Overview

In this episode of Culturally Sound, Chandler Cutler sits down with Allan Richards, Growth Manager at EasyDMARC, to unpack the real-world challenges of email authentication, MSP enablement, and protecting digital trust in a rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape.

Allan’s career spans nearly two decades in cybersecurity channel sales, from building MSP ecosystems at AppRiver to leading partner growth across North America at OpenText. Today, he helps MSPs and businesses operationalize DMARC, SPF, and DKIM to secure their domains, improve deliverability, and protect their brand reputation.

This conversation blends technical insight with practical leadership. Allan shares how he went from the car industry to cybersecurity, why MSPs should treat DMARC as non-negotiable, and how his philosophy of “finding a way to say yes” helps partners turn security into growth.

Guest Bio

Allan Richards is a seasoned cybersecurity channel sales expert with nearly twenty years of experience. He has a proven track record of driving partner growth and revenue, most recently as Channel Sales Manager at OpenText, where he oversaw the North American sales team and trained channel partners across its ecosystem.

Before OpenText, Allan spent more than a decade at AppRiver, playing a key role in developing and executing successful channel sales strategies that shaped one of the industry’s strongest MSP communities.

Now as Growth Manager at EasyDMARC, Allan leads a global team focused on helping managed service providers deliver best-in-class email authentication, DMARC compliance, and deliverability solutions that protect businesses from phishing, spoofing, and brand impersonation.

Episode Breakdown

From Cars to Cyber (00:00 – 03:25)

How Allan’s early career in the automotive industry led to a head-turning leap into email security and channel sales.

The DMARC Wake-Up Call (03:25 – 08:43)

Demystifying DMARC, SPF, and DKIM — and why they’re essential for every business, not just enterprises.

Protecting the Modern Inbox (08:43 – 16:26)

Real-world examples of business email compromise and how unmanaged domains create hidden vulnerabilities.

The MSP Advantage (16:26 – 30:48)

Why MSPs should view DMARC as part of a layered cybersecurity stack — DNS, TLS, filtering, and continuous monitoring.

From None to Reject (30:48 – 35:06)

The right way to move from “none” to “reject” without breaking your email systems — and how EasyDMARC supports that journey.

Leading with ‘Yes’ (36:12 – 45:27)

Allan’s leadership philosophy, daily routines across time zones, and how empathy builds stronger global teams.

Human Side of Cybersecurity (48:37 – 56:10)

Why listening, respect, and emotional awareness matter just as much as technical skill in protecting digital trust.

Final Takeaway (56:10 – 56:44)

“Email is the bloodstream of your business. Protect it, and you protect your reputation.”

Summary

Allan Richards bridges the gap between cybersecurity strategy and human connection. His approach to DMARC and channel growth reframes email security as a business enabler, not a burden — empowering MSPs to safeguard clients, build trust, and grow revenue through reliability and clarity.

Relevant Links

🔗 Learn more about EasyDMARC –

In this episode of Culturally Sound, Chandler Cutler sits down with Farid Yaghini, veteran, author, wellness coach, and CEO of Camp Aftermath, to explore what it really takes to transition from service to civilian life and rebuild a lasting sense of identity.

After fleeing Iran as a child and serving over a decade in the Canadian Armed Forces with deployments to Afghanistan and Latvia, Farid knows firsthand the hidden costs of duty. His journey through anger, loss, and identity crises ultimately fueled the creation of Camp Aftermath, a Canadian charity that helps veterans, first responders, and frontline workers living with PTSD and operational stress injuries reclaim resilience through peer support, structured volunteerism, and professional mental health oversight.

This conversation is deeply personal and practical. Farid shares how he turned painful transitions into a blueprint for healing, why “flicker moments” of service can override trauma, and how the right balance of discipline, community, and compassion can carry someone through the hardest seasons of life.

Guest Bio

Farid Yaghini is the CEO of Camp Aftermath, a Canadian-registered charity supporting veterans, first responders, and frontline workers with PTSD and operational stress injuries. For more than 7 years, he has overseen national and international program delivery, including partnerships with Veterans Affairs Canada and the Commemorative Partnership Program.

Farid is also the author of Life in Rotations, a memoir chronicling his refugee story, military service, and path to healing. A certified wellness coach, yoga and meditation instructor, and holistic recovery advocate, he is currently pursuing a Master’s in Counselling Psychology to bridge clinical practice with lived experience. His mission is to ensure those who have sacrificed in service to others find belonging, strength, and a renewed sense of self beyond the uniform.

Episode Breakdown

• From Refugee to Soldier (00:00 – 12:00)
• Escaping Iran, growing up in Canada, and choosing military service.
• Deployments and Their Cost (12:00 – 25:00)
• Afghanistan and Latvia tours, the toll of war, and the struggle of transition.
• The Birth of Camp Aftermath (25:00 – 40:00)
• Building a three-phase program combining volunteerism, peer support, and long-term follow-up.
• Flickers of Purpose (40:00 – 50:00)
• Why small moments of service can transform trauma into meaning.
• Life in Rotations (50:00 – 60:00)
• Writing as therapy, documenting lessons for his daughter, and shaping legacy.
• Preparedness Over Regret (60:00 – 70:00)
• Why routines, discipline, and community-based healing keep the mission alive.

Summary

Farid Yaghini’s journey, from refugee to soldier to founder, is a powerful reminder that resilience is not about avoiding hardship but transforming it into purpose. His work at Camp Aftermath provides a living model for long-term recovery, showing that with structure, compassion, and community, those who serve can thrive beyond the uniform.

Relevant Links

🔗 Connect with Farid Yaghini on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/farid-yaghini-a17079211/

🔗 Learn more about Camp Aftermath – campaftermath.org

🔗 Listen to more episodes of Culturally Sound –

In this episode of Culturally Sound, Chandler Cutler sits down with Kristina Fahl to unpack how a daily school run problem became an InsurTech mission. After more than fifteen years in large financial institutions, Kristina left a stable career to launch a student transportation company. She scaled fast, hit the wall on commercial auto insurance economics, then joined venture backed teams to learn how risk is structured at scale. Today at Shuttlebee she is unlocking trapped supply in student transportation by equipping small operators with tools, training, and embedded insurance so they can deliver big fleet standards safely and reliably.

The conversation is candid about imposter syndrome, learning in public, and turning setbacks into operating advantages. Kristina explains how she moved from purely tactical problem solving to strategy and people first leadership, why feedback loops and community make or break momentum, and how preparedness reduces anxiety when safety and compliance are on the line.

Guest Bio

Kristina Fahl is the founder and CEO of Shuttlebee, an InsurTech platform that merges predictive dispatch, compliance automation, and embedded commercial auto insurance to expand safe and reliable student transportation. Previously she led operations at Bus.com, scaling logistics across North America, managing vendor compliance, and leading end to end RFPs for institutional clients. Her inspiration for Shuttlebee came from running an award winning student transportation company where she saw strong small operators priced out of insurance. Kristina is a graduate of RevTech Labs Accelerator Cohort 22 and Scout InsurTech’s Recognized Leader program. Her mission is to make student transportation safer, smarter, and more accessible.

Episode Breakdown

• From Corporate Comfort to Startup Chaos (00:00 – 02:15)

Why Kristina walked away from 15 years in financial services, the school drop off problem that sparked her first venture, and the hard lesson of insurance costs that forced a shutdown.

• Finding Her Footing in Transportation (02:15 – 03:25)

Joining venture backed startups, leading operations at Bus.com, and stepping into insurance and regulatory work that would shape Shuttlebee.

• Confidence, Rage, and Imposter Syndrome (03:25 – 06:25)

The reality of building in a male dominated industry, the power of frustration as fuel, and why imposter syndrome never fully disappears.

• Failing Forward and Listening Hard (06:25 – 09:14)

Reframing failure as essential to growth, learning to see blind spots, and surrounding herself with people unafraid to tell her the truth.

• Momentum and Venture Backing (10:03 – 11:26)

How Shuttlebee shifted from a grind uphill to a venture backed company with growing speed, thanks to the right team, board, and advisors.

• Measuring Leadership in Real Time (12:41 – 15:37)

Why reviews should hold no surprises, the practice of writing letters to her future self, and how intentional check-ins build stronger teams.

• The Limits of Optimism (25:22 – 26:31)

Believing in people’s potential vs seeing where they are today, and how optimism without balance can lead to tough leadership calls.

• The Power of Community and Asking for Help (27:58 – 30:29)

Why networking felt intimidating at first, and how mentors and peers turned into the biggest accelerators of growth.

• Preparedness Over Anxiety (32:59 – 37:06)

Her morning and evening routines, the difference between aspirational and realistic habits, and how maximizing