Life In Uptime
Life In Uptime is a podcast that explores the real journeys of the people who build and run the backbone of the internet—network engineers, IT leaders, and technologists. Hosted by Alexis Bertholf and Kevin Nanns, each episode dives into the personal and professional paths that got them where they are today. The show is for anyone wondering how to break into tech, where it can take you, and what’s possible when you expand your mindset.
Episodes
LIU024: Dennis Thankachan: Lightyear and Beyond
Lightyear CEO and co-founder Dennis Thankachan shares his transition from investment banking to entrepreneurship and the lessons learned from his early startup failure. He also discusses the creation of Lightyear, the implementation of AI in network operations, and shares some actionable advice for engineers early in their careers. AdSpot Sponsor: Meter Most IT teams are... Read more »
LIU023: Wendell Odom – The Man Who Wrote THE Book
Renowned Cisco Press author Wendell Odom shares how he began writing the definitive guide for the CCNA exam. Alexis, Kevin, and Wendell discuss the balance between practical, on-the-job experience and certification study habits. Wendell also reflects on his career as well as the creation of his YouTube channel, Network Upskill. Episode Links: Watch this episode... Read more »
LIU022: Chris Grundemann – From Pulling Cable to Network Automation Forum
Chris Grundemann joins Alexis and Kevin to discuss his career evolution from pulling cable to co-founding the Network Automation Forum. Chris shares insights on the challenges of adopting network automation, the impact of AI on the industry, the importance of professional networking, and strategies for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. AdSpot Sponsor: Meter Most IT... Read more »
LIU021: Justin Ryburn – The Road More Traveled with a Field CTO
Kevin and Alexis welcome Justin Ryburn, VP of Global Solution Engineering and Field CTO at Kentik, to discuss the realities of traveling for technical work. Justin explains the nuances of his role, which balances executive engagement, public speaking, and team leadership with the challenge of a heavy travel schedule. They also touch on the importance... Read more »
LIU020: Ricki Cook: Reaching the Top and Walking Away
What do you do when you get your dream job and it’s not as fulfilling as you thought it would be? Ricki Cook speaks with Alexis and Kevin about navigating between career achievement and personal satisfaction. Ricki discusses his transition from traditional network architecture to touring systems engineering, the realities of maintaining real-time networks under... Read more »
LIU019: Jason Gooley: The Godfather of Programmability
Jason Gooley is a longtime member of the Cisco community and author of the latest edition of the CCNA book. Jason joins the show to share his unconventional path from a challenging childhood to technical evangelist and author at Cisco. Together they discuss the importance of community, mental health, and resilience in navigating technical career... Read more »
LIU018: Why You Should Attend Tech Conferences
Alexis and Kevin talk about their experiences attending Cisco Live alongside return guest Melina Bertholf. They offer different perspectives about the event while highlighting the importance of building professional relationships and community through in-person gatherings. They also share personal anecdotes and advice for those looking to maximize their social and professional networking efforts a
LIU017: Chris Lapp: Becoming “THE GUY” (or GIRL)
Chris Lapp is an Emmy award-winning network engineer, focused on AI, media, and entertainment. Chris is also known as “The Guy”, the one you call when the problem is sitting between broadcast networking and media and the stakes are high. Join us as Kevin and Alexis sit down with Chris to find out how he... Read more »
LIU016: Michael Keith Lewis: The Network Behind the Show
Today’s guest takes us behind the scenes of modern concert venues, which rely on wired and wireless IP networking. Michael Keith Lewis is a front-of-house engineer, tour manager, audio creator, and co-founder of Truck Packer. Michael shares his career path from starting in a church, quitting a salaried job to tour with his favorite band,... Read more »
LIU015: Eyvonne Sharp: From Farm Roots to the Cloud
Today’s guest is Eyvonne Sharp, a Google Cloud technical leader, Network Collective co-founder, co-host of The Cloud Gambit podcast, and former network architect at a Fortune 100. Eyvonne shares stories from her impressive career, offers advice to her younger self, and how to appreciate those “magic” moments in your career when a project fires on... Read more »
LIU014: Linda Haviv: From Philosophy Major to AI Engineer
Alexis and Kevin sit down with Linda Haviv, an AI/ML Engineer and founder of Coding Crystals. Linda is known for making AI infrastructure accessible, and for a career path that went from philosophy student to professional singer to self-taught developer to AI engineer. Together they discuss the difference between AI infrastructure and AI engineering, the... Read more »
LIU013: The Engineer Who Built a Business to Fund a Mission
Ray Cline has been in the tech trenches since he was twelve years old, helping his Dad run a bulletin board service. Today he runs an MSP called Libertas Consulting and leads a nonprofit called TEKnowledge Worldwide (TKW) that has donated over a million dollars in network infrastructure to communities in need. Join us for... Read more »
LIU012: Behind the Curtain at Life In Uptime
Kevin and Alexis are back with a behind-the-scenes look at the podcast with guest Melina Bertholf, who joined the team a while back to help manage content. (And yes, sharp-eyed readers will notice a family name shared by Alexis and Melina). After interviewing many guests about their tech journeys, our hosts share their own personal... Read more »
LIU011: Inside the Digital Nomad Life: The Good, The Hard, and the Wi-Fi
Alexis Bertholf and Kevin Nanns sit down for a conversation with Andrei Istrate, Senior Mobile Developer at Toptal. Andrei has taken the “mobile” part of his job literally: he’s built a life around travel and experiences rather than settling in one location. Andrei talks about the travel opportunities that remote work has presented, how he... Read more »
LIU010: Personal, Technical, and Slightly Unhinged: Listener Q&A
Kevin and Alexis take a break from their regular interviews to answer your questions! Join them for an unfiltered, wide-ranging discussion including the value of certifications, online learning pros and cons, how networking engineering jobs are changing, how to maintain a healthy work-life balance, and more. AdSpot Sponsor: Statseeker Statseeker gives engineers near real-time performance... Read m
LIU009: Navigating Cybersecurity Careers
Alexis and Kevin sit down with Mike Miller to discuss what brought him from the back of a garbage truck to his current position as a Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (VCISO). He breaks down how a VCISO differs from a CISO, and discusses the two types of clients looking for VCISO services: those looking... Read more »
LIU008: Breaking Barriers: Thriving as a Woman in Tech
Kevin and Alexis sit down with Melissa Brooks, a Senior Cloud Engineer at Aritzia, to discuss how she went from being a “terrible waitress” to going back to school for a diploma in network security. They explore how she used a strategic, “reverse engineered” approach to goal setting to land on a career in tech.... Read more »
LIU007: From Track to Tech: Navigating Career Change with Resilience
Ifeanyi Otuonye was a decorated track and field athlete at Kansas State and even competed professionally. Then he made the leap to a Technical Account Manager role at Amazon Web Services. Alexis and Kevin sit down with Ifeanyi to discuss the difficulties of that career change. Ifeanyi explains why he chose cloud engineering, what he... Read more »
LIU006: Stay Technical While Expanding Your Influence
Is it possible for IT professionals to remain technical when moving into roles that expand influence, scale, and reach? Matt Starling, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Ekahau and co-founder of the WiFi Ninjas podcast, joins Alexis and Kevin to share how your career can evolve beyond on-call operations without losing the technical core. His... Read more »
LIU005: The Importance of Community In a Networking Career
AJ Murray joins Kevin and Alexis to share his unique journey into tech, pivoting away from aviation maintenance into networking. Together they explore the importance of person-to-person networking and building a community in order to be successful. They also talk about the reality of burnout, which ultimately led AJ to step away from his podcast.... Read more »
LIU004: From Fast Food to Leading Operations at an ISP
Think you need a degree or a ton of certificates to succeed in tech? Think again. Matthew Oborne joins our hosts Alexis Bertholf and Kevin Nanns to discuss how he went from working fast food to leading operations at an ISP. Your starting point doesn’t define your ceiling; resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to learn... Read more »
LIU003: A Chat With ‘The Cloud Therapist’
Your background and experiences outside of tech can become a significant factor in your tech career. Guest Chris Williams is a good example; he talks about how his undergraduate and graduate studies in psychology influenced his work as a Developer Relations Manger at Hashicorp. Hosts Alexis Bertholf and Kevin Nanns chat with him about how... Read more »
LIU002: Do You Need a College Degree to Succeed in IT?
A college degree can be a useful stepping stone into a tech career, and it certainly doesn’t hurt to have it on your resume. But do you really need that college degree to succeed in IT? Maybe, maybe not. Today’s guest is Wes Noonan, whose non-traditional path into and through a career in IT has... Read more »
LIU001: Growing Pains
Starting any new endeavor is hard. That’s particularly true for a career in tech. And that’s the reason Alexis Bertholf and Kevin Nanns are launching the Life In Uptime podcast. In each episode they’ll sit down with engineers, leaders, and builders in tech to uncover the stories behind their careers to help you see how... Read more »
LIU000: Announcing Life In Uptime, a New Podcast to Get You Started on Your IT Journey
Life In Uptime is a brand-new podcast that explores the real journeys of the people who build and run enterprise IT. Each episode dives into the personal and professional paths that got each guest to where they are today—because the road to a career in technology isn’t one-size-fits-all. This show is for anyone wondering how... Read more »
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