The tables have turned on Ron and Chris this episode and they are interviewed by guest host, Carole Theriault! Besides being a two-time guest on the Hacker Valley Studio Podcast, Carole is producer and host of the Smashing Security Podcast and Sticky Pickles podcast. Carole put together 7 serious questions and 7 funny questions to interview Ron and Chris.

Question #1 - How did you get into podcasting?

Ron - describes his entry into podcasting as a surprise. Ron had set up a studio at his home in San Jose, California with the intention to create YouTube videos. When Chris relocated to the area, he suggested that the two get on the microphones and have a conversation to see where it goes - Where the two began speaking about Cybersecurity Alchemy.

Chris - Before moving to Silicon Valley, Chris experimented with content creation on Instagram and worked with professionals to document his weight loss journey. This experiment went well but left Chris hoping to make a greater impact through content creation.

Question #2 - What are the most surprising lessons you learned from podcasting

Carole begins by describing her most surprising lesson is the sheer amount of work.

Chris was surprised about all of the aspects that go into a quality production. For example, mastering the sound of the podcast.

Ron describes the most surprising lesson being the work that goes into show notes and the conversion of full-length topics into bite sized nuggets.

Question #3 - What trait do you like most in your podcast partner

Ron - Chris’ accountability and availability. We meet together daily during the week to discuss goals, challenges, and collaboration opportunities. When help is needed, Chris is consistently there to help.

Chris - Ron’s calm, understated competitiveness nature. The competitive nature pushes both of us to get better everyday.

Question #4 - What do you worry most about when creating an episode of Hacker Valley Studio?

Chris - Capturing great quality audio. During post-production, we can fix nearly everything like “ahs”, “ums”, awkward pauses but not poor quality audio. Carole can relate to this technical difficulty as she has experienced difficulties with hearing feedback from internal microphones on her podcasts

Ron - HVS has had over a hundred episodes and around 10% of the guests have never been on a podcast. When recording with the 10% that have not been on a podcast before Ron’s main goal and concern is to ensure that the guest is comfortable. Creating an environment where guests can share their story and as.king great questions creates raving fans of our content through our listeners and guests

Question #5 - Who does more of the work on the podcast?

Ron - Chris is the GOAT for the HVS podcast. In the very beginning, Ron said that he did most of the work. In the beginning Ron was editing the video and audio for the podcast but at some point, Chris became curious about the audio editing process and fell in love with the process and built a strong foundation for rapidly increasing the quality of Hacker Valley Studio content.

Follow up to Question #5 - Chris do you appreciate about Ron’s contribution to the podcast?

Chris - Our chemistry. Episode one shows our chemistry because even though we did not have any experience podcasting, we still had a great conversational flow. It didn’t take anytime for us to build this chemistry up because Ron is able to read expressions and see where I’m going with questions and answers. Ron has always been able to pick up where I left off and bring up topics that I may forget.

Question #6 - Which episode of HVS sticks out most in your mind and why?

Chris - Episode 40 with Daniel Meade. This episode started out with us speaking with Daniel about AppSec but had many turns where we got to experience Daniel’s authentic humor and moments of growth throughout his life. This episode helped shape the future of Hacker Valley Studio.

Ron - Episode 104 with Robin Black. This episode has very little connection with technology and cybersecurity but focuses on the auxiliary skills that make practitioners at any craft great. Robin is fascinated with his work and crossing the chasm to gain expertise from similar or related fields.

Question #7 - What does success mean for Hacker Valley Studio?

Ron - Having fun during the process. Chris and I are extremely successful at this point because we’ve been enjoying creating the process everyday. We are lucky enough to speak to experts, work with vocal coaches, and learn how to make quality productions each week.

Chris - The impact on the listener. We’ve received emails and messages on social media from listeners that have thanked us for helping them get into cybersecurity and promoted within their field. We’ve been able to create our own journey and be part of others journeys.