Life In Uptime
by Packet Pushers
LIU026: Girard Kavelines: Life Sucks – Dealing with Burnout
About this podcast
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.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 27 episodes
- LIU026: Girard Kavelines: Life Sucks – Dealing with Burnout · 1 h 2 min · Episode 26Network and security engineer Girard Kavelines joins Alexis and Kevin to discuss his journey in tech, the realities of balancing a demanding career with raising seven children…
- LIU025: Dale Wheeler: What the Forklift? · 55 min · Episode 25Alexis and Kevin are joined by network technician and content creator Dale Wheeler to explore his career from forklift driver into IT. Together they discuss the pros and cons of…
- LIU024: Dennis Thankachan: Lightyear and Beyond · 1 h 6 min · Episode 24Lightyear 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…
- LIU023: Wendell Odom – The Man Who Wrote THE Book · 1 h 9 min · Episode 23Renowned 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…
- LIU022: Chris Grundemann – From Pulling Cable to Network Automation Forum · 53 min · Episode 22Chris 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…
- LIU021: Justin Ryburn – The Road More Traveled with a Field CTO · 51 min · Episode 21Kevin 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…
- LIU020: Ricki Cook: Reaching the Top and Walking Away · 1 h 10 min · Episode 20What 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…
- LIU019: Jason Gooley: The Godfather of Programmability · 1 h 12 min · Episode 19Jason 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…
- LIU018: Why You Should Attend Tech Conferences · 50 min · Episode 18Alexis and Kevin talk about their experiences attending Cisco Live alongside return guest Melina Bertholf. They offer different perspectives about the event while highlighting…
- LIU017: Chris Lapp: Becoming “THE GUY” (or GIRL) · 1 h 2 min · Episode 17Chris 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…
- LIU016: Michael Keith Lewis: The Network Behind the Show · 1 h 11 min · Episode 16Today’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…
- LIU015: Eyvonne Sharp: From Farm Roots to the Cloud · 47 min · Episode 15Today’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…
- LIU014: Linda Haviv: From Philosophy Major to AI Engineer · 1 h 1 min · Episode 14Alexis 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…
- LIU013: The Engineer Who Built a Business to Fund a Mission · 1 h 4 min · Episode 13Ray 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…
- LIU012: Behind the Curtain at Life In Uptime · 57 min · Episode 12Kevin 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…
- LIU011: Inside the Digital Nomad Life: The Good, The Hard, and the Wi-Fi · 1 h 11 min · Episode 11Alexis 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…
- LIU010: Personal, Technical, and Slightly Unhinged: Listener Q&A · 1 h 19 min · Episode 10Kevin 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…
- LIU009: Navigating Cybersecurity Careers · 49 min · Episode 9Alexis 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…
- LIU008: Breaking Barriers: Thriving as a Woman in Tech · 60 min · Episode 8Kevin 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…
- LIU007: From Track to Tech: Navigating Career Change with Resilience · 59 min · Episode 7Ifeanyi 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…







