Meet Jess (she/her)
Jess is the Rebel-in-Charge at Vigilant Violet, a small, independent coaching and consulting firm that helps cybersecurity professionals succeed in their career, on their own terms.
She is a Global Chief Information Security Officer who worked her way up to this position over the course of 20+ years. She first learned electronics in the Marine Corps, and then worked for most of the IT positions moving through such industries as Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, and Manufacturing.
She also happens to be a Buddhist Minister, former rugby player, a biker (she rides her own motorcycle!), an InfoSec Career Coach and mentor, consultant, podcaster, parent, grandparent, and a transgender woman.
Jess and I met through the very first iteration of Gay It Forward in June 2023.
As a direct result of our collaboration, she has launched a new business with a custom website, blog, and companion podcast!
Here is what Jess had to say about her experience:
“Maggie [offered] a block of free branding consulting hours for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. I took her up on the offer. It is one of the better decisions I've made in life. Maggie is the real deal! She has helped me to define my brand, outline a business plan, organize and rationalize my thinking, develop a website, integrate marketing tools, and push me to work through my moments of apprehension. This is the short list! I couldn't have realized the dream of my own business without Maggie. Even better, she is not just a business associate, but a trusted and valued friend.”
I asked Jess to share a bit about her core values and how those play out in her work.
“My values are all centered on Buddhist principles,” she said.
“I follow the Eightfold Path and incorporate that into my personal and professional life. I am a fierce advocate and supporter of marginalized communities and equal rights for all under the US Constitution. I am passionate about giving back to my community (local and worldwide) and I practice this professionally (through mentoring) and personally, through support of WOKE (yes I shouted it) volunteer and advocacy organizations.”
What is Jess most looking forward to in the future, for herself and Vigilant Violet?
“As a business, my answer should be profit, but really, and more importantly, I am ecstatic to have a public voice and my own vehicle to support marginalized communities as well as organizations serving the public good,” she said.
Knowing how turbulent and scary the current political climate is, I asked Jess to share any advice she has for getting through these tough times. Here’s what she said:
“Don't try to control things. Focus on what gets you through the day. Resist and rebel in public and private ways. Spend your dollars in the community you support and drain it from the anti-woke and king-worshipping corporations. Give what you can to the non-profits fighting the good fight. Get sleep. Take a walk. Love hard.”
You can learn more about Jess and Vigilant Violet here. And be sure to subscribe to the Voices of the Vigilant podcast to hear more from Jess as she explores the human side of cybersecurity and tech.
About Gay It Forward
"Gay It Forward" is an advocacy and community aid initiative that enables me to provide personal brand and style support to LGBTQIA+ folks at no cost to them.
The expansion and subsequent re-launch of this initiative was inspired by the many weirdos and queerdos who have reached out for support but could not afford to hire me for services.