It’s not everyday that you encounter a father/son team at the same organization. We’ve always seen Freedom Consulting Group as a “family” but in this case… it’s literal. Introducing… Vaughn J.. And his son… Vaughn J. We recently asked the duo to interview one another for our blog and the results did not disappoint! Ladies and gentlemen, we give you…. Vaughn J.²: The Interview.

---

Sr.: So…Vaughn Jr: What made you want to work for FCG?

Jr.: I guess hearing you talk them up all the time, talking about how cool the people you worked with were. They do the kind of work that I’m interested in and they got golden reviews from you, so I just thought, “Hey, let’s check it out.”

 

Jr.: Dad… what were your first thoughts when I said I wanted to work for FCG?

Sr.: Cool, father and son, working at the same company.

 

Sr.: What got you interested in the cyber security field?

Jr.: Cheat codes in video games, if I had to be honest. The whole idea of holes or bugs that could be exploited and how to use or fix them always seemed cool to me. Oh, and I guess helping you study for some of your certifications as well.

 

Jr.: What got you interested in the cyber security field?

Sr.: I’m not really sure. I wanted to do something interesting and computer-related, and cyber sounded like the way to go.

 

Sr.: What do you want to learn during your time as an FCG intern?

Jr.: I didn’t come in looking to learn any particular thing. I prefer to be like a sponge; if you put me in a situation, I’ll absorb whatever I can from whomever I can. I think it’s the best way to get the most out of any experience.

 

Jr.: If you had one piece of advice for me at this stage of my career, what would it be?

Sr.: Uhh, one piece of advice for you…never stop learning. There’s always more to know.

 

Sr.: What’s one thing you’d want FCGers to know about me that they may not already?

Jr.: You have a ridiculous, bordering on excessive, amount of pop culture-related knowledge that you pull seemingly out of nowhere, exactly when you need or want to. And worse, it seems you’ve infected me with it.

 

Jr.: Without embarrassing me too much, what’s a family story you can share that FCGers might find funny?

Sr.: Remember when you were three or four years old and you stuck tweezers into an electric socket? Yeah, that was a good one.

 

Sr.: What’s your favorite lunch spot in the area?

Jr.: Well when I was at HQ, Bon Fresco saved me from a few forgotten lunches. When I was helping set up the SCIF, there was a waffle food truck. I like waffles. I don’t know if I really have a favorite though, good food is good food.

 

Jr.: What’s your office superhero power?

Sr.: What the heck is an office superpower? Let me Google that…[proceeds to Google it]…[stares into space for about 5 minutes]…the ability to…uh…I’m like the support character in a video game. I help out whoever and whenever…however…I guess.

 

Sr.: Who is your favorite comic book hero and why?

Jr.: Oh good grief, I call foul, I hate picking favorites…if I absolutely had to choose one…uh…I’d have to go with Oracle, Barbara Gordon. She is literally the information provider for every other hero, and one of the smartest characters I can think of. Put me in a room with that much technology and information any day.

 

Jr.: If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have one book with you, which would it be? Assume the Bible and Collected Shakespeare are already there.

Sr.: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, that’s my answer. You’re in a preposterous, almost comedic situation, so you need a preposterous, comedic book to match. Seems right.

[Note: When asked this question recently, I, the younger Vaughn, answered the same]