Category: Meet The Team

Meet the Team: Caroline Kelly, Sales Manager

I’m Caroline Kelly, and I’m a part of the growing Raxis sales team! If you reach out through the website, attend a conference we’re sponsoring, or call to talk about what testing options are a good fit, we may end up working together.

Bonnie: Tell me a little about your background? I know we both grew up in the Atlanta area.

Caroline: I grew up in Georgia as the oldest of three kids. We had a great time riding bikes around the neighborhood, swimming all summer, and spending time with cousins who lived nearby. I was a bookworm (still am!) and played a lot of softball and basketball.

Bonnie: Atlanta and a softball player – are you a Braves fan?

Caroline: Oh absolutely! I grew up going to games when they were losing most of them and cheered them on when they really took off! I’ve watched them in all three home fields in Atlanta. I still have a ball with Tom Glavin’s autograph displayed in my living room, and I even flew back to Atlanta for the last game at Turner Field with my family.

Bonnie: Awesome! So your love of softball & baseball started young! What came next?

Caroline: When I got to high school, they had a theatre program that I auditioned for, and I was hooked!

Bonnie: And that’s when you got into theatre?

Caroline: Yes, I performed in theatre groups all through high school, and I ended up majoring in theatre at Kennesaw State as well (hooty hoo!) & loved it! The storytelling aspect, the research into creating the stories based on history or legend – it’s so exciting and challenging.

Bonnie: That sounds so interesting! Would you tell me about your favorite show that you were a part of?

Caroline: Oh, so hard to choose! Well, there was a collection of myths that, when put together, told the stages of the Hero’s Journey, based on Joseph Campbell’s writings. That group of people really connected for me, and it’s still special to me.

Or maybe the Beowulf show we took to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – I fell in love with Scotland!

Bonnie: And now you work in tech. How did you make the leap from theatre to technology?

Caroline: I moved from Atlanta to Memphis to help open a Shakespeare company. Anyone who has worked on a start-up knows those first employees are head chef and bottle washers! So, I ended up running the box office, fundraising, updating the website, setting up Wi-Fi to process credit cards securely at off-site performances, and setting up a cloud-based system to keep our files secure and backed up.

After a few years I knew I wanted a family and would need a more regular schedule. A friend offered to teach me about VOIP systems. I got a job doing that, but that company was eventually bought by a network company, so I learned more about routing and switches as well as Wi-Fi design. Next I worked for an MSSP, so learned about packet tracing and securing a system beyond a firewall.

Bonnie: And that lead to penetration testing?

Caroline: Well, I was always drawn to the security aspect of things. It’s constantly changing, and that challenge, plus the stakes for businesses to understand the threats and defend themselves, intrigued me. I actually knew Raxis’ Brad Herring from my time at Kennesaw State, and we had stayed in touch. You may not know this, but I actually watched Raxis grow for years before interviewing!

Bonnie: Wait, so you knew about us before we knew about you?

Caroline: Haha, I guess so! After watching how you were growing selectively and knowing how Brad and the team treated your clients with such honesty and integrity, I knew I would jump at the chance to join Raxis if it ever came up.

Bonnie: And then you did!

Caroline: Right! I’m so glad it has worked out. Everyone has been great, and I have loved getting to know the other team members.

Bonnie: Do you think you’ll ever go back to theatre?

Caroline: No. Honestly telling the story of security is something I think I do well. Different industries have different risks and concerns, but at the end of the day everyone just wants to be safe to continue their business. I get to hear about companies dong incredible work, help Raxis be a part of keeping them secure, and still have dinner with my nine year old every night. Every day is a new challenge and something to learn, and I love that.

Bonnie: Ah, your son is nine now? He’s growing so fast!

Caroline: Yep, and I love being a “boy mom”!

Bonnie: That’s great! What kinds of things does a “boy mom” get to do?

Caroline: He plays sports too and loves to climb trees. We go see 901FC soccer games, and I’m trying to get him to help me in the garden – especially with the butterflies.

Bonnie: You have a butterfly garden? What does that look like?

Caroline: Yeah! We have some native passionflower that is the host plant for the orange Gulf Fritillary. I planted a butterfly bush and some lantana nearby for pollen. Last year we moved a bunch of caterpillars into a habitat so they wouldn’t get eaten by birds before they emerged. We release them once they can fly. We even sent six to my son’s classroom so they could watch the process.

Bonnie: That is so neat! I bet he is really enjoying that.

Caroline: He is, but gardening is mom stuff. He’s more interested in teaching me to play Fortnite and Roblox. I’m still pretty terrible at those, honestly, but I will totally play anytime he likes so I can enjoy bonding with him. We also watch anime and make homemade popcorn. That’s one of our best weekend nights! And now he wants to be a video game designer, so we’re figuring out those programs together.

Bonnie: Training a new little developer, huh?

Caroline: Right! I may have to call you for some help once he starts writing his own code though. And then of course we’ll need to test it!

July 16, 2024
Meet the Team: Ryan Chaplin, Lead Penetration Tester

I’m Ryan Chaplin, lead penetration tester at Raxis. If you team with Raxis for a penetration test, social engineering engagement, or a red team, we might get to work together!

Bonnie: Tell me a little about your background?

Ryan: When I was a kid, at about 9 or 10 years old, I started building my own computers. By junior high I was in advanced placement software development courses through Indiana University Southeast.

This continued through college where I took computer science courses. However, due to the job market, after the 2008 crash, I ended up working in marketing right out of college. I read Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, which was absolutely pivotal because it allowed me to automate 80-90% of my job and focus on skills I wanted to improve. Realistically it means I ended up doing everything but marketing.

Bonnie: So how did you get into Penetration Testing?

Ryan: Several years ago the company I was working at was hacked and was actively serving our customers malware. Our main developer locally was on maternity leave, and our offshore devs were all on holiday. I ended up being the main technical resource who was available and familiar with our website, so I was thrown into the fire for my start.

At the time I helped develop and deploy a patch. Then, in the medium and long term, we came up with mitigation strategies, but, really for me, that started my passion to learn more through platforms like HackTheBox and OffSec.

Bonnie: What a way to start your journey into cybersecurity! Did you just manage to find those platforms and come up with mitigations on your own?

Ryan: Definitely not! One of my closest friends from undergrad introduced me to the community, and I do believe the cybersecurity industry is much more of a community than most industries. We are all learning and building each other up together. The emphasis in the cybersecurity community about giving back is one of my favorite things about this industry.

Bonnie: So community is really important to you?

Ryan: Absolutely! I’m from a very small town of only about 1,500 people. Everyone knows everyone, and, even though I now live outside of a major city, the lessons I learned in that small town about the importance of sticking together have stayed with me.

Bonnie: Wow that is a small community! Anything more you can tell me about that kind of community?

Ryan: When I was growing up there, no one really had much of anything, so we focused on the good times we could have together. I wouldn’t be where I am today without such a great family and community standing behind me. I still visit several times a year.

Besides that there are all kinds of fun stories that would take up way too much time. Some other time you will have to remind me to tell you about how we used to take jon boats up the highway when it flooded or stories about Larry Bird – you know he was originally from my hometown – if you are into the NBA or basketball.

Bonnie: Wait, you are from a town of 1,500 people, and one of them was Larry Bird?

Ryan: Hahaha! Yeah, I guess it’s a pretty atypical town. It’s Indiana so we already have a much higher percentage of people who are into basketball, but I would say my hometown takes it to another level in terms of enthusiasm.

Bonnie: So I’m assuming that is probably one of your hobbies? Do you have any others?

Ryan: Playing and watching basketball are two of my hobbies, but, honestly, I have a lot of hobbies. I’ve also consistently been into running and lifting weights for a very long time. Now that I think of it, my first experience “hacking” really was installing a chip in my PlayStation so I could play homebrew and modified games. So video games have always been around in my life too.

Otherwise, I really enjoy a challenge and learning new things. During COVID that meant mastering my sourdough technique. Lately I have been playing piano for a new challenge. Lastly, of course, I’m into computers. The challenges I’ve been looking into recently, when it comes to computers, are working with and understanding low-level code, like assembly, better.

Bonnie: I could see that being useful for your cybersecurity career as well. What are your plans with your career?

Ryan: Yeah, I really think becoming better acquainted with low-level concepts will help me to succeed when I take the OSED in the next year or two. I’d love to eventually get my OSCE3 and a CISSP as well.

Right now, though, I’m just excited to be joining a team like Raxis. This is a goal I’ve worked towards for over six years, grinding through become a top ranked hacker on HackTheBox, getting my OSCP, and watching countless hours of DefCon and Black Hat talks. There really couldn’t be a better company for it to happen at either. Not only does Raxis have amazing clients and great relationships in the security community, but I’ve also been impressed with each person I’ve worked with so far.

Bonnie: Thanks for the kind words! We are looking forward to having you on the team full time!

June 18, 2024
Meet the Team: Jaret Rader, Development Support Technician

I’m Jaret Rader, a development support technician at Raxis. I’m excited that, while I’m still working on my education, I get the chance to work part-time at Raxis supporting the Raxis One and PTaaS development team.

Bonnie: So you’re in your second semester at Southern Adventist University in Tennessee, and you’re already working at a tech company. That was fast work! What made you interested in working at Raxis?

Jaret: I’ve always been interested in tech. At SAU I’m studying to be an Electrical Engineer with focuses on radio-frequency (RF) and embedded systems development. My dad has worked in cybersecurity for years and is good friends with Raxis CEO Mark Puckett. That got me thinking about the benefits of learning from a team of penetration testers now. By learning more about pentesting and methods used to attack systems, I can better design secure technology from the ground up as opposed to the afterthought it tends to be in today’s world.

Bonnie: That’s great thinking, and it sounds like your work at Raxis fits in well with your schoolwork. I follow your parents on social media, so I happen to know you’ve been interested in tech since a young age. What was your first project that really made you feel this may be your passion?

Jaret: Well, way back in the sixth grade, I started doing FIRST Lego League, which is a robotics competition designed for middle schoolers. There were two main parts, an actual robot that would be built using Lego technics and a project that would follow a yearly theme. I can still remember our project from that sixth-grade year. With a theme of animal conservation, my team came up with the “turtle tunnel.” Its purpose was to go over turtle nests and to protect baby turtles on their way to the ocean from things like light pollution as well as seagulls.

Bonnie: Wow, that sounds like a fun project! And you did other tech work during middle school too, right?

Jaret: Yes, I got to help the IT department at my middle school test the new web filtering services they used to prevent students from accessing shopping websites or other unapproved sites. I helped with IT work at some other local schools too. I still remember working around the clock to manually reset the BIOs passwords on all the schools’ computers.

Bonnie: By high school you were getting into RF, right?

Jaret: That’s right. I began working with an engineer at Lockheed Martin in Orlando on radio frequency (RF) projects. This is what inspired me to study Electrical Engineering and continue learning more about technology. Working with my mentor at Lockheed Martin, I was able to program my own SDR (Software Defined Radio) to receive transmissions, record them, and broadcast them to other radios. I did all of this using a software tool called GNU Radio. It has led to a great friendship with my mentor, even though I’m still not sure what all he works on due to NDAs. I did get the opportunity this past Christmas break to visit his work complex, and, even though I was not allowed inside any of the buildings, it was very cool to see how hidden their offices are in my area.

Bonnie: You’ve gained a lot of great experience, and it sounds like you’ve made some great friends in the process. What do you do to relax & take a break from your busy student and work life?

Jaret: Actually, one of my favorite hobbies is coding. When I’m programming, I typically use Python. I don’t tend to do anything too fancy with it other than some small pet projects or using a service such as repl.it to make short text-based games for my friends to play during downtime in class. While I was in robotics during my first two years of high school, we also experimented with a modified version of Java.

Bonnie: That’s great, but sometimes you do step away from the computer, right?

Jaret: Haha. Yes, I actually do once in a while. I really enjoy spending time outdoors. One of my favorite things to do outdoors is scuba diving with my family. We have all had our open water certifications for a long time and just a couple years ago took our training to get our advanced certifications. One of our favorite places to dive are the Turks and Caicos Islands, and we have been going there to dive for years. Other outdoor activities I enjoy are participating in my university’s intramural sports. I also umpire for softball and referee for flag football when needed. Something I love about my university campus is all of the hiking trails that we have both on campus and nearby.

Bonnie: And I hear you have a bit of a loyalty in baseball, is that right?

Jaret: Oh yes, I am always up for watching football or baseball and you can probably find me at an Atlanta Braves game whenever I have a long weekend off from school or if I am able to get out of class a little early. I grew up in Atlanta until age 11 and have been a Braves fan as long as I can remember.

Although not all of my sports teams reside in Atlanta. My family loves Alabama in college football… so much so that extended family members like my great uncle will drive seven hours to Florida just to watch the playoffs with us, or this year even FaceTime all the way from Vietnam.

February 6, 2024
Meet the Team: Nathan Anderson, Lead Penetration Tester

I’m Nathan Anderson, the newest lead penetration tester at Raxis. I’ve been on the team several months now, but Bonnie cut me some slack since I was booked solid. This might be a good time to remind folks that a pentest earlier in the year is often much easier to schedule no matter what company you trust with your cybersecurity testing!

Bonnie: So I hear you’ve been working with tech from a young age?

Nathan: True, I’ve been working with information technology systems for over nine years. It all started in high school when my dad brought home an old Dell tower server that a client decommissioned and an eight port Cisco router. Those hardware pieces became the platform of a young man’s experiments!

Bonnie: And you didn’t stop there. You continued into an IT degree in college as well?

Nathan: Exactly, I went from experimenting at home to college where I discovered Red Teaming and found my calling. I also ended up practicing coding and digital forensics. My forensics teacher at LCCC ended up losing a bet against a group of us regarding an off-hours project and bought us tickets to a Cleveland Browns game. Lots of fun memories there!

Bonnie: Now that sounds like a fun group! And by the time we met you, you had a number of certs under your belt too!

Nathan: After my experience in college I knew what I wanted to do, but I also knew that certificates hold more weight in the cybersecurity field… and I also realized that I needed some practice at pentesting. I started using HackTheBox and TryHackMe to practice while I got ready to take my OSCP.

Bonnie: With all of that time staring a computer, what do you do to relax?

Nathan: Well, in my spare time I end up focusing more on tech projects, which I really truly enjoy. Recently, I have been working on a Raspberry Pi 4 and Pico Pi Micro Controllers. There’s always some new tech I want to get my hands on!

Bonnie: That’s awesome! But please tell me you really do get to step away from the computers sometimes and just chill?

Nathan: In my spare time, I really enjoy kayaking, hiking, and fishing! I have been kayaking all over Ohio, from Lake Erie down to the Hocking River in southern Ohio. It has been something that is always relaxing for me. I have also been hiking all across the northeastern U.S. Last year, my wife and I drove to the White Mountains in New Hampshire to get away. It was awesome!

The Ozarks

Bonnie: You’re joining a good crew then! When our marketing director, Jim retired, he hiked more than half of the Appalachian Trail, and Brian and Brad have been known to go on hiking adventures together. Last year while I was in Norway, Mark’s family talked me into kayaking… I was nervous, but I agree with you now! It’s so relaxing and beautiful!

Nathan: We have made our trips within driving distance from our home, however, for us “driving distance” has meant up to 12 hours of driving. We have driven to the Ozarks in Missouri, to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan, and to the White Mountains in New Hampshire. It has lead to some great journeys! For our next trip, it isn’t going to be driving distance, I am shooting for Ireland. We will see what happens with that!

Bonnie: Those all sound amazing!

Nathan: One of our favorite non-outdoors things to do when traveling is finding the most interesting food we can. Recently we found the most interesting place when we were in Missouri at a place called “Top of the Rock.” One of the restaurants there served caribou stew and 90-day dry-aged steaks. I can tell you right now, I will absolutely be having both of those again.

Nathan and his wife, Emmy, enjoying a bakery they found in New Jersey

Bonnie: Well, we’re really excited to have you on the Raxis team.

Nathan: I really enjoy the team here. I’m able to reach out to anyone with a question, and, if they don’t have the answer, they always direct me to the person who does. My favorite part of being a pentester is getting paid to break into things, and, at the same time, getting paid to basically have fun.

January 17, 2024
Meet the Team: Brice Jager, Lead Penetration Tester

I’m Brice Jager, a lead penetration tester for Raxis — and the only one currently living in Iowa. My career path has taken me on a long journey from health care, to health care technology, and now to penetration testing. I’ve enjoyed all of it, but I now feel like I’m where I was meant to be.

Jim: Brice, in our discussions, it seems you’ve had two loves in your career: health and technology. I have to ask, which was the first to catch your eye, so to speak?

Brice: I guess I’d have to say technology because we were introduced to Apple computers in 3rd grade, and I was absolutely fascinated by them. I became serious about health at 12.

Jim: Yep, Steve Jobs believed in hooking his customers early. Was it just the interaction with technology, or did you actually realize you had an affinity for computers and how they worked?

Brice: Other kids were “interested.” I was obsessed with understanding them and learning what all they could do. If you had asked me back then, I would have probably said I was playing with the computers. In retrospect, I was really learning the fundamentals of programming. I even developed my own checkers game. At that point, we didn’t have widely available internet, so I had to learn from books — and a lot of trial and error.

Jim: Did your interest fade after that or did you continue to “play” with computers?

Brice: Ha! No, my interest only got more intense as I got older. By the ‘90s, I was into war-driving (riding around searching for vulnerable wireless networks) and basically looking for mischief wherever I could find it. Most people I knew were content with just using technology. I was still that kid who wanted the challenge of getting inside and finding out what made it all work.

Jim: You were a hacker even then.

Brice: I guess so. And remember, in those days, a lot of software and websites weren’t locked down as well as they are now. It was easier to see how everything was put together. I was able to give myself a terrific education.

Jim: So, what changed your focus to health care?

Brice: It didn’t change as much as it expanded. I always had a parallel interest in anatomy and physiology and overall health. In fact, it’s the same interest, only directed toward the body and not a computer. The fundamental questions I wanted to answer are the same as well: How does it work? What causes it not to work well? How can I make it work better?

Jim: Out of high school, you went with health care. What led you to that decision?

Brice: I found it easy because I had a pretty deep understanding of anatomy, and it was good to see people getting the results they always wanted. Over time, I became a neuromuscular specialist and helped people avoid surgery or avoid dependence on medications. In a nutshell, tricking the brain into healing itself.

Jim: You were hacking human brains?

Brice: Ha! Yeah, you hear that term a lot nowadays, but we were doing it literally and getting results. But there really wasn’t a career path beyond where I was without dancing on the line of burnout, and you quickly realize not all health care has the same goal in mind so it can become frustrating.

Jim: You did go into sports medicine, though.

Brice: Yes. In fact, I even became a kinesiology (body mechanics) teacher from 2004 until 2010. I enjoyed it and I still dabble in it some, but I was ready for a change. What I found was a job with a software company out of Finland. They needed someone who understood their product and who could teach it to others, and oddly it was still in the health-related arena. The jump to technology sparked interest and was refreshing.

Jim: Right up your alley on both counts.

“Spending time with my family is what I enjoy most. My wife is a professional photographer and we have a four-year-old son. We work and work out, but we manage to work in a lot of time for our family.” — Brice Jager

Brice: Yeah, and the great part is that it gave me a way to move into IT. I was dealing with the company team that built the software at the same time I was interacting with the customer. That helped me understand the struggles on both sides and led to my next job at the helpdesk of a hospital. Eventually, I became a systems administrator, but I was really a jack of all trades. I was doing everything from installing software to repairing IoT devices. What I didn’t do was a lot of cybersecurity.

Jim: There was a cybersecurity incident at that time, right?

Brice: That’s right. My first experience in the wild from the perspective of a victim as it happened. It took a lot of work to recover but it was accomplished in 48 hours.

Jim: That left an impression, I guess.

Brice: It sure did. I started pentesting on my own and really got excited about ethical hacking as a profession. Within a year, I had my CISSP, OSCP, OSWP, PNPT and KLCP (professional cybersecurity certifications).

Jim: Wow! I understand that each of those requires a lot of time and energy.

Brice: You bet, but it helps if you’re passionate about the field. It’s a LOT of sacrificing to accomplish the certifications between work, family, and life.

Jim: How did you find your way to Raxis?

Brice: Oddly enough, I was doing some research on another company that I was considering. I reached out to Bonnie and she and Mark talked with me at length. Based on how easy they were to speak with, I knew it would be a great place to work. You just know good people when you talk to them.

Jim: What’s your favorite part?

Brice: My favorite part of this job is that pentesting is my job! And pentesting is, by far, the favorite job I’ve had so far. I love working with the best in the business here. It’s easy to ask questions, and it’s easy to weigh in when you’ve got an answer.

Plus we get to break in to stuff . . . without getting in trouble.

January 31, 2023
Meet the Team: Jim McClellan, Marketing Director

I’m Jim McClellan, Raxis’ marketing director and newest (full-time) member of the team. Working with the company as a consultant for two years was a great intro to the people and the culture. When the opportunity arose to join them, it was an easy decision. Now, after months of conducting these interviews, our COO Bonnie Smyre turned the tables, and it’s my turn on the other side.

Bonnie: I would normally say, “Welcome aboard,” but I probably should say, “Welcome all the way aboard,” as you’ve been a Raxis consultant for two years now. What’s the biggest change you’ve noticed since joining us full-time?

Jim: Focus. Even though I’ve worked as a cybersecurity marketer for more than a decade, there’s still a very steep learning curve with penetration testing specifically – the tactics involved, the technologies you use, and even the vocabulary. Early on, I thought a CVE was made by Honda and that a Metasploit Module required medical intervention.

Bonnie: We have a glossary now that might help.

Jim: Haha! Yes, we do. Thank you for that, by the way!

Bonnie: You’ve worked in cybersecurity for a while, but that’s almost a second career for you, right?

Jim: At the very least, it’s an entirely different application of my skills from the first one.

Bonnie: You were a speechwriter for one of Florida’s previous governors, weren’t you? How did you get into that line of work?

Jim: This will sound like BS, but one night when I was 15, I heard a US Senator speak at a hometown fish fry, met a guy who said he was majoring in political science, and talked to an older man who told me about the importance of military service. Fast forward 12 years and I was a speechwriter for that former Senator who was now Governor Lawton Chiles. I was also an officer in the Florida National Guard with a political science degree from FSU.

Bonnie: Ha! That does sound like BS . . . or a very fortunate evening for you.

Jim: It would have been more fortunate to meet Bill Gates or Steve Jobs back then, but it certainly set the tone for the weirdness of my adult life. For example, I’ve had formal dinners in the Governor’s Mansion, but I’ve also fried fish on a creek bank. I’ve ridden in the Vice President’s motorcade during the same time I drove a Bronco with a rusted-out floorboard. There were so many times I wondered, “Am I really supposed to be here?”

Bonnie: Don’t worry, you’re in the right place. Do you miss working in politics?

Jim: Not in the least. I miss the people and the politics as they were then, but there was much more civility, respect, and appreciation for the complexities of public policy. Now, there’s a lot of unbridled and sometimes uninformed passion. As Arthur Schlesinger said, there’s “too much pluribus and not enough unum.”

Bonnie: You’ve obviously seen a lot of changes in your field. What do you consider most significant?

Jim: Emojis. I never thought hieroglyphics would make a comeback after all these millennia, but here we are.

Bonnie: You’re joking . . . I hope.

Jim: Really, I think it has been the convergent evolution of PR, marketing, and advertising. Those were very siloed disciplines for decades. Now, they’re just different starting points for conversations that happen mostly over social media.

Bonnie: Has that made it easier or harder to reach customers?

Jim: It’s a lot easier to get a message in front of customers but much harder to get them to notice. There are no more captive audiences listening to monologues from companies. The customers are in control, so businesses have to be ready to provide useful, high-quality information when and where buyers need it. And, of course, trust is everything. Word of poor service or a faulty product can, quite literally, travel around the world in minutes.

Marketing is still about authenticity and creativity, but the canvas is larger, and we have more colors and brushes to work with.

Bonnie: And emojis.

Jim: Yes!

Bonnie: I know one of your favorite tactics in these meet-the-team interviews is to get people to tell you about their hobbies or unusual things they’ve done. So, I’m going to do that with you.

Jim: My hobbies include backpacking, fishing, hunting, and any other reason I can dream up to be outdoors. I also like woodworking and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. As for unusual? Let’s see: I wrote a book about growing up on the Apalachicola River and the adventures we had in my small hometown. After it was published, my brother (a judge) pointed out that I had confessed in writing to two felonies and multiple misdemeanors.

Bonnie: You’re not in jail, so it must have worked out okay.

Jim: I’m not in jail, and mine is Amazon’s 537th bestselling book . . . in the hunting and fishing humor category. Win, win.

Bonnie: Yes, just a short hop away from the New York Times Bestseller List. Speaking of the Apalachicola River, isn’t that where that delicious tupelo honey comes from? We all look forward to getting that from you during the holidays. Also, don’t feel the need to stop just because you work for us now.

Jim: Noted. And, yes, I even named my company Tupelo Media. The Apalachicola River is one of two places where there are enough tupelo trees to produce the honey commercially. One of the jobs I had growing up was helping a beekeeper during tupelo season. Giving away jars of it is a great way to start conversations about the river — and it reminds me that I never want to be a beekeeper again.

Bonnie: That’s good because you still have work to do here. What’s your favorite part about working with Raxis?

Jim: I’ve worked with lots of different companies as a consultant and employee, so I’ve learned it’s easy to look at the bottom line and know how a business is performing in the short term. But it’s the team, the leadership, and the culture that will tell you whether the company will be successful for the long haul. My favorite part of working for Raxis is the certainty of being on a winning team made up of people I really like.

And the dancing penguin emoji. I love that guy.

Bonnie: Noted.

March 25, 2022
Meet the Team: Cole Stafford, Sales Development Representative

I’m Cole Stafford, the newest Raxis team member, working with Brad Herring, our Vice President of Business Development. Though I’ve only been with the company a short time, I’ve learned quickly that my coworkers are a special group of people with a fantastic reputation in the penetration-testing space. You can learn more about Raxis by watching some of our YouTube videos. If you like what you see, check out our careers page.

Jim: Cole, tell me what you’ve learned in the time you’ve been here at Raxis?

Cole: A lot! The first challenge has been getting to know everyone and understanding their roles. Then, of course, was learning how the process works – from our initial conversations with customers to scoping jobs correctly. To do it right, I’ve had to learn what the job really entails and what kinds of information the engineers need.

Jim: How did you find your way to Raxis?

Cole: Brad Herring (VP of Business Development) is a friend of a friend who told me about the job. The company had been interviewing candidates from all over the country and hadn’t found anyone that quite fit the role. When I heard what they were looking for, it sounded like a great fit.

Jim: Like Brad, you took an unconventional journey into the sales field, correct?

Cole: That’s right. I’m ultimately interested in a career in cybersecurity – hopefully as a pentester. Right now, I’m in college at Kennesaw State, studying computer science with a focus on cyber.

Jim: Is this job giving you some good experience you can apply in the future?

Cole: Yes. This has been a great chance to see how the things I’m learning in class are applied in the real world by a real cybersecurity company. I feel like I’m getting to look over the shoulders of the pros here at Raxis.

Jim: How did you get interested in the technology field?

Cole: It started with building computers for friends and family members. They would order the parts and pay me to assemble them. From there, I got interested in coding and started taking some online classes.

Jim: Now that you’re in college, I guess you’re not doing the online classes as much.

Cole: Actually, I am still taking come cybersecurity courses through https://tryhackme.com.

Jim: Raxis is a remote work company. Does that make the job easier or harder for you?

Cole: Raxis is remote, but a lot of our team members are in the Atlanta area where I am. That’s the best of both worlds because I don’t have a daily commute, but I can meet in person with Brad or others when I need to.

Jim: You live in Georgia, but where are you from originally?

Cole: I grew up in South Carolina, but I consider myself an Ohio native.

Jim: Were you born in Ohio?

Cole: No, I just have a lot of family there, and I spent summers with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It just seems more like ‘home’ to me than South Carolina. I still enjoy visiting there, catching up with family, fishing, and playing golf with my uncle. It’s very important to me to spend time with my family and friends.

Jim: Speaking of family, I understand that you and your dad enjoy restoring old cars and trucks.

Cole: Yep. We’ve restored old Chevy Blazers from 1970 and ’72, and a 1931 Model A Ford that we just sold recently. It’s like building computers in that there’s a lot of satisfaction in working with your hands and seeing your work come to life.

Jim: I realize you haven’t been at Raxis for very long, but what’s your favorite part so far?

Cole: Being a part of this team is really special. It’s obvious when we’re talking with customers that Raxis has a reputation for excellent work. Ones we’re working with tell us how much they enjoy working with our team, and a lot of our new customers are referrals.

Even though I’m fairly new, hearing about the great work our engineers do makes me proud to work for Raxis.

January 14, 2022
Meet the Team: Ashlyn Puckett, Social Media Specialist

I’m Ashlyn Puckett, social media specialist for Raxis. Though I’m a new employee, I’ve been an “associate” since the beginning. I also might be a little biased, but I really think you should follow Raxis on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Also, be sure to check out our careers page and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Jim: Of all the team members we’ve featured, you’re one of the two who can say you were there at the start.

Ashlyn: Ha! That’s right. Because my dad founded the company, I’ve gotten to watch Raxis grow since its launch in 2011. I was in elementary school back then, so being a part of the team now is a great full-circle moment for me, even though I just do part-time social media marketing.

Jim: Let’s talk about that. How did you decide that was something you wanted to do?

Ashlyn: I remember we were sitting at dinner one night with Bonnie (Smyre, COO) and my family, and someone made a comment about Raxis’ social media. Having seen the pages, I knew there were some changes I thought the brand could benefit from, so I made some recommendations. At that point, my dad suggested I work with our social media team to implement my ideas.

Jim: Is that something you’re considering as a career?

Ashlyn: It’s more of an interest than a career option. Currently, I am majoring in marketing with a concentration in digital marketing and a minor in English. However, I plan to graduate a year early to attend law school, which is my real passion. I do enjoy marketing, but it’s the legal field that piques my interest. In addition to my work with Raxis, I’m also working for a professor at LSU to gain some experience before I go to work with a law firm as a clerk or intern.

Jim: What sparked your interest in becoming a lawyer?

Ashlyn: As much as anything, I think it was my involvement with the Model United Nations organization during high school. I started when I was a sophomore, was vice president my junior year, and served as president when I was a senior. It started as a really small club with maybe 10 people, but I helped to grow the membership to about 20-30 people.

Jim: It sounds like you really put a lot of yourself into that organization. I understand you earned a lot of recognition for it as well.

Ashlyn: Well, I did win multiple awards at the conferences I went to (they tend to vary on titles but generally they’re called “distinguished delegate,” or “honorable delegation”). I put a lot of effort into creating speeches, lessons, and coordinating for the club, but I had an amazing team helping me through it all. Their dedication – working before, during, and after school – was really the reason we were so successful.

Jim: You’re at Louisiana State University (LSU) now. College life must be incredibly busy, especially with two part-time jobs.

Ashlyn: Three, actually! I’m also working with the Office of Business Student Success (OBSS). And, yes, it’s crazy busy, but it’s also fun.

Jim: I’ve heard LSU has a football team. Any truth to that rumor?

Ashlyn: Now that you mention it, I’m way more into football than I thought I would ever be, but I guess that’s what I get for going to an SEC school. I also just love the culture here in Louisiana. There’s something to be said about the overwhelming pride people have for their school and state. They’re just so upfront and in your face about everything, which I love because that’s how I’ve always been.

Jim: I don’t see how you would find the time, but are you involved in any extracurricular activities?

Ashlyn: As a matter of fact, I am. Recently I became the president of Pi Sigma Epsilon – Beta Xi chapter, which is a national business organization focusing on marketing, management, and sales. Just like Model UN, it’s a smaller club – about 30 members, at present. My goal is to help transform it into something awesome!

Jim: Do you have any time to just relax? Hobbies?

Ashlyn: My schedule is hectic, but I play the cello and read (for pleasure) when I have time. Other than that, I like to consider myself something of a food tourist. I love going to good restaurants and trying new and strange things, particularly if they’re spicy. It’s quite a fitting hobby for living in Louisiana. I can honestly say I haven’t had bad food here yet.

Jim: Keeping in mind that your dad is going to read this, how do you like working for Raxis?

Ashlyn: I can say very honestly that I have really enjoyed working with Teresa (Zwierzchowski, social media director), Bonnie, and the rest of the Raxis team. Everyone is genuinely kind and helpful, and you can tell they are all excited about the work they are doing.

December 31, 2021
Meet the Team: Mark Fabian, Senior Penetration Tester

My name is Mark Fabian – but to my friends and colleagues, it’s just Fabian. Today, I’m in the spotlight, discussing what really is my dream job — lead penetration tester here at Raxis. After just a few short months, I can highly recommend that you check our careers page and our YouTube channel to see if this is the career path and company for you.

Jim: Mark, I think it’s important to let folks know that you represent “Raxis West” as the only Californian on the team.

Fabian: That’s right. I’ve spent all but four years of my life in Northern California, here in the Sacramento area. Even the time away was just down south in San Diego.

Jim: You must like it out there.

Fabian: This is a perfect spot for folks who like to spend more time outdoors than indoors. Personally, I enjoy all kinds of activities like hiking, wakeboarding, dirt biking, riding jet skis, going out on houseboats, and just hanging out at the lake with my friends.

Jim: Sounds like you’re definitely in the right place.

Fabian: Yeah, the weather out here is great, though the water levels at the lakes have been down this year. There’s also an amazing number of activities within just a short drive, such as snowboarding or surfing.

Jim: Speaking of activities, I understand you’re a musician.

Fabian: I play guitar and some other instruments . . .

Jim: You should get together with Tim Semchenko. He can sing while you play.

Fabian: I was actually in a band for a few years that played metal and punk. I love all things music. I even used to run the soundboard for my church.

Jim: You have that in common with (VP of Business Development) Brad Herring.

Fabian: That’s interesting because church is also how I got started building websites. I made a remark about how outdated the church’s site was and they invited me to do better. The short version of the story is that I did and that became my duty.

Jim: Is that how you first got into tech?

Fabian: My interest in technology started a lot earlier. When I first started using the internet, we had an old, slow dial-up connection. But my neighbor had a much faster connection and Wi-Fi. As a joke, he said if I cracked the password, then I could use his Wi-Fi. I don’t think he ever expected me to crack it, but I did. Faster internet, here I come!

Jim: Are you really telling me that hacking was one of your first tech achievements?

Fabian: Ha! I guess so.

Jim: Geez. Where do you go from there?

Fabian: For me, it transformed into an interest in the mechanical side. I started repairing smart phones and tablets, adding memory to computers . . . that kind of stuff, mostly for friends and relatives.

Jim: That mechanical interest went beyond computers, though, right?

Fabian: Right. I grew up rebuilding cars and taking them to the track.

Jim: (Raxis CEO) Mark Puckett must have enjoyed your interview.

Fabian: Apparently, since I got the job. When I talked about my interest in cars, (COO) Bonnie Smyre joked, “Well, that’s it. We probably don’t need to know any more.” But I should add that I work on older, slower cars. No Porsches or Lamborghinis. And our track is more for drifting than racing.

Jim: Did you find you had a knack for mechanic work, a greasy thumb or something?

Fabian: Yes, as I kid, I used to rebuild gas powered scooters. Also thought it would be a blast to take a weed-whacker motor and attach it to my bike. It did not disappoint. As I grew, the projects just got bigger. So, I started rebuilding car engines, changing out the suspension, doing custom fab work, and so forth.

Jim: Did you consider making that a career?

Fabian: In a way, yes. When I really focused on what I wanted to do for a living, three possibilities were at the top of the list: helicopter pilot, master mechanic, or a job in the tech field. But helicopter instruction is very expensive, and it would have taken as long to be a master mechanic as it did to develop the same level of skills in the tech field. Plus, technology seemed more versatile.

Jim: Once you decided on technology, how did you decide that penetration testing was going to be your area of focus?

Fabian: That was always my biggest interest. I just didn’t know how to get there at the time. So, I started with building websites, affiliate marketing, landing pages, that kind of stuff.

Jim: College?

Fabian: I did get my A.A. degree in computer science, but then I decided to start working on certifications instead of continuing in college. I got a helpdesk job because I thought that would be a good first step.

Jim: Seems like it was.

Fabian: It was, but there were a lot more steps in between. I went from doing helpdesk work to becoming an IT admin. I moved from there into a security operations center (SOC) analyst role to doing blue and purple team assignments. Finally, I landed at Raxis.

Jim: Is it as good as you thought it would be?

Fabian: Absolutely. This was the dream job, and working with the Raxis team has been an incredible experience. I love offensive security, finding and exploiting new vulnerabilities, and learning more every day. I also appreciate that we get to work independently, but we can reach out when we need help and offer help when it’s needed.

“As others have said, the people are terrific and have a wealth of knowledge. They have high expectations for performance, but they give the team members a lot of flexibility and they encourage creativity.”
Mark Fabian

December 17, 2021
Meet the Team: Andrew Trexler, Senior Penetration Tester

I’m Andrew Trexler, senior penetration tester and one of the newest members of the Raxis team. Recently, I spoke with our marketing specialist about how I got interested in penetration testing and what led me to Raxis. Take a look at our careers page — Raxis is always interested in speaking with qualified pentesters who may fit well with our team. So, visit the page and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Jim: Andrew, you started at Raxis recently, but you’ve been involved in information security for a while now, right?

Andrew: Yes, I graduated from Pitt in three-and-a-half years. After I finished, I really wanted to focus my attention on cybersecurity, and I became obsessed with pen testing.

Jim: From what I’ve heard, you earned a couple of high-end certifications as well.

Andrew: I had my bachelor’s degree in Information Science, but, in the penetration testing field, certifications are just as important, if not more so. While I was looking for a job, I earned the Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) and the eLearning Junior Penetration Tester (eJPT) certifications.

Jim: Other Raxis team members have told me the OSCP is a very difficult cert to get. Was that your experience?

Andrew: It took a lot of work over a long period of time. I only had a month of lab time, but I began studying for it five months before that. For the final exam, I had 24 hours to hack into five computers.

Jim: That sounds painful.

Andrew: The test was hard, but I really enjoyed the labs. My favorite was hacking into one computer, finding nothing on it, then figuring out how to use that computer to hack into others that did house the data I was after.

Jim: What spurred your interest in technology initially?

Andrew: I’ve always enjoyed computers. They’ve always just made sense to me, and so, in high school, I took all the computer classes that were available. Majoring in information science at Pitt was a natural next step. That’s where I got interested in network security and figured out that hacking and breaking into things is just plain fun.

Jim: How did you find out about Raxis?

Andrew: I was just looking around on the internet and came across the website. I interviewed with several companies, but Raxis really stood out.

Jim: How so?

Andrew: For one thing, (chief operating officer) Bonnie Smyre really went out of her way on multiple occasions to make sure my questions were answered and to encourage me to take the job. The people I spoke with all seemed to enjoy what they do. It really felt like a happy family and it still does.

Jim: You’ve said that hacking and breaking into things is fun, but I understand you’re also an expert at blowing things up.

Andrew: I guess you could say that. On occasion, I get to be a pyrotechnics artist, putting on fireworks shows.

Jim: I’m tempted to say, “That must be a blast,” but I’m sure you’ve heard that one before.

Andrew: Ah, yeah, a few times.

Jim: In all seriousness, it seems like that would be very exciting or terrifying, depending on your perspective. How did you get into that?

Andrew: It started out as a one-time thing, helping my cousin put on a show. Next thing I know, I’m a trained technician.

Jim: Where do you put on your shows?

Andrew: My hometown is here in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh. We do shows here and as far away as Altoona. Mostly for the minor league baseball games.

Jim: Isn’t that a dangerous occupation?

Andrew: We take a lot of precautions, so we keep our operations very safe. It takes us anywhere from an hour to three hours to set up for what, sometimes, is a 15-minute show. Also, our mistakes tend to be blown up or burned up.

Jim: You don’t make many, I’m guessing.

Andrew: Ha! None that you know about.

Jim: It seems like fireworks would be computer-controlled nowadays? Is there a high-tech component to that work?

Andrew: Some of the bigger shows use electronic controls, but, for the most part, ours are just old-fashioned fuse-lit fireworks.

“Even the most senior people at Raxis will stop what they’re doing and help you out when you need it. On top of that, these are fun people to work with who are really, really smart.”
Andrew Trexler

Jim: It’s hard to compare with the excitement of a fireworks show, but you obviously enjoy your work with Raxis. What’s your favorite part so far?

Andrew: What I’ve enjoyed most so far is being able to ask questions of my teammates and answer theirs when I can. The culture is one in which everyone is here for everyone else. Even the most senior people at Raxis will stop what they’re doing and help you out when you need it. On top of that, these are fun people to work with who are really, really smart.

December 3, 2021
Meet the Team: Mark Puckett, CEO

I’m Mark Puckett, CEO of Raxis. By now, you’ve met all but the newest members of our team, so it’s time I step up and tell you more about how this company came to be. Before I do, however, you should know that the secret to Raxis’ success is the incredible individuals you’ve met up to this point. I’ve never worked directly or indirectly with a finer group of people anywhere. I’m fortunate to call them colleagues and friends. If you’d like to be a part of our team – and you have what it takes – keep an eye on our careers page. Maybe you can be part of our exciting future.

Jim: Mark, it’s a small percentage of people who have the courage to start a business – and then only a relative handful that enjoy the success Raxis has had over the past decade. How did you decide that launching a business was the right move?

Mark: Initially, I chose a different path by working for large corporations like GE and Home Depot, as school always taught us that was the best path for success. Yet, I always had an interest in starting a business. My mother is an entrepreneur at heart. My parents owned a jewelry store when I was growing up. Later, my mom started a translating and interpreting agency that provided language services for the legal industry. It took some time for me to realize that I had that same inclination toward entrepreneurship.

Jim: Was Raxis your first attempt at starting a business?

Mark: Yes and no. I’ve owned the raxis.com domain name since 1999, and it started out as a website hosting business. Then it morphed into a rental property management company, an SEO business, back to web hosting, and then to secure software development. But after 18 years in corporate America and toying with side-businesses, I decided it was time to take a shot at making Raxis my full-time endeavor, only this time as a penetration testing company.

Jim: With apologies to Tolkien, one doesn’t simply walk into pentesting. You must have had a strong background in security to even consider the field.

Mark: That’s true. Penetration testing became an interest of mine years ago when my career pushed me in that direction. I moved from a network and application security defense role to managing Home Depot’s internal Red Team. After a couple of years in that role, I found I really enjoyed penetration testing and realized it had a lot of business potential as a relatively young concept at the time.

Jim: Seems like a scary prospect to jump in with both feet.

Mark: Knowing that you can’t really tell two stories well, I knew I had to leave Home Depot and take a chance at running Raxis full time. For a true entrepreneur, the scariest proposition is not pursuing an idea. So, I left Home Depot in 2011 to chase my dream. That dream, known to many as Raxis, has been profitable since inception and growing steadily to date.

Jim: A very common theme among most of the Raxis team is this intense curiosity that seems to be present from an early age. Was that true of you as well?

Mark: As a matter of fact, yes. And I think that deep curiosity is a character trait you’ll find among all the best ethical hackers. We know there’s a way in, and we will find it. And I can remember that same feeling of determination from early in life.

Jim: How did that emerge?

Mark: First, it was an interest in electronics that started when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I really enjoyed taking apart electronic toys and appliances to see how they worked. I’d salvage all sorts of parts like motors, lights, LEDs (only in red at the time), and switches. I came up with all sorts of little projects just for fun, like fasten parts to a cardboard box to make a “switchboard.” Mine was only able to turn on and off lights and run a DC-powered fan that used a popsicle stick for a prop, but I really thought it was fun to build. My parents correctly realized they were on to something. So, they got me a 50-in-1 electronics kit from Radio Shack that I absolutely loved.

Jim: Was that your ‘gateway’ tech?

Mark: Yes, apparently so. Because, as soon as computer technology became affordable to consumers, I had to have one. My first computer at age 8 was a Tandy Color Computer 2, also from Radio Shack. I taught myself how to write BASIC programs from typing in code I got from a computer magazine subscription. That began a life-long relationship with technology. After the Tandy CoCo 2, I became an avid IBM PC clone fan, then to Linux, Windows, and now MacOS X.

Jim: Another theme that recurs in these interviews is the close-knit relationship among the team members. Raxis’ COO Bonnie Smyre talked about your friendship that began in high school and continued through the years. And (VP of business development) Brad Herring is a longtime friend as well, right?

Mark: That’s right. I’ve been friends with Bonnie since high school, and we stayed in touch until I convinced her to join Raxis several years ago. I’ve known Brad even longer. My family moved from Carrollton, Georgia to Marietta when I was 10 years old. I met Brad in middle school, and he was my first new friend in a new town. He also had a computer and really enjoyed technology, so we had a lot in common. There were times our lives led us in different directions, but we always were able to keep in touch. We were catching up at a lunch, just as we did every now and then, when I mentioned to Brad that I needed some help with generating more business for Raxis. Brad jumped in with both feet and was able to build a first-rate sales program that has exceeded expectation since inception

Jim: Speaking of Brad, he told me that, in addition to your love of technology and electronics, you also have a longtime passion for cars. Is that what keeps you busy when you’re not focused on Raxis?

Mark: Aside from spending as much time as I can with my lovely wife and three beautiful daughters, I seem to be a jack of all trades and master of none when it comes to hobbies. My favorite hobby is pretending to be a race driver at Road Atlanta. I also enjoy boating (but not so much fishing), cycling, photography, videography, astronomy, and home theater.

Jim: One of the Raxis YouTube videos discusses teamwork as the company’s “secret sauce.” What’s your take on that statement?

Mark: Truer words were never spoken. Raxis hires people, not positions. We look for folks who care about making a difference more than just making a paycheck. It takes longer to find the right team members, but it’s so worth it when you see how well all our various skillsets complement each other. And, even though we’ve got absurdly talented people here, we don’t have giant egos to deal with. As a result, we’re continuously learning from each other and our customers get the best service possible.

I don’t take credit for their great work, but I’m certainly proud to be a catalyst for bringing them all onto one team.

November 19, 2021
Meet the Team: Brad Herring, VP of Business Development

I’m Brad Herring, VP of business development for Raxis. In that role, I work very closely with our marketing specialist on a near-daily basis. So, our interview was more like an extension of our normal conversations. And that’s one of the great things about working with Raxis – we’re a tight-knit team. We’re professionals who are also friends and family-of-choice. If that sounds like a work environment you’d enjoy, please subscribe to our YouTube channel and check our careers page to learn more.

Jim: Brad, in many cases, you’re the first Raxis team member customers interact with. That seems like it would be incredibly hard.

Brad: Actually, it’s one of my favorite parts of the job.

Jim: I meant for the customers.

Brad: Ha! Yes, for them I’m sure it’s very hard. But once they’re done with me, they get to deal with Tim (Semchenko) and our engineers. So, there’s light at the end of that tunnel.

Jim: Raxis has a lot of new and repeat business, so I’m obviously joking. Tell us more about why you enjoy working with customers and potential customers.

Brad: It’s because I know that we’re genuinely helping them become more secure and, by extension, making the world a little bit better place. I know that sounds hokey, but it really is true.

Jim: You’re doing sales, but that’s not really your background. How did you land in this role?

Brad: I really enjoy telling the story about how our CEO, Mark Puckett, has been a friend since childhood. We’ve always shared a love for computers and cars. After he founded Raxis, he asked for my take on a different business venture he was considering. He decided against that opportunity, but Mark told me that he thought I would be a good fit for Raxis. I said, “Anything but sales.”

Jim: Yet, here you are!

Brad: That goes to show how good Mark is at selling.

Jim: But you are a storyteller at heart and you have a strong technical background as well.

Brad: Yes, my background is in theater. My actual major at Kennesaw State was in Acting and Directing. (I also minored in business law, just to keep people guessing.) And, believe it or not, storytelling is a lot of what I do when I’m speaking with customers. I never know how much technical knowledge someone is bringing to the table, so I have to be sure I understand the technical parts of our job well enough to explain it to people who have little or no expertise on the subject.

Jim: But you also have to work with CIOs and CISOs who live and breathe this stuff.

Brad: Yes, I do. And that’s where I’m fortunate that much of my theater career was spent in the more technical realms of sound and lighting. I owned two companies and did a lot of work for theaters, both indoor and outdoor, as well as houses of worship. A lot of that work is computer-driven, and the technology is based on network protocols.

Jim: I’m sensing that your early love of computers helped pull you in the technical direction, at least in part.

Brad: Absolutely! My first computer was an old Commodore VIC-20 with no storage media. So, if you wanted to play a game, for example, you had to type in pages of commands from books, debug them, hope the power didn’t go out, and then watch all that work disappear when you switched it off. I remember digital cassette recorders as life-changing technology. Then modems came along and gave guys like Mark and me an opportunity to share our passion and connect with others. And, really, those computer-to-computer connections were the origin of the Internet and the main reason why penetration testing is so necessary now.

Jim: What does a typical day at work look like for you.

Brad: You know me. Nothing about me or my work is ever ‘typical’ — and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I do spend a lot of time negotiating with customers — again, making sure that we’re selling them what they need. I’m also involved, as you know, in marketing our services. I still enjoy production work, creating videos that showcase our talented team members, and checking in with other company leadership to make sure we’re on the same page.

Jim: You also have a lot of projects around the house to keep you busy, right?

Brad: My home and property are projects. In fact, sometimes it seems like my life is a project. We have chickens and a garden to tend. I just got done rebuilding an antique tractor that our CTO, Brian Tant, gave me. There are boats to tinker with, a jeep to keep alive, and a lot of carpentry and metal work that keeps me busy.

Jim: And you still have time for your faith and your family.

Brad: Yes. Those are the most significant treasures in my life, and I’m very fortunate that Raxis gives me the flexibility and time I need to nurture them. I’m also privileged to work for the ‘good guys’ in this world and help my children understand the importance of standing up for what’s right. Ultimately, I think that’s what determines whether or not a job is fulfilling and worthwhile — I know that the world is a better place because Raxis is here.

November 5, 2021