E29 - Shilpi Bhattacharjee at the Cloud Security Podcast

On today’s episode of the Women in Tech spin-off series, we’re joined by our host Eve Mckenna and special guest Shilpi Bhattacharjee, the Co-Founder of the Cloud Security podcast. During today’s episode, Shilpi dives more into what the Cloud Security podcast is all about, the start-up, and what inspired them to create it. She also shares some valuable advice for anyone looking to start their own podcast or get into the security industry.

Shilpi’s professional life had primarily revolved around finance and legal management. However, life often takes unexpected turns, leading people down new paths they might have never imagined.

Around 4 years ago, her life took a turn when her co-founder began receiving a number of inquiries about cloud security. People were hungry for knowledge on this topic. For her co-founder, this was initially a side project, a way to give back to the community. At that time, cloud security was still a relatively new field, with limited accessible resources for those wanting to learn more about it. Shilpi's co-founder recognised this opportunity and decided to create a platform to address these needs, a podcast dedicated to cloud security.

The Cloud Security Podcast was born 

Over time, the podcast began to gain traction and popularity. The want for knowledge in cloud security was high, and Shilpi recognised the potential to make a real impact in this space. After six months into the journey, she decided to join her co-founder in this endeavour. What began as a modest podcast soon evolved into something much larger. The Cloud Security Podcast expanded its horizons to provide training and educational resources on cloud security. They started producing informative and engaging YouTube videos on their channel, making the content accessible to a wider audience.

Navigating Challenges

Throughout her career, Shilpi has faced numerous challenges and transitions, and she understands the importance of giving yourself the time and space to grow and learn. One of the biggest challenges many professionals encounter is making a career switch. It can be intimidating to step into a new industry or field, especially when you feel like you're walking into a room where you don't know anything. However, her story teaches us that with a willingness to embrace the unknown, you can overcome these initial hurdles. 

Around 15 years ago, she received a piece of advice from one of her mentors – to push herself to be more outgoing and social. At that time, she might not have seen herself as a natural extrovert or a people person, but she recognised the importance of improving her interpersonal skills. Taking this advice to heart, she went on a journey of self-improvement and personal growth. She realised that in order to become more social and outgoing, she needed to step out of her comfort zone. To achieve this, she set small, achievable goals for herself.

One such goal was to resist the temptation to bury her face in her phone while getting in elevators. Instead, she made a conscious effort to start up conversations with strangers. These seemingly mundane interactions served as opportunities for her to challenge herself, practice her communication skills, and gradually become more comfortable in social settings.

Advice?

Shilpi's advice centres on a simple yet powerful two-pronged approach, "Just start" and "Find your passion." Starting anything new can be daunting, whether it's launching a podcast or entering a new industry like cybersecurity. However, it’s important to take that initial step, even when you might not feel fully prepared. Passion is the driving force behind many successful ventures. She encourages people to identify what truly excites them and use that as a foundation for their endeavours.

 Tune in on the 17/10/2023 to hear the full episode!