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 98: When you run away from fear, you’re running away from more money, impact, balance, joy, and freedom
February 5th, 2020 | 18 mins 55 secs
When most people feel fear, they run away.
This is true in all areas of life - including in your work and career.
Scared about asking for a raise? So you don’t ask for it.
Scared about firing that team member? So you don’t fire him.
Scared about leaving your job so you can have a better one? So you don’t leave.
When you run away from fear, what’s it costing YOU in terms of money, impact, balance, joy, and freedom?
In this episode, I reveal the TRUTHS about fear that most tech managers never realize.
Turn on your listening ears for this one!
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Episode 97: What Fear REALLY Means (and why it’s keeping you from building your dream tech career)
February 3rd, 2020 | 20 mins 18 secs
What does fear mean to you?
When you feel fear, what do you do?
In this episode, I’m going to talk about fear b/c it’s the #1 emotion that our clients feel. It’s also the #1 factor that was keeping them from building their dream careers.
Wanna find out how they re-framed fear so they could use it to their advantage - at work and in the rest of their lives?
Don’t miss this episode!
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Episode 96: You’re a tech manager who wants more out of your career. Do you have trouble describing the pain this creates?
January 29th, 2020 | 16 mins 54 secs
What’s not working in your tech career right now?
Can you describe the pain you’re feeling? Is it frustration, anger, guilt, shame, stress...or something - more?
It’s okay if you have trouble finding the words. For a long time, we couldn’t describe it either.
But because we’ve had in-depth conversations with close to 1,000 tech managers, we know how to describe it.
And even better than that, we can help you out of it.
If you’re looking for clarity on exactly what’s not working in your tech career right now, please watch this episode!
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Episode 95: The Silent, Insidious Diseases That Plague Tech Managers
January 27th, 2020 | 23 mins 19 secs
Deep down, does work feel like death by 1,000 paper cuts?
Are you secretly terrified that you’ll vanish into irrelevance?
Are you suffering from lack of recognition and loss of self-respect?
Are you worried that you’re settling for a comfortable, tolerable, unfulfilling existence?
If so, you’re not alone.
These are the silent, insidious diseases that plague so many of the tech managers that we speak with.
Want to cure yourself once and for all?
Do not miss this episode!
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Episode 94: The Busyness Trap and How to Escape It
January 22nd, 2020 | 19 mins 16 secs
Are you addicted to being busy?
Are you addicted to checking email, checking Slack, reading a bunch of articles, checking in on your team (when they really don’t need to be checked on)...and in general doing the small, weedy, tactical things that don’t really make an impact?
If you finally want to upgrade your tech career and command a premium salary (while you make a huge impact as an effective leader), you have to escape this busyness trap and focus on the BIG stuff!
I’ll talk about how in this episode!
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Episode 93: Being Busy is Not Going to Help You Upgrade Your Tech Career
January 20th, 2020 | 21 mins 38 secs
When someone asks you how things are going at work, is your immediate response often:
“Yeah, great! Really busy!”
Is being busy a good thing? Do you want to be busy - or - do you want to be productive?
Not understanding the difference could cost you your ability to upgrade your tech career.
Do not miss this episode!
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Episode 92: The truth about getting more letters after your name (MBA, Phd, etc.)
January 15th, 2020 | 23 mins 40 secs
MBA, Ph.D, M.A./M.S.
Then there’s all the certifications as well: PMP, CAPM, PMI-ACP
ABCDEFG
Why work so hard getting advanced degrees and certifications? Will they guarantee you’ll be a better technical leader and advance in your career?
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Episode 91: Do you really need an MBA to be a successful technical leader?
January 13th, 2020 | 22 mins 36 secs
One of the beliefs that we hear all the time at The People Stack goes something like:
“I want to become a VP. So I need to get my MBA first.”
Is this REALLY true? Is it worth it to spend valuable time and money to get those letters after your name?
Don’t miss this episode!
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Episode 90: Taking Ownership of Your Tech Career: What it REALLY Means
January 8th, 2020 | 20 mins 10 secs
When I say “take ownership of your career,” most people get what I mean.
At least, they get it intellectually. They get it at a surface level.
But what does it REALLY mean to take ownership of your career - both from the 30,000-foot-strategic view and the day-to-day tactics?
What are you NOT doing that could make the difference between mediocre, acceptable career advancement and outstandingly awesome levels of impact, joy, and freedom?
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Episode 89: Are you looking for permission to upgrade your tech career?
January 6th, 2020 | 25 mins 53 secs
I’ve talked with hundreds of tech leaders about what’s next in your careers.
And most of you know - at least generally - what you want.
What’s secretly holding your back? You’re looking for permission to take the next step.
Find out how to overcome this hurdle and others that are stopping you from building your dream career.
Do not miss this episode!
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Episode 88: How much longer are you going to use the “hope it’ll get better” strategy to build your tech career?
January 1st, 2020 | 18 mins 40 secs
Here’s the truth: Hope is a terrible strategy.
The problem is, when it comes to career upgrading, so many tech managers are in the dark about what to do instead.
Want to ditch “I hope it’ll get better” with proven strategies that’ll help you reach higher heights in your career!
Check out this episode!
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Episode 87: Will your tech career fix itself? Next month? Next year?
December 30th, 2019 | 23 mins 48 secs
As a committed tech professional, you put a lot of care into planning for your projects at work. You never assume that bugs are going to fix themselves. You get your team together and fix it!
But…
When it comes to your careers, a lot of your are just hoping it’ll fix itself.
Here’s how to notice when this pops up and how to plan for your career more methodically!
Do not miss this episode!
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Episode 86: Do you REALLY want to create change in your tech career? Then you HAVE to do what feels uncomfortable.
December 25th, 2019 | 20 mins 46 secs
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again - and expecting different results.
And yet...so many of us keeping doing the same things because they’re familiar. They’re comfortable. And we wonder why change isn’t happening.
If you’re feeling stuck in your tech career, the same rule applies. If you want to STAY stuck, keep doing the same thing.
If you truly want change, you have to step outside of your comfort zone.
What does this mean, exactly?
Do not miss this episode!
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Episode 85: “I’m doing okay. I’m comfortable.” Why is this is the WORST place to be career-wise?
December 23rd, 2019 | 23 mins 4 secs
We talk with a lot of clients who are “doing okay” in their tech careers.
They say things like, “I’m not desperate.” “I’m coping.” “I’m managing.” “Things could be better but they’re not terrible.”
“I’m tolerating my work life.” “I’m comfortable
Believe it or not, this “comfortable” place is a WORSE place to be than when things are completely and utterly falling apart.
Why? Find out in this episode!
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Episode 84: Why even the most over-analytic, analysis-paralysis-prone humans can and MUST be decisive to upgrade their tech careers
December 18th, 2019 | 21 mins
Would you consider yourself systematic? Methodical? Careful?
What about over-analytical? Prone to analysis paralysis?
If so, no worries. These are qualities that make you great at tech.
But, if you don’t learn how to tap into your decisiveness - which is the OPPOSITE of what you tend to do - you’re on the path towards tech career failure.
Ready to embrace your inner decision-making genius and upgrade your tech career in the process?
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Episode 83: “I need to think about it” and other lies you’re telling yourself about your tech career
December 16th, 2019 | 29 mins 12 secs
If there’s a phrase we hear more than any other when we’re coaching our clients it’s…
“I need to think about it.”
I understand this need. Trust me, I do. But the truth it’s, when it comes to career decisions, it’s a lie.
Want to learn why this lie is going to cost you time, money, and energy?
Want to learn how to get past “I need to think about” and finally make a decision about your career?
Watch this episode!