Franklin Ndeffo describes his path to becoming a CISO through self-directed learning and virtual labs starting in 2017. Host Bob Fabien Zinga discusses Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich and contrasts systemic racism in France with what he sees as merit-based opportunity in the US for Black professionals.
Chapters
I started in 2017. Yes, it happens in 2025, but it was a goal. I said I was doing it and I had to do it. Uh, same with me becoming a CISO. I would be a CISO. Someone would give me a chance because every time I have a no as an answer, I will better myself. I will learn and I will even get hands-on experience in virtual rooms, you know, um, VMwares and learning how to become— learning what I need to— I need to do as a CISO. I will learn and be ready for the next opportunity because that's what I set my mind to.
Now there is another book, uh, Think and Grow Rich. I don't know if I've talked to you, uh, about that yet, but that's one book I read every single year. Have you heard of Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill? Yes. Okay, okay, very good, very good. That's one book that helped me a lot. I read it every single year, talking about desire, what you really want and what you are willing to pay in order to get to that level. And especially in this country, in the US, because I know my story and your story would not be possible in France, right? In France, they are extremely racist there. And for example, my uncle is a lawyer, but nobody would give him a job. By telephone, he would call people because he's been in France for so long, he speaks just like a white Frenchman. They would hire him on the phone, but when he shows up because he's Black, they say no, the job has already been filled. But in America, like I was saying, if you have the skills, if you can add the value to the market, They don't really care what you look like, your accent or whatever. So they will make room for you. So I believe this is the best country in the world for the best
