[0:30] You recently started at The Trevino Group. What’s that like?

I started about eight months ago. I met with them about their IT goals, and originally, they were with a management service provider; an outside company was managing the infrastructure. They brought me in to build the IT department internally.

[2:02] What kind of changes are you seeing so far as a result?

It’s been busy. The first thing I did was audit everything. I learned their environment and the way they operate as a company. I had never worked with a construction management business before, so I spent time learning their business culture and the way they conduct business.

[7:15] Walking into a new environment and having to pick up someone else’s toys—so to speak—is not an easy thing to do.

Absolutely. I won’t say it was perfect. Offboarding this MSP was a little rocky, but we got it to a point where it’s good. Transferring all the equipment over internally was a task as well.

[9:18] What kind of experiences did you have at the MSP you used to work for?

It’s a great way to learn the business side of things, especially when it comes to client expectations. I had never worked with an MSP before. Prior to this, I was doing IT with the US Army. Suddenly, I was working in accounting offices and dental clinics. It gave me so much exposure to a lot of different vendors.

[12:00] Talk to me about some of your military experiences.

Well, before joining the military I always knew I wanted to be in IT. I was into computers from a young age. Once I started learning how it all worked, it felt simple. I went down the rabbit hole and I started learning more about IT security. When I went into the recruiter’s office, the one job I wanted in IT wasn’t there. I told them I would only join if I got this job. After some tugging, I got the job and I enlisted for five years and eight months.

[19:01] What made you want to focus on IT in the military?

Swatting happened to me at a very young age—I think it was tenth grade. I found out they got into my Skype account. I had to turn over my computer to law enforcement, but I also did my own digging. I found a website I was a part of had a database breach. That led me to be very cautious. I never use the same password twice.

[29:14] What was it like going to foreign countries being an IT specialist?

When I joined the military, my knowledge was based on research I’d done online. Moving into a professional role was different. Part of my job was to manage some CISCO equipment. Everywhere we went, we had to be able to set up a tactical network.

[36:18] It’s amazing how sometimes just talking to another person can help you figure out a problem.

That relates to something we say in the military all the time: Sometimes it sucks to be a little too good at your job because once you start doing a great job, you become that guy.

[41:31] So when you got back to the US, you started working at the MSP. Did that broaden your horizons?

When someone asks “where do you see yourself in IT in three years” I find that question so loaded. I don’t want to focus on one domain—I want to know at least a little bit about everything.

[50:15] I heard a story about this organization where the internal IT security team actively stopped an attack on the cameras. They had to explain the vulnerabilities in a way that’s easy to understand.

Even your voicemail PIN—which is four digits long—can be easily exploited. Phishing is also a huge thing. Anyone who has to deal with IT in their business has to find a way to combat it. It’s always going to be there.

[57:59] You’ve done a lot of continuous education and confidence building. What else helped turn you into a leader?

A lot of my confidence came from the military. I was given tasks that I had no clue how to figure out or where to start. I go for certifications because I want to have the most up-to-date knowledge, and I’ll continue to do that no matter how old I get.