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126: Two Actions to Help Reverse Rock Bottom

126: Two Actions to Help Reverse Rock Bottom

Let’s talk about hitting rock bottom and bouncing back, a journey many of us face in our lives.

In this episode, I share my personal journey of hitting rock bottom after experiencing grief and divorce. I recount the moment I found a divorce note at home and how it triggered a downward spiral in my life.

Despite my previous success as an engineer, I found myself in a state of despair, depression, and embarrassment. However, with the support of loved ones, I was able to turn my life around.

I emphasize the importance of having courageous conversations and being fully known, seeking counseling or talking to a trusted friend.

Hit that play button and let’s take action together!

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125: Impactful Engineering with Jake Maxey and Steve Maxey | Podcast Hosts | Engineers Making a Difference

125: Impactful Engineering with Jake Maxey and Steve Maxey | Podcast Hosts | Engineers Making a Difference

In this episode, meet two engineers who really care about the next generation of engineers, Jake Maxey and Steve Maxey.

These brothers have overcome many challenges to reach the levels of success in engineering they enjoy today, and those setbacks were the perfect setup for their mission:

Impactful Engineering.

If you know that your work on earth is about more than new technology and making money, and you’re looking for inspiration in how you can make a difference right now, you are going to love Jake and Steve.

They are also launching a new show, Impactful Engineering Podcast, that I highly recommend you check out.

Their message is about more than generosity tomorrow, it will help you perform at your best today.

So press play and let’s chat… it’s time for us to make an IMPACT!

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124: The Secret to Customer Experience that Engineers Need to Know with Annette Franz

124: The Secret to Customer Experience that Engineers Need to Know with Annette Franz

In this episode, meet the woman who (literally) wrote the book on Customer Understanding, Annette Franz.

We talk about the importance of understanding your customer as an engineer, not only to design great products, but to build a great career.

She started her career at J.D. Power and Associates in 1992, and has spent the last 30 years as a customer experience leader for dozens of brand names you would recognize, and in her own consulting firm. Annette was named one of “The 100 Most Influential Tech Women on Twitter” by Business Insider.

Annette says people come before products. You are going to want to know why, and what to do about it.

She is author of two powerful books, Customer Understanding: Three Ways to Put the “Customer” in Customer Experience (and at the Heart of Your Business), and Built to Win: Designing a Customer-Centric Culture That Drives Value for Your Business.

So press play and let’s chat… it’s time to bridge the gap between product and VOC for YOU.

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123: Are You on the Road to Burnout? | The Unspoken Pandemic

123: Are You on the Road to Burnout? | The Unspoken Pandemic

Let’s talk about a topic that hits close to home: burnout.

In this episode, l share my own experience of hitting rock bottom in my career due to burnout and how I turned things around.

Join me as I draw insights from over 1,500 engineering leaders and discuss the various faces of burnout – from disengagement to the perils of overworking. I introduce the “burnout scale” and urge you to assess where you stand on it.

I’ll uncover how burnout is more than just physical exhaustion – it’s about energy deficits across all aspects of our lives.

Hit that play button and let’s tackle burnout together!

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122: Engineering Hard Choices with Pete Hunt | The Face of Facebook’s React.js

122: Engineering Hard Choices with Pete Hunt | The Face of Facebook’s React.js

In this episode, we meet a leader who has gone from engineer, to CEO, then back to engineer, and back to CEO again, Pete Hunt.

If you want to make an impact through technology, and can’t decide if Fortune 100 or Inc. 1000 is right for you, or you struggle to make hard choices in engineering your career… then you are going to love learning from Pete.

In his early career, Pete led Instagram’s web team, built Instagram’s business analytics products, and helped to open source Facebook’s React.js (you can find him speaking at conferences around the world on YouTube).

After that, he co-founded and served as CEO of Smyte, an anti-abuse provider that was acquired by Twitter. During these experiences he discovered the keys to building and leading a data engineering team, and making hard choices like selecting an app’s tech stack.

Now, Pete is the CEO of Elementl which builds Dagster, an open-source data orchestration tool.

So press play and let’s chat… if 2 billion users are benefitting from Pete’s hard choices, you can too.

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121: Money Freedom is Not Simply More Money with Flint Jamison | Engineer to Investor | Founder of Vestus Capital

121: Money Freedom is Not Simply More Money with Flint Jamison | Engineer to Investor | Founder of Vestus Capital

In this episode, we talk MONEY with a 20 year veteran of aerospace engineering who is now a full time investor and Founder of Vestus Capital, Flint Jamison.

Every engineering leader wants financial freedom, but how do you get there?

If your strategy is to follow the average advice, you’ll get average results. In the world we live in today, average results are just not good enough.

Flint and I discuss how burnout led him to ask new questions and innovate solutions for his financial future, and how you can do the same. The best part is that these strategies are not just about creating wealth, but changing your experience at work and avoiding burnout as well.

So press play and let’s chat… because money freedom is not simply about making more money!

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