Learn to Code With Me

With a full-time job as a worship pastor and as a single dad of three girls, Chris Misterek couldn’t afford to take any job that required him to be away from home. So on a friend’s recommendation, he started looking into web design, took courses, and even started building websites for his friends’ businesses or blogs.

He eventually found his way to Showit, a family-oriented tech company, and in this episode, Chris talks about his transition from being a pastor to a web designer, time management strategies, the importance of having a variety of skills, and the role of Upwork in the development of his career.

Learn more about Chris, host Laurence Bradford, and everything we discussed in this episode at learntocodewith.me/podcast.

Thank you to this episode’s partner, Interview Cake, one of the best coding interview preparation courses out there! Learn To Code With Me listeners get 20% off at learntocodewith.me/cake.

Host Laurence Bradford shares an update on Learn to Code with Me, including what’s new for Season 7 of the podcast. She also shares a few major updates on her life and business since Season 6 wrapped in October 2019, plus an exciting look at what’s to come in this 8-episode season of the Learn to Code With Me Podcast.

Special Announcement: The biggest Learn to Code With Me event of the year is right around the corner — the 2020 Ultimate Tech Career Toolbox bundle sale. 

This year, you can save over $3,700 in premium tech and coding courses. Here’s the catch though - the sale is only 5 days long. This year it’s happening from Monday, June 22nd - Friday, June 26th. 

Be the first to hear when the sale goes live by signing up for notifications at learntocodewith.me/toolbox2020

Additional Links mentioned:

• We’re now on YouTube! Check out Episode 1 (already live) at learntocodewith.me/youtube.
• Join our email list at learntocodewith.me to get our Top 10 tips to teach yourself how to code and stay updated on the Toolkit announcements and additional coding resources.
• Our Pandemic Wedding: Instagram Post 1, Instagram Post 2, Full Email

Entrepreneur, content creator and educator Masha Zvereva talks about influencer marketing, how to create your own tech career, and why she founded her business, Coding Blonde.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

As the sixth season of the Learn to Code With Me podcast comes to an end, I share a few updates about what’s coming up over the next few months.

Tommy Griffith has been doing search engine optimization for more than 10 years. He was previously managed SEO at PayPal and Airbnb, and now runs ClickMinded, a digital marketing training platform for marketers and entrepreneurs. Tommy started ClickMinded as a side project while working full-time at Airbnb. He grew it until it started generating more revenue than his annual salary. Two years ago, he quit Airbnb to go full-time on it and ran into a number of problems in trying to grow the business from there.

In this episode, we discuss…

• The sacrifices it takes to make a side gig work
• How to get the first customers for your side gig
• The right time to leave your full-time job to go all-in on your side gig

Learn more about Tommy and what we discussed on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Want to land your own technical side gig? Sign up for my free online training, "The Simple 4-Part Framework for Landing Technical Side Gigs". 

Safia Abdalla is an open source developer, writer, and a software engineer at Microsoft and she also co-hosts the BookBytes podcast, a fortnightly book club for developers. She’s passionate about bringing people together to build great things and using storytelling to share knowledge.

In this episode, we discuss…

• How to get into open source development
• What makes a good open source project to start with
• Whether open source contributions can help you get a job
• How to transition from contributor to maintainer

Learn more about Safia and what we discussed on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Jenn Clevenger is Etsy's Data Engineering Director. In this role, she leads engineering teams in charge of Big Data platforms, Business insights infrastructure and Data Integrations. These teams provide data products and services to internal stakeholders including Analytics, Data Science, Product and Marketing organizations at Etsy.

In this episode, we discuss…

• Job-hunting/career-building when pregnant
• What a day in the life of a data engineering director looks like
• How to create an inclusive workplace and culture
• How to identify inclusive companies when job-hunting

Learn more about Jenn and what we discussed on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Clément Mihailescu enrolled in a coding bootcamp without ever having written a single line of code. Less than six months later, he secured a job at Google as a software engineer. His experience applying for jobs also inspired him to start a side business, helping others practice for the technical interview. 

In this episode, we discuss…

• How to land a job at a top tech company
• What it’s like working at Google
• How to prepare for a coding interview
• What it’s like balancing a side gig and a full-time job

Update (Nov 2019): Laurence mentions in the episode that you can get 30% off AlgoExpert. This has since been reduced to 15%.

Learn more about Clément and what we discussed on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Ina Yulo is the global manager for BrightTALK's FinTech and Women in Business communities. She also advises companies including tech giants and large banks on content marketing. She’s on the Women in FinTech Power List, was named a WeAreTheCity Rising Star for 2018, and is both a speaker and a mentor for business owners. 

In this episode, we discuss…

• Current innovations in FinTech
• What kinds of jobs are available and what level of tech skills you might need
• Ina’s advice for startup founders and women in business

Learn more about Ina and what we discussed on the Learn to Code With Me website.

It can be tough to know if a coding bootcamp is the right investment for you. Before you make that decision, you should weigh all the factors involved and evaluate them in the context of your personality and goals. Here to help explain how to do this is Ruben Harris, CEO of Career Karma, where is empowers people to make their most important career decisions—the first being which coding boot camp is best for them.

In this episode, we discuss…

• The history of bootcamps
• How to know whether attending a bootcamp is the right decision for you
• What happens if you decide you don’t want a job in tech afterwards
• How income-share agreements are making bootcamps more financially accessible than ever

Learn more about Ruben and what we discussed on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Thank you to this episode’s sponsors, Flatiron School and dotTech Domains.

If you want to work in tech or run your own business, chances are high that you’ll be working with data at some point. That means you need to know about data privacy, and it’s hard to find someone more knowledgeable and experienced than Sheila FitzPatrick. Sheila is the founder and president of FitzPatrick & Associates, a strategic global data privacy and protection compliance consulting firm.

In this episode, we discuss…

• What developers/tech professionals need to know to make sure that their work follows best practices for data collection and privacy
• The differences between privacy and security
• What counts as personal data, and why it’s important to be completely clear on what data you’re collecting and why

Learn more about Sheila and what we discussed on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Thank you to this episode’s sponsors, Flatiron School and dotTech Domains.

Logan Tran made his tech transition from the music industry about five and a half years ago. He began by self-teaching and building his own projects. He was soon introduced to DevOps through his work and decided to pursue the specialty. Now, he’s in his second DevOps Engineer role at NextCapital.

In this episode, we discuss…

• What DevOps entails, from the culture to the technology to the job market
• How Logan went from the music industry to tech without a college degree
• Why working remotely isn’t all beaches & sunshine
• Advice on deciding between self-teaching or traditional education

Learn more about Logan and what we discussed on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Thank you to this episode’s sponsors, Flatiron School and dotTech Domains.

Christina Gorton is a self-taught creative coder and instructor who works remotely from Costa Rica. She was a stay-at-home mom for 5 years before transitioning into tech, and she landed a junior developer job after just 9 months of learning to code.

In this episode, we discuss...

• How to make time to learn to code as a mom
• What it’s like to work remotely
• What creative coding is all about

Learn more about Christina and what we discussed on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Thank you to this episode’s sponsors, Flatiron School and TECH Domains.

"Hacking" isn’t always a bad word in the tech space anymore, thanks to the growing popularity of "ethical hacking" and events like "hackathons".

Senior software developer Gwendolyn Faraday loves the power of hackathons to bring beginners together and let them sharpen their skills in a fun and supportive environment, and she now hosts her own hackathons for beginners.

In the episode, Gwen discusses...

• Why hackathons were so important for her own learning journey
• How to prepare for a hackathon and other hackathon tips
• What to do if you’re going to a hackathon alone, instead of with a team

Learn more about Gwen and what we discussed on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Thank you to this episode’s sponsors, Flatiron School and .TECH Domains.

Recent tech graduate Marie Armstrong discusses how to stand out to employers if you’re not a straight-A student, and the importance of personal branding to get your name heard.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Is getting a college degree worth it if you want to be a software engineer? Mosh Hamedani discusses the best ways to teach yourself tech skills, and why college education may not be the best route for software engineering.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Kyle Prinsloo, founder of studywebdevelopment.com, shares advice on finding your freelance niche, how to start your full-time freelance career, and how to market yourself online.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Chris Castiglione, the founder of One Month, discusses what it means for the internet to be decentralized and the importance of having digital literacy skills in 2019.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Find out how former airport security officer Samit Saini transitioned into tech, despite being dyslexic and leaving high school at the age of 16.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Wes Bos discusses his extensive background in tech, why he started creating online JavaScript courses, and shares some tips on how to build an online presence.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Judith Lung tells her incredible story about learning to code while blind, what it’s like to work as a blind web developer, and why accessibility in tech matters.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Erica Peterson, founder of Moms Can Code, discusses her difficult education and how she launched her own business to teach other stay-at-home moms how to work in tech.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

A look back on season 5 of the Learn to Code With Me podcast, and what’s coming up in season 6. 

Jesse Moore realized his ambition to work in tech by listening to the LTCWM podcast, and now he’s a junior developer. He shares his advice for those who want to do the same.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

As the fifth season of the Learn to Code With Me podcast comes to an end, I share a few updates about what’s coming up over the next few months.

Full stack developer, Dave Trabka, talks about talks about how he worked abroad, what working on the road actually looks like, and the pros and cons of travelling full time.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Senior developer Seph Cordovano discusses the stress, overwork, and overwhelm that can come with working in the tech industry. He also shares his tips for looking after your mental health.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Joy Carrera discusses the benefits of learning some basic coding skills even if you’re not a technical person and don’t want to be, as well as the perks of being a digital nomad.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Information security trainer Kristen Kozinski discusses learning cybersecurity skills, moving into a more technical role within the company you work for, starting a side business and more.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

The Sprout Society founder Nicole Swartz discusses how you can start your own business, the important elements that make up a business plan, and some of the behind-the-scenes operations that go into starting a business.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Full-time software engineer and part-time YouTuber Forrest Knight shares his advice on choosing the best laptop to suit your needs, whether it’s for programming or also to do more demanding tasks like gaming.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Homeschooling mom of four and freelance web developer Sarah Greer explains what it’s like to freelance, how she landed her first clients, what she wishes she’d known when she first got started, and lots more.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Corporate trainer and YouTuber Navin Reddy discusses emerging technologies for 2019, what’s changed since last year, how to keep up-to-date on tech trends, and more.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Lenora Porter discusses how she hustled her way into tech and redefined what it means to be an artist in a world of technology. We also learn about her career journey, how she landed her first design job and so much more.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Sameer Syed works at Jigsaw, building technology to fight online censorship. He shares the steps he took to transition into tech from a totally unrelated field and gives advice on how others can do the same.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Laurence announces a short break and shares where you can follow her online in the meantime. She also shares the details of a free upcoming training called How To Close Your First Web Development Client In Under 90 Days.

Self-taught developer, speaker, and community builder Pauline Narvas discusses time management techniques, productivity, health and wellness and the role they in tech.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Co-founder of Dev.to Jess Lee discusses why tech is a great career choice for introverts and extroverts, and how introverts and extroverts can learn from each other.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Former blacksmith and farrier Josh Kemp talks about the obstacles he overcame on his way to becoming a developer (in just 9 months and 2 days).

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Career coach and founder of Career Rehab, Kanika Tolver, shares her advice for transitioning into tech later in life.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Rebecca Lima - the founder of Lieu - chats about how to overcome imposter syndrome and self-doubt when working in tech or in an environment where you're different to most people.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Interview Cake founder Parker Phinney discusses why you should build programming projects, how to come up with ideas, and how to use your projects to land a job in tech.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Former data scientist and CEO of Edlitera, Claudia Virlanuta, teaches us how to stay motivated to learn to code and overcome any obstacles in our way.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Writer and teacher David Clinton explains how to figure out which programming language to learn, the best way to learn it, and how many languages you should learn at once.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Team Treehouse's Chief Product Officer Londa Quisling talks us through the different kinds of tech jobs found within organizations. We also chat about how coding skills can help people in a “middle skill job”, and how to future-proof yourself in the world of tech.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Eileen Ho became a software engineer at LinkedIn after working as a math teacher for almost a decade. She discusses the fears she had about her new career, common stereotypes about working in tech, and what to consider before pursuing a career in tech.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

Thank you to this episode’s sponsors:

• Xojo
• Fullstack Academy

What’s changed at Learn to Code With Me since season 4 of the podcast and what’s coming up in season 5.

As the fourth season of the Learn to Code With Me podcast draws to a close, I share a few updates about the future of the podcast and Learn to Code With Me as a whole.

If you’re going to miss the show, here are a few things you can do:

1. Sign up to get regular emails from me about exclusive discounts, my favorite tech tools, and my latest blog posts.
2. Follow Learn to Code With Me on Facebook.
3. Follow me on Twitter.
4. Join my free Facebook group, Newbie Coder Warehouse.
5. Leave a review of the show to let me know you'd like it back sooner rather than later!

Until next time...

Ashu Desai is the founder of Make School, a computer science college in Silicon Valley that trains students for careers in software development.

After a childhood in Singapore and Hong Kong, Ashu moved to Silicon Valley at age 10, where he was bitten by the tech bug. He has been building apps since age 16 after getting involved in the computer science program at his high school and self-teaching coding languages.

Ashu attended college for a year, but didn't find the focus practical enough, and dropped out to build his own projects. This experience is also what inspired him to found Make School, a product-based approach to learning that focuses on teaching real-world skills.

In our conversation, Ashu talks about the importance of a practical education, how Make School works, and tips for getting a job once you're ready.

Elvis Chidera is a software developer who grew up in a rural part of Nigeria and taught himself how to code on a Nokia phone.

When he was only 11 years old, Elvis became curious about how websites were built and wanted to download games on his Nokia phone. That curiosity led him to coding tutorials, and he began using a simple notepad app to code.

Eventually he was able to save up enough for a laptop and begin freelancing, but before that, he managed to develop microedition apps using only his phone and Java.

Today, at the age of 19, Elvis is an Android developer at dot Learn, an MIT startup that builds educational apps for students in emerging markets like Africa. He has also worked on over 50 apps which collectively have millions of downloads from the Google Play store.

In this episode, listen to Elvis's story, his experiences programming on a phone, what he's  been doing career-wise, and what the future holds.

Chris Castiglione is the co-founder and CEO of One Month, a professor at Columbia University Business School, and a bitcoin and cryptocurrency enthusiast.

The classes Chris teaches focus on coding, digital literacy, and cryptocurrency. He also hosts a podcast and has written for several online publications, and is passionate about using education to inspire positive change in the world.

During his twenties, before founding One Month, Chris traveled the world working as a digital nomad, building websites and doing consulting. This is one of the things you'll hear him talk about in the episode!

When bitcoin and cryptocurrency caught his attention, he got excited about its potential. Now, he's teaching a course on it. Listen to the episode to hear Chris explain what crypto is, how he sees its future, what his course covers, and how to get involved.

Mike Tombor is learning to code while working full time at a health insurance company. He also has two kids and a fiancé.

Mike’s goal is to become a full-stack web developer and designer. As he learns, he shares his journey in Medium blog posts and at community meetups to help others balance their own life demands with their goals.

Learning to code while working full time (and raising kids) is no easy feat. In our conversation, Mike shares how he balances work, coding, and family. He also explains what drew him to tech, tricks for staying motivated and managing your time wisely, and how to build a supportive community during your journey.

David Yang is the co-founder and lead instructor at Fullstack Academy, and has 17 years of programming experience.

The summer after graduating high school, David became the youngest software engineering intern to ever be accepted at Ernst and Young, and went on to earn bachelor's degrees in computer science and electrical engineering.

Before founding Fullstack, he worked as a software engineer at Microsoft and Yahoo, among other companies, and taught at Columbia University as an adjunct professor.

In our conversation, we talk about whether a coding bootcamp or college degree is the best choice for aspiring techies. He tells his own story, including what led him to create Fullstack, and gives advice on how to prepare for coding bootcamps, succeed, and impress employers after graduation.

David Venturi is a former chemical engineer who began pursuing a tech career in 2015 and found a passion in data.

Recently, David used online resources to create a personalized data science master's program, to help others learn data analysis in a well-structured way.

The program encompasses courses from top institutions including Harvard, MIT, and Stanford, and focuses on topics like machine learning, software engineering, and back-end development.

David also works at Udacity, where he creates and teaches his own courses on data analysis.

Today, we discuss the importance of going for your passions, how he came up with the idea of building a personalized master's program, how to teach yourself data science, and how to stay positive and disciplined while teaching yourself tech skills.

Vidya Srinivasan is an engineer, speaker, and singer, who works as a program manager at Microsoft and holds bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science.

When she's not on the job, Vidya stays busy with tech-related volunteering and activities. She loves to hack-for-good, and has won multiple awards at the Microsoft One Week hackathons. She has been part of the Grace Hopper Conference leadership since 2014 and regularly speaks about tech at various conferences and presentations.

Vidya is also passionate about music and her family. She holds a degree in Indian classical music and performs with Seattle bands to raise funds for nonprofits. When she recently became a new mom, she added time with her daughter to her busy schedule--and carried on doing the other things she loves as well!

In our conversation, I speak with Vidya about how she's balanced her career and passions with her experiences of pregnancy and parenthood. She gives advice on juggling responsibilities, staying involved in activities, and being transparent with your colleagues and company while starting a family.

Allan Leinwand is the CTO at ServiceNow. Over his career, he has built a reputation for managing the world’s most demanding clouds.

In his role at ServiceNow, Allan is personally responsible for overseeing all technical aspects and guiding the long-term technology strategy for the company. He is involved in building and running the ServiceNow Enterprise Cloud--the second largest enterprise cloud computing environment on the planet.

During college, Allan knew he wanted to be involved in tech, though he wasn't sure in what specific capacity. His first post-graduation job was at HP, where he fell in love with computer science and networking. He then worked at Cisco, and now ServiceNow, where he has delved more into machine learning and cloud computing.

In our conversation, we talk about how Allan pursued a career in tech leadership, the difference between AI and machine learning, what to do if you want a career in machine learning or technical leadership, and more.

Lillian Pierson is a freelance data scientist for SMEs and entrepreneurs, as well as a trainer, speaker, and coach for people who want to get into data science and analytics.

Before she got into data science, Lillian worked in engineering. However, her interest in the tech space began early: she started teaching herself basic code in sixth grade, and always enjoyed working with data. When she decided on a career change, data science was the natural choice.

Lillian is also the author of Data Science for Dummies and the founder of Data-Mania, the company through which she offers data training services to professionals seeking career advancement. She works remotely as much as possible, which allowed her to move overseas to Thailand, where she's currently living the island life with her family.

In today's episode, we discuss freelancing as a data scientist, how to manage remote work and travel, the importance of building your personal brand, and more.

Bill Sourour is the founder of DevMastery.com, the founder and president of technology consulting firm Arcnovus, and a frequent consultant for the Canadian government.

Through DevMastery, Bill offers a weekly newsletter full of tips and resources to help developers program better and advance their careers. Bill has 20 years of experience as a programmer and architect, which he uses to help both individual developers and large organizations as a teacher and consultant.

Bill's secondary passion was for acting; after studying theatre at Concordia University, he balanced both pursuits for years until he decided to fully commit to his tech career.

In today's conversation, we talk about the early days of Bill's career balancing his tech and theatre passions, how he got into consulting and started a business, his advice for people who want to work freelance, his goals for helping developers with the DevMastery newsletter, and more.

Bridget Kromhout is a DevOps professional with a passion for giving back to her community.

In her professional working life so far, Bridget spent 15 years as an operations engineer, and now works at Microsoft as a Principal Cloud Developer Advocate.

Her spare time is full of tech-related and volunteer activities: she leads the worldwide conference organization Devopsdays, runs community tech events in her home city of Minneapolis, co-hosts the Arrested DevOps podcast, and frequently participates in tech conferences as both a speaker and committee member.

In our conversation, Bridget talks about how she worked her way through college, what the day-to-day of being a tech advocate looks like, her experiences attending, chairing, and speaking at tech conferences, and the various side projects she's involved in to do her part in helping others.

Fernando Hidalgo is a self-taught data scientist who went from being a teacher’s assistant to a data scientist in just one-and-a-half years.

After studying economics in school, Fernando held a variety of jobs, unsure of what he wanted to do. One day, he started researching data science, and it captured his interest. Using trial and error, a bunch of online platforms, and a data science bootcamp, Fernando completely transformed his career path.

Now, Fernando works as a data scientist at Discovery Communications, and in his spare time helps others hack their careers at fernandodata.com.

In the episode, we talk about how Fernando started from zero to teach himself data science, what resources he used, what technologies aspiring data scientists should learn, and his tips for marketing yourself to employers or clients.

Josh Doody is a salary negotiation coach and author who helps software developers receive more job offers and negotiate higher salaries.

In addition to helping clients one-on-one, Josh wrote the book Fearless Salary Negotiation, which includes his best strategies and tactics for getting paid what you're worth. The principles in this book can be used by anyone, not just software developers!

Our conversation covers how Josh got inspired to pursue the art of negotiation, how to stand out during the interview and hiring process, some of his top salary negotiation strategies, and how to get promoted at your current company.

By day, Christine Chapman works as a software engineer at Audible, where she's been ever since leaving her previous role as a full-stack Android developer at Amazon. But her love of tech doesn't stop when she leaves the office: Christine is also passionate about giving back and spreading computer science literacy to her community.

Some of Christine's favorite organizations to get involved with are ones that make an effort to increase diversity in the tech world, like Black Girls Code, Girl Develop It, and Women’s Coding Collective. She teaches courses for Girl Develop It and volunteers at Uplift, a nonprofit dedicated to combating sexual violence online.

In our conversation, Christine talks about her early experiences studying computer science and interning in competitive programs, gives advice for a job at a company like Amazon, and encourages us all to volunteer outside our day jobs, with actionable tips for getting involved.

Neel Mehta is a co-author of "Swipe to Unlock: The Non-Coder's Guide to Technology and the Business Strategy Behind It." At time of this interview Neel is a senior at Harvard, studying computer science, and has held internships at Microsoft, Khan Academy, and the U.S. census bureau.

One of Neel's greatest passions is using technology for social good. He started by launching an education app with a quarter-million users while he was still in high school. More recently, he founded a civic technology nonprofit, Coding it Forward, empowering young coders to use their talents for good.

In our discussion, Neel shares what drew him to technology at a young age, how he landed his competitive internships in college, why it's important to understand technology even for professionals not in tech roles, and more.

Ben Collins is a spreadsheet developer, data consultant, and data analytics instructor. He blogs and creates courses at BenLCollins.com, focusing on how to work with data using Google Sheets, Apps Script, and Data Studio.

Ben has taught workshops on data analysis, as well as doing freelance and consulting work. Prior to striking out on his own, he spent seven years as a forensic accountant focusing on data analysis.

In this episode, we talk about what a data analyst does, how Ben taught himself how to code, why demand is high for data professionals right now, the tools a data analyst uses, and the first steps to take if you want to get started in the field.

If you want to step up your spreadsheet game, you can get 20% off Ben's Google Sheets Training Bundle using my affiliate/commission link at LearntoCodeWith.Me/sheets. Going through this link will automatically apply the 20% discount on this course and send a few bucks my way at no extra cost to you.

In just one year, Madison Kanna transitioned careers from fashion model to software engineer. She is now a fullstack developer at Conversio, and in her spare time blogs about development and life at MadisonKanna.com. Madison has also created a Udemy course, JavaScript For Beginners.

Listen to the episode for the story of Madison's journey from homeschooler to college dropout to fashion model to frontend and then fullstack developer. Along the way, she shares thoughts on productivity, working remotely, pursuing your passions, landing that first job, learning by teaching, and more.

As the seventh season of the Learn to Code With Me podcast draws to a close, I reflect on the inspiring transformation stories we shared, including recaps of my favorite moments.

I also share updates on LTCWM and my goals for 2020, including a sneak peek into what we’re working on next through the end of the year.

Catch up on all eight episodes from Season 7 here or at learntocodewith.me/podcast:

• S7E1: Making the Pivot from Pastor to Web Designer with Chris Misterek
  
  
• S7E2: How an English Professor Became a Front-End Web Developer with Bekah Hawrot Weigel
  
  
• S7E3: How a Former Squarespace Developer Helps New Coders Build Strong Technical Resumes with Rebecca Garcia
  
  
• S7E4: An Introduction to Vue.js with Developer and Author Erik Hanchett
  
  
• S7E5: How a Passion for Patients turned this Pharmacist into a Software Developer with Newvick Lee
  
  
• S7E6: An Unexpected Shift from Selling Beer to Coding Bootcamp with Caitlyn Greffly
  
  
• S7E7: From Glassblower to Software Developer using Free Coding Resources with Michael Pimentel
  
  
• S7E8: Building a Robotics Career and the Impact of Mentorship with Camille Eddy

You can also check out the podcast on YouTube at learntocodewith.me/youtube. This was a new experiment for Season 7, so we hope you’ll check it out and subscribe.

As a young aspiring astronaut in high school, Camille Eddy started building websites to pay for her college housing. She’s a first-generation STEM student, and with support from key mentors, today, Camille is a Product Engineer at Bloc and an International Public Speaker.

In this episode, you’ll learn…

• How Camille got into robotics
• How mentors have played a critical role in her career
• Why Camille believes it’s so important to advocate for women and Black employees in tech
• How Camille found internships through her network, and how each internship shaped her career

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To learn more about Camille Eddy, Laurence Bradford, and today’s key takeaways, visit https://learntocodewith.me/podcast.

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Thank you to this episode’s partner, Interview Cake, one of the best coding interview preparation courses out there! Learn To Code With Me listeners get 20% off at learntocodewith.me/cake.

With barely enough income to support his wife and child, not to mention a poor working environment for his physical and mental health, Michael Pimentel wanted to move on from being a glassblower.

That’s why after 9 years in the film industry, Michael decided to pursue a career in tech by using free online resources to teach himself how to code. 

If you’re considering a transition to tech from a non-traditional background, Michael offers great advice about teaching himself to code while working a physically intense full-time job, and how his tech career has evolved over the last three years.

To learn more about Michael Pimentel, Laurence Bradford, and today’s key takeaways, visit learntocodewith.me/podcast.

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Thank you to this episode’s partner, Interview Cake, one of the best coding interview preparation courses out there! Learn To Code With Me listeners get 20% off at learntocodewith.me/cake.

Caitlyn Greffly used to travel around the country selling beer, but it got tiring. So in pursuit of a more sustainable way of living, Caitlyn started teaching herself to code. She ended up joining a bootcamp and quickly received a job offer before she even completed the program, less than 6 months later.

In this episode, Caitlyn talks about…

• Applying to boot camps, and how she came back after getting rejected the first time
• Her experience learning with Thinkful
• Finding a job in the middle of the boot camp
• The benefits of reaching out to experts for tips and shadowing opportunities
• The changes she had to make with her work due to COVID-19

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To learn more about Caitlyn Greffly, Laurence Bradford, and today’s key takeaways, visit https://learntocodewith.me/podcast.

Newvick Lee is a software developer at WealthBar, a Canadian fintech company. He’s also working on Habitmon, a chatbot that helps with building habits. But before all this, Newvick was a pharmacist who helped people with mental health issues. 

In this episode, you’ll learn…

• How Newvick made the transition from pharmacist to software engineer without a computer science degree
• The importance of working on side projects when you're learning to code
• The advice Newvick shares for anyone who wants to make a tech career transition. So if you’re thinking about a change into tech and have no formal degree, this interview is for you.

To learn more about Newvick Lee, Laurence Bradford, and today’s key takeaways, visit https://learntocodewith.me/podcast.

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Thank you to this episode’s partner, Interview Cake, one of the best coding interview preparation courses out there! Learn To Code With Me listeners get 20% off at learntocodewith.me/cake.

Erik is a senior software engineer at an insurance technology company in Reno, Nevada. He’s also a tech author, podcast co-host, blogger, and YouTuber. 

Even though Erik has a traditional computer science degree, his path wasn’t very traditional. He took a break from college after a couple of semesters, took a job in tech support for a few years, and then went back to finish his degree.

And that’s what we’re going to be talking about today: 

• Erik’s journey to becoming a senior software engineer
• Why having a CS degree doesn’t mean you don’t have to teach yourself to code
• Why Erik recommends learning the Vue.js framework
• And more!

To learn more about Erik Hanchett, Laurence Bradford, and today’s key takeaways, visit https://learntocodewith.me/podcast.

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OPEN NOW! It’s our biggest sale of the year: The 2020 Ultimate Tech Career Toolbox.

This week only, you can get access to 33 different technical online courses and books. Together, these courses would cost you $4,206. However, for this week only, you can snag them for a fraction of the cost. Specifically you can get them for 94% off. 

This bundle is perfect for beginners and intermediate folks alike. Learn more at learntocodewith.me/toolbox2020.

Rebecca Garcia is a Career Coach & Product Manager who helps women build fulfilling six-figure careers in tech.

Previously she was a Program Manager at Microsoft, Developer at Squarespace, and is currently a Technical Product Manager. Named one of the 'Top Women Under 35 Changing the Tech Industry' by Glamour Magazine, and a 'Champion of Change for Tech Inclusion' from former U.S. President Barack Obama.

In this episode, Rebecca shares her story before walking through tips to build your technical resume, even if you’re a new coder. She also offers advice on what to do with your resume during this pandemic.

To learn more about Rebecca Garcia, Laurence Bradford, and today’s key takeaways, visit https://learntocodewith.me/podcast.

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The biggest Learn to Code With Me event of the year is right around the corner — the 2020 Ultimate Tech Career Toolbox bundle sale. When you invest in our 2020 bundle, you’ll get access to a collection of products that can help you level up your coding skills and break into the tech industry. 

Get notified when the sale opens up by signing up at learntocodewith.me/toolbox2020. 

Bekah Hawrot Weigel is a mother of four and a former part-time English teacher who redefined her life through coding. As she was giving birth to her fourth child, Bekah experienced trauma that left her with PTSD, anxiety, panic attacks, and depression. Feeling lost at the time, Bekah finally took on her husband’s crazy suggestion to learn to code (as he had a few years ago). She found coding surprisingly therapeutic, and a few years later, she graduated from Flatiron School and now works as a front-end web developer.

To learn more about Bekah, Laurence Bradford, or Learn to Code With Me, visit learntocodewith.me/podcast.

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The biggest Learn to Code With Me event of the year is right around the corner — the 2020 Ultimate Tech Career Toolbox bundle sale. When you invest in our 2020 bundle, you’ll get access to a collection of products that can help you level up your coding skills and break into the tech industry.
Get notified when the sale opens up by signing up at learntocodewith.me/toolbox2020.

Imtiaz Ahmed shares why Java and Python are great languages to learn first, and how to become a software developer quickly - even if you’re a complete beginner.

Learn more about this special, limited-time bundle here: https://learntocodewith.me/toolbox2019.

Mark Lassoff explains how online education has evolved over the years and the best way for beginners to start learning how to code.

Learn more about this special, limited-time bundle here: https://learntocodewith.me/toolbox2019.

Hahna Kane Latonick tells us how freelancing on the side can help you reach financial goals, who freelancing is and isn’t right for, and the main challenges new freelancers experience.

Learn more about this special, limited-time bundle here: https://learntocodewith.me/toolbox2019.

Michael Hartl explains how to learn the prerequisites to web development, and why you should have a project or goal in mind before you start learning.

Learn more about this special, limited-time bundle here: https://learntocodewith.me/toolbox2019.

Jeremy Schifeling shares his advice on finding your ideal tech career fit and how to position yourself during the job hunt.

Learn more about this special, limited-time bundle here: https://learntocodewith.me/toolbox2019.

In this special anniversary episode, I’m interviewed by my friend and former colleague, Jess Catorc. I talk about how I started my career in an unrelated field, why I started learning to code, why I started LTCWM, and my experiences working in tech.

See the full show notes on the Learn to Code With Me website.

In today’s episode I talk with Alice Zhao, a senior data scientist at Metis. We talk about her background in analytics, the importance of storytelling in data science, and her advice for anyone who wants to get into data science.

In this second episode of Season 4, I talk with Dr. Nicole Forsgren, the CEO and Chief Scientist at DevOps Research and Assessment. We chat about what DevOps is, the skills a DevOps career requires, and how anyone can get started in DevOps.

Mark Price is a mobile app developer and the CEO of Devslopes. He shares how he got into app development, what makes a successful app, and how he started teaching online.

Welcome to season 4 of the Learn to Code With Me podcast. In this episode, I tell you what you can expect from this season, who I’ll be talking to, and how you can keep in touch.

Chris Wysopal is the co-founder and chief technology officer at Veracode, where he oversees technology strategy and information security. In our conversation, he talks about challenges and career options in the field of security.

Anant Agarwal is a professor at MIT, as well as the founder and CEO of edX - an online learning platform founded by Harvard and MIT. We talk about how and why edX was started, trends in online learning, and Anant’s advice for high schoolers.

Laura Medalia is a software engineer and avid Instagram user. She majored in english, but taught herself code on the side. From college she got a job in a health tech startup. Laura shares how she crushes the coding stereotypes through her Instagram.

Matt Lane - the co-founder and lead instructor at Rithm School - shares how he created a coding bootcamp in San Francisco. He also gives us some great interview tips.

Yasmine Mustafa is the CEO and founder of ROAR for Good, a hardware company that provides women with technology to help keep them safe. In this interview she shares with us her journey into tech and how she led Girl Develop It into Philly.

Jamal O’Garro lost his job in finance and was unemployed for a year before he taught himself how to code and set up Code Crew. In this interview, Jamal shares some of the best resources available and how important it is to build a network of peers.

Alexandra Dickinson, the CEO and founder of Ask For It, shares her advice on the art of negotiation both in the workplace and at home. She shares some great tips on making more money from a new job or a raise.

Zac Otero dropped out of high school and worked at factories and other odd jobs before becoming a Salesforce admin. In this interview, Zac shares how he taught himself Salesforce and made the giant career switch.

Codeverse co-founder and CMO Katy Lynch tells us how she created Kidscript - a programming language for children. She also tell us about her mission to teach 1 billion kids how to code and offers advice for anyone starting a business.

Raj Mukherjee, SVP of Product at Indeed.com, discusses tech job trends, the value of coding bootcamps, and shares advice for people looking to switch into a tech career later in life.

Lucidchart co-founder and CTO Ben Dilts shares how he started and scaled Lucidchart, a diagramming tool for visual communication. Ben also gives advice for those learning how to code.

Seema Gururaj is the Founder and CEO of Square Circle Inc., a platform that empowers women technologists to grow their profile as an expert. In this interview, Seema offers advice for women who want to get ahead in their tech career and build a reputation as a leader.

Janina Kutyn is an iOS developer who has lived in four countries around the world. In our conversation, she shares what it was like working at Apple, what led her start (and later end) her side hustle, Silicon Sweetheart, and much more.

Alexander Kallaway explains how he taught himself how to code and what led him to start the #100daysofcode movement. He also shares advice for fellow beginners feeling stuck as they learn to code.

Christie Pitts shares how she worked her way up at Verizon from store manager to venture development manager. Christie also offers advice for those looking to get started in venture capital.

Steven Harms, Dev Bootcamp's Director of Curriculum, describes how he first got into tech. He also shares how his career evolved from working as a software engineer to helping others become software engineers. 

Sam Gimbel is Co-Founder and Head of Product at Clark, an app for tutors to manage all aspects of their businesses. Before starting Clark, Sam spent six years working as a PM in NYC at companies like Digital Ocean, DramaFever, and more.