The Meet the Maker Interview series is a fun and relaxed behind-the-scenes insight into people and what they do. Showcasing their talents as well as seeing what makes them tick. From ‘What’s your party trick?” to “You’ve got a week off, where are you going?” we want to know where they are and how they got there. Check out our interviews with architects, process people, agile folks, and more.

Carlisle was our guest on Episode 14, “EA Strategy and Capabilities”, which -as of the time of this writing- is the fourth most downloaded episode of the podcast.

Having worked in the Enterprise Architecture / Consulting space for around 10 years focusing on business and application architecture, I lead teams through process discovery into documentation and improvement. Working with team members from a wide array of roles, my background demonstrates experience working with almost every type of functional member within an organization.

I received a Masters of Professional Studies in Enterprise Architecture in 2016 where my focus was on the establishment of Enterprise Architecture capabilities and usage of modeling languages. My modeling experience covers BPMN, UML, Archimate, Entity-Relationship Diagrams, Data Flow Diagrams, and various proprietary languages. I can effectively model organizational processes and lead efficient design from start to finish.

I currently work for Trace3, avalue-addedd reseller, as a strategic consultant focusing on interweaving IT and business strategy end-to-end. Our capabilities include reselling of software and hardware, implementation of each, then providing strategic services and vision across the organization. Our exposure to technology is top tier and staying at the bleeding edge, through venture capital and general exposure, is an incredible experience.

Carlisle Gunn
Traveling with the better half.

I’m originally from a small mill town in Alabama (Alexander City), but since I graduated I’ve been in Colorado doing the more common CO activities. I ski and snowboard, camp, hike, and explore various mountain towns. I’ve recently been on a billiards kick and spend my weekends playing with friends (I’m not good enough to compete).

Some other fun facts; I was a semi-professional paintball player in high school and competed heavily in first person shooter video games (reaching 14th in the world on the amateur sites). I currently aspire to learn to play banjo (as to be more stereotypical) and continue to learn as much as I can about our ever-evolving tech landscape.

Carlisle Gunn in Arches NP
At one of the most beautiful places of the world (Delicate Arch in Moab, UT)

10 questions

1. What did you want to be when you grew up?

The earliest memory I have of a true career choice was heading into college where I wanted to major in international business for travel purposes. I enrolled in Chinese 101 (Mandarin), did quite well, l then had to drop it as I realized I didn’t quite have the acumen for Chinese. I ended up finding the Management Information Systems program at the University of Alabama and discovered it was a much better fit.

2. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do for a living? (In case you have your own firm:  what was the moment that prompted you to start your own brand?)

My day to day as a strategic consultant ranges from pre-sales of services engagements to the delivery of projects / programs on various levels. Ideally, I’m engaged at the start of the sales cycle through the implementation / delivery of quite a varied set of technology. At the time of writing this I’m working on ITSM, application portfolio management, custom application development, DevOps, and Enterprise Architecture engagements to give examples of the breadth of my work.

3. In 3 words, describe your occupation or what do you enjoy most about your job?

I can do it in two: Continuous learning

4. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

“The graveyard is full of people who couldn’t be replaced.” – Roland Woldt (apparently it’s some morbid German phrase)

5. What are your main sources of inspiration? Are there any outlets you reference regularly?

I believe my main sources of inspiration are my coworkers and friends within the consulting space. Commonly learning from them and co-developing collateral energizes me and creates a sense of comradery within my company.

6. Where do you see yourself (and your brand if applicable) in 10 years time?

Honestly, I have no idea. I began my career as an Enterprise Architect, became a management consultant, and now I’m looking into a technical account manager role within my current team. I remember starting my career and investing heavily in my EA knowledge because I thought that would be the focus for the rest of my life. I’m still very glad I invested as much as I did because I learned a viewpoint that many struggle to gain, but I also view my younger self as naive to believe there would be a “linear path” upwards.

7. What’s the most treasured belonging/item in your own home?

Assuming we’re not counting my wife or my dogs as belongings, probably my hand built desktop or professional smoker I recently purchased.

8. What was the last rule you broke?

Many times I’m a bad architect and break process to get things done. Most commonly around management of our people for projects as I always aim to get the most aligned resources possible even if they’re not available (I believe I broke process this week).

9. What’s one thing other people may not know about you (for example, any hidden talents)?

I would consider my previously listed amateur paintball experience a perfect item for this question.

10. You’ve got a week off, where are you going?

We’re always trying to go to new places, and I think the next identified trip is Germany, Austria and hopefully Switzerland!

Favorite tunes

Too many playlists to share, but here’s what I have on hand:

Where to find the maker