Tag: Culture

  • 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.”

    Brad Herring (l) and Raxis CEO Mark Puckett ®

    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.

    Brad on the 1946 Ford 2N tractor he rebuilt. (Not pictured: An ocean of hydraulic fluid spilled on his garage floor during the process.)

    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.

  • A Note from the Hacker-in-Chief

    Raxis is an amazing place to work. 

    As founder and CEO, I say that with a great deal of pride – and only one (very important) qualifier. 

    Raxis is an amazing place to work if you’re the right person for the job.

    Over the past several weeks, you’ve heard from our employees about what makes it special to be part of our team. 

    Throughout this series, they told you what it‘s like to work for Raxis, the skills needed to be a penetration tester, and how communication is key to, not only our success, but also the success of our clients. While I am very proud of what Raxis has done and how good we are at it, I am even more proud of the culture we have created. 

    At Raxis, we truly believe in fostering a culture of education. We take pride in the learning environment we have created and the continued growth of our people. We encourage our employees to constantly expand on their skills and to share as they go — when one learns, we all learn. 

    We also believe in giving our employees the freedom to do their job on their own time. With that freedom, the expectation of results is understood. Our fully remote team is made up of people who don’t need constant supervision and instruction. Instead, our team is driven by their commitment to finding results for our customers. 

    Most importantly, when it comes to fostering the Raxis culture, it comes down to teamwork. Our diverse team is composed of some of the brightest minds in the business all bringing different backgrounds and skillsets. We learn from one another, and by learning and working together, we provide amazing value for our clients. 

    Now, I’ll let you in on a little secret: What makes it special to me is all of them – the world-class team of professionals we’ve assembled. Their intellect, tech skills, experience, and personalities make each day interesting, exciting, and incredibly rewarding.

    Being part of the Raxis team is not an easy job, but it is a fun job. Again, if you’re the right person for it.

    Do you have what it takes to be part of our team? Please make sure to watch all the videos in this series. Honestly assess your ability to thrive in an environment where we value accountability far more than control. Where freedom and flexibility bring out our absolute best work. And where we’re as excited about tomorrow’s challenges as today’s victories. 

    If that sounds like your ideal work environment – and you’ve got the skills to hit the ground running – then let us hear from you.

     

  • A Culture of Freedom with an Expectation of Results

    When it comes to choosing a job, there are so many things to consider – benefits, responsibilities, leadership, and of course pay — to name just a few.

    But for many, a company’s culture is near the top of that list. In fact, an Indeed survey found that 72 percent of job seekers say that it is extremely or very important to see details about company culture in job descriptions. The survey also found that 46 percent of job seekers said they would not apply to a job if they did not believe it would be a good culture fit for them. That’s pretty eye opening.

    At Raxis, we look for talented people we know will work well with our unique culture. If you think that makes us very selective when hiring, I’d say that’s accurate. But here’s why: We give our employees a great deal of freedom about when and how to get their jobs done. With a fully remote team, we hire people who don’t need constant supervision and instruction. Instead, they are driven by a powerful desire to get results for our customers, and we hold them accountable for doing just that.

    Not everyone works well in that type of environment — and that’s okay. There are lots of tech jobs with an abundance of structure and routine. But if you’re the type who thrives outside a rigid environment, and you do your best work independently, check out the video below (and others in the series).

    Raxis lead penetration tester Scottie Cole talks about the freedom he has as a Raxis team member and the tremendous responsibility that comes along with it.

    We know how important culture is to prospective employees. It’s just that important to Raxis, too. If you’re a talented cybersecurity pro who values flexibility and is committed to results, you’re the kind of person we want to hear from.

    For more information, check out our careers page and the rest of our website to see what we offer.

    Want to learn more? Take a look at the first part of our Working at Raxis discussion.