Pat Allen 12/16/25 Pat Allen 12/16/25

Your First IT Budget: A Survival Guide for New Managers

So you're a first-time manager and someone just asked you to "create a budget for next year." Welcome to one of the most stressful parts of management nobody prepared you for. Here's what you actually need to know about IT budgeting - the categories everyone forgets, the political landmines, and how to not screw this up.

Pat Allen 10/7/25 Pat Allen 10/7/25

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Network Engineering Manager

Real talk from a new network engineering manager about the unexpected challenges, hard lessons, and things nobody tells you before you take on your first management role. If you're considering management or just started, these insights might save you some painful learning experiences.