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 110: Why intelligent, motivated tech managers have a hard time earning career wins
March 18th, 2020 | 18 mins 49 secs
Did you ever notice that your intelligence is holding you back?
Do you overthink things to the point of analysis paralysis?
If so, this is exactly why you’re stuck in your tech career right now.
And the way to get unstuck is to continue to make intelligent decisions while you ALSO tap into your intuition.
Ready to discover how intelligence + intuition = tech career success?
Check out this episode now!
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Episode 109: Your Intelligence is the Biggest Barrier to Upgrading Your Tech Career
March 16th, 2020 | 20 mins 38 secs
You’re intelligent. I know you are. You wouldn’t have made it this far in your tech career if you weren’t.
But what if I told you that your intelligence is the biggest barrier holding you back from commanding a $200k+ salary as a tech manager?
What if your greatest strength is turning into your greatest weakness?
Want to learn how to leverage the power of your intelligence without over-using is so that you can finally earn the career wins you deserve?
Do not miss this episode!
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Episode 108: The Curse of Under-Recognition
March 11th, 2020 | 22 mins 28 secs
If you’re feeling under-recognized at work, it can feel like a curse.
It keeps happening over and over again and you can’t break the cycle.
Who do you need to kiss up to so that you can earn the praise you deserve?
What magic words do you have to chant to your boss so he advocates for you?
What secret ritual do you have to perform so that you FINALLY earn the raise and promotion you’ve been going after?
Here’s the truth: You don’t need to “kiss up” to anyone. And there’s no magic or secret.
There are, however, a set of actions you need to take that most tech managers fail to do.
Find out what they are in this episode!
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Episode 107: Why did he get a promotion and I didn’t?!
March 9th, 2020 | 18 mins 42 secs
“That guy can’t even manage his way out of a paper bag, why did he get the promotion?”
“That gal has way less experience and skills than I do. Why does she get to be part of the boss’s in-crowd?”
It’s frustrating, I get it. I’ve been there too. Actually, on all sides - playing the role of the under-recognized team member, the team member who gets all the recognition, and the leader who decides who gets limited resources.
Want to learn the strategies and shifts to make so that you can finally be the one that’s recognized for your wins - without throwing anyone under the bus?
Do not miss this episode!
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Episode 106: “Selling and self-promotion are evil.” Is that REALLY true?
March 4th, 2020 | 22 mins 27 secs
One of the main blockers most of our clients encounter to effectively and consistently evangelizing their excellence is their beliefs about sales.
Because evangelizing is, after all, selling.
Beliefs like: Selling is evil. To sell is to be selfish. Selling is destroying the planet!
Are these beliefs REALLY true?
Want to discover how to reframe your perspective on selling so that you can finally self-promote from a place of integrity and authenticity - so you can FINALLY get recognized for all of your hard work as a tech leader?
Check out this episode!
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Episode 105: I’m scared to evangelize my excellence. Help!
March 2nd, 2020 | 28 mins 28 secs
You know intellectually that you need to evangelize your excellence in order to get recognized.
And yet..you’re not doing it.Because you’re scared.
Want to learn how to get over the fear of self-promotion & owning your worth so that you can FINALLY earn the recognition that you deserve as an intelligent, committed tech manager?
Do not miss this episode!
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Episode 104: Why delusional optimism is AWESOME for your tech career!
February 26th, 2020 | 25 mins 37 secs
Change is the only constant.
Whether you like it or not, the world around us is changing.
You can complain and whine about it…
Or you can go with the flow and embrace the change so that you can build a career and a LIFE that right now may seem delusionally optimistic…
But you KNOW that with the best systems, strategies, and support you can create it.
Want to learn how to thrive in a rapidly changing world WHILE you live a life that inspires others?
Check out this episode!
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Episode 103: " Work Smarter & Not Harder” is No Longer Enough
February 24th, 2020 | 24 mins 15 secs
I know you’ve heard this hundreds of times and you may even be following this principle in your life.
It’s not entirely wrong - but it’s not enough anymore.
Here’s the truth: Because the tech world is changing so quickly, if you don’t change your principles to keep up with the change, you’re going to stay stuck in the past.
Your CAREER is going to stay stuck in the past. You’re going to keep earning yesterday’s salary and making yesterday’s impact.
Ready to build a career based on the reality of rapid change so you don’t get left in the dust?
Tune in for this episode!
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Episode 102: Why workplace politics are the invisible barrier keeping you from making more of an impact as a tech leader
February 19th, 2020 | 20 mins 14 secs
Workplace politics can be tricky. Thorny. Nebulous.
They’re like this invisible barrier constantly surrounding you at work - and it often creeps into your home life too.
Personality clashes, people trying to get access to limited resources, coworkers not acting with integrity.
These are the very real challenges you face as a tech leader.
How do you overcome them so you can get what you want in your career - and get your team what they want - without stopping to the same level as your not-so-virtuous colleagues?
Don’t miss this episode!
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Episode 101: Are workplace politics getting in the way of your tech career growth?
February 17th, 2020 | 22 mins 36 secs
Do you want to grow in your tech career, but workplace politics are getting in the way?
You feel like you could make more of an impact, and get recognized more for your wins, but the climate at work is so hostile and toxic (or both), that there’s no way you can make that happen with taking drastic actions.
Here’s the truth: If you don’t learn how to navigate workplace politics, you’re never going to upgrade your tech career. Because there will always be this invisible yet very real barrier to your growth.
How do you approach thorny workplace politics with confidence and integrity (without coming off like a whiny 2-year-old)?
Check out this episode!
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Episode 100: Feeling overwhelmed because of your tech career? It’s selfish to not fix it! Here’s why.
February 12th, 2020 | 22 mins 48 secs
Feeling stressed or overwhelmed can be a very private experience. We all feel it in different ways and it can be hard for others to relate.
But the reality is, if you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed because of your job or your career…
I guarantee it’s affecting others in your life!
So it’s selfish not to address it.
Ready to gain the tools and strategies so you can manage your sense of overwhelm, upgrade your tech career, and build loving relationships in your life?
Tune in for this episode!
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Episode 99: Stress, Burnout, Overwhelm: The Silent Killers of Your Tech Career
February 10th, 2020 | 27 mins 38 secs
We don’t see stress, burnout, or overwhelm.
But oh boy do we FEEL them.
But what are they exactly and how do you know when it’s the usual “I can deal with this” stress of being a leader vs. TOO much.
Are you TOO overwhelmed and you don’t even know it? And - is it silently killing your tech career?
Do not miss this episode!
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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!