CarmeloWalsh[.]com

Hi! I’m Carmelo Walsh; cybersecurity pro, ukulele enthusiast, part-time runner fitness wannabe, and full-time human trying to juggle work, wellness, and wonder. This is my personal site where I’ve blogged about everything from cybersecurity rants to old-school highlights from back in the day. These days, it’s where I capture the good times and cool moments that make life worth living.

I’m slowly merging my other blogs into this one, so you might see some image paths gone rogue, just pretend it’s part of the retro aesthetic. I’ll fix them. Eventually.

Anyway, one day while scrolling Pinterest (don’t judge me), I found a quote that really stuck:

That’s pretty much how I live my life now, anchored in Wealth, Health, and Inner Self. Here’s how that breaks down for me:

Building Wealth 💰 :: My Cybersecurity Career 🔐

Way back in the early ‘90s, I was serving in the Marine Corps and already geeking out on computers. I’d been dabbling in programming since 1982 (VIC-20, anyone?). When the movie Hackers dropped, it validated everything I already felt: this stuff was cool. I eventually got to meet some of those Hackers who inspired my career!

Fun fact: In our ordnance shop, we had a DOS machine preloaded with gorilla.bas, if you know, you know. I’d tweak the code to mess with the banana velocity just to see what I could break. Hacking, in its purest, most banana-flinging form.

Back then, “Information Security” wasn’t a real field yet, we were just lumped in under “IT”. After leaving the Corps, I joined the Department of Corrections and worked my way up from a corrections officer to one of the youngest State network specialists at the time. I was only 22 going on 23. My bosses made a deal out of it and that stuck in my head.

Now? I serve as Vice President of Cybersecurity Operations at Magellan Health. I oversee a bunch of really smart, passionate folks and lead areas like AppSec, Threat Intelligence, IR, BCP, and more. I even help with our GRC and BISO teams and I have mentees and mentors. I’m lucky to do what I love, and get paid for it.

Here’s my LinkedIn if you’re curious.

Building Health :: Running 🏃‍♂️, Fitness 🏋️‍♂️ & Fighting 🥷

Running and I have a complicated relationship. In the Marine Corps, I had to run, topping out at about 6 miles a year for a while. Once I got out, I chose to get as strong as I could, but after a shoulder injury in 2014 (benching over 420 lbs… oof), I realized I needed to switch things up.

I started running in 2015. I’m not fast, I’m talking tortoise speed, but I’m somewhat consistent. I can average 5-6 miles a week, even in Phoenix heat. When it’s too hot, it’s dreadmill and elliptical time (ugh).

To keep things interesting, my son and I tackle obstacle races like Spartan and Rugged Maniac. Sometimes friends join in too. It’s a good time. I still hit the gym regularly, not for PRs anymore, but to stay functional, strong, and sweaty.

Lately, I’ve also taken up Filipino Martial Arts through edcfma.com, which basically means whacking each other with rattan sticks and calling it a workout. Good times with good people.

Building Inner Self 🎵 :: Ukuleles & Music 🎸

My love for the ukulele started in Hawaii, like all great ukulele stories do. I heard Jake Shimabukuro play and was blown away. I’ve met him a few times and every time, I walk away inspired to play more, and play better.

Now I play every day. I play the guitar too, and dabble a little with the keyboard.

I challenge myself with 100-Day Projects, like learning to play “Bohemian Rhapsody” on uke (yep, that exists). The discipline helps me stay grounded and gives me something creative to strive for.

I run the Phoenix Ukulele Group on Zoom and help out as much as we can with the in-person meetups, and we’ve built an amazing little community, not just from Phoenix, but from all over. We do public gigs too, from local libraries to festivals like Glendale Folk & Heritage Festival, the Phoenix Art Festival, and the Arizona Aloha Festival.

Here’s one of my early 100-day challenge videos, scroll down and check it out. You’ll either be impressed or highly entertained. I’ll take either.

I’m also a member of the Phoenix Old Time Music Society and play guitar there. It’s very different than the ukulele meet ups. I have to follow actual sheet music, which has been challenging for me, but overall, its fun.

Thanks for stopping by. More fun posts coming soon… once I fix those image links.