The People Stack Podcast
Jen Bunk
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.
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 1, 2018 • 42min
Episode 51: Author, Coach, and Interviewer Bill Fox talks about contributing to the greater good, the things he's learned interviewing tech leaders, putting together his book and more
Author, Coach, and Interviewer Bill Fox stops by the People Stack to talk about what transformed his life and lead him to push beyond servant leadership into Stage 4 leadership, the challenges that caused him to focus on documenting the themes among the leaders he's talked with, learning to fly, gaining perspective and much more
Check out https://www.forwardthinkingworkplaces.com/resources for Bill's book and many other resources which were discussed in the show.
Intro music is "I'm Going for a Coffee" by Lee Rosevere, which is licensed under CC BY 4.0Special Guest: Bill Fox.
Jun 17, 2018 • 47min
Episode 50: IO Psychologist Marc Prine talks about validating your hiring assumptions, Psychological assessments at work, being "not that kind of Psychologist" and more
IO Psychologist Marc Prine stops by the People Stack to talk about validating your hiring and performance assumptions, Psychological assessments, Job Analysis, how culture is created, being "not that kind of Psychologist" and more!
Intro music is "I'm Going for a Coffee" by Lee Rosevere, which is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Jun 3, 2018 • 46min
Episode 49: Gong Ke Gouldstone talks about owning your career, creating trust, gardening and more
Entrepreneur, Product & Technology Leader Gong Ke Gouldstone stops by the People Stack to talk about the similarities between leadership and negotiation, what it means to own your tech career, how she creates vision, trust, and support on her teams and how she developed her leadership skills.
Check out Gong Ke's latest adventure: http://www.yardpanel.com/
Intro music is "I'm Going for a Coffee" by Lee Rosevere, which is licensed under CC BY 4.0Special Guest: Gong Ke Gouldstone.
May 20, 2018 • 45min
Episode 48: Leadership Coach Anthony Fasano talks people skills, transformation, getting things done and more of Jen's favorites
Leadership Coach Anthony Fasano (https://engineertomanager.com/) stops by the People Stack to talk about the importance of setting clear expectations, communication, people skills and the danger of being action -oriented.
Intro music is "I'm Going for a Coffee" by Lee Rosevere, which is licensed under CC BY 4.0Special Guest: Anthony Fasano.
May 6, 2018 • 54min
Episode 47: Brennan McEachran and Jessica Weisz from SoapBox talk about managing up, managing down, treating your humans like humans, being the best leader you can and more
Brennan McEachran and Jessica Weisz from SoapBox (https://soapboxhq.com/) stop by the People Stack to talk about their leadership rituals, the transition from individual contributor to management, and from solo founder to CEO, getting your people to not hide their mistakes, and treating your humans like humans. Special Guests: Brennan McEachran and Jessica Weisz.
Apr 23, 2018 • 51min
Episode 46: Kareen Walsh talks about her work as a Revampologist, growth coaching, technical and project management getting along together and more
Kareen Walsh, Solutions Strategist and Coach, stops by the People Stack to talk about making your software choices better fit your organization's needs, how to address communication breakdowns between Project Managers and the technical staff they depend on, how to better frame necessary changes, finding clarity of direction when you feel a need for change and much moreSpecial Guest: Kareen Walsh.
Apr 8, 2018 • 51min
Episode 45: Josh Doody talks about the biggest avoidable mistakes in salary negotiation, getting over the fear of responding with a counter offer and more
Author and Salary Negotiation Coach, Josh Doody, stopped by the People Stack to talk about getting more interview and job offers, the process and flow of negotiation, how his time as an engineer influenced his process, the art of the counteroffer, and more.
Some links mentioned in the show:
The Fearless Salary Negotiation homepage: https://fearlesssalarynegotiation.com/
Josh's coaching page: https://fearlesssalarynegotiation.com/coach/
Josh's article on how to answer “What’s your current or expected salary?”: https://fearlesssalarynegotiation.com/the-dreaded-salary-question/
The comprehensive Salary Negotiation Guide Josh mentioned: https://fearlesssalarynegotiation.com/salary-negotiation-guide/
Special Guest: Josh Doody.
Mar 25, 2018 • 37min
Episode 44: Jill Wetzler talks about becoming a Director of Engineering at Lyft, growing managers, mentoring and more
Jill Wetzler, Director of Engineering at Lyft, shares her journey through the tech landscape, emphasizing leadership and mentorship. She discusses the challenges of scaling teams while maintaining quality and inclusivity. Jill highlights the power of authenticity in leadership, connecting deeply with team members. She also shares insights on effective management structures and hiring practices to enhance team performance. With a focus on personal growth through mentoring, she encourages leaders to foster reflection and empower their teams.
Mar 11, 2018 • 46min
Episode 43: John Sawers talks about your Emotional API, handling your anger and fear without falling to the dark side and more
John Sawers is a developer, founder and now speaker; all outcomes which would not have been possible with debilitating responses to his emotions. He's developed the metaphor of an Emotional API and speaks on the topic, bringing a great deal of necessary understanding.
Some links that John mentions:
Paraliminals (https://www.learningstrategies.com/Paraliminal/Home.asp)
Myriad specific subjects
Downloadable Audio
Cost per subject
Each session ~30min
Centerpointe (http://www.centerpointe.com/)
Just a few programs, but general purpose
Each 'level' costs money
Requires 60min/day
Landing page is really salesy
Buddhify App (https://buddhify.com/)
Beautiful interface
Lots of different guided meditations
Emotional API (http://emotionalapi.com)
Talk videos
Related contentSpecial Guest: John Sawers.
Feb 25, 2018 • 43min
Episode 42: Recruiter Bill Sullivan talks about Tech Recruiting, Salary Negotiation and other dirty words
Boston-area tech recruiter Bill Sullivan (http://www.thetycheproject.com) stops by the People Stack to talk about recruitment done right, avoiding used car salesman-like recruiters, salary negotiation from the company and applicant perspectives, how both can come away happy and why it's so hard to find good help in Boston these days. Special Guest: Bill Sullivan.
