Filed under: Combs & Company, Did You Know That?, Feature Friday, Sean ORourke | Tags: Combs & Company, Cybersecurity, Did You Know That?, Feature Friday, Sean O'Rourke, Traci Carnes
Host: Sean O’Rourke
Guest: Traci Carnes
Title: Are Your Confident In Your Cybersecurity?
“The hacker didn’t succeed through sophistication. Rather he poked at obvious places, trying to enter through unlocked doors. Persistence, not wizardry, let him through.” Clifford Stoll, “The Cuckoo’s Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage”
“The Cuckoo’s Egg” was published in 1989; I first read it in 1995. You know what’s amazing/annoying/frustrating/unsurprising? Not much has changed in the intervening 30+ years when it comes to hacking. Sure, the systems and tools have gotten more sophisticated, but persistence and unlocked doors remain the key hallmarks of most hacks.
Cybersecurity, especially for small- and mid-sized businesses, remains a hazy priority that seems to fall down the to-do list every time a company runs out of coffee or snacks. That’s just playing with gasoline and matches, and my next guest on Did You Know That? knows this firsthand. Traci Carnes has worn many a technology hat in her career, so she’s seen cybersecurity from all sides. Her thoughts and processes should inspire businesses to take a more proactive approach to minimizing the damage from a cyber event. Remember, it’s not if but when you’ll experience one.
Want to learn more about Traci and her extensive background? Check out her LinkedIn profile.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracicarnes/
Music: “Broken Radios” by Stanley Gurvich via Artlist
Filed under: Combs & Company, Did You Know That?, Sean ORourke | Tags: Combs & Company, Did You Know That?, Ramon Ray, Sean O'Rourke, Smart Hustle
Host: Sean C O’Rourke
Guest: Ramon Ray
“When things do not go your way, remember that every challenge — every adversity — contains within it the seeds of opportunity and growth.” Roy T. Bennett
If you like understatement, then saying 2020 has been (or was, depending on when you’re reading this) a challenging year should make the top of your list. But among all that has gone wrong, that’s disrupted the norm, or been thrown into the unknown lies opportunity to come out the other end better, stronger, faster. (Yes, that’s a callout to one of my all-time favorite shows.)
In the latest edition of Did You Know That?, the engaging Ramon Ray talks about how businesses – of all sizes – can identify and take advantage of even the slimmest of opportunity. There are risks; it’s not for the faint of heart; but there are rewards to be had by you, your employees, and your customers/clients if you take a calculated leap. This is not about running after anything that catches your eye; this about smartly identifying where your business can fill a new need and moving with purpose in that direction.
If this is your first experience listening to Ramon, then get your pen and paper or keyboard ready, because he’s going to throw a lot of information out there and you’ll want to digest it afterward (or give this multiple watches; your choice).
You can also check out Ramon’s various works using the links or handles below:
Instagram: @ramonraysmarthustle
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramonraysmallbiz/
Check out Ramon’s website Smart Hustle or his speaking website HERE!
Music: “J.D. Scavenger” by Randy Sharp via Artlist
Filed under: Combs & Company, Did You Know That?, Feature Friday, Marketing, Marketing Yourself, Sean ORourke | Tags: Adrian Miller, Did You Know That?, Feature Friday, Sean O'Rourke
We all pretty much know the names and stories of the entrepreneurs who made it big (just check the list of the world’s richest people). But do you know the story of the person who started that dry cleaner’s down the block? How about your favorite non-chain coffee shop? That pub you frequent way too often? The graphic designer for the at-home workout app you’ve been frequenting?
If you think about it, entrepreneurship has been around since that first multi-cellular organism ventured off on its own to find a better source of food. Not much has changed in the intervening few billion years. (OK, maybe a few things.) Being an entrepreneur is still a risky, fulfilling, exhausting, invigorating, difficult, inspiring way of life, and my next guest on Did You Know That? has experienced it more than most.
Adrian Miller has been a successful entrepreneur – many times over – for 30+ years. She’s juggled multiple businesses for more than a decade now, all while being a mom, wife, world traveler, and fount of knowledge. If you’re thinking of taking the leap, or are struggling to keep your fire going, then this is the episode you don’t want to miss.
To learn more about Adrian’s fascinating history, check out her LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amillersalestraining/.
Music: “DuDa” by Ian Post via Artlist
Filed under: Combs & Company, Did You Know That?, Feature Friday, Marketing, Sean ORourke | Tags: Did You Know That?, Feature Friday, Hi-Tech Resource Recovery Inc, Mr. T Carting, Paul Zambrotta, Sean O'Rourke
Host: Sean C O’Rourke
Guest: Paul Zambrotta
“There is no such thing as ‘away’. When we throw anything away it must go somewhere.” Annie Leonard
I’m not a terribly nostalgic person, but have to admit, this episode took me back to show and tell in grammar school.
Have you ever heard the term wish-cycling? No, not the practice of wishing for the same thing each time you blow out birthday candles. This is the practice of throwing an item into a recycling bin in the hopes it can be recycled. While the intention may be good, in practice, this act of hope has real negative consequences – it can turn good recyclables into trash.
My next guest on Did You Know That? is Paul Zambrotta, Chief Operations Officer (COO) at Hi-Tech Resource Recovery, Inc. & Scholes Street Recycling Corp., and Director of Safety at Mr. T Carting. Paul’s grandfather, Tom Toscano (aka, Pop), started Mr. T Carting with one truck in 1947 and the family of companies has grown with the city to better address waste and recycling efforts.
The chat with Paul is broken into two segments. First, we discuss the overall status of the recycling business and market, with an emphasis on where we, the consumers, are falling short on proper recycling. The real fun begins with part two, where Paul and I go through many common household items to determine what can go into the recycling containers and what should hit the trash. I think you may be surprised by some of his answers.
To learn more about Paul and his work, check out his LinkedIn profile, CLICK HERE
To learn more about plastic recycling, visit Waste4Change by CLICKING HERE
Music: “Urban Drummers” by Mike Kirin via. Artlist
Filed under: Combs & Company, Did You Know That?, Sean ORourke | Tags: Combs & Company, Did You Know That?, Election Law, Rachel Harding, Sean O'Rourke
Host: Sean C O’Rourke
“Politics is not a game. It is an earnest business.” Winston Churchill
Politics. Politician. Want to cause a visceral reaction? Just drop these words into any conversation and watch the fireworks blaze. It begs the question – why would anyone want to get into this business?
Well, for those who do, there’s a gauntlet you have to run just to get in front of your welcoming electorate. The cynic looks at these hurdles as a way for incumbents to stay in power; the optimist looks at the process as a way of pre-validating a candidate. Either way, it’s no simple matter to find your way onto a ballot and then finance a campaign.
My next guest on Did You Know That? is Rachel Harding, an election/campaign finance law attorney who specializes in New York state. Rachel knows the ins and outs, tricks and tricksters, and the obstacles a potential candidate must navigate to get on and remain on a New York ballot. She also knows how much money a candidate can accept and from whom and how often. Essentially, if you want to run for office in New York, call Rachel first.
In an election year unlike any in recent history, who better than Rachel to discuss how ballots are “made” in New York?
To learn more about Rachel, check out her LinkedIn profile HERE
Be sure to do your civic duty and vote, even if it’s for none of the above.
Music: Big City Lights by Ikoliks via Artlist
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