In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, we sit down with Joshua Dearing, aka _Fortress, _to explore his personal and professional growth through PowerShell, community engagement, and saying yes to new opportunities. Fresh off his first PowerShell Wednesday presentation, Joshua shares the story of how he overcame imposter syndrome, started his blog, and found confidence by getting involved in the PowerShell community. Key topics in this episode include:

• Joshua’s journey with PowerShell and the community

• What it was like presenting at PowerShell Wednesday for the first time

• Starting a blog using GitHub Pages, Jekyll, and PowerShell to sync with Obsidian

• Navigating imposter syndrome

• Building a culture of feedback and open communication in the workplace

• The impact of community, mentorship, and putting yourself out there

Joshua also discusses the value of small wins, how to advocate for yourself professionally, and the importance of being visible, even when you automate away the work. From scripting with style using Spectre Console to leaning into vulnerability and reflection, this episode is a heartfelt conversation about growth, kindness, and collaboration. Join the conversation:

Bio and Links:
Josh is a help desk technician turned PowerShell enthusiast who transformed his career through automation—and he’s on a mission to help others do the same. With a knack for simplifying software and device setups, he’s all about making tech more accessible for end-users while fostering strong connections in the community. Leveraging PDQ products to streamline deployments and management, he’s passionate about helping IT pros work smarter, not harder.

• Follow Joshua on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuadearing/

• Josh’s BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/dearing.dev

• Check out his blog on GitHub pages: https://www.dearing.dev/posts/Building-a-Website-with-GitHub-Pages/

• PwshSpectreConsole https://github.com/ShaunLawrie/PwshSpectreConsole

• View more PowerShell videos, including PowerShell Wednesdays, on the PDQ Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@pdq

• Join PowerShell Wednesdays every Wednesday at 2 PM EST on https://discord.gg/pdq

• Andrew video about WinUIShell: https://youtu.be/-aDWww5SWOs

• Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewplatech/

• The PowerShell Podcast: https://pdq.com/the-powershell-podcast