PODCAST · business
The IT XP
by The IT XP
This is the home of The IT XP, a show dedicated to the world of Information Technology and the professionals working to drive business initiatives using their technology skills. Whether you are a developer or a systems administrator, if you're using “The Cloud” or hosting on-premises, we’re going to provide you with some nuggets of insight on what happens behind the curtain of an organization’s IT department.The term Information Technology is an umbrella term covering a wide array of technologies and job functions. You may not be working in a formal IT department, but when we pull back the layers, most in your organization will call you IT; obviously this isn’t a blanket statement, but one that identifies technology professionals outside of true technology firms. Let’s be realistic; even the large tech firms have an IT department. Hell, I bet your mom thinks you just fix computers. Meanwhile, you’re probably writing some of the best code on Github!Whether you are a helpdesk agent,
Episodes
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Don't Fear the AI Revolution
Don't fear the AI revolution. Sitting with Grok Bot Galaxy building a company from scratch got me thinking out loud: doom vs benefit, how different cultures frame AI, token cost when you're running brands solo, and the people still outside the AI bubble — from a retiree in a birthday-store line…
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Performance Theater Is Dying
Chuck breaks down the latest articles in his Tech Lead Shift series and connects them to what he saw firsthand at AWS Summit in June 2025. Agentic systems are resolving outages without human intervention. One-person teams are shipping in weeks what used to take a dozen engineers two years. The...
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The First Leadership Crisis of AI Won't Be Technical. It Will Be Cultural.
After fixing his delegation instructions, the drift didn't stop. It just moved. And when Chuck traced it back, he found something that had nothing to do with the agent. This episode is the third in the Tech Lead Shift leadership series, and it's where the first two threads come together. Episode…
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Instruction Quality Is the New Leadership Skill
_*]:min-w-0 gap-3"> Chuck thought he was a pretty good delegator. Nearly 15 years of leading technology teams across complicated problems. Clear on the outcome, not just the task. Follow up without micromanaging. Sit down with the person when something goes sideways, find the disconnect, confirm…
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The Leadership Gap Nobody Is Talking About
Chuck has been in IT for nearly three decades. He's watched technology shift from something only specialists understood to something everybody has in their pocket. And now he's watching something new happen in real time -- organizations deploying AI agents at full speed while nobody in the room...
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Season 12 Is Here: My AI Stack, China, and What's Next
Season 12 is officially here. Chuck breaks down the AI stack he's running — Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, and ElevenLabs — and reframes how you should be talking to LLMs. Then, he takes you inside 12 days in China: a cashless, all-electric, QR-code-powered reality check on how far ahead...
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Stop Being an AI Skeptic: Why IT Pros Can't Afford to Wait
After 25+ years in IT, Chuck shares his unfiltered 2-year AI journey—from skeptic to AI-first. Why 2026 is the year IT professionals can't afford to wait on AI experimentation. It's December 31st, 2025—the last day of the year and the final episode of 2025 for The IT XP. Chuck gets personal about...
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Enterprise to Startup: The GitHub Recruitment Path
After 17 years at a large utility company managing decade-long waterfall projects, Don Freeman made a radical pivot into the fast-paced world of Web3 startups—without ever applying for the job. In this episode of The IT XP, Don shares how his contributions to the Ethereum Foundation's web3.py...
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Why 94% of Gen Z Won't Become Your Boss
A 2025 Deloitte survey of 23,000 workers across 44 countries found only 6% of Gen Z aspire to senior leadership. Chuck—upper-middle management for over a decade—unpacks the real math behind the 94% rejection rate, shares war stories on emotional labor, and previews next week's dive into AI...
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Microsoft Ignite 2025 Observations
Chuck breaks down his first-ever Microsoft Ignite experience in San Francisco—from navigating the massive Moscone Center venue to cutting through the "Copilot everything" sales pitch. If you've wondered whether mega-conferences like Ignite are worth the hype (and the $400+/night hotel bill), this...
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AWS US-East-1 Goes Down — Why DNS Still Rules the Internet
When Amazon Web Services' US-East-1 region went dark in October 2025, half the internet felt it. In this episode of The IT XP, Chuck breaks down what really happened — from the DNS and DynamoDB race condition that triggered the AWS outage to the cascading effects across global systems. He…
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Back to Basics
The I.T. XP Returns: Navigating IT Careers in 2025—AI, Layoffs, and Staying Relevant After a six-month hiatus, The I.T. XP podcast is back with unfiltered insights for IT professionals navigating today's rapidly changing tech landscape. Chuck returns to the audio format to tackle the biggest...
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Season 11 Starts today!!!
We're kicking off Season 11 with an homage to legacy media where we read reddit questions and answer them live!
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Fail.con 2024
The Crowdstrike Falcon issue was an eye opener for a lot of IT organizations on the readiness of their BCP or DR plans. This isn't the first time we've seen this, but it's been a while where such a large outage has been seen across a number of different industries. I discuss how you can leverage...
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Mastering My WGU Management & Leadership Master's in 6 Months!
Strap in as I take you back to my adventure at Western Governors University, where I crushed my Master of Science in Management and Leadership in one term (six months). Riding on the wisdom from a pivotal Reddit thread and armed with the solid gold insights from the Purdue OWL, I'm here to lay it...
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Multi-Cloud Learning: Paid Platforms
In this episode I discuss two paid platforms for your multi-cloud learning. These platforms I have leveraged in my own journey and I stand behind them. I know times are tough, but for those looking for a paid option to learn the various cloud platforms, these two may interest you. A Cloud Guru:...
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Your Multi-Cloud Learning Journey
The cloud started off with well intentions of bringing more products to market faster, but it has turned into a competing race on how to optimize costs while deploying products at break neck speeds. I talked about how you can begin your multi-cloud journey because it is no longer a one provider...
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Overemployed?? Hell, I was just let go! WTF?!
In this episode I discuss the concept of overemployment. What it is, why it may be something you want to dig into and what I'm going to do to uncover pros and cons in this overemployment mindset. Remember, overemployed does not equal overworked!
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Been laid off? TWICE? Join the club (but let's not stay there!)
Being laid off is a gut punch. I know, I've been there twice. But guess what? I turned those lemons into lemonade (metaphorically, of course - who has the energy for a real lemonade stand after that?). My 9/11 Story…
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Get SMART, Get IT Done: Level Up Your Career in 2024 with Playful Purpose
Ditch the tech-coma and slay your 2024 goals! ⚔️ Procrastination got you in a chokehold? Career stuck in the buffering zone? Time to unleash the SMART goal secret weapon and rocket-boost your IT game. This ain't no burnout bonanza. We're talking consistent progress, confidence levels on fire, and...
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Episode 9.3 - UEFN editing session PT. 3 - Assets
Unlock the world of game development and unleash your child's creativity with this must-watch video on Unreal Editor for Fortnite! Join us as we dive into the exciting process of creating custom Fortnite experiences. Encourage your children's passion for gaming while learning together, fostering…
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Episode 9.2 - UEFN editing session part 2 - Landscapes
Unlock the world of game development and unleash your child's creativity with this must-watch video on Unreal Editor for Fortnite! Join us as we dive into the exciting process of creating custom Fortnite experiences. Encourage your children's passion for gaming while learning together, fostering…
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Episode 9.1 - Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) Released!
Epic games recently released the Unreal Editor for fortnite with Epic Games Store exclusivity. In this video, I discuss why I think that others should use the editor, as well as its full potential, and why it is actually a big opportunity for everyone involved, not just content creators. Links...
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Episode 9.0 - IT Trends To Watch In 2023
I'm the kind of guy that looks ahead to understand what's coming at us. I want to know what those changes will be so I can adapt accordingly. In this episode, I discuss some of the developing trends in IT that I expect to see occurring in the coming years. These changes are already underway, and…
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Episode 8.4 - The End of I.T. and the Rise of A.I.
The IT industry is at an inflection point and continues to come to terms with disruptive technologies reshaping the world of work. Chuck discusses the role of A.I. as it pertains to our industry, and asks if it's possible for us to rethink how we interact with these technologies. In this episode,...
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Episode 8.3 - I'm BECOMING A GAMER?
I have a confession to make: I'm becoming a gamer. Over the past year or so I've been spending more time playing video games. Not only that, but I've been enjoying it- and I have to admit, it's been pretty fun. So I wanted to share with you all some of the reasons why I've decided to immerse…
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Episode 8.2 - Career Goals
Career goals are the objectives that you want to achieve in your life. They can be personal or professional, short-term or long-term. Your career goals should not just be a dream but also have a plan of action. You should always work towards your goals so that you can achieve them one day. If you...
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Episode 8.1 - WGU MBA IT MGMT
I completed my MBA - IT MGMT from WGU in December of 2020. I go through the entire program and give insights into why it took me 7 months to complete and how you can complete it within 1 term (6 Months). Will this degree propel you into the upper echelon of executive management? Well, not really....
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Episode 8.0 - We are on YouTube!
We are here! This is our first video and it's been a long time coming. We talk about our journey starting back in 2015 to now. We talk about information technology and virtual reality, the metaverse and gaming. Stop in for a chat - we'd love to meet you!
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Episode 7.8 - WGU C214 Financial Mgmt
WGU C214 Financial Management - This course was a tough one for me. It required that I finish the course reading/homework over the summer break; it definitely was not something that I could do during my spare time after work. One of the most difficult things about the course was having to analyze…
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Episode 7.7 - WGU C213
WGU C213 - Accounting for Decision Makers. The course that will make you want to rip your eyes out! Such a dry course. Don't let it intimidate you, it's pretty straightforward, but you really have to see it through.
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Episode 7.6 - WGU MGT2 and C202
The two courses follow the WGU MBA IT Management degree. IT Project Management and Managing Human Capital are the two courses I completed in a span of three weeks. I talk mostly about IT Project Management and my thoughts on this course; hint - it was a bear!
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Episode 7.5 - WGU C200 Managing Orgs
Course C200 - Managing Organizations and People is discussed in this episode. If you are interested in my journey, here is what I've gone through for this course. I also provide some information on the value of this degree and why you should consider it.
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Episode 7.4 - WGU MBA IT MGMT
With the job hunting process not going anywhere, I decided to go for an MBA in IT management to give me that boost. I talk about why I chose WGU's MBA IT MGMT program.
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Episode 7.3 - Job Search Update
Update on where I am in my job search. Talk about the resources I am using and where I have failed. Let's also talk about the future of this journey.
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Monday Morning Musings - 03-01-2021
Ranting about masks and people not wanting to be tracked by the government. It's been about a year since I've been sequestered to my basement and this clearly shows where I am in my mental state.
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Episode 7.2 - Interview with Dr. Eric Cole (Cybersec)
An interview with cybersecurity expert Dr. Eric Cole. We discussed passion vs purpose and what it takes to make it in the cybersecurity profession. Eric has a book coming out in May 2021, Cyber Crisis, available for pre-order. He also has a Virtual CISO course on his website.
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Episode 7.1 - Jobscan
I start with the happenings on Wall Street between hedge funds and WallStreetBets. Then I get into my first part on "The Why" of looking for a new job. Finally, I discuss jobscan and its role in the job-hunting process. TikTok Profiles to follow: @wonsulting @corporatelife @icathryn
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Episode 7.0 - Get a Job
Following TikTok trends, I am going to implement some of those best practices in getting a job. Folks like @wonsulting and @corporatelife are just two of the many personalities that I will be following. Let's see how well those will work for an old man like me.
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Episode 6.6 - Season 6 Finale
In this Season 6 finale, I take a look back on the year that was. We had some great accomplishments, in light of what was going on around us, and had some failures. If you are like me, you've had more failures than accomplishments. Come join me as we close out the year 2020.
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Episode 6.4 - Keep on Learning (Season 1Redux)
We revisit season 1 again to give an update on how to keep learning in this world of constantly evolving technology. Some platforms may be right for you, others not so much. The only constant in technology is change.
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Episode 6.5 - Conversations with Bob and Mike
I arranged a conversation with two colleagues to gain insight into their humble beginnings. We discuss automation and certifications a bit. The overall theme was to gain an understanding of other thoughts and ideas around this world as Information Technology professionals.
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Episode 6.3 - Tech career paths revisited (Season 1 Redux)
We revisit Season 1 episode 1.1. Looking back 5 years on my humble beginnings and the many career paths technology has to offer. Elon Musk started with the Commodore Vic-20, so did I. Look at where he's at and look at me. Everyone's path is different, so don't get discouraged. Cloud Resume...
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Episode 6.2 - Soft Skills
Soft Skills are one of the keys to success in the IT industry. I present 10 soft skills that can help you in your growth as an IT professional. The beauty of honing your soft skills is that it can apply to many things within your life.
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Episode 6.1 - Nepotism and its impact
While navigating your IT career, you will come across nepotism. We talk through what nepotism is and how to handle situations such as the Circle of Friends hiring practices C-Suite folks typically do.
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Episode 6.0 - Welcome Back
Welcome back to our sixth season. We're trying to make this valuable to our listeners. Let's see how this goes.
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Monday Morning Musings - 01/06/2020
Trump's War is upon us! Don't be the puppets they expect you to be.
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Episode 5.21 - My CISSP Journey Part 2
The journey continues as I discuss my feelings around the exam and what happened the day I took the test. This is some real heartfelt information here and I don't mince words. Everyone has their own opinions on this exam and certifications in general. I have a love/hate relationship with...
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Monday Morning Musings - 12/09/2019
I am getting tired of the whole, LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT WHAT I DID! movement. I get it, you want to enact change, but you haven't said anything that would indicate you know what you want to do.
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Episode 5.20 - My CISSP Journey Part 1
I know you've heard me about my decision NOT to go into the Information Risk route, so why the change? To be honest, I need to stay relevant somehow in the ever changing landscape of technology. You've heard about organizational change and the like, so I need to ensure I stay relevant. I'm giving...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
This is the home of The IT XP, a show dedicated to the world of Information Technology and the professionals working to drive business initiatives using their technology skills. Whether you are a developer or a systems administrator, if you're using “The Cloud” or hosting on-premises, we’re going to provide you with some nuggets of insight on what happens behind the curtain of an organization’s IT department.The term Information Technology is an umbrella term covering a wide array of technologies and job functions. You may not be working in a formal IT department, but when we pull back the layers, most in your organization will call you IT; obviously this isn’t a blanket statement, but one that identifies technology professionals outside of true technology firms. Let’s be realistic; even the large tech firms have an IT department. Hell, I bet your mom thinks you just fix computers. Meanwhile, you’re probably writing some of the best code on Github!Whether you are a helpdesk agent,
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How many episodes does The IT XP have?
The IT XP currently has 132 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The IT XP about?
This is the home of The IT XP, a show dedicated to the world of Information Technology and the professionals working to drive business initiatives using their technology skills. Whether you are a developer or a systems administrator, if you're using “The Cloud” or hosting on-premises, we’re going...
How often does The IT XP release new episodes?
The IT XP publishes regularly with 132 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The IT XP?
You can listen to The IT XP on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The IT XP?
The IT XP is created and hosted by The IT XP.
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