S6E16 Jake Kennington | Engineer Yourself First, Personal Reflection, & Accepting Change
S6E16 Jake Kennington | Engineer Yourself First, Personal Reflection, & Accepting Change  
Podcast: Being an Engineer
Published On: Fri Apr 18 2025
Description: Send us Fan MailJake Kennington shares his transformative journey from structural engineering to personal development coaching, discussing how engineers can build meaningful lives without sacrificing their careers. He explores the importance of personal growth, embracing change, and developing a strong personal foundation.Main Topics:Transitioning from Structural Engineering to Personal CoachingThe "Strong Column, Weak Beam" Life PhilosophyImportance of Personal Development for EngineersOvercoming Creative Voids in Engineering CareersPractical Strategies for Personal GrowthEmbracing Change and Finding PurposeAbout the guest: Jake Kennington is a structural engineer, author, speaker, and transformational coach who helps engineering leaders and business owners build fulfilling careers without burnout. With over a decade of experience, he founded Human Engineer Coach to guide professionals in aligning their work with personal well-being. His message: success doesn’t have to come at the cost of health, relationships, or purpose—you can have both money and meaning.In his SEAU talk, “Engineer Yourself First,” Jake uses the structural principle of strong columns and weak beams to emphasize that personal growth must come before career growth to avoid collapse. He especially supports engineers in their first 7–10 years, a time often marked by self-sacrifice. Beyond coaching, Jake also champions creativity and continual self-expression, exemplified by his self-published children’s book in 2023. His work blends technical insight with a human-centered approach to leadership and life.Links:Jake Kennington - LinkedInHuman Engineer Coach WebsiteEngineering Challenge Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment like cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us at www.teampipeline.usWatch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus