Bytes, Bits & Brilliance: Career Insights and Inspiration
Bytes, Bits & Brilliance: Career Insights and Inspiration is your guide to building a thriving, long-lasting career.
This season, we’re diving into both the technical and human elements of a thriving career—exploring career strategy, leadership, and the evolving mindsets that fuel success, alongside deeper dives into cutting-edge technology tools, emerging industry trends, and critical technical skills.
With a mix of expert conversations and personal reflections, this season is about equipping you with the insights, strategies, and inspiration to move forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
Join us as we decode the wisdom of those who’ve forged their own paths and gain the insights you need to shape yours.
The views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are personal and not reflective of any employer.
Episodes
59 episodes
Using Our Voices: Reclaiming Power, Presence, and Purpose
In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Bytes, Bits & Brilliance, host Dawn Butler invites listeners into a heart-to-heart about what it truly means to use our voices — especially as Black women in Cybers...
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Season 2
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Episode 32
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43:14
Strategic Skills Shift: Pivoting to Technical Account Manager and Advanced Customer Success Roles (AI-Audio Overview)
The Customer Success Manager (CSM) role has emerged as a critical strategic business function in the technology industry, particularly within SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) companies. But what does a CSM actually do, and ho...
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Season 2
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Episode 31
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16:22
Empathy at Work: How Kindness is Rewiring the Workplace
What does it really look like to lead with empathy in industries that reward output over openness? In this refreshingly honest episode, I share my personal journey from environments lacking compassion to intentionally creating micro...
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Season 2
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Episode 30
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25:52
Mentors, Soft Skills & Mindset: A Cybersecurity Story (Guest: Aaleyah Evans)
Is leadership just for those in corner offices? Not so fast. Meet a Bahamian computer scientist, Aaleyah Evans, whose early career in cybersecurity and academia challenged every stereotype—proving that relatabili...
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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40:26
The Alignment Revolution: Turning Layoffs and Setbacks into Opportunity (Guest: Jessica Cumming)
What happens when your “perfect job” doesn’t fit? In this electrifying episode, meet a former tech pro, Jessica Cumming, who battled layoffs and glass ceilings—then flipped uncertainty into unstoppable growth.He...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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47:28
Breaking In Without Burning Out: One Woman’s Path Into Cybersecurity, One Connection at a Time (Guest: Sofi Rodriguez)
What does it take to pivot from a 24-year career in caregiving to a thriving path in cybersecurity? In this inspiring episode, we sit down with a former nanny and caregiver, Diana Sofi Rodriguez, originally from Peru, ...
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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40:32
Cyber Thriver: Breaking Barriers, Building Networks & Uplifting Diversity in Cybersecurity (Guest: Geraldine Okon)
What does it really take to thrive for two decades in cybersecurity—and to blaze a trail for others? In this episode of Bytes, Bits and Brilliance, I sit down with the powerhouse behind
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Season 2
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Episode 26
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35:26
Leading Through the Shift: Human-Centered AI in Tech Transformation
This 20-minute episode dives into the transformative journey of tech leadership in the age of generative AI. Drawing from My personal reflections and insights from the Google Cloud Generative AI Leader training, it explores how lead...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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27:17
From Tech to Coaching: Boundaries, Balance, and Building Your Career with Intention (Guest: Dana Zellers)
In this episode, we dive deep into what it really takes to thrive in tech and beyond. My guest, Dana Zellers, a former tech worker turned executive coach, joins me to unpack the lessons of work-life balance, the power of boundaries, and ...
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Season 2
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Episode 24
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46:45
🎙️ Beyond the Code: Redefining Success, Self-Advocacy & Joy in Tech (Guest: Sayantika Banik)
What does it really mean to thrive in tech? In this episode, I sit down with Sayantika Banik, a founder and data scientist who calls herself a “mixed bag.” From building backend systems to serving on the Django Software Foundation...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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43:34
The Impact of Standards: News, Facts, Figures and Fun (AI Voice)
In this audio overview, we're covering the intersection of:The Impact of Standards (ANSI's Role): Understand how voluntary consensus standards, coordinated by organizations like the American National Standards Institute (ANSI...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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12:10
Paying It Forward: Mentorship, Mission & Legacy with JT Taylor & Adam Roberts
In the final part of this series, we zoom in on mentorship, representation, and legacy. The panelists share what grounds them, how they support the next generation, and what they hope for the future of tech—especially for underrepre...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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32:17
Panel Episode Part 2: Strategy, Skills & Staying Future-Ready (Adam Roberts & JT Taylor)
In Part 2 of the panel with Adam Roberts and JT Taylor, we talk about staying future-ready in an evolving tech world. The panel explores certifications vs. degrees, soft skills that matter, and how to stay ten steps ahead. It's strategy,...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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34:42
Panel Episode Part 1: Origins: How We Got Here & What We’ve Learned with JT Taylor & Adam Roberts
Origins: How We Got Here & What We’ve LearnedIn Part 1 of this 3-part panel series, we go behind the titles and hear the real stories—how two leaders built their tech careers from the ground up, the lessons they learned the ha...
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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31:37
Financial Wisdom, Mentorship & Legacy in Tech: Charles Rush's Journey to Cybersecurity Leadership
How does someone go from cable installations at Cisco Academy to founding a cybersecurity powerhouse? In this episode, I sit down with Charles Rush III, a Cybersecurity Founder and government contractor—CISSP, PMP, FSCE certi...
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50:47
From Tech Veteran to Limitless Leader: How One Bold Move Changed Everything (Guest: Uma Subramanian)
What happens when you walk away from a high-powered tech career to chase your true calling? In this electrifying episode, I sit down with a former Microsoft leader, the powerhouse founder of Limitless Leaders, Uma Subramanian.
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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46:08
Authentic Networking and Skills Differentiation in the AI Era (Guest: Thalia Brown)
In Part 2 of our series with Thalia Brown, the founder of Authentic Discussion, we dive into the realities of recruitment and networking in today's competitive tech landscape. Thalia shares her journey with professional netwo...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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23:27
Innovating Gender Equity: Closing Gaps in Tech Hiring and Career Growth (Guest Thalia Brown)
In Part 1 of this two-part series, I sit down with Thalia Brown, the founder of Authentic Discussion—a pioneering learning platform using research-based tools, podcasts, virtual reality, and AI to tackle gender equity and workplac...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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35:38
Effective Change Management: Building Trust, Skills, and Lasting Impact (Guest: Shanayla Sweat)
In Part 2 of our change management series, with my guest, Shanayla Sweat, we explore why performative change efforts often fall short and how genuine leadership commitment is key to lasting transformation. Shanayla highlights...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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45:35
Change Management in Tech: Real Talk on AI and Human-Centered Leadership (Guest: Shanayla Sweat)
In Part 1 of this two-part series, we dive into the world of change management in technology and cybersecurity with Shanayla Sweat, who has journeyed from software quality assurance to leading organizational transitions. Disc...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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30:45
You're Not Lost, You're in Motion: Redefining What It Means to Thrive
In this solo reflection, I share a powerful reframe on what it really means to thrive — especially when you're navigating transitions, uncertainty, or moments when clarity feels out of reach.Inspired by a recent PowerToFly sessi...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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20:12
The Quiet Skill That Sets Great Leaders Apart
In today’s bite-sized episode of Bytes, Bits & Brilliance, we explore one powerful leadership question: Do you know how important it is to know your people?Whether you lead a team, manage projects, or mentor others, t...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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9:03
Beyond the Certs: Navigating Non-Traditional Paths in Cyber with Courage and Clarity
In this Quick Bytes of Brilliance episode, I unpack insights from a recent ISC2 article o...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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15:21
40 Years of Wisdom: Lessons in Tech, Resilience, and Giving Back (Guest: Carol "Lady Ray" Holmes)
Step back in time and leap forward with us as we celebrate the extraordinary journey of a trailblazing IT trainer, Carol "Lady Ray" Holmes, who has spent four decades breaking barriers, empowering communities, and growing alongside techn...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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48:50
Breaking Barriers: Building Confidence and Authenticity in Tech Careers (Guest: JT Taylor)
In this episode, I sit down with JT Taylor, the visionary leader behind our non-profit, Black IT Academy (BITA). JT shares his inspiring journey through the tech industry, from overcoming the glass ceiling without a college ...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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1:02:59