Boyd Clewis is the co-founder of Baxter Clewis Cybersecurity. He is a CISSP, CCSK, CISA, QSA and cyber security professional.
If you met me today, you might think I’ve had an easy road to professional success. As an entrepreneur, I co-founded and grew a cybersecurity firm that partners with Fortune 500 companies. As an author, cybersecurity expert and mentor, I get to help people from all walks of life expand their knowledge, training and career prospects.
But none of these outward markers of success tell my full story. The path I took to get here was marked by major obstacles: neurodivergence, socio-economic disadvantages, teenage fatherhood, family tragedy, brushes with the law. Yet I am the person and the leader I am today because of these challenges, not despite them.
I share my experiences to remind other industry leaders to give people a fair shot, regardless of their background, and to encourage those who are dealing with their own struggles to keep going. Here are four of the most important lessons I’ve learned from turning obstacles into opportunities.
1. Change your belief system.
I was a C-plus student at best in school, and because of that, people didn’t see great potential in me to be successful. I now see that our educational system wasn’t designed for my unique brain that was managing undiagnosed ADHD and bipolar disorder, but I grew up thinking that I wasn’t a smart person.
Each difficulty or misstep just perpetuated that same old story—but it wasn’t, and isn’t, true. I am a smart person. I just needed to be given the right tools and be in the right environment to thrive. No matter where you come from or what you’re up against, your destiny isn’t fixed. You can achieve great things, but you need to start by rewriting the beliefs that are holding you back.
2. Be a lifelong learner.
I’ve met many people who are infatuated with the idea of getting into the tech industry and landing a job in cybersecurity, but what they don’t realize is that this is not a job. It’s a way of life.
Technology is rapidly evolving, with new threats emerging every day. You have to commit to continuous learning and mastery to stay relevant and do your job successfully. Become a student of the occupation, and aim to play the long game. Constantly search for new opportunities to learn.
I’m not only thinking about cybersecurity when I’m at work. I’m always asking questions and looking for potential risks and solutions. Even when I’m grocery shopping, I might have a conversation with the cashier about the security of their payment systems and training programs.
3. Look at problems as opportunities.
An annoying problem in my first corporate job actually helped me launch my tech career. I was working in accounts receivable in the company’s Dallas office, but our tech support was in New Jersey. Every time a computer broke in our department, we’d have to ship it to New Jersey and wait for them to fix it and send it back.
This process created more work for all of us, so I decided to figure out how to fix the computers myself. Our team no longer had to scrape by with a missing computer, and I ended up saving the company significant time and money. I developed new technical skills, but more importantly, I realized I had a natural knack for solving problems. This methodology of identifying problems and solutions to add value is what I’ve used to grow my career and my business.
Don’t think of the challenges you encounter as problems. See them as money-making opportunities. How can you learn to fix them to advance your capabilities or create value for your company or clients?
4. Be willing to invest in yourself.
You have to invest in your own education and professional development because no one will do it for you. And let’s be honest: Most people don’t value things that are given to them for free. Everything that has been worthwhile in my career required me to have some skin in the game. When I dedicated my time, energy or money to an educational program or resource, I had a stake in it and felt compelled to honor my commitment.
Cybersecurity is a fast-changing field that demands ongoing skill development. Make it a priority to keep stepping up your abilities and areas of expertise.
Even if you don’t have a lot of money to invest right now, look for resources within your budget and mentors who can give you support and insight as you navigate challenges in this stage of your career. Ideally, find a mentor who is doing what you aspire to do in the future.
Remember that you aren’t entitled to their time, and look for creative ways to compensate them or add value to their busy lives. I’ve had people offer to wash my car or give me time on the golf course in exchange for an hour’s conversation, and I appreciate their ingenuity and hustle.
We all face challenges in life. We can either use our experiences as excuses for why we can’t be successful, or we can use them as fuel to prove all the naysayers wrong. I have a long list of reasons why I shouldn’t be in the position I am now. But I used those obstacles as fuel to redefine my destiny, and I believe you can too.
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