From SOC to CEO, and Learning from Failure to Find Success

From SOC to CEO, and Learning from Failure to Find Success

Author: BKBT Productions May 19, 2025 Duration: 33:07
Quinnlan Varcoe, founder of Blueberry Security, joins the show for a raw conversation about building a security startup! Quinn takes us through her wild ride from SOC analyst to founder - including how she shut down her business only to relaunch it stronger than ever.  George K and George A talk to Quinn about: * Finding your true product-market fit in the security services space * The brutal reality of B2B sales cycles (hint: they're WAY longer than you think) * How literally ONE client call changed everything while she was recovering from surgery * Her narrative-based approach to security operations training Plus, Quinn opens up about her experience as a trans founder in cybersecurity, navigating both professional challenges and today's political climate. This episode is PACKED with insights for founders, security practitioners, and anyone interested in the human side of building something from scratch.  --------------- 🏳️‍🌈 Pride Month is just around the corner! We're once again running our t-shirt campaign to raise money for scholarships for LGBTQ+ students in cybersecurity programs. In the month of June, all profits from any Pride gear purchased from the BKBT Swag Store will be donated. Set your reminders for June, and check out the collection: https://bkbtpodcast.shop/

There’s a lot of noise in the world of technology talk, but Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks cuts through it with a focus on the people behind the products and the societal currents shaping our digital landscape. Hosts George K and George A steer conversations that are less about specs and hype, and more about real-world consequences. You’ll hear them dig into topics like the messy rollout of new AI tools, the often-invisible backbone of digital infrastructure, and why communities adopt or reject certain technologies. This podcast regularly features guests from various fields who offer unvarnished opinions on what’s genuinely functional and what’s fundamentally flawed in our tech-saturated lives. The discussions move beyond simple commentary to challenge the standard narratives promoted by the tech industry, examining the cultural and social ripples of every new development. It’s a show for anyone who feels that technology coverage often misses the human element-the frustrations, the adaptations, and the ethical dilemmas. Tune in for a grounded, critical, and consistently engaging dialogue that connects the dots between code and culture. This production from BKBT Productions lives up to its name, getting down to the brass tacks of how technology is built and used, with a bare-knuckle honesty that’s increasingly rare.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks
Podcast Episodes
RSAC 2025 Preview! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:46
George K and George A are off to San Francisco for RSAC 2025 this week. Here are some short musings on what they think they might see... Mentioned: * Chase Cunningham has built an app that lets you rank vendor demos in r…
From Hacker to Founder, and Cybersecurity's Future [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:15
"When you look at cybersecurity…we've got to be constantly thinking about how we disrupt ourselves in order to actually solve the problem." Casey Ellis is a hacker, a founder, and an advisor and investor. Occupying a lot…
Why Great CISOs Are Never Bored [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:01
Jake Bernardes, CISO at Anecdotes, brings a uniquely adventurous spirit to this week's show! And his ethos of "Don't be an a**hole" is certainly one we can get behind. George K and George A talk to Jake about: * Jake's "…
Best of Episode! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:43
George K and George A are out this week to keynote SecureWorld Toronto and host the Cyber Pitch Battle Royale. Catch up on interviews you may have missed with: * Stacey Lokey-Day on collecting experiences to build your c…
Continuous Red Teaming in the AI Era [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:49
This week, Ads Dawson, Staff AI Security Researcher at Dreadnode, joins the show to talk all things AI Red Teaming! George K and George A talk to Ads about: * The reality of securing #AI model development pipelines * Why…
How Building Talent Creates Loyalty and Business Value [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:37
Ever wondered why cybersecurity hiring is broken? Jessica's flipping the script with a revolutionary approach to talent acquisition and development! George K and George A talk to Jessica about: * How she transformed the…
Trust, Risk, and AI:  On the Cybersecurity  Decisions That Matter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:15
This week, researcher Kate Wood from Info-Tech joins the show to talk about the future of security autonomization with AI. George K and George A talk to Kate about: * The reality of AI adoption in security beyond marketi…
How Cyber Marketing Teams Can Better Understand and Connect to Buyers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:06
This week Jeanette Belashov, of Anvilogic [https://www.anvilogic.com/], joins the show to talk about smarter and more authentic cybersecurity marketing. George K and George A talk to Jeanette about: * Why the lead gen MQ…
World Domination, the Process, and Gaining Real World Cyber Skills [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:52
The unstoppable Tennisha Martin joins the show this week! The Executive Director of BlackGirlsHack [https://www.blackgirlshack.org/] digs into what it really takes to build diverse cybersecurity talent pipelines in today…