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, tactical advice grounded in real execution. We unpack why engineers stall, how over-optimization kills momentum, and why real-world reps matter more than credentials, titles, or perceived intelligence.

Key Topics Covered
• Why “raw talent” collapses without real seat time
• The dangerous gap between theory and real-world execution
• How perfectionism quietly kills engineering momentum
• Why communication becomes the real career multiplier
• The difference between consuming knowledge and creating value
• How brand, visibility, and trust are replacing credentials
• Why failure without correction is wasted effort
• How incentives shape performance inside and outside companies
• The hidden cost of avoiding discomfort and pressure

Actionable Steps
• Audit where you’re consuming instead of creating
• Build something real—physically or digitally—this month
• Stop optimizing ideas that haven’t proven value yet
• Seek feedback from people you’d trade places with
• Put reps into communication, not just technical skill
• Shorten the gap between thinking and doing
• Test limits intentionally to find your real thresholds
• Track lessons learned after every failure
• Prioritize hands-on experience over certifications

Who This Episode Is For
• Engineers feeling stuck despite being “high performers”
• Early-career engineers unsure how to stand out
• Burned-out engineers questioning their direction
• Individual contributors who feel overlooked
• Engineers considering leadership or entrepreneurship

Why It Matters
Careers don’t stall from lack of intelligence—they stall from lack of execution. Engineers who build, test, fail, and adjust gain clarity, confidence, and visibility. Seat time creates instincts. Instincts create results. Results create opportunity.

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Or wherever you get your podcasts

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Follow Josiah and FDF Race Shop
Want to see real execution, design-for-manufacturing insight, and behind-the-scenes building? Follow FDF Race Shop and Josiah across platforms:
• Instagram (JosiahFallaise / FDFRaceShop)
• YouTube (FDF RaceShop)
• TikTok (JosiahFallaiseRacing / FDFRaceShop)
• Facebook (FDF RaceShop)
• Website: fdfraceshop.com

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 theory—practical, tactical advice for engineers who want more impact, more clarity, and real leadership leverage without burning out.

Key Topics Covered
• Why AI won’t replace engineers—but it will expose weak thinking and poor communication
• The real reason high-performing engineers get overlooked for leadership roles
• How executives actually evaluate clarity, judgment, and decision-making
• Using AI to distill complex technical work into executive-ready communication
• Why “letting your work speak for itself” is a career-limiting belief
• Practical AI use cases engineers actually care about (not marketing fluff)
• How systems thinking makes engineers uniquely positioned to win with AI
• The danger of automating before understanding your workflows
• How to avoid over-reliance on AI while still using it as a force multiplier

Actionable Steps
• Use AI to summarize your work in executive-level language before sharing updates
• Prompt AI to act as your toughest critic and stress-test your ideas
• Lead with intent: clearly state your goal, audience, and constraints in every prompt
• Break complex tasks into smaller chunks instead of “AI-ing everything at once”
• Use AI to practice executive communication before high-visibility meetings
• Translate technical wins into business impact (cost, risk, time, people)
• Ask AI to ask you questions to clarify your thinking before execution
• Capture and reuse your learning—build a personal knowledge system with AI
• Practice saying less, not more—clarity beats completeness

Who This Episode Is For
• Engineers feeling stuck despite strong technical performance
• Early-career engineers who want leadership trajectories, not burnout
• High-performing ICs struggling with visibility and influence
• Engineers curious about AI but unsure how to apply it meaningfully
• Technical professionals aiming for management, director, or executive roles

Why It Matters
The gap between engineers who advance and those who stall isn’t intelligence—it’s clarity, communication, and leverage. AI accelerates all three. Used well, it amplifies judgment and visibility. Ignored, it quietly shifts power to those who adapt faster.

Where to Listen
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Or wherever you get your podcasts

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If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth—just like the best careers do.

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 you already have one whether you like it or not, and how unintentional behavior is quietly working against you. This isn’t theory—this is practical, tactical advice grounded in real engineering careers and real outcomes.

Episode 137 - Transcript

Key Topics Covered
• What personal brand really is: reputation plus awareness
• Why “doing good work quietly” is no longer enough
• How engineers accidentally build negative brands without realizing it
• The difference between being technically competent and being known
• Why consistency matters more than talent when it comes to reputation
• How visibility attracts opportunities, mentors, and leverage
• The danger of being everything to everyone—and nothing to anyone
• Why complaining online damages your career more than you think
• How engineers who lean into soft skills stand out faster

Actionable Steps
• Audit how coworkers, leaders, and peers would describe you today
• Decide what you want to be known for—then act accordingly
• Be consistent in how you communicate, respond, and show up
• Start engaging intentionally on LinkedIn instead of lurking
• Share insights, not complaints—digital history is permanent
• Focus on one or two strengths instead of random messaging
• Build awareness outside your immediate workplace
• Reach out to people in your industry without an agenda
• Treat reputation as a long-term asset, not a side effect

Who This Episode Is For
• Engineers feeling overlooked despite strong technical skills
• Early-career engineers who want faster growth and visibility
• Burned-out high performers stuck in execution mode
• Engineers who avoid self-promotion and pay the price
• Professionals who want more control over their career trajectory

Why It Matters
Your energy, visibility, and reputation compound over time—positively or negatively. The engineers who advance aren’t just capable; they’re clear, consistent, and known. If you don’t take ownership of your personal brand, others will define it for you—and not in your favor.

Where to Listen
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Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Or wherever you get your podcasts

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 a real example: a highly competent engineer, ten years into his career, still earning well below market rate. Not because he isn’t good—but because he isn’t visible. This episode is not theory—practical, tactical advice for engineers who want clarity, leverage, and real career momentum.

Key Topics Covered
• Why results don’t advocate for you on their own
• The difference between being productive and being visible
• How managers and leadership actually decide who advances
• Why loyalty and “head-down work” can quietly cap your pay
• The role of self-advocacy in raises, promotions, and opportunity
• How misalignment with your organization reveals itself
• What happens when leadership doesn’t know who you are
• Why asking directly for compensation clarity matters
• How career stagnation compounds over time

Actionable Steps
• Audit your compensation against market rates
• Define a clear income target instead of vague “growth” goals
• Ask your manager directly what it takes to reach that number
• Document your impact in terms leadership cares about
• Increase visibility through meetings, updates, and ownership
• Schedule recurring check-ins to track progress—not hope
• Study how promoted engineers behave, not just what they produce
• Test whether your organization rewards advocacy or silence
• Decide whether patience or change is the right next move

Who This Episode Is For
• Engineers who feel underpaid despite strong performance
• High-performing ICs stuck without promotion traction
• Engineers relying on effort instead of leverage
• Loyal team members questioning whether it’s worth it
• Anyone tired of guessing how advancement really works

Why It Matters
Careers don’t stall because of a lack of effort—they stall because of a lack of clarity and visibility. When your work speaks but you don’t, someone else gets the credit. This episode connects energy, action, and advocacy so your performance actually turns into opportunity instead of burnout.

Where to Listen
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Or wherever you get your podcasts

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If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth—just like the best careers do.

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 bad intent or incompetence, but by assumed expectations, poor follow-up, and misplaced blame. If you want better outcomes without burning yourself out, this episode will challenge how you think about ownership, communication, and leadership.

Key Topics Covered

• Why ownership is about eliminating blame—not absorbing guilt
• How unspoken expectations quietly create resentment and rework
• The difference between micromanagement and proactive leadership
• Why “I already told them once” is a dangerous assumption
• How reminder systems dramatically increase project success rates
• Using data—not emotion—to diagnose failures and adjust execution
• Why engineers confuse independence with effectiveness
• How trust changes the way expectations are received
• When letting something fail is actually the right leadership move

Actionable Steps

• State expectations clearly before work starts—even when they seem obvious
• Follow up more than feels necessary; assume people are overloaded, not careless
• Replace blame with data: what failed, when, and why
• Build simple reminder systems to close execution gaps
• Frame expectations around winning and outcomes, not authority
• Adjust your communication style quickly when working with new teams
• Track one variable at a time when fixing broken processes
• Take responsibility for information flow, not just your task list
• Ask: “What would increase the odds of success by 10–30%?”—then do that

Who This Episode Is For

• Engineers frustrated by repeated project breakdowns
• High performers who feel like they carry more than their share
• Early-career engineers learning how leadership actually works
• ICs trying to increase impact without burning out
• Engineers stepping into informal or formal leadership roles

Why It Matters

Unclear expectations don’t just slow projects down—they quietly damage trust, drain energy, and stall careers. Engineers who master ownership without blame stand out fast. They deliver better results, build stronger teams, and create momentum instead of friction.

Where to Listen

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Or wherever you get your podcasts

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If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth—just like the best careers do.

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. This conversation is about depth, focus, and long-term leverage—not theory, but practical, tactical advice you can apply immediately. If you want to grow into leadership, avoid burnout, and build skills that actually compound, this episode is required listening.

Key Topics Covered

• Why being “the fastest engineer in the room” can quietly limit your ceiling
• The difference between knowing the what/how and truly understanding the why
• How engineers become execution machines—and why companies reward it (at your expense)
• Aggressive patience: working hard without rushing past learning
• How shallow repetition kills long-term leverage and career mobility
• Using modern tools (including AI) to extract deeper lessons from daily work
• Why consistent small wins matter more than occasional big projects
• The hidden cost of distractions masquerading as “balance”
• How focus—not talent—separates impactful engineers from overlooked ones

Actionable Steps

• Slow down just enough to extract lessons from every task you complete
• Ask “why does this matter?” before moving on to the next assignment
• Build a habit of documenting insights, not just deliverables
• Use AI or senior engineers to peel back fundamentals in real time
• Identify where your current work does not apply—and why
• Reduce distractions that don’t serve your long-term goals
• Optimize for skill transfer, not short-term praise
• Track consistency of execution, not just outcomes
• Choose depth in one area before chasing the next shiny task

Who This Episode Is For

• Early-career engineers who feel busy but unsure they’re growing
• High-performing ICs who get praised but overlooked for bigger opportunities
• Engineers on the edge of burnout from constant execution
• Professionals who want leadership leverage, not just technical output
• Anyone tired of feeling productive without feeling fulfilled

Why It Matters

Efficiency alone won’t build a meaningful career. Engineers who focus only on speed become replaceable, while engineers who understand systems, context, and impact become leaders. Depth creates visibility. Focus builds leverage. And learning the why is what allows you to carry value anywhere—across roles, companies, and industries.

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Or wherever you get your podcasts

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If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth—just like the best careers do.

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 being useful is the real force multiplier in engineering careers. This is not theory—practical, tactical advice on how usefulness compounds faster than credentials, experience, or job titles, and why engineers who think beyond their scope earn more trust, better work, and faster growth.

Key Topics Covered
• What “being useful” actually means in real engineering work—not buzzwords
• Why executing tasks alone keeps you invisible and replaceable
• How usefulness outperforms raw technical expertise over time
• The difference between completing work and compounding value
• Why scope blindness quietly kills career momentum
• How to use inversion thinking to instantly increase your impact
• Serving beyond expectations—and without immediate reward
• Why the most trusted engineers get the hardest, highest-visibility work
• How usefulness creates leverage across teams, projects, and leadership

Actionable Steps
• Ask “what problem does this task solve?” before starting any assignment
• Identify the pain point around the task, not just inside it
• Offer to remove friction for teammates before being asked
• Audit the work you’re doing for cost, risk, and downstream impact
• Bring alternatives, not just execution
• Learn why decisions were made—not just what was decided
• Volunteer for ambiguity instead of avoiding it
• Spend extra time where usefulness compounds, not where effort looks busy
• Stop waiting for permission to think like an owner

Who This Episode Is For
• Engineers doing “good work” but not getting noticed
• Early-career engineers who want to accelerate trust and responsibility
• Burned-out engineers stuck in task execution mode
• High-performing ICs who feel capped without authority
• Engineers who want leadership impact without formal titles

Why It Matters
Promotions don’t come from doing more tasks—they come from increasing leverage. Usefulness connects energy, visibility, and execution into a compounding system. When you consistently make others more effective, you stop chasing opportunity—and opportunity starts finding you.

Where to Listen
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If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth—just like the best careers do.

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 engineering career from zero connections, zero clarity, and zero direction—into a high-impact operator and now founder of NLS Engineering.
Not theory—practical, tactical advice grounded in real experience.

Key Topics Covered

• Why “showing up” is the unfair advantage most young engineers ignore
• The mindset shift that separates high performers from complainers
• How Jake broke into AEC with no experience and turned it into a career
• Why usefulness—not talent—is the currency that moves careers forward
• The real reason career fairs, events, and meetups change everything
• Tactical ways to become the person decision-makers want to hire
• How to think clearly about anxiety, action, and preparation
• Why engineering firms win or lose based on talent, visibility, and courage
• The hidden value of mentorship programs like ACE for early-career engineers
• How relationships—not résumés—create long-term career momentum

Actionable Steps

• Go to every industry event you can—opportunity is a volume game
• Build relationships before you “need” them
• Write a real cover letter focused on how you’ll help the firm win
• Send video intros when applying—stand out immediately
• Learn to call people instead of hiding behind email
• Practice being useful: ask clients, contractors, and maintainers what matters
• Treat anxiety as a signal to prepare, not freeze
• Study the business side of engineering—understand money, timelines, risk
• Take responsibility first, blame never
• Show up consistently for months—not days—and let the compounding work

Who This Episode Is For

• Early-career engineers who feel invisible or overlooked
• Students who want a roadmap to get hired quickly
• Engineers stuck in “wait and see” mode who need to take ownership
• High-performers who want more responsibility and impact
• Anyone frustrated with the job market and ready to try a better strategy

Why It Matters

Your career is built on visibility, usefulness, and action—not wishful thinking.
Engineers who consistently show up, contribute, and build relationships win faster, avoid burnout, and create opportunities most people never see. This episode gives you the mindset and tactics to do exactly that.

Where to Listen

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Apple Podcasts
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Or wherever you get your podcasts

Share

If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth—just like the best careers do.