An Interview with Chief Security Officer, Miss Jo Tech

I had the pleasure this week of being able to sit down with On The Terrace Tech's Chief Security Officer, Miss Jo Tech. Below is the transcript of our 10 question interview:

Q1: "What made you start your own business?

CSO: "I wanted to own my own creativity and thoughts."

Q2: "How do you deal with fear and doubt?"

CSO: "I think it is worse not knowing what will happen if you don't do it, than learning what will happen if you just do it and work through those feelings that are sometimes intense, and knowing on the other side you're going to have an answer."

Q3: "What would you never compromise with your business?"

CSO: "My personal ethics. I need to know that I did the best that I could within the boundaries that I've given myself as acceptable, to just feel good as a human and not do what I consider bad. I always want to put good in the world."

Q4: "Who is your biggest role model?"

CSO: "Ada Lovelace, because she took something that everyone thought could only do one function and said “this has huge potential and can do way more than what we thought”, so she stopped putting limits on things in the technology world, and I admire that."

Q5: "How do you define success?"

CSO: "I think success is a series of small wins, and when you combine those small wins, you've changed as a person and changed other people’s experiences for the better. It’s not just money, it's ensuring you take all those small things, like your first business email to figuring out how to make money and each step as a part of the process. Success never stops, it is always part of the progress."

Q6: "How did you get started in tech?"

CSO: "I think my first experience was in the 7th grade, and I remember them installing a computer in the library, and the librarian helped me set up my first email account. I went to a student congress meeting that weekend, and my friend there had an email address, so I got to go back home and send my very first email address - and by then I was hooked."

Q7: "How did you get the idea for this business?"

CSO: "I think it was a discussion I had with my sister, the co-owner, where we both took our experiences and skill sets to help each other and eventually realized we could use that to help other people."

Q8: "What is your favorite book?"

CSO: "I don’t have a 'one stop shop' favorite book, I have one that fits each moment. It depends on what I'm looking for an answer for or if I’m looking for a fun read, but generally I don't have a favorite -  it is more of a mood based thing."

Q9: "What adulting task caught you off guard?"

CSO: "Junk mail, I think when you become an adult you get excited that you get mail at home, but 80-99% of mail is junk mail! And so you begin shredding it to ensure no personal information is left legible, but you're constantly shredding the mail and it never stops coming in, so it eventually becomes a chore."

Q10: "What is your favorite office supply?

CSO: "Sticky notes, I have MS paint sticky notes, blank sticky notes, the cutest artisanal notes, and funny notes - a whole collection of small pieces of sticky paper that can change your whole mood and make tasks seem less daunting."

Thank you to the CSO, Miss Jo Tech, for her time and honesty, and we hope you've enjoyed this interview!