From Coin Vault Clerk to Tech Community Builder with Joshua Leavitt

What happens when a bank doesn't know what to do with you, so it puts you in a chair and tells you to "look busy"? For Joshua Leavitt, that chair became the start of an entire career in technology. Joshua Leavitt grew up in Las Vegas working construction, paper routes, and gas station shifts before landing a job as a coin vault clerk at a local bank making $7 an hour. After organizing coworkers over a bonus that never materialized, management labeled him a "problem child" and shuffled him into an office job with no real title. Bored, he taught himself Excel macros from a coworker, which eventually got him noticed by the IT department, who pulled him upstairs and never let him leave. From there, Josh built a career through Windows NT certifications, a Chief Information Officer role at Maverick Helicopters, a return to school in his 40s, and a stint leading a coding school where he says he failed for the first time. Today he runs Tech Alley, a nonprofit tech community now active in six cities, and Intagly, a marketplace connecting people who need 3D printing with community members who own the equipment. WHAT JOSHUA LEAVITT DOES NOW: Josh is the founder and CEO of Tech Alley, a nonprofit that brings together entrepreneurs, developers, and tech professionals through free, community-run meetups in Las Vegas, Henderson, St. George, Denver, and New York City. He is also the founder and CEO of Intagly, a two-sided 3D printing platform. KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS CONVERSATION: No job is beneath you Josh moved from construction to a gas station to a bank coin vault without hesitation, and each job taught him habits that carried into his tech career. Boredom can build skills Given nothing to do in an unofficial office job, Josh taught himself Excel macros, which became the foundation for his entire technology career. "No" is a starting point, not an answer Josh learned at the bank that most people default to rejecting new ideas, so he treated every no as the first step in a longer negotiation. Failure teaches you more than success Leading a coding school in a state resistant to post-secondary programs brought Josh his first real experience with failure and imposter syndrome. Community accelerates careers Josh credits much of his growth to organizations like SIM (Society for Information Management) and to surrounding himself with entrepreneurs who think differently about risk. TOPICS COVERED: Growing up in a Las Vegas construction family in the 1970s and 80s Working a Texaco gas station job as a teenager Getting hired as a bank coin vault clerk for insurance coverage Being labeled a "problem child" after organizing coworkers over a missing bonus Teaching himself Excel macros out of boredom in an unofficial office role Getting pulled into IT after being accused of "hacking" internal systems Earning an MCSE certification during the shift to Windows NT Becoming Chief Information Officer at Maverick Helicopters Surviving repeated rounds of corporate layoffs Getting involved with the Society for Information Management (SIM) Identifying gaps in Nevada's technology workforce pipeline Going back to school at Western Governors University in his 40s Leading a coding school and learning to handle failure Founding Tech Alley and launching Intagly WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR: Anyone who feels like they fell into their career instead of planning it Aspiring or current IT leaders navigating layoffs and reorganizations People considering going back to school later in their career Nonprofit or community builders looking to grow a grassroots initiative Entrepreneurs figuring out how to turn a rejected idea into a business Career changers who worry they don't have the "right" background CONNECT WITH JOSHUA LEAVITT: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejoshualeavitt/ ABOUT CAREER DOWNLOADS: Career Downloads explores technology careers through conversations with professionals who share their journeys, lessons learned, and practical advice. Hosted by Manuel Martinez, each episode exposes listeners to different technology roles and helps them manage their own careers more successfully. New episodes release every Tuesday. Connect with Career Downloads: Website: https://careerdownloads.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/career-downloads YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@careerdownloads TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@careerdownloads Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careerdownloads FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Career-Downloads/61561144531249