Episodes
Published 09/07/21
As the eighth season of the Learn to Code With Me podcast draws to a close, I wanted to share a few quick updates on LTCWM and my life outside of work. To stay in touch while we're off-season, join our email list at learntocodewith.me. Catch up on all past episodes at learntocodewith.me/podcast, including these Season 8 episodes: S8E1: From Stay-At-Home Mom to Full-Time Front-End Developer With Phoebe Voong-Fadel S8E2: From Frying Chicken to Working at Google With Danny Thompson ...
Published 09/07/21
After playing rugby in college, working an unpaid filmmaking internship, and switching into recruiting, Michael Poage was feeling burnt out. But after teaching himself how to code, Michael was able to land a job at startup Teachable without a computer science degree or coding bootcamp experience. In this episode, Mike talks about how he got his job at Teachable, what internal tools are and why they matter to a company, and his experience watching a brand new startup grow into a 200+ employee...
Published 08/31/21
At 17, Kara Luton was living on her own in New York City on her way to becoming a professional ballerina. But after realizing that a career in ballet wasn’t for her, she worked in the music industry and PR before she stumbled across coding. In this episode, you’ll learn how Kara’s athletic training helped her in her tech career, and how she became a UX engineer at CrowdStrike. To learn more about Kara Luton, Laurence Bradford, and today’s key takeaways, visit learntocodewith.me/s8e7. Thank...
Published 08/17/21
Matt Wiethoff had a promising career in tech, until everything was put on pause because of an injury that made it painful to type on a keyboard. But he turned his challenge into an opportunity and founded Serenade, a powerful tool that lets you code using only your voice, from refactoring code to writing docs. Your move, RSI. To learn more about Matt Wiethoff, Laurence Bradford, and today’s key takeaways, visit learntocodewith.me/s8e6. Thank you to our sponsor for this season, Linode. Host...
Published 08/03/21
It took Stacey Graham 13 years to earn her IT degree. She’s gone through a lot – moving into another state, becoming a mother of three, surviving cancer, and losing a six-month-old son – and amidst these difficult situations, Stacey was still able to find a successful career in tech. To learn more about Stacey Graham, Laurence Bradford, and today’s key takeaways, visit learntocodewith.me/s8e5. Thank you to our sponsor for this season, Linode. Host your app, website, or service on the cloud...
Published 07/20/21
Jesse Weigel pivoted into a new tech career under a unique combination of circumstances – a growing family, a curiosity for coding, and a friend with a job opportunity. Even without formal training, Jesse was able to teach himself to code, leave his job in the restaurant industry, and ultimately become the head of engineering at Tabela and a live coder for freeCodeCamp, where he first learned to code. To learn more about Jesse Weigel, Laurence Bradford, and today’s key takeaways, visit...
Published 07/06/21
Nikkole Spurgeon has been through a lot - domestic violence, drug addiction, and even imprisonment. She knew that things should change, and that’s where coding came into the picture. In this episode, Nikkole talks about her life before prison, difficulties with learning in prison, adapting to COVID-19, her motivation for learning, transitioning to the outside world, and what her day-to-day life is like right now. To learn more about Nikkole Spurgeon, Laurence Bradford, and today’s key...
Published 06/22/21
Danny Thompson was at a crossroads. He had to decide between staying at his job as a gas station fry cook or making a drastic career shift. And after learning to code as a hobby, Danny now works full-time at Google in Developer Relations.  In this episode, Danny talks about his job search strategy and how he landed his first job in tech. He also shares the value of meaningful relationships in your career, how anyone at any age and background can learn how to code, and his best advice if...
Published 06/08/21
In today’s episode, Phoebe Voong-Fadel talks about how she structured her days and found time to code as a stay-at-home mom, when she felt ready to start freelancing, tips for job hunting as a self-taught developer, advice for parents who want to learn to code, and more! To learn more about Phoebe Voong-Fadel, Laurence Bradford, and today’s key takeaways, visit https://learntocodewith.me/s8e1. Thank you to our sponsor this season, Linode. Host your app, website, or service on the cloud from...
Published 05/25/21
Host Laurence Bradford shares an update on Learn to Code With Me, including what’s new for Season 8 of the podcast. She also shares a few major updates on her life and business since Season 7 wrapped in July 2020, plus an exciting look at what’s to come in this 8-episode season of the Learn to Code With Me Podcast.  Thank you to our sponsor this season, Linode. Host your app, website, or service on the cloud from just $5 a month, plus get $100 in credit when you create a new account at...
Published 05/25/21
As the seventh season of the Learn to Code With Me podcast draws to a close, I reflect on the inspiring transformation stories we shared, including recaps of my favorite moments. I also share updates on LTCWM and my goals for 2020, including a sneak peek into what we’re working on next through the end of the year. Catch up on all eight episodes from Season 7 here or at learntocodewith.me/podcast: S7E1: Making the Pivot from Pastor to Web Designer with Chris Misterek S7E2: How an...
Published 07/28/20
As a young aspiring astronaut in high school, Camille Eddy started building websites to pay for her college housing. She’s a first-generation STEM student, and with support from key mentors, today, Camille is a Product Engineer at Bloc and an International Public Speaker. In this episode, you’ll learn… How Camille got into robotics How mentors have played a critical role in her career Why Camille believes it’s so important to advocate for women and Black employees in tech How Camille found...
Published 07/21/20
With barely enough income to support his wife and child, not to mention a poor working environment for his physical and mental health, Michael Pimentel wanted to move on from being a glassblower. That’s why after 9 years in the film industry, Michael decided to pursue a career in tech by using free online resources to teach himself how to code.  If you’re considering a transition to tech from a non-traditional background, Michael offers great advice about teaching himself to code while...
Published 07/14/20
Caitlyn Greffly used to travel around the country selling beer, but it got tiring. So in pursuit of a more sustainable way of living, Caitlyn started teaching herself to code. She ended up joining a bootcamp and quickly received a job offer before she even completed the program, less than 6 months later. In this episode, Caitlyn talks about… Applying to boot camps, and how she came back after getting rejected the first time Her experience learning with Thinkful Finding a job in the middle...
Published 07/07/20
Newvick Lee is a software developer at WealthBar, a Canadian fintech company. He’s also working on Habitmon, a chatbot that helps with building habits. But before all this, Newvick was a pharmacist who helped people with mental health issues.  In this episode, you’ll learn… How Newvick made the transition from pharmacist to software engineer without a computer science degree The importance of working on side projects when you're learning to code The advice Newvick shares for anyone who...
Published 06/30/20
Erik is a senior software engineer at an insurance technology company in Reno, Nevada. He’s also a tech author, podcast co-host, blogger, and YouTuber.  Even though Erik has a traditional computer science degree, his path wasn’t very traditional. He took a break from college after a couple of semesters, took a job in tech support for a few years, and then went back to finish his degree. And that’s what we’re going to be talking about today:  Erik’s journey to becoming a senior software...
Published 06/23/20
Rebecca Garcia is a Career Coach & Product Manager who helps women build fulfilling six-figure careers in tech. Previously she was a Program Manager at Microsoft, Developer at Squarespace, and is currently a Technical Product Manager. Named one of the 'Top Women Under 35 Changing the Tech Industry' by Glamour Magazine, and a 'Champion of Change for Tech Inclusion' from former U.S. President Barack Obama. In this episode, Rebecca shares her story before walking through tips to build your...
Published 06/16/20
Bekah Hawrot Weigel is a mother of four and a former part-time English teacher who redefined her life through coding. As she was giving birth to her fourth child, Bekah experienced trauma that left her with PTSD, anxiety, panic attacks, and depression. Feeling lost at the time, Bekah finally took on her husband’s crazy suggestion to learn to code (as he had a few years ago). She found coding surprisingly therapeutic, and a few years later, she graduated from Flatiron School and now works as a...
Published 06/09/20
With a full-time job as a worship pastor, and as a single dad of three girls, Chris Misterek needed a job where he could earn money working from home. On a friend’s recommendation, he started looking into web design, and within 18 months he was able to double his income through Upwork before landing a job at technology company Showit. Learn more about everything discussed in today’s episode at learntocodewith.me/podcast.
Published 06/02/20
Host Laurence Bradford shares an update on Learn to Code with Me, including what’s new for Season 7 of the podcast. She also shares a few major updates on her life and business since Season 6 wrapped in October 2019, plus an exciting look at what’s to come in this 8-episode season of the Learn to Code With Me Podcast. Get notified about our biggest bundle sale of the year at learntocodewith.me/toolbox2020.
Published 06/02/20
As the sixth season of the Learn to Code With Me podcast comes to an end, I share a few updates about what’s coming up over the next few months.
Published 10/16/19
SEO expert and digital marketing entrepreneur, Tommy Griffith, talks about the sacrifices it takes to make a side gig work, how to get your first customers, and when to leave your full-time job to go all-in on your project.
Published 10/15/19
Open source developer, Safia Abdalla, talks about how to get into open source development, what makes a good project, and how to transition from contributor to maintainer.
Published 10/08/19
Etsy's Data Engineering Director, Jenn Clevenger, talks about what it takes to get into data engineering, equality and diversity in tech and how to create an inclusive workplace.
Published 10/01/19