
The People Stack Podcast
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.
Latest episodes

Feb 1, 2024 • 29min
Episode 331: The Gift of Stress
Yes, I said it. Stress is a gift.
In this episode, I show you how to embrace whatever stress you’re feeling, see the gift in it, and turn that into powerful career decisions and actions.
And I promise the process I share is not the usual “just accept it” mumbo jumbo.
We all feel stressed so I know every one of you is going to get value out of this one.
Check out this episode right now!

Jan 25, 2024 • 32min
Episode 330: Top 10: Terrible Resume Advice
How do you create a powerful resume that significantly increases your chances of landing your Hell Yes job?
In this episode, we show you by revealing our top 10 pieces of terrible resume advice.
I also explain why they’re terrible so you can start applying powerful, sustainable, proven strategies for creating your dream career.
Check this one out right now!

Jan 18, 2024 • 43min
Episode 329: Paradox of Action
Ready to take action in an entirely new way?
In a way that’s sustainable, fun, fulfilling, and full of impact on the other side?
To do this, you must first understand the paradox of action.
In this episode, I explain what that is and what your next action should be to create your dream career and dream life.
Enjoy this very practical episode filled with proven exercises to help you take the best actions possible!

Jan 10, 2024 • 28min
Episode 328: Action Beats Motivation
It’s time to soar towards your career goals in 2024!
How? By applying this principle:
Action beats motivation
What does this mean and how do you apply it in YOUR career so that you can finally create the tech career you truly deserve?
Check out this podcast right now!

Dec 13, 2023 • 37min
Episode 327: Hibernate to Prepare for Hyperspace
It’s hibernation season.
It’s also the season to prepare for massive growth in the new year.
In this episode, I define exactly what I mean by “hibernate” and “hyperspace.”
I also give you several practical and tactical tools so you can begin making micro-habit changes starting TODAY!
MASSIVE transformative changes are coming in 2024. Are you ready for them? ;)
Listen to this one right now to prepare!

Dec 5, 2023 • 1h 47min
Episode 326: Jason Silver on bringing joy to work, the importance of agency, and why decisions make you stressed
For this episode, Rob and I interviewed Jason Silver. He’s a startup advisor and his new book, “Quietly Crushing It” is coming out in Summer 2024. We talked about:
Finding joy in doing the hard things - while you deliver MORE (not less) value
Why your dream job is not something you “win,” it’s a practice
How to add agency to everything you do as a leader
Assumptions about sales - what it is and what’s it’s not
Feedback: the good, the bad, and the ugly
A simple strategy that’ll drastically reduce your decision-making stress
How to persuade people to change their mindset
Why “what do you think?” can be a terrible question
The importance of gratitude
This was an assumption-challenging conversation - even for us! Enjoy applying its valuable lessonsSpecial Guest: Jason Silver.

Nov 28, 2023 • 35min
Episode 325: Holy $hit I Can’t Even
How many more “drop everything!” crises can you handle right now?
It’s probably your current load minus 1 (or minus 10).
We live in an era of surrounded by overwhelm.
And it’s overwhelming!
How do you handle it like a badass leader so that you can intentionally create your dream career and dream life?
Check out this episode for a simple, zero-cost, 3-step process that you can do TODAY to start optimizing your response to stress.

Nov 21, 2023 • 1h 36min
Episode 324: Shobana Radhakrishnan on overcoming fear, giving women crutches, and why she’s not a medical doctor
For this episode, Rob and I interviewed Shobana Radhakrishnan, Senior Director of Engineering at Google TV.
We talked about:
Overcoming feeling “stupid” and asking “dumb” questions at large group meetings
Why women employees don’t need crutches
Building a culture of psychological safety (no, it doesn’t happen by accident)
Why taking ownership is the key to career and leadership growth
Why training job interviewers is of paramount importance
Dealing with fear and playing outside your comfort zone
Dealing with naysayers from a place of neutrality and confidence
The “Friday Night” problem and the problem with having way too many subscriptions
Why she chose a career in engineering instead of medicine
This was a delightfully rich conversation that will inspire you to grow as a leader and as a human!Special Guest: Shobana Radhakrishnan.

Nov 14, 2023 • 32min
Episode 323: Free Learnin’ is Worth Every Penny
Online courses - even with the best intentions - are self-improvement theater.
And there’s nothing wrong with theater! What’s important is to understand what it can and cannot do for you.
In this episode, I take a deep dive into online learning - what its value REALLY is, what it’s not, how to set yourself up for success when you take courses, and most importantly what to do AFTER.
Grab your favorite note-taking tools and cuddle up with this podcast so that you can leverage the wealth of information that’s out there and turn it into your Hell Yes tech job, with your Hell Yes team, and your Hell Yes Salary.
Enjoy!

Nov 7, 2023 • 1h 33min
Episode 322: Kathy Sebuck talks about growth mindset, connected balance, core values & what adulting really means
For this episode, Rob and I interviewed Kathy Sebuck, Founder/CEO of Marchitecture and author of Waves of Change: Growth Mindset Tools for Connected Balance.
We talked about:
-What is a growth mindset and how do we know we’ve achieved it?
-Why discovering our core values is so important
-How to avoid weaponizing mindfulness and positivity
-Why being color blind to red flags might be ruining your life
-What adulting REALLY means (no, it’s not about paying bills or taking out the garbage)
-How to give yourself permission to be your best self & conduct your own woo-woo choo-choo
This episode was a blast to create and we hope it’s a blast for you to listen to! Check it out right now!Special Guest: Kathy Sebuck.