🎙️ Episode 27: Transformation Unplugged - Hard Truths, Big Wins & Bold MovesIn this special episode of Silicon Heartland Sessions, we bring you the unfiltered insights from Cloud Nirvana’s March 2025 conference in Columbus, featuring three powerhouse voices at the forefront of enterprise transformation: • Matt Randall, Head of AI & Robotics at Path Robotics • Marlene O’Neill, Director of Platform Enablement at Discover • Scott Lesinski, Senior Manager of Cloud Engineering at DiscoverTogether, we explore the real stories behind cloud adoption, AI readiness, and what it actually takes to lead large-scale transformation - inside startups and enterprises alike.🔥 From building adaptive AI robots that weld in the real world…🔥 To migrating 1,200+ apps and dismantling decades of legacy tech…🔥 To modernizing internal platforms at breakneck speed to prepare for AI…This episode is a raw, practical, and deeply human look at what happens when bold vision meets disciplined execution.💡 Key Takeaways:✅ “You can’t wait for motivation to strike - you build systems that drive action.” - Matt Randall✅ Real transformation means giving things up - control, habits, comfort - to gain agility and clarity.✅ AI-readiness isn’t about tools - it’s about simplifying architecture and focusing teams.✅ Technology doesn’t drive change. Behavior does. Habits, alignment, and trust are the levers.✅ Local talent is a differentiator - if you invest in it like the strategic asset it is.🙌 Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: • Rackspace Technology - We advise, design, build, and manage solutions across multicloud, applications, data, and security. • Varonis - The leader in data security and insider threat detection. • Trace3 - AI to help your business run, grow, and transform. • Sigma Computing - Business intelligence built for the cloud. Live, collaborative analytics for data-driven teams.🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you tune in.This is transformation - unplugged.

🎙️ Episode 26: Don’t Stop Believin’ – Mick Miller’s Journey from Circus Tent to Cloud Engineering

What does a life in the circus have to do with building enterprise cloud systems and leading high-performing engineering teams? A lot more than you’d think. In this unforgettable episode, we sit down with Mick Miller, Senior Product Manager at KeyBank, whose journey into tech started with typewriters, trampolines, and a relentless drive to adapt and lead.

Mick brings a rare mix of passion, grit, humility, and wisdom, sharing lessons from the frontlines of both life and technology. From the early days of mainframes to pioneering modern DevOps culture, Mick’s reflections on leadership, burnout, agile evolution, team dynamics, and the power of truly being human will inspire technologists at every level.

⚠️ Warning: You may leave this episode with renewed hope and a desire to play Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” at full volume.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• On Leadership: “The number one thing is making sure people can have their best ideas.”

• On Burnout: “You can’t have great software without great ideas. And you can’t have great ideas if you’re constantly interrupted.”

• On Inspiration: Real leadership means being in the trenches - not just managing, but coding, listening, and protecting your team from unnecessary noise.

• On Transformation: Mick’s journey from circus rigging to modern cloud engineering is a case study in resilience, curiosity, and reinvention.

• On Constraints & Creativity: “Constraints aren’t limits - they’re focal points for innovation.”

🙏 Thanks to our sponsors for supporting community-led conversations that matter:

🙌 Rackspace Technology – We advise, design, build, and manage solutions across multicloud, applications, data, and security.

🙌 Varonis – The leader in data security and insider threat detection.

🙌 Trace3 – AI to help your business run, grow, and transform.

🙌 Sigma Computing – Business intelligence built for the cloud. Live, collaborative analytics for data-driven teams.

Episode 25: Hope Yin - Leading with Energy, Purpose, and PossibilityIn this inspiring episode of Silicon Heartland Sessions, we sit down with Hope Yin, Founder and Owner of Blueprint Coaching, to explore leadership at the intersection of personal growth, technology, and community impact.Hope shares her journey from aerospace engineering to executive leadership to launching her own coaching business - all guided by a deep commitment to energy alignment, authenticity, and empowering others. Drawing wisdom from works like Energy Leadership by Bruce D. Schneider, Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, and How Women Rise by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith, Hope reminds us that leadership isn’t about titles - it's about influence, intention, and creating a better future for everyone.Through stories of mentorship, resilience, ethical tech adoption, and her passion for increasing representation in leadership, Hope leaves us with a message that will stay with you long after the episode ends:"The best is yet to come, and we can be part of creating that future."Whether you’re navigating personal transformation, building your leadership legacy, or exploring how AI impacts our humanity, this episode offers wisdom, warmth, and practical inspiration.Key Takeaways:✅ Why energy alignment is essential for effective leadership✅ How to create sustainable success through daily wellness habits✅ Why representation matters - and how to support more women in leadership✅ The importance of leading with authenticity in a rapidly evolving world✅ How to think about ethical leadership in an era of AI and transformationSpecial Thanks to Our Sponsors:🙌 Rackspace Technology - We advise, design, build, and manage solutions across multicloud, applications, data, and security.🙌 Varonis - The leader in data security and insider threat detection.🙌 Trace3 - AI to help your business run, grow, and transform.🙌 Sigma Computing - Business intelligence built for the cloud. Live, collaborative analytics for data-driven teams.🎧 Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms!