S5:E215 VIDEO🎙️LIVE with Branch Chief Dr. Derek A. Smith, DSL, USCG Auxiliary

S5:E215🎙️LIVE with Branch Chief Dr. Derek A. Smith, DSL, USCG Auxiliary 🤖🛡️🎬

FROM FEDERAL SPECIAL AGENT TO CYBERSECURITY & AI GOVERNANCE LEADER: SERVICE, ACCOUNTABILITY, EDUCATION, HOLLYWOOD & THE FUTURE OF DEFENSIBLE AI!

LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS PODCAST WITH COACH BZ | Season 5 | Episode 215

🇺🇸⚓ MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

📅 Friday, November 6, 2026

⏰ 8:30 AM PT (San Francisco, CA) | 11:30 AM ET (Upper Marlboro, MD)

📍 LIVE on LinkedIn → RSVP & Join the Discussion!

 

🌟 MEET OUR MASTER TEACHER!

What do FEDERAL INVESTIGATIONS, MILITARY SERVICE, CYBERSECURITY, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, HIGHER EDUCATION & HOLLYWOOD have in common?

Meet my friend, Branch Chief Dr. Derek A. Smith, DSL, USCG Auxiliary, whose extraordinary career demonstrates that LEADERSHIP IS NOT DEFINED BY ONE TITLE, ONE UNIFORM, OR ONE PROFESSION!

A military veteran, former federal Special Agent, cybersecurity executive, professor, entrepreneur, bestselling author & SAG-AFTRA actor, Derek has dedicated more than three decades to protecting people, defending institutions, modernizing critical systems & developing future leaders.

From counterintelligence investigations to leading technical modernization for DHS's approximately $4.3 BILLION HART BIOMETRIC PROGRAM, Derek understands what it means to lead when FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!

Today, he serves as National Branch Chief for Cybersecurity Awareness & Education with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and helps organizations navigate cybersecurity and responsible AI adoption.

📚 We'll also explore his bestselling book, The Defensible AI Program: A Leader's Playbook to Stand Up, Run, and Defend AI Governance — and Adopt AI With Confidence.

 

🎯 WHAT YOU WILL LEARN…

✨ How military service and federal investigations shape COURAGE, INTEGRITY & ACCOUNTABILITY.

✨ Leadership lessons from managing mission-critical federal technology programs.

✨ Why AI GOVERNANCE must move beyond policies to measurable, defensible controls.

✨ His four-phase AI framework: STAND UP. OPERATE. MATURE. DEFEND.

✨ How to balance AI INNOVATION, CYBERSECURITY, RISK & TRUST.

✨ Why EDUCATION, MENTORSHIP & LIFELONG LEARNING matter.

✨ How a federal Special Agent became a HOLLYWOOD ACTOR, appearing in productions including The Wire, National Treasure: Book of Secrets & Lady in the Lake! 🎬

 

💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION!

🗺️ Where are you tuning in from? Drop your city, region, or country!

🙏🏽 What is ONE thing you are grateful for today?

💬 Got leadership, cybersecurity, AI governance, career development, or HOLLYWOOD questions for Derek? Post them below—we'll answer them LIVE!

👇 YOUR TURN:

✨ What are your THREE takeaways from this episode?

✨ What's ONE leadership insight you're applying this week?

✨ Tag a colleague, junior officer, cybersecurity professional, student, or teammate who could benefit from this conversation! ❤️🙏🏾

MISSION FIRST. PEOPLE ALWAYS!

#LeadershipAndSuccess #CoachBZ #Leadership #Cybersecurity #AIGovernance #ArtificialIntelligence #DefensibleAI #USCGAuxiliary #VeteranLeadership #ServantLeadership #MentorshipMatters #FITS