Most of us were taught the job is the safe part. I challenge that with one question: if your employer disappeared tomorrow, could you make $1,000 from what you already know? This episode isn't about quitting or starting a business — it's about proving your skills have value beyond one paycheck. I share the story behind the question, why most professionals can't answer it, and a simple 90-day way to find out where you stand.

📋 Full show notes: 
https://dalecallahan.com/could-you-make-1000-without-your-employer/

🆓 Free resource — Moving Past Obstacles: https://dalecallahan.com
https://dalecallahan.com/op/moving-past-obstacles/

This is Company of One.

Helping professionals stop drifting and take ownership of their work, income, and future.

If something in this episode connected with you, send me a message on LinkedIn and tell me what hit home.

🌐 dalecallahan.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dalecallahan
🎙 Company of One Podcast on YouTube

Dale Callahan, Ph.D., P.E.
Director of Engineering Management @ UAB

I just found out I'm losing $50,000 a year in income — and I felt relieved. In this episode, I explain why that meeting wasn't a leadership failure, how the conversation flipped from bad news to real opportunity in twenty minutes, and why one question — "What does this make possible?" — changes how you face hard news, whether it's a career setback or a legal fight with the power company.

📋 Full show notes: 
https://dalecallahan.com/the-best-career-decisions-often-start-as-bad-news/

🆓 Free resource — Moving Past Obstacles: https://dalecallahan.com
https://dalecallahan.com/op/moving-past-obstacles/

This is Company of One.

Helping professionals stop drifting and take ownership of their work, income, and future.

If something in this episode connected with you, send me a message on LinkedIn and tell me what hit home.

🌐 dalecallahan.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dalecallahan
🎙 Company of One Podcast on YouTube

Dale Callahan, Ph.D., P.E.
Director of Engineering Management @ UAB

Most people ask "what job do I want" and stay stuck for years. This episode argues for a different starting question — "who am I trying to become" — using the story of Nehemiah, three distinctions on waiting well, and the idea that purpose, not certainty, is what actually moves people. 

Watch the full episode on YouTube  - https://youtu.be/JwsIwOFJA-A

Show notes: https://dalecallahan.com/why-most-people-wait-until-they-have-no-choice/

This is Company of One.

Helping professionals stop drifting and take ownership of their work, income, and future.

If something in this episode connected with you, send me a message on LinkedIn and tell me what hit home.

🌐 dalecallahan.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dalecallahan
🎙 Company of One Podcast on YouTube

Dale Callahan, Ph.D., P.E.
Director of Engineering Management @ UAB

David had 22 years of experience, strong reviews, and a good salary — and still felt like he had to prove himself to his fourth boss in three years. Dale unpacks what actually changed when David took on a small outside project and felt something shift, plus a second story about a skill that turned into paid advisory work nobody saw coming. Three questions to find the assets you've stopped noticing in your own career. Full episode on YouTube.

Free resource: Moving Past Obstacles at https://dalecallahan.com/op/moving-past-obstacles/

Full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VIREnw7yMaU

Show notes: https://dalecallahan.com/the-biggest-career-mistake-successful-people-make/

This is Company of One.

Helping professionals stop drifting and take ownership of their work, income, and future.

If something in this episode connected with you, send me a message on LinkedIn and tell me what hit home.

🌐 dalecallahan.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dalecallahan
🎙 Company of One Podcast on YouTube

Dale Callahan, Ph.D., P.E.
Director of Engineering Management @ UAB

A listener named Denise wrote in after being passed over for promotion for the third time in five years — despite being the most dependable person on her team. Dale reads her email and breaks down why good, reliable employees get stuck while others move past them. Then he gives four concrete actions to take this month, including how to get real answers from people who already have what you want and what signals to watch for in the first 60 days. 

Free resource: Moving Past Obstacles at https://dalecallahan.com/op/moving-past-obstacles/

Full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8-Vz448oPBE

Show notes: https://dalecallahan.com/why-good-employees-get-passed-over-for-promotion-and-what-to-do-about-it/

This is Company of One.

Helping professionals stop drifting and take ownership of their work, income, and future.

If something in this episode connected with you, send me a message on LinkedIn and tell me what hit home.

🌐 dalecallahan.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dalecallahan
🎙 Company of One Podcast on YouTube

Dale Callahan, Ph.D., P.E.
Director of Engineering Management @ UAB

Did you choose this life, or did you drift into it? Most people can't tell the difference — and that's the problem. In this episode, I walk through why "I'm good" and "I never thought about it" can sound identical but mean completely different things, and I give you four questions that will tell you, honestly, which one is true for you. 

If the answer makes you uncomfortable, that's exactly the sign to check out the free Moving Past Obstacles resource at https://dalecallahan.com/op/moving-past-obstacles/

This is Company of One.

Helping professionals stop drifting and take ownership of their work, income, and future.

If something in this episode connected with you, send me a message on LinkedIn and tell me what hit home.

🌐 dalecallahan.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dalecallahan
🎙 Company of One Podcast on YouTube

Dale Callahan, Ph.D., P.E.
Director of Engineering Management @ UAB

A senior IT manager with 22 years of experience and a $150K salary writes in asking one question: why do I feel trapped?

Dale reads the email and walks through what's really happening, what options most people miss, and what the first move actually looks like. It's not burnout. It's not the wrong job. And the fix isn't quitting.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pgT0dbKwpsI

Get Moving Past Obstacles (free): https://dalecallahan.com/op/moving-past-obstacles/

This is Company of One.

Helping professionals stop drifting and take ownership of their work, income, and future.

If something in this episode connected with you, send me a message on LinkedIn and tell me what hit home.

🌐 dalecallahan.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dalecallahan
🎙 Company of One Podcast on YouTube

Dale Callahan, Ph.D., P.E.
Director of Engineering Management @ UAB

Staying in a stable job feels like the smart move. But when your entire income and career identity runs through one employer, you're not safe — you're exposed. In this episode, Dale talks through why playing it safe is the riskiest career move most people make, and what to do before you need to find out the hard way.

Watch on YouTube → https://youtu.be/WbhqI6I4xR4

Grab the free Move Past Obstacles → https://dalecallahan.com/op/moving-past-obstacles/

This is Company of One.

Helping professionals stop drifting and take ownership of their work, income, and future.

If something in this episode connected with you, send me a message on LinkedIn and tell me what hit home.

🌐 dalecallahan.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dalecallahan
🎙 Company of One Podcast on YouTube

Dale Callahan, Ph.D., P.E.
Director of Engineering Management @ UAB

No framework this week. No three-step process. Just the honest answer to a question I get asked a lot: what is this show actually about, and who is it for?

If you've got a good job, good pay, and a quiet "is this it?" thought that won't go away — this episode names exactly what that feeling is pointing at, and why I'm the one telling you.

🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VJQWKRDx9AI

See the Show Notes: https://dalecallahan.com/who-i-help-and-the-one-problem-i-keep-coming-back-to/

This is Company of One.

Helping professionals stop drifting and take ownership of their work, income, and future.

If something in this episode connected with you, send me a message on LinkedIn and tell me what hit home.

🌐 dalecallahan.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dalecallahan
🎙 Company of One Podcast on YouTube

Dale Callahan, Ph.D., P.E.
Director of Engineering Management @ UAB

85% of jobs filled through networking. 70% never posted publicly. So why are you still refreshing Indeed?

Dale shares the story of cold-calling a stranger and walking out with a job offer — then breaks down the full framework: warm intros, the three questions that open doors, six mistakes that kill most job searches, and the daily 5-contacts habit he uses every morning.

▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cS4crYVH7pM

📝 Show notes: https://dalecallahan.com/how-i-got-job-offers-i-never-applied-for/

This is Company of One.

Helping professionals stop drifting and take ownership of their work, income, and future.

If something in this episode connected with you, send me a message on LinkedIn and tell me what hit home.

🌐 dalecallahan.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dalecallahan
🎙 Company of One Podcast on YouTube

Dale Callahan, Ph.D., P.E.
Director of Engineering Management @ UAB