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 253: You Can’t Win in Your Tech Career if You’re Constantly Playing Defense
August 16th, 2021 | 26 mins 40 secs
In a soccer game, what would happen if your team only played defense?
Imagine it! A bunch of players huddled around the net. They’re putting all of their might into preventing the other team from scoring!
What would happen?
You’d LOSE! Guaranteed!
Think about how ridiculous this strategy sounds.
And take a moment to consider what strategy YOU’RE using to up-level in your tech career.
Most likely, you’re over-using defense and under-using offense. We see it time and time again with our new clients.
In this video, I explain how to notice if this is happening to you.
And I reveal how to build the best combination of offense AND defense…
...so that you can earn that raise or promotion, create massive amounts of verifiable impact, and create a zen-like work-life balance.
Check this one out right now!
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Episode 252: Mythbusting: “Your Career Will Fix Itself”
August 12th, 2021 | 7 mins 50 secs
In this 5-minute Quick Shift, I explain why believing that your career will fix itself leads to disaster!
You can say good-bye to any chance at up-levelving your position or pay if you believe this.
I explain the sneaky ways this belief shows up AND how to shift your perspective so you can be in control of your tech career and build your dream.
Check it out right now!
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Episode 251: What to Do When You’re Hitting a Salary Ceiling
August 11th, 2021 | 26 mins 22 secs
Bumping your head against any ceiling is painful…
...especially when it’s a salary ceiling.
You feel like you’re stuck at a given income level - maybe it’s 100k or 150k or 200k/year.
And there’s nothing you can do to break through it.
This leads to:
---disappointment in yourself
---worry about your finances
---anger at being unrecognizedHow do you blast through that dreaded salary ceiling as a tech manager so that you can finally earn what you’re worth while you live an even more joyous, impactful life?
Check out this episode to find out!
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Episode 250: How to Shift Your Perspective So You Know Your Career Will Get Better
August 9th, 2021 | 5 mins 21 secs
As part of our road trip, Rob and I hiked up the Kent Falls trail in Connecticut.
We were going up the many, many stairs - a little out of breath - and on the wood railings, someone wrote in large graffitti:
“It gets better.”
Knowing that it WILL get better gives you that boost of energy and confidence to reach the top - whether you’re climbing a mountain or climbing the tech career ladder.
The thing is - how do you know it’ll get better?
In this 5-minute quick shift I share how to change your perspective so that you can command a $200k+ salary and build the tech career of your dreams.
Check this one out right now!
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Episode 249: Commit to this shift to make your career wins inevitable
August 4th, 2021 | 7 mins 39 secs
Nothing is given. Everything is earned.
And in order to earn a premium salary of at least $200k/year while you live a life of joy and balance…
...it takes tons of commitment.
And we don’t want you wasting that commitment - that energy - on strategies and shifts that aren’t going to pay off.
In this video, I share a strategic shift that will help you achieve your desired career wins.
A 200k+ salary. A promotion to VP. Landing a Hell Yes remote job.
Any of these outcomes - and whatever others you want to achieve - are inevitable…
...but you have to commit in the right ways. In this episode, I will show you how.
Check it out right now!
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Episode 248: The 3 Key Reasons Why You Keep Hitting a Ceiling in Your Tech Career
August 2nd, 2021 | 28 mins 31 secs
A lot of you keep banging your head against career ceilings.
Income ceilings. Position ceilings. Impact ceilings. Freedom ceilings.
You’ve come far in your career - but you know you can do even more.
And it’s massively frustrating that you can’t get there!
In this episode, I explain why this is happening and more importantly how to blast through those ceilings so that you can earn the income, make the impact, and live the freedom that you deserve.
Do not miss this one!
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Episode 247: The Real Reason Why You Haven’t Gotten More than a 10% Raise
July 29th, 2021 | 29 mins 54 secs
A lot of you are following us because you’re a tech manager who hasn’t gotten more than a 10% raise in several years. Or maybe you’ve NEVER gotten more than that your entire career.
And you’re sick and tired of it!
You know you’re underpaid and under-recognized. And it’s eating away at you. You’re constantly turned down when you ask for more money.
And you’re tearing your hair out trying to figure out WHY this is the case!
In this episode, I talk about all the reasons you THINK you’re not getting more than a 10% raise…
...and why those are NOT the real reasons why.
And, of course, I’ll simplify it down so you can completely understand the REAL reason why you’re not earning what you’re worth so you can finally have the financial security AND make the impact you’ve wanted to.
Check this one out immediately!
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Episode 246: The #1 Hidden Sign That You’re On the Path Towards Career Disaster
July 27th, 2021 | 7 mins 36 secs
We don’t want you on the path towards feeling overworked, underpaid, and under-recognized!
We want you to be able to create your dream tech career so that you can upgrade your position and pay as a tech manager.
In this 5-minute Quick Shift episode, I talk about the #1 sign that you MUST pay attention to if you want to command a premium salary while you live a life of joy and freedom.
Check it out right now!
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Episode 245: Your Career Help - Is It Creating Significant Results?
July 26th, 2021 | 22 mins 22 secs
The BEST career help translates into significant career results like a 30+% raise, a real bump in position + impact, and increased recognition as a tech leader.
And for a lot of you, you’ve been seeking out career help. (That’s why you’re reading this right now!)
Whether it’s from friends, colleagues - or even professional coaches - you know you need expert advice.
And we want you to seek help!
What’s more important, though, is that the help actually HELPS!
Because if it doesn’t, you’re going to end up even MORE frustrated and in an even WORSE place career-wise.
Less money. Less recognition. More stress. More turmoil.
Check out this episode right now so that you can determine if your career help is actually helping!
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Episode 244: How Our Best Clients Overcome Even the Biggest Career Obstacles
July 21st, 2021 | 25 mins 10 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 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!
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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.
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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!