The Simple Talk Podcast

Kristyna Ferris turned down grad school, learned Power BI, moved into the data world - and never looked back. In this chat with Steve Jones, Kristyna explains why she did it, what she's learned, and even why her first DBA changed her password!
Plus: being a Microsoft MVP, the importance of self-learning, being inspired to get involved with the community, and Kristyna's passion for Lego, movies, and more!
Data on Wheels: https://dataonwheels.wordpress.com/
Watch or listen to every episode of the Simple Talk podcast: https://www.red-gate.com/simple-talk/podcasts/

Taking the initiative. Prioritizing relationships. Doing the work nobody else wants to do. These are just some of the elements that contributed to Chris Yates' rise from a developer to a DBA and, eventually, a Senior Vice President. As he explains to Steve Jones, "you are the CEO of your own brand."  

Also in the episode: discover Chris' thoughts on AI, the importance of community, and the one thing he'd now do differently if he were to start from scratch. 

Watch or listen to every episode of the Simple Talk podcast: https://www.red-gate.com/simple-talk/podcasts/ 

Simple Talk, and the Simple Talk podcast, is brought to you by Redgate Software: https://www.red-gate.com/

Are engineering teams quietly accepting more risk? Redgate's 2026 State of the Database Landscape report reveals that people are increasingly willing to accept more risk to be more productive and take full advantage of AI's capabilities.
Steve Jones, Kellyn Gorman, Grant Fritchey and Pat Wright share their thoughts on that in today's episode. They share stories from their own careers, debate on whether the decline of the DBA 'gatekeeper' role has weakened security practices, how AI is amplifying the problem - and much more.
Read the 2026 State of the Database Landscape here: https://www.red-gate.com/solutions/state-of-database-landscape/2026/
Watch or listen to all episodes of the Simple Talk podcast at: https://www.red-gate.com/simple-talk/podcasts/

How do organizations protect sensitive data in test and development environments without slowing delivery? That's the question Kellyn Gorman and Microsoft MVP Hamish Watson discuss in this episode – exploring test data management (TDM), data masking, and governance in 2026. Topics include: why non‑production systems are a major security risk, the limitations of DIY and AI‑generated masking scripts, and how automated TDM helps teams stay compliant while supporting DevOps and CI/CD. 
Learn more about Redgate Test Data Manager here. 
Download Redgate's 2026 State of the Database Landscape report here.

Listen or watch every episode of the Simple Talk podcast at https://www.red-gate.com/simple-talk/podcasts

Steve visits Microsoft Data Platform MVP and data consultant Matt Gordon near his home in Lexington, KY. They discuss his love of making databases go faster, AI, the pros and cons of MS Fabric, data quality, community involvement, and much more. Plus, learn all about Matt's passion for motorsport and what he currently races on the track. 
Want to see Matt's car and learn more about his racing adventure? Watch from 27 minutes in the video here.
Check out Lean TECHniques at https://leantechniques.com/

Listen or watch every episode of the Simple Talk podcast at https://www.red-gate.com/simple-talk/podcasts