Growing Strong to Help Others

Think of this as your guide to leveling up while bringing others along for the journey. Like a well-executed risk assessment, it shows you how to systematically strengthen yourself while creating opportunities for those around you.

"Ut scandis, alios subleva"—Latin for "As you climb, lift others up." It's a powerful idea, isn't it? I first heard this phrase from Ray [REDACTED] (in this video during the Trimarc Happy Hour), and it stuck like a well-crafted phishing lure—impossible to ignore and full of potential. It made me wonder: What does it truly mean to climb in your career, passions, or life, and how do you bring others along for the journey?

This blog isn't about finding shortcuts or letting others carry your gear while you climb the mountain. It's about doing the hard work to level up yourself and, in turn, creating opportunities to help others rise higher too.

Here's how we can turn this mindset into actionable steps that benefit both you and those around you.

Step 1: Building Yourself Up

The truth is you can't lift others if you don't have the strength to stand tall yourself. (Even the most sophisticated firewall is only as strong as it’s rule set.) Growth starts with showing up for yourself first—learning, practicing, and yes, sometimes failing miserably.

For me, building myself up has been a series of incremental improvements, not some massive system overhaul. Whether it's jumping from CAD (Computer-Aided Design) cabinet drawings to cybersecurity or pivoting from penetration testing dreams to a GRC focus, each challenge became another stepping stone. The key was understanding that progress—even at a snail's pace—is still progress.

Pro Tip: Don't try to debug your entire system at once. Take it one skill, one goal, or one challenge at a time. Those small wins stack up into something massive over time.

Step 2: Lifting Others as You Grow

Once you've found solid ground, it's time to be that guiding light for others. Think of it like sharing your favorite cybersecurity resources—you don't need to be a senior analyst to help someone find useful tools or share basic security best practices.

During my journey, I've had the opportunity to mentor rising security practitioners, contribute to local tech communities, and share reliable resources with fellow professionals. The secret sauce? Being approachable and authentic, not untouchable. But here’s the magical part—every time I've helped someone else, I've grown stronger too. It's like finding that unexpected Easter egg in a challenging CTF puzzle.

Pro Tip: Share your knowledge freely! A quick tip, a helpful resource, or even just a "you've got this" message can make someone's day. Plus, helping others always comes back around in the best ways.

Step 3: Balancing the Climb

The tricky part is balancing your ambition with your commitment to others. It's easy to get so focused on your climb that you forget to look back—or to give so much that you burn out like an overclocked GPU.

The key is treating your energy and time like a cybersecurity budget: prioritize what matters most. This means setting clear boundaries, scheduling time for self-care (yes, really), and remembering that it's okay to say "no" to others when you're at capacity. After all, you can't help anyone if you're running on fumes.

Pro Tip: Automate where you can. Streamline processes, use templates, and set check-in reminders for your friends. Efficiency isn't lazy—it's smart.

Step 4: Putting Words into Action

Let's get practical about living "Ut scandis, alios subleva". Here's my tried-and-true playbook:

Set Growth Goals: Map your route like a risk assessment—identify your objectives and the resources needed to achieve them.
Build Your Squad: Create a network that's as robust as a zero-trust architecture—mentors who challenge you, peers who support you, and resources you can count on. Be that same backbone for others. And remember, zero-trust means trust, but always verify.
Share Your Toolkit: Share your hard-earned knowledge, spread encouragement, and create opportunities for others—think of it as sharing the latest zero-day discoveries that benefit everyone.
Debug and Optimize: Perform regular self-assessments. Check if you're maintaining the right balance between personal growth and helping others. Are your actions aligned with your mission? If you haven't created a mission statement yet, write one down—keeping it visible will help you stay focused.

Step 5: The Ripple Effect

When we lift others, we create a ripple effect. Today's mentee might build tomorrow's groundbreaking tool or inspire the next generation of leaders. This isn't just about individual success—it's about fostering a culture of growth, support, and collaboration.

This philosophy perfectly matches my core values. I didn't reach this point alone, and I won't hoard opportunities for myself. Each step forward becomes a chance to extend a helping hand to others.

Take Action, Make Impact

So, what's your next step in this journey? Maybe it's diving into that certification you've been eyeing, becoming a mentor to that eager junior analyst, or just making sure your mental CPU isn't running at 100% all the time. Whatever path you choose, remember this: progress is like a well-executed script—even small improvements add up to something powerful in the end.

And if that imposter syndrome daemon is running in the background, making you question whether you can really climb higher and lift others up—let me kill that process right now. You absolutely can. You don't need to be the ultimate security expert or know every acronym by heart. You just need to care enough to start.

Now boot up that determination and start climbing. And hey—don't forget to extend your hand to others along the way.