Newly minted Microsoft MVP Stephen Valdinger, known as Steviecoaster, joins The PowerShell Podcast to share his journey from IT admin to community mentor and automation advocate. He talks about discovering PowerShell through Exchange, the career-changing power of automation, and his work with AutomatedLab, PowerShell Universal, and WinUI Shell. Stevie also highlights the importance of mentoring, building community, and making PowerShell approachable for everyone. Key Takeaways:

• PowerShell as a gateway: Learning PowerShell can unlock career growth, lead to better automation, and even spark new opportunities like blogging, mentoring, and conference speaking.
• Tools for learning and labs: AutomatedLab, paired with Stevie’s utilities and GUI work, provides a powerful way to build test environments and gain hands-on experience.
• Community and mentorship matter: Sharing knowledge, mentoring beginners, and creating approachable tools not only help others grow but also strengthen your own skills.

Guest Bio:
Stephen Valdinger (Steviecoaster) is a Microsoft MVP, Customer Success Manager at Chocolatey, and community leader with a passion for automation and mentoring. With years of experience in IT, Stevie has become known for his approachable teaching style, and his contributions to open source. He is also a frequent contributor to community discussions, blogs at steviecoaster.dev, and presents at events like PowerShell Wednesdays and PowerShell Summit. Resource Links:

• Steviecoaster’s Blog: https://steviecoaster.dev
• Steviecoaster on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/steviecoaster.dev
• Steviecoaster on GitHub: https://github.com/steviecoaster
• Connect with Andrew: https://andrewpla.tech/links
• Stevie's AutomatLab UI: https://github.com/steviecoaster/PowerShellUniversal.Apps.AutomatedLab
• AutomatedLab: https://github.com/AutomatedLab/AutomatedLab
• PowerShell Universal (by Ironman Software): https://ironmansoftware.com/powershell-universal
• WinUI Shell: https://github.com/mdgrs1/WinUI-Shell
• PDQ Discord: https://discord.gg/PDQ
• Stevie's PowerShell Wednesday WinUIShell talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE1hy0VZXes&list=PL1mL90yFExsix-L0havb8SbZXoYRPol0B&index=5
• The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iKYfZBakoBI
• The PowerShell Podcast Hub: https://pdq.com/the-powershell-podcast