From DJ Decks to Cloud Architecture - Shannon Eldridge-Kuehn

In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, we chat with Shannon Eldridge-Kuehn, a seasoned technologist whose career spans from spinning vinyl as a DJ to leading cloud and FinOps consulting. Shannon shares her unique journey into tech, driven by curiosity and a desire to record her DJ sets, which ultimately led to a successful career in cloud infrastructure, Azure, platform engineering, and FinOps. We explore Shannon’s transition into IT without a traditional tech background, her time at Microsoft, and her current work in FinOps. She discusses the challenges of cloud adoption, navigating imposter syndrome, and why strong communication skills are just as critical as technical ones. This episode is a masterclass in resilience, career evolution, and staying curious. 

 
Topics covered: 

• Breaking into tech via DJing 

• Early career lessons from help desk roles and hands-on troubleshooting 

• Cloud migration challenges and avoiding costly lift-and-shift mistakes 

• FinOps fundamentals and practical cost governance tips 

• Finding your “superpower” and overcoming imposter syndrome 

• The value of public speaking and active listening in career growth 

• Hosting customer conversations with empathy and technical confidence 

• Real-life DJ gear disasters and live demo blunders 

Notable quote: “Imposter syndrome is real—but the thing you're worried about is what everyone else is worried about too.” 

Guest Bio & Links: 

Shannon Eldridge-Kuehn is a Principal Solutions Architect at AHEAD with a unique blend of technical depth and strong communication roots. A University of Nebraska–Lincoln graduate in Communication Studies with a minor in English, she began her journey into tech through DJing and audio troubleshooting, which sparked a passion for problem-solving. Over time, she progressed from help desk roles into advanced infrastructure and cloud engineering, with experience spanning Windows systems, VMware, Exchange, Office 365, and Azure. Her career includes roles at Microsoft and 10th Magnitude, where her love for cloud truly flourished. Shannon leverages her background in public speaking and writing to bridge the gap between business needs and technical solutions. 
 

Check out PDQ: https://pdq.com/podcast 

Connect with Andrew: https://andrewpla.tech/links 

Shannon's Blog: https://www.shankuehn.io/ 

https://x.com/shankuehn 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonkuehn/ 

https://github.com/sbkuehn 

The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gF4LW8Mz2eU