Chaitra Shastry

  I’m thrilled to share that I’ve been recognized as a VMware vExpert in 2025 —a milestone that means a lot to me both personally and professionally. But this wasn’t an overnight success. In fact, it took a few tries, a lot of reflection, and a solid support system to get here. If you're someone working toward this goal, I hope my journey helps you stay motivated. 🚧 The Early Attempts Like many, I applied to the vExpert program a few times in the past—each time with hope, and each time facing the sting of not making the cut. It was disheartening, but also humbling. I realized that passion alone isn’t enough —you need strategy, mentorship, and impact-driven contributions. 🔁 What I Did Differently This Time This year, I changed my approach: Mentorship was key. I reached out to two incredibly generous vExpert Pros & old friends, Arun Nukula and Ravneet Arora , who not only agreed to mentor me but also set up standing meetings to check in on my progress. Their feedba...