The PowerShell Podcast

• BurntToast v1.0 and 10 Years of PowerShell Notifications with Josh King

  Andrew's longtime friend, mentor, and PowerShell legend Josh King joins The PowerShell Podcast to celebrate the tenth anniversary and version 1.0 release of his popular open-source module BurntToast, which powers customizable Windows toast notifications. Josh shares the story behind the project’s evolution, the challenges of maintaining an open-source module with millions of downloads, and the balance between community expectations and personal well-being.   In addition to diving into BurntToast’s new actionable notifications and real-world use cases, Josh and host Andrew Pla reflect on their shared history in the PowerShell community, the importance of mentorship, and how taking small steps (like creating a GitHub repo or sharing a script) can lead to huge career growth.   Key Takeaways: BurntToast hits version 1.0 – After ten years of development, BurntToast now includes support for actionable notifications, letting users interact directly through PowerShell-based Windows alerts. Open-source and burnout – Josh discusses the pressures of maintaining a high-profile module and the importance of setting boundaries while giving back to the community. Mentorship and community matter – Simple encouragement, open sharing, and small contributions can transform careers and strengthen the PowerShell ecosystem. Guest Bio: Josh is a Senior Infrastructure Operations Engineer at Chocolatey Software and a former Microsoft MVP. He has a long history working within Windows and VMware environments and has a passion for all things PowerShell and automation.Resource Links BurntToast Module (PowerShell Gallery) – https://www.powershellgallery.com/packages/BurntToast Josh’s Blog – https://toastit.dev Josh King on GitHub – https://github.com/Windos Connect with Andrew - https://andrewpla.tech/links Josh on BlueSky – https://bsky.app/profile/toastit.dev Josh's PowerShell Wednesday BurntToast Presentation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD1VaxXWcXA Learn about #requires - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/about/about_requires?view=powershell-7.5 PDQ Discord – https://discord.gg/PDQ The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wi7Ijo9Od-k

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• Always Hype About Automation with Hailey Phillips

  Microsoft MVP Hailey Phillips joins The PowerShell Podcast to share her journey from systems engineer to automation innovator. She talks about IntuneStack, her new PowerShell-driven CI/CD project for Intune environments, and how it bridges the gap between systems engineering and DevOps. Hailey also reflects on her path to becoming an MVP, her experiences at MMS, and the importance of mentorship, collaboration, and authenticity in the tech community.   Key Takeaways: Bridging systems and DevOps – Hailey’s IntuneStack helps IT pros apply DevOps principles like CI/CD and Infrastructure as Code to Intune environments. Automate and empower – True success in automation means enabling your team, not bottlenecking them. Collaboration beats perfectionism. Community and authenticity – Sharing knowledge, mentoring others, and showing up as your true self create lasting impact in the PowerShell ecosystem. Guest Bio: Hailey Phillips is a Systems Engineer, Microsoft MVP, and Professional Pokémon Trainer. She specializes in automation, endpoint management, and modern workplace strategy, bridging the gap between traditional IT and DevOps. Hailey’s work focuses on building pragmatic, scalable solutions using tools like PowerShell, Microsoft Graph, Intune, and Azure Arc. When she’s not deep in tech, you’ll probably find her skiing in the Cascades, lifting heavy things, or at a metalcore show with a strong cup of coffee in hand.   Resource Links: Intune Stack Project – https://github.com/AllwaysHyPe/IntuneStack Hailey’s Website – https://www.allwayshype.com/ Hailey on BlueSky – https://bsky.app/profile/allwayshype.com Hailey on GitHub – https://github.com/AllwaysHyPe Hailey's "Rage Coding" Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/692CBjUNRBnSzSsRncQJkn?si=9d8bf7e625104ce8 PowerShell Wednesdays – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-d16gi3VEc&list=PL1mL90yFExsix-L0havb8SbZXoYRPol0B&pp=gAQB PDQ Discord – https://discord.gg/PDQ The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1YefrFekEJ

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• Learning, Leading, and Logging with Constantin Hager

  PowerShell community leader Constantin Hager joins The PowerShell Podcast to talk about his favorite tools and journey from discovering PowerShell to organizing user groups and speaking at major conferences. He talks about his early inspiration from PowerShell Conference Europe, his involvement with open-source projects like PSFramework and AutomatedLab, and how mentorship and community involvement shaped his career. Constantin also discusses building a portable VS Code setup for his company, leading a PowerShell team, and mentoring the next generation of IT professionals.   Key Takeaways: Community growth through contribution – Open-source projects like PSFramework, DBAtools, and AutomatedLab thrive because of contributors like Constantin who share improvements and ideas. Mentorship and education matter – From supporting apprentices to running user groups, Constantin emphasizes the importance of helping others learn PowerShell and gain confidence. Innovation in the workplace – His work creating a custom portable VS Code environment shows how small automation ideas can scale into powerful company-wide tools. Guest Bio:   Constantin Hager is a PowerShell enthusiast, speaker, open-source contributor, and community organizer based in Germany.   Resource Links: PowerShell User Group Inn-Salzach – https://www.meetup.com/de-DE/powershell-usergroup-inn-salzach/ Speak at PSUG Inn-Salzach Konstantin Hager on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/constantin-hager/ Connect with Andrew: https://andrewpla.tech/links PSFramework – https://github.com/PowershellFrameworkCollective/psframework AutomatedLab – https://github.com/AutomatedLab/AutomatedLab PowerShell Universal AutomatedLab https://github.com/steviecoaster/PowerShellUniversal.Apps.AutomatedLab DBA Tools – https://dbatools.io PDQ Discord – https://discord.gg/PDQ Constantin on PS Wednesday - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYbTlCrrrUQ The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eC6TlEfV3iA

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• Authenticity, AI, and the Human Side of Tech with Adil Leghari

  Cybersecurity, automation, and PowerShell advocate Adil Leghari returns to The PowerShell Podcast to kick off Cybersecurity Month. Adil shares insights from his career journey: from PowerShell and automation to identity and now cloud security at Palo Alto Networks. He discusses creating tools like Cyberdle and QR Check, how AI is reshaping cybersecurity, and the importance of empathy, authenticity, and mentorship in tech and community life.   Key Takeaways: AI in cybersecurity – Adil explains how organizations can protect sensitive data and combat threats using AI Security Posture Management and why we must “fight AI with AI.” Personal projects with purpose – Tools like Cyberdle and QR Check show how small, open-source projects can educate users and strengthen security awareness. Human connection in tech – Adil emphasizes empathy, authenticity, and community as keys to building better workplaces, stronger teams, and more fulfilling careers. Guest Bio: Adil Leghari is a Cloud Solutions Architect at Palo Alto Networks, where he works on the Cortex Cloud platform. With over twenty years of IT experience, Adil’s career spans PowerShell automation, identity management, repositories + packaging, and cloud security. A passionate community contributor and speaker, he is known for his open-source projects, approachable teaching style, and advocacy for authenticity and mentorship in the tech industry. He is a speaker, author, and a really kind human that I like a lot (Andrew wrote this)Resource   Links: Cyberdle (Cybersecurity Wordle Game) – https://cyberdle.adilio.ca QR Check (QR Code Security Tool) – https://qrcheck.ca GitHub Spec Kit: https://github.com/github/spec-kit Adil’s GitHub – https://github.com/adilio Adil’s Website – https://adilio.ca Adil on X/Twitter – https://twitter.com/adilio Adil on BlueSky – https://bsky.app/profile/adilio.ca Find Andrew: https://andrewpla.tech/links PDQ Discord – https://discord.gg/PDQ PowerShell Wednesdays – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWfSbuYnpFA&list=PL1mL90yFExsix-L0havb8SbZXoYRPol0B The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HpOeZ4LBq9s

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• AutomatedLab, GUIs, and automation with Steviecoaster

  Newly minted Microsoft MVP Stephen Valdinger, known as Steviecoaster, joins The PowerShell Podcast to share his journey from IT admin to community mentor and automation advocate. He talks about discovering PowerShell through Exchange, the career-changing power of automation, and his work with AutomatedLab, PowerShell Universal, and WinUI Shell. Stevie also highlights the importance of mentoring, building community, and making PowerShell approachable for everyone.   Key Takeaways: PowerShell as a gateway: Learning PowerShell can unlock career growth, lead to better automation, and even spark new opportunities like blogging, mentoring, and conference speaking. Tools for learning and labs: AutomatedLab, paired with Stevie’s utilities and GUI work, provides a powerful way to build test environments and gain hands-on experience. Community and mentorship matter: Sharing knowledge, mentoring beginners, and creating approachable tools not only help others grow but also strengthen your own skills. Guest Bio: Stephen Valdinger (Steviecoaster) is a Microsoft MVP, Customer Success Manager at Chocolatey, and community leader with a passion for automation and mentoring. With years of experience in IT, Stevie has become known for his approachable teaching style, and his contributions to open source. He is also a frequent contributor to community discussions, blogs at steviecoaster.dev, and presents at events like PowerShell Wednesdays and PowerShell Summit.   Resource Links: Steviecoaster’s Blog: https://steviecoaster.dev Steviecoaster on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/steviecoaster.dev Steviecoaster on GitHub: https://github.com/steviecoaster Connect with Andrew: https://andrewpla.tech/links Stevie's AutomatLab UI: https://github.com/steviecoaster/PowerShellUniversal.Apps.AutomatedLab AutomatedLab: https://github.com/AutomatedLab/AutomatedLab PowerShell Universal (by Ironman Software): https://ironmansoftware.com/powershell-universal WinUI Shell: https://github.com/mdgrs1/WinUI-Shell PDQ Discord: https://discord.gg/PDQ Stevie's PowerShell Wednesday WinUIShell talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE1hy0VZXes&list=PL1mL90yFExsix-L0havb8SbZXoYRPol0B&index=5 The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iKYfZBakoBI The PowerShell Podcast Hub: https://pdq.com/the-powershell-podcast 

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