, for my job and that's, it works right now, you know, something changes. Okay. You know, sports comes up and things like that, but you just have to take it in stride because again, if you bite off, it goes back to what I was saying.

[00:20:35] Girard: When I was younger. If you bite off more than you could chew, you're not able to deliver. It's very simple. That's how, where all the stuff starts falling through the cracks things you wouldn't forget. And I'm not gonna say, like, for example, I got my anniversary covered up here in two weeks. I've already got that ready, locked, and loaded.

[00:20:48] Girard: I have to stay ahead of that stuff. Cause I thought I'll forget, but it's it for look me included. If I, if I didn't have that thought process would be very easy to be like, forgot the anniversary. Oh man. Forgot to pick this up. Oh man. Like it's easy. Mm-hmm totally cause you get pulled in so many directions, you know, it's like, I need this, I need this.

[00:21:07] Girard: I need this. So it's, you know, it's just balance. That's what I've always said. I've written, I've said it everywhere. It's balance. That's the best way I don't have any magic wand. I don't have anything to be like, Hey, this is help, but like balance, take everything one bit at a time. Don't don't don't bite off more knee chew.

[00:21:21] Zoe: I like the point you make about eight hours as well. Cuz I, we, we had a chat with another person and they did the same approach that you have. You know, I'm very structured in this time slot. I do this and this time slot, I do that. I can't do that. I am more than impressed with both of you because I can't actually do that.

[00:21:38] Zoe: What I do is completely the opposite in not tructure. And if I feel fancy of working on a blog, I draft it up in my phone and I'll be like the middle of the night. I'll wake up, I'll draft it on my phone and then I'll write it up the next day. Yeah. I cannot do that structure. 

[00:21:53] Girard: Well, I even try with that.

[00:21:55] Girard: Like I, I keep what's called the, again, my friend, I keep what's called the hopper filled. So the hopper is, I like to have X amount of blogs or X amount of content lined up, ready to go edited finalized. That's scheduled for this week. Next week, week after that keeps me again. It's a prime example. I give away a good way.

[00:22:10] Girard: Another jet. That's what I do. And what's, that's done and finalized. It's scheduled. You I'll make the, the whatever to follow and then it's done. And now I don't gotta worry about it. It drops 12. O'clock whatever I schedule for. And again, I'm focused on the kids in the house or spend time with them watching a movie and the work's done.

[00:22:25] Girard: If you get the work done beforehand and you pre structure. And I like to say prepackaged, but it is, you know, I, I do, I'll sit down for a good if I get it over the weekend four hours, which I need a good weekend like that coming up. But I just sit down for a few hours. It's just write, you know, write about, I have a schedule I'll adhere to, or if something comes up that inspires me, like I'm working out a piece now.

[00:22:42] Girard: For, you know, my wife's Nana, it's not a tech related one, but this is something that I would use my platform, cuz it means something to be. I just haven't come to the, the heart of writing it yet. But once you write it and you put it out there, then you know that everybody can see it and they enjoy it.

[00:22:53] Girard: They can consume that content. If you're at a schedule that it helps personal and professional life. I feel, I like that. Yeah. 

[00:23:00] Zoe: I think another point that I think would be interesting to hear about is your work with the tech, cuz you're obviously a tech field delegate. That's how we all met in person. Oh yeah.

[00:23:10] Zoe: But I'd like to hear your thoughts on that and maybe the reason you pursue that as well, because I mean, I imagine it's very similar to how, why we do versus, um, I am interested in your thoughts on that 

[00:23:21] Girard: about two years ago. Yeah. I'll say about two years ago I was talking to AJ. Murray's one of my closest friends in this.

[00:23:27] Girard: And I was again, discovering this stuff as I started my blog, I actually about a month and a half, maybe two months in month, month and a half. I don't remember. I started writing for the other company skyline and, uh, I saw something and I came across the page, the tech field day delegate. I said, I'm reading about it.

[00:23:42] Girard: I'm like, AJ, what the is this? This is super cool. Like again, just like the community, I'm like a kid finding a, a treasure box. Like I had no idea there was an event and you get to sit and just consume technology and they show you, like, I had no idea about this. And I was like, how do I do that? He's like, it's a commit, like everything and my life, but he's like, it's a commitment, you know?

[00:24:02] Girard: And you absolutely. And that's how I've treated it since the day. People don't know that was a late conversation. Friday night at like 10 o'clock, 10. It's a commitment and what you do it though. And Lord and truth. I applied, you know, as I just, I just kept doing, when I applied, gave it the kiss and prayed, I was like, hopefully they select me one day and they did.

[00:24:21] Girard: I got to do my first tech field day delegate or my first network field day back, September, October, and toped should did too. On an episode of art, I we're gonna do. He's like, you know, I want people to get excited the way Gerard does, and I will always be that excited when that email comes through. Hey, we wanna select you cuz those events again, put you, they.

[00:24:38] Girard: I'm gonna take bits and pieces from a conversation I with someone else, but it's the truth. Becoming a Cisco champion, being a tech field day, delegate, it elevates you. Takes what you're trying to do through your brand, your company, whatever it is, you know, and the way you're trying to help it adds just, it elevates you to a whole new frigging level.

[00:24:52] Girard: It does. It puts you in, in front of eyes, people that you may not have had those connections prior to. And it's not just about the connections. It's about the experience I got to meet. Y'all like, and I'm a sociable guy again, I broke the it stereotype and the it mold years. Or they just, you know, locked themselves in the room.

[00:25:08] Girard: That's not me. I, my mom is a, so was a social person. And so am I, so I got that, that mix, that, that blood, but that's what being a, a delegate means to me. It's how can I use that to help them? You know, because now I'm in this position, I'm blessed and I've gotten to do all these events and hopefully more in the future.

[00:25:24] Girard: And as I keep doing them, okay, now I can be like, Hey, you should do this. And here's why I can tell you Jeff, just from my experiences, but the overall company and what they stand again, it's what they stand for and why they're even here in the first place. I could be on this for all day, but it goes back to the initial point.

[00:25:39] Girard: If you feel to percent, if you're fully invested in something, you genuinely believe in it, right? Like, look at SHA you don't think he'd be doing all these endorsements and conversions. He didn't believe in it. He believes in it. That's why he is like, I would never do. So I, when I believe in this, I believe in the company, I believe in their mission.

[00:25:53] Girard: And I believe in these events and the takeaways from them. Yeah. We have fun and do all that, but like we get to see new technologies, things that we can utilize in our day to day and implement these solutions in our environments. So. That's that's for me being a delegate is, is summed up as I could be, but it's, it's the best experience.

[00:26:09] Girard: And then getting to share that and recommend other people, because they don't know what they're missing out. Yeah. And then when they become one, they're like, oh, okay, this is fun. And here's why, yeah. 

[00:26:17] Chris: It makes a lot of sense. For sure. And in there you mentioned being a Cisco champion and I think you also either are, or have been, uh, a VMware, V expert.

[00:26:27] Chris: I am, you know, there's probably quite a few people out there who maybe want to use blogging to enhance their career. Or just to give back or, or maybe a little bit of both, you know, have you found those programs to be one worthwhile? It sounds like, yes. Based on what you, you know, you said that kinda elevates you and things, but I'd like to hear a little bit more about that.

[00:26:46] Chris: And then more interestingly, maybe what's involved. Right. What, what does it take to be a Cisco champion? What does it take to be a VMware V expert? I mean, maybe not the nets and bolts details, but generally what do you gotta do if somebody were to wanna pursue that path? Hi, of course. 

[00:27:00] Girard: So I'll use the Cisco champions program.

[00:27:02] Girard: If I. Very briefly as a perfect example, the way I explain it, I mean, I hype it up. I hype everything up, but I, but it's not really hing it up with it's with it's the truth. I've always felt that the champions program encapsulates it takes some of the best it professionals in the world, best content, creators, the best people all around, and you know, hundred thousands of people apply every year for not everybody gets in, but the ones that do you need to create some type of content, be it a blog, a podcast blog, you know, whatever it may be.

[00:27:30] Girard: And. To be an established presence in the community. Let me, let me, let me dial that back. I would say an established presence, but you're trying to give. In some ways, you know what I mean? To the it community, you may not be on the largest scale, but you're trying to give back be it a how to, or a content piece or whatever that may be.

[00:27:46] Girard: And once you apply the applications open up and then usually hear back where they, they do a big announce of it. You know, you get your email, it says, congratulations, welcome to champions program. But again, once you become a champion, you are elevated to whole new levels. You get to see things and you get certain experiences at, at events and a bunch of cos.

[00:28:03] Girard: It really boils down to you get to network with people that, and probably in any other lifetime, I wouldn't, you know, and that's just because of what they do and it creates opportunities. And yet it's like the way I've always said it, it takes the opportunities. You can maximize those that extract them and get every drop of goodness you can out of it.

[00:28:21] Girard: But at that it's work, that's on you. You can, okay. Someone's presented you an opportunity, but what are you gonna do with it? How are you gonna season? And I've said that before, I'll say it. How are you gonna seize that opportunity? What are you gonna do with it? I continue to, and I'm thankful, blessed. I use my opportunities the way I can and to help others and through the champion platform and all these different things, some may do something different or it's just about how you want to maximize it.

[00:28:44] Girard: You know, that's what I always like to do. I like to make the most out of all my, all my opportunities. 

[00:28:48] Chris: Awesome. I love that. Well, I think we're out of time for today. We may have to have you back on jar. I know, uh, you've got a lot going on and you're doing a lot of things and have a lot of wisdom to share here.

[00:28:58] Girard: I would love to 

[00:28:59] Girard: be 

[00:28:59] Girard: back on anytime 

[00:29:01] Chris: for now. We'll call it a day. You know, obviously in the show notes, we'll, we'll have links to your Twitter, to your LinkedIn, to the tech house, five 70 blog, and specifically to the, uh, how being a dad makes you a better it pro article in case people wanna check that out.

[00:29:17] Chris: Thanks. Yeah. What else are you working on? What else should folks look at? Anything you wanna plug or recommend or, or drop here before we wrap up? 

[00:29:25] Girard: Well, I'll tell you this much. I didn't wanna give too much away, but I've been actually work, honestly not I've I've been, I've been framing it and I've been doing a lot of work.

[00:29:33] Girard: I'm more in the final phases now of like the branding, but I'm gonna be launching my own podcast. It's gonna be coming probably sometime early, mid fall. It's gonna be called tech talk with G you get a half hour, 40 minute conversation with individuals, but what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna again, have the individuals line up.

[00:29:47] Girard: I got the guest list, like 80% done. And, uh, I'm gonna go ahead and I'm gonna. Putting all that content out there, because again, I got a lot of great advice for people. Who've obviously done it, you know, and in ways I can approach it, doesn't impact my day to day. So that'll be coming. You know, I got a bunch of projects.

[00:30:00] Girard: I have another giveaway coming up probably here in the next month or two or so, just firming up the details on that. So everybody's gonna stay too fast. This is an exciting one. This is gonna be a little different. I can't give too much away, but it's gonna be different than my other. Another big thing I'm working on is I wanted to, after, you know, we lost her name.

[00:30:15] Girard: I wanna start my own foundation. So I'm starting the, the working title right now is the miss Mary foundation for blood cancer, but that's a mouthful. So we're gonna dial that back, but I wanna build more awareness around lung cancer, you know, losing my mom to it, losing, you know, Herana who is just as vital in my life.

[00:30:29] Girard: So that's, those are the three big things I'm working on. And then, you know, just create content, enjoy my kids, enjoying my family, enjoying my life, family vacation, coming up in August. Vacation's needed. and yeah, just, just that's about it. Holidays are mandatory. I know I need it. but like, like I said, everything's work.

[00:30:47] Girard: So, I mean, they'll enjoy it. I'll be tired by the end of it. I'll leave my vacation for that vacation. That's how it always goes. never fails. 

[00:30:55] Chris: That is true. That is true. All right. Well, that is all the time we have for today. Gerard. Thanks again for being on sharing your story with the imposter syndrome network.

[00:31:06] Chris: We really appreciate you. People will find you on Twitter and, uh, and read some of those blogs and does it for, for us.