The PowerShell Podcast

Returning guest and Microsoft MVP Jim Tyler joins The PowerShell Podcast to talk Zero Trust security, K–12 IT leadership, open-source tooling, and building technology that serves real-world needs. Jim shares how he uses PowerShell to proactively harden school environments, including his Ghost module for endpoint lockdown and his Chrome extension You Shall Not Pass for classroom device management.

Beyond security, the conversation dives into Jim’s assistive technology project TapSpeak, a free AAC communication app designed to help nonverbal students speak without financial barriers. From community leadership and public service to certifications and content creation, this episode explores how technical skills can scale far beyond scripts—and into meaningful impact.

Key Takeaways:
• Zero Trust starts with proactive hardening – Tools like Jim’s Ghost module help limit lateral movement, restrict protocols, and reduce attack surfaces before incidents occur.
• Technical skills are force multipliers – From Chrome extensions to iOS apps, PowerShell knowledge and coding fundamentals translate into broader impact across platforms.
• Community contribution compounds over time – Whether serving on public boards, mentoring, or publishing tools for free, consistent service builds trust, opportunity, and long-term influence.

Guest Bio:
Jim Tyler is an IT Director for Niles Community Schools in Michigan and a Microsoft MVP known for practical automation and security tooling in K–12 environments. He is the creator of the Ghost PowerShell security module, the You Shall Not Pass Chrome extension, and the free AAC communication project TapSpeak. Beyond IT, Jim serves in multiple public leadership roles, coaches youth sports, and actively contributes to the PowerShell community through his newsletter PowerShell News and technical content.

Resource Links:
• PowerShell News Newsletter – https://powershell.news

• Jim Tyler on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@jimrtyler

• Connect with Andrew - https://andrewpla.tech/links

• Ghost PowerShell Module – https://github.com/jimrtyler/ghost

• You Shall Not Pass Chrome Extension – https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/you-shall-not-pass-by-jim/efggnkbeomjjanjmghbadggegjemogee

• TapSpeak – https://tapspeak.org

• PDQ Discord – https://discord.gg/PDQ

  The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0q3Y0mMjWF4

Long-time Microsoft MVP and consultant Richard Hicks joins The PowerShell Podcast to talk about ADCS security, PKI misconfigurations, and why PowerShell is a consultant’s ultimate force multiplier. Richard shares real-world stories from auditing enterprise certificate environments, explains how simple template mistakes can lead to full domain compromise, and walks through tools like Locksmith that help administrators quickly identify dangerous configurations.

The conversation also explores Richard’s open-source PowerShell work, including his widely downloaded Get-UEFICertificate script for Secure Boot certificate expiration issues and his new ADPrincipalCertificate module for cleaning up unnecessary certificates published in Active Directory. Along the way, Richard reflects on career growth, publishing, consulting, and why sharing knowledge openly has been one of the biggest drivers of his long-term success.

Key Takeaways:
• ADCS is easy to deploy but difficult to secure — Misconfigured certificate templates, especially ESC1 scenarios, can allow instant privilege escalation and domain compromise.
• PowerShell turns repetitive work into reusable tools — From UEFI certificate auditing to Active Directory cleanup, scripting creates consistency and prevents human error.
• Sharing expertise compounds over time — Blogging, publishing modules, and speaking at conferences builds credibility, community, and long-term career momentum.

Guest Bio:
Richard Hicks is the founder and principal consultant of Richard M. Hicks Consulting, Inc. A Microsoft MVP with over 30 years of experience, he specializes in secure remote access and PKI, helping organizations deliver secure, high-performing access for today’s mobile workforce.

Resource Links:

Richard Hicks Website – https://richardhicks.com

Connect with Richard – https://richardhicks.com/connect

Connect with Andrew: https://andrewpla.tech/links

Get-UEFICertificate Script – https://www.powershellgallery.com/packages/Get-UEFICertificate

ADPrincipalCertificate Module – https://www.powershellgallery.com/packages/ADPrincipalCertificate

Locksmith ADCS Audit Tool – https://github.com/jakehildreth/Locksmith

PDQ Discord – https://discord.gg/PDQ

PowerShell Wednesdays – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa0GYX9_vj8&list=PL1mL90yFExsix-L0havb8SbZXoYRPol0B&pp=sAgC

The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4HYCAjQS2W8

In this episode of The PowerShell Podcast, Andrew Pla sits down with Pablo Correchel, an early-career IT professional who is publicly documenting his PowerShell and learning journey. Just one year into his first help desk role while studying cybersecurity, Pablo shares how consistent practice, sharing what you learn, and embracing beginner questions have accelerated his learning.

The conversation explores escaping “tutorial hell,” using AI as a learning tool instead of a shortcut, understanding objects and the pipeline, and why putting yourself out there is one of the fastest ways to grow in tech. This episode is a reminder that you don’t have to be an expert to contribute... You just have to start.

Key Takeaways:
• Learning in public accelerates growth – Sharing small wins and exercises builds confidence, invites mentorship, and creates unexpected opportunities.
• Understand the fundamentals deeply – Concepts like objects, the pipeline, Get-Help, Get-Member, and Get-Command form the foundation for long-term PowerShell success.
• Use AI strategically – Treat AI as a tutor that challenges you, not a script generator that robs you of learning.

Guest Bio:
Pablo Correchel is an IT support professional based in Florida and a cybersecurity student at St. Petersburg College. With interests spanning cybersecurity, coding, cloud, and Windows environments, Pablo represents the next generation of IT professionals building skills through curiosity, consistency, and community.

Resource Links:
• Pablo Correchel on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/pablocorrechel
• Connect with Andrew - https://andrewpla.tech/links
• PDQ Discord – https://discord.gg/PDQ
• Learn PowerShell in a Month of Lunches – https://www.manning.com/series/learn-powershell-in-a-month-of-lunches
• PowerShell Wednesdays – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdV6Qecn9v0&list=PL1mL90yFExsix-L0havb8SbZXoYRPol0B
• The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube – https://youtu.be/JXgEwLfvwkk

In this episode of The PowerShell Podcast, Andrew Pla is joined by Tara, a longtime IT professional who has officially started her PowerShell learning journey. Tara shares her honest experience transitioning from a GUI-first mindset to learning PowerShell fundamentals, including objects, verb-noun commands, variables, pipelines, and error messages. The conversation captures the real emotions of learning something new later in a career—confusion, frustration, breakthroughs, and growing confidence.

The episode also explores learning strategies like daily practice, flashcards, typing commands instead of copying, and asking “beginner” questions without fear. Andrew and Tara emphasize the importance of community, mentorship, growth mindset, and psychological safety, encouraging listeners that learning PowerShell doesn’t require perfection—just consistency, curiosity, and support.

Key Takeaways:

Learning PowerShell deepens your understanding of IT as a whole, not just scripting, especially through concepts like objects, properties, and methods.

Consistency beats intensity — small daily practice, repetition, and typing commands manually build real confidence over time.

Community changes everything — asking questions, sharing struggles, and learning publicly makes progress faster and far more enjoyable.

Guest Bio:
Tara Sinquefield is an experienced IT professional and PDQ team member who is publicly documenting her PowerShell learning journey. Known for her honesty, curiosity, and willingness to ask the questions others may be afraid to ask, Tara represents the many IT pros who are discovering PowerShell later in their careers. Her journey highlights how learning fundamentals can unlock deeper technical understanding, confidence, and new opportunities. She is also a host of PDQ Live every week

Resource Links:
PDQ Discord – https://discord.gg/PDQ
Tara's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-sinquefield-894a1a215/
Connect with Andrew - https://andrewpla.tech/links
Tara Writes Her First Script: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa0GYX9_vj8
PowerShell Conference Europe – https://psconf.eu
PowerShell + DevOps Global Summit – https://powershellsummit.org
The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZaPoS4mGW7s

Microsoft MVP Harm Veenstra, creator of PowerShellIsFun.com, joins The PowerShell Podcast to talk about productivity, consistency, and why PowerShell really is fun. Harm shares how blogging regularly helped accelerate his learning, improve his workflow, and deepen his connection to the community. He also discusses his recent transition to macOS, how he uses PowerShell across Mac, Linux, and Windows, and why modern PowerShell is far more cross-platform than many people realize.
The conversation dives into VS Code extensions, GitHub Codespaces, WSL, Nerdfonts, and practical terminal setups, along with honest thoughts on AI-generated scripts, learning the hard way, and why asking questions publicly is one of the fastest paths to growth.

Key Takeaways:

Consistency beats perfection – Having a repeatable workflow for writing, scripting, or learning makes long-term progress almost automatic.

PowerShell is truly cross-platform – Running PowerShell on macOS, Linux, WSL, and containers unlocks powerful workflows beyond Windows-only thinking.

Community accelerates everything – Asking questions, sharing small discoveries, and contributing publicly leads to faster learning, confidence, and career growth.

Guest Bio:
Harm Veenstra is a Microsoft MVP, consultant, blogger, and community contributor best known for PowerShellIsFun.com, where he publishes frequent, practical PowerShell content. He is an active participant in the PowerShell community and a regular conference attendee and speaker.

Resource Links:

PowerShell Is Fun – https://powershellisfun.com

Connect with Andrew - https://andrewpla.tech/links

Install Nerdfonts with PowerShell – https://powershellisfun.com/2026/01/30/install-nerdfonts-using-powershell/

GitHub Codespaces – https://github.com/features/codespaces

PowerShell Conference Europe – https://psconf.eu

PDQ Discord – https://discord.gg/PDQ

Fred's Module Building PS Wednesday – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAjtbZktL8w

The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/V6kWnmrHOms