This week we sit down with Cecil Pineda to talk about building real community in cybersecurity, vendor relationships that actually work, and how to avoid being that annoying sales person calling every Monday.

George K and George A talk to Cecil about:

🛠️ Why technical operations experience matters for CISOs

☝️ The art of "bothering someone" (yes, there is an art to it!)

💡 His advice for vendors trying to break through

✅ How his team evaluates new tech 

Plus we get into what it really takes to build authentic relationships in this industry. Spoiler: It's not about automating thousands of emails!



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For as little as $1 a month, you can support the show and get exclusive member benefits, or send a one-time gift!

Your contribution covers our hosting fees, helps us make cool events and swag, and it lets us know that what we're doing is of value to you.

We appreciate you!

How to Get a CISO’s Team on Board and Cultivating Community with Cecil the CISO!

Mainframe pentester Michelle Eggers joins us to share her incredible journey into cybersecurity, and specifically her niche in mainframe security.

George K and George A talk to Michelle about:

💪 Her hustle and flow switching careers into pentesting, including 40+ interviews and an intense training cohort

🍀 How she carved out a rare specialty in mainframe security through networking and seizing opportunities

😱"Do it scared" - her advice for speaking at conferences and pushing through imposter syndrome

💳 Why mainframe security matters (hint: it touches billions of financial transactions daily)

If you're trying to break into security, switch careers, or level up your technical skills - you need to hear Michelle's practical wisdom and refreshingly honest perspective on the journey.

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👊⚡️BECOME A SHOW SUPPORTER

https://ko-fi.com/bareknucklesbrasstacks

For as little as $1 a month, you can support the show and get exclusive member benefits, or send a one-time gift!

Your contribution covers our hosting fees, helps us make cool events and swag, and it lets us know that what we're doing is of value to you.

We appreciate you!

Do It Scared! The Journey from Pentesting Novice to Conference Speaker with Michelle Eggers

JR Cunningham, CISO at Nuspire, joins the show to talk about why cybersecurity isn't just another IT job - mentally, it's more like being a first responder.

George K and George A talk to JR about:

🤔 Why we should consider cyber teams like first responders (not just IT staff)

😵‍💫 The unique mental health challenges of incident response

💪 Building cultures where defenders can actually take care of themselves

🧠 Why your IR plan needs to consider the human element

💬 "The higher up you go in security, the more you get the sh*t kicked out of you. Most professions get easier - ours gets harder."

Security leaders - how are you building support systems for your defenders?

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👊⚡️BECOME A SHOW SUPPORTER

https://ko-fi.com/bareknucklesbrasstacks

For as little as $1 a month, you can support the show and get exclusive member benefits, or send a one-time gift!

Your contribution covers our hosting fees, helps us make cool events and swag, and it lets us know that what we're doing is of value to you.

We appreciate you!

Duty, Burnout, and Redefining Security Team as Digital First Responders with JR Cunningham

Andrew Owlett joins the show to talk about what actually matters in cybersecurity career development (hint: it's not your GPA)!

George K and George A talk to Andrew about:

 * Why "failing" early in his career shaped his approach to leadership
 * The problem with cyber's culture of shame and how to build confidence
 * What cross-functional skills ACTUALLY look like (and how you probably already have them)
 * Truth about work-life balance and corporate "family"

Plus we dive into real advice for career transitions, building authentic relationships, and how to craft your story.

No buzzwords, no BS - just practical insights from someone who's lived it.

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👊⚡️BECOME A SHOW SUPPORTER

https://ko-fi.com/bareknucklesbrasstacks

For as little as $1 a month, you can support the show and get exclusive member benefits, or send a one-time gift!

Your contribution covers our hosting fees, helps us make cool events and swag, and it lets us know that what we're doing is of value to you.

We appreciate you!

From 1.6 GPA to Global Cyber Leader, How to Tell the Story of Your Skills with Andrew Owlett

🎙️ Veterans Day Podcast Panel!

We brought together an incredible panel of veterans who made the leap into cybersecurity:

George K and George A get into a raw and honest conversation about:

🔄 The realities of transitioning out to civilian life

😳 The culture shock of moving from military to corporate life

👏 Why military experience IS relevant experience (even if you think it isn't)

🤝 The power of networking and how to do it well

Many thanks to our panelists!

 * Rick McElroy (USMC)
 * Tom Marsland (US Navy)
 * Larci Robertson (US Navy)
 * Rafael Nuñez (US Air Force)
 * and George A (Canadian Army)

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👊⚡️BECOME A SHOW SUPPORTER

https://ko-fi.com/bareknucklesbrasstacks

For as little as $1 a month, you can support the show and get exclusive member benefits, or send a one-time gift!

Your contribution covers our hosting fees, helps us make cool events and swag, and it lets us know that what we're doing is of value to you.

We appreciate you!

Veterans Day Panel: Cyber Journeys, Skills Transition, and Lessons Learned

BONUS! In the last of our interviews recorded live at GoSec 2024 [https://gosec.net/]  in Montreal, we talk to Andréanne Bergeron, PhD, Director of Research at GoSecure. 

George K and George A talk to Andréanne about her unconventional foray into cybersecurity and the lessons learned, as an academic, for workforce development and educating the next generation of defenders. She discusses her studies of cybercriminal psychology as a social scientist, and what the implication might be for defense strategies.

This episode was produced with the support of GoSecure [https://gosecure.ai/].

Cyber Workforce Development & Cybercriminal Psychology with Andréanne Bergeron, PhD

Ofer Klein CEO & Co-founder of Reco AI [https://www.reco.ai/] jumps into the ring to talk about making the leap from e-commerce to cybersecurity, and why having "outsider" experience can be a superpower.

George K and George A talk to Ofer about:

🧠 The psychology behind selling to enterprises and why it transcends industry verticals

📈 Making the tough calls during rapid growth and learning to "get invited to the party"

🎯 Why admitting mistakes and building trust matters more than technical prowess

🌱 Building a lasting company culture vs. engineering for acquisition

Don't miss this episode on finding product-market fit, scaling with intention, and bringing fresh perspectives to cybersecurity!

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👊⚡️BECOME A SHOW SUPPORTER

https://ko-fi.com/bareknucklesbrasstacks

For as little as $1 a month, you can support the show and get exclusive member benefits, or send a one-time gift!

Your contribution covers our hosting fees, helps us make cool events and swag, and it lets us know that what we're doing is of value to you.

We appreciate you!

Truly Understanding Your Customer to Get Product-Market Fit with CEO & Co-Founder Ofer Klein

Episode 100! And this time, George K and George A are the ones in the hot seat!

Guest host, and friend of the pod, Amber DeVilbiss takes the mic to put the Georges on the spot.

They take on listener questions about:

 * Tech and industry trends, AI, new risks
 * The deep, dark, and personal
 * Selling and marketing tactics
 * And MORE!

Thank you to all the listeners who submitted questions!

Episode 100! AMA with the George and Guest Host Amber DeVilbiss

This week we step outside cyber to learn how to make sales a profession that sellers can be proud of. Lauren Palmer, VP of North America at Interlink, joins the show!

George K and George A talk to Lauren about:

 * Why she believes sales is a "giving profession"
 * What sales leaders can do to equip their teams for success without relying on high pressure tactics
 * What objectives really matter when measuring sales success
 * Her mission to transform the operation and perception of sales

Redefining Sales as a “Giving Profession” to be Proud of with Lauren Palmer

Recorded LIVE: The Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks closing keynote at SecureWorld Denver!

Titled, "Radical Transparency," George K and George A took on the holy trinity in cyber: people, process, and technology. 

For each part they break down where we need radical transparency to build trust, on both the buying and selling sides of the industry.

They also ask something new of the audience...

LIVE from SecureWorld Denver: Radical Transparency - Closing Keynote

Hosted by two guys named George on either side of the divide, this is a cybersecurity podcast that tackles the relationship between vendors and their customers. George Kamide is on the security vendor side, and George Al-Koura is a CISO on the customer side. Vendors gotta sell, and companies need tooling to protect their data. Tune in to hear real conversations from opposing sides of the pitch about cybersecurity marketing, sales, and go to market strategies. We go after these topics and bad practices with bare knuckles, then it’s down to brass tacks to look for solutions. Tune in to hear from guests from either side, including CISOs, SMEs, sales leaders, frontline account managers, and more!

George Kamide

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