Life In Uptime

Packet Pushers

Hosted by content creators Alexis Bertholf and Kevin Nanns, Life In Uptime is a podcast that explores the real journeys of the people who build and run the backbone of the internet—network engineers, IT leaders, and technologists across the industry. But this isn't just another technology podcast. It’s about the people behind it. Each episode dives into the personal and professional paths that got them where they are today—because the road to a career in technology isn’t one-size-fits-all. Whether someone started in retail, dropped out of college, or studied computer science, every journey has value. And understanding that journey is just as important as understanding the tech they work on. This show is for anyone wondering how to break into tech, where it can take you, and what’s possible when you expand your mindset. Because no matter where you're starting from, there’s a way in—and we’re here to show you how.

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22 episodes
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#24
October 8 · 1 hr 6 min
LIU024: Dennis Thankachan: Lightyear and Beyond
Lightyear CEO and co-founder Dennis Thankachan shares his transition from investment banking to entrepreneurship and the lessons learned from his early startup failure. He also discusses the…
#23
September 24 · 1 hr 9 min
LIU023: Wendell Odom – The Man Who Wrote THE Book
Renowned Cisco Press author Wendell Odom shares how he began writing the definitive guide for the CCNA exam. Alexis, Kevin, and Wendell discuss the balance between practical, on-the-job experience…
#22
September 10 · 53 min
LIU022: Chris Grundemann – From Pulling Cable to Network Automation Forum
Chris Grundemann joins Alexis and Kevin to discuss his career evolution from pulling cable to co-founding the Network Automation Forum. Chris shares insights on the challenges of adopting network…
#21
August 27 · 50 min
LIU021: Justin Ryburn – The Road More Traveled with a Field CTO
Kevin and Alexis welcome Justin Ryburn, VP of Global Solution Engineering and Field CTO at Kentik, to discuss the realities of traveling for technical work. Justin explains the nuances of his role,…
#20
August 13 · 1 hr 10 min
LIU020: Ricki Cook: Reaching the Top and Walking Away
What do you do when you get your dream job and it’s not as fulfilling as you thought it would be? Ricki Cook speaks with Alexis and Kevin about navigating between career achievement and personal s…
#19
July 30 · 1 hr 12 min
LIU019: Jason Gooley: The Godfather of Programmability
Jason Gooley is a longtime member of the Cisco community and author of the latest edition of the CCNA book. Jason joins the show to share his unconventional path from a challenging childhood to…
#18
July 16 · 50 min
LIU018: Why You Should Attend Tech Conferences
Alexis and Kevin talk about their experiences attending Cisco Live alongside return guest Melina Bertholf. They offer different perspectives about the event while highlighting the importance of…
#17
June 18 · 1 hr 2 min
LIU017: Chris Lapp: Becoming “THE GUY” (or GIRL)
Chris Lapp is an Emmy award-winning network engineer, focused on AI, media, and entertainment. Chris is also known as “The Guy”, the one you call when the problem is sitting between broadcast net…
#16
June 4 · 1 hr 11 min
LIU016: Michael Keith Lewis: The Network Behind the Show
Today’s guest takes us behind the scenes of modern concert venues, which rely on wired and wireless IP networking. Michael Keith Lewis is a front-of-house engineer, tour manager, audio creator, and c…
#15
May 21 · 47 min
LIU015: Eyvonne Sharp: From Farm Roots to the Cloud
Today’s guest is Eyvonne Sharp, a Google Cloud technical leader, Network Collective co-founder, co-host of The Cloud Gambit podcast, and former network architect at a Fortune 100. Eyvonne shares s…
#14
May 7 · 1 hr 1 min
LIU014: Linda Haviv: From Philosophy Major to AI Engineer
Alexis and Kevin sit down with Linda Haviv, an AI/ML Engineer and founder of Coding Crystals. Linda is known for making AI infrastructure accessible, and for a career path that went from philosophy…
#13
April 23 · 1 hr 4 min
LIU013: The Engineer Who Built a Business to Fund a Mission
Ray Cline has been in the tech trenches since he was twelve years old, helping his Dad run a bulletin board service. Today he runs an MSP called Libertas Consulting and leads a nonprofit called…
#12
April 9 · 56 min
LIU012: Behind the Curtain at Life In Uptime
Kevin and Alexis are back with a behind-the-scenes look at the podcast with guest Melina Bertholf, who joined the team a while back to help manage content. (And yes, sharp-eyed readers will notice a…
#11
March 26 · 1 hr 11 min
LIU011: Inside the Digital Nomad Life: The Good, The Hard, and the Wi-Fi
Alexis Bertholf and Kevin Nanns sit down for a conversation with Andrei Istrate, Senior Mobile Developer at Toptal. Andrei has taken the “mobile” part of his job literally: he’s built a life around t…
#10
March 12 · 1 hr 19 min
LIU010: Personal, Technical, and Slightly Unhinged: Listener Q&A
Kevin and Alexis take a break from their regular interviews to answer your questions! Join them for an unfiltered, wide-ranging discussion including the value of certifications, online learning pros…
#9
February 26 · 48 min
LIU009: Navigating Cybersecurity Careers
Alexis and Kevin sit down with Mike Miller to discuss what brought him from the back of a garbage truck to his current position as a Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (VCISO). He breaks…
#8
February 12 · 59 min
LIU008: Breaking Barriers: Thriving as a Woman in Tech
Kevin and Alexis sit down with Melissa Brooks, a Senior Cloud Engineer at Aritzia, to discuss how she went from being a “terrible waitress” to going back to school for a diploma in network security. …
#7
January 29 · 58 min
LIU007: From Track to Tech: Navigating Career Change with Resilience
Ifeanyi Otuonye was a decorated track and field athlete at Kansas State and even competed professionally. Then he made the leap to a Technical Account Manager role at Amazon Web Services. Alexis and…
#6
January 15 · 57 min
LIU006: Stay Technical While Expanding Your Influence
Is it possible for IT professionals to remain technical when moving into roles that expand influence, scale, and reach? Matt Starling, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Ekahau and co-founder…
#5
Dec 11, 2025 · 52 min
LIU005: The Importance of Community In a Networking Career
AJ Murray joins Kevin and Alexis to share his unique journey into tech, pivoting away from aviation maintenance into networking. Together they explore the importance of person-to-person networking…

Showing 1–20 of 22 episodes