188: Sabbatical Secrets - How to Take an Intentional Career Break with Laura Nguyen

When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help you build your engineering career:   1. Engineering Career Accelerator™️ Scorecard … foundational development actions and key points you can check, score, and apply immediately to stand out and excel at work.   2. Join us at Happy Hour … a limited-attendance LIVE monthly workshop where we dig deep into career growth strategies and provide 1:1 open coaching for you at the end of the session.   3. Work with me directly … start with a free chat and ensure it’s a great fit, then work with me and my team privately in our intensive coaching program, exclusively for engineers.   ============================   In this episode, we tackle the “A-word” that is rarely spoken and often ignored because frankly, it’s just not that fun.   Accountability.   You’ll meet Robert Hunt, "The Accountability Guy" and the co-author of the book "Nobody Cares...until you do."   Having the life you really want is like a journey up a mountain. Robert calls this the Accountability Mountain in his book, and if you want to become the best version of yourself, you need to climb this mountain.   For over a decade, Robert has been mentoring and coaching CEO peer groups and executives with a single secret sauce of success… Accountability.   He helps leaders like you remove the things that keep you from being your best.   So press play and let’s chat… it’s time to live the life you really want and hold you to it!   > Full Show Notes, Resources, & More   ============================   WANT MORE AMAZING GUESTS?   “I love Zach and these amazing guests on The Happy Engineer Podcast.” If that sounds like you, please consider following, rating and reviewing the show!    I know it’s a huge favor to ask, but when you follow, leave a 5-star rating, and add an honest review of how these episodes are helping you… it’s a massive benefit for getting the attention of powerhouse guests on this show.    On Apple Podcasts, click our show, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with 5-stars, and select “Write a Review.”   Thank you so much.    ============================   Connect with your host, Zach White:   LinkedIn (primary) Instagram YouTube  

When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help you build your engineering career:   1. Engineering Career Accelerator Scorecard … foundational development actions and key points you can check, score, and apply immediately to stand out and excel at work.   2. Join us at Happy Hour … a limited-attendance LIVE monthly workshop where we dig deep into career growth strategies and provide 1:1 open coaching for you at the end of the session.   3. Work with me directly … start with a free chat and ensure it’s a great fit, then work with me and my team privately in our intensive coaching program, exclusively for engineers.   ============================   Are you stuck in a rut and don't know why?   In this episode, I dive into the perplexing world of procrastination and the profound impact of not having a clear and compelling personal vision.    I share the story of Sam, a bright individual who, despite having the resources and time, struggles to advance his career due to a lack of clear goals. Through our conversation, it becomes evident that understanding what you truly want is crucial to overcoming stagnation and rediscovering your motivation.    We explore how defining your goals not only provides direction but also fuels your daily actions, making even challenging tasks feel worthwhile.    By the end of our talk, Sam finds new clarity, which ignites his passion and propels him towards meaningful action.    So press play and let’s chat about transforming your potential into actual success!   > Full Show Notes, Resources, & More   ============================   WE GROW BY WORD OF MOUTH   If you have received value from The Happy Engineer Podcast, would you help us pay it forward by SHARING this episode with another engineer?   Hit the SHARE button, or copy the episode URL and paste it into a text message or social media post!   Thank you for helping us grow the show.   ============================   Connect with your host, Zach White:   LinkedIn (primary) Instagram YouTube  

When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help you build your engineering career: 1. Engineering Career Accelerator™️ Scorecard … foundational development actions and key points you can check, score, and apply immediately to stand out and excel at work. 2. Join us at Happy Hour … a limited-attendance LIVE monthly workshop where we dig deep into career growth strategies and provide 1:1 open coaching for you at the end of the session. 3. Work with me directly … start with a free chat and ensure it’s a great fit, then work with me and my team privately in our intensive coaching program, exclusively for engineers. ============================ In this episode, meet a broke single mom turned self-made Latina millionaire, Scarlette Joyce Rojas. If you want to achieve financial freedom, overcome the subconscious beliefs that limit you, and discover the truth about how to use affirmations for personal growth… This conversation is a must-listen. Scarlett has spoken on stages at JPMorgan, LPL Finance, and Invesco, along with being featured in news platforms such as New York Post, Bankrate, and AOL Finance leading to over 13 million online views inspired from her bestselling book, “31 Badass Money Mindset Affirmations.”  Today she shares her journey from a challenging childhood, to broke adulthood, to becoming a successful business owner. That success includes her health and happiness, on top of the millions $$$. Scarlett’s story shows you the role of confidence and positive affirmations in attracting wealth, plus practical steps to transform your relationship with money. So press play and let’s chat… your financial future depends on it! > Full Show Notes, Resources, & More ============================ WANT MORE AMAZING GUESTS? “I love Zach and these amazing guests on The Happy Engineer Podcast.” If that sounds like you, please consider following, rating and reviewing the show!  I know it’s a huge favor to ask, but when you follow, leave a 5-star rating, and add an honest review of how these episodes are helping you… it’s a massive benefit for getting the attention of powerhouse guests on this show.  On Apple Podcasts, click our show, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with 5-stars, and select “Write a Review.” Thank you so much.  ============================ Connect with your host, Zach White: LinkedIn (primary) Instagram YouTube

Major bonus announcement!  Don’t miss this opportunity, listen to the whole episode for the next steps on how to take advantage of free coaching for all of December 2024 when you enroll.   Work with me directly … start with a free chat and ensure it’s a great fit, then work with me and my team privately in our intensive coaching program, exclusively for engineers.   ============================   Happy Thanksgiving!   In this episode, I dive deep into a transformative week that reshaped my understanding of both success and setback in the coaching world.    After a grueling week filled with coaching sessions and missed opportunities with potential clients, I share a personal story that reignites my passion for coaching. The highlight comes from an unexpected message of gratitude from Bruno, a former podcast guest and coaching client, whose success story is both inspiring and a testament to the effectiveness of our coaching program.    As Thanksgiving approaches, I reflect on the profound impact of gratitude in both personal and professional growth, and extend a special Black Friday offer exclusively to my podcast listeners.   Are you ready to transform setbacks into comebacks? Can a simple message change the course of your week?   Listen now and discover how to harness the power of gratitude to fuel your career and personal growth.    So press play and let’s chat… what are you truly thankful for this season?   > Full Show Notes, Resources, & More   ============================   WE GROW BY WORD OF MOUTH   If you have received value from The Happy Engineer Podcast, would you help us pay it forward by SHARING this episode with another engineer?   Hit the SHARE button, or copy the episode URL and paste it into a text message or social media post!   Thank you for helping us grow the show.   ============================   Connect with your host, Zach White:   LinkedIn (primary) Instagram YouTube  

Get the free summary doc from today’s episode here!   When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help you build your engineering career:   1. Engineering Career Accelerator™️ Scorecard … foundational development actions and key points you can check, score, and apply immediately to stand out and excel at work.   2. Join us at Happy Hour … a limited-attendance LIVE monthly workshop where we dig deep into career growth strategies and provide 1:1 open coaching for you at the end of the session.   3. Work with me directly … start with a free chat and ensure it’s a great fit, then work with me and my team privately in our intensive coaching program, exclusively for engineers.   ============================   Are your meetings boosting your team’s productivity or just eating away at your time?   In this episode, I delve into a topic that resonates deeply with every engineering manager out there: meetings.    Often seen as a necessary evil, meetings can either be a productivity powerhouse or a profound time sink. Drawing from insights gathered from our blueprint program, I discuss how critical effective meetings are to an engineering manager's career.    We explore how even a 5% improvement in meeting effectiveness can significantly amplify your impact over time.   So press play and let’s chat about mastering your meetings and magnifying your impact! > Full Show Notes, Resources, & More   ============================   WANT MORE AMAZING GUESTS?   “I love Zach and these amazing guests on The Happy Engineer Podcast.” If that sounds like you, please consider following, rating and reviewing the show!    I know it’s a huge favor to ask, but when you follow, leave a 5-star rating, and add an honest review of how these episodes are helping you… it’s a massive benefit for getting the attention of powerhouse guests on this show.    On Apple Podcasts, click our show, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with 5-stars, and select “Write a Review.”   Thank you so much.    ============================   Connect with your host, Zach White:   LinkedIn (primary) Instagram YouTube  

Get the free summary doc from today’s episode here!   When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help you build your engineering career:   1. Engineering Career Accelerator™️ Scorecard … foundational development actions and key points you can check, score, and apply immediately to stand out and excel at work.   2. Join us at Happy Hour … a limited-attendance LIVE monthly workshop where we dig deep into career growth strategies and provide 1:1 open coaching for you at the end of the session.   3. Work with me directly … start with a free chat and ensure it’s a great fit, then work with me and my team privately in our intensive coaching program, exclusively for engineers.   ============================   In this episode, meet the best communication coach I’ve ever worked with, my good friend Brenden Kumarasamy.   Brenden is the Founder of MasterTalk, and a top communication coach to ambitious executives and entrepreneurs.     He has a huge vision, and to accomplish it built an incredible set of free tools and resources which is shared with his following of 30+ thousand aspiring communicators on YouTube.  Brenden’s vision is providing free access to communication tools for everyone in the world.   We build on the basics from episode 093, where Brenden shares simple exercises you can begin practicing today to become a Top 1% Communicator in your industry.   This is the next level, a true Masterclass on communication skills and the powerful story of a leader who started without those skills.   So press play and let’s chat… it’s time to take the catalyst of your growth, communication skills, to the next level!   > Full Show Notes, Resources, & More   ============================   WANT MORE AMAZING GUESTS?   “I love Zach and these amazing guests on The Happy Engineer Podcast.” If that sounds like you, please consider following, rating and reviewing the show!    I know it’s a huge favor to ask, but when you follow, leave a 5-star rating, and add an honest review of how these episodes are helping you… it’s a massive benefit for getting the attention of powerhouse guests on this show.    On Apple Podcasts, click our show, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with 5-stars, and select “Write a Review.”   Thank you so much.    ============================   Connect with your host, Zach White:   LinkedIn (primary) Instagram YouTube  

When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help you build your engineering career:   1. Engineering Career Accelerator™️ Scorecard … foundational insights you can check, score, and apply immediately to stand out and excel at work.   2. Join us at Happy Hour … a limited-attendance LIVE monthly workshop where we dig deep into career growth strategies and provide 1:1 open coaching for you at the end of the session.   3. Work with me directly … start with a free chat and ensure it’s a great fit, then work with me and my team privately in our exclusive coaching program for engineering leaders, The Lifestyle Engineering Blueprint™️.   ============================   Are you letting comfort hold you back from the success you deserve? In this episode, I dive into the power of stepping out of your comfort zone to ignite growth in your engineering career.    I share real stories from three coaching clients who faced barriers, all rooted in the desire for comfort, and the impact that breaking free from this zone had on their success.    Learn about the “C4 Lifestyle”—Crush Comfort, Create Courage—and why pushing past comfort zones is a game-changer for career acceleration.    We’ll talk strategies to overcome imposter syndrome, take bold steps, and stay focused on your goals despite internal resistance.    So press play, and let’s chat…are you ready to blow up your comfort zone? > Full Show Notes, Resources, & More   ============================   WE GROW BY WORD OF MOUTH   If you have received value from The Happy Engineer Podcast, would you help us pay it forward by SHARING this episode with another engineer?   Hit the SHARE button, or copy the episode URL and paste it into a text message or social media post!   Thank you for helping us grow the show.   ============================   Connect with your host, Zach White:   LinkedIn (primary) Instagram YouTube  

When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help you build your engineering career:   1. Engineering Career Accelerator™️ Scorecard … foundational development actions and key points you can check, score, and apply immediately to stand out and excel at work.   2. Join us at Happy Hour … a limited-attendance LIVE monthly workshop where we dig deep into career growth strategies and provide 1:1 open coaching for you at the end of the session.   3. Work with me directly … start with a free chat and ensure it’s a great fit, then work with me and my team privately in our intensive coaching program, exclusively for engineers.   ============================   In this episode, meet Mister Productivity himself, Mark Struczewski.   If you want to finish the year strong and maximize your chances of promotion and top performance reviews, pay attention.   Mark is a Houston-based coach and host of The Mister Productivity™ Podcast. He brings over 1,300 episodes and 13 years of experience in productivity training to help leaders conquer overwhelm.    Drawing from simple examples like his daily running routine, he offers practical strategies to overcome distractions and achieve clarity in your life.    I also share one of my breakthroughs when it comes to productivity, the Productivity Impact Principle, only available here on the audio podcast in my solo debrief.   So press play and let’s chat… it’s time to move faster toward what you want to achieve with your life!   > Full Show Notes, Resources, & More   ============================   WANT MORE AMAZING GUESTS?   “I love Zach and these amazing guests on The Happy Engineer Podcast.” If that sounds like you, please consider following, rating and reviewing the show!    I know it’s a huge favor to ask, but when you follow, leave a 5-star rating, and add an honest review of how these episodes are helping you… it’s a massive benefit for getting the attention of powerhouse guests on this show.    On Apple Podcasts, click our show, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with 5-stars, and select “Write a Review.”   Thank you so much.    ============================   Connect with your host, Zach White:   LinkedIn (primary) Instagram YouTube  

When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help you build your engineering career:   1. Engineering Career Accelerator™️ Scorecard … foundational insights you can check, score, and apply immediately to stand out and excel at work.   2. Join us at Happy Hour … a limited-attendance LIVE monthly workshop where we dig deep into career growth strategies and provide 1:1 open coaching for you at the end of the session.   3. Work with me directly … start with a free chat and ensure it’s a great fit, then work with me and my team privately in our exclusive coaching program for engineering leaders, The Lifestyle Engineering Blueprint™️.   ============================   In this episode, I dive into a powerful shift in mindset around time, sparked by an incredible lesson I learned from a high-level mastermind event.   We often say time is more valuable than money, but do we truly live by that? I reflect on how we, especially as engineering leaders, prioritize money and overlook time, and how that mindset might be costing us in the long run.    I also share three essential principles about time, compounding growth, and why time freedom always precedes financial freedom.    This episode is all about taking action now to build the life and career you dream of—before it’s too late.   So press play and let’s chat… about how time is your most valuable asset and how to make it work for you! > Full Show Notes, Resources, & More   ============================   WE GROW BY WORD OF MOUTH   If you have received value from The Happy Engineer Podcast, would you help us pay it forward by SHARING this episode with another engineer?   Hit the SHARE button, or copy the episode URL and paste it into a text message or social media post!   Thank you for helping us grow the show.   ============================   Connect with your host, Zach White:   LinkedIn (primary) Instagram YouTube  

When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help you build your engineering career:   1. Engineering Career Accelerator™️ Scorecard … foundational development actions and key points you can check, score, and apply immediately to stand out and excel at work.   2. Join us at Happy Hour … a limited-attendance LIVE monthly workshop where we dig deep into career growth strategies and provide 1:1 open coaching for you at the end of the session.   3. Work with me directly … start with a free chat and ensure it’s a great fit, then work with me and my team privately in our intensive coaching program, exclusively for engineers.   ============================   In this episode, get the one key that unlocked the best performance review of Curtis Mitchell’s career.   It’s not what you think it is, either.   Curtis Mitchell is a graduate of The Lifestyle Engineering Blueprint™️ coaching program for engineering managers. He has over 15 years of experience in data science and software engineering roles.    He was told his performance was below average, and unacceptable, by his leaders at various Silicon Valley startups.   When he finally landed a role at NASA's Ames Research Center, a dream job for the 12-year old inside, he knew he had to turn that around.   That’s when he hired a coach, changed his mindset, took new actions… and received the best performance review of his career.   Curtis is currently working on AI and privacy engineering programs with the United States Census Bureau as an emerging technology fellow, and now lives in San Francisco, California.   So press play and let’s chat… it’s time to unlock your future growth with one simple strategy!   > Full Show Notes, Resources, & More   ============================   WANT MORE AMAZING GUESTS?   “I love Zach and these amazing guests on The Happy Engineer Podcast.” If that sounds like you, please consider following, rating and reviewing the show!    I know it’s a huge favor to ask, but when you follow, leave a 5-star rating, and add an honest review of how these episodes are helping you… it’s a massive benefit for getting the attention of powerhouse guests on this show.    On Apple Podcasts, click our show, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with 5-stars, and select “Write a Review.”   Thank you so much.    ============================   Connect with your host, Zach White:   LinkedIn (primary) Instagram YouTube