Man there are gatekeepers everywhere. I'm part of a few vCISO groups, joined back when I offered vCISO services (it didn't work out, but that's a longer story). One of these groups had a meetup in a nearby city, so I decided to go. This was last year, but it still bothers me. I knew only a few folks, but it was essentially a giant group of strangers for me. I did meet some folks, but the one big thing I noticed was the cliques and established barriers to conversations with other people. When I said I ran a pentesting company, it was if I was a leper. "Oh, how interesting!", then getting ignored and the group closing off. It was such a group of elitists who were staying with their former CISOs hanging out acting like they saved the world. I get it, I'm just part of that world, but I did spend a few years as a CSO for a company and spent a fair amount of time doing the hard work before I started my company. Don't get me wrong, I also met a few very kind folks who I still stay in contact with, but that was the minority in a group of posers. This isn't the community I embraced nearly 20 years ago. I understand that executives think different and CISO gigs are hard, but if you're selling fractional services or vCISO, I would have thought having more contacts would be better. But no. I no longer participate with these groups. I don't try to sell my services to members, but in the past I would reach out if someone asked. It was good for the most part, and I have one vCISO who I've worked well with for a few years now. It just sucks to see the "larger, more famous" former CISOs acting like their the new prom king/queen and ice people out. Sorry, feeling ranty today.