The Impactful Engineer Project - Mentorship, Career Growth, and Personal & Professional Excellence for Aspiring Engineers
Spreading awareness, success, and accessibility to the world of engineering to aspiring and early career engineers.
Episodes
151 episodes
Episode 151 - Stop Hiding Behind Your Work. Start Leading the Room. With Salvatore Manzi
Most engineers don’t struggle because of technical ability. They struggle because they never learn how to communicate, show presence, and lead conversations. In this episode, we bring back communication expert Salvatore Manzi to break down what...
Episode 150 - You’re Not Overwhelmed. You’re Avoiding Action
Most engineers don’t struggle with anxiety because they have too much to do. They struggle because they don’t take action on the right things. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down how anxiety shows up in your career, what’s actually causi...
Episode 149 - Nobody Owes You the Next Level
Most engineers believe that if they work hard enough, someone will eventually notice and give them the opportunity they want. That’s not how it works. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down the reality of career growth: every level, every o...
Episode 148 - “They Should Know” Is Killing Your Career
Most engineers don’t struggle because of technical gaps. They struggle because they rely on what others “should” do instead of taking ownership of the outcome. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down why that mindset stalls your career and h...
Episode 147 - You’re Not Stuck. You’re Just Missing the Skill
Many engineers feel stuck early in their careers. The pay isn’t what they expected. The work isn’t challenging. Recognition feels slow. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down the uncomfortable truth most people avoid: you’re not where you w...
Episode 146 - Five Generations. One Skill That Wins. With Special Guest Geoff Preece
Five generations are working side by side right now. Different values. Different expectations. Different definitions of loyalty, purpose, and leadership. If you cannot navigate that reality, your career will stall. In this episode, we sit down ...
Episode 145 - Turn Isolation Into Acceleration
What do you do when you’re the only engineer in the company? No senior mentor. No technical lead. No one reviewing your designs. Most engineers see that as a disadvantage. We see it as leverage. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down how be...
Episode 144 - Stop Comparing. Start Competing.
Most engineers say they want to grow. Fewer are willing to confront the mindset holding them back. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down the difference between comparative energy and competitive energy, and why one will quietly stall your ...
Episode 143 - Stop Working More. Start Building Leverage.
Most engineers default to one solution when the pressure increases: work more hours. That might save you this week. It will not build a career. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down the Output Equation and why leverage, not volume, is the ...
Episode 142 - If You Always Need Permission, You’re Not Ready for Leadership
Intro Too many engineers stall their careers waiting for certainty, consensus, or approval. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down how professional judgment is actually built long before you earn a senior title. This is a direct ...
Episode 141 – Selfless Leadership Doesn’t Mean Unlimited Tolerance
Ambitious engineers are wired to help. To mentor. To carry extra weight when someone else is struggling. But there’s a line most engineers never learn to draw, and crossing it is how burnout starts. In this episode, Steve Maxey ...
Episode 140 – Stop Waiting for Motivation and Do the Work Anyway
Intro In this episode, Steve Maxey and Jake Maxey break down a hard truth most engineers avoid: the work that actually moves your career forward is often boring, repetitive, and unglamorous. This conversation isn’t about hype or insp...
Episode 139 – Seat Time Beats Talent (And Titles Mean Nothing Without It) with Josiah Fallaise from FDF Race Shop
Intro In this episode, we sit down with Josiah Fallaise, professional driver and founder of FDF Race Shop, to break down what actually drives performance, confidence, and long-term career growth. This is not theory—practical, ...
Episode 138 – Engineers Who Ignore AI Will Be Managed by Those Who Don’t; with special guest, Shelly Thomas
AI isn’t a future problem—it’s a present career filter. In this episode, we’re joined by Shelly Thomas, P.E., an engineer turned executive AI strategist who works directly with C-suite leaders on real-world AI adoption. This is not theor...
Episode 137 – You’re Already Building a Personal Brand… It Might Be Working Against You!
Most engineers think personal brand is fluff—or something reserved for influencers and executives. That mindset is costing careers. In this episode, Steve Maxey and Jake Maxey break down what “personal brand” actually means for engineers, why y...
Episode 136 – Why Being the Best Engineer Isn’t Advancing Your Career
You can be a top-performing engineer and still be stuck—underpaid, overlooked, and frustrated. In this episode, Steve Maxey and Jake Maxey break down why technical excellence alone doesn’t move careers forward. This conversation was sparked by ...
Episode 135 – Unspoken Expectations Are Killing Your Projects and Your Career
In this episode, Steve and Jake break down what ownership actually looks like in the real world—not theory, not slogans, but practical, tactical advice engineers can use immediately. They unpack why most project failures aren’t caused by...
Episode 134 – The Trap of Being the “Efficient Engineer”
You can be busy, productive, and highly praised—and still stall your career. In this episode, Steve and Jake Maxey break down one of the most dangerous traps ambitious engineers fall into: prioritizing speed and execution over real learning. Th...
Episode 133 – Stop Chasing Promotions. Start Being Useful.
Most engineers stall their careers not because they lack talent—but because they stay trapped inside the task in front of them. In this episode, Steve Maxey and Jake Maxey (Owner & Principal Engineer at NLS Engineering) break down why b...
Episode 132 – The Golden Opportunity for Young Engineers to Build Their Careers: Jake Maxey joins “The Construction Corner” podcast with Dillon Mitchell
Young engineers keep asking how to get ahead, stand out, or break into the industry. This episode gives them the real playbook.Jake joins Dillon Mitchell on The Construction Corner Podcast to break down how he built his ...
Episode 131 – The PE Exam Isn’t Hard; Your Approach Is.
Passing the PE exam isn’t about being the smartest engineer in the room—it’s about having a strategy. In this episode, Jake breaks down the exact system he used to pass the Power PE while working full-time, raising a family, and refusing to was...
Episode 130 – You’re Not Owed Anything: Reciprocity Is the Real Engine of Your Career
Intro Most engineers want promotions, recognition, and bigger opportunities—but few understand the real driver behind all of it: reciprocity. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down how giving more than you take, especial...
Episode 129 – If People Don’t “Get It”, That’s On You!
Engineers love being right. But if no one understands your ideas, your impact stalls. In this episode, Steve and Jake break down the real skill behind influence: reframing. Not theory—practical, tactical advice anyone can apply immediately to m...
Episode 128 – Stop Chasing Salary: Build Skills That Print It
In this episode, Steve and Jake rip apart the mindset that’s holding most early-career engineers back — obsessing over salary before mastering their craft. Too many engineers chase numbers instead of value. The truth? Your first few years aren’...
Episode 127 – What You Do After “No” Defines Your Career
Every engineer hits a wall. You pitch an idea, chase a promotion, or submit a proposal; then you get a “no.” Most people stop there. But high-impact engineers don’t see rejection as the end. They see it as data. In this episode, Steve and Jake ...