Growing up, I was taught to give back and help others in need by giving of our time in addition to financially. Sometimes that meant collecting food for the hungry, tutoring in school, picking up trash along our roads, or just being there for someone who was house bound or in a nursing home.

Making sound business decisions requires looking at a situation from multiple perspectives and developing a course of action that is beneficial for all. This is particularly important when it comes to cybersecurity.

At IT Radix, we frequently need to make decisions about how to do things securely for our clients or recommend how our clients should secure their technology and sometimes, quite simply, it’s not convenient.

Many talk about having work-life balance, but to me it’s a work-life blend. Over the years, I’ve found that my time spent on work vs “play” has ebbed and flowed as different parts of my life have required more attention or time. There are many gurus or programs that will help you determine the right mix for you, how to prioritize and more.

I’ve dabbled over the years with photography—taking a variety of courses and having a home darkroom. As with many activities, it’s fun and challenging at the same time. I really appreciate the amazing works of photographic art that can take your breath away, make you feel like you’re in the middle of a sporting event, or empathize with people all over the world.

Now that summer is in full swing, many of us are getting outdoors more. Several of us participated in an IT Radix Spring Step Challenge. Our lone bicyclist, Doug, rode for CycleNation to support the American Heart Association and stroke awareness. Many joke that COVID-19 resulted in an additional 19 pounds, but it's no joking matter.

The month of June acknowledges some of the diversity in our country by celebrating both Juneteenth and LGBTQ Pride Month. Given that we like to celebrate holidays at IT Radix, I think it’s fitting that we shed some light on these two important times of observation.

May 7th is World Password Day. Several of our clients have our Dark Web monitoring service which alerts them when their credentials—including passwords—are available on the Dark Web. These days it is critical to know when your credentials have been compromised, especially since so many people tend to use the same password (or minor variations of it) for multiple websites or applications.

I recently read an article online that said a business without personality and without heart is a business without a future. It went on to say the foundation of an organization’s personality and its heart lies in its core values. I couldn’t agree more, and I truly believe our core values are the secret to our success.

This month we took a “cut” at relating IT to sewing (pun intentional). If you’ve ever tried sewing of any kind, you quickly realize that it is a skill that takes time to master. I can recall trying to sew a dress in high school and it being significantly more difficult than expected.

I’ve been involved in my fair share of home improvement projects over the years. I can still remember the built-in bookshelves my parents made for our home in New Mexico, complete with a burnt wood finish created by a blow torch. As a kid growing up, my job was primarily to hold, fetch or otherwise assist when needed on these projects.