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
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Episode 189: Career Doubts Confirmed
December 21st, 2020 | 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!
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Episode 188: What’s normal for tech managers?
December 16th, 2020 | 27 mins 6 secs
A lot of times, clients ask us, “Is this normal?”
Without getting into the philosophical and psychological underpinnings of the word “normal…”
(You can take the girl out of academia but you can’t take the academia out of the girl!) 🤓
...what they’re REALLY asking is: “Am I settling?”
Our clients don’t want to settle for normal. They want to EXCEED the boundaries of what most tech managers do.
And if you’re reading this, I know you do too!
So how do you get unstuck from a normal tech career so you can command a salary of $200k/year or more while you have more free time than you know what to do with?
Check out this episode right now to find out!
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Episode 187: Career Blinders
December 14th, 2020 | 26 mins 43 secs
Whether you realize it or not, you have career blinders on.
You only see what’s in your world.
Until someone shines a light on other possibilities, you don’t know what’s truly possible.
How do you remove the blinders so you can create a future career that exceeds your current boundaries of do-able and achievable?
How do you get to a place where you see, hear, feel, and KNOW that you can create your dream career?
Check out this episode right now!
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Episode 186: Taking Career Ownership is an Act of Love
December 9th, 2020 | 23 mins 3 secs
We talk about ownership a lot here at The People Stack.
It’s important to choose to make your career a priority - that’s how you’re going to build your dream!
It takes discipline and hard work to do that.
What we often don’t talk about is that taking ownership of your career is also an act of love.
It’s a gift we give to those who we care for.
Ready to find out how you can give the amazing gift of an amazing career to yourself and others?
Tune in right now!
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Episode 185: Hollywood is That Way 👉 🎥
December 7th, 2020 | 31 mins 37 secs
It’s really common to ACT like your career is okay. To behave as if everything is fine and it’ll get fixed.
We hear this time and time again from thousands of tech managers.
You’re coping. Holding the weight of the world on your shoulders.
But underneath all of this, ACTING is taking a huge toll!
If you want to be an actor, Hollywood is that way! 👉 🎥
But that’s not what you signed up for. You signed up to be an authentic, assertive, servant tech leader!
How do you do that without over-burdening others with your problems and struggles?
Check out this episode right now!
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Episode 184: Logic vs Intuition
December 2nd, 2020 | 17 mins 33 secs
What rules your brain?
Is it the logical side? The one that helps you build systems, solve problems, and plan for all scenarios?
Or is it the intuitive side? The one that helps you go with the flow, tap into your inner Spider-Sense, and create magical moments of synchronicity?
That fact is, we all have a default that we tend to overuse.
And the key to creating the career you want is to tap into BOTH!
If you do not fully develop your logical AND intuitive powers, you’ll never be able to command a $200k+ salary as a tech manager! You’ll never be able to create massive amounts of impact!
How do you avoid this? Check out this episode right now!
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Episode 183: You can have any career you want
November 30th, 2020 | 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!
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Episode 182: “The Obstacle is the Way”
November 25th, 2020 | 29 mins 46 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!
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Episode 181: How Our Best Clients Overcome Even the Biggest Career Obstacles
November 23rd, 2020 | 34 mins 54 secs
Over the last 6 years, we’ve had thousands of conversations with tech managers about upgrading their careers.
And while each of them are different - and reflect the unique beauty and strength of each person behind the words…
The ONE thing they ALL have in common that the EVERYONE has OBSTACLES!
Challenges, problems, objections, “yeah, but…”
Call them what you want, it happens to everyone!
What are the biggest obstacles that we see popping up and how do our best clients overcome them?
Check out this episode NOW to find out!
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Episode 180: The Most Important Career Question
November 18th, 2020 | 30 mins 42 secs
What’s not working in your career right now?
That’s THE most important question you can ask yourself so you can get unstuck from tech career mediocrity.
AND…
You HAVE to find the answers that lead to success.
You HAVE to find the answers that help you land that next job or earn that raise.
Finding those answers is not always straightforward.
I talk about answering this most important career question in this episode!
Check it out right now!
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Episode 179: Useless Career Conversations
November 16th, 2020 | 25 mins 10 secs
How do you upgrade your tech career?
How do you land that Hell Yes job?
How do you earn that raise and promotion?It’s simple: Through a series of often uncomfortable career-building conversations!
If you’re not having those conversations effectively and frequently, it’s game over.
You’re going to stay stuck and your career is going to stay on life support.
How do you start having these conversations so you can finally earn the income and make the impact you want to?
Do not miss this episode!
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Episode 178: The Worst Way to Try to Fix Your Tech Career
November 11th, 2020 | 34 mins 54 secs
I talk a lot about the bad ways to try to take control of your career.
Reading books endlessly, investing in low-ticket training, chatting on Slack with well-meaning but ultimately unhelpful friends…
These are all terrible ways to transform your tech career.
Beneath all of this, is the WORST WAY.
What is the worst way to try to climb the tech leadership ladder?
And how do you build your career with wisdom, courage, and serenity?
Watch this episode now!!!
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Episode 177: Cheap Fixes for Expensive Career Problems
November 9th, 2020 | 24 mins
I was just talking with someone who chose a cheap fix to an expensive career problem.
He hired a coach who charges $200/hour.
He’s already wasted $3000 and is still struggling on the job market!
Paying for “inexpensive” coaches to solve your expensive career problems is the same thing as putting duct tape on a leaking roof.
It’s a short-term, cheap tactic that makes it more costly in the long run.
How do you avoid this? Watch this episode now!!!
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Episode 176: Fear is why you’re not winning
November 4th, 2020 | 29 mins 16 secs
Fear is at the root of all of your career struggles.
Let’s face it, fear is at the root of ALL of your life struggles.
Uncertainty? Doubt? Overwhelm? Worry? Anxiety?
They’re all rooted in FEAR!
How do you allow yourself to feel fear while you still win in your tech career?
I talk about the simple 2-step process in this episode!
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Episode 175: A Blind Leap to Your Next Career Anchor Point
November 2nd, 2020 | 24 mins 24 secs
At this point in your career, the only way to go is up!
And in order to go up, you need to take a blind leap of faith to the next anchor point.
In this episode, I talk about the best and worst ways to take that leap of faith so that you can build your dream tech career.
Do not miss this episode!
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Episode 174: Job Hopping Myths
October 28th, 2020 | 25 mins 15 secs
Do you really need to hop from job to job to get a substantial raise as a tech manager?
A lot of the folks we speak with think this is the case.
They’ve job hopped for the past 5, 10, 20+ years hoping that they’d unlock increased salary, increased impact, and increased freedom.
What do they get instead? More of the same!
Mediocre pay, mediocre positions, and mediocre career results.
So - what’s REALLY the key to achieving your dream tech leadership career?
Tune in right now to find out!