What does it look like when an industrial engineer decides that marketing has a measurement problem — and builds an entire business to solve it? Andy Janaitis, founder of PPC Pitbulls, turned his engineering training into a competitive advantage in a field that rarely asks whether the data is actually right. In this episode, Andy breaks down the systematic gap he found in digital advertising and why an engineering mindset may be the most valuable asset you bring into a non-traditional field.

• Industrial engineering is “business engineering” — the problem-solving framework transfers to virtually any industry
• Most paid advertising fails not because the ads are bad, but because the underlying data is wrong or misunderstood
• Before optimizing for more leads, you have to map the full pipeline — from click all the way to paying customer
• Clients often don’t know their own goal clearly enough — the real consulting work starts with defining what success actually means
• Human judgment in the loop will not be replaced by AI; strategic context is the irreplaceable piece
• Career transitions can be de-risked: Andy negotiated part-time hours before going all in — that move is more available than most engineers think
• AI proficiency is now a competitive differentiator — engineers who use these tools aggressively will outperform those who resist
• Your engineering mindset is an asset in non-traditional fields — especially where everyone else is guessing

• 00:00 — What drew Andy to industrial engineering
• 01:32 — What he thought his career would look like coming out of school
• 02:42 — Discovering data and modeling as a discipline
• 05:15 — Early career in government consulting and engineering management
• 08:08 — The decision to go out on his own
• 11:33 — Building PPC Pitbulls around a data-first marketing approach
• 13:46 — The biggest challenge: helping clients define the real goal
• 16:34 — Mapping the full client pipeline from lead to paying customer
• 17:49 — The surprising gap: how often businesses misread their own data
• 21:50 — Advice for engineers who want to branch out
• 25:19 — AI, existential risk, and how Andy’s firm stays ahead
• 29:27 — Where PPC Pitbulls is growing next — specialty manufacturers
• 31:39 — Mic Flip: Andy interviews James
• 33:58 — Coach in Your Corner

Andy Janaitis is an industrial engineer turned digital marketing entrepreneur and the founder of PPC Pitbulls, a data-driven paid advertising agency. He applies engineering systems thinking to Google and Meta advertising — helping small and medium businesses measure what is actually working, identify where their pipeline leaks, and drive real business outcomes rather than vanity metrics. Andy works especially with specialty manufacturers and B2B businesses that have strong products but weak digital visibility. Listeners can book a free strategy session directly with Andy at ppcpitbulls.com.

Dr. James Bryant is an executive coach, leadership strategist, and host of the Engineer Your Success podcast. His mission is to help professionals win at work and at home by developing the leadership skills and presence that technical training alone does not provide.

Get Your weekly Leadership Insights here: https://www.engineeryoursuccessnow.com/eys-email-update

Most engineers and technical professionals are promoted because they’re exceptional at their craft. But nobody tells you that the skills that got you promoted are almost entirely different from the skills you need to lead. If you’ve ever felt underprepared stepping into a management role, this episode will tell you why — and more importantly, what to do about it.

Ben Perreau is a former music journalist turned leadership strategist who has advised senior executives at major global organizations. He now helps early career managers build leadership capabilities in real time through his company Parafoil. Ben brings a rare perspective — he’s lived the IC-to-leader transition himself, stumbled through it, and spent his career helping others navigate it better than he did.

In this conversation, Ben and James dig into why frontline managers are chronically undersupported, how feedback became the turning point in Ben’s own leadership journey, and what it actually takes to go from high performer to high-impact leader. Plus — James flips the mic and shares the one thing he wishes he had known earlier in his career.

• Almost every individual contributor who transitions to manager is underprepared — not because they’re not talented, but because it’s a fundamentally different career requiring different skills
• Feedback is the primary mechanism for leadership growth, but most people aren’t ready to receive it even when it’s being given to them
• High performance requires high learning — the most effective leaders treat their development like an agile process, not an annual review
• Creating space for reflection — whether through journaling, coaching, or conversation — is a non-negotiable leadership practice
• As AI takes over more technical work, human judgment, discernment, creativity, and moral reasoning become the differentiating leadership skills

• [00:24] Introduction — The frontline manager gap and who this episode is for
• [01:24] What Ben learned advising senior executives at Fortune 100 companies
• [04:28] Where the real friction is — why frontline managers are left carrying culture change
• [07:12] Why moving from IC to leader is a career change most people aren’t prepared for
• [09:05] Ben’s story — from music journalist to accidental manager at 24
• [12:51] The moment feedback changed everything — and why pride almost got in the way
• [16:03] How feedback accelerates leadership development in frontline managers
• [17:40] The case for continuous feedback vs. the annual performance review
• [19:43] Are you ready to receive feedback? James coaches directly to the listener
• [21:48] Practical takeaways — reflection, the whole person, and leading in an AI world
• [24:23] Mic Flip — Ben asks James what he wishes he had known earlier
• [26:46] Closing — James thanks Ben
• [26:57] Coach in Your Corner — Feedback is data, not a verdict on your worth

• Name: Ben Perreau, Leadership Strategist and Co-founder of Parafoil
• Contact: humans@parafoil.co
• Website: parafoil.co

Dr. James Bryant is a professional engineer, executive coach, and the host of Engineer Your Success — a podcast dedicated to helping engineering professionals win at work and at home. James brings a unique blend of technical expertise and leadership coaching to help engineers grow beyond their discipline and into their full potential as leaders.

Most leaders are already selling every day. They just don’t call it that.

In this episode, Drew Norton — sales trainer, podcast host, and founder of the Everyday Sales Leader — makes the case that influence, discovery, and communication aren’t sales skills or leadership skills. They’re the same skill set, and most engineers are leaving them on the table.

Drew spent over a decade building and leading sales teams before turning his focus to training professionals how to communicate clearly, handle resistance, and influence outcomes — without twisting anyone’s arm. His perspective is especially valuable for technical professionals: the goal of sales isn’t to convince — it’s to guide someone through a process of self-discovery until they reach their own conclusion.

In this conversation, Drew and James dig into the transition from technical expert to seller-doer, why introverts often outperform extroverts in sales, the three A’s of leadership, and how the inner narrative you carry is the hidden ceiling on everything you’re trying to build — at work and at home.

• Great salespeople don’t convince — they guide people to their own conclusions through discovery
• Engineers transitioning to seller-doer roles tend to over-feature-dump; buyers decide based on benefits and emotional outcomes, not specs
• The three A’s (Acknowledge, Ask, Agreement) apply equally to closing a sale and correcting a struggling team member
• Confidence in others starts with confidence in yourself — your inner narrative directly limits your external results
• You don’t have to choose between winning at work and winning at home; most bottlenecks trace back to leadership or systems, not time

[00:00] Introduction — Why sales skills are leadership skills

[01:26] Sales is life: Drew’s core philosophy on communication and influence

[04:53] Drew’s journey — door-to-door sales to training leaders

[06:29] Overcoming the stigma of sales and finding the moral obligation to serve

[09:14] Advice for engineers becoming seller-doers: stop feature-dumping, start benefit-connecting

[11:12] How government and internal leaders can use sales skills to influence teams

[14:25] The three A’s of leadership: Acknowledge, Ask, Agreement

[16:12] Self-leadership and the inner narrative that caps your success

[21:52] The Abundant Man: faith, family, fitness, and finance without sacrifice

[26:13] Mic flip — James answers: what does it take to engineer your own success?

Name: Drew Norton, Everyday Sales Leader

Website: theeverydaysalesleader.com

About the Host

Dr. James Bryant, P.E. is an engineer, executive coach, and host of the Engineer Your Success podcast. He helps engineering professionals win at work and at home by bridging technical expertise with leadership development.

Website: engineeryoursuccessnow.com

• All links: sleek.bio/eyspod

What if the phrase “psychological safety” has been getting it wrong all along? In this episode, organizational culture expert Hacia Atherton reframes the conversation entirely — it’s not about creating safe spaces. It’s about creating brave spaces. And for engineering leaders navigating high-pressure environments, that distinction changes everything about how you lead.

Hacia’s background is as unconventional as her approach: she combines accounting, consulting, and positive psychology — and the origin of that third pillar is something she discovered not in a classroom, but during six months in a hospital bed after a near-fatal horse riding accident. That lived experience gives her a perspective on resilience, reframing, and human performance that is impossible to manufacture.

In this conversation, Hacia and James explore why culture problems almost always show up in the numbers first, how leaders unknowingly trigger the people they’re trying to lead, and what it actually takes to help a team stop reacting and start responding — including a concrete conflict mediation framework you can bring to your next difficult conversation.

• Brave spaces, not safe spaces: Psychological safety isn’t about emotional coddling — it’s about whether people can speak up, share ideas, and show up as themselves without shutting down.
• Culture problems are financial problems: Overtime, turnover, and missed KPIs are often symptoms of psychological distress on the team — understanding the story behind the numbers is where the real work begins.
• Leaders don’t always fail from malice: Poor leadership often comes from unexamined personal triggers that no one helped them identify or address — and those blind spots have real consequences for team culture.
• Emotional mastery over emotional intelligence: Knowing you have emotions isn’t enough — the competitive advantage comes from learning to correctly label, interpret, and channel them rather than react from them.
• When people fill in the blanks, they fill them in differently: Lack of information from senior leadership causes middle managers to invent narratives — and those different narratives create friction, misalignment, and culture breakdown.

[00:00] Introduction

[02:38] The psychological story behind the numbers

[06:08] Why people leave managers, not companies

[10:08] Redefining psychological safety — brave spaces vs. safe spaces

[11:27] How to transform workplace culture — the mirror work leaders must do

[13:22] Conflict mediation in practice — a step-by-step framework

[18:43] What new leaders aren’t prepared for

[20:04] How information gaps create culture breakdown

[21:35] Hacia’s personal journey — from near-fatal accident to positive psychology

[26:23] Human competitive advantage in the age of AI

[30:40] Guest question for the host

[32:05] Coach in Your Corner

• Name: Hacia Atherton
• Website: haciaathe​rton.com

Dr. James Bryant, P.E. is an engineering leadership coach, the founder of Engineer Your Success, and the host of the Engineer Your Success Podcast. His mission is to help technical professionals design and live a life where they’re winning at work and at home. Connect with James at engineeryoursuccessnow.com or find him on LinkedIn.

What if you could build an engineering firm where clients actually want to work with you AND top engineers want to work for you? Most firms assume you have to choose – either technical excellence or great relationships. Daniel McCaulley, founder of Ultimus Engineering, proved you can have both.

In this conversation, Daniel shares how he went from corporate engineer to building a multidisciplinary firm with a radically different culture. From his “super nerd athlete” background to implementing “trust to verify” remote work policies, Daniel reveals the systems, hiring practices, and leadership principles that make Ultimus a firm people genuinely enjoy working with – on both sides of the table. If you’ve ever thought engineering has to be stagnant or dry, this episode will challenge that assumption.

Whether you’re building a technical team, starting a consulting practice, or just trying to create better client relationships, you’ll walk away with practical insights on culture-building, remote team management, and why prioritizing faith and family actually strengthens your business.

• Why hiring for “intangible qualities” matters more than trying to train engineers in soft skills they don’t naturally have
• The “trust to verify” approach to remote work management that balances flexibility with accountability
• How offering commission-based compensation to engineers encourages business development and client-facing skills
• The three-tier priority framework (faith, family, work) that prevents burnout and creates sustainable business growth
• Why adapting your leadership style to how each person needs to be led is more effective than using one management approach for everyone

[00:00] Introduction – The “super nerd athlete” origin story
[03:52] How team sports shaped Daniel’s approach to engineering collaboration
[06:06] The dark side of “if you’re not first, you’re last” and managing competitive drive
[12:55] Getting uncomfortable with Toastmasters and developing soft skills
[17:38] Building Ultimus: Creating a customer service-focused engineering firm
[20:49] Hiring philosophy: Finding engineers who already have the intangibles
[25:18] The platinum rule of leadership – treating people how THEY want to be treated
[28:40] Biggest headwind to growth: Finding culture-fit engineers
[30:36] Faith as the foundation: Prioritizing in three tiers
[35:51] Mike flip moment: The “one thing” principle and 80-20 rule

Daniel McCaulley, P.E.
Founder, Ultimus Engineering
Multidisciplinary engineering firm specializing in MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing), Aquatics Design, and Structural Engineering

Website: ultimus.engineering or ultimusengineering.com

Email: info@ultimusengineering.com

Dr. James Bryant is an engineering leadership coach and host of the Engineer Your Success podcast. He helps technical professionals and engineering leaders win at work and win at home through a philosophy of work-life integration rather than balance. James believes that work and home don’t compete – they work together to create the integrated life you want.

Website: engineeryoursuccessnow.com

• LinkedIn: Dr. James Bryant
• All links: sleek.bio/eyspod

What happens when you’ve maxed out all your retirement accounts and followed every piece of conventional financial advice—but still aren’t sure you’re thinking about money the right way? Dr. Adam Link, founder of Fireweed Capital, brings a rare combination of Silicon Valley engineering leadership experience, multiple company exits, and deep finance expertise to challenge how technical professionals think about wealth, risk, and long-term decisions.

In this conversation, Adam shares why optimizing for low fees might be costing you more than you think, how behavioral psychology sabotages even the smartest engineers during market downturns, and why your financial goals might be setting you up for disappointment. Whether you’re living paycheck to paycheck or sitting on excess wealth wondering “what’s next?”, this episode will shift how you think about the relationship between money and the life you actually want to build.

• Optimizing for low fees alone can cost you more than paying higher fees for better returns—it’s about net results, not minimizing costs
• The biggest financial mistake engineers make isn’t poor investment choices—it’s locking in losses during market downturns because they lack clarity on where they’re going
• Wealth without purpose becomes an endless cycle of “now what?”—defining what you want from life matters more than hitting arbitrary dollar milestones
• The abundance mindset isn’t just about money—it transforms how you approach career growth, time management, and resource allocation in engineering leadership
• “Feeling rich” doesn’t require millions—it starts when you have enough freedom to make choices aligned with what matters to you

• [00:25] Introduction
• [01:43] How money perspective evolves from finance to engineering leadership
• [05:25] What engineering leadership teaches about resource allocation and human emotions
• [10:28] The “I’ve done everything I’ve been told, now what?” challenge
• [12:20] Why you shouldn’t let the tax tail wag the income dog
• [14:50] The fee optimization trap engineers fall into
• [18:43] The $200,000 red number: Why psychology matters more than strategy
• [23:00] The third entrée story: When Adam first felt rich
• [26:28] Coach in Your Corner: What are you optimizing for?

• Name: Dr. Adam Link, Founder of Fireweed Capital
• Connect: fireweedcapital.com | adam@fireweedcapital.com

Dr. James Bryant is an engineering leadership coach and host of the Engineer Your Success podcast. He helps technical professionals and engineering leaders make intentional decisions about how they lead, work, and live—so success in one domain strengthens the other. Learn more at engineeryoursuccessnow.com.

What if the secret to career advancement wasn’t networking or resume building—but simply doing excellent work right in front of you? In this conversation, nationally recognized lighting designer and electrical engineer

Leslie North shares how she built Aurora Lighting Design from a home office into a thriving firm with offices in the Chicago Board of Trade—all through word-of-mouth reputation. Leslie opens up about the painful growth edges of hiring your first employee, the power of being accessible to your family, and why she took pay cuts on her team during COVID rather than letting anyone go.

Whether you’re navigating technical leadership, considering entrepreneurship, or simply trying to show up authentically in your career, this episode offers hard-won wisdom about building a reputation through excellence.

Connect with Leslie North on LinkedIn, and discover why your work truly is your reputation.

• Your best marketing strategy is doing excellent work on the job in front of you—repeat clients who trust you become gold, and people remember those who did well by them.
• The first employee is the most daunting growth edge because you’re no longer just protecting your own reputation—you’re creating a work family that requires thinking about HR, benefits, and emotional dynamics
• Be authentic and willing to be vulnerable in appropriate contexts—it gives people the opportunity to be gracious and develop deeper relationships in a world full of marketing slogans
• Know what you want your reputation to be, then make all decisions contribute to that—a good reputation takes a long time to build and a bad one takes one minute
• For early-career professionals: initiate relationships with people you admire and become someone more seasoned professionals would find useful, because mentors give opportunities to those they trust

• [00:24] Introduction and Leslie’s journey into architectural lighting
• [04:21] Starting Aurora Lighting Design: The accessibility decision
• [08:21] Your work IS your reputation: Building through excellence
• [16:21] Leadership growth edges: Hiring, mentoring, and letting go
• [26:44] What do you want to be known for? Defining your reputation
• [29:09] The COVID decision: Keeping the team together
• [36:13] Leslie turns the tables: Interviewing James
• [41:03] Coach in Your Corner: Presence over time

• Name: Leslie North, Lighting Designer, Electrical Engineer, Founder of Aurora Lighting Design
• Leslie North | LinkedIn

James Bryant, Ph.D., P.E. is an engineering leadership coach and host of the Engineer Your Success podcast. He helps engineering leaders and technical professionals design and live a life where they can win at work and win at home. Through his coaching practice and podcast, James provides practical frameworks for leadership development, career transitions, and intentional decision-making. Connect with James on LinkedIn or visit engineeryoursuccessnow.com.