The Solutions Architect Experience Podcast
In the past two weeks, I have immersed myself in starting a podcast. The subject matter was a no-brainer—I wanted to focus on Solutions Architecture and create an interview-based podcast. Two people inspired me:
The first was Austin Belcak, whom I follow on LinkedIn and whose email newsletter I subscribe to. Austin talks about the art of networking, and one of his ideas is to start a podcast in your field of interest. Having been working towards my Azure Architect certifications with the goal of becoming an Azure Solutions Architect and Cybersecurity Architect, I wondered how I could translate that into real-world exposure. Surrounding myself with solutions architects seemed like a fantastic starting point.
The second inspiration was Ben Yu, a Solutions Architect based in Auckland, New Zealand. My search for podcasts about solution architecture revealed very limited content in this format. The first show I discovered was the “Solution Architect Show” by Ben Yu, which aired a season in the early 2020s. I devoured the entire season in a day and then found more of Ben’s content on YouTube. After reaching out to him on LinkedIn, I received a swift and open response. Ben recommended a new podcast he was working on with Alex Liu called “Tech Insight,” which I listened to immediately.
Ben also shared a link to a blog site he developed for aspiring solutions architects, featuring a plethora of content and a program called the GROW Coaching Model. GROW stands for:
- Goal
- Reality
- Options
- Way Forward
I found this process unique and began watching YouTube videos on it, responding to the questions posed as part of the model. It’s been a slow process, but my initial answers left me inspired by both Ben and Austin to start my own podcast. I’ve been looking for a new, creative outlet for a while and have recently been inspired by writing and exploring my past, from being on the road to the start of my tech career.
The podcast idea was initially foreign to me, so I discussed it with my wife, Jen, who fully supported it. Thus, The Solution Architect Experience Podcast was born. Over the past few weeks, I have planned a show concept, a website, and reached out to three people for my first interviews. Thankfully, the idea has been met with a lot of positive interest. My first guest will be Owen Reynolds, who I previously worked with at Morgan Stanley. Owen is now a Citrix CTA/vExpert Group Leader in Montreal and a Solution Architect for Micro Logic.
Navigating the world of podcast setup has been quite interesting, and I have conducted extensive research on starting, launching, and publishing a trailer for The Solutions Architect Experience Podcast. Currently, the podcast trailer is available on major podcast sites, such as Apple, Amazon, Audible, Spotify, YouTube, and YouTube Music, as well as Reels on Instagram and Facebook. You can check out the shows at the following URLs:
The podcast is also featured on The Solutions Architect Experience website at SAExperience.net.
To guide me forward, I’ve found a lot of great resources:
- Alitu.com – For online editing and publishing of my podcast trailer.
- RSS.com – My new podcast hosting platform.
- Blubrry.com – For analytics and statistics.
- ThePodcastHost.com – For a how-to blog about starting a podcast.
These sites have been invaluable as I dive into the world of podcasting.
I spent the weekend tweaking my website, working on graphics with an artist I found on Fiverr, and writing my first interview script. Now, I just need to schedule the first Zoom call to record Episode 1 of the podcast.
I wrote a blog post on SAExperience.net about making the trailer episode, which can be found here.
I hope you enjoy it—it was a lot of fun putting this together. The first episode will be released in the coming weeks.
