vExpert Spotlight: Mike Colson
Mike Colson
Today’s vExpert Spotlight interview is with Mike Colson. Mike joins us today from the DC area where he works for that large “Unleash The Beast” Information Technology firm. I have yet to meet Mike, but best believe that will happen in a few weeks during VMworld 2015 in San Francisco! Until then, please enjoy today’s round of questioning with Mr. Colson.
The Interview
Star Wars or Star Trek?
Star Wars
What was your 1st IT gig?
My first IT gig was in High School setting up the school network, website etc. First real paying gig, was developing web sites for small businesses, which are turned into an IT consulting business. This led me to working with Citrix which is how my career really got started.
What is your current job title and role?
EMC vSpecialist covering the US Federal Government.
How many years have you been a vExpert?
3 years.
What advice would you give to others involved in the VMware community who are looking at becoming a vExpert?
Give back, just get involved with the community either on Twitter or your local “V” meet ups. Ask questions, answer questions and join the conversations. Everyone has a unique perspective and voice, others want to hear what you have to say.
Do you currently have a Home Lab environment?
I do, I have a Synology DS412+, 3 Dell PE 1950s, and a cisco switch, I also use Ravello, EC2 and vCloud Air.
How do you use VMware products or services in your daily work life?
I use View daily, in fact my primary desktop is a virtual desktop. I help customers understand the vCloud suite, and vCloud Air use cases. I have a lot of conversations around how cloud workloads work and how VMware can solve those problems.
What certifications do you currently hold (if any)?
VCP-DT, CISSP, some CompTIA Certs.
Tell us something about yourself that the community may not already know.
I make beer, wine and mead in my spare time, and coach 2 soccer teams.
What’s your go to song or music genre when work stress becomes too much?
I like to listen to Sinatra, or really any of the Rat Pack members. I grew up with my grandma listening to them and was always a fan.
Do you have a blog that you would like to share?
Let us know how to contact you via social media.
Twitter: @Mike_Colson
LI: www.linkedin.com/in/mikecolson
A huge thank you goes out to Mike for being a part of the vExpert Spotlight series! Please hit up Mike on Twitter & also on LinkedIn as well as his personal blog. Mike, like the rest of the IT VirtWorld, will be attending VMworld 2015 in San Fran. You know the drill…Network, Share, Network more, then grab some fuel and do it again!
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