Intro
Join me as I interview Joshua Walker who has quite the inspirational story to share which he also shares in detail in his new book Venti Fried Chicken. Josh used to work in the military and was essentially homeless at one point but is now thriving in the tech world. His story is also inspirational because even though he is a Cloud engineer, he has also been involved in leadership groups in Orlando and is currently Vice President of one such group that is aiming to get 10,000 minorities into the world of technology by 2025, so he doesn't just stay in a cubicle for sixteen hours a day. He is active in his community working to make a real difference!
Josh was actually already working remotely prior to the COVID-19 pandemic but is now, like many of us, working strictly remotely, and he discusses what that has been like and how remote work is going to continue to change the world, especially the tech world. He also provides some advice on how to make remote work especially effective in today's age, and he offers his opinion regarding what makes people in the tech industry successful, saying that it's important to have empathy for yourself because the world of technology is a world that requires skill. He also, however, lives by the open mindset that anyone can become involved in the world of technology because there are so many different aspects of it which is how he goes about getting people involved in the technology sector – appealing to their individualized interests.
He also shares what he thinks makes technology leaders effective leaders, such as the ability to set an example. He advises that you shouldn't ask people to do things that you wouldn't do yourself, and he reiterates the importance of having empathy - empathy for people who work under you. Josh discusses his book Venti Fried Chicken and shares how long it took to develop, so be sure to check that out as well as his website, and remember to subscribe to Tech Leader Talk so that you never miss an episode!
Time Stamps
[0:07] – Steve introduces this episode's guest, Josh Walker, and provides us with a little bit of background information about the guest.
[0:47] – Josh provides us with further information about his background, such as how he taught himself to be a cloud engineer.
[3:35] – Josh makes predictions about what trends are likely to impact the world of technology over the next couple of years, such as companies having to get used to distributed teams.
[5:15] – Josh asserts what he believes makes for success in the tech world, such as having empathy for yourself.
[6:56] – Josh describes his process of helping people get into the tech world, such as how he appeals to people's interests.
[9:30] – Josh shares his concerns about where technology is headed in the future – such as how he believes that education around technology needs to change.
[10:46] – We discover what Josh is most optimistic about in relation to where technology is headed in the future – such as how the pandemic has made cloud-based computing accessible to more people.
[12:12] – Josh lists traits that he feels make for an effective leader, such as having empathy for people who work under you.
[14:22] – Josh discusses his new book, Venti Fried Chicken, revealing that it's a memoir of how he went from essentially being homeless to being a success in the world of technology.
[16:10] – Josh recommends the book Atomic Habits and describes its overall content.
[17:13] – We learn how Josh gets new people in the technology sector started.
[18:34] – Josh offers some tips on how to make remote work effective during our current times.
[19:57] – Josh shares what his plans are for the future, such as how he wants to intensify his current mission and spread his message and his mission to more people.
[21:46] – We learn where online we can go to learn more about Josh.
Links and Resources
Joshua Walker – Venti Fried Chicken
James Clear – Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones