About the show
We explore the intersection of Tech Leadership & Dream careers. We do this by creating inspiring podcasts - including interviews with amazing individuals in the tech leadership space.
Dr. Jen Bunk earned her Ph.D. in I/O Psychology (a.k.a. The Science of Work). She is a retired Associate Professor and an accomplished speaker & researcher. As the CEO of the People Stack, she’s used her decades of experience to coach hundreds of tech leaders to create their dream careers - and the dream lives that go with them.
Rob Allen (Jen’s husband) is a 20+ year software industry veteran who moved from IC to Leadership in 2010, where the focus has always been on helping the technical folks who worked for him live their best lives. In 2019, he broadened that to the tech community as a whole by joining Jen full-time at The People Stack as her Co-CEO.
The People Stack Podcast on social media
Episodes
-
Episode 243: “The Obstacle is the Way”
July 19th, 2021 | 30 mins 42 secs
I just finished reading “The Obstacle is the Way” by Ryan Holiday and there are SO MANY ways this is relevant to your career!
It’s cool to get it intellectually. “Yeah, right. I get it. I can turn my career obstacles into catapults.”
But...to really LIVE like that?
To take ACTION from that place?
That’s a bit more complicated.
In this episode, I share a ton of examples of how turning your career obstacles into catapults is EXACTLY what’s needed so you can build your dream.
Ready to have your dream job, with your dream team, with your dream salary?
Tune in right now!
-
Episode 241: Why Your Friends are Terrible Career Coaches
July 7th, 2021 | 7 mins 7 secs
In this 5-minute Quick Shift episode, I explain why your friends are giving you terrible career advice.
I say this with love - and I want you to love your friends…
...and I want you to stop treating them like career coaches!
Check out this episode right now to find out why AND what else you can do so you can finally uplevel your position and pay as a tech manager.
-
Episode 242: Three Warning Signs Your Tech Career is Headed for Disaster
July 5th, 2021 | 20 mins 49 secs
How do you ensure that you’re on the right path towards upleveling your tech career?
You pay attention to the warning signs that you’re headed in the wrong direction!
In this episode - filmed on our Epic Road Trip Stop #1 in the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire - I talked about the top 3 signs that you’re headed for career disaster.
Check this out right now if you want to upgrade your position and pay as a technical manager without suffering through struggle and dejection!
-
Episode 240: Make This Shift Right Now to Get Unstuck from a Mediocre Tech Career
June 30th, 2021 | 8 mins 3 secs
What’s one quick shift you can make RIGHT NOW so that you can finally stop settling for a mediocre tech career?
Check out this 5-min video to find out!
On the other side of this shift is the doorway to increased freedom, impact, and income...if you’re willing to go outside of your comfort zone to venture there.
Check it out right now!
-
Episode 239: The Real Reason Why You Feel Stuck in Your Tech Career
June 28th, 2021 | 31 mins 18 secs
We hear it all the time when we ask new clients what’s not working in their career right now.
“I feel...stuck.”
If you’re reading this, you likely do too.
You feel like you can’t get to that next level - being a director, VP, or higher seems out of reach.
You also might feel like you’ve hit an income ceiling. You’re making what you call “good money” but you know there’s more room for growth there too.
What’s REALLY going on here?
Why do you feel stuck and how do you fix it so you can reach your full potential as a technical manager?
Check out this episode right away!
-
Episode 238: The #1 Career Mistake That Was Costing Our Tech Manager Clients Thousands of Dollars Per Month
June 23rd, 2021 | 7 mins 26 secs
The #1 career mistake that we see our tech manager clients making...and this mistake was costing them tens of thousands of dollars per year...
...was they were focusing on WORK and NOT their CAREERS!
They have lots decent of WORK strategies: how to run 1:1s, how to lead projects, how to coordinate with different stakeholders
But they had ZERO CAREER strategies!
What was this costing them and how did they make the shift to building powerful, intentional, adaptable systems to turn their careers into rocket ships of growth for their entire lives?
Check out this 5-minute Quick Shift video right now!
-
Episode 237: 5 Lessons We Learned From Helping Tech Managers Build Their Dream Careers
June 21st, 2021 | 28 mins 59 secs
At The People Stack, it’s been a humbling honor to coach hundreds of tech managers on their journeys to creating their dream careers.
They’ve landed 30%, 40%, 50%+ raises…
They’ve landed their dream roles at dream companies…
They’ve upleveled their impact…
They’ve upleveled their freedom, joy, and balance!
So, what have we learned in being their guides? In other words, what are the shifts YOU need to make so follow in their footsteps?
Check out this episode right now!
-
Episode 236: The #1 Reason Why Our Clients Were Failing to Upgrade Their Tech Careers
June 16th, 2021 | 7 mins 16 secs
The number one reason why our clients were failing to upgrade their tech careers was because they were not evangelizing their excellence.
They were not promoting themselves.
Most of them were doing a lot of hard work on building their excellence as leaders.
But they were doing zero in terms of evangelizing their excellence.
So here's my question to you -
Are you evangelizing your excellence?
And are you doing it confidently, consistently, and with integrity?
No matter what your answer is, I want you to watch this 5-minute video right now.
It’s the first in our Quick Shift series where we’ll share quick mindset and strategic shifts to help you build your dream tech career.
And this is one of the most important shifts.
Because if you don’t effectively evangelize your excellence, there’s no way you’re going to make the impact and earn the income you deserve.
Check it out right now!
-
Episode 235: 3 Steps to Landing Your Dream Tech Leadership Job (w/out applying through LinkedIn)
June 14th, 2021 | 27 mins 58 secs
If you’re reading this, you’re either actively on the job market looking for your Hell Yes tech leadership job…
...or you’re thinking about it.
Either way, I know you want proven strategies that won’t waste your time applying for every job you see on LinkedIn, Indeed, or those other sites.
In this episode, I talk about the 3 steps you need to take in order to land an amazing leadership role that fits all of YOUR criteria for “Hell Yes!”
Do not miss this one!
-
Episode 234: Are you ready to compete?
June 9th, 2021 | 16 mins 58 secs
Let’s be real for a moment: Right now, there is more competition for tech leadership jobs than ever.
There is more competition for raises and bonuses than ever.
We are sailing through a massive storm together and the only tech leaders who are going to win are the ones who are ready to compete.
In this episode, I talk about what it takes to compete for jobs and bonuses in the tech world right now - and what you need to do to be one of the winners.
Do not miss this one!
-
Episode 233: HWPO
June 7th, 2021 | 26 mins 55 secs
Five-time Fittest Man on Earth Mat Fraser is an unstoppable force.
He’s human (we’re pretty sure) - so what’s his secret?
In a hashtag: #HWPO
Hard Work Pays Off
But does it? How does Mat turn this hard work into an amazing life with impossible victories?
And how does this relate to creating impossible victories in your tech career?Tune in now to find out!
-
Episode 232: Why Reading Leadership Books is Ruining Your Tech Career
May 31st, 2021 | 27 mins 32 secs
I have nothing against leadership books. But the thing is…
...they’re very likely ruining your career.
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that one of our core beliefs is that reading books, watching podcasts, and talking with friends on Slack are the WORST tactics to follow if you want to upgrade your tech career.
In this episode, I explain exactly why and what to do instead so that you can intentionally escape a career where you’re overworked, underpaid, and under-recognized…
..and build a career full of impact, joy, and freedom.
Check it out right now!
-
Episode 231: Career Doubts Confirmed
May 26th, 2021 | 27 mins 27 secs
We all have doubts. Doubts about ourselves, other people, the external world.
That’s normal and natural.
What I don’t want is for your doubts to continue to get confirmed.
I don’t want your self-doubt to turn into a stagnating salary or getting fired.
I don’t want your doubts about others to turn into relationships destroyed.
I don’t want your doubts about the world to turn into you staying stuck in a mediocre career.
How do you prevent this so you can build your dream tech career - even amid some doubts and challenges?
Check out this episode immediately!
-
Episode 230: Coping with extraordinary career struggles
May 24th, 2021 | 35 mins 22 secs
More than ever, we’ve been talking with tech managers who are coping with extraordinary career struggles.
Out of work for months on end and if they haven’t declared bankruptcy yet, they’ll have to.
Stuck in a dead-end job and, every day, it feels like a little piece of them is dying inside.
On top of that, they’re dealing with massive health and relationship issues too. Hospital beds and divorces are part of these stories.
How do you cope with these extraordinary career and life struggles?
I talk about how and - even more importantly - how NOT to do that in this episode.
Tune in right now!
-
Episode 229: You can have any career you want
May 19th, 2021 | 33 mins 33 secs
Yes, you CAN have any career you want!
This is the truth we’ve discovered after thousands of conversations with hundreds of tech manager clients.
Here’s the thing…
We get in our own way. We block ourselves from creating the careers we want!
What are some of the biggest blockers? And how do you overcome them so you can build your dream tech career?
Check out this episode immediately!
-
Episode 228: What To Do When Your To-Do List is Filling You with Shame (and it’s destroying your tech career)
May 17th, 2021 | 14 mins 56 secs
You’re procrastinating. You’re putting things off…
That conversation with your boss, updating your resume, reading that leadership book, sending that follow-up email…
And it’s filling you with shame, doubt, an endless spiral toward a permanent residence in Negative Town.
It’s so ironic, isn’t it? Those things on your to-do list are supposed to empower you.
But you have to get them done first.
In today’s episode, I talk about overcoming procrastination so that you can finally tackle even the most uncomfortable actions -
And use this as a catapult to upgrading your teams, your paychecks, your career, and your life.
Check it out right now!