Send us Fan Mail Johno is an Experienced Design Engineer with over 100 satisfied freelance clients. He does freelance design and specializes in Solidworks, 3D CAD. He was born in Yorkshire, England and trained as helicopter pilot in the Royal Air Force. Following this he studied Sustainable Product Design, before driving a London Black Cab around the world, setting two Guinness World Records. He currently lives in Kuala Lumpur and works as Freelance Product Designer. I first heard about Johno wh...
Jul 02, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 29
Send us Fan Mail William is an applications scientist at Shimadzu where they provide analytical measurement and testing instrumentation for various industries including foods, pharmaceuticals, life science, environmental, clinical, material science, and forensics. Ever wondered how some of these instruments work? How does X-ray fluorescence characterize a material? How do medical device OEMs know a device is mechanically safe to use? Join us for this episode to learn the answers to these and oth...
Jun 25, 2021•31 min•Season 2Ep. 28
Send us Fan Mail Chris has spent his career solving problems in the oil and gas industry. His company, ADV Integrity , builds and performs testing on large diameter pipelines (sometimes placing millions of foot pounds of torque in bending tests). Along with running, reading, and podcasting Chris has learned to navigate the business element of engineering along with the technical side of the industry, and shares the lessons he has learned along the way with us on this episode. The Being An Engine...
Jun 18, 2021•51 min•Season 2Ep. 27
Send us Fan Mail Mark began his career as a machinist and counts that role as one of the most important experiences he has had in becoming an engineer. Likely in no small part due to that time of his life, Mark as an empathy & appreciation for the machinists and the builders of our engineering world that is taken for granted by so many of us. Listen to this episode to hear our conversation about the value of getting to know your vendors, as well as many other gold nuggets relating to develop...
Jun 11, 2021•46 min•Season 2Ep. 26
Send us Fan Mail Brian claims that he isn’t a superstar engineer – we don’t know about that, but what was clear from his interview was that he most certainly is a superstar people person. Brian gets people. He knows how to communicate with them. He knows how to mentor them. He knows how to motivate them. Consider this episode a master class in people skills and emotional intelligence. The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with med...
Jun 04, 2021•52 min•Season 2Ep. 25
Send us Fan Mail Joe Moak shares his experience with the podcast working at high-profile companies such as Apple & Sonos, and also gives us a glimpse into “the best place he has ever worked” ( Maestro PD ). Companies are always looking for those elusive “A” players to join their teams, and it is very clear that Joe qualifies under that definition. Check out this wide-ranging discussion from what makes a good project manager to maintaining design focus to innovative tools for your office. The...
May 28, 2021•55 min•Season 2Ep. 24
Send us Fan Mail Despite his many years of experience in engineering and engineering leadership roles, Jeff Perry had reached a point in his career where he just wasn’t feeling the motivation he knew he should be. After some soul searching and advice from his wife, he decided to start More Than Engineering, a coaching service aimed at engineers and technology professionals. Since then he has been able to help engineers move into new roles, shift mindsets, and generally become happier not only in...
May 21, 2021•55 min•Season 2Ep. 23
Send us Fan Mail Nick grew up building tube radios and cars – it’s no wonder he became an engineer. In high school be completely rebuilt a 2001 Dodge Dakota, before that he had an eBay store building tube radios. Never the analytical-type engineer, Nick loves getting his hands dirty and is at his best when thrust into a chaotic environment where things need to happen quickly without the support of established systems or protocols. Follow Nick on his Instagram feed . The Being An Engineer podcast...
May 14, 2021•41 min•Season 2Ep. 22
Send us Fan Mail Russell, Alex, and Dylan all love science, and they all love comedy. Hence, Science! The Show was born. They’ve been promoting scientific literacy for over three years now through their show, sharing subject matter from dark matter to cognitive psychology. Check out their Facebook page for links to videos on YouTube and other information about their show. The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & ot...
May 07, 2021•50 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Send us Fan Mail Robert grew up thinking he wasn’t any good at math. He would do anything to avoid further exposure to mathematics curriculum from grade school all the way through high school. Then one professor drew a picture, paired it with y=x^2, and changed everything for Robert. In the course of a few weeks he began truly understanding math for the first time, and decided he could, in fact, become an engineer (which, aside from the math, had been the obvious career choice for him ever since...
Apr 30, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Send us Fan Mail I first found James on his personal website and immediately realized this is an engineer who truly loves design. Why else would one spend the countless hours of personal time required to design one’s own, teenage mutant ninja turtle action figures , GameBoy cartridge cases , and, of course, the infamous Robo kitty . A few years ago I invited James to lunch and we’ve kept in touch ever since. James shares some great tips for design, and how to get noticed in this episode of the B...
Apr 24, 2021•51 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Send us Fan Mail Nate has a disarming way about him. You’ll hear it in the interview. It’s a big part of why he has been able to create such a safe environment for his team to operate in, both from a physical standpoint as well as a psychological standpoint. From his role as a new product introduction manager to his side hustle handmaking artisanal cutlery at Blue Collar Blades , the care and attention he gives to his activities is inspirational and exemplary of what a genuine leader should be. ...
Apr 16, 2021•59 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Send us Fan Mail Guna has worked in academia for over 30 years. Though not always a popular topic within the academic community, Guna has pushed for curriculum that includes more relevant learning objectives, often drawing from feedback from professionals working in industry for inspiration. Having worked in industry himself before beginning his academic career, Guna understands the importance for engineering students not only of learning the technical skills, but also laying a sturdy foundation...
Apr 09, 2021•54 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Send us Fan Mail Tracy is a Flight Systems Engineer working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory . Over her 20-year career, she has helped to develop, test and operate a variety of robotic spacecraft to explore our Solar System. A life-long learner herself, she loves encouraging people of all ages to nurture their curiosity and explore the wonders that are all around us every day. Update - Tracy asked me to include this quick correction to the podcast: you can see the lines and darkened areas on ...
Apr 02, 2021•55 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Send us Fan Mail I.T. grew up in Nigeria solving problems such as having to plan for getting water, and only having access to electricity during certain times of the day. Coupled with a rigorous educational system, it’s no wonder this environment helped him become the insightful problem solver (engineer) we hear from on this episode. From fixing broken fuses in TVs to qualifying process performance, his methodical approach to solving problems is one our entire community can learn from. The Being...
Mar 26, 2021•53 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Send us Fan Mail Phnam grew up in France, became an industrial designer, and eventually moved to the United States to pursue her career. She is a designer in the truest sense, having a mastery over topics such as color, material, form, & texture. What makes her so valuable to product & engineering teams, though, is not simply her mastery over these subjects, but her ability to understand the technical side (DFM, packaging, etc) of design as well as the artistic side. Phnam also produces ...
Mar 19, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Send us Fan Mail Six months after graduating with his degree in industrial design Ryan Eder entered his senior thesis project, a novel piece of fitness equipment, into the International Design Excellence competition, along with 1700 other entries from 35 countries. And then he won. That begun the journey that has taken him (and his company IncludeHealth ) from a beautifully designed piece of hardware into what has become equipment-agnostic software which lowers the barrier for entry into fitness...
Mar 19, 2021•51 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Send us Fan Mail Over his 40 year tenure working at Battelle , Bill has worked on a multitude of different projects, been named on dozens of patents, and developed skills using a wealth of design tools. In the process he has been named inventor of the year (2013) and a Battelle Distinguished Inventor. Join us during our conversation as we discuss what one learns working 40 years at the same company, the importance of process, and how to mentor young engineers. The Being An Engineer podcast is br...
Mar 12, 2021•45 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Send us Fan Mail Liz may have ended up an interior designer had it not been for a suggestion from her high school math teacher that she check out engineering, which has ended up being a perfect fit for her personality and innate skills. Join us as we talk about a wide range of subjects from how animal testing lead her to becoming a vegetarian to the most important skills for engineers and many topics in between. Also, check out Liz’s book “Engineer Pants” about engineering from the female perspe...
Mar 07, 2021•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 11
Send us Fan Mail Work/life balance is a big topic these days, and for good reason. We need balance in our lives. However, can this focus sometimes obscure the fact that sometimes we just need to put in the hours and get things done, even if it’s after 5pm? Paxson Matthews demonstrates this ethic especially well as he shares his background with us, including how he coped with and has found solutions to losing his hearing at the age of 19. He then earned an engineering degree, went on to work for ...
Feb 26, 2021•54 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Send us Fan Mail Darin has been an application engineer supporting SolidWorks users since 1997, and as a result has a plethora of experience and practical tips for using the software. He is also a prolific content creator who has found innovative ways of not only showcasing the value of the software, but how it can be implemented in users personal lives, as well. After his company was acquired by GoEngineer in 2019 he has also developed a deep appreciation for the ways in which GoEngineer has cu...
Feb 26, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Send us Fan Mail Mike has over 30 years of experience working as an engineer and in technical fields. He has held roles from technician to engineer to CEO and brings a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to share with us on the show. Among the insights he shares in this episode are how to build a successful engineering team, why attitude counts as much as anything else in product development, and the differences between a financially successful product vs a “human” successful product. Learn more abou...
Feb 20, 2021•52 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Send us Fan Mail Callye Keen helps physical product companies grow through strategy, design, and manufacturing in his company, RedBlueCollective ( https://www.redbluecollective.com/ ). Golden nugget #1: Train your eye to see opportunity by starting something. Golden nugget #2: To be the best engineer, work at a machine shop or a manufacturing company for at least a summer. Two books for technical people to read: “Story Brand” by Donald Miller “Expert Secrets” by Russell Brunson Cally’s podcast, ...
Feb 12, 2021•40 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Send us Fan Mail Barbara earned a degree in chemical engineering then learned she found manufacturing and design more interesting than chemicals. Beginning her career supervising a manufacturing team, she quickly learned the importance of humility when working with others, and developed a love for helping those on her team. She continues to develop professionals as she leads her team at Irwin & Associates . Join us in this episode as we hear how she found her dream job, then eventually bough...
Feb 12, 2021•49 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Send us Fan Mail Elizabeth shares her unique perspective having worked at a “theory X” company prior to her 10+ years at Gore, and contrasts those experiences with the “theory Y” environment that has been intentionally developed at Gore. Learn about how the enterprise’s principles of supporting and building individuals has led to it success, and how these principles and processes can be implemented in other progressive companies looking for ways to improve their culture and performance. The Bein...
Feb 05, 2021•58 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Send us Fan Mail Matt shares his deep and valuable experience with us from testing pharmaceutical compounds and understanding the mechanics of the universe on an atomic level through implementing truly practical quality systems that help teams work more productively without weighing them down in paperwork and bureaucracy. Learn more about his work by visiting PSN’s website . The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical devic...
Jan 29, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Send us Fan Mail Like many great engineers, Blayne Roeder (pronounced like “raider”) grew up on a farm with a strong work ethic and in a culture that valued the ability to maintain (and sometimes build) your own equipment. Those skills helped Blayne quickly advance through a senior level engineering role and into multiple engineering director roles. Having provided guidance to hundreds of junior level engineers throughout his career, Blayne shares with us not only the skills that make great engi...
Jan 22, 2021•49 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Send us Fan Mail Ryan Frederick has spent his career building software product companies and during this episode shares just a few insights he has learned over the years. Directly applicable to both software and hardware companies, listeners will find his instruction a valuable asset in their bag of development tools. Ryan has also written two books, one about starting a new company (The Founder’s Manual) and the other about managing a services company (Sell Naked). The Being An Engineer podcast...
Jan 15, 2021•44 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Send us Fan Mail Alexander Slocum is a professor of mechanical engineering at MIT and is one of the authorities in the realm of mechanical design. He has written two books on machine design, Precision Machine Design and FUNdaMENTALs of Design (free download on http://pergatory.mit.edu ), published more than 150 papers, and has 130+ issued patents. Alex regularly works with companies on the development of new products and has been significantly involved with the invention and development of 11 pr...
Jan 08, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Send us Fan Mail Ogun Unal ’s expertise is in industrial engineering and metallurgy. He shares a particularly interesting example with us describing how the oxidized top layer of molten Aluminum can be pushed sub-surface and lead to failures in the cast components if not handled properly. Ogun also shares an interesting take on how engineers spark change in the world, and what life might be like without the innovations brought to us by engineers. The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you b...
Dec 31, 2020•48 min•Season 1Ep. 59
