DM Etiquette Tip: Please consider your request before sending it to someone who works for themselves or consults. Or anyone really. I’ve had some crazy requests lately and while I am happy to give you a in the right direction or link you to a resource, there things I can’t do:

First - please understand that a consultants time IS literally their money. Hours I spend on hobbies take away from hours I can spend consulting some I have to balance my non-paid time along with struggling to have and maintain a work and family life balance.

Things I love to do like talks and podcasts come out of my work and family time equity account and I have to make up for that on the back end. While I love saying yes and wish I could do all the things... I just simply can not. Many consultants struggle with this balance.

Things I can’t do... but have really been asked of me. Come up with your entire business strategy for your new Infosec consulting company and tell you how to run your business. The market research alone would be a gig that costs over $10k and that’s not my specialty either.

Create all the content for the podcast you want me to guest on with you to promote your company. I’m happy to contribute but please have a clear outline of the topic and questions you can give me in advavnce so I can prepare. “Tips and Tricks” isn’t a topic. Own your content

Things I won’t do.... these include stuff that encroaches on my personal time or doesn’t contribute to the greater good. Stuff like taking pictures of all my hacker T-shirts and sending them to you aren’t going to happen. Your asking for something that would take HOURS, for what?

I love supporting fellow consultants and friends who support me. Please don’t take this as a crabby rant. But relationships go both ways and if you are only taking or only giving Thats not a good positive relationship - not the kind of relationship I have with my friends.

If you are looking for resources or have a quick question - PLEASE REACH OUT - looking to get involved? Attend a @defcon209 virtual meetup or join your local @defcongroups and start contributing what you can too. I’m here to support friends. Be a good friend.

I owe a GREAT DEAL to friends here who have supported and lifted me up. I can tell who’s genuine and who’s trying to bagger it guilt me into doing stuff. That’s clingy and gross. If I don’t respond don’t send 20 messages begging me to or guilting me to say yes.

I often turn notifications off while I’m on engagements or need to hyper focus for work. A friendly reminder is welcomed! But give me some time to reply, please