The PowerShell Podcast

The Powershell Podcast Summit sessions with Adam Rivera, Asmar Fontenot, & Luis Orta

In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, we bring you another Summit Sessions special recorded live at the PowerShell + DevOps Global Summit 2025! This episode is a celebration of first-time attendees, newcomers to the PowerShell community, and those discovering their voice in tech. Andrew Pla sits down with passionate IT professionals who share their personal stories of growth, connection, and finding purpose through PowerShell and community.
Whether you're just starting your automation journey or you're looking to reconnect with your "why," this episode is packed with inspiration, encouragement, and honest reflections on what it means to grow in public, contribute meaningfully, and be part of something bigger.

Guests in this episode include:
Adam Rivera – An IT manager turned PowerShell enthusiast, Adam shares his Summit experience, the joy of hands-on learning, and why he wants to empower his users with automation. His journey from podcast listener to Summit participant shows the real impact of showing up and taking a chance on growth.

Asmar Fontenot – First-time Summit attendee who speaks passionately about soft skills, mentorship, and embracing a "jack of all trades" background. Asmar reflects on his career, the power of face-to-face connection, and why helping others and being authentic are his driving forces in tech. https://www.linkedin.com/in/asmar-fontenot/

Luis Orta – A cloud systems engineer serving rural health clinics across the Pacific Northwest, Luis brings a powerful sense of mission and purpose to his work. He shares how PowerShell helps enable critical care for underserved communities, and how creativity, through music and code, fuels meaningful progress. https://www.linkedin.com/in/luisrorta/

Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewplatech/

The PowerShell Podcast: https://pdq.com/the-powershell-podcast 

The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ChItOJcsf48

 

The PowerShell Podcast Summit 2025 - Missy, Leslie, & Hailey

In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, we bring you a special edition live from the PowerShell + DevOps Global Summit 2025 — the Summit Sessions! This episode is packed with energy, community stories, and career inspiration as Andrew Pla chats with community leaders, organizers, and first-time contributors about what makes this event and the PowerShell community so special.

Guests in this episode include:

• Missy Januszko – Longtime content director of the Summit reflects on her years of shaping the conference, what makes a great CFP (Call for Papers), and her decision to pass the torch to the next generation of leaders.
• Leslie Brendible– Steps up in a big way to help lead this year's Summit, sharing her background in event planning, her love for connecting people, and her thoughts on community and representation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliebrendible/

• Hailey Phillips – PowerShell MVP and champion of soft skills, vulnerability, and personal development in tech. Hailey dives into mentorship, therapy, imposter syndrome, and how modeling behavior can shape the culture of teams and communities. https://www.linkedin.com/in/hailey-phillips-b1744882/ 

The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/87axet9zvyQ

The PowerShell Podcast: https://pdq.com/the-powershell-podcast

 

PowerShell Summit Bar Sessions 2025 - David R

In this casual bar-session chat recorded at the PowerShell + DevOps Global Summit 2025, host Andrew Pla sits down with David R, a first-time attendee with a passion for learning PowerShell. David shares how the PowerShell Podcast itself inspired him to attend and helped shape his scripting journey. What began as a work assignment turned into a powerful learning path, community connection, and a personal transformation.

PowerShell Summit Bar Sessions 2025 - Frank Lesniak

In this episode of the PowerShell Summit 2025 Bar Sessions, Frank Lesniak makes a triumphant return to the podcast. Frank has taken the reigns In this two-sided interview, Frank flips the script and interviews Andrew, but only after we talk about how his week is going, fine dining, how to grow in your career and capitalize on opportunity, the value of empowering others, and more!

 

Links:

The PowerShell Podcast: https://pdq.com/the-powershell-podcast 

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

 

PowerShell Summit Bar Sessions 2025 - Steven Judd

In this episode of the PowerShell Summit Bar Sessions we talk with Steven Judd. We talk about Summit, Sean Kearney Spirit award, community, career, and more!

Steven Judd is a 25+ year IT Pro

Links:
Get more updates from Summit from LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewplatech/

https://blog.stevenjudd.com/My-Content-List/

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

https://www.powershellsummit.org/

https://mvp.stevenjudd.com https://mydemoswork.com

https://store.stevenjudd.com

 all proceeds go towards buying more swag to give away (he has a lot, trust me)

PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6WTIsOnT5PU

The PowerShell Podcast: https://pdq.com/the-powershell-podcast 

 

Discovering the Deeper Layers of PowerShell with Jeff Hicks

In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, we’re joined by the legendary Jeff Hicks, PowerShell educator, author, speaker, and community pillar. With decades of experience shaping the PowerShell landscape, Jeff returns to the podcast to share insights from his latest projects, discuss the evolution of the community, and offer wisdom for both new and experienced PowerShell users. From PowerShell Summit to writing foundational books and building up new contributors, Jeff continues to play a critical role in shaping the PowerShell ecosystem.

 

Key topics in this episode include:

• The human side of scripting – Writing PowerShell that is usable, flexible, and considerate of others' needs.
• Behind the PowerShell Pipeline – Jeff’s new LeanPub book exploring deeper PowerShell principles.
• Fundamental PowerShell commands – Get-Help, Get-Command, Get-Member, and why every PowerShell user should master them.
• How to troubleshoot PowerShell like a pro – Why starting simple, verbose logging, and clear design make all the difference.
• Reflections on PowerShell Summit – The importance of community, hallway conversations, and building the next wave of contributors.
• Teaching as a path to mastery – Why giving back through mentorship, writing, and speaking strengthens both your skills and the community.

Jeff also shares his advice for nervous first-time speakers and attendees, and why being kind is one of the most impactful things you can do - both in and outside of tech.

 

Bio and Links: 

Jeffery Hicks is an IT Pro veteran with 35 years of experience, much of it spent as an IT infrastructure professional specializing in Microsoft server technologies with an emphasis on automation and efficiency. He has been a Microsoft MVP since 2007 for his work in PowerShell. 

 Jeff is a respected and well-known author, teacher, and consultant. He has taught or presented PowerShell content and the benefits of automation to IT Pros worldwide since its inception. He has authored, co-authored, and edited several books, contributed to numerous online sites, and, back when it was still a thing, several print publications. Jeff is a Pluralsight author and a frequent speaker at technology conferences and user groups. 

• Check out all of Jeff's links and follow him here: https://jdhitsolutions.github.io/ 
• Check out his book Behind the PowerShell Pipeline on LeanPub: https://leanpub.com/behind-the-pspipeline 
• Join PowerShell Wednesdays at 2 PM EST on discord.gg/pdq 
• Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn and share your PowerShell story: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewplatech/ 
• The PowerShell Podcast: https://pdq.com/the-powershell-podcast
• The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cdtxSI8Tq3E

From Proper Football to Databases with Jess Pomfret

In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, we reconnect with Jess Pomfret, a PowerShell and SQL Server powerhouse, LinkedIn Learning instructor, and community advocate. From her early days in England to becoming a respected speaker and consultant, Jess shares her journey into tech, her passion for automation, and the importance of mentorship, curiosity, and community.

Key topics in this episode include:

• Jess’s transition from footballer to DBA – How a soccer scholarship led her to a tech career in the U.S.
• The power of PowerShell and DBA Tools – How Jess leverages PowerShell to automate SQL Server tasks and save time.
• Finding a community in SQL and PowerShell – Jess reflects on how welcoming both communities are and the impact they’ve had on her career.
• Career growth through speaking and mentoring – Encouraging others to speak, contribute, and grow through conferences and collaboration.
• Working with Data Masterminds – The benefits of working in a high-level consulting team and tips for managing multiple clients and context switching.
• LinkedIn Learning and teaching at scale – Behind the scenes of her professional training content and what it’s like filming for LinkedIn Learning.

Jess also shares her favorite DBA Tools command, productivity tips for conferences, and the story behind her podcast Finding Data Friends, which highlights voices in the data world.

 

Bio and links:

Jess Pomfret is a Data Platform Engineer and a Dual Microsoft MVP. She started working with SQL Server in 2011, and enjoys the problem-solving aspects of automating processes with PowerShell. She also enjoys contributing to dbatools and dbachecks, two open source PowerShell modules that aid DBAs with automating the management of SQL Server instances. She has also contributed to the SqlServerDsc module, adding several new resources to use when configuring your SQL Servers. She grew up in the South West of England and outside of her DBA life enjoys Crossfit, cycling and watching proper football. 

• Connect with Jess on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpomfret and Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jpomfret.co.uk
• Watch Finding Data Friends on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@findingdatafriends/videos
• Check out her LinkedIn Learning courses: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/instructors/jess-pomfret
• Explore DBA Tools at dbatools.io
• Join PowerShell Wednesdays at 2 PM EST on https://discord.gg/pdq
• The PowerShell Podcast: https://pdq.com/the-powershell-podcast
• The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/L4zABO526bM

How to Build an IT Career from the Ground Up with Kevin Apolinario (KevTech)

In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, we welcome Kevin of KevTech IT Support, a well-known mentor and educator in the IT community. With a background in fast food and law enforcement, Kevin shares his inspiring journey into IT and how he leveraged mentorship, home labs, and community engagement to build a thriving career. We dive into help desk fundamentals, breaking into IT, career development, and Kevin helps give you a map to career success.Key topics in this episode include:

• Kevin’s journey from fast food and law enforcement to IT – How he transitioned careers and found success.
• The power of mentorship and community support – Why helping others accelerates your own growth.
• How to break into IT without a traditional background – The role of home labs, self-study, and networking.
• Building an IT career with practical skills – Why Active Directory, Office 365, and PowerShell are crucial.
• The importance of communication and customer service in IT – Why soft skills can be just as valuable as technical knowledge.
• How to stand out in job interviews and secure promotions – The value of documenting progress and advocating for yourself.

Kevin also shares insights into KevTech Academy, his mentorship program, and why building a personal brand through blogging and LinkedIn can help IT professionals land jobs faster.

 

Bio and Links:

Kevin Apolinario is an IT career coach and trainer dedicated to helping others break into tech. With experience in MSPs, Apple, education, hedge funds, and 12 years in the restaurant industry, he provides hands-on IT training through Jobskillshare and has trained students globally with Techskills Institute. He speaks at conferences and also runs a YouTube channel with nearly 100,000 subscribers, offering practical guidance on IT careers and technical skills.

• Follow Kevin on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram (@KevTechITSupport)
• Check out KevTech Academy at https://kevtechitsupport.com
• Join PowerShell Wednesdays every Wednesday at 2 PM EST in the PDQ Discord http://discord.gg/pdq
• The PowerShell Podcast: https://pdq.com/the-powershell-podcast
• The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RrNyh6EuD_Q