Shows
Between Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextThe Invisible Load of IT Leadership: Pressure, Clarity, and Decision-Making in the AI Era with Dave ZaronIf you are an IT leader carrying constant urgency, invisible pressure, and expectations that keep shifting faster than your organization can stabilize, this episode names what most leaders are experiencing but rarely talk about. In this conversation, Tonya sits down with Dave Zaron, founder of Sovereign Leadership, to explore the human side of leadership under sustained pressure. Rather than focusing on tools or tactics, Dave breaks down why burnout, reactivity, and decision paralysis are usually signs of internal misalignment, not leadership failure.Drawing from his experience leading a technology firm through extreme disruption, D...
2026-02-091h 04Between Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextAI Grew Up Fast: Reasoning Models, Agents, and What Leaders Do Next with Dell’s Allen ClingermanIf you still think AI is something your organization can “watch for another year,” this episode will change your mind.To open season two of Between Fires & Futures, Tonya welcomes back Allen Clingerman, Chief Technology Strategist at Dell, for a grounded, no-hype conversation about what has actually changed in AI since last spring and why 2026 is the year experimentation officially gives way to enterprise reality.Allen brings nearly four decades of experience across mainframes, cloud, infrastructure, and AI to explain why AI is no longer a side project or innovation lab experiment. In just nine mont...
2026-02-021h 05Between Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextToxic MSPs: The Silent Threat Inside Your IT Strategy with Z7’s Zack AleksicIf you’ve ever renewed an MSP contract while thinking, “This partnership isn’t working…but I don’t have the energy to fix it,” this episode is the one you’ve been waiting for. In today’s conversation, Tonya sits down with Zack Aleksic, CTO and Principal Solutions Architect at Z7 Solutions, a firm trusted by public and private sector organizations for enterprise-grade cybersecurity, cloud, disaster recovery, compliance, and endpoint management. With certifications across ISO, NIST, CMMC, HIPAA, and more, Z7 pairs the rigor and resources of a large integrator with the responsiveness IT leaders actually...
2025-12-0132 minBetween Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextCool Again: What IBM’s Reinvention Signals for IT Leaders Right Now with IBM’s Josh KropfIf you think you know IBM, this conversation will change that. In this episode, Tonya sits down with Josh Kropf, Director for IBM Americas (Arrow), for a candid, energizing, myth-busting look at what it really takes for a 114-year-old tech giant to reinvent itself and why IBM’s transformation is one of the most compelling stories in enterprise technology right now. From AI to hybrid cloud to automation to quantum, Josh pulls back the curtain on how IBM went from “legacy giant” to a fast-moving, partner-centric, SaaS-first innovation engine and why industry...
2025-11-2454 minBetween Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextStop the AI Chaos: How to Start Where It Actually Matters with Sciata CEO, Michelle TinsleyIn this episode, Tonya sits down with Michelle Tinsley, CEO of Sciata, to cut through the noise and finally get honest about what it really takes to do AI right inside a modern organization. With 30 years of experience across Intel, startups, private equity, fundraising, M&A, and deep technical leadership, Michelle brings one of the most grounded, practical, and operationally experienced perspectives you’ll hear in the AI conversation today. Instead of hype, Michelle offers a playbook for how IT leaders can start small, sequence smart, and build AI initiatives that actually move the...
2025-11-1738 minBetween Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextInside the Hacker’s Mind: How IT Leaders Can Stay Ahead of Cyber Threats with Z7’s Zack AleksicIn this episode, Tonya sits down with Zack Aleksic, Founder and CTO of Z7 Solutions, to explore the evolving battlefield of cybersecurity—and what it really means to lead when attackers are already inside the walls. With more than 30 years of experience designing mission-critical infrastructure for government, defense, and enterprise organizations, Zack brings a rare dual perspective: a former teenage hacker turned cybersecurity leader. From his early days exploring IRC servers and system vulnerabilities to his work now leading modernization and operational resilience programs, Zack has seen the threat landscape from every angle. He joins Ton...
2025-11-1040 minBetween Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextGetting Started with AI: What to Do First, What to Avoid, and How to Win Quick with Josh Einstein, ConResIn this episode, Tonya sits down with Josh Einstein, Cloud Architect, Software Developer, and AI Engineer at ConRes IT Solutions. With over two decades of experience spanning the dot-com boom, telecommunications, and now artificial intelligence, Josh has built solutions for emerging technologies long before they hit the mainstream. Today, he helps organizations design and deploy the next generation of AI-powered systems—and he’s here to share how IT leaders can take the first real step toward practical, measurable AI success. Together, Tonya and Josh tackle one of the most urgent quest...
2025-10-1342 min
Legacy's JourneyBreaking Rules in BusinessIn this episode of Legacy's Journey, host Cameron Williams sits down with Tonya Turrell, founder and CEO of technologymatch.com. They discuss the evolution of her business ventures, the impact of AI on the tech industry, and the importance of balancing professional success with personal fulfillment. Tonya shares insights from her journey, including lessons learned from past business exits and the innovative ways her company is leveraging AI to scale. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about entrepreneurship, technology, and the power of taking risks.
2025-10-1030 minBetween Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextCybersecurity Won’t Save You. Resilience Will with CTO Justin YoungIn this episode, Tonya sits down with Justin Young—Chief Technology Officer at Commercial Tool Group. With more than 25 years in IT leadership, Justin has navigated both large enterprise environments and mid-size manufacturing—where the risks are just as big, but the resources are often much smaller. He’s built his career on one central belief: cyber resilience isn’t about the latest tools—it’s about people, process, and preparation. Together, Tonya and Justin dive into what “resilience” really means in practice, why it must be seen as a business function (not just an IT concer...
2025-10-0633 minBetween Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextLeadership vs. Management: What IT Leaders Must Master with Maxwell Leadership's Mike LylesIn this episode, Tonya sites down with Mike Lyles—Head of IT at Maxwell Leadership, keynote speaker, certified coach, and author of The Drive-Thru Is Not Always Faster. With more than 30 years of experience leading Fortune 50 IT teams, Mike has built organizations from the ground up and coached leaders across the globe. But what sets him apart isn’t just his credentials—it’s the way his people describe him: “the best boss I’ve ever had.”Together, Tonya and Mike unpack one of the most common mistakes in IT: confusing leadership with management. They reveal why inspiration wi...
2025-09-2946 minBetween Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextLeading with Presence in the Age of AI with Leslie Ann KeelerIn this episode of Tonya sits down with leadership visionary Leslie Ann Keeler to explore what it means to lead in an era defined by rapid AI innovation and constant change.With nearly two decades of experience guiding founders, executives, and teams through complexity, Leslie blends neuroscience, psychology, and ancient wisdom to help leaders embody the qualities AI cannot replace: presence, emotional intelligence, trust, and human connection.Together, Tonya and Leslie dive deep into why traditional models of speed, control, and optimization are no longer sustainable—and why the future of leadership lies in balancing st...
2025-09-221h 03Between Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextStop the Budget Bleed: How IT Leaders Can Unlock Hidden Dollars with Leslie BonsettIs your IT budget quietly bleeding while you’re too busy putting out fires to notice?In this episode, Tonya welcomes back Leslie Bonsett of Global Consulting Group for a deep dive into IT cost optimization. If you’ve ever said, “We don’t have the budget for that,” this conversation will open your eyes to how much hidden spend is draining your resources.From runaway cloud costs to copper lines quietly ballooning into million-dollar invoices, Leslie reveals real-world examples of overspend that left companies stunned—and the simple steps that helped them reclaim millions. Tune in...
2025-09-1541 minBetween Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextPower Is the New Currency: AI Adoption vs. Infrastructure Reality for CIOs with Joel St. GermainAI is moving faster than the infrastructure that powers it. While headlines focus on breakthrough models and business outcomes, CIOs and IT leaders are running into the real bottleneck: data centers, power capacity, and sourcing.In this episode, Tonya sits down with Joel St. Germain, founder of Global Consulting Group and CEO of DataCenters.com, the world’s largest marketplace connecting enterprises, hyperscalers, and investors to over 6,500 facilities worldwide.Tune in to hear:The hidden bottleneck shaping AI adoption: why power is now the limiting currency.The million-dollar mistakes CIOs make when sourcing data ce...
2025-09-0947 minBetween Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextWhy Women Are Essential to Transforming IT Leadership in the Age of AI with Leslie Bonsett, April Armijo, Lara MayesIn this powerful and candid conversation, host Tonya Turrell sits down with three trailblazing women from GCG — Lara Mayes, April Armijo, and Leslie Bonsett — to explore how female leaders are reshaping the future of tech. Together, they unpack the shifts happening in leadership today, why traditional models are breaking down, and how empathy, adaptability, and emotional intelligence are becoming essential leadership skills in the age of AI.From navigating male-dominated boardrooms in the ’90s to mentoring the next generation of leaders, Lara, April, and Leslie share their personal journeys, hard-earned lessons, and the unique strengths women bring to the...
2025-08-131h 09Between Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextFrom Firefighting to Forward Thinking – Automation for the Modern IT Leader with Chris Miller, AdvizexWant to know what automation strategies are actually working for real enterprise teams?Automation may be one of the most overused buzzwords in IT—but it’s also one of the most underutilized solutions. In this episode, we sit down with Chris Miller, CTO of Advizex, whose journey from building an ISP at 19 to leading enterprise automation strategy has given him rare, hands-on perspective on what actually works. If you're stuck in firefighting mode but want to build a system that scales and sustains your team, this conversation is your roadmap.We break down what inte...
2025-07-1444 minBetween Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextThe IT Leader Has Evolved – Are You Still Just a Technologist? with Jason Frame, Southern Nevada Health DistrictIs your IT leadership evolving fast enough to meet the demands of today’s human-first, AI-driven future?In this episode, Tonya sits down with Jason Frame, CIO of the Southern Nevada Health District, to talk about what it truly means to lead IT in a post-COVID, AI-driven world. Jason brings decades of experience and a radically human-centered approach to IT leadership. From rethinking how we define value in IT, to implementing psychological safety and building cross-functional trust, Jason shares how modern CIOs must move beyond technology jargon and become experience-driven, empathetic leaders.Whether you’re faci...
2025-07-0740 minBetween Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextThe Cost of Complexity – How IT Leaders Can Rein in Cloud Spend without Killing Innovation with Martin Hauskrecht, Labyrinth LabsIs your cloud bill out of control—despite doing “all the right things”? You’re not alone.In this episode of Tonya sits down with Martin Hauskrecht, Head of Engineering at Labyrinth Labs and curator of the TLDR DevOps newsletter, to unpack the cloud cost dilemma. With over 1.25 million readers, Martin is a trusted voice in the DevOps space, known for designing scalable cloud infrastructures and cutting through complexity with actionable insights.Together, they explore why cloud costs are skyrocketing—even for companies with strong tech teams—and how IT leaders can reduce spend without stalling inn...
2025-06-3033 minBetween Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextIT Can’t Do it Alone – Solving the AI Adoption Gap with Steve Grosso & Danny Jones, AdvizexAre your AI pilots technically successful—but still not going anywhere? You’re not alone. So what’s really holding back AI adoption in enterprise environments?In this episode of Between Fires and Futures, we sit down with AI transformation experts Danny Jones and Steve Grosso from Advizex to unpack one of the biggest challenges IT leaders are facing today: the AI buy-in gap. Spoiler—it’s not the technology. From stalled pilots to cross-functional resistance, this conversation is a masterclass on navigating the political, cultural, and strategic realities of enterprise AI. You’ll learn why smaller, low-risk spr...
2025-06-2443 minBetween Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextThe Tech Buying System Is Broken—Here’s What I’m Doing About ItEver wonder why tech buying feels broken—and what could actually fix it?In this episode, host Tonya Turrell, founder and CEO of TechnologyMatch.com, pulls back the curtain on the legacy lead generation system that’s failing tech leaders—and shares the bold vision behind the company she built to change it. Tonya recounts her journey from tech sales and marketing to launching an agency just weeks before the global pandemic, and how her frustration with sales-driven models inspired her to reimagine tech matchmaking from the ground up. If you're tired of cold calls, spammy vendors, and fe...
2025-06-0621 minBetween Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s NextAI at the Speed of Light: Allen Clingerman on Data, Infrastructure & the New Era of Tech LeadershipIn this premiere episode of Between Fires and Futures, host Tonya Turrell sits down with Dell Technologies’ Chief Technology Strategist, Allen Clingerman, to cut through the AI noise and get clear on what tech leaders actually need to know. With over 30 years of enterprise tech experience, Allen shares what’s really happening in the field—from major fires IT leaders are putting out daily to the critical infrastructure and mindset shifts required to lead through this next era of rapid AI adoption.They explore the practical use cases every org can start with, the biggest misconceptions holding teams...
2025-05-1644 min
Entrepreneurship LabTransforming Bankruptcy Into a TriumphIn this podcast episode of Entrepreneurship Lab, my guest is Tonya Turrell is an accomplished entrepreneur and visionary leader, recognized for her groundbreaking ventures and transformative impact in the tech industry. As the Founder and CEO of The Launchpad, she has captured the attention of investors seeking to back disruptive innovations that redefine market landscapes.
Tonya's entrepreneurial journey took flight when she skillfully transformed bankruptcy into a springboard for her subsequent triumphs. Her startup, Leads OnDemand, not only soared to an outstanding position as #209 on the prestigious Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America list in 2015 but also...
2024-05-1640 min