Today we’d like to introduce you to Rhondel Whyte.
So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I spent my formative years in the twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago—a nation considered the 4th wealthiest in the Americas by per capita GDP. As an exporter of oil and liquefied natural gas, it was strategically positioned to be a political and economic stronghold on a global scale. However, I learned at an early age, that a nation whose transparency is as translucent as the oil being pulled from its core; this nation’s potential would also be siphoned off by corrupt politicians.
As a starry-eyed youth, I distinctly remember asking my mother, “Why can’t Trinbagonians just get along and work together!” to which she swiftly responded, as if this were ordained by the gods, “There’s no accountability Rhondel, and until that changes we will continue to be a lawless society.” This defining moment underscored what grew to become my career and life’s trajectory. As a Cyber Security Senior Consultant with Deloitte, the fundamental goal is to protect the Confidentiality, Availability, and Integrity (CIA) of systems. But moreover, I get to build assurance and accountability into the world through innovative technology, while creating value through managing strategic risk.
A system I hope to one day embed into the fabric of Trinidad and Tobago’s DNA—a nation longing for accountability and transparency.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As smooth as water on a windy day ha-ha. But Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor”, and life isn’t easy, so we ought to expect struggles and setbacks. Ultimately, we need to ride the wave, while charting our course, when the currents of life pull us away from our goals.
I usually place “struggle” into two compartments: “The Mutable” (that which can be changed through conscious action) and “The Immutable” (that’s just life, e.g. the laws of gravity or items which exist in the collective consciousness). Much of what we view as “immutable” is probably “mutable” on further inspection, sometimes even items within the collective consciousness.
I won’t delve deeply into my life’s immutable struggles — From a few girlfriend’s whose parents explicitly noted that my blackness would taint their family’s gene pool, to a few peers who felt that my skin color was a gauge of my intelligence. Although the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights activists has changed the collective consciousness, we still have rough waters ahead, before this becomes a fully “mutable” factor in the lives and successes of people of color.
However, in the realm of “The Mutable”, I’d like to detail a struggle which changed my perspective and through consistent action, made me the person I am today.
Being a first-generation college student, my struggles navigating the vast and murky waters of the college educational system had its low points. One semester into my freshman classes, I realized my affinity for the written and spoken word. As a Mechanical Engineering major, these worlds seemed oceans apart. So, I phoned home to my mother who was also an ocean away, to inform her of my plans to double major in Economics and Mandarin Chinese. As our family’s matriarch and decision-maker, that plan crashed against the rocks and sunk to seafloor.
I switched majors from Mechanical Engineering to Industrial Engineering, to Electrical Engineering, trying to find the right fit for me… a fit which truly never came. So, I ambled about my earlier undergraduate years, idealistically focused on leadership skills acquisition, speaking opportunities, and writing while my engineering education languished.
However, at my lowest mental and academic point, having pestered my mother at the end of every semester to switch majors, I had my first internship with Deloitte in 2015. This was game-changing. I realized how I could leverage an engineering degree in tandem with my strong communication abilities to guide companies through seemingly intractable problems in technology. I gained professional mentors, who would add perspective to my thoughts. Needless to say, I returned to college prepared to navigate the waters, but this time I traded in my paddle for an engine, and that same engineering education transformed from a forced to pursuit to a necessary one.
It’s because of this experience, I pride myself on being a mentor to college students, friends, strangers, etc. who need that additional perspective since mentorship is necessary. Life will continue to ask us hard questions, and we get to respond powerfully with how we live.
So now, when life gives me lemons, I don’t try to make lemonade. I get resourceful, find eggs to break by risking potential failure and shoot to make a lemon meringue pie. When the situation is mutable, we’ve got to go all in.
Please tell us more about your brand, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
My BRAND has always been “To make good things better.”
No matter what hat I am wearing for the day – Cyber Security Consultant, Videographer, Friend, Brother, Son or Stranger – I always want people/organizations/companies/clients to know their lives were improved because of my contribution.
As a Cyber Security Consultant with Deloitte, I primarily help companies, government entities, and organization with managing their cyber risks. When asked what I do in a social setting/a bar in downtown, I usually keep it brief and interesting by saying, “I break into companies with their permission to show them where their weak points are and then help them improve those weak points.”
As a videographer, I love capturing people’s stories, moments encapsulated artistically in 15 second IG snippets, all the highs and all the lows in my life. A significant part of my brand has always been my Instagram presence (@rhondelwhyte). I pride myself of being transparent with sadness, struggles, joy, triumph, and peace. I’ve always felt that people only showcase their high points on social media, which creates this filter by which we judge our lives. I’ve found that by showcasing pain artistically, along with joy after overcoming, is much more authentic.
Most importantly, through this organic portrayal, I’ve become a mentor to quite a few people. Friends, family, and strangers alike. Whether I am making a book recommendation, or on the phone coaching them through a salary negotiation; I find joy in making other’s lives better.
All these hats allow me to live my brand.
If you could go back into the past and do things differently, what would you change?
Tough question…
I’m going to treat this as Immutable…
If I can’t change the past, I’ll create the present, so I don’t regret this moment in the future. Now, I read about 40+ books a year, I’m taking a Mandarin fluency exam soon, just started learning Russian, I’m intentional with my time, I cultivate loving relationships with family and friends, I exercise daily from 5 am to 7 am, and I’m giving life… my all. That’s all I have control over.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhondelwhyte/
- Email: rhondelwhyte@icloud.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhondelwhyte/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rhondel.Whyte
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0OyTn5DDc4
Image Credit:
Candace Kaw for the TEDx Photo
https://candacekaw.com/
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