Real stories from the engineers, IT leaders, and technologists who build and run the internet. Because the road in is never one-size-fits-all.
Hosted by Alexis Bertholf & Kevin Nanns, biweekly, every other Thursday.
Start here
New to the show? Listen to the latest conversation first.
Each episode is a real career map, how someone got in, what changed, and what they learned the hard way.
Listen to Eyvonne Sharp: From Farm Roots to the CloudPaths we cover
Best places to start
Pick the story that fits what you are wrestling with.
Do You Need a College Degree to Succeed in IT?
Wes Noonan, Cisco
A college degree can be a useful stepping stone into a tech career, and it certainly doesn't hurt to have it on your resume. But do you really need that college degree to...
Read transcript →LIU003A Chat With 'The Cloud Therapist'
Chris Williams, HashiCorp
Your background and experiences outside of tech can become a significant factor in your tech career. Guest Chris Williams is a good example; he talks about how his underg...
Read transcript →LIU004From Fast Food to Leading Operations at an ISP
Matthew Oborne, Charter
Think you need a degree or a ton of certificates to succeed in tech? Think again. Matthew Oborne joins our hosts Alexis Bertholf and Kevin Nanns to discuss how he went fr...
Read transcript →Why it works
Career stories with the useful parts left in.
Life in Uptime is not a product demo and it is not a cert lecture. It is the part of tech careers people usually skip: the messy path into the work, the tradeoffs, and the lessons that stick.
How they got in
The first job, the lucky break, the bad decision, and the moment the career started to make sense.
What changed them
The outages, mentors, layoffs, pivots, and weird assignments that shaped how they work now.
What listeners can use
Specific lessons for people trying to build a career in tech without pretending there is one correct path.
Latest Episodes
View all →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 stories from her impressi…
May 21, 2026LIU014: 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 student to professiona…
May 7, 2026LIU013: 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 TEKnowledge Worldwide (TKW…
Apr 23, 2026About the Show
Life in Uptime goes beyond the config and the command line. Every episode, Alexis and Kevin sit down with someone who has built a career in technology and ask the question that matters most: how did you actually get here?
From garbage truck driver to vCISO. From college athlete to AWS Technical Account Manager. From 12 years old running a BBS to founding an MSP and donating a million dollars in infrastructure to communities in need.
Every path into tech is valid. This show is proof.
Two sides of the conversation
Your Hosts
Alexis brings the outside-looking-in curiosity. Kevin brings the scars and context from years in the field. Together they make technical careers feel human.
Co-host, creator, and the voice of the curious newcomer
Alexis Bertholf
Content creator, technologist, and podcast co-host. Alexis brings curiosity, warmth, and sharp questions to every conversation.
“Alexis asks the questions people are thinking but rarely say out loud.”
Co-host, network engineer, and career-path translator
Kevin Nanns
Network engineer with 15+ years of enterprise experience. CCNA, Cisco Champion, Juniper AI Innovator, and the voice behind Adjacentnode.
“Kevin connects the story back to the real work behind the network.”
“This is one I could remember years from now.”
“Valuable tidbits in the first full episode.”
“Worth listening to if you work in the IT space.”
Listener Reviews
★★★★★5.0 on Apple Podcasts
Great conversation great topics
I've tried many podcasts in the past. And couldn't tell you the names today. This is one I could years from now. They know the industry. And this one's super insightful. All have been. Great work!
Classic Side
Worth the listen!
These two are awesome! I have already found valuable tidbits in the first full episode! Can't wait to see what comes next!
Techsavyell
Making Networking Cool Again
Kevin and Alexis really work hard in all their content creation and giving back knowledge and tips to the community. Super excited to see what comes from them doing this podcast, definitely worth listening to if you work in the IT space.
mikejbou
Your story belongs on this show
Have a non-traditional path into tech? Work on interesting problems? Know someone who does? We want to hear from you.
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