Watch Now

Show Notes

It has been way too long in the making. But it's finally here! We have Hacker Valley merchandise available!  We have shirts, we have hats, we have sweatshirts that you can purchase. 

You are in the Hacker Valley Studio with your hosts Ron and Chris. Welcome back to the show.  Today in the studio, we've brought in Nikki Ivey. Nikki is a B2B revenue growth and startup culture leader. She's recognized as a 2020 LinkedIn top voice, and she is the co-founder of SDR Defenders community. 

For those that want to get to know Nikki and understand where she come from and what she is up to today, Nikki shares she works with Fortune 500 companies to help them make their outsides match their insides. In short, she helps folks close a gap, so everybody has access to a greater sense of belonging and purpose in the work that they do.  

Sadly, Nikki started down this path because she felt she often did not belong or was not often treated like she belonged. Her mom says her first full sentence was, “That's not fair.” She actually studied broadcasting and journalism but then discovered that tech sales was an outlet for all of those things that she cared about.

Nikki cares deeply about culture and has experienced so many issues as she has gone through her career.  The one thing she would love to change is people not being the gatekeepers rather be stewards.  

Nikki has a lot of advice on “cancelling the cold call” and making connections.  She is full of beautiful ideas to make everyone, from top to bottom in a company feel included, important and connected.

 

Key Takeaways:

 

:58 Episode starts with Ron and Chris

1:40 Nikki shares her background

2:55 Bringing people into the fold

5:18 Culture issues

7:57 Nikki’s superpower

10:00 Making connections

14:20 Doubling down

19:09 Being genuine

23:11 Building your brand

26:54 Final piece of advice from Nikki

Links:

Email Nikki

Nikki on LinkedIn

Nikki on Instagram

Nikki on Twitter

Support Hacker Valley Studio on Patreon.  Follow Hacker Valley Studio on Twitter.

Follow hosts Ron Eddings and Chris Cochran on Twitter.

Get your Hacker Valley Merch here!

Recent Episodes

Nov 26, 2024

Do You Deserve To Be Hacked? Featuring Ilan Fehler and Dahvid ...

Do you deserve to be hacked? With that bold tagline, CovertSwarm is pushing leaders to rethink how they test and defend their systems, and in this episode, they’re sharing firsthand how ...

Nov 20, 2024

Transforming SOC Operations with AI featuring Roy Halevi

Cybersecurity is evolving fast, and AI is at the center. Roy Halevi, Co-Founder and CTO of Intezer, explains how AI automates SOC operations, improving speed and accuracy while freeing up teams ...

Nov 12, 2024

From Shadow IT to Full Asset Visibility with Wes Wright

Can you truly protect what you can't see? Wes Wright, Chief Healthcare Officer at Ordr, joins Ron to share how organizations can shine a light on their network and asset blind spots and take ...

Nov 6, 2024

Building Opportunities for Women and Minorities in Cybersecurity ...

How do you create waves of change in an industry? Connie Matthews, Founder and CEO of ReynCon, speaks with Ron about the power of resilience, mentorship, and taking that first bold step in ...

Oct 29, 2024

Rethinking Cybersecurity Hiring with Naomi Buckwalter

Is cybersecurity gatekeeping holding back the industry? Naomi Buckwalter, Senior Director of Product Security at Contrast Security and Founder of the Cybersecurity Gatebreakers Foundation, ...

Oct 22, 2024

AI, Deepfakes, and Human Risk in Cybersecurity with Perry Carpenter

In a world filled with AI-generated deceptions, how do we discern what’s real? Ron sits down with Perry Carpenter, author of FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, ...

Oct 15, 2024

How to Become a True Security Leader with Nathan Case

How does one become a true security leader? According to Nathan Case, it’s not about titles—it’s about impact.  In this episode, Nathan Case, VP of Cloud Security at Clarity, shares his journey ...

Oct 8, 2024

AI and the Future of Cyber Defense with John Hubbard

How can AI shape the future of cybersecurity defense? In this episode, we dive into SOC operations, AI integration, and the latest in threat detection with John Hubbard, Cyber Defense Curriculum ...

Oct 1, 2024

How Adversaries Are Living Off The Dark Web with Jason Haddix

Have you ever lost something important, only to find out someone moved it without telling you? The same thing happens with our personal and business data. But what if you could see what the ...

Sep 24, 2024

AT&T Dynamic Defense: Security Before It Reaches Your Company's ...

In this episode, Ron Eddings and Jen Langdon speak with Senthil Ramakrishnan, Assistant Vice President of Cybersecurity Product at AT&T Business. Senthil shares information about how a new ...

WORK WITH US

PODCASTS + SPEAKING + EVENTS

Are you the best kept secret in cybersecurity? Let's change that by partnering together for podcast ads, social campaigns, and your next event or keynote. Send us your details to get started.