
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

Aug 16, 2023 • 23min
Episode 311: Your Career is Worth Way More Than $5M
Discover the true worth of your career and why it far exceeds $5 million. The discussion emphasizes the need for recognizing the significance of career development, treating it like a valuable relationship. Listeners are encouraged to invest in their growth, exploring how personal and financial aspirations intertwine. Unleash your potential as a technical leader and take proactive steps toward fulfilling your goals. Tune in to learn how to give your career the attention it deserves!

Aug 8, 2023 • 1h 50min
Episode 310: Roy Rapoport talks about leading people, shame, needing to have impact, & why he’ll never retire
For this episode, Rob and I interviewed Roy Rapoport, a people-oriented people leader with decades of experience working for marquee tech companies including Macromedia, Slack, and Netflix.
We talked about:
Roy’s dream jobs and why they were dream jobs
Why Roy doesn’t want to identify as a “great leader”
Shame & Leadership
Mentoring vs. Leading
Why love is a key ingredient to making an impact
Roy’s views on retirement and money management
and soooo much more!
Enjoy this useful, fun episode full of inspiring truths!Special Guest: Roy Rapoport.

Aug 1, 2023 • 36min
Episode 309: How to Cultivate Unconditional Confidence (w/out feeling like a jerk)
Want to be able to access confidence on demand?
Confidence even when - especially when - things aren’t the way you want?
Then this is definitely a podcast you’ll want to listen to very carefully!
I explain exactly what unconditional confidence is and why it’s so important - spoiler alert: it profoundly affects your ability to build your dream career.
I also explain HOW to cultivate this kind of confidence - and to get better at it over time.
AND you’re gonna feel GREAT about this increased flow of confidence! You won’t feel slimy or jerky or bitchy or fake about it one bit.
Tune in and get ready for a huge confidence breakthrough!

Jul 27, 2023 • 27min
Episode 308: “Cash” is Not a Four-Letter Word (A Tale of Two Joes)
In this episode, I want to get into a tricky topic that a lot of our clients deal with.
It’s this idea that being paid more is somehow bad or evil. That wanting bigger paychecks and a higher quality of life means you’re a craven Scrooge who’s in it for the money, not because you truly love the work.
To illustrate this quandary, I share the Tale of Two Joes (both tech leaders).
By the end of the episode, I hope you’ll see that money is NOT evil.
I hope you’ll see that earning more money is win, win, win!
Tune in right now!

Jul 25, 2023 • 1h 40min
Episode 307: Joe Meyer talks AI myths, the intersection of I/O Psychology & AI, and his scary career choices
This interview was super fun to do and I hope you find it super fun to listen to!
Rob and I interviewed Joe Meyer, an NLP researcher at Erudit, an AI-based HR company.
In addition to his expertise in AI, Joe is also persuing a Ph.D. in I/O Psychology, so two of us go along swimmingly. ;)
We talked about:
Some big AI myths (and Joe dispelled them)
Faking good and the validity of AI data
The fear and excitement around AI
The intersection of AI and I/O Psychology
Joe’s career and the fun, interesting, & scary things that have happened
and soooo much more!
Grab a beverage, get comfy, and enjoy our conversation with Joe Meyer!Special Guest: Joe Meyer.

Jul 21, 2023 • 38min
Episode 306: You Get What You Tolerate
What are you tolerating in your career and at work?
What are you settling for?
Because we get what we tolerate.
If you’re tolerating an asshole boss or less-than-adequate paychecks, or unfulfilling work, you’re gonna keep getting those things.
So, how do you shift to a place where you’re no longer willing to tolerate anything less than your dream career and dream life…
…so that you can gratefully LIVE your dream without an ounce of regret?
Check out this week’s episode right now!

Jul 12, 2023 • 1h 17min
Episode 305: Interview with Michael Lopp (a.k.a. Rands in Repose): Stimulus Driven Creatures
The People Stack Podcast interview series is back!!!
And what better way to re-launch than to have our friend and trusted mentor Micheal Lopp back on.
Please consider this episode a master class in tech leadership best practices - with many other juicy topics mixed in.
Rob interviewed Michael and they talked about:
Getting humans to communicate better (Michael’s bread and butter)
Michael’s dream jobs and how they came into his life
What being a stimulus driven creature means (and how it might be helpful in your life)
The fear of becoming irrelevant
and soooo much more!
Please enjoy this super insightful, super fun episode!
★★ ★
Check out our FREE online training: https://training.thepeoplestack.com
This training will take you through the exact steps our tech manager clients are using to command premium salaries with at least $200k/year without working their butts of 50+ hours/week.Special Guest: Michael Lopp.

Jun 27, 2023 • 32min
Episode 304: It’s not the economy or the job market, Superhero
What’s in your way of creating your dream career & dream life?
It’s NOT the economy, the job market, your workplace, your boss, or anyone else in your life.
NOTHING external to you is truly in the way.
So I invite you to STOP using the external as excuses like when you say:
“The job market is bonkers right now. I’m gonna stay put even though my job could be better.”
“The economy is terrible right now. We need to put off that vacation.”
“My boss is super stressed right now. It’s a really bad time to ask for a raise or promotion.”
Cut it out! ;)
In this episode, I talk about what’s REALLY in the way and how to identify specifically what’s in in YOUR WAY so you open up new possibilities to co-create your dream.
Open heart, empty your cup, and grab your Superhero cape for this one!
Check it out right now!

Jun 9, 2023 • 32min
Episode 303: Stop Beating Yourself Up
We all beat ourselves up from time to time.
What does this look like, why is it bad, and what do you do instead?
I share this b/c I want ALL of you to be able to create your dream careers from a pure place of joy, freedom, love, and prosperity.
Give this one a listen right away!

May 25, 2023 • 33min
Episode 302: The Myth of Being Self-Made
Many tech leaders believe that in order to create your dream life, you have to do it on your own.
They follow in the footsteps of people who say, “I’m a self-made millionaire!”
For example, many of you have not reached out for help because you believe you need to solve your problems on your own.
In this episode, I bust this Self-Made Myth.
And, I show you what to focus on instead so that you can not only achieve your wildest career & life dreams…
…but also have loads of FUN while you do it!
It’s time for some myth busting!
Check this one out right now.