Away From The Keyboard

The conversation starts with a discussion with growing up watching the Disney Channel which lead into a discussion of true crime podcasts. Chloe then shares her experience working as an actor. Group then talks about technology and the arts. The conversation then falls into a theme park rabbit hole. Chloe then shares her story of how she went from acting to becoming a technologist. The discussion then wraps up with the group talking about how to make technical learning fun and interesting. Chloe Condon on Twitter Bio Chloe is a Bay Area based Cloud Advocate for Microsoft. Previously, she worked at Sentry.io ...

The conversation starts with April talking about an injury she's recovering from and then discusses her time in competitive bodybuilding. Then the discussion takes an unexpected turn when we learn that April played rugby. April then talks about connecting with people during COVID, treating science as fact, and meeting Bill Nye. The conversation wraps up with April sharing her love for fashion and creating her own clothing designs including creating her own brand. Bio April Speight is an author and developer advocate based in Beverly Hills, CA. She graduated from the University of Maryland University College with a BA in Global ...

The conversation starts with Dr. Sarah sharing how she got involved in technology and the importance that quality instructors had in her education. She then shares how she decided to shift her focus from medicine to technology. Dr. Sarah goes on to tell her immigrant family story and how she deals with imposter syndrome. The conversation then wraps up with a discussion on how the panel is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Links TEALS Program - Technology Education and Literacy in Schools (TEALS) is a Microsoft Philanthropies program that builds sustainable CS programs in high schools. Bio Dr. Sarah Guthals is a Principal ...

The conversation starts with Eugene talking about his background and how he got into tech. He then talks about his experiences in developing Pluralsight courses. Eugene then shares about his struggles with diabetes and how he rose to overcome them. The conversation then moves to Eugene’s love of boardgames and he suggests some boardgames that are great for newbies. The conversation wraps up around Eugene telling us his involvement in Live Action Role Play (LARP). Bio Eugene Meidinger works as a Power BI consultant and full time Pluralsight author. He talks about a wide variety of data issues on the SQL ...

Cecil and Richie both share what they've been up to during the Away From The Keyboard hiatus and what they have planned for the future of the show. Bio Cecil Phillip is a Software Developer from South Florida with many years of experience building applications on the .NET Framework. Throughout his career, his primary focus has been providing web and service based solutions for various markets. Cecil’s current tool-set of choice comprises of C#, ASP.NET MVC, ASP.NET Web API, jQuery, KnockoutJS, Entity Framework, XUnit and FakeItEasy. He has a passion for software architecture, interoperability, and testing. Cecil also enjoys experimenting with ...

The conversation starts with Lara discussing her start in technology which believe it or not started with Lord of the Rings, international studies, a semester in Prague, and photography. Lara then goes in and discusses how she started speaking publicly, how she prepares to for a presentation, and why she wrote the book "Demystifying Public Speaking". The panel then talks travel and their tips for traveling. Lara then shares about her trip to New Zealand and what she does when she's away from the keyboard. Links Lara's book: Demystifying Public Speaking Lara's website Lara on Twitter Adam Savage at Weta Workshop Bio Lara ...

In this episode, we have the pleasure of chatting with developer, author, and dedicated learner, Ian Felton. We start off the conversation talking about Ian’s background and learning how he got into technology. He tells us about his experience in college, playing in a band, and recording music. We also get some insight into how he got into NASA with some help from a college professor. Then we spent some time understanding how Ian dealt with the pressures of his figure job. We also get to learn more about Ian’s book, The Code of the Samurai. Ian tell us where ...

The conversation starts with Aurelia sharing what she's currently watching on Netflix. Which leads to a discussion about 13 Reasons Why and the controversies around the show. Aurelia then shares what she does at the Mozilla Science Lab and the projects she's worked on. She then talks about her time studying Art in grad school. Cecil then inquires about Aurelia's love for maps which leads to a discussion on open source mapping tools. The conversation then wraps up with Aurelia talking about what she does when she's away from the keyboard including her radio show Stereo Semantics. Links Aurelia's Website ...

The conversation starts with Chris talking about how he got started in web development and his experience as a web designer. The conversation then turns to his site, CodePen. Chris describes how CodePen got started, how they determine features, and some of the interesting things that people are building with CodePen. Chris then talks about some of the things he likes to do when he's away from the keyboard and then describes what it was like living in Miami for six months. Links CodePen CSS-Tricks Shop Talk Podcast The dark side of .io: How the U.K. is making web domain ...

The conversation begins with Kevin talking about his early childhood and how he ended up in the technology field. The conversation then turns to what he's learned by authoring books and the difficulties in writing them. Kevin then talks about speaking and how it has made him a better professional. The conversation wraps up with Kevin sharing the problems he encountered while leading the community organization PASS. Links Kevin on Twitter SQL in a Nutshell Cecil on Channel 9 about Away From The Keyboard Cecil on Channel 9 about languages Bio Kevin Kline is a renowned database expert and software industry veteran. ...

In this episode, we get to chat with freelance Software Developer and educator, Victor Moreno. We start off the show with Victor telling us how influential his father was in encouraging his interest in computing. Victor also gives us the background story that lead to him becoming involved in education. We then get into an interesting discussion about his initial experiences being a teacher. Victor shares with us how he tries to maintain a balance of academic and engaging material with his students. We talk about the importance of having a support community, and also discuss what can the ...

Bradley Ball is back for his second stint on the show. The convo starts with Brad sharing what he's excited about in the comic movie world. Then we talk about the television shows that he's currently watching. The conversation then focuses on the excellent DC animated movies and how Batman is the centerpiece of it all. The convo then shifts to baseball and how the Cubs winning the World Series affected Bradley. Links Bradley's Blog Bradley On Twitter Bio Bradley Ball is a former Microsoft SQL Server and Data platform MVP with over 15 years of IT experience. He spent 8 years ...

This episode starts off in typical AFTK fashion with us finding out how our guest, Carlos, got into technology. Carlos let’s us know how influential his father was in the early days. Cecil asks Carlos how he went from being a SQL Server professional to starting his own company. Carlos talks us through some of the decisions he had to make and also things he had to consider, when starting his business. He also gave us some interesting advice if you’re interested in bringing on a partner into your company. In addition to this business, Carlos hosts a successful podcast, coaches soccer, ...

Part two of our conversation with Kasey Champion begins with Kasey describing how she joined Microsoft and how she was tasked with teaching the Word team how to write unit tests. The conversation then shifts to her involvement with the TEALS program and her experiences teaching at the collegiate and high school levels. Cecil asks Kasey what makes a good teacher and how does one create a course. The conversation wraps up with Kasey discussing her involvement with the edX program and a discussion on the rewarding aspects of teaching. Links Kasey on Twitter Kasey on Medium Kasey's edX courses ...

The conversation gets started with Kasey introducing herself and her school years. The Hamilton quotes get deep as she discusses her background in the theater. Kasey then reminisces about her transition from drama into computer engineering and how 2008 the financial crisis hit her family. Kasey then reveals her love for all things Disney and how that has influenced her small business. Links Kasey on Twitter Kasey on Medium Kasey's edX courses TEALS Bio Kasey Champion is a firm believer that “talent is universal but opportunity is not”; she is dedicated to bringing technical education, and the economic empowerment it provides, to ...

The conversation begins with Jo introducing himself and explaining how he got started with mobile apps. Jo then talks about his app biggest success, Ugly Meter. Cecil then asks Jo how he handled the success of Ugly Meter and what was some of the downsides to having 30 million downloads. The conversation then turns to Jo's current company, SwingDev. Jo talks about the genesis of the company and some of the characteristics that makes SwingDev so special. Links SwingDev Jo's LinkedIn Profile Ugly Meter: The iPhone app that rates your attractiveness” Bio Jo Overline, CEO of Swing Development, has been a successful ...

In this episode, we get introduces to two startup founders Alvaro & Maxeme who have built up an education startup called Caribu. We start off this episode with hearing how Max and Alvaro got their interest in education. We then get into a conversation about what can we do with technology to help push education forward. We also talk about important of recognizing different learning styles and encouraging children in the right way. This leads us into Max and Alvaro talking to us about Caribu; their education technology app that helps parents read to their kids where ever they ...

The conversation kicks off with Derick introducing himself and talking about his experience in working at fast food restaurants. Cecil then asks Derick about his introduction into software development. Derick then talks about his blog and describes how he creates the stick figure images that he uses. The conversation then moves to Derick's training products and the process he undergoes to create them. Links DerickBailey.com Derick's Podcasts Watch Me Code - Node.js and JavaScript Screencasts Code Ninja Gaming - Derick's YouTube Gaming Channel Bio Derick Bailey is a developer, entrepreneur, author, speaker and technology leader in central Texas (north of Austin). He's ...

In this episode, we talk to Zack Burt about his life as a Software Development Consultant. We start off with Zack telling how he got started with technology in 4th grade. He tells us how he got started building Facebook apps and a chat application called Compassion Pit. Zack then shares with the struggles he went through early on trying to get a job as a software developer. We then get into a discussion about how developers are vetted out today. Zack goes on to walk to us about ways developers can stand out from the pack. Then we ...

Charles starts part two of our conversation by sharing how he started DevChat.tv and the related conferences. Charles then describes how he balances his time with all of his podcasts. Charles then discusses some of the business aspects of his podcasts including how he gets podcasts and how he handles premium content. Charles then talks a bit about his new book and what he does when he's away from the keyboard. The conversation then wraps up with Charles giving some great advice for those who want to start their own podcast. Links Charles on Twitter Devchat.tv JS Remote Conf Bio Charles Max ...

The conversation starts with Charles describing his journey into software and starting in technical support. He then shares how he started to learn Ruby and how the community was instrumental in supporting him on his journey. Charles then describes how he became a freelance developer and what it was like talking to his wife about it. The conversations winds up with Charles sharing how his successful podcasting career started. Links Charles on Twitter Devchat.tv JS Remote Conf Bio Charles Max Wood is a podcaster, speaker, and the CEO of Devchat.tv. He co-hosts the Ruby Rogues, JavaScript Jabber, and Adventures in Angular podcasts. He ...

Brian starts out with telling us about how his love for computing begin with his first Atari computer. He then talks to us about the various jobs he has before starting Kairos. Cecil ask Brian as what moment did he know it was the right time for him the launch a startup. Brian talks about Kairos, the problems they’re trying to solve and their vision for the future. Cecil ask Brian to share some of the interesting ways customers are making use of their APIs. Brian used to work for Apple during the Jobs era. Cecil asks Brian what he ...

Luis talks to us about how the advice of a family member got him into a career in technology. He talks to us about his past in Venezuela and also about having a child in the United States. We discuss moving to the US and balancing cultures for our children. Luis talks to us about getting his first job as a student at FIU to working at Citrix. He also tell us about the importance of the cloud for software at Citrix. Then we then dive into talking about Luis’ books with Manning. Links Luis on Twitter Luis’ Blog Functional Programming ...

Joe introduces himself and shares how he got his start in technology. Joe then reminisces about his first technical job, his first programming languages, and how the community has grown over the past 20 years. Then Joe talks about starting three different companies and how he sold each one of them. Cecil then asks Joe to share how he transitioned from small business owner to Microsoft employee. Richie then inquires Joe's experience with playing in a heavy metal band, recording, and album and touring. The panel then discusses their favorite playlists and what is their favorite music to listen ...

This episode starts off with Kathleen telling us a little about her history being a Microsoft MVP, traveling, and her C# workshops. We then get into a discussion on where her passion for community comes from. She talks about the programming languages she’s learned over the years, and even talks about programming with Clipper. Kathleen also shares with us how she’s been able to stay relevant in her career. We then get to hear about the lineage of programmers in Kathleen’s family. She also talks a bit about the Turing School for programmers and how her younger son’s reviews pull ...

The conversation starts by Christina sharing her excitement about getting accepted to give her first technical presentation. The panel then discusses how they prepare for technical presentations and the emotions that go into it. Cecil then shares how he used the radio to "download" music when he was younger. Christina then shares about moving from California to Nashville and the differences between the two. Christina then shares about her involvement in the Open Source Mental Illness (OSMI) organization and her passion for the group. Christina then shares her personal story with depression and how others helped her deal with ...

We start off with Annie talking to us about her love for books, animation, and storytelling. Annie talks to us about some of her favorite illustrators. Then we get into a discussion about the emotional connection between an artist and their work. Cecil asks Annie about her first drawings. Following that, Annie talks about working for a technology startup. Annie walks us through her role at RethinkDB, and also tells us the origin story of the Thinker. We talk about her book, “The Three Things”. We also get into the role that books play in her life. Links Annie's Website TwitterThe Three ...

Arturo introduces himself and shares how he and his family left Venezuela for Miami. He then talks about how he got started in technology with the CS50x course. Cecil inquires what CS50x is and how Arturo got involved with it. The pannel then chats about the Internet of Things and the Kickstarter project Jewelbots. Arturo then shares about working at Harvard and what it's like being there everyday. Links Arturo on Twitter Arturo on Instagram Arturo on the Web America Verde CS50x Miami CS50 VRinc Webseries Sh*t Miami Girls Say...and Guys Richie Watches the Cubs Win the World Series  Bio Arturo J. ...

We start of this episode with Frank giving us some background on early days learning programming on an Apple II and the BASIC programming language. Frank also tells us about some of the books he dug into. We then get into talking about the first app that Frank wrote and also some insight into this Calca app. Frank goes into starting a company and moving to India to work on a project. Cecil asks Frank about how he put together his plan for writing his own apps for a living. Frank tells us about struggle to profitability. Cecil asks ...

Part two of our conversation with Jessie starts with a discussion about Angular and TypeScript. Cecil asks Jessie how he manages to learn new languages and technology. The conversation then goes into how the technical interviewing process is flawed. We then talk to Jessie about his podcast "Yet Another Podcast". Jessie then talks about his love for books and music. The convo wraps up with Jessie giving some tips for developers to have a long career. Links Jesse's Blog Yet Another Podcast Jesse on Twitter Jesse's Pluralsight Courses Jesse's Books on Amazon Bio Jessie starts the conversation by introducing himself and describing ...

Jessie starts the conversation by introducing himself and describing what it was like when he started in the technology industry. Cecil shares about the first book he ever had about programming, a book that Jesse wrote. Jesse then talked about his time at Microsoft and what it was like working under Scott Guthrie. Cecil then asks about why Jesse when back to independent consulting and how he finds clients. The episode ends with Jesse telling us a consulting horror story. Links Jesse's Blog Yet Another Podcast Jesse on Twitter Jesse's Pluralsight Courses Jesse's Books on Amazon The Wizardry Of Buck Woody ...

Daniel starts off by introducing himself and talking about the new product he developed for Fog Creek Software, HyperDev. He then talks about how he got started in web development and how he built a game for the Chrome App Store. Cecil then asks about Daniel's venture into building a game engine and what motivates him to learn. The show wraps up with Daniel talking about his orange grove and how he handles working from home. Links Daniel X on Twitter Daniel X's Blog HyperDev Contrasaurus Dwarf Fortress Pixie Engine Flash Punk Flixel Alfred Richie's Marvel Legendary dividers Bio Daniel X Moore ...

David starts us with telling us about his Southern Twang and falling involve with the city of Nashville. He talks about the music scene and playing  gigs in the area. David talks about playing in a band. We then get into a discussion on the relationship between music and developers. Cecil asks about the types of music that he listens too. Next we start getting into David’s programming history. He then goes to journey through various careers before landing on programming.  We then discuss David’s experience speaking at conferences. David also shares with us how hand drawing supercharged his presentations. Links ...

Jen starts off the conversation by introducing herself and explaining how she got to Florida. She further explains the circumstances behind her "$800 and a dream" move. The conversation then takes a turn towards the wild as Jen explains the amount of wildlife in her backyard which includes snakes, bobcats, deer and alligators. The conversation then finishes with Jen talking about how she rejoined Microsoft and what she's up to today. Links Jen's Blog Jen on Twitter Bio Jen Underwood, founder of Impact Analytix, LLC, has 20 years of experience in “hands-on” development of data warehouses, hybrid data integration, reporting, dashboards, and ...

We start off this episode by asking the question… who exactly is Kyle Simpson. Kyle talks about how he got started with making an early bet on Javascript and the making the transition to teaching. Cecil asks where did the name “Getify” come from? Kyle talks about how he started his Getify company, which then turned into becoming his own persona. We then into a discuss into Kyle’s history of web development and why he decided to make a bet on JavaScript. Cecil asks Kyle why doesn’t he consider himself to be a “master”. We then get into a discussion ...

The episode starts with Mike talking about Hockey and how he got started playing it. The conversation then turns to the Red Sox and how winning the championship energized the Boston community. Mike then shares how he got started in technology as a kid. He also talks about his love for writing games and how he wrote a game with his kids. Cecil and Mike then discuss virtual reality technology and how technology has changed over the past few years. Mike then shares how he works from home and talks about some of the things he's looking forward to ...

In this episode, we start off with James telling us about his love for music. James gets into how he got into hip-hop and how he listens to albums. Cecil and James talk about what type of music they put on to help to get in the zone. They talk about making playlists and whats wrong with the top charts lists. The discussion the moves into how albums are composed and being able to enjoy the entire body of work. The conversation quickly moves into how we set priorities and how those priorities change over time. James reminds us how ...

Newt introduces himself and talks about his company, CareerScore, and how it originated. Newt then explains how he came from an economics and finance background and started to learn how to code. He then goes on to discuss how to find quality people and what CareerScore offers companies.Cecil then asks what is it like to work in a startup incubator. Richie then hops in an asks how CareerScore can help the job seeker. The conversation then wraps up with Newt sharing what he's looking forward to in 2016 and what he does when he's away from the keyboard. Links Careerscore ...

In typical AFTK fashion, we start us with asking Aaron where his passion for technology came form. Aaron tells us how his father got into software development and also how his father got him into writing software. He goes on to share a story from the Engineering Department of Vanderbilt University. Aaron also tells us about his first business at 9 years old. Cecil asks how MarkedUP came about. Aaron tells us how he went from working at Microsoft as an Evangelist to venturing into his first startup. He shared with us how he was able to leverage his contacts ...

While we were at the Podcast Movement conference last year we had the opportunity to record in the Buzzsprout recording booth. The limited time that we had was a perfect opportunity to record another Extra episode. In this episode we discuss our favorite mobile apps. Enjoy. Cecil's Top Picks Airbnb Flipboard  Shazam Richie's Top Picks  Star Walk 2  Glympse TripIt Cecil's Honorable Mentions Feedly Richie's Honorable Mentions LastPass Google ...

Amir starts by introducing himself and then shares about how he got started in game development. The panel then discusses their favorite video games. Amir then describes how he builds games and his toolset. He then goes to talk about his best selling game, A Dark Room, and how he brought it to life. Amir then talks about his next game and his inspirations for making games. Richie then asks Amir if he plays any board games. Amir then shares some knowledge about how to get started in mobile game development. Cecil then asks Amir about his new book ...

In this episode we’re excited to have Michael Kennedy on the show. We start off with Michael telling us how he got into working with Python. We then get into some popular examples of Python usage, such as Dropbox, YouTube and more. Cecil asks Micheal about getting into podcasting and what keeps him going. We also share with Michael some of our motivations for our own podcast. Micheal also share some of his favorite podcasts with us. We ask Michael bout creating online courses, his very successful Kickstarter, and we also get into his future projects. The discussion then goes ...

Santosh gets things started and explains how he got into technology after getting his electrical engineering degree in India. He then explains how he moved to the US to attend college and the difficulties in the transition. Cecil asks Santosh about the kinds of food one can expect in Mumbai. Santosh talks about his role as Director of Software at Spectrum Bridge and how he grew into the role. He then shares on how he got involved with the OneTug user group and how he facilitates the creation of software for the group. Links Santosh Hari on Twitter Spectrum Bridge ...

In this episode, we drive into the comic book world with our guest Bradley Ball. We start off with Bradley talking to us about the passion he has for his career and why he decided to accept a leadership position at Microsoft. He talks about all the considerations he made and the questions he had to ask. Cecil asks Bradley is he ever considered working for himself. We get into Bradley’s love for comics. Richie asks why Superman is so compelling. Bradley talks to us about why Superman is his favorite comic book hero and the story of the Elite. ...

Entity Framework guru Julie Lerman guest hosts on this special episode. Ashley explains his roots in South Carolina and his experience at Florida State University. Ashley talks a bit about his affinity for cars and how he started a car club. Ashley talks about studying for his pilot's license and the process of obtaining it. Then he shares how he joined the Aurelia core team and became the community champion. Julie shares the many different ways maple syrup can be used and Ashley talks about how he loves to cook. Links Aurelia Javascript Framework The Data Farm - Julie's Blog Bio Ashley is a ...

Cecil asks Nik what’s he been up to since the last time we had him on the show. Nik starts off with telling us about he first few months at Microsoft. We get into discussing Glimpse and how it's now being sponsored by Microsoft. Cecil asks what it’s been like making a living off of his open source project, Glimpse. Nik tells us the backstory of how he got to where it is today. We go on to talk about the state of open source in the enterprise and how developers can get involved. Nik tells us about his ...

Cecil asks Dan about his company, Lexicon Systems, and how they started in mobile development. Dan discusses the app his company built that was nominated for a 2014 Xammmy award. Dan then discusses the transition from dev to business owner and the true value of networking. Dan shares that he's not only a fine artist but also a composer that has released albums. He also shares what kind of music he listens to when hes coding. Cecil and Dan talk about his new book "Xamarin Mobile Application Development" and the surrounding book tour he's currently on. Finally, Dan talks ...

Cecil asks how did Ryan get involved in technology. In his story, Ryan shares with us how he got into a TedEx event by volunteering and linking up withe Felecia Hatcher. Cecil asks where did his drive to be an entrepreneur and speak come from. Ryan tell us how his family has been the inspiration for his ambitions. We then get into talking about what is Code Fever Miami and what do they do. Ryan talks to us about their target demographic and how they differ some other programming educators. We talk about the Code Fever programs, who their target ...

Juan starts off by telling us a little about himself and what he thinks about The 5th Wave. Juan then tells us how he got started with Access and how he turned his knowledge of Access into a business. He then shares what it was like hiring and working with an employee with a disability. Juan shares some business tips including how to get started, how to use Google Ads, and how to get your potential clients to "yes". He goes a bit deeper into running your own business by sharing how he uses contractors and how he diversifies ...

We start off this episode by digging into Erez’s college past, his business degree, and how the need for income brought him into building software. He also shares with us how he started working on websites and taught himself how to program. Cecil asks Erez how he got into working with a startup while at college, and how much value he gained from that experience. Erez talks about his Software Company, Taskmastics. Erez tells the story of how they went through multiple iterations to get to a quality product. Cecil asks what it’s like building the next version of Taskmastics ...

Dave starts off talking about the early days of starting user groups and developer communities in the early days. Our panel discusses the some concerns that user group leaders have to address today. Cecil asks about the potential for improved user group collaboration. Richie talks about having to be ready for volunteers. Dave talks about getting Erik involved with South Florida Code Camp (SFLCC). Cecil asks Dave and Erik to talk about SFLCC. Dave starts off with the history of code camps. We dig into the benefits of attending an event like SFLCC. We discus meeting experts and stepping ...