E19 - Christopher Miles at Aviatrix

On today’s episode, Matt Ayres, our Head of Cloud Security here at Hamilton Barnes is joined by our special guest, Christopher Miles, Senior Cloud Solutions Architect at Aviatrix. During the episode, they discuss a range of topics including the journey Christopher went on to take his CCIE and the sacrifices he had to make alongside some advice to those looking to take their CCIE. Christopher also shares what inspired him to start his podcast, Cables2Clouds.

Christopher’s journey in the tech industry started when he joined a major ISP at a call centre doing tech support and internet cable for tech services. At that time, Christopher’s motivation for getting into the field was the prospect of making $50k, which seemed like a fortune to him.

However, things took a turn when Christopher moved to his next job, which was with a major MPLS provider in unified communications. It was there that he discovered what MPLS was, and everything clicked in his mind. From that moment on, Christopher became determined to take his CCIE and move up the ranks in the industry. He eventually transitioned to the cloud, where he has been working for the past year and a half.

The journey to a CCIE…

Christopher’s journey to obtain his CCIE certification was a long and tough road, but with the encouragement and support of others in the industry, he was able to achieve his goal. Even though he initially felt that he wasn’t on the level to pursue CCIE, he was convinced otherwise by others in the industry who believed in his potential.

He emphasised the importance of perseverance and determination, stating that the only way to fail is to give up. He also stressed the need to sacrifice a lot, both in terms of time and effort, and to prepare yourself mentally for the journey ahead.

One of the major motivations for Christopher to pursue CCIE was the desire for diverse responsibilities. He wanted to have a seat at the table with seasoned veterans, and not just be a junior member of the team. This desire for more significant responsibilities drove him to push himself further and take on the challenge of obtaining his CCIE.

Cables2Clouds podcast…

He recalled listening to a podcast that focused on the topic of starting your own podcast and found that it matched his interests and aspirations. With this realisation, Christopher reached out to his friend Tim McConaughy and got started on his own podcasting journey.

The motivation behind Cables2Clouds was to share the lessons Christopher learned on his journey in cloud networking and give back to the community. He wanted to provide a platform where others could learn and benefit from the knowledge and experiences of experts in the industry. Christopher also mentioned that cloud networking is a lot of fun, and he wanted to share this enthusiasm and passion with others.

Christopher also had some valuable advice for those starting out in the industry. He emphasised the importance of finding your own “MPLS moment” – which was his moment of clarity when everything clicked and made sense. He encouraged listeners to explore different areas of the industry and find what resonates with them, rather than just chasing the quick buck.

Tune in on the 09/05/2023 to hear the full episode!