Episodios

  • From PC Gaming Geek to Tech Entrepreneur with John Esposito | Episode 005
    Aug 13 2024
    Episode Information Show Notes In this episode of Career Downloads, host Manuel Martinez sits down with John Esposito, a tech enthusiast turned entrepreneur, to explore his fascinating journey from building computers for gaming as a kid to founding a innovative loyalty rewards app. John shares invaluable insights on career pivots, the art of pitching to investors, and the importance of resilience in the face of rejection. Meet John Esposito: Las Vegas native, tech enthusiast, and co-founder of Loyal Unlimited John’s early start in tech: Building his first computer at 12 and dominating video games. The unexpected path: From journalism major to IT recruiting in Chicago. Mastering the art of translating tech-speak for non-technical clients. The birth of Loyal Unlimited: A game-changing loyalty rewards app. Securing startup funding: Leveraging networks and learning from rejections Key takeaways for aspiring entrepreneurs and job seekers: The power of networking and building relationships Embracing failure as a learning opportunity The importance of clear communication in tech How to handle tough questions during pitches and interviews Quotes: “Learn from those noes, that’s all I can say. There’s a reason why people are saying no. There’s a reason why someone is going to say yes. Go through all the noes and then implement the yeses and then you’ll eventually win.” – John Esposito “Technology is another language in itself, right? So trying to translate that is definitely a skill.” – John Esposito “Just because someone has money doesn’t mean they’re going to like your idea or just throw money at you, right? You have to find someone that’s going to, I guess, like the idea that you have and continue to go with it and be your mentor and try to make sure that the money that they’re giving you is actually going to get a return on their end in the long run.” – John Esposito Resources Mentioned: Loyal Unlimited app Connect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/espo702/ Espo Consulting (espoconsulting.com) Call-to-Action: Don’t forget to subscribe to Career Downloads for more inspiring stories and practical advice on advancing your tech career. If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review and share it with a friend who’s looking to level up their IT skills! Connect with Us: Join our community on the social platforms: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@careerdownloads X/Twitter https://twitter.com/@careerdownloads TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@careerdownloads LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/career-downloads Instagram https://www.instagram.com/careerdownloads FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/people/Career-Downloads/61561144531249 #careerdownloads #careeradvice #techstartups #entrepreneurship #jobhunting #techcareers #loyalty #recruiting #techcareers #networkengineering #continuouslearning #careerdevelopment #techindustry #personalgrowth #skillacquisition Transcription Manuel: Welcome everybody, my name is Manuel Martinez and this is Career Downloads where I basically hit the refresh button every episode, bring on a different guest to really learn about their background, their career, tips and tricks that they’ve probably learned along the way through their journey and really get a chance to learn from them how they’ve managed their career and hopefully you pick up some useful, actionable advice as part of the conversation. So for today’s episode I have with me John Esposito. So welcome John. John: Hey everybody. Thanks for having me. Manuel: Hey, pleasure to have you. So we’ve been talking earlier and you’re kind of curious like why I would want to go through and interview you and once I started looking at your resume, right, I knew a little bit of kind of what you had done, asked you before and once I saw your resume I was like, oh my gosh, there’s so much that I was curious about, so many items that I was like,
    Más Menos
    1 h y 3 m
  • From Data Center Newbie to Network Engineering Pro with Allen Tyson | Episode 004
    Aug 6 2024
    Episode Information Show Notes Description: In this episode of Career Downloads, host Manuel Martinez sits down with Allen Tyson, a seasoned network engineering professional, to discuss his fascinating journey into the tech world. Discover how Allen transitioned from aspiring teacher to tech expert, and learn valuable insights on skill development, career pivots, and the importance of continuous learning in the fast-paced tech industry. Key Topics: Allen’s unexpected entry into the tech world through a data center job The power of curiosity and self-directed learning in career growth Strategies for skill acquisition and knowledge retention in tech Transitioning from technical roles to management and back again The importance of humility and asking questions to accelerate learning Tools and techniques for personal knowledge management Balancing technical skills with people management in director roles Finding passion and fulfillment in your tech career Quotes: “If you’re not humble to be able to want to improve, if you think you know everything, then when it comes to getting feedback, you don’t want it and you’re certainly not going to go get it.” – Allen Tyson “Your stress should be the people you work with… If when the drama of the people goes away and you’ve got that work, whatever that work is, and you look at it and you’re like ‘I don’t want to do this,’ then there’s a problem.” – Allen Tyson Resources Mentioned: GNS3 and EVE-NG (network simulation tools) Anki and SuperMemo (spaced repetition software) Roam Research, Logseq, and other Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) tools “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” (book) “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” (book) Connect with Allen Tyson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allen-tyson-9067b45/ Call-to-Action: Love the show? Subscribe, rate, and review Career Downloads on your favorite podcast platform. Don’t forget to share this episode with a friend who’s looking to level up their tech career! Tags: #CareerDownloads #TechCareers #NetworkEngineering #ContinuousLearning #CareerDevelopment #TechIndustry #PersonalGrowth #SkillAcquisition Transcription Manuel: Hi everyone, my name is Manuel Martinez and this is another episode of Career Downloads. Where each week and each episode I come and I hit the refresh button, bring on a different guest to learn a little bit more about their career, their journey, tips and tricks that they’ve learned along the way. And today I’m very excited, I have a good friend of mine is Allen Tyson and with that welcome Allen. Allen: How you doing? Hey good to see you man thanks for having me. I know you talked about it and you know it’s off the ground you got an awesome space here so thank you. I’m looking forward to it. Manuel: Yeah it’s it took a little bit of work but it’s definitely I think it’s something that will be really beneficial to you know people in our industry and just looking to get into it. Maybe who are curious or if they’re looking to either get into tech which again we’ve talked before tech is very broad. Allen: Yeah definitely. Manuel: So having different perspectives from different people that do not only have different backgrounds but also are in different roles. Even if you and me had gone through the same the same path right hey we went to the same places where our experiences are going to be very different right. So I’m very excited and even if people who are already in the industry maybe they pick up some tips for their current role or if they’re looking to make a role a role change into something different. Allen: Yeah and I think that’s one of the things that we kind of talked about too is you know when we were first getting into tech and just kind of figuring some things out there really wasn’t a platform like this right. I mean there really wasn’t you know a way that you could kind of say okay well let me see what somebody else who’s suc...
    Más Menos
    56 m
  • From Bus Boy To Tech Sales A Journey In IT And Cybersecurity with Matthew Wedlow | Episode 003
    Jul 30 2024
    Episode Information Show Notes Description: In this episode of Career Downloads, host Manuel Martinez sits down with Matthew Wedlow, a seasoned IT professional with a diverse background in networking, cybersecurity, and technical sales. Matthew shares his unconventional path into tech, from working as a bus boy in Las Vegas casinos to becoming a published author and pre-sales engineer at F5 Networks. Key Topics: – Matthew’s early career struggles and multiple attempts at college – How shadowing an IT professional at a casino kickstarted his tech journey – Certifications can be a powerful tool for breaking into tech and moving up – Tips for interview preparation and overcoming imposter syndrome – Don’t be afraid to job-hop if it means advancing your career and skills – Soft skills and networking are crucial for long-term success in the tech industry – Always have a career plan and be proactive in pursuing your goals – Embrace challenges and opportunities to learn, even if they’re outside your comfort zone Highlights: – Matthew’s unique approach to job hopping for career growth – The value of soft skills and networking in the tech industry – Insights into the world of technical pre-sales – How to balance technical knowledge with business acumen Quotes: “I would say try to learn as much as you can for the different things because it’s all similar and it’s all connected in different ways.” – Matthew Wedlow “Have a plan, like you’re not going to get jobs aren’t going to come to you, you got to go to them, promotions aren’t going to come to you, raises aren’t going to come to you, you have to go get it.” – Matthew Wedlow Resources Mentioned: • CompTIA certifications (A+, Network+, Security+) • Cisco certifications (CCNA, CCNA Security) Call-to-Action: Don’t forget to subscribe to Career Downloads for more inspiring stories and practical advice on advancing your tech career. If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review and share it with a friend who’s looking to level up their IT skills! Connect with Us: Follow Career Downloads at https://www.careerdownloads.com Subscribe to our newsletter for updates and exclusive content. Join our community on the social platforms: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@careerdownloads X/Twitter https://twitter.com/@careerdownloads TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@careerdownloads LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/career-downloads FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/people/Career-Downloads/61561144531249 Tags: #CareerAdvice #TechCareers #Cybersecurity #NetworkingJobs #ITCertifications #CareerGrowth #TechSales #PodcastInterview Transcription Manuel: Welcome everybody, my name is Manuel Martinez and this is another episode of Career Downloads where I hit the refresh button every week and bring on a new guest to have them talk about their career, lessons that they’ve learned, any tips and tricks that they’ve learned along the way and today I have with me Matthew Wedlow. So Matthew has a background in networking, he’s co-authored a book, he’s also done a little bit of teaching at some point during his career. So thank you Matthew for coming on. Matthew: No, thanks Manny, I’m glad to be here. Manuel: Appreciate it. So get started so what I’ve been kind of asking a couple people is just give me a little bit background on you and kind of where you grew up and are you originally from Vegas? Matthew: Okay, yeah, yeah. So I’ve lived in Vegas most of my life. I’ve been here since I was a little kid but I was born in Japan, I come from a military family. So family worked overseas, went to Korea, went after Japan and then we came to California and then we came to Vegas. But since then I’ve been here for most of the time. I did leave for a job for a few years in North Carolina and came back. But yeah, that’s the skinny. Manuel: All right, cool. So and when you started out, did you go to college for IT or did you even go to college at all...
    Más Menos
    1 h y 7 m
  • From Small Town to Big Tech Success with Janetta Dunbar | Episode 002
    Jul 23 2024
    Episode Information Show Notes Episode Summary: In this episode of Career Downloads, Manuel Martinez sits down with Janetta Dunbar, a multi-talented professional with a diverse background. Janetta shares her inspiring journey from growing up near Fort Worth, Texas, to becoming a successful entrepreneur and tech professional in Las Vegas. With experiences ranging from serving in the Army to working as a TV technical director, Janetta provides valuable insights into career transitions, the importance of networking, and overcoming challenges in the tech industry. Host: Manuel Martinez Guest: Janetta Dunbar Key Topics: – Early life and education. – College experiences and switching declared majors. – Navigating career changes and expectations. – Starting a family and a home business. – Getting back into tech after learning about new technologies – Career transitions and growth – Personal insights and advice Memorable Quotes: “You quit before you quit, right? A lot of times, you quit in your head before you actually leave.” “Networking is huge. Schools don’t teach the power of it, but it’s often who you know that gets you in the door.” “I got a call from a recruiter who told me I was grossly underpaid.” Connect with Us: – Visit Career Downloads at https://www.careerdownloads.com – Join our community on YouTube, X/Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn & Facebook. Tune in next week for another episode of Career Downloads where we explore more inspiring career journeys and professional growth stories. Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review. Transcription Manuel: Welcome, everybody, to another episode of Career Downloads. I have a very special guest today. So this is Janetta Dunbar, and I’m going to give you a quick introduction on her. So she is a wife, a mother, an athlete, an entrepreneur. She was a TV technical director, and she’s also an Army veteran. Apart from that, she was probably the first one that taught Beyonce how to break the internet. So with that, I have Janetta Dunbar. Janetta: Hi. Hey, Manny. Manuel: So I appreciate you. Janetta: Good to hang with you, man. Manuel: Yeah, it’s been a while. So we haven’t seen each other in person in a while. Janetta: Yeah, maybe a year or something. Manuel: It’s probably, yeah. Janetta: No, no, December. It was Christmas time. Manuel: Okay. Yeah. So it’s only been a few months. Janetta: Yeah. Manuel: It just feels like longer. Janetta: Yeah. Manuel: So I’m very excited to kind of have you on here and dig into your career, your background, skills that you’ve picked up. So I know some of them, but I’m sure they’re just like in the conversation we had probably about a week ago, I learned additional things that I didn’t know. So I’m pretty excited. So to start off, just kind of give me a general idea of kind of where you grew up. Janetta: Ah, I grew up in Texas. Yes. Fort Worth. So I was about 30 minutes from Dallas. Manuel: Okay. Janetta: So it was a medium-sized town, but the area I grew up, everybody kind of knew everybody. And the parents of the kids who went to the high school there, their grandparents went to high school there, that kind of thing, it’s kind of small town-y. Manuel: Small town-y. Janetta: Yeah. Manuel: Got it. And then eventually, obviously, you moved out of there and did keep up with the generational town. Janetta: Nah, no, no. Manuel: That’s not for you. Janetta: Well, you know, in my opinion, right, Texas people are special. They think Texas is everything. And so did I. I grew up that way. And I never thought I would leave, but then my dad got a job. He was a carpenter. Manuel: Okay. Janetta: And Texas is a right to work state and up here, there’s union in Vegas. There’s union. So when I was a freshman in college, I was at the University of North Texas. That summer, after my freshman year, my parents decided to move to Vegas.
    Más Menos
    1 h y 33 m
  • Navigating Changes and Embracing New Challenges with Sirinda Glasgow | Episode 001 Part 2
    Jul 16 2024
    Episode Information Show Notes Episode Summary: In the second part of the Career Downloads interview with Sirinda Glasgow, she delves deeper into her career journey, sharing pivotal moments and decisions that shaped her path. Sirinda discusses her return to MGM Resorts, the challenges of outsourcing, and how she navigated these transitions. She also touches on her move to Dell, transitioning from a hands-on technical role to a Sales Engineer position, and the new set of challenges and learning experiences that came with it. Guest: Sirinda Glasgow Key Topics: – Transitioning back to a familiar environment. – Outsourcing Dynamics and the impact of outsourcing local operations. – Moving from a customer role to a sales and advisory position. – Family and Work-Life Balance: Managing a demanding career while raising three children. – The evolution of server technology and virtualization. – Career Advice and Insights: Adapting to new roles and responsibilities. – The importance of continuous learning and staying current with industry trends. Memorable Quotes: “I needed to make the decision whether I was going to stay and be part of this opening where a lot of things are changing or make my exit.” “Whatever career you go into, at a certain point, you become responsible for that business. You’re on call whether you think you’re on call or not.” Tune in to gain insights from Sirinda’s rich experience and learn how to navigate career changes, embrace new challenges, and find a balance between professional and personal life. Connect with Us: – Follow Career Downloads at https://www.careerdownloads.com – Join our community on YouTube, X/Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, FaceBook, YouTube Music – Subscribe to our newsletter for updates and exclusive content. Transcription Manuel: Hi. I’m Manny Martinez. Are you looking to level up your career? Then welcome to Career Downloads. Each episode I’m going to hit the refresh button with different guests and dive deep into the journeys of these inspiring professionals. I’ll unpack their educational paths, explore their job histories, and discover the strategies they use to navigate the ever-evolving job landscape. So whether you’re just starting your journey or you’re really looking to make a more strategic move, you’ll be able to gain valuable insights and actionable advice from the diverse minds in the industry. So plug in, download the knowledge, and join me on Career Downloads. Sirinda: As they got close to opening, coming out of bankruptcy, the folks that came in were going to make a lot of changes. And it’s about a year out from opening. Either I make a decision and they had me on a contract and the contract came up. So I needed to make the decision whether I was going to stay and be part of this opening where a lot of things are changing. It makes me a little nervous, right? And a whole new team. Or is this the time that I make my exit? Because everything’s changing, they don’t necessarily need me at this point, right? Like I’ve delivered all this way. And now if you’re not going to kind of implement what we’ve already done. Manuel: If you’re not going to utilize me the way that I was brought out to do. Sirinda: Do I need to stay? And MGM resorts asked me to come back. So I went back. Manuel: And when the MGM, was it the same person, a different person? Sirinda: Some, same. There are a lot of people that were there for a long time. And so I knew a lot of the people when I went back, it was kind of like going home. Manuel: Right. Sirinda: And the only bad thing is, is I get back. I’m super happy. System Engineering role. And they started outsourcing. [Laughter] So I got to be a part of like that whole outsource planning. Like what does that look like? What is a RACI? Who’s responsible? Manuel: So when you say outsourcing, they were looking to outsource all the internal like everything or portions of it? Like what?
    Más Menos
    1 h y 1 m
  • Paving a Path in IT: From Family Business to Industry Leader with Sirinda Glasgow | Episode 001 Part 1
    Jul 13 2024
    Episode Information Show Notes Paving the Path in IT: From Family Business to Industry Leader with Sirinda “Sindy” Glasgow Host: Manuel Martinez Guest: Sirinda “Sindy” Glasgow Episode Summary: In this inaugural episode of Career Downloads, host Manuel Martinez sits down with Sirinda “Sindy” Glasgow, a seasoned IT professional with deep roots in Las Vegas. Sindy shares her remarkable journey from helping her father’s technology company to becoming a leading figure in the IT infrastructure scene in Las Vegas. Her story is one of perseverance, adaptability, and lifelong learning. Key Topics Covered: – Introduction to Career Downloads and Sirinda Glasgow – Early Life and Education – Entry into IT – Working in the Family Business – Skills and Training – Challenges and Gender Dynamics in IT – Transition to Mirage Resorts – Career Growth and Mentorship – Career Decision to Stay or Leave Actionable Advice: – Stay curious and never stop learning. – Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth. – Build a network of mentors and peers who support your career development. Connect with Us: – Follow Career Downloads at https://www.careerdownloads.com – Join our community on YouTube, X/Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, FaceBook, YouTube Music – Subscribe to our newsletter for updates and exclusive content. Next Episode: Join us next week as we continue our conversation with Sindy and the decisions she made that led to to her current role. Transcription Manuel: Hi. I’m Manny Martinez. Are you looking to level up your career? Then welcome to Career Downloads. Each episode I’m going to hit the refresh button with different guests and dive deep into the journeys of these inspiring professionals. I’ll unpack their educational paths, explore their job histories, and discover the strategies they use to navigate the ever-evolving job landscape. So whether you’re just starting your journey or you’re really looking to make a more strategic move, you’ll be able to gain valuable insights and actionable advice from the diverse minds in the industry. So plug in, download the knowledge, and join me on Career Downloads. All right. So on today’s episode, I have Sirinda known as Sindy Glasgow. And I’m going to be getting additional info about her and her career. So let me give you a quick introduction about Sindy. So I’ve known her for quite a few years now. And I’m pretty sure that if there’s any type of infrastructure, IT software that has been deployed in Las Vegas, there’s a good chance that Sindy has had her hand in either setting it up or getting in touch with the people that have deployed it. So with that, I’d like to introduce Sindy. So welcome. Sirinda: Thank you. Thanks for having me. Manuel: And of course, so I’m really excited to really get to know more about you. So I know we’ve talked before in the past about your career, you know, kind of things that you’ve moved up. We have similar paths. I know if this is the second time that we’ve crossed career paths. Sirinda: Yeah. Manuel: So I just really, I want to start and kind of go back a little bit and understand. I know that you’re born and raised here in Vegas. Sirinda: Not born. Manuel: Oh, not born. Sirinda: We moved here when I was five. Manuel: Okay. Sirinda: So almost. Manuel: Almost so pretty close. Sirinda: Yeah. Manuel: And what made you stay in Vegas all that time? Sirinda: Well, interesting story. My grandparents retired here and bought a little motel. And we would come visit. And when my grandfather passed away, my mom and dad decided to move down here. So it was the two of them and my brother and myself. And we’ve been here ever since the motel. I did live in the motel for a little bit. So that was kind of interesting, you know, childhood playing in the alley and swimming in the hotel or motel swimming pool. And a lot of the lounge performers in Las Vegas, so old school,
    Más Menos
    58 m
  • Career Downloads Intro | Episode 000
    Jul 11 2024
    Hi my name is Manuel Martinez. Are you looking to level up your career? Then welcome to the Career Downloads podcast. Where each episode I’m going to hit the refresh button with different guests and dive deep in the journeys of these inspiring professionals. I’ll unpack their educational paths, explore their job histories and discover the strategies they used to navigate the ever evolving job landscape. So whether you are just starting your journey or you’re looking to make a more strategic move. You’ll be able to gain valuable insights and actionable advice from the diverse minds in the industry. So plug in, download the knowledge and join me on Career Downloads.
    Más Menos
    1 m