Real Talks powered by Dynatrace

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Latest episode

Jun 2025

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About the show

This podcast is your passport to the worldwide Dynatrace team. In each episode, Sue Quackenbush, Chief People Officer of Dynatrace, welcomes a Dynatracer to share their private & professional experiences. Meet people from different teams, roles, and parts of the world, uncovering unique stories, projects, and passions that shape our global culture. Whether you’re a current or future Dynatracer, a customer or prospect curious to learn more about our culture, or someone seeking inspiration for professional growth and personal development—Real Talks offers insights into the experiences and journeys at Dynatrace.

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20 recent

June 10, 2025Episode 49 min

Pivot and make it work: A Product Marketing Manager's story of reinvention, passion projects, and impact at Dynatrace

Kosai Estowani is a Senior Product Marketing Manager on our competitive intelligence team and drives several valuable passion projects, including leading a Dynaspace for People of Color, at Dynatrace. In this episode, he talks about his path from studying criminal justice to pursuing a career in tech. He shares how career pivots and great leaders have shaped his journey. He also talks about founding the Dynaspace for People of Color and his passion project to help underserved youth see what careers are possible in tech. Tune in and let us know how you liked it by leaving us a review or a comment on your streaming platform. Where to find us: Connect with Sue Quackenbush on LinkedIn Connect with Kosai Estowani on LinkedInDiscover the opportunities at Dynatrace and take your career to the next level: careers.dynatrace.com

April 30, 2025Episode 315 min

What makes 10+ years at a company worth it: A Solution Engineer on growth, impact, product evolution, and founders on a team

In this episode, I talk with Brian Chandler, a Principal Solution Engineer who’s been on Dynatrace's team for over 10 years. Brian shares a sneak peek into this role and what keeps him here (spoiler: one of the reasons is our founding team that has never left and kept innovating the product since 2005).He also shares how he started fresh out of college through our Professional Development Program, why he once left the company, what made him come back, and what impact one can have on sales and customers in this role.If you want to know what makes a great tech career at the crossroads of Engineering and Sales (and how to find one you actually enjoy), this episode might be for you. Where to find us: Connect with Sue Quackenbush on LinkedIn Connect with Brian Chandler on LinkedInDiscover the opportunities at Dynatrace and take your career to the next level: careers.dynatrace.com

April 8, 2025Episode 211 min

Critical people skills in a tech company: a talent development specialist on her career and peer-to-peer learning at Dynatrace

Sometimes, not having a plan leads to the best places. That's how my guest, Viktoria Hubner, found talent development. Studying communication science, she thought it might lead her to be a writer or a journalist one day, but after some professional exploration, she pivoted to talent development. At Dynatrace, she is designing educational programs targeted at people's soft skills. At first, she introduced peer-to-peer learning programs for 1,200 people in our R&D team but is now working on scaling them company-wide. One of her projects, LEAP, is a community of more than 40 Dynatracers passionate about inspiring people's leadership and enhancing communication and collaboration by being a sparring partner for teams or facilitating learning sessions about presentation practice, feedback, collaboration, body language, and critical conversations. Such programs create spaces where people connect and feel safe to grow, experiment, and challenge ideas at Dynatrace, ultimately fostering a sense of belonging. Tune in to hear more about Talent Development's role in tech companies and Viky's career story. Where to find us: Connect with Sue Quackenbush on LinkedIn Connect with Viktoria Hubner on LinkedIn Discover the opportunities at Dynatrace and take your career to the next level: careers.dynatrace.com

March 13, 202512 min

At the forefront of observability, AI, and security: why Perform is a must-attend event through the eyes of our VP of Growth Marketing

This is a bonus episode of Real Talks, and it's all about Perform. Perform isn't just a conference held by Dynatrace in Las Vegas every year—it's where innovation in observability & security, customers' success, and community come to light. I sit down with Michelle Vaughan, VP of Growth Marketing, to unpack her impressions and takeaways from this year's flagship event. You'll hear some stories about the software you use daily powered by Dynatrace (and you likely don't know about it). With 2,000+ in-person attendees, 25,000+ virtual, 50+ customer stories, and groundbreaking insights in AI, security, and observability, there's plenty to dive into. Tune in to hear what made Perform an unforgettable experience, from inspiring customer stories to hands-on learning—and yes, even the legendary Dynatrace socks. Enjoying the episode? Leave us a comment on Spotify or YouTube, or rate it on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Where to find us: Connect with Sue Quackenbush on LinkedIn Connect with Michelle Vaughan on LinkedIn Discover the opportunities at Dynatrace and take your career to the next level: careers.dynatrace.com

March 4, 2025Episode 119 min

Risk-taking, creativity, and seven calendars: How a Customer Success leader navigates career, growth, and motherhood

How do you balance leading a team of 12, pursuing studies, and being a parent—all at once? In this episode of Real Talks, Lauren McMichael, Sr. Manager in Customer Success, shares her journey and the tips she’s collected along the way. Before joining a Customer Success team at Dynatrace five years ago, Lauren worked in various marketing and sales roles across different industries. Now, she is leading a team of 12 Customer Success Managers–all while completing a leadership course at Yale and becoming a mom for the third time. In this conversation, she talks about: How taking risks and switching paths can lead to a fulfilling career Why creativity plays a big role in a job you wouldn’t expect The power of a rhythm in your calendar Enjoying the episode? Leave us a comment on Spotify, or rate it on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Where to find us: Connect with Sue Quackenbush on LinkedInConnect with Lauren McMichael on LinkedInDiscover the opportunities at Dynatrace and take your career to the next level: careers.dynatrace.com

January 21, 2025Episode 511 min

The Journey to 80,000 Users: The Dynatrace Community growth, the leader behind it, and her career lessons

Karolina Linda is the Software Development Director and Organizational Lead in Gdańsk, Poland. She takes us behind the scenes of the incredible transformation of the Dynatrace Community—from a single Q&A forum to an community with 18 topic-focused forums, 5 engagement programs, and over 80,000 users worldwide. Karolina shares her unique career journey of 15 years, from starting as an Information Developer to leading multiple global teams now. Hear how she took on opportunities that pushed her out of her comfort zone, how collaboration and sparring partners have shaped her career, and her advice for overcoming imposter syndrome to seize new challenges. Key Takeaways: The insights into scaling a Q&A forum into a global, customer-centric community. How to take the leap and grow beyond self-doubt in your career. Why having supportive “sparring partners” is crucial for success. Tune in now to learn how you can apply her lessons to your own career. Where to find us: Connect with Sue Quackenbush on LinkedInConnect with Karolina Linda on LinkedInDiscover the opportunities at Dynatrace and take your career to the next level: careers.dynatrace.com

December 23, 2024Episode 410 min

Best Bits from Season 3 and People & Culture Reflections + Holiday message from my guests

The power of belonging, Employer Value Proposition, defining career moments, and lessons on leading with trust and support—these themes made my final podcast season of 2024 truly special. In this episode, I look back and reflect on the best bits from my conversations with inspiring guests. As the year comes to a close, many of us pause to reflect. I hope this episode brings you something meaningful to carry into 2025—whether it’s a spark of inspiration or a learning. Be sure to listen until the end for a heartwarming surprise from Kristof, Ema, Thorsten, and Karolina. Coming from different cultures and speaking different languages, they share what tradition makes their holiday season special. Find full episodes on any streaming platform. Search for Real Talks powered by Dynatrace. Happy holidays!Discover the opportunities at Dynatrace and take your career to the next level: careers.dynatrace.com

December 3, 2024Episode 39 min

Becoming a Product Lead: lessons on career, growth, and innovation from 10 years in observability space

Thorsten Roth, now a Product Lead at Dynatrace, began his journey as a Technical Product Manager in 2013. Over the past decade, collaboration has been the keystone of his growth—whether through clear communication, building strong relationships, or leveraging his sharp technical expertise at the core of Dynatrace Platform. In this episode, Thorsten unpacks what makes the Product Manager role at Dynatrace unique, the critical role PMs play in driving innovation, and why collaboration skills are so essential. He also provides insights for aspiring PMs, including what you should know before applying and how the focus areas within Dynatrace’s PM team are structured. We also explore Thorsten’s decision to leave Dynatrace after eight years for a CTO role at an Austrian scale-up—and his eventual return a little over a year later. What led him to come back, and what did he learn from this experience? Tune in to find out. Where to find us: Connect with Sue Quackenbush on LinkedInConnect with Thorsten Roth on LinkedInDiscover the opportunities at Dynatrace and take your career to the next level: careers.dynatrace.com

November 4, 2024Episode 29 min

Passion into impact: Bridging gender gaps in tech

Ema Franklin is a Senior Field Marketing Manager at Dynatrace and a driving force behind our Dynatrace partnership with the Her Tech Circle community across Australia and New Zealand. Ema’s journey with this community began more than six years ago when she wanted to change her career path. Through many events and programs, the community has helped her to establish her career in tech and inspired her to "pay it forward" by supporting initiatives that empower others. Tune in to the episode to hear how communities like Her Tech Circle inspire confidence and create a ripple effect of support and opportunity. —From Idea to Game-Changing Impact at Dynatrace–with this topic in mind for Season 3, I’m bringing you conversations with passionate experts and leaders at Dynatrace who dream big, tackle challenges, and drive impactful change. Where to find us: Connect with Sue Quackenbush on LinkedInConnect with Ema Franklin on LinkedInDiscover the opportunities at Dynatrace and take your career to the next level: careers.dynatrace.com

October 2, 2024Episode 112 min

The Challenge of Growth: The idea of transitioning from Technical Expert to People Leader

From Idea to Game-Changing Impact at Dynatrace–with this topic in mind for Season 3, I’ll be bringing you conversations with passionate experts and leaders at Dynatrace who dream big, tackle challenges, and drive impactful change. In this episode, I talk with Kristof Randers, who has always sought out new challenges. This led him to transition into his current role as Innovation Services Director after over 12 years of building deep technical expertise across multiple specialist roles. This shift brought its own set of challenges—learning to build trust, delegate effectively, and empower others to innovate. Tune in to the conversation as we discuss how Kristof navigated these challenges and how embracing change enabled him to multiply his impact at Dynatrace. Where to find us: Connect with Sue Quackenbush on LinkedIn Connect with Kristof Renders on LinkedIn Discover the opportunities at Dynatrace and take your career to the next level: careers.dynatrace.com