MULTIPLE HATS: STEM Careers | Reinvention | Entrepreneurship |Thought Leadership

Hosted by Angelique Greco | Biotech & Health-Tech Expert | STEM Thought Leadership Coach

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Jun 2026

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Multiple Hats is a STEM career podcast for professionals who want more than the 9–5. Hear real stories of STEM professionals reinventing their careers — from scientists turned founders to biotech consultants and entrepreneurs. Hosted by Angelique Greco, a biotech and health-tech expert with 15+ years across the drug development lifecycle, this show explores how STEM careers can evolve into entrepreneurship, thought leadership, and portfolio work that truly matters. Through in-depth conversations with entrepreneurial STEM professionals, you’ll discover: Where a STEM degree can take you (career possibilities are infinite). How to embrace your unique “patchwork” of skills and experiences. Practical tactics to reinvent, transition, or leap into new opportunities. Mindset shifts from “Can I?” to “Here’s how!” You will hear: Indepth interview to hear the whole story Quick wins episode with key takeaways and actionable insights for you Practical tips to help you change your self limiting mindsets and grow further For who: Scientists, PhDs, engineers, clinicians, biotech consultants, tech pros including women balancing STEM careers with motherhood while fighting stereotypes. Why listen: Representation and role modelling matter. Bold and brave STEM professionals share how they carved their own paths — so you can too. 🎙 New episodes weekly. Follow now to reinvent your STEM career and design work on your own terms. STEMM = Science Technology Engineering Mathematics Medicine Visit my website https://angeliquegreco.com.au/ for short bite insights and on how to start crafting your message to set you on track for the career your want. bumper-verify-280239a7 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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June 15, 20268 min

4 Career Myths Keeping STEM Professionals Stuck, and What to Do Instead | Rachel Service

What if the biggest thing holding your career back isn’t a lack of skills, experience, or opportunity, but a belief you’ve been carrying for years?🔍 What You’ll Learn:Many STEM professionals underestimate the value of their skills, overestimate the need for perfection, and assume hard work alone will create opportunities.In this quick-fire episode, Rachel Service tackles four common beliefs that keep scientists playing small and offers practical ways to think differently.You’ll discover:Why your scientific training gives you highly transferable skills that employers desperately needWhy working hard stops being enough as your career progresses, and what replaces itHow perfectionism disguises itself as professionalism and keeps talented people stuckIf you’ve ever thought “I’m just a scientist”, “I’m not ready”, or “I just need to work harder”, this episode will challenge those assumptions in under 10 minutes.🧠 About the Guest:Rachel Service is the founder and CEO of Happiness Concierge, a workplace training company that has worked with more than 200 organisations. Following her own experience with burnout and depression, Rachel built a business helping people improve communication, leadership, workplace culture, and career satisfaction. 📌 Episode Highlights:00:00 The beliefs that quietly hold STEM professionals back02:30 Rachel’s accidental entrepreneurship story and the burnout that started it all03:15 “I’m just a scientist” and why that’s completely wrong04:00 The scientific skills that transfer into almost any career04:30 Does your work really speak for itself?05:00 Why career growth eventually becomes a PR campaign05:30 Done versus perfect, and the real fear underneath perfectionism06:45 The question to ask when you think you don’t have enough time, money, or resources🔗 Resources Mentioned:There Has To Be More by Rachel ServicePrevious long-form episode with Rachel Service on motivation and the “whinge phase”🤔 Reflection Time:Which belief have you been carrying: “I’m just a scientist”, “I need to work harder”, “My work speaks for itself”, or “I’m not ready yet”?What skill do you use every day that you underestimate because it comes naturally to you?What’s one small action you could take this week if you stopped waiting to feel completely ready?One of my favourite insights from Rachel was this:“It’s not about being perfect. It’s about learning to live with the idea that someone might see your incompetence.” That’s uncomfortable. But it’s also where growth starts.Want to craft a career story that opens doors?I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you.📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn  ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their CareersIf you enjoyed this episode, please:✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June 8, 202655 min

Stuck, Bored or Burnt Out? How to Find Motivation at Work Again and Design a Career That Fits You with Rachel Service

Have you ever looked around at the career you worked so hard to build and thought, “Surely there has to be more than this?”🔍 What You’ll Learn:Many STEM professionals spend years building expertise, only to find themselves feeling flat, bored, frustrated, or disconnected from their work. The challenge is not always burnout. Sometimes you’ve simply outgrown the role, environment, or version of yourself that got you there.In this episode, leadership coach and Happiness Concierge founder Rachel Service shares a practical framework to understand what motivates you, recognise when something is off, and start creating a career that better aligns with who you are today.You’ll discover:How to recognise the signs that you’ve entered the “whinge phase” before it turns into burnoutThe nine workplace motivation factors and how understanding yours can help you make better career decisionsA practical roadmap for moving from frustration and feeling stuck to meaningful action, without blowing up your life overnightPlay this episode if you’re feeling restless, uninspired, or trapped in a career that no longer fits, and want practical tools to start creating a better path forward.🧠 About the Guest:Rachel Service is the founder and CEO of Happiness Concierge, a leadership and workplace training company that has worked with more than 200 organisations. After experiencing anxiety, burnout, and depression herself, Rachel built a business dedicated to helping people create healthier, more fulfilling working lives.Alongside running her company, she is studying psychology at the University of Melbourne and continues to explore the science of motivation, wellbeing, and human behaviour. 📌 Episode Highlights:00:00 Why feeling flat at work is often a motivation problem, not a capability problem04:00 Rachel’s burnout story and the moment she realised there had to be more08:30 What motivation really means and why willpower alone isn’t enough12:00 The “whinge phase”: recognising when you’ve outgrown your work16:00 The 9 workplace motivation factors that drive career satisfaction18:00 Angelique’s experience with autonomy, creativity, and feeling boxed in23:00 Can work meet all your needs, or should motivation come from multiple parts of life?28:00 The hidden cost of staying stuck30:00 Why permission and identity are often the biggest barriers to change35:00 Creating an alternative reality and nurturing new possibilities43:00 Tiny actions that build momentum toward career change46:00 How to have honest conversations with your manager before it’s too late51:00 A practical roadmap for moving from frustration to action🔗 Resources Mentioned:There Has To Be More by Rachel ServiceAdam GrantGive and TakeJames ClearAtomic HabitsBeyoncéMichelle Obama🤔 Reflection Time:Which of the nine motivation factors matter most to you today, and are they being met in your current role?If you knew you didn’t have to act on it immediately, what would your ideal work-life setup look like?What is one small action you could take this week to explore a different possibility, without committing to a major change?If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who seems permanently stuck in the “whinge phase”. Sometimes awareness is the first step toward building a career that actually fits. Want to craft a career story that opens doors?I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you.📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn  ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their CareersIf you enjoyed this episode, please:✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 25, 202622 min

Want to Start Something New? The Safety Net STEM Professionals Already Have

What if starting something new in your STEM career is less risky than staying stuck in a path that no longer fits?🔍 What You’ll Learn:When STEM professionals think about career change, entrepreneurship, or starting something on the side, we often treat it like a one-way door.As if trying means burning the whole house down.But after interviewing multiple STEM founders, one pattern keeps coming up: many of us already have a safety net. Not a perfect one. Not a magical one. But a real one, built from our skills, experience, networks, adaptability, and ability to get another job if we need to.In this solo episode, I unpack what founders like Shilpa Agarwal, Dr. Lorien Parker, Natalie Chapman, Catherine O Mahony, Viv Allen, Sue Pillans, Cassie Leonard and others teach us about taking risks without being reckless.You’ll learn:• Why your STEM skills may give you more fallback options than you think• How founders use timeframes, milestones, and financial boundaries to make risk manageable• Why entrepreneurship does not need to replace your whole income from day one• How to think about money honestly without letting fear make every decision• Why “I haven’t made it yet” is often a moving target, not a useful rule• How to give yourself permission to test an idea before waiting for everyone else to approve itListen to this episode if you have an idea, a side project, or a career move sitting in the “too risky” basket, and you need a more practical way to think about what the real risk is.🧠 About This Solo Episode:This is a reflective takeaway episode from Multiple Hats, where I pull one theme from multiple founder conversations and ask what it means for STEM professionals designing their own path.This one is about the safety net we often forget we already have. It is not about pretending money does not matter. It does. Annoyingly, very much.But it is about asking better questions:What can I test?What is my fallback?What is the timeframe?What money can I touch, and what is off limits?And what might it cost me if I never try?📌 Episode Highlights:00:00 The idea that stuck after Shilpa Agarwal’s interview01:45 Why STEM professionals often underestimate their own safety net02:30 Risk is not just about courage, it is about scaffolding03:20 Shilpa’s three-year promise to keep showing up04:00 Dr. Lorien Parker on milestones, boundaries, and not touching home money06:00 Natalie Chapman on getting her first client through a former boss07:30 Catherine O Mahony on leaving well and turning trust into opportunity08:30 Viv Allen on staying lean and building through word of mouth09:30 Sue Pillans on the financial reality of self-employment11:30 Why life stage changes your risk profile12:00 Cassie Leonard on accepting a lower income for a more aligned life13:30 Shilpa Agarwal on family values, spending, and living within the experiment14:20 The mistake of pretending money does not matter15:00 The bigger mistake of letting money fear stop you completely15:40 What Sue Pillans asks: what is the worst that can happen?16:00 Shilpa’s advice to serve the person in front of you17:30 Why you do not need permission from your peers, manager, parents, or LinkedIn network20:00 The “I haven’t made it yet” trap21:00 Why enough might be today, not some future milestone🔗 Resources Mentioned:• Shilpa Agarwal, founder of ClinEQ Training and Chapter One Publishers• Dr. Lorien Parker, founder of SciencePlay Kids• Natalie Chapman, founder of gemaker• Catherine O Mahony, founder of On Q Recruitment• Viv Allen, founder of Vivacity Health• Sue Pillans, graphic recorder and founder of Dr Suzie Starfish• Cassie Leonard, aerospace engineer turned author, coach and founder🤔 Reflection Time:What safety net do you already have that you keep dismissing?What would make your idea feel safer to test: a timeframe, a money boundary, a milestone, or a fallback plan?What are you waiting to feel “ready enough” for, and what would change if today was already enough to begin?Want to craft a career story that opens doors?I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you.📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn  ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their CareersIf you enjoyed this episode, please:✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 18, 202617 min

Stop Waiting to Be Ready: 4 Career Myths Holding STEM Professionals Back with Shilpa Agarwal

What if the biggest thing holding back your STEM career change is not your skills, your experience, or your resources, but the beliefs you keep treating as facts?🔍 What You’ll Learn:This Firechat episode challenges four common beliefs that keep STEMM professionals stuck in the same lane for too long: “I’m just a scientist,” “I need to work harder,” “my work will speak for itself,” and “I’m not ready yet.”Shilpa Agarwal, founder of ClinEQ Training and Chapter One Publishers, brings a grounded view of what it actually takes to move from clinical research into entrepreneurship while still being realistic about family, money, risk, and responsibility. She shares how collaboration, human connection, asking for help, and showing your work can create traction long before everything feels perfectly figured out.In this episode, you’ll learn:• Why your STEMM skills do transfer, especially when you stop dismissing people outside your technical field• Why asking for help is not weakness, it is one of the fastest ways to work smarter• Why your work will not speak for itself until people know what you do and why it matters• How to think about starting before you feel fully ready, without pretending risk does not exist• Why having a safety net does not make your career move less brave, it makes it more practicalListen to this short Firechat if you need a sharp, practical nudge to stop overthinking your next career move and start testing what could be possible.🧠 About the Guest:Shilpa Agarwal is the founder of ClinEQ Training and Chapter One Publishers. Through ClinEQ Training, she works with pharmaceutical companies, small biotechs, CROs, and individuals across leadership and GCP training. Through Chapter One Publishers, she helps aspiring authors move from secretly wanting to write a book to actually becoming published.Her work sits at the intersection of science, mindset, leadership, and communication, which makes her a brilliant example of what happens when a STEMM career stops living in one neat little box. Honestly, the box was getting crowded anyway.📌 Episode Highlights:00:00 Challenging the beliefs that hold scientists back01:20 Shilpa introduces ClinEQ Training and Chapter One Publishers02:45 Myth 1: “I’m just a scientist and my skills don’t transfer”03:15 Collaboration, human connection, and staying open to people outside your field05:30 Myth 2: “I just need to work harder”06:20 Why asking for help is working smarter07:15 Myth 3: “My work will speak for itself”08:00 Why visibility matters before people can trust your work08:30 Myth 4: “I don’t have enough time, money, or resources to start”09:30 Mapping the numbers, family support, and realistic timelines11:20 Choosing priorities that reduce pressure and unnecessary spending14:00 Plan A, fallback options, and staying flexible15:30 Why STEM professionals often have more safety nets than they realise16:10 Where to hear the full conversation with Shilpa🔗 Resources Mentioned:• ClinEQ Training• Chapter One Publishers• Full conversation with Shilpa Agarwal, linked in the show notes• Architecture is a Determinant of Health, mentioned as an example of what happens when clinical research and design thinking meet🤔 Reflection Time:Where are you still telling yourself “I’m just a scientist” when your skills are clearly broader than that?What is one thing you are currently trying to figure out alone that could be solved faster by asking someone for help?What would be “good enough to start” for the idea you keep parking for later?Want to craft a career story that opens doors?I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you.📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn  ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their CareersIf you enjoyed this episode, please:✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 11, 202652 min

Why Not Risk It? A STEM Career Change Story About Building Before You Feel Ready with Shilpa Agarwal

What if feeling “not ready” is not a sign to stop, but a sign you are waiting for certainty that career reinvention never gives you?🔍 What You’ll Learn:If you are a STEM professional sitting on an idea, a side path, or a career move that does not fit the traditional box, this episode is for you.Shilpa Agarwal is a clinical operations professional who built a portfolio career across clinical research training, coaching, publishing, and entrepreneurship. Her story is a real look at what it means to build while still figuring it out.In this episode, you’ll learn how to:Stop waiting for your whole career path to make sense before taking the next stepSpot the “random” skills that may become the raw material for your next chapterListen for market signals and shape an offer people actually wantChallenge the story of “I have not made it yet” and start showing up anyway Press play if you are tired of waiting to feel ready and want a real example of what it looks like to build a STEM career change one brave, slightly messy step at a time.🧠 About the Guest:Shilpa Agarwal is the founder of Clin EQ Training and Chapter One Publishers. With around 20 years of experience in clinical research and pharmaceutical training, she now brings together science, emotional intelligence, leadership development, coaching, and publishing.Through Clin EQ Training, she supports clinical research professionals, biotechs, CROs, and individuals with leadership and GCP training that includes the human skills often missing from technical training. Through Chapter One Publishers, she helps aspiring authors turn their ideas into books.📌 Episode Highlights:00:00 Why this episode is for STEM professionals who feel they need the whole plan first 02:10 Shilpa introduces Clin EQ Training and Chapter One Publishers 03:30 Living two professional identities: clinical research and coaching 05:50 Redundancy as the trigger for building something new 06:45 Why clinical research needs more emotional intelligence 10:20 The long “brewing time” before the pieces made sense 12:00 Serve the people in front of you, not the imaginary perfect client 16:10 Listening to market signals before building an offer 17:00 Know, like, trust, try, buy, refer, repeat 18:10 “What have you achieved to talk about?” 20:50 Is “enough” a mindset or a milestone? 22:20 Who gets to write a book? 24:30 Why your story does not need to be completely unique to matter 31:40 Outsourcing, collaboration, and building as a solo founder 34:00 How volunteering and networking helped Shilpa get early traction 35:30 Why STEM professionals need visibility before they need a job 40:30 Why “my work will speak for itself” is a dangerous myth 42:00 Starting before you have all the resources 47:30 What if it does not work? 50:00 You do not need permission to try something new🔗 Resources Mentioned:Clin EQ Training Shilpa’s clinical research training company focused on leadership, GCP, and emotional intelligence.Chapter One Publishers Shilpa’s publishing business helping aspiring authors become published.ARCS Australia Mentioned in relation to Shilpa’s training collaboration and workshops.One Solution, There’s Always One Shilpa’s book, written from her coaching work and mindset models.🤔 Reflection Time:Where are you waiting to “feel ready” before taking a step you could actually test now?What parts of your career patchwork have you been keeping separate, even though they might belong together?What is one pain point people already ask you about that could become your next offer, article, project, or career move?Want to craft a career story that opens doors?I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you.📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn  ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their CareersIf you enjoyed this episode, please:✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 4, 202643 min

MedTech Success Explained with 6 founders - The Triangle of value, The Team, and The Story That Gets Funded

What if your MedTech solves a real problem, shows great data… and still never gets used?🔍 What You’ll Learn:Most STEM professionals focus on building something that works.But in MedTech, success is decided by something far less obvious, whether your product fits into a complex system of people, incentives, and decisions.In this episode, Angelique pulls together insights from six founders who are all solving very different problems, from oxygen delivery to diagnostics, implants, and digital health.What emerges is a clear pattern of what actually moves a product forward, and what quietly blocks it.By the end of this episode, you will:• Learn how the triangle of value shapes every MedTech decision, clinical outcome, convenience, and cost• Understand why different stakeholders want different things, and how that creates friction in adoption• Discover what it really takes to build the right team and tell a story that gets fundedThis is where you stop thinking like a scientist solving a problem, and start thinking like someone building something that will actually be used.Press play to see how six founders navigated the reality of MedTech, and what you can apply to your own path.🧠 About the Guest:In this solo episode, Angelique Greco distils lessons from conversations with six MedTech founders across devices, diagnostics, and digital health.Through their stories, she breaks down the patterns behind products that move forward, and those that stall, showing how success is shaped by the system, not just the science.📌 Episode Highlights:00:00 Why great MedTech can fail despite strong science02:00 The triangle of value explained: outcome, convenience, cost04:00 ShanShan Wang: one product, three conflicting definitions of value07:30 Dharmica Mistry: you are not building for the patient10:00 Anushi Rajapaksa: what changes when you build for the end user13:00 Ida Tin: creating a new category to be understood16:00 Ben Wright: when incentives block adoption21:00 Why the team is the real risk investors look at24:00 The myth of the scientist-CEO and what actually works26:00 Venture studios and alternative ways to build a company30:00 Maryam Parviz: building a team that complements you34:00 Why storytelling is not optional in MedTech39:00 Creating a market when none exists43:00 Final recap: triangle, team, and story🔗 Resources Mentioned:• Mimetic MedTech Foundry• Roam Technologies• BCAL Diagnostics• Misty• Clue• Xeloda• SDIP Innovations🎧 Quick fire chat episode:https://shows.acast.com/multiple-hats/episodes/69ad4b747036d73902764808🤔 Reflection Time:If your work succeeds technically, what could still stop it from being used?Who are the real decision-makers in your space, and what do they optimise for?Are you building something that works, or something that fits?Want to craft a career story that opens doors?I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you.📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn  ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their CareersIf you enjoyed this episode, please:✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

April 13, 202611 min

Firechat on the mindset shifts, skills, and trade-offs no one tells you about building beyond the lab with Ben Wright co-founder of Mimetic foundry

What if the thing holding your career back isn’t your skills, but the beliefs you keep repeating?🔍 What You’ll Learn:Most STEM professionals don’t lack capability. They lack translation.This short fire chat cuts straight through the common beliefs that keep people stuck in roles that don’t reflect what they’re actually capable of doing.Why “I’m just a scientist” is a dangerous story to keep telling yourselfWhat working smart actually looks like when time and money are on the lineHow to define what “good enough” is, so you stop waiting and start movingThis is the shift from technical expert to someone who can shape opportunities, not just respond to them.If you’re tired of waiting until you feel “ready,” play this episode and challenge the beliefs keeping you stuck.🧠 About the Guest:Ben Wright is a MedTech investor and operator who works with clinicians and scientists to build real companies, not just ideas.As co-founder of Mimetic MedTech Foundry, he helps translate research into viable businesses by bringing in the right skills, structure, and strategy early on.His perspective is grounded in reality, what actually works when money, time, and risk are involved.📌 Episode Highlights:00:00 The beliefs that quietly hold STEM professionals back01:30 What a venture studio actually does differently03:30 Why “I’m just a scientist” limits your career04:30 The two key skills scientists need outside the lab: storytelling and customer understanding05:50 What working smart actually means in startups06:40 Why “perfect” is the wrong goal in the real world07:40 How to define what’s good enough to move forward08:30 The real cost of starting something, time, relationships, and risk10:00 Why clarity on your path matters more than jumping into a startup🔗 Resources Mentioned:🎧 Full Interview with Ben Wright https://shows.acast.com/multiple-hats/episodes/69ce18e3057b5949959db955(Deep dive into MedTech, strategy, and why great technologies fail)Mimetic MedTech Foundry🤔 Reflection Time:What belief about your role or identity is quietly keeping you playing small?Where are you waiting for “perfect” when “good enough” would already move you forward?If you looked at your career like a system, what skill or gap would you fill next instead of pushing harder?Want to craft a career story that opens doors?I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you.📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn  ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their CareersIf you enjoyed this episode, please:✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

April 6, 202649 min

Why Great MedTech Fails, and What It Really Takes to Build a Company That Works with Ben Wright, co-foudner of Mimetic Foundry

Why do some of the most brilliant medical technologies never reach patients, even when the science works?🔍 What You’ll Learn:If you’ve ever thought “build a great technology and the rest will follow,” this episode will challenge that fast. Because in healthcare, the system decides what survives, not just the science.This conversation breaks down what actually makes or kills a MedTech company, and what you need to understand if you want to move from technical expertise to real-world impact.Why clinical workflow, incentives, and reimbursement matter more than your innovationThe “value triangle” every MedTech product must satisfy to surviveHow to stop trying to be everything in a startup, and build the right team earlyThis is where a STEM career shifts from “doing the work” to understanding how the system works, and how to influence it.If you want to think like a strategist, not just a scientist, play this episode and start seeing where great ideas actually fail.🧠 About the Guest:Ben Wright is a MedTech investor, advisor, and co-founder of Mimetic MedTech Foundry.He started in biological sciences and hand transplant research, then moved into the business side after seeing firsthand that great technology alone doesn’t guarantee success.Today, he works at the intersection of science, clinical practice, and business, helping turn early-stage ideas into viable companies by building the right structure around them.📌 Episode Highlights:00:00 Why great medical technologies fail despite strong science03:00 From researcher to startup builder, the first reality check06:30 Why accelerators don’t prepare founders for real MedTech timelines10:00 Should scientific founders be CEOs?14:00 The “value triangle”: clinical outcome, convenience, cost18:00 The oral chemotherapy example, when incentives block better care21:00 Why human behavior and workflow kill adoption24:00 When better tech loses to incumbent business models28:00 True disruption, and why it’s harder than you think33:00 Why Australia struggles to fund MedTech innovation38:00 What a venture studio actually does differently46:00 A real MedTech failure story, and what it teaches about risk🔗 Resources Mentioned:🎧 Quick Fire Chat with Ben Wrighthttps://shows.acast.com/multiple-hats/episodes/69ad4b747036d73902764808Mimetic MedTech Foundry🤔 Reflection Time:Where are you focusing only on the “technology” in your work, and ignoring the system it needs to fit into?If you stepped back, what part of your work is actually about influence, not execution?What would change if you stopped trying to do everything yourself and built around your strengths instead?This episode is a reality check.Not to discourage you, but to show you where the real leverage is.Want to craft a career story that opens doors?I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you.📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn  ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their CareersIf you enjoyed this episode, please:✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

March 23, 20261 hr 7 min

Building support network in STEM, leadership leaps and big career pivots as a Boeing aerospatial engineer with Cassie Leonard

Building Your STEM Safety Net: Cassie Leonard on Being the Only Woman Engineer at Boeing and Leaving Corporate to Coach and PublishThe episode of Multiple Hats, released for International Women’s Day 2024, revisits a recorded interview with aeronautical engineer Cassie Leonard, who spent 16 years at Boeing after entering a 35-man team as the only woman. Cassie describes her path from aerospace study at UCLA to persistence in applying to Boeing, early intimidation, and career growth through frequent internal “bounces” that stretched her technically and as a leader, supported by an organic network of mentors and advocates. She recounts a difficult double-stretch role during her mother’s stage-four brain cancer diagnosis and how her network helped her recover by finding a new position. Cassie explains leaving Boeing methodically to focus on developing early leaders and supporting STEM parents, self-publishing her book STEM Mum, starting Elm Coaching and Publishing, learning marketing, redefining success beyond paycheck, and aiming to amplify underrepresented voices in STEM.00:00 Only Woman at Boeing01:41 Meet Cassie Leonard03:29 Engineering Roots and Role Models04:38 What Aerospace Engineers Do06:30 Culture Shock in Engineering Classes08:14 Landing Boeing Through Persistence09:55 Finding Your Voice on the Team11:23 Career Growth in Two Dimensions14:44 Support Networks as Safety Nets17:38 When Life Forces a Reset21:07 Why She Left After 16 Years22:50 Motherhood in a Male Workplace27:13 Building a Methodical Exit Plan29:18 From Pro Bono Coaching to Business30:50 Yoga Detour and Finding a Niche32:54 Marketing Through Community and Boards34:11 Book Framework Origins35:00 Science Mindset Coaching37:12 Whole Life Career Stories37:54 Holistic Planning YOLO39:39 Writing Editing Timeline40:26 Self Publishing Elm Press42:32 Money Mindset Metrics46:36 Building Business Systems48:07 Pricing Coaching Services50:10 Marketing Website Authenticity54:31 Targeted Volunteering Myths56:53 Presenteeism Performance Debate01:01:39 Redefining Work Life Balance01:04:02 No Going Back01:04:23 Inspiration Book Song01:05:28 Final Takeaways VillageWant to craft a career story that opens doors?I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you.📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn  ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their CareersIf you enjoyed this episode, please:✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

March 16, 202654 min

Why Women Leave STEM, How to Spot Burnout, and Advocate for Real Change- Beyond the Pipeline with Belinda Di Bartolo, Jessica Borger and Cassie Leonard

Beyond the Pipeline: Why Women Leave STEM, How to Spot Burnout, and Advocate for Real ChangeThis episode will put words on what many women in STEM feel but have not articulated. The podcast episode critiques performative International Women’s Day gestures and focuses on lived experiences behind why women leave STEM, featuring three co-authors of the collaborative book Beyond the Pipeline: Cassie Leonard, Associate Professor Jessica Borger, and Dr. Belinda Bartolo.The 3 authors represent 3 paths within the STEM sector, pivoting and staying to change the system from within. Host Angelique shares her own career pivots and ongoing struggles with high expectations and fatigue, while the guests describe identity shifts, loss of joy, and turning points that led them to stay and advocate within systems or pivot into new paths. They discuss systemic drivers of attrition—burnout, feeling undervalued/imposter syndrome, and bias—illustrating bias through examples tied to motherhood and career interruptions, as well as bias toward non-parents. The conversation covers boundaries, redefining success, portfolio careers, four types of burnout, and advocacy that is collective and non-performative, including allies’ roles and examples of media-driven national-level change during the pandemic.00:00 IWD Hype vs Reality01:16 Meet the Authors01:44 Host Story and Stakes03:22 Jess Finds Her Voice06:04 Filters and Advocacy07:30 Belinda Loses the Joy11:25 Cassie Pressured Out14:07 Boundaries and Glass Balls18:34 Portfolio Careers in STEM21:15 Why Women Leave STEM23:29 Bias Stories and Language29:03 Motherhood And Imposter Syndrome30:45 Fixing Parental Leave Systems32:34 Bias Against Childfree Workers34:21 Finding The Right Workplace Fit36:13 Career Visibility For Students37:20 Four Types Of Burnout42:01 Breaking The Busy Culture43:56 Advocacy Without Performative Gestures47:22 Allies Speaking Up Effectively50:16 Pandemic Anger To National Change52:38 How Media Advocacy Snowballed53:37 Final TakeawaysWant to craft a career story that opens doors?I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you.📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn  ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their CareersIf you enjoyed this episode, please:✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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