127: Don't Lose Yourself with Thomas Eastlack

About this episode

Ryan Gray discusses the transition from reactive IT support to proactive systems thinking with guest Thomas Eastlack.

After a stretch of inconsistency, Ryan kicks off 2026 with a simple promise: the show is back, and the conversations are the fuel. In this in-person episode, he sits down with Thomas Eastlack , a familiar face at Yavapai College who recently moved from the IT service desk into a newly created role supporting HR technology . Thomas unpacks the shift from reactive “break/fix” work to proactive systems thinking—ticketing workflows, website iteration cycles, chatbot training, and the early push toward cloud-first habits. But the heart of the conversation is service: empathy, trust, and the mindset that keeps support work human even when the calls are repetitive. It’s also a candid look at imposter feelings, decision-making pressure, and what it means to grow into being “the expert” while staying grounded in who you are. Topics Discussed Moving from service desk technician to HR IT lead analyst Reactive support vs proactive process and systems improvement Launching an HR ticketing system for routing, automation, and accountability Website refresh realities: iterations, stakeholders, and “meeting in the middle” Training and maintaining a website chatbot and early AI exposure Shifting…

People in this episode

Host: Ryan Gray

Guest: Thomas Eastlack

Topics covered

• service desk technician
• HR IT lead analyst
• proactive systems thinking
• empathy in support
• imposter feelings
• growth and expertise

Keywords

• IT service desk
• HR technology
• ticketing workflows
• chatbot training
• cloud-first habits
• burnout
• service mindset

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Yavapai College

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