Nerd Journey: Career Advice for the Technology Professional John White | Nick Korte

We often talk about lifecycle management in technology, but every job and personal or professional project has a lifecycle that needs managing from beginning to end. When we start a job or a career, we don’t know when the end of that lifecycle will come.

This week in episode 276 we’re joined by Packet Pushers co-founder Ethan Banks. As we talk through the lifecycle and evolution of podcasts on the Packet Pushers Podcast Network, we relate that to technology projects and personal experiences. Ethan will also share details on the new Packet Pushers Job Board and how it can be a helpful resource that pairs up the job seeker with companies needing specific technical talent.

Original Recording Date: 04-19-2024

Topics – Ethan Banks Returns, Pandemic Impact on Packet Pushers, Staying Broad and Going Deep, Longevity and the Lifecycle of Everything, The Packet Pushers Job Board

2:35 – Ethan Banks Returns



* Ethan Banks is a network engineer, business owner, and one of the founders of Packet Pushers. It’s been 5 years since we shared Ethan’s career story on the show. You can find our earlier discussions here:



* Episode 42 – Ethan Banks and the Journey to Career Self-Awareness

* Episode 43 – Ethan Banks on Podcasting and Turning a Hobby into the Packet Pushers







3:25 – Pandemic Impact on Packet Pushers



* In the past couple of years, John’s podcast listening has been pretty sparse. But how has Packet Pushers changed before and after the pandemic?



* The business model at Packet Pushers is monetization through sponsorships. Packet Pushers creates and provides podcasts for technical people, and often times technology vendors will want to sponsor a discussion or an ad to air on one of the shows on Packet Pushers.

* During the pandemic, technology vendors could not longer attend Cisco Live or VMware Explore because these kinds of events were cancelled, removing a major marketing channel for vendors. Packet Pushers became one of the outlets used for marketing during this time, and there was an influx of incoming sponsorships for probably a solid 2 years.



* “We went through a two-and-a-half year period of just absolute insanity trying to keep up with demand.” – Ethan Banks, on the influx of Packet Pushers sponsors during the pandemic

* As the pandemic died down, Packet Pushers went back to a more normal state, acting as one of many different marketing channels a technology vendor might use.





* As a result of this, Ethan and team realized there wasn’t enough inventory (in terms of different podcasts airing) on Packet Pushers Network.



* For example, if a podcast releases weekly, that is one show released per week that could be sponsored (i.e. one episode per week considered inventory).

* Some shows were being booked for sponsorship weeks, months, and close to years in advance during the pandemic. It did not make sense to increase the release cadence of any existing show, so they worked to add new shows to provide more sponsorship opportunities.

* “We’ve been trying to grow by adding more shows to the network so that there is availability for sponsors that want to work with us.” – Ethan Banks









* Did the flood of potential sponsors change the vetting process for sponsors in any way?



* Ethan says the vetting process for sponsors has been pretty standard since the very beginning.

What if deep down you are afraid of achieving a goal? Could the fear of success be the very thing that motivates you to abandon your goal? What could you be getting by not finishing?

With the finish line in sight, perfectionism throws up its final roadblocks. To reach the end, we must address the fears of what’s next, what now, and the fear of things not being perfect once we achieve the goal. We can also architect a work environment and choose a data collection method to support positive progress based on previous successes and failures.

In episode 275, we’re joined by guest host Jason Gass to discuss the following chapters from Finish by Jon Acuff and provide some final thoughts as this series comes to a close:



* Chapter 7: Use Data to Celebrate Your Imperfect Progress

* Chapter 8: The Day before Done



Original Recording Date: 04-07-2024

Topics – A Book Discussion Series, How You Work Best and Some is Better than Perfect, Chapter 8: The Day before Done, Final Thoughts

A Book Discussion Series



* This is part 3 of a book discussion series centered on Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff.



* If you missed part 1 of our discussion, check out Episode 272.In that first episode we discussed the following topics:



* Reasons Jason Gass (our special guest host in this series) recommended the book

* Chapter 1 – The Day after Perfect

* Chapter 2 – Cut Your Goal in Half





* If you missed part 2 of our discussion, check out Episode 273. In that second episode in the series we discussed:



* Chapter 3 – Choose What to Bomb

* Chapter 4 – Make It Fun if You Want It Done

* Chapter 5 – Leave Your Hiding Places and Ignore Noble Obstacles





* If you missed part 3 of our discussion, check out Episode 274. In that third episode in the series we discussed:



* Chapter 6 – Get Rid of Your Secret Rules

* Chapter 7 – Use Data to Celebrate Your Imperfect Progress











3:34 – How You Work Best and Some is Better than Perfect



* The next section discussed the idea of learning how you work best. John says this is more of a focused example of answering questions about the last time you tried a goal and whether you were successful or not.



* Acuff gives the example of people working well on planes. It may not be that for all of us. What specifically about the environment of being on a plane led to success? We can brainstorm on that for a second.



* Maybe it was the set start and end time, a poor internet connection, white noise, ease of focusing on work instead of socialization, etc.





* For Nick it was helpful to work at a Starbucks. What was it about the coffee shop that led to more progress toward a goal than perhaps working at home did?



* Maybe it was the ground coffee smell, the white noise of background chatter, no television in walking distance to act as a distraction, the unlikelihood of running into someone Nick knows, working from a single screen, etc.

* Maybe Nick could re-create part of that environment from Starbucks at home or when working from somewhere else (the sounds, the smells,

Could you be making false assumptions which only serve to keep you from achieving your goals? Secret rules take self-reflection to discover, destroy, and replace with rules based on the truth. In addition to getting rid of secret rules, we can collect data to measure progress toward a goal. Even though our efforts working toward a goal won’t be perfect, data allows us to better understand that we are moving in the right direction.

In episode 274, we’re joined by guest host Jason Gass to discuss the following chapters from Finish by Jon Acuff:



* Chapter 6: Get Rid of Your Secret Rules

* Chapter 7: Use Data to Celebrate Your Imperfect Progress



Original Recording Date: 04-07-2024

Topics – A Book Discussion Series, Chapter 6: Get Rid of Your Secret Rules, Chapter 7: Use Data to Celebrate Your Imperfect Progress

A Book Discussion Series



* This is part 3 of a book discussion series centered on Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff.



* If you missed part 1 of our discussion, check out Episode 272.In that first episode we discussed the following topics:



* Reasons Jason Gass (our special guest host in this series) recommended the book

* Chapter 1 – The Day after Perfect

* Chapter 2 – Cut Your Goal in Half





* If you missed part 2 of our discussion, check out Episode 273. In that second episode in the series we discussed:



* Chapter 3 – Choose What to Bomb

* Chapter 4 – Make It Fun if You Want It Done

* Chapter 5 – Leave Your Hiding Places and Ignore Noble Obstacles











2:56 – Chapter 6: Get Rid of Your Secret Rules



* “Perfectionism is a desperate attempt to live up to impossible standards. We wouldn’t play if the game was impossible, so perfectionism promises us that we just need follow some secret rules. As long as we do that, perfect is possible. So over the years, as you chase goals, perfectionism quietly adds some secret rules to your life.” – Jon Acuff

* One of the secret rules Acuff discusses is that a goal must be difficult in order for it to count (i.e. can’t be easy).



* John mentions the goal to read books from an earlier chapter and the secret rules we impose on ourselves. When we think of reading books we might say that means the books must be paper books and a certain level of complexity.



* This might make us think a book can’t be children’s books, an anthology of short stories, poems, an audiobook, a book of art, etc.





* Nick mentions a secret rule related to technical conferences. People think they need to have a presentation written when they submit an abstract to speak. That’s not true at all. You just need a good abstract, and you can worry about writing the presentation if you are selected to speak.





* Acuff tells us to deal with secret rules we have to:



* Identify them

* Destroy them

* Replace them





* According to the book, ask yourself these questions to identify secret rules:



* Do I even like …?

* What’s my real goal?

* Does the method I’m using match who I am?

* Is it time to quit?





* Jason mentions people don’t often reassess goals to see if those goals are still things they want to accomplish. It may very well be time to quit.

In order to finish the goals we begin, author Jon Acuff says we need more time to work toward each goal, the motivation to keep going, and to maintain focus amidst any possible distractions perfectionism may throw at us along the way.

Based on that, what will you intentionally decide to bomb so you have more time? How will you stay motivated to accomplish your goal? And how can you avoid distractions?

In episode 273, we’re joined by guest host Jason Gass to help answer these questions based on our discussion of the following chapters from Finish by Jon Acuff:



* Chapter 3: Choose What to Bomb

* Chapter 4: Make It Fun if You Want It Done

* Chapter 5: Leave Your Hiding Places and Ignore Noble Obstacles.



Original Recording Date: 04-07-2024

Topics – A Book Discussion Series, Chapter 3: Choose What to Bomb, Chapter 4: Make It Fun, Chapter 5: Leave Your Hiding Places and Ignore Noble Obstacles

A Book Discussion Series



* This is part 2 of a book discussion series centered on Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff. If you missed part 1 of our discussion, check out Episode 272.

* In that first episode we discussed the following topics:



* Reasons Jason Gass (our special guest host in this series) recommended the book

* Chapter 1 – The Day after Perfect

* Chapter 2 – Cut Your Goal in Half







2:59 – Chapter 3: Choose What to Bomb



* The only way to accomplish a new goal is to feed it your most valuable resource – time. We have to take time from one thing and give it to something else. Being good at one thing means being bad at something else. We choose what to be bad at to prioritize something we’d like to be better at.



* Jason liked the examples Acuff uses from his own life and the lives of real people.

* Acuff gives the example of using a specific block of time on Mondays to finish a book he was writing. His wife encouraged him to use that time.

* For those listening who may be working toward a specific goal (taking a class or a degree, pursuing a certification, etc.), you might need to work on it while your kids are awake, and it may take time away from them. But it is intended to be temporary.



* Jason used to enjoy mowing his yard, for example, but got tired of the time it was taking, especially in the heat of a Texas summer. He is able to pay for a mowing service and can now apply the 2 hours per week toward other goals.





* Nick says the decision to be bad at something is really putting your time in the right place to accomplish your goal. But it also prevents you from having a mental conflict later or needing to make further decisions. It saves mental cycles.



* Nick, for example, is choosing to bomb communicating with people a lot on weekends because he is podcasting. That’s just what he does.

* Jason’s wife hated grocery shopping. Now they’ve invested in a meal service and only shop for the basics. This relieved a task they just didn’t want to do.

* “There’s always something I feel in our lives that we just don’t want to do, and if we can trade or outsource so we can work on something that’s a little more energetic or more fulfilling, it’s a good handoff.” – Jason Gass

* John stresses that these things are planned and intentional. If grocery shopping takes 90 minutes out of your week that you really don’t like spending, and a delivery service can eliminate some of that or most of it for a fixed rate,

What if the reason you aren’t completing the goals you start working toward is really a symptom of being a perfectionist? Maybe you don’t think you have a problem with perfectionism. Think again, friend.

According Jon Acuff, author of Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done, perfectionism is the villain we each have to overcome on our quest to complete more of the goals we start. In episode 272, we’re joined by guest host Jason Gass for the first in a series of collaborative discussions centered on Jon Acuff’s book and the practical tips within. In this first discussion, we’ll talk through the thesis of Finish by Jon Acuff and reactions to its first two chapters – The Day after Perfect and Cut Your Goal in Half.

Original Recording Date: 04-07-2024

Topics – A Guest Host and Our Episode Format, Overall Thesis of Finish by Jon Acuff, Chapter 1: The Day after Perfect, Chapter 2: Cut Your Goal in Half

2:14 – A Guest Host and Our Episode Format



* Jason Gass joins us this week as a guest host. He is a Solution Architect at VMware by Broadcom and colleague of Nick’s who recommended Nick read Finish by Jon Acuff.



* Nick admits he is a perfectionist and struggles with perfectionism.

* Interestingly enough, it took Nick 6 months or more to actually buy the book and read it after Jason recommended it. He read it on Audible (his preferred consumption medium for books) and loved it.





* Our episode format will be a boot review of Finish by Jon Acuff which has 3 specific framing questions throughout:



* Do I believe this?

* How did this affect me?

* What am I going to do about it, or what have I done about it?





* We will start with overall reactions to the book and then look at specific chapters.



4:01 – Overall Thesis of Finish by Jon Acuff



* Jason says the main thesis of the book is centered on actually completing the goals we start. We get a number of ideas, set a goal, and tend to never finish / see them through to fruition.



* John feels this could be on a macro scale or micro scale and span from changing your life drastically this year to what you might want to achieve over the course of a weekend.

* Jason has micro level goals like taking his vitamins every day and still sometimes fails.



* You’re not alone, Jason!





* Making goals something we can achieve is extremely powerful, and part of getting there is conquering perfectionism.





* Overall reactions:



* John had a very positive reaction to the book and found it to be both consumable and believable. The advice within seemed to be something one could implement and achieve. Furthermore, John feels the book and its contents will help people accomplish more goals.

* Jason reads this book every year now, finishing his second reading for the year a few weeks before we recorded this episode, and felt like the author was writing the book specifically for him. Jason recommended it to Nick and gave another friend a copy of the book as a gift.

* Nick loves Acuff’s writing style, personal touch, and use of humor throughout. And Acuff narrates the book if you get on Audible! Nick really enjoys it when authors narrate their books on Audible.

* Nick admits to consistently getting tons of ideas that he can never finish. Nick and John have never had a shortage of ideas for the podcast, and there have been so many times they have said something was a good idea only to leave it there and never take action to complete it.

* Jason read the paper book but noticed some of a href="https://www.audible.

Why would someone return to a company referred to as “the hurt locker” after a stressful first experience? After moving on from “the hurt locker” to decrease his stress level, Justin Kelly, our guest in episode 271, received a unique opportunity to work inside the special operations division of his former employer as an automation developer. In contrast to his first stint at this employer, the special operations role gave Justin the flexibility to begin what would later become Secure Bearing, LLC. And it began by first deciding to moonlight. We’ll share the story of his journey into entrepreneurship and the perspective he’s gained from working in technology operations and becoming a business owner.

Original Recording Date: 03-30-2024

Justin Kelly is the co-founder and CEO of Secure Bearing, LLC, an IT services provider. If you missed part 1 of our discussion with Justin, check out Episode 270.

Topics – Fond Memories of a Stressful Time, A Very Different Transition, Learning Systems Design, Back to the Hurt Locker and the Opportunity to Moonlight, Perspectives and Zooming Out, Leaning into Business Ownership

3:59 – Fond Memories of a Stressful Time



* Nick loves that someone helped Justin realize the impact of being inside his work environment (“the hurt locker”) despite the enjoyment of learning. It seems to be a pattern when people are in this scenario that they cannot see it by themselves.



* This reminds Nick of Erik Gross’ reference to being that friend for someone else from Episode 268.

* Justin tells us he worked shifts that were 24 hours sometimes. He would work 10-12 hour days and might need to get on a troubleshooting call at 2 AM. It really was the hurt locker.



* The role was very taxing, but Justin looks back on it fondly.









* Was it the growth Justin looked back fondly on or the stress and pace?



* It was definitely the growth (not stress and pace).

* The camaraderie at the MSP is something Justin wanted to recreate ever since he left. The people he worked with were a very tight knit group of people in the hurt locker together.

* There were no cubicles in the NOC (network operations center) where Justin and his colleagues worked.

* It was a military like culture. The regional manager was ex-military, and many other employees were also. Justin was somewhat of an outsider having not served in the military.







6:20 – A Very Different Transition



* What type of company did Justin want to work for after the MSP? Did the exposure to many environments make him prefer any one specifically?



* Justin began to notice the companies he worked with at the MSP and the way they treated their managed service provider and its employees. A few companies stood out as attractive (one of which was a software company he would go on to work for years later) because of how well employees and leaders at the company treated their managed service provider staff.

* From Justin’s observation at the MSP, healthcare and retail workers were operating with a higher level of stress, and he didn’t want to work in those verticals as a result.

* One very exciting part of working for the MSP was managing the enterprise network environment for Cisco as a customer.



* “It was just a massive inventory. And just about everyone that we interacted with within Cisco was very knowledgeable, very professional. It’s always nice talked to someone who,