Find the Thing That Makes You Sparkle | The Resilience Room ft. Hazel McPherson

In this episode of The Resilience Room, Sam and James sit down with Hazel, a seasoned cyber security professional who spent 15 years in technical IT before discovering her true calling through an ISC2 pilot programme in the NHS. Hazel opens up about the moment a tutor changed her entire perspective on security — and why that hacker mindset still defines how she approaches the industry today.The conversation covers the very real challenge facing mid-career professionals who've outgrown entry-level resources but haven't yet reached the executive tier, and why Hazel believes the cyber security community is one of the most genuinely collaborative in tech. Hazel also discusses her work with Women in Cyber Security UK & Ireland and B-Sides Bristol, before introducing Seasides — her own initiative bringing cyber security education and opportunity to coastal communities in the South West, starting in Weston-super-Mare.They also tackle the AI question head-on: will it kill entry-level jobs? Hazel gives a grounded, refreshingly non-hysterical take on where AI genuinely helps, where it fails, and why the people doing hands-on work have far less to fear than the headlines suggest.Topics covered: breaking into cyber security, mentorship and community, women in tech, the mid-career gap, AI and the future of security roles, coastal community outreach, vibe coding, and knowing when to question your AI tools.