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Welcome back to the Career Hacking Village here at DEF CON Safe Mode.

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As many of us know, one of the ways that we can get our skills to help our overall career development and actually build those skills that need to be put to place in our technical careers, one of those ways is through being part of conferences.

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But conferences have so many other benefits to us.

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We thought that it would be really great that Sciatic Nerd would come here today and tell us all about the career arcs of cons and careers.

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Sciatic, you want to take it away?

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Thank you very, very much, Kathleen.

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And hello, Career Hacking Village.

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It is super awesome to be able to be here and share today.

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This is one of those rare moments, right, where you realize there are not that many opportunities to just get out there and share what it is you've been doing or what you know.

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And if there's a chance, then it's got to be worth it to reach out and do the thing.

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And today, the thing is talking about how conferences, virtual or in person, can be something that enhances your story.

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Because we all deal with this ridiculous, frustrating thing.

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It's impossible to push down sometimes.

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It's called, well, in InfoSec, it's commonly called imposter syndrome, right?

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This is that feeling that wells up in you when you're not sure, can people see through me right now?

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What exactly am I thinking?

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What are they thinking?

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I don't know that I can do this.

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Well, we're going to talk about this a little more in depth, but it's a constant thing.

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And in the context of this talk, it's going to be referred to kind of like a level boss.

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It's the nondescript, just thing waiting at the top of the stairs, at the behind the dark door, but we're going to deal with it one step at a time.

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Because I don't know how it was for you, but when I was growing up, my older brother, he had the stereo, which meant I got to listen to whatever he wanted.

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And that made me crazy in the way it would, right?

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You don't get to control what you're hearing.

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You're force fed things into your ears.

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And in this case, for him, it was, it's the 80s.

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Yes, I'm that age.

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In the 80s, the band, Yes, had this ridiculous album called 90125.

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It's very different from all their other work, but so what?

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It had a lot of high production value and all this stuff, but it was pushed into my head.

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And the song, Owner of a Lonely Heart, in particular, was the kind of anthem thing.

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But I wanted something for me, something I could listen to.

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And I said, you know, I'm going to do something really different.

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And I got a hold of the Art of Noise.

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Now, this is just an album cover for one of their pieces or a fairly well-known thing called Paranormia.

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But it turns out, you find inspiration in strange places.

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Specifically, the Art of Noise wouldn't have existed unless 90125, the actual album my brother was listening to, had gotten made.

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It turns out the music programmer who was recording some drum beats for the band, got the idea in his head to work with this relatively new recording technology, the sequencing technology, and the Art of Noise was born.

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Even though I may not have been a super fan of that band at the time, it's the reason that the band I was enjoying came into being.

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So the moral here is intended to be, you might find inspiration in unique places, and don't skip going back to learn something new.

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Re-examine something you thought you had an idea of before, because it can change who you are and what your career path is.

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That's just like a career though, I mean, right?

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It takes time to figure out who you are and the kind of work you really want to do.

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It's difficult to just show up one day and a guidance counselor or somebody you trust, hopefully, asks, well, what do you want out of this thing, this stuff you do?

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You just stay up all night and tinker?

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What is it that gets you out of bed and makes you want to put hands to a keyboard or do whatever it is that you do?

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So learn from your mistakes, right?

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You've got to go back and at some point, maybe try to even help those who are coming after you to find a different route too.

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We're going to talk a little bit more about that as we go, because one of the biggest challenges I've ever found was figuring out how do you and I, I mean, that's a ridiculously HR sounding thing, but when you come to a situation, whether hanging with your friends or putting together a camping trip or anything,

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how do you bring value?

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What is it that you are going to do that makes it more enjoyable, improve the situation?

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What can you do to be positive about growth?

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And that's something that is, it's an intangible, some would call it a soft skill, but it's a very important and challenging thing because it means something different to every person.

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It's not going to always mean the same thing, but maybe you come along and make people laugh.

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Maybe you do something ridiculous.

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Maybe you help with conferences, whether it's planning them, helping with the safety and security aspects, talking to people, helping get the sponsorship going.

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All of these different pieces help make the whole better.

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So let's talk about the most epic of stories.

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Let's talk about yours because when it comes down to it, we have to think of things.

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Well, I prefer, excuse me, I prefer to think of things in terms of a story because that's what it is.

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If you're a fan of science fiction, recently, one of the characters said, you know, have a story, but make it a good one.

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And here we're going to address our concepts that way.

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So it's your early arc, the middle arc, the late arc, or in our case, we're going to talk about these arcs are kind of chapters or a group of chapters that sum up a large portion of growth.

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And what do I mean by growth?

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I mean that there's usually a beginning and a middle and an end to a segment, whether it's part of your life because you met a new friend or they've departed your life, or you push them out, whatever the situation.

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There are usually times and chapters.

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And with that kind of idea in mind, we'll talk about things that way.

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But some disclaimers that we have to talk through on our way into this journey, your journey, there are going to be jerks.

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There are going to be people who don't want to help.

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There is going to be a requirement to leave the comfort of the herd, if you watched that show in the 90s, or was that in the 2000s?

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I forget.

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The point is, the joke is on us.

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We love to stay out of things.

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We don't want to get involved.

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And if you do, then there has to be the right timing to get involved.

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Nothing comes easily, right?

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It takes effort.

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Because there are people who will want to be roadblocks.

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There are people who are going to be just gatekeepers, or they're going to even tell you directly, you aren't cut out for this.

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Go somewhere else.

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That was literally one of the driving inspirations for me to finish my degree.

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Because a professor literally looked over my work and said, it gets serious from here, maybe you should consider changing.

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But that's just my experience.

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It doesn't have to be college, it can be anything.

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We're going to look at instead, don't worry about higher ed, this ed, certifications, none of that yet.

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Let's talk about conferences in general, and then we'll work our way into the levels we can go up.

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Whether you're killing chickens out in the yard to get a few XP, or you are already at a point where you're trying to help contribute to the development or furthering of a conference in your local community, we're going to go through it.

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These arcs, as I was talking about, are meant to kind of take us from drinking from the fire hose, coming up to the part where we're actually trying to run the show, and how to defend against the beast of burnout.

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So you're watching this from DEF CON safe mode, I'm going to at least hope.

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So this is, you know what a conference is.

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But a conference can be many things.

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I've heard people who have amazing stories of going to an in-person event where it opened their eyes to lots of new things.

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But there are other stories where it didn't go so well.

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It depends on where you are.

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You might want to start in a local regional thing.

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It could be as small as a meetup, because there are so many different types of events.

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Whether you want to go locally and look up to see if there are groups in town, I have had people approach me and ask, where am I supposed to go to do this?

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You're mentioning this, go over here.

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I live in an area where we don't have anything.

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There are group sites like Meetup, or you could use the Book of Faces, or you could use Twitter, or social media.

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Look for meetups in the name of your city, or your town, or your area code.

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It may take a little digging, depending on where you live.

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I live in Texas right now, and there are a lot of different events.

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They may not be closed to me, but there are events.

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And some of them, I wouldn't know if I didn't go and look it up.

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Also, I'm going to shill for a minute and say, look for your local B-Sides events.

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They're fantastic ways to get your feet wet.

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In a way, I almost think that the local meetups, whether it's for lockpicking, or hardware hacking, or software reverse engineering, whatever the detail, these are great places to not only meet people who think in the space you like to think in, but also a way to practice getting your ideas out,

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and learning from others, of course.

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And sometimes there just isn't anything really close by that does what you're looking to do.

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So it might be important to go out and get yourself stretched out.

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Go out there and get in the car, or get on the bus, or however it works when there's not a pandemic, and go and travel to other events in other places if you can afford to do so.

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Got that cousin you haven't seen in a while?

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Maybe they've got a couch you can try out.

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Don't give up just because it isn't nearby.

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I'm not saying you are giving up.

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I'm saying this is kind of the mindset that has helped me along the way, as I try to get into and learn about this industry that I accidentally fell face first into when I was trying to be a video producer back in the late 90s.

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So it turns out that sometimes people will pay you for the thing you're good at, not what you want to be good at, if that makes any sense.

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The thing you had a knack for.

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Anyway, sometimes there are just no substitutes for going to events that are specific to your interest.

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But maybe you don't know what that is.

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Just keep in mind there are specialized events.

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They will come up later, for sure.

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So maybe you don't get to actually go when it's convenient.

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Maybe you're going to have to go over a weekend.

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You're not going to be able to take off work.

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Some of these events go all the way through the weekend.

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And people have asked, why would you do that?

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Why would you go to a work-like thing on your time off?

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When you find your group, your tribe, your thing that you're that interested in, it won't be a challenge.

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It won't be a question.

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It will be that there are opportunities there and a chance to learn from other people that you respect or have a curiosity about.

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And it will no longer be one of those things where you're just looking at it from a time perspective or a cost perspective.

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Sometimes, and most of the time, it boils down to the relationships you make or build, the connections you make, the people you meet, and around rare occasion, the buffet or restaurant you found along the way.

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No, okay, maybe not.

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But some of us are led around.

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I didn't get to be in this shape without finding the food, at least.

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The point is, there are events at these events, sometimes inside the larger event.

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When we're looking at, hey, I want to go to this reverse engineering event, but it isn't just going to listen to people talk at you.

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Maybe, maybe you learn a different way.

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So maybe you prefer challenges.

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So there are events like capture the flag events, and you can go participate in, they're called a lot of different things.

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There are many events, whether it's a skills challenge that climbs the ladder, whether it's a cryptography challenge, where you have to come out ahead first or come up with the right answers.

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Maybe it's a speed trial.

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Maybe it's a creative event where it's either story writing or making custom hardware work in a way it wasn't meant to.

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There are so many opportunities, reasons to get out of your shelf, excuse me, to get out from being by yourself, out from behind the counter or desk.

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There are reasons to get out there and to go and engage.

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And we're going to talk about more of them.

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So let's think about when you first go, if you're going to your very first event, you're level one, you've got a sword made of wood, and you can barely defeat the chicken or the cat in the backyard.

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I don't know why you're attacking the cat.

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That's probably not a wise choice.

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They come with knives, you know, but they are so many different things you can do, but don't go alone.

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If you're going to your very first event, I strongly encourage you to take a conference buddy, someone who's willing to go with you, even if they're not part of that industry, because it's good to be able to sort of cling to someone else, maybe because you want to pick and choose the different events to look at during the day.

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Maybe you want to share each other's experiences and talk about them.

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Maybe there's someone you work with.

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And that's why we're going to go through these arcs at different approaches.

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Who does it benefit?

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See, if we jump back half a second here, we're going to talk about how each of these things applies to the different use case.

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So, if you're at the inn, you're going to have that tavern scene before the brawl breaks out.

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You're there with your conference buddy, I hope, and let's look at your support job.

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Maybe you're just starting out.

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And in this idea, I'm going to encourage you to get on some kind of social media.

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Don't necessarily post your picture.

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Don't necessarily say all the things that come immediately into your head.

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Realize social media is a two-way street.

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But if you're looking to figure out what's out there in your community and going on in your industry, I highly encourage you to get a social media account.

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Try out Meetup, for starters.

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See what the local scene looks like.

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You don't necessarily have to pay, but you will need to create an account.

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And again, this is leaving the comfort of the herd moment, where it's time to start striking out a little bit.

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And again, that buddy is not a bad idea.

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You might get on Twitter or Discord or Slack or participate in Reddit.

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All of these different ways to connect.

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The thing is, each of them are their own chapter.

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So you're going to need to spend a little time if you've never done it before.

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And if you really want to know, go and ask people who are already doing it, just to get an idea of how they approach it.

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Because you're going to want to, in my opinion, release as little personal information as possible, especially in a day and time like now, where potential employers are always looking at social media to see what image is being put forth of the person behind an account.

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So keep in mind that try not to say anything you wouldn't say to someone you care about, right?

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Try to keep those things in mind.

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Or if you're an outspoken person, that's your business.

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The point is, realize that's there.

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It's the internet.

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It never goes away.

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So just keep in mind that whatever it is you're saying, it's going to be there a while.

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So try to be thoughtful about what gets put out there.

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But this is a prime way to go out there and see what's happening in the world.

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So at this level, when you're kind of that level one, level two startup account human being, you're just happy to be on the show.

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If you saw Galaxy Quest, this is someplace where you have to be careful about monsters.

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You may be eaten by a grue.

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I'm saying it's very easy to be distracted.

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And there are things happening out there that you may not be aware of.

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So conference buddy, and then go and maybe think about sharing something you do, right?

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Even if the presentations aren't your job or something that you would do normally, it might explain how something else gets done.

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My very first experience at a B-Sides in Las Vegas in 2011, I walked in without anything.

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I helped move some boxes.

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Turns out there was an opening in their AV team.

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And I sat through a track I wouldn't have selected for myself.

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I had no idea what this thing even was.

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Here I am sitting in this chapel in the back row with this camera and recording gear.

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But I learned some things just because I was able to sit through all these other talks.

201
00:17:02,860 --> 00:17:07,300
It opened my eyes to so many things and ideas I didn't even think about.

202
00:17:07,300 --> 00:17:08,420
Now that's just me.

203
00:17:08,420 --> 00:17:09,860
You'll have your own experience.

204
00:17:09,860 --> 00:17:11,260
Your mileage will vary.

205
00:17:11,260 --> 00:17:17,080
But this can help your career, you see, because this is part of a pattern that will repeat itself time and again.

206
00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:22,480
This is a breakdown to you, your management, the team you're on.

207
00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:25,660
And again, not all things to all people, right?

208
00:17:25,780 --> 00:17:29,140
But I just want you to keep in mind, this has an impact.

209
00:17:29,140 --> 00:17:30,540
It helps us grow.

210
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So in your career, going around to the local events may help you learn the layout, the lay of the land, if you will, about who's out there.

211
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What companies are in your neck of the woods?

212
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Who visits?

213
00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:44,200
Do they come often?

214
00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:46,060
Do they come bearing treats?

215
00:17:46,300 --> 00:17:48,700
It may be a squishy ball thing with a face on it.

216
00:17:48,700 --> 00:17:50,220
It could be software.

217
00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:52,720
It could be free training or an internship.

218
00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:58,740
These are all opportunities to bridge the gap between what companies want and what you offer.

219
00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:00,420
These are helpful things.

220
00:18:00,420 --> 00:18:03,200
And again, this is at the very beginning of the conference career.

221
00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:08,140
If you are already working and you go to an event, what does this mean for your management?

222
00:18:08,140 --> 00:18:11,560
Your management may be interested in seeing what you did.

223
00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:17,000
Maybe, and as my mentor has shared with me, write up a trip report when you go to an event.

224
00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:24,980
Sit down at the end of the day or even during the day and get a break and just make a few notes about what you're learning, what you're experiencing, who did you meet?

225
00:18:25,020 --> 00:18:27,280
Are you supposed to connect with them again later?

226
00:18:27,900 --> 00:18:31,620
You know, instead of live tweeting the thing, make a note on your own device.

227
00:18:31,620 --> 00:18:34,120
And then at the end of the day, you can go back and look.

228
00:18:34,120 --> 00:18:34,980
Oh, I forgot.

229
00:18:34,980 --> 00:18:40,200
I also met this person over here in the food line when we were waiting to get half a burrito together.

230
00:18:40,460 --> 00:18:46,360
And it turns out they want to share some information because I'm learning how to code and they've been doing it for 20 years.

231
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It could be anything.

232
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And it's important.

233
00:18:49,100 --> 00:18:54,320
And don't discount that initial opportunity to make a connection.

234
00:18:54,460 --> 00:18:56,780
So what does this mean for co-workers?

235
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If they hear that you're attending these events, they may either A, want to go with you.

236
00:19:03,060 --> 00:19:06,420
B, might want to see if you brought back any good information.

237
00:19:06,660 --> 00:19:10,060
Or C, maybe they're going to say, oh, what did you learn?

238
00:19:10,060 --> 00:19:11,780
Let me share something I was looking at.

239
00:19:11,780 --> 00:19:13,260
It opens doors.

240
00:19:13,260 --> 00:19:15,340
It starts a conversation.

241
00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:18,080
Everything in this life, it seems, is tied to that.

242
00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:19,960
And this is no different.

243
00:19:20,020 --> 00:19:26,080
But the value to you is now you are going out and seeing something new.

244
00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:32,220
You're introducing yourself, putting yourself in the path of discovering something that you didn't already know.

245
00:19:32,220 --> 00:19:35,720
Or if you did know, maybe it fills in some blanks for you.

246
00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:41,320
But here, again, if you look, you have an opportunity to grow.

247
00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:48,580
Even after that, when people start to take notice, maybe offer to pick up work you wouldn't normally do in your office.

248
00:19:48,580 --> 00:19:51,760
Offer to join a team or participate in a group event.

249
00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:55,360
Because your intelligence alone isn't enough to save you.

250
00:19:55,360 --> 00:19:58,740
You can be the smartest person in the room.

251
00:19:58,740 --> 00:20:05,940
But without the understanding of when and where to knowledge, it's not going to be as much help as it could be.

252
00:20:05,940 --> 00:20:07,980
And we all could stand to learn more.

253
00:20:07,980 --> 00:20:09,280
I know I could.

254
00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:12,220
So I chase it over and over again.

255
00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:15,920
And if you're still with me here, cool story, bro.

256
00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:17,100
Maybe that's what you're thinking.

257
00:20:17,120 --> 00:20:19,880
Because you don't know me.

258
00:20:20,140 --> 00:20:20,880
Well, that's right.

259
00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:22,860
I don't know your situation.

260
00:20:22,860 --> 00:20:24,760
Everybody is going to be different.

261
00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:26,120
And that's okay.

262
00:20:26,220 --> 00:20:28,380
This isn't supposed to be tailor made for one.

263
00:20:28,380 --> 00:20:30,560
I'm sharing experiences I've had so far.

264
00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:33,920
Because this is what's gotten me to where I am.

265
00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:43,940
And so far, it seems like we all suffer from imposter syndrome at one point or another, where we're not quite sure if we're good enough to do the thing we're doing.

266
00:20:44,060 --> 00:20:50,540
Or at any given moment, someone will see through us and realize, fake, person doesn't know it.

267
00:20:50,540 --> 00:20:51,840
They shouldn't be doing this.

268
00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:54,880
Or someone comes at you that way in any other direction.

269
00:20:54,880 --> 00:21:02,720
And it sticks with you and chews at you while you're going eating takeout and quietly scarfing things and watching the TV show.

270
00:21:02,860 --> 00:21:03,840
Wait, that was just me.

271
00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:04,520
Sorry.

272
00:21:04,820 --> 00:21:08,280
Whatever your situation, we all fight with it.

273
00:21:08,300 --> 00:21:09,720
So how do we move past it?

274
00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:17,620
You step up, you go further, you have to push through and defeat your personal level boss and move on to specialization.

275
00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:27,160
By the way, that time where you were in the jumper back there in the first arc as a starting out person, that's not... there's no given time frame.

276
00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,180
That could be six months, it could be six years.

277
00:21:30,180 --> 00:21:31,420
Everyone is different.

278
00:21:31,420 --> 00:21:33,280
The people in your life are different.

279
00:21:33,380 --> 00:21:36,820
You have to keep pushing to get to the next level.

280
00:21:36,820 --> 00:21:39,320
You may even have to back up and redirect.

281
00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:40,960
But don't give up.

282
00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:49,740
Because now let's imagine you've been going to events for a little while, you've gone to a B-Sides, you traveled out of town for a bigger event, maybe some name brand something.

283
00:21:49,740 --> 00:21:51,720
All kinds of events exist.

284
00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:53,180
Some don't anymore.

285
00:21:53,180 --> 00:21:55,460
We exist in a special time right now.

286
00:21:55,460 --> 00:22:05,780
Use this time to go and start watching videos at virtual events, just like this one, local ones, ones in other cities and other continents.

287
00:22:05,780 --> 00:22:13,880
Because now is an amazing time to connect with people you might not otherwise get to meet or learn from.

288
00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:19,200
Because conferences are a great way to come together and learn new things.

289
00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:31,360
So here in the specialization arc, now's the time that after you've done a few things, maybe you start realizing there are specific things you're interested in learning, things you want to do.

290
00:22:31,360 --> 00:22:40,680
And now you can start ticking off the boxes in the online schedule for that event, because you only want to learn about butter sculpture.

291
00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:54,720
So you look for all the events that have butter sculpture in the name, and you're going to look at the one where the person's using the razor blade and carving very tiny intricate things, and the one with the chainsaw who is making baby Yoda out of butter fat.

292
00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:55,660
You never know.

293
00:22:55,660 --> 00:23:04,160
The point is that when you start to narrow your specialization and figure out what it is that interests you, it changes the way you attend an event.

294
00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:09,000
And at larger, more nationally attended events, there's a much broader cross-section, right?

295
00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:11,680
You're going to have different people coming to present.

296
00:23:11,740 --> 00:23:15,300
That is not to invalidate the people you met before.

297
00:23:15,420 --> 00:23:28,200
It is simply to say that you can get more ideas, because if you go to all the meetups and all the things in your local community, maybe you've heard it a little bit, and now you're looking for another perspective.

298
00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:39,740
The other thing is, while you can go and much of the events that you go to when you travel, when we get back to that, seems to be tied up in the talks.

299
00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:44,100
For me, it started to become less about the talks and presentations that way.

300
00:23:44,100 --> 00:23:51,240
It became more about the sidelong events, the villages, the meetups, the impromptu get-togethers.

301
00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:58,040
And those things suddenly became where I connected more with the people who were at the event than going to talks alone.

302
00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:03,980
And that changed, I guess it changed actually my perspective on why I was going.

303
00:24:03,980 --> 00:24:12,780
And that's just me, because to me, growth personally means connecting with people who either share and help me grow, or I can give something back to in return.

304
00:24:12,780 --> 00:24:16,640
So let's go back to not forgetting to bring a conference buddy.

305
00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:18,900
At a larger event, it's even more important.

306
00:24:18,900 --> 00:24:28,480
Whether you're meeting up with someone from another locale who's coming to where you're going to be, do not leave on the mission alone if you can help it.

307
00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:33,640
Because it helps to be together, and it takes time to find a tribe.

308
00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:36,720
It took me, goodness, it took me years.

309
00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:44,420
I felt, I feel now like I'm part of a much larger group of people who are all about learning and sharing and growing.

310
00:24:44,900 --> 00:24:47,420
Yes, I make it sound incredibly idealistic.

311
00:24:47,420 --> 00:24:50,080
Not all moments, but most of them.

312
00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:51,080
A lot of good ones.

313
00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:58,200
Whether you're coming together to raise money for a charity somewhere else, or you're just trying to learn how to do Python together.

314
00:24:58,220 --> 00:24:59,540
It's worth it.

315
00:24:59,540 --> 00:25:09,540
And so sometimes it takes multiple years also to find either the tribe, or to stop drinking from the fire hose, and figure out that thing that really drives you.

316
00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:14,100
But now that you've gone to these bigger events, where is the value?

317
00:25:14,360 --> 00:25:18,800
The value to management now, they're going to hope that you're bringing ideas back.

318
00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:22,900
Did you write that personal trip report when you went to the first and smaller events?

319
00:25:22,900 --> 00:25:29,440
Well, now it'll seem like second nature when you hit the big events, because now you're almost dialoguing with yourself.

320
00:25:29,460 --> 00:25:31,240
Now I talk to myself an awful lot.

321
00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:34,920
I don't recommend it for everyone, but people have come to expect it from me.

322
00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:45,880
The point is, whether your monologue is internal or external, having a log of where you've been, who you talked to, and what you learned will help you keep track of where you are on your journey.

323
00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:51,580
And maybe even setting up personal tools to measure where you feel you are, and where you want to go.

324
00:25:51,620 --> 00:25:56,380
Because there must be an opportunity there, because management is going to see that.

325
00:25:56,380 --> 00:26:02,460
That's going to look like getting your act together, and management will maybe offer you the opportunity to collaborate with other teams.

326
00:26:02,460 --> 00:26:04,720
Don't miss out on those group opportunities.

327
00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:11,920
They may be painful and frustrating, but therein lies growth, and partnership, and advancement.

328
00:26:12,100 --> 00:26:13,520
And that's not to be missed.

329
00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:18,600
There are some amazing opportunities out there, because your co-workers are going to see that you're coming back with this stuff.

330
00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,700
You will have access to new people, the presenters, right?

331
00:26:21,700 --> 00:26:23,080
You'll be seeing new people.

332
00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:24,860
You'll be talking about new things.

333
00:26:24,860 --> 00:26:29,400
There are so many opportunities to just share something and partner.

334
00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:42,000
I missed out on a couple of great opportunities because of my own imposter syndrome right at the very beginning of my journey, because I felt like I would be taking away from the voice of the person who had a clue, because I knew I didn't feel like I had one.

335
00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:45,200
So, give yourself a break.

336
00:26:45,300 --> 00:26:52,600
But also, if you go to these events and you feel that self-doubt chewing at you, know that everyone else is going through it too.

337
00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:55,020
Maybe even the person standing up at the podium.

338
00:26:55,760 --> 00:27:04,940
The value to you at this ARC, when we're not drinking from the fire hose, we're specializing, stay connected to people on social media.

339
00:27:04,940 --> 00:27:09,860
Begin to build your interconnected network of people.

340
00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:13,200
And by doing that, I mean just be a human being to other people.

341
00:27:13,380 --> 00:27:16,660
Actually get out there, get on social media, see what's going on in the world.

342
00:27:16,660 --> 00:27:20,920
Oh wait, I saw an article about this thing that the person I follow was talking about.

343
00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:22,600
Maybe I could share it with them.

344
00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:24,300
Ask if they've seen it before.

345
00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:27,160
Try to watch as you ask questions.

346
00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:29,260
Don't present like you know everything.

347
00:27:29,500 --> 00:27:33,380
I know I've stepped in it a few times and had to go wash my shoes off with a hose.

348
00:27:33,660 --> 00:27:35,040
It's going to happen.

349
00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:36,320
It just does.

350
00:27:36,340 --> 00:27:41,840
But realize that there's a chance to be and grow in part or in whole as part of a community.

351
00:27:42,120 --> 00:27:43,440
And that's amazing.

352
00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:45,280
Give yourself time to grow.

353
00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:48,240
Give yourself a chance to learn these things.

354
00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:53,560
And it may not come again on any particular timetable that we want or desire.

355
00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:56,540
There's a larger picture here.

356
00:27:56,540 --> 00:28:10,500
You are drafting your great novel of your career path and conferences can be a part of that because the people you meet along the way will contribute to these chapters.

357
00:28:10,500 --> 00:28:11,680
Yeah, that's great.

358
00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:17,460
I think it's hilarious that you're going to tell me to do all this stuff and get out there and go out and do all these things.

359
00:28:17,460 --> 00:28:19,520
You don't know what I'm going through.

360
00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:21,720
I face all these issues.

361
00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:25,640
My butter sculpture is melting in the backyard right now, you lunatic.

362
00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:31,980
And while I'm listening to you, I'm not out there tending the garden or fixing this up or the milk is curdling or whatever.

363
00:28:31,980 --> 00:28:36,260
No, I can't possibly know that unless we interact.

364
00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:39,980
And then it takes time and effort to stay connected.

365
00:28:40,100 --> 00:28:43,680
And we can't give up just because things get bad or ugly.

366
00:28:44,180 --> 00:28:45,460
Because they will.

367
00:28:45,580 --> 00:28:47,080
Because life isn't easy.

368
00:28:47,300 --> 00:28:52,240
But we can take it and we can turn it and push it through our imposter syndrome.

369
00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:53,620
Because there it is again.

370
00:28:53,620 --> 00:28:57,000
Right as you've gone out and you said, wow, I've had a great time at this event.

371
00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:00,060
And you come back with your little trip report you wrote up.

372
00:29:00,060 --> 00:29:01,920
And someone says, that's terrific.

373
00:29:01,920 --> 00:29:04,460
While you're off partying, the rest of us were here working.

374
00:29:05,220 --> 00:29:11,860
That's where you pull up that trip report and say, actually, John, Bob, Sally, Sue, Chrissy, whatever your name is.

375
00:29:12,260 --> 00:29:13,340
Here's what I was doing.

376
00:29:13,340 --> 00:29:16,180
I actually got to meet these people and do these things.

377
00:29:16,300 --> 00:29:17,340
Whatever I do.

378
00:29:17,340 --> 00:29:21,920
I don't know if you have a personal life, Sally, Sue, Johnny, Bravo, Samson.

379
00:29:22,220 --> 00:29:25,900
But it's not all fun and games.

380
00:29:25,900 --> 00:29:27,580
There will be moments of levity.

381
00:29:27,580 --> 00:29:28,800
Goodness, I hope so.

382
00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:33,000
But there are also lots of times of learning and growing together.

383
00:29:33,500 --> 00:29:37,920
So now let's say you're on to the third arc, the prestige class.

384
00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:43,040
You now have a fancy hat and maybe some things, epaulets on your shoulder, a little pin here.

385
00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:43,620
Who knows?

386
00:29:43,620 --> 00:29:45,820
Maybe you have a custom patch you wear.

387
00:29:45,820 --> 00:29:50,100
Because you are reaching out to the prestige class level.

388
00:29:50,100 --> 00:29:54,440
You have now taken it to the point where you have gone and absorbed.

389
00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:56,200
This is the montage has passed.

390
00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:57,320
And now it's further along.

391
00:29:57,320 --> 00:29:59,220
You maybe have a little gray at your temple.

392
00:29:59,220 --> 00:30:00,480
Who knows?

393
00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:04,480
The point is you're at a level where you can turn around and start sharing what you've learned.

394
00:30:04,620 --> 00:30:18,760
Maybe you've attended a lot of these events and you said, you know what, I actually feel pretty good about my knowledge of sculpting icing into small animals that I now will wrap around mechanized zoids that will now walk.

395
00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:20,980
And I can now go and tell people about this.

396
00:30:20,980 --> 00:30:25,380
Well, it turns out there's lots of things you know that others may not know.

397
00:30:25,500 --> 00:30:29,040
It's your turn to start sharing that information.

398
00:30:29,420 --> 00:30:32,820
And it's not going to be an easy road, necessarily.

399
00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:37,820
Maybe you were the class clown and maybe getting up in front of people was easy for you.

400
00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:40,580
Not so for a lot of folks, right?

401
00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:48,920
Some people, I think, would much rather pull their own teeth out with the back bumper of a vehicle than try to get up in front of someone and share an idea like we're doing right here.

402
00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:53,340
But it's worth it because it might be a progression, okay?

403
00:30:53,340 --> 00:30:56,820
So go and watch stand-up comedians, if you don't now, and learn.

404
00:30:56,820 --> 00:31:06,300
Or if you really have no idea where to start with public speaking, there's a group called the Toastmasters.

405
00:31:06,300 --> 00:31:08,820
Now, this is an entire subculture, okay?

406
00:31:08,820 --> 00:31:09,620
They exist.

407
00:31:09,620 --> 00:31:13,660
They're larger than any DEF CON or B-Sides or any one group.

408
00:31:13,660 --> 00:31:17,460
There are thousands of these chapters around the world.

409
00:31:17,460 --> 00:31:19,600
And they have their own competitions.

410
00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:26,660
And they will help harden you, prepare you, start you out in understanding for how public speaking works.

411
00:31:26,660 --> 00:31:28,360
It is invaluable.

412
00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:29,920
It is amazing.

413
00:31:30,020 --> 00:31:46,640
And it's really quite humbling because they have their own competitions, their own ladders to climb, but it helps explain how public speaking works and gives you the tools to put in your backpack to bring with you to conferences so that it isn't the scariest thing you've ever done.

414
00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:48,960
And that's actually worth it.

415
00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:55,780
Again, Toastmasters, please take an opportunity, if you're going to learn to present, and check out the local groups in your area.

416
00:31:55,780 --> 00:31:59,820
I can almost guarantee you there are several wherever you are.

417
00:31:59,820 --> 00:32:00,600
And I mean that.

418
00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:02,840
That's not just where I live.

419
00:32:02,940 --> 00:32:04,860
I mean the chapters are amazing.

420
00:32:05,180 --> 00:32:08,540
So grab your hairbrush, get in front of that mirror, and start talking.

421
00:32:08,540 --> 00:32:09,700
About what?

422
00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:14,520
As a friend recently shared, the presentation that only you can give.

423
00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:22,220
If you spend 80 hours a week brushing dogs, then that's what you're going to make your first talk about.

424
00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:24,040
Because that's what you know.

425
00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:25,100
But get it down.

426
00:32:25,100 --> 00:32:26,980
Figure out how to tell your story.

427
00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:31,560
And if you can put up with it, I highly encourage you to record yourself doing it.

428
00:32:31,620 --> 00:32:32,520
Get in front of the mirror.

429
00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:34,040
Go through it the first time.

430
00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:40,900
This is going to take some time and effort, but you have to record it so you can go back and look at what you've done.

431
00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:49,340
You have to be able to get back and examine and look for the nervous tick you didn't know you had, and you're going to have to work on correcting it step at a time.

432
00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:55,760
Whether it's trying to bite your nails on stage, or it's perhaps adding ums.

433
00:32:55,760 --> 00:32:58,920
How many ums have I had in this presentation today?

434
00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:02,460
How many times did I stop, cough, or blink oddly?

435
00:33:02,460 --> 00:33:05,700
Have I constantly rubbed at my eye with this finger?

436
00:33:05,700 --> 00:33:09,880
Whatever your situation is, it'll come out when you see the recording.

437
00:33:10,220 --> 00:33:13,520
Now, always bring the video adapter with you.

438
00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:16,980
This is one of my little top tips because I've worked AV for events.

439
00:33:17,300 --> 00:33:25,740
The expectation is always going to be that when you get there, there is only going to be a live chicken and a small old bowl of oatmeal.

440
00:33:25,740 --> 00:33:30,920
So if you can bring anything with you that will help the situation, I encourage you to do so.

441
00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:32,700
That means having your laptop.

442
00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:38,160
Having your laptop with a connector that can send video out.

443
00:33:38,180 --> 00:33:48,620
Also having your presentation, not only on the laptop, but on a thumb drive that you have brought with you and is in your personal possession, maybe touching your body somewhere.

444
00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:57,840
Beyond that, I'm also going to encourage you and say it again, bring the video adapter that goes with your laptop and has at least two kinds of output on it.

445
00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:00,140
At least two kinds of output.

446
00:34:00,140 --> 00:34:06,400
Because sometimes you get on site and there isn't the same projector you worked with at home.

447
00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:14,640
Or your laptop doesn't work well with it, but they maybe can have a presenter laptop on hand for you, so you whip out the thumb drive.

448
00:34:14,640 --> 00:34:24,720
Or if all else fails, you keep a backup also in your cloud that you can then download to your local device and share using a local connection kind of technology.

449
00:34:24,720 --> 00:34:29,000
The point is, you need backups, folks.

450
00:34:29,020 --> 00:34:30,620
Backups, of all things.

451
00:34:30,620 --> 00:34:37,180
If there's a carbon copy behind over here, that would be awesome, because it'd be great, because I need them to go and fold the laundry right now.

452
00:34:37,180 --> 00:34:42,280
If you can have a backup for you at your presentation time, have it.

453
00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:44,480
Especially, do you do demos?

454
00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:54,660
Do you like to try and invoke crazy moments of random when you try to open something that worked five minutes ago, but now you're live and on air, and you don't have something that plays?

455
00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:58,520
I'm telling you, you got to get out there, but you got to go prepared.

456
00:34:58,780 --> 00:35:02,300
So please, pre-record your demos just in case.

457
00:35:02,300 --> 00:35:06,800
It's easier to run a video than to stand there and dry wash your hands in front of people.

458
00:35:07,060 --> 00:35:11,880
Now, when you're going to do it, you've got to go and prepare yourself for rejection.

459
00:35:12,100 --> 00:35:24,240
I know that sounds tough, and it kind of is, but it's worth it, because you have to audition in a sense, and it's called the CFP, or call for presentation, and every conference will have a different process.

460
00:35:24,360 --> 00:35:29,560
It might be helpful to go and look online for conferences in your part of the world.

461
00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:46,500
For example, if I go and look for Information Security Conferences North America, I have been able to locate schedules that include not only the name of conferences that are coming up, but also of when their submission times are, and when they wrap.

462
00:35:46,740 --> 00:35:48,240
Someone has a heart for this.

463
00:35:48,240 --> 00:35:55,700
There are folks who have a passion for helping others to share their ideas, and since that's what we're about right now, go for it.

464
00:35:55,700 --> 00:36:02,100
You can choose to do it locally, practice at your local meetup event, but then take that show on the road.

465
00:36:02,100 --> 00:36:06,380
Go do it, and your confidence will come through to the audience.

466
00:36:06,380 --> 00:36:08,920
But okay, so why am I doing that?

467
00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:17,960
Why would I go and put myself through all this stress, and singing into a hairbrush, and why would I go to all this trouble?

468
00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:23,400
Because it adds value to who you are, and what your contribution can be.

469
00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:32,660
Conferences can inform our self-confidence, because now if we imagine that this is easier, I had to go talk to my boss, and my boss makes me nervous.

470
00:36:32,660 --> 00:36:44,540
I just got up this weekend and presented in front of a hundred people, a thousand people, ten people, whatever it was, and isn't this easier now because you've done that?

471
00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:50,140
Sure, you know this person doesn't necessarily have a response, but you didn't get booed off stage, did you?

472
00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:53,960
No, you made it through, and if you did get booed off stage, that's okay.

473
00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:55,780
That colors things in, too.

474
00:36:56,580 --> 00:37:01,760
Definitely that would have sucked, sorry, but come back from it anyway.

475
00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:13,400
The ability to present is an essential part of communication, whether you're pitching ideas in an elevator, or you are trying to share about a report that comes out every week.

476
00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:29,560
And every time you get up to share about that report in your group, or in your team meeting, you will have learned or taken something away, whether that informs your ability to present at an event, or your presentations at an event help inform your internal confidence.

477
00:37:29,560 --> 00:37:37,440
It is so worthwhile to management because you're going to go and say, I can do, I can do this thing.

478
00:37:38,260 --> 00:37:53,420
Just keep in mind that if your boss or your team sees that you can now present and they start pushing you out there, try not to outshine the top dog in your community because it's about showing respect as well as having the ability to represent.

479
00:37:53,620 --> 00:37:59,180
So again, if you're really good at it, just try not to show up other people.

480
00:37:59,500 --> 00:38:03,980
Be respectful of what they're doing and what they're there to do for you and what you're doing for your team.

481
00:38:04,100 --> 00:38:14,480
So learning to speak will help your self-confidence and it will help on very tough situations like job interviews, which are very much like presentations because that's the dog and pony moment, isn't it?

482
00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:18,700
Your resume is the only place where you will ever be this perfect, ever.

483
00:38:19,020 --> 00:38:30,540
By the way, if you haven't taken advantage of it, I hope you stopped and take advantage of the opportunity for live resume review that may be going on right now.

484
00:38:30,540 --> 00:38:42,260
And if it happened in the past, go look for it in a future event and look for career tracks and opportunities to have someone help you examine a third person, an outside party, to take a look at that resume, to make sure that you're polishing it the right way,

485
00:38:42,260 --> 00:38:46,740
to make sure your tone and your story is getting told in the best way it possibly can.

486
00:38:46,740 --> 00:38:59,800
Because getting back to it, presenting at conferences puts you into a whole new group of people, the actual presenters, and they will grow as part of your personal network, just like you are becoming part of theirs.

487
00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:05,540
It can allow for opportunities to bounce ideas off of someone in your field or in a different field.

488
00:39:05,580 --> 00:39:10,840
Maybe you get to learn more about their story and they can definitely help you polish up yours.

489
00:39:11,020 --> 00:39:24,200
This has actually been one of the best experiences I've had, where I've been able to communicate and connect with someone I met at another event, and we share ideas when trying to come up with new talks.

490
00:39:24,320 --> 00:39:26,720
And they're hopefully going to be honest with you.

491
00:39:26,720 --> 00:39:32,140
And because they do it, they're hopefully thinking in a way that supports you as well.

492
00:39:32,140 --> 00:39:34,100
But that's just me talking, right?

493
00:39:34,100 --> 00:39:35,200
Cool story, bro.

494
00:39:35,660 --> 00:39:36,960
You don't know.

495
00:39:36,960 --> 00:39:38,880
I have crippling anxiety.

496
00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:40,800
I have a missing left arm.

497
00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:47,020
And if you do, more power to you, because you're awesome and you get through the day and you do what needs to be done.

498
00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:49,600
Those who make it happen, make it happen.

499
00:39:49,660 --> 00:39:53,140
You are going to be one of those people if you can, right?

500
00:39:53,720 --> 00:39:58,000
So take advantage of the opportunities in front of you and go for it.

501
00:39:58,000 --> 00:39:59,480
I don't know you.

502
00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:04,140
You don't necessarily know me, but I know we all deal with imposter syndrome.

503
00:40:05,380 --> 00:40:07,060
See, here we are again at that level, boss.

504
00:40:07,060 --> 00:40:08,840
I'm terrified of getting in front of people.

505
00:40:08,840 --> 00:40:10,740
What if I stutter?

506
00:40:10,940 --> 00:40:11,980
What if I trip up?

507
00:40:11,980 --> 00:40:12,860
What if I say something?

508
00:40:12,860 --> 00:40:14,620
What if I drop the microphone?

509
00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:16,680
What if I literally trip on stage?

510
00:40:16,680 --> 00:40:24,900
You get up, dust yourself off, you say, excuse me, take a couple of breaths, and you pick it back up.

511
00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:39,620
I started out very early on being very filled with anxiety and nervous, and I showed many personal things I thought that would lighten the mood, which turned out not to necessarily be the greatest thing to do during the presentation.

512
00:40:39,620 --> 00:40:43,460
So if I can encourage you, wiggle your toes.

513
00:40:43,820 --> 00:40:44,920
Yes, I'm serious.

514
00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:48,120
When you're standing up in front of people, wiggle your toes.

515
00:40:48,180 --> 00:40:51,620
Those of you wearing open-toed shoes, this may not be for you.

516
00:40:51,780 --> 00:40:54,920
However, wiggle your toes like mad.

517
00:40:54,980 --> 00:40:55,620
Why?

518
00:40:55,620 --> 00:41:06,160
If you like to podium dance, you have a thing you like to do, and you don't know that you're doing it, and it kind of can get distracting from your topic, wiggle your toes.

519
00:41:06,220 --> 00:41:14,520
And I mean, like, go crazy with the wiggling, because what it does is it puts all that nervous energy away from where people are looking.

520
00:41:14,720 --> 00:41:16,780
Now, me, I talk a lot with my hands.

521
00:41:16,780 --> 00:41:19,640
I try to keep it down, but it's just kind of a thing.

522
00:41:19,640 --> 00:41:25,980
A friend used to joke that if they handcuffed me hands behind my back, I might not be able to talk, and I think they're right.

523
00:41:26,380 --> 00:41:36,080
But if you're in front of people, if you wiggle your toes, you'll find that it takes some of that nervous energy and puts it somewhere else, and it's not a distraction for you or others.

524
00:41:36,080 --> 00:41:39,820
And it lets you get on with the thing, where you can start the fourth arc.

525
00:41:39,820 --> 00:41:42,460
Now, now you've arrived.

526
00:41:42,460 --> 00:41:49,380
You are going to turn the tables because you've obviously lost your mind, because you're going to try to put on an event.

527
00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:55,500
When you get to this level, giving back to the community becomes an important mission of its own.

528
00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:58,720
Seek partnerships, because that's what happened to me.

529
00:41:58,720 --> 00:42:07,400
I started to go out and present and share a little bit here and there, and then realized there was an opportunity in my local community in San Antonio, Texas.

530
00:42:07,600 --> 00:42:09,480
I've been here 30 years.

531
00:42:09,700 --> 00:42:11,260
I got to tell you something.

532
00:42:11,380 --> 00:42:22,840
This has been one of the most rewarding reasons to stick around, is being able to help other people to find their career path, whether they're at the very beginning or getting ready to retire.

533
00:42:23,420 --> 00:42:29,020
Finding people who are willing to share their ideas, give of their time, it's very rewarding.

534
00:42:29,320 --> 00:42:35,660
It is, however, a little maddening, because at this point, it could open doors to bigger things at work.

535
00:42:35,680 --> 00:42:47,520
Once people see that you're starting to organize a group, or they hear that you're putting on an event, and it gets known, you may be asked to present about that, or how the organization supported it.

536
00:42:47,520 --> 00:42:51,420
There are many, many opportunities, but don't miss out on them.

537
00:42:51,420 --> 00:43:00,580
And just because you participate in the operation of an event or a meetup, it does not necessarily mean the same thing as business management, by the way.

538
00:43:00,580 --> 00:43:02,660
Herding cats and herding cats.

539
00:43:02,660 --> 00:43:04,000
There are different kinds.

540
00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:07,860
Just like there are many kinds of cats, there are many types of management.

541
00:43:09,480 --> 00:43:13,780
So it's easy for this to get confused, but it can still provide value.

542
00:43:13,780 --> 00:43:17,100
And it can take longer than you think to get it right.

543
00:43:17,100 --> 00:43:22,960
The very first B-Side San Antonio I helped with, I was like the number three person.

544
00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:29,940
And then a few years go by, and I'm asked, given the opportunity, and I had to take it.

545
00:43:30,020 --> 00:43:36,960
It's not easy, but now you're looking at a whole new kind of value to bring to the team, because you can now build contacts.

546
00:43:36,960 --> 00:43:40,060
You can leverage your coordination skills.

547
00:43:40,060 --> 00:43:41,140
Ask for help.

548
00:43:41,140 --> 00:43:44,660
It's easier than you think, and much harder than you think.

549
00:43:44,660 --> 00:43:51,380
But asking for help is important, because otherwise it's very easy to sink.

550
00:43:51,780 --> 00:43:54,800
And you'd rather not try to test those waters.

551
00:43:55,100 --> 00:44:01,740
So be honest with yourself when there's a problem, and be thankful, oh so thankful, for willing partners.

552
00:44:01,740 --> 00:44:05,380
What I mean by be thankful is tell them you appreciate them.

553
00:44:05,380 --> 00:44:12,680
Let them know that that thing they just did, that rock they moved out of your way that you could not move, let them know you appreciate it.

554
00:44:12,680 --> 00:44:13,860
Do not wait.

555
00:44:13,880 --> 00:44:15,340
Send them a thank you note.

556
00:44:15,600 --> 00:44:19,640
Send them something edible that works for their digestive tract.

557
00:44:20,060 --> 00:44:24,480
I know that's a silly way to say that, but you get the idea.

558
00:44:24,540 --> 00:44:25,600
Be appreciative.

559
00:44:25,860 --> 00:44:28,800
Remember, this doesn't happen without the help of other people.

560
00:44:28,860 --> 00:44:33,100
So there are all new challenges when you get to the fourth arc, by the way.

561
00:44:33,960 --> 00:44:37,580
Marketing, budgeting, planning skills, I never really knew I had.

562
00:44:37,580 --> 00:44:41,940
They're going to come up, and you must learn to work with your volunteer army.

563
00:44:41,940 --> 00:44:51,920
All of this to tell you, that each of these steps along the way, you have to work with other people and resolve on the fly sometimes.

564
00:44:52,560 --> 00:44:56,220
But that's a fun story, because I'm not even... I have an internship.

565
00:44:56,220 --> 00:44:57,420
I don't even have that.

566
00:44:57,420 --> 00:45:04,800
I'm just trying to decide if I need to go for a degree plan, or if I need to get a certification , because you don't know what I'm going through right now.

567
00:45:04,800 --> 00:45:06,100
You don't know how hard it is.

568
00:45:06,100 --> 00:45:07,660
I can barely put food on the table.

569
00:45:07,660 --> 00:45:11,420
I'm supposed to go and help someone else learn how to start a career path.

570
00:45:11,840 --> 00:45:13,800
You'd be surprised.

571
00:45:13,960 --> 00:45:21,860
And you will, if you get off that wall, get out of the chair, get off the couch, and get engaged.

572
00:45:21,920 --> 00:45:32,260
Because even though I had massive imposter syndrome, trying to operate beside San Antonio, we had a very successful year this year.

573
00:45:32,260 --> 00:45:34,000
Not because of me.

574
00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:43,240
But everyone from our sponsorship team, to our events team, the AV folks, everybody, even our ombudsman.

575
00:45:43,240 --> 00:45:48,560
And you can ask the organizer of this village about the ombudsman, should you be curious what that's about.

576
00:45:48,640 --> 00:45:53,780
The point is, there are so many ways that we can overcome this, if we try.

577
00:45:54,200 --> 00:46:02,400
And all of this work, all of this effort, all of these things that we try to do, we must beware the beast of burnout when you are done.

578
00:46:02,400 --> 00:46:03,540
So done.

579
00:46:03,540 --> 00:46:04,520
How done are you?

580
00:46:04,760 --> 00:46:06,580
Everything stresses you out.

581
00:46:06,580 --> 00:46:08,940
There's nothing that could bring you back from the edge.

582
00:46:08,940 --> 00:46:14,180
You cannot even imagine getting up and doing the thing again, whatever it is.

583
00:46:14,360 --> 00:46:19,760
This is the time to take a well-earned break, take a step back.

584
00:46:19,780 --> 00:46:25,580
I don't know if you've ever had one, but I have days where all technology feels like it has turned against me.

585
00:46:25,620 --> 00:46:31,460
I don't know what happens, but it's like I could pick up a small plastic object, and it would snap in half just by me touching it.

586
00:46:31,460 --> 00:46:39,920
And oh, if it's one of those days, maybe it's time to take a step back and read a book or go for a walk or something.

587
00:46:40,240 --> 00:46:47,780
Get away from it for a while, but then when you come back, look and see what it is that got you interested in the first place.

588
00:46:47,780 --> 00:46:52,120
What was it that sparked your interest or gave you the drive to do this?

589
00:46:52,580 --> 00:46:56,720
And we go back to the art of noise story from the beginning.

590
00:46:56,720 --> 00:47:07,060
I did not like the Yes album 90125, and I went out of my way to ignore it and push all of that stuff away for years.

591
00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:23,400
15, 20 years passes, and I go back and read an article out of one of those Where Are They Now magazines or retrospectives about a band, and the article mentions how there was a major change in what they were doing and how they partnered with a specific group of people during the time.

592
00:47:23,400 --> 00:47:26,020
Because Yes as a band failed.

593
00:47:26,080 --> 00:47:31,060
Someone else came in, a new vector came in, and they partnered with someone.

594
00:47:31,060 --> 00:47:36,700
It changed everything about that band and gave them another 25 years of life.

595
00:47:36,740 --> 00:47:37,560
Why?

596
00:47:37,560 --> 00:47:49,400
Because just like burnout, when something has run its course and you're not sure why you're doing it anymore, there is benefit to be had by going back and re-examining what it was that got you started.

597
00:47:49,400 --> 00:47:55,700
Or read into the very thing that sparked your interest to begin with and see if anything new has come up.

598
00:47:55,740 --> 00:48:00,300
It can take you down another road, a new path, and open all new doors.

599
00:48:00,300 --> 00:48:10,080
Inform something you thought you knew for a long time as a held belief, and maybe that fundamentally changes for you and changes you in the process.

600
00:48:10,080 --> 00:48:16,980
So that reflection can change so much about you, because at the end of the day, we need each other, right?

601
00:48:17,020 --> 00:48:25,260
I mean, everybody who, even people who don't like other people, need someone to tell that to, okay?

602
00:48:25,300 --> 00:48:29,340
And because I firmly believe this, and sounding boards are really helpful.

603
00:48:29,340 --> 00:48:32,780
You've got to be able to share your ideas and figure out where things fit.

604
00:48:32,780 --> 00:48:37,020
And honest feedback makes everything better, as hard as it can be sometimes.

605
00:48:37,020 --> 00:48:38,880
No, no, the baby's ugly.

606
00:48:39,000 --> 00:48:41,260
Yes, I'm sorry, I have to be the one to tell you.

607
00:48:41,260 --> 00:48:42,820
So, fine.

608
00:48:42,820 --> 00:48:45,480
That's all easy for me to say, right?

609
00:48:45,740 --> 00:49:03,880
But I'm here to tell you that if the underperforming kid in seventh grade who went on his lunch and hid out in the AV room and enjoyed rolling the cart into the classroom with the filmstrip projector, and being the kid who could turn the thing that meant to turn the knob,

610
00:49:03,880 --> 00:49:12,520
if you can be that guy and end up where I am now, oh my goodness, I don't know any way better than that to tell you.

611
00:49:12,520 --> 00:49:14,500
This is something you can do.

612
00:49:14,560 --> 00:49:17,500
This is something you can actually do.

613
00:49:17,520 --> 00:49:21,440
You have to be able to break your own mold and move past it.

614
00:49:21,440 --> 00:49:27,460
We just put on a B-side San Antonio that blew away all of my, our expectations, right?

615
00:49:27,640 --> 00:49:29,560
We had over a thousand people.

616
00:49:29,560 --> 00:49:33,200
We had people participating from six countries.

617
00:49:33,200 --> 00:49:40,780
I didn't expect that, but you can't expect it, but you should try for it.

618
00:49:40,780 --> 00:49:42,780
So that's what we're here to do.

619
00:49:42,780 --> 00:49:44,020
Cool story, bro.

620
00:49:44,020 --> 00:49:45,900
You don't know me.

621
00:49:45,900 --> 00:49:51,300
I'm fighting my own imposter syndrome on my own battles, but that's the point.

622
00:49:51,300 --> 00:49:56,700
We're here to build a community and let's try to build it together and make it better.

623
00:49:57,220 --> 00:50:05,220
I very much appreciate your time and your ears and your eyes, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.

624
00:50:05,220 --> 00:50:05,680
And thank you.

625
00:50:05,680 --> 00:50:11,140
I hope you have a great time checking out the rest of the Career Hacking Village and DEF CON Safe Mode.

626
00:50:11,140 --> 00:50:11,980
Thank you very much.

627
00:50:11,980 --> 00:50:13,200
I am Psionic Nerd.

628
00:50:14,160 --> 00:50:16,140
Stephen, thank you so much.

629
00:50:16,140 --> 00:50:30,420
I really appreciate you sharing how you've woven your career throughout all of the career, all the conferences that you've attended and produced, and it's a really great roadmap for everyone in their careers.

630
00:50:30,460 --> 00:50:35,820
I know everyone's going to be looking forward to asking you questions in the Discord channel.

631
00:50:35,820 --> 00:50:41,300
And as you mentioned, we do also have resume review going on and career coaching.

632
00:50:41,300 --> 00:50:45,380
Just ping us in the career channel and we'll be able to tell you where that is.

633
00:50:45,380 --> 00:50:46,360
Take care, everyone.

634
00:50:46,360 --> 00:50:47,980
Enjoy the rest of the conference.