I've got a background in IT & Information Systems Security as well... [noticed your reference using/learning Kali Linux & CISSP]
Fedora/RedHat, Slackware, Arch/BlackArch, Manjaro, Mint, Kali, & Knoppix are my top favorite/most-used distros. What I use is dependant upon what I want/need it for.
Welcome to the forums bud!