Engineering Success - The Engineering Career Podcast

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My guest on today’s podcast is the Chief Operating Officer of Meade Engineering, an Engineering Consulting Firm, known for their successful design of electrical engineering infrastructure across the US. When I was introduced to Johnathan as a potential guest of the podcast, I was really excited about his unique perspective that he could offer to the podcast.

Like many of my guests, Johnathan has multiple degrees, but neither of them are in engineering. Jonathan shares my passion for economics, as he graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Sciences in Economics, and has his MBA in Finance from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. He started his career working for the family business, Meade Engineering, working his way through the organization as a project manager. After an eight year hiatus (or maybe a little bit more than just a hiatus) in finance, working for Charles Schwab, he returned to Meade Engineering where he is now their Chief Operating Officer.

I’m so grateful today that Johnathan has lent some of his time to share his career journey on the podcast today, 

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https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/engineering-success (preferred)

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My guest on today’s podcast is an accomplished engineer, teacher, and advocate for traditionally underrepresented groups in STEM. Melissa Villegas Drake is a graduate of New Mexico State University, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

She has held multiple roles as an engineer, including working on the Space Shuttle Program, and had a second career as an educator teaching engineering to high school students aspiring to a career in engineering. One thing that has been consistent for Melissa is her advocacy for minority representation in engineering. While in school, she became involved with the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and after starting her career, she continued her involvement and eventually became the National President of that organization. Melissa’s newest adventure is her efforts to get more girls and women into tech careers. She and another colleague revived the Girls in Tech chapter in Phoenix, as her main goal is to inspire individuals to begin a career in tech. Being a coach to a FIRST robotics Girl Scout team, she is a formal volunteer for Girl Scouts. She is an ambassador of the Google Group Women Techmakers and was recently recognized as one of Phoenix Magazine’s Great 48 Phoenicians.

Melissa is such a wonderful ambassador for the engineering community, and I’m so grateful that she has offered her time to share her journey here on the podcast

My guest on today’s podcast is a degreed engineer, podcaster, and thought leader in real estate investing under his brand name, “The Wealth Elevator”.

Lane Kawaoka is a graduate of the University of Washington for both his undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and his Masters in Civil Engineering concentrated in Construction Management. After graduating he held multiple roles in a 12 year career as an engineer for companies such as BNSF and the Hawaii Department of Transportation, but his passion is for real estate investing, and that is what he does now. His work includes managing a portfolio of more than $2.1 billion assets under management as Real Estate Syndicator for his Wealth Elevator Investor Club, providing financial advisory services, and sharing advice and lessons learned from his career in real estate on his podcast, the Wealth Elevator.

Lane has achieved a dream I have had for a while, by building a successful real-estate portfolio, but then in true engineer’s fashion, he chose not to sit on his portfolio and instead build a real estate empire. Today I’m excited to learn more about Lane and his career journey as an engineer and beyond.

Connect with Deb here: https://dropinceo.com/

My guest on today’s podcast is an accomplished engineer, business leader, and published Author. Over her career, she’s held titles such as “Quality Engineer”, “Director of Quality Assurance”, “Operational Excellence Manager”, “Chief Quality Officer”, and multiple chief officer roles in a fractional capacity, a concept that aligns greatly with her nickname, “The Drop in CEO ™”.

Deborah Coviello is the founder of Illumination Partners, where she, the Drop in CEO, brings her knowledge and experience gained through the many roles listed and left unlisted previously to identify, assess and solve issues that are preventing business growth. Deb is the author of “The CEO’s Compass: Your Guide to Get Back on Track”, a book that “tells the CEO's Hero Journey through the unknown and how to guide them to Peace of Mind.” and she has another book, The Secrets of The C-Suite due to be published in 2024. (One day, I too aspire to be a published author, but today, I can live vicariously through Deb.  

Deb is the host of The Drop In CEO Podcast, where she connects her listeners with business leaders and CEO’s who are “Doing the work of transforming their businesses from the inside out” to help her audience “learn how to be an inspirational leader, take care of [their] career and build a strong foundation of purpose”.

Episode 46 of the ENGRing Success Podcast

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LinkedIn Lunatics/Career Craziness

⁠⁠⁠⁠1. Does treating the LinkedIn DMs like tinder count?

⁠⁠⁠⁠2. You have to hire me as a UX Designer because I am a stripper, otherwise it’s discriminatory

⁠3. How is that appropriate!!

Engineering College Q's

⁠⁠4. For future college freshman, please read the advice given here.

⁠5. Can a CAD technician ever become an engineer?

6. What engineering degree would you recommend for me?

Career Advice

⁠⁠⁠⁠7. Will there be a huge need for chemical engineers in the near future?

⁠⁠⁠8. Friend wants me to call a job he applied for and provide a personal reference

⁠⁠⁠9. Drinking with coworkers

Subscribe on YouTube to watch short excerpts of podcast episodes addressing specific topics: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj86alc3a7_A_PibgYpkWFg  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Daniel is a Mechanical Engineering graduate of Trinity University's B.S. in Engineering Science and currently works in Commercial Management in the Engineering and Construction Consulting Industry.

All views expressed on this podcast are his own and do not reflect the opinions or views of his employer.

Music by Maxgotthetracks: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Pclog68AY1⁠⁠⁠⁠

It only took me three years to upload a trailer. Hope you find this insightful and it helps you learn more about what the podcast is all about!

Don't miss a blog post or a podcast episode, subscribe to my newsletter on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.ENGRingSuccess.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode 53 of the Engineering Success Podcast

Check out Mikaela's Bear Pics here: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/mikaelanmcdonald/⁠

Connect with Mikaela here: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikaelamcdonald/⁠

My guest on today’s podcast is someone who I have admired for a long time, as while I was young engineering student struggling in weeder courses, this guest of mine was taking courses courses about concepts I couldn’t imagine myself comprehending, and talking about her internship experience with a cool company whose products were impacting my everyday life.

Mikaela McDonald is a Cisco Infrastructure Solutions Executive at SHI International Corporation, a leader in the IT solutions and services industry and interestingly also is classified as the largest Minority/Women Owned Business Enterprise in the United States. She has had a wonderful career journey that we are going to talk about today that… you guessed it… started at Cisco, but before that, she was a student at Trinity University, of which she, like me, is a graduate of their Bachelors of Science in Engineering Science program. Go Tigers!

Mikaela’s career journey has spanned across multiple companies, states and time zones, and I’m so glad that she is here today to share her story. Her passion is to encourage other engineers that it is okay to pivot and try new things as that process of learning and changing the way you think allows you to make better decisions, as long as each time you pivot you maintain goals and adjust accordingly. To her, relationships are everything and should be treated with intentionality, and in that vein I’m so grateful for our relationship, and that she has blessed me with her time to share more on these topics in today’s interview.

Don't miss a blog post or a podcast episode, subscribe to my newsletter on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.ENGRingSuccess.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe on YouTube to watch short excerpts of podcast episodes addressing specific topics: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj86alc3a7_A_PibgYpkWFg⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode 52 of the Engineering Success Podcast

Check out Dennis's Website here: https://dennisdoranspeaking.com/

Listen to Soft as Steel here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soft-as-steel/id1653515735

My guest on today’s podcast is someone who I admire and align with strongly, due to our mutual love and respect for the value of soft skills on career development. Dennis Doran is a construction savant, whose career includes executive roles in Project Management, Construction Business Consulting, Professional Development and Operations management. 

Dennis is the author of “Soft as Steel - Leadership Qualities to Grow Relationships and Succeed in Business Life”, a book that “gives new leaders and career veterans alike the tools they need to not only evolve with the industry but to shape it as it grows.” He is a Accelerator Mastermind Program Chair of the Extreme Leadership Institute, an organization that “helps organizations realize their potential by using radical culture transformation tactics rooted in passion, support, and most importantly - love.

Dennis is a wonderful speaker and interviewer, and I’m so glad that the shoe is now on the other foot, and I get to interview him for this podcast. His calling is to help people in the construction industry become more successful people by talking, teaching, motivating, and inspiring them about the role of soft skills in our industry.

Don't miss a blog post or a podcast episode, subscribe to my newsletter on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.ENGRingSuccess.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe on YouTube to watch short excerpts of podcast episodes addressing specific topics: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj86alc3a7_A_PibgYpkWFg⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode 51 of the Engineering Success Podcast

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LinkedIn Lunatics/Career Craziness

⁠⁠⁠1. Best rejection I've had

⁠⁠⁠2. Such advanced. Most innovation. Agree??

Interview Question of the Week:

Sent in by Mel Phillips: Tell Me About A Time You Failed

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Engineering College Q's

⁠⁠⁠3. What should I pick for college? Automotive or mechanical engineering?

⁠⁠⁠4. Picking a minor

⁠⁠5. Employer wants my salary history going back 10 years (I know... this is out of place)

6. Do companies really care about student organizations?

⁠⁠⁠Career Advice

⁠7. Is random work experience necessary ?

⁠8. Was just rejected after 3 interviews, a salary negotiation, and a 15 hour “project”

9. Just had a company lower the salary after I accepted offer. Ever happen to anyone else?

10. Is it pointless to negotiate for 65k when offered 60k?

_____________

Subscribe on YouTube to watch short excerpts of podcast episodes addressing specific topics: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj86alc3a7_A_PibgYpkWFg⁠⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠