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  • You're Not Chasing a Promotion. You're Chasing Proof That You're Enough
    2026/08/11

    👉 Watch the Engineering Director Promotion Plan (free):
    https://youtu.be/ZrRe3O8KHSQ

    You know what to do. You just can't get yourself to do it. That gap isn't a discipline problem — it's a belief problem hiding in your unconscious.

    Zach sits down with Tim Shurr, a hypnotist and mindset expert with 34 years and 15,000+ sessions helping people rewire the beliefs that quietly run their careers. They dig into why smart, hardworking engineering leaders get stuck chasing promotions, working harder and harder, and still hitting the same ceiling — and what actually creates lasting change. If you've been passed over, burned out, or told to "work on your executive presence" with no real path forward, this one's for you.

    You'll learn:

    • Why more effort and more hours won't close the gap between where you are and where you want to be
    • How unconscious beliefs shape decisions up to 7 seconds before you're aware of them — and how to upgrade them
    • The one question to ask yourself when you feel stuck, and how to get past the surface answers
    • Why your biggest breakthroughs are hidden in the places you don't want to go

    𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿?
    Get the free Director Promotion Roadmap and discover the 5 critical gaps keeping you from getting promoted— and exactly how to close them.
    https://lifestyleengineering.oasisofcourage.com/director-promotion-roadmap

    👉 Watch the Engineering Director Promotion Plan (free): https://youtu.be/ZrRe3O8KHSQ

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    56 分
  • You Outworked Everyone. It's the Reason You're Stuck.
    2026/07/28

    👉 Watch the Engineering Director Promotion Plan (free):
    https://youtu.be/ZrRe3O8KHSQ

    Most engineering leaders assume rising up means compromising your time, your family, and eventually who you are. Erin Hatzikostas proves that's a lie — and the leaders who buck it get better results.

    Zach sits down with Erin, former CEO who tripled her company's earnings by refusing the "executive club" playbook. She unpacks the compromise calculation most leaders run when they get tapped for a bigger role, why working harder is actually the lazy way to lead, and how strategic authenticity (not just "being yourself") wins the talent war, closes better deals, and builds the kind of team where your job actually gets easier.

    You'll learn:

    • Why working harder in a bigger role means you're leading worse — not more committed
    • The "compromise calculation" that talks great leaders out of the next role, and how to break it
    • How authenticity is an action verb, not a personality trait — and where to start (hint: your out-of-office)
    • Why doing it your own way actually wins negotiations, keeps top talent, and makes leadership less exhausting

    𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿?
    Get the free Director Promotion Roadmap and discover the 5 critical gaps keeping you from getting promoted— and exactly how to close them.
    https://lifestyleengineering.oasisofcourage.com/director-promotion-roadmap

    👉 Watch the Engineering Director Promotion Plan (free): https://youtu.be/ZrRe3O8KHSQ

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    59 分
  • You're the Bottleneck in Your Own Career | $10B VP Casey Tubman
    2026/07/14

    👉 Watch the Engineering Director Promotion Plan (free):
    https://youtu.be/ZrRe3O8KHSQ

    Casey Tubman went from a $37K design engineer to VP of Engineering at Whirlpool, leading an 8–10 billion dollar global platform. His original career goal? Just make manager.

    In this conversation, Casey breaks down the actual moves that took him from CAD drafting on tractors to running one of Whirlpool's largest engineering organizations — including the mindset shifts most engineers wait too long to make. We dig into how he stepped sideways into marketing and sales without an obvious playbook, why he never felt "ready" for any of the jobs he took, and what he now sees senior leaders doing differently that engineers in the middle miss.

    You'll learn:
    • Why 40% ready is enough to say yes to the next role (and how waiting for 100% keeps you stuck)
    • The 30/60/90 framework Casey uses to ramp into a bigger role without a misstep
    • How killing meetings and enforcing pre-reads drove engagement up 10+ points on his team
    • The shift from 90% work / 10% people to the opposite — and when it has to happen

    𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿?
    Get the free Director Promotion Roadmap and discover the 5 critical gaps keeping you from getting promoted— and exactly how to close them.
    https://lifestyleengineering.oasisofcourage.com/director-promotion-roadmap

    👉 Watch the Engineering Director Promotion Plan (free): https://youtu.be/ZrRe3O8KHSQ

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    59 分
  • All Thrust, No Vector | Why Working Hard Isn't the Same as Moving Forward | Lt. Col. Waldo Waldman
    2026/06/30

    Watch the Engineering Director Promotion Plan (free):
    https://youtu.be/ZrRe3O8KHSQ

    Fear doesn't go away. You just learn to turn the volume up on what matters more.

    Zach sits down with former F-16 fighter pilot Lt. Col. Waldo Waldman to talk about flying 65 combat missions while battling claustrophobia, why courage isn't the absence of fear, and how engineering leaders build the kind of resilience that actually holds up under pressure. Waldo shares the "why before you fly," the trap of being all thrust and no vector, and why nobody great is doing it solo.

    You'll learn:

    • Why "envisioning the victory" and knowing who you're flying for pulls you through fear faster than willpower
    • How to tell the difference between real growth and just staying busy in your comfort zone
    • Why courage is love in action — and how that reframes the hard calls you make as a leader
    • The wingman principle: who you need in your cockpit before the missiles start flying

    𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿?
    Get the free Director Promotion Roadmap and discover the 5 critical gaps keeping you from getting promoted— and exactly how to close them.
    https://lifestyleengineering.oasisofcourage.com/director-promotion-roadmap

    👉 Watch the Engineering Director Promotion Plan (free): https://youtu.be/ZrRe3O8KHSQ

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    1 時間
  • You Didn't Quit. But Part of You Did. | The 8 Stages of Alienation with Anton Gunn
    2026/06/16

    👉 Watch the Engineering Director Promotion Plan (free): https://youtu.be/ZrRe3O8KHSQ

    Your best people are quietly checked out. And you might not even know it's happening.

    Zach sits down with leadership consultant Anton Gunn to unpack why injustice in the workplace—not discrimination, but the daily slights, the excluded emails, the teams nobody wants to join—is quietly destroying your culture and driving retention. Anton breaks down the Eight Stages of Alienation, why 95% of leaders either miss it or do nothing about it, and exactly what separates the 5% who actually fix it.

    You'll learn:
    - The Eight Stages of Alienation: how one act of disrespect escalates into the "8:59 employee" who mentally quit years ago
    - Why injustice is invisible to half of leaders—and how to actually see what's happening on your team
    - The three questions every person silently asks their leader (and why your actions matter more than your words)
    - How vulnerability and imperfection make you a stronger leader than any perfect script ever could

    𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿?
    Get the free Director Promotion Roadmap and discover the 5 critical gaps keeping you from getting promoted— and exactly how to close them.

    https://lifestyleengineering.oasisofcourage.com/director-promotion-roadmap

    👉 Watch the Engineering Director Promotion Plan (free): https://youtu.be/ZrRe3O8KHSQ

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    1 時間 4 分
  • How to Design Your Ideal Engineering Career Path | Director of Engineering Matt Sevey
    2026/06/02

    👉 Watch the Engineering Director Promotion Plan (free):

    https://youtu.be/ZrRe3O8KHSQ

    Burnout isn't always about doing too much. Sometimes it's doing the wrong work too well — and most engineers can't tell the difference until they're years deep.

    Zach sits down with Matt Sevey — mechanical engineer turned self-taught software developer, engineering manager, and founder of My Code Career — to unpack what it takes to realize you're in the wrong work and find the courage to change it. They get into the link nobody taught him between what he studied and a life he actually cared about, the 30+ "coffee chats" with total strangers that reframed his entire career, why we go to the people closest to us last, and the difference between managing your time and managing your energy.
    You'll learn:

    Why being good at your job can be the exact thing keeping you stuck — Matt was turning down promotions while pouring 20 hours a week into something else "just for fun"
    The one question that cuts through career confusion: "Am I doing the right type of engineering?" (and why it still applies even when you love what you do)
    How to run a cold "coffee chat" that builds your network without feeling like you're selling yourself

    Why the people closest to you are the last ones you ask for help — and what that fear is really costing you

    𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿?

    Get the free Director Promotion Roadmap and discover the 5 critical gaps keeping you from getting promoted— and exactly how to close them.

    https://lifestyleengineering.oasisofcourage.com/director-promotion-roadmap

    👉 Watch the Engineering Director Promotion Plan (free): https://youtu.be/ZrRe3O8KHSQ

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    58 分
  • The Conversation You're Avoiding | Lasting Happiness with Dr. Elia Gourgouris
    2026/05/18

    👉 Watch the Engineering Director Promotion Plan (free):

    https://youtu.be/ZrRe3O8KHSQ

    Happiness isn't a personality trait you were born with. It's a skillset you build — and most engineering leaders have never been taught how.

    Zach sits down with Dr. Elia Gourgouris, "The Happiness Doctor," to unpack why so many high-achieving engineers stay stuck in their heads, carry around a hundred-pound backpack of resentment and regret, and confuse a full calendar with a meaningful life. They get into the brands we were given as kids, the micro habits that actually move the needle, and the three things the happiest people do differently when life gets hard.

    You'll learn:

    • Why "happiness is a choice" is only half the story — and what the other half actually requires

    • The three things successful, happy people do differently with adversity (and why letting go is the one most leaders skip)

    • How to stop confusing "busy" with productive, and start leading yourself first

    • The simple daily practice that rewires gratitude into a real skill, not a slogan

    𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿?

    Get the free Director Promotion Roadmap and discover the 5 critical gaps keeping you from getting promoted— and exactly how to close them.

    https://lifestyleengineering.oasisofcourage.com/director-promotion-roadmap

    👉 Watch the Engineering Director Promotion Plan (free): https://youtu.be/ZrRe3O8KHSQ

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    1 時間 1 分
  • You've Been Debugging Your Career with the Wrong Questions | Marc Champagne
    2026/05/05

    👉 Watch the Engineering Director Promotion Plan (free): https://youtu.be/ZrRe3O8KHSQ

    You're one question away from a completely different life.

    But most engineers stay stuck… because they're asking the wrong ones.

    Zach sits down with Mark to unpack what happens when a big vision collapses—after building an app that reached millions, he had to delete it and start over. They break down how fear, burnout, and mental fog take over in those moments—and how asking better questions, building simple mental fitness practices, and creating space to think clearly can pull you back into momentum and direction as a leader.

    You'll learn:

    Why the questions you ask determine your career direction
    How to clear mental fog so you can think and lead effectively
    Simple daily practices to build clarity without adding more work
    How to trust intuition when making high-stakes career decisions

    𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿?

    Get the free Director Promotion Roadmap and discover the 5 critical gaps keeping you from getting promoted— and exactly how to close them.

    https://lifestyleengineering.oasisofcourage.com/director-promotion-roadmap

    👉 Watch the Engineering Director Promotion Plan (free): https://youtu.be/ZrRe3O8KHSQ

    Rate, Review, and Follow

    "I love Zach and The Happy Engineer Podcast." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more engineers -- just like you -- take the next step toward the career and life that they desire. On Apple Podcasts, click our show, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

    Remember, we only spread our message when you share this knowledge with others that need it. So if you enjoy this episode, please SHARE it on your social media and tag @OASISOFCOURAGE so I can say hi and thank you.

    Also, if you haven't done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I'll be releasing a lot of new content including bonus episodes to the feed and, if you're not subscribed, there's a good chance you'll miss out. Subscribe now!

    For more information on Zach White and The Happy Engineer go to:

    https://www.oasisofcourage.com

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    54 分