We often put off changes and schedule them to start on January 1st. Many of these idealistic resolutions fail shortly after beginning, so it is important to be thoughtful when planning so that you can set yourself up for success.

Today’s guest is Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps. Leslie is a noted psychologist who authored a number of books, including Insecure in Love, The Insecure in Love Workbook, and Bouncing Back from Rejection. She writes the Authentically You Blog and the Psychology Today Making Change Blog. Additionally, she is a national speaker and hosts a YouTube channel.

• [1:00] - Leslie describes what she does in her career as a psychologist and author.
• [2:32] - Throughout her work, Leslie continued to go back to the question, “What makes it so hard for some people to change?”
• [5:47] - There’s nothing wrong with New Year's Resolutions. But waiting to start making a change till a specific day is not effective.
• [7:02] - You can feel good about yourself and recognize that change is good to move towards.
• [8:23] - When people are insecurely attached, they have a negative sense of self. What is driving them forward is negativity.
• [9:58] - It takes a lot of work to be able to be compassionate with yourself.
• [11:49] - Leslie discusses some small changes she made for herself that allowed her to be consistent.
• [15:04] - Leslie explains the Michelangelo Effect.
• [17:47] - Relationships you are in have an impact on your self-esteem.
• [19:02] - Just because it feels true, doesn’t mean it is true.
• [20:17] - Adding in the word “yet” gives us an idea of a future that will be different.
• [21:24] - Setbacks will happen, but they are not failures.
• [24:18] - You have to be persistent in making changes you want to make.
• [26:47] - If you can’t seem to make a change, you have to get into the micro parts of yourself and find out why.
• [28:32] - Leslie suggests making different levels of goals.
• [30:15] - Prepare yourself for good days and bad days. How can you support yourself on a down day?
• [33:10] - When you are having really good days, you can clearly remember the days you struggle. Write a letter to your future self on a down day.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

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• Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps Website
• Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps on YouTube

Data is continuously being collected and this information can lead to misleading conclusions about an individual. Without proper context, behavior can be misinterpreted. This underscores the need for data privacy laws and stronger protections against data brokers.

Today’s guest is Jeff Jockisch. Jeff is a passionate data privacy researcher dedicated to exploring the evolution of technology, our search behaviors, trust dynamics, and safeguarding of our information. As Managing Partner at ObscureIQ, he specializes in advanced data removal and privacy risk mitigation for enterprises and government organizations.

• [0:58] - Jeff describes his career and what he does in the field at ObscureIQ.
• [3:35] - Instead of taking his career into the compliance field, he took his expertise to the intersection of data privacy and data science.
• [4:40] - Jeff explains what a data broker does and breaks down a recent data breach.
• [5:40] - The legal definition of what a data broker is is very narrow.
• [6:42] - The data that is collected by data brokers can literally be anything, like health care data, drivers licenses, and viewing habits online.
• [7:32] - One of the worst types of data that is collected is cell phone location data.
• [8:46] - Data tells a story, but pieces might be missing. Data can paint an inaccurate picture of someone.
• [10:18] - Data can be interpreted in different ways.
• [12:41] - Your digital footprint can be deleted. But in addition to deleting it, your behavior needs to change.
• [13:50] - Apps track data automatically for ads.
• [16:31] - All of these companies are collecting our data, but they’re not securing it.
• [19:42] - What can someone do with collected data? The possibilities are endless.
• [21:38] - Data that is collected can also show other people who are connected to you.
• [23:10] - Some things can be deleted, including public records.
• [25:09] - The problem is that the data brokers are massively powerful.
• [27:15] - Check out the links below for resources that Jeff recommends on the steps to take in order to delete the data you are leaking.
• [29:57] - Jeff shares an experience of almost being a victim of a scam.
• [33:10] - Scammers sound totally reasonable in the moment, even when we reflect and feel stupid for making a decision.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

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• 7 Steps to Reduce Your Digital Dust by 90%
• Tactical Privacy Wire
• Jeff Jockisch on LinkedIn
• A Tactical Privacy Wire on the Creation of Secure Sock Puppets
• Empowering Digital Citizenship with Privacy Video
• Empowering Digital Citizenship with Privacy PDF

When a recruiter contacts you, it’s essential to do your homework, verify their sources, and trust your instincts. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. While it can be frustrating to be this skeptical, being cautious can protect you and your finances. Today’s guest is John Sidoti. John is the Senior Director of Information Technology at Social Current. He has over 30 years of experience as an IT generalist with wide and varied experience across all aspects of the IT spectrum.

• [0:50] - John shares his background and discusses his extensive and varied career in IT.
• [3:32] - Even as a director, John keeps hands-on projects going to keep working in the field.
• [4:45] - John describes an experience of himself falling victim to a scam on LinkedIn.
• [7:56] - At some point in the process, John realized that something seemed off.
• [9:40] - After speaking with this scam company, he continued to receive copied and pasted messages from other “recruiters”.
• [12:21] - Although the copy and website look and sound very legitimate, there are some things we can look for that raise red flags.
• [14:13] - Many scammers create fake profiles that look very professional and well done. But take the extra step and research the company and individual.
• [15:57] - In the grand scheme of things, the people who have been victimized by these types of scams are vulnerable and desperate for employment.
• [18:22] - Anyone can purchase a domain name and pull together a website using a free or cheap template that all look very legitimate.
• [20:05] - Once you know the markers, you can see them coming.
• [21:07] - Look at the domain names and how long they have been registered.
• [22:30] - Don’t assume it is just an email world. If a company does not have a legitimate phone number, it is a red flag.
• [24:02] - Another red flag is when a recruiter has been working with just one single company in their career.
• [26:45] - Recruiters should not be asking for personal information. The company will do that, not a recruiter.
• [29:43] - It’s okay to be a little cynical about this in order to protect yourself.
• [31:34] - There are other places that need to be looked at closer as well, specifically Facebook Marketplace.
• [34:16] - When you look closely at sponsored posts that seem too good to be true, you’ll notice that they are all from bots.

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.

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