Louder Than Life
- Jenna Keesee
- Aug 19
- 2 min read
A few days ago, Scott Johnson inspired the title of this post while we were catching up on his career and what’s next after an accomplished 7-year run with Nuix.
He mentioned a rock festival called Louder Than Life. Naturally, I looked up the lineup, and there it was: Limp Bizkit.
Instant nostalgia.
All of a sudden, I was in a vortex where I was 18 years old again, working full-time for minimum wage, paying my way through college, and scraping together cash to see them live.
Life was simpler then. And somehow... louder.
Even today, if I need to rage-clean the house (or hit a rage room, which I 1,000% recommend), my playlist finds its way back to 90s/2000s angst inspiration. There’s something liberating about turning the volume up and getting things done.
Scott’s festival drop got me thinking about the job market. When was the last time you felt louder than life?
Louder than the silence.
Louder than the rejection emails.
Louder than the interview that went nowhere.
I’m talking to incredible talent every single day navigating this exact noise, including folks recently impacted by layoffs at Rapid7 and across DFIR/Tech. I want to turn the volume up on a few names who deserve to be on your radar:
💥 Scott Johnson – The leader who unknowingly inspired this post! An accomplished professional looking for his next big run after 7+ years scaling operations at Nuix.
💥 Katerina Simpkins – Product & systems leader (works in close collaboration with engineering teams) who built Rapid7’s SDLC and quarterly capacity planning.
💥 Wes Page – Lead Talent Acquisition Partner with 9+ years at Rapid7, building world-class teams. Now advocating for his own next chapter!
💥 Casey Rendon – Exceptional DFIR professional who is ready to jump in and protect an organization today.
Different stories. Same frustrating "apply, wait, get ghosted, repeat" cycle.
My advice if you're in the job search black hole right now?
Maybe the role you want isn't on a major job board. Check out VC portfolio boards (like Matchstick Ventures). Don't just submit a resume, find the founders, find the team leaders, and reach out directly to the person who owns the problem you know how to solve.
These aren't just ATS resumes. They are people who have built systems, protected companies, and created real value.
Let’s be loud for them today. Make an introduction. Put a name in front of a hiring manager.
Sometimes the difference between an application disappearing and someone landing their next role is simply: Someone knew someone.
If that someone can be you? Be loud. 🍋
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