Diva Tech Talk was honored to interview bestselling international author, cybersecurity expert, keynote speaker, corporate trainer, and company founder, Sandra Estok, - a citizen of the world. Like the Diva Tech Talk team, Sandra’s “purpose is to motivate, and empower women out there.” One way she accomplishes that is through resonant, “relatable” stories --- graphically demonstrated in her book series, Happily Ever Cyber. Evolving into entrepreneurship on the heels of an extensive corporate career, Sandra also runs her own company: Way2Protect LLC.
Sandra is originally a native of Venezuela, on the northern coast of South America. At the tender age of 11, she and her family were evicted from her childhood home. They found initial refuge in a shack. “It had one window, one door, and water or bathroom inside,” she recalled. Sandra’s family sacrificed privacy, and were publicly forced to use a latrine located in the middle of the owner’s property on which they were living. From an early age, she initially felt ostracized from other children in the neighborhood, who lived in more conventional conditions. In one heart-wrenching anecdote, she tried to join their neighborhood volleyball game. “One of the kids said ‘you’re never going to make it; you’re a loser.’“ Another suggested she play a new game which involved kneeling in the center of a circle, and being hit by a ball. Bruised, emotionally and physically, Sandra was grateful for a teacher’s revelatory inspiration: “Happiness is a choice. No matter what, you can choose happiness.” From that day forward, her guiding principle has been: “Always Choose Happiness.” Sandra went on to master volleyball (to the point of qualifying for a national championship), and all aspects of her life, by becoming highly proficient at whatever she tackled, embracing that “everything is in me; whatever you put your mind to, you can achieve.”
“Technology was, somehow, in my veins,” said Sandra. When she graduated from high school at 16, with no money for college, she enrolled in a government program that trained her as a secretary. This led a Heinz Company internship, where she rotated through various departments including information technology. “It was the first time I saw an (Apple) Macintosh computer.” It mesmerized her. She enrolled in night school, in a technical certification program, that led to full completion of college, graduating as a systems’ engineer. “Throughout my journey, I moved from company to company” (including some of the world's powerhouses: Kraft Foods, the Coca Cola Company, PepsiCo and SC Johnson), “in technology-related roles, on the infrastructure side, building all kinds of things.” Sandra was promoted to progressively more responsible management roles. SC Johnson, where she worked for 19 years (6 in Venezuela and 13 in the U.S.), transferred her to the Midwest (Wisconsin). “It was my dream,” she gushed, to live in the United States. “I love it!”
One of Sandra’s career advantages was “I was able to apply what I was learning at school to my jobs.” She built a “connected” fabric between academia and work. She also accepted new challenges readily, including completing an MBA while working full time and leading a major technical project at SC Johnson. An expert in the Microsoft environment, Sandra moved on to conquer Linux/Unix and SAP. “You just face it. You know you can succeed,” she said. Her hard work, focus, appetite for conquering new technology and reputation created exciting opportunities along the way. A key tip Sandra shared for ambitious tech women is to anticipate the newest trends and evaluate them in terms of the skills you must acquire. Then acquire those skills and “success will find you.”
Her final role, before leaving SC Johnson, was directly reporting to that multi-billion-dollar corporation’s Chief Information Security Officer, as Director, Global Information Security Business Operations. Sandra was responsible for developing and coordinating the global security business operation functions, including worldwide Security Training & Awareness, IT Compliance & Governance and Manufacturing Security services. Her most cogent leadership advice is: “Always walk the talk.” As a leader, model appropriate behavior and achievements for your team and colleagues. “Don’t try to evangelize with words. Do it with actions.”
In her transition to the U.S. while using her working visa, Sandra had a watershed experience. Returning from a personal visit to Colombia, she was detained, and her passport was temporarily revoked. A smuggler from China had appropriated Sandra’s personal information and had been smuggling women into the United States using her identity! Weeks later after that frightening mistake was straightened out, (through SC Johnson attorneys with the help of Embassy officials), she was returning from a European trip, and detained again. The upshot was that each time she traveled internationally, before she became a full-fledged U.S. citizen, she had to prove her identity incessantly --- often interfering with connecting flights and travel plans. It was this experience that strengthened her laser-like focus on deployment of foolproof security through adroit technology. “That negative experience ‘connected the dots’ and is driving me today. Identity theft and cyber crimes can happen to anyone!”
That revelation, plus Sandra’s gift for making complex technology concepts comprehensible to non-technical people, and passion to make a greater impact, outside of a single corporation, led her to become a startup founder. “Leaving the corporate world is a big decision,” Sandra acknowledged. “But I say…just go for it!” Like her 11-year old self, longing to play volleyball with kids who were rejecting her, she relied on internal fortitude, focus, faith, and fearlessness to make the leap. “You will find the answers. You will find the mentors on your way,” to realize your crystal-clear dream. To transition, Sandra adopted a “low-risk approach.” She became a consultant in the first year of founding her company, which helped her evolve to the “entrepreneurship mindset” while maintaining cash flow.
An outgrowth of consulting and analysis is Sandra’s first book: HAPPILY EVER CYBER: Protecting Yourself Against Hackers, Scammers and CyberMonsters. This book arose from recognition, both in her own life and through stories she can tell about loved ones and colleagues, that cybercrime can affect anyone, at any age or walk of life. Essentially, Sandra believes that if you understand cybersecurity basics, on a non-technical level, you will be galvanized to take action to protect what matters most to you. Her book encapsulates a very timely, scary subject and transforms it to be both non-threatening and empowering. “It helps you pinpoint what is most important to you, that you most want to protect. And you can take measures to protect it.”
On her blog, she offers many tips for anyone to become safer and makes cybersecurity easier to learn by incorporating stories. An extension of the book is a foundation that Sandra envisions centered on orphaned and foster children. “So many kids can find their way through technology,” she said. “There are 153 million orphans in the world. And we have a global shortage of cybersecurity talent.” Sandra wants to ameliorate those two situations in some way. “I don’t know how. But I know it will happen.”
Sandra’s essential advice includes:
Always remember: you are the architect of your own life. And you can build anything.
Find a leader, a mentor, in the space in which you want to operate. Expertise is key. Sandra is grateful to have found programs run by award-winning author and educator, Jack Canfield, as one example.
Cultivate coaches who can guide you to become better in any area you want to tackle. (For Sandra, she engaged coaches who have worked with performers and actors to improve her public speaking such as https://boeason.com and Jean-Louis Rodrigue).
Find your purpose. Combine it with your passion. Marry the clarity in your mind with the feelings in your heart. “Don’t worry about the 'how.' Just get clear on the ‘why’ and act on it.”
“Practice gratitude in everything you do in your life.” Take nothing for granted. Be thankful for everything.
Sandra Estok can be found via the web at https://sandraestok.com. Follow her on social media @Way2Protect. Her books can be accessed HERE.
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