Want to join Amazon, Facebook, or the other big tech giants? Then you don’t want to miss this one.

Is your life being driven by fear or purpose? Has anyone ever accused you of being a control freak?

In this episode, you are in for a special treat as I speak to a friend and former client, Mauricio Nunes. I had the privilege of coaching Mauricio through a total transformation in his career and life, and he courageously shares his story with you in this conversation.

He is a leader in technology, currently managing a team of software developers in a dream job at Facebook. Mauricio has also held leadership roles at Spotify, and Amazon. He shares his major breakthroughs and how to achieve results with you. A master at technical interviewing, Mauricio has a passion for mentoring others seeking to land their dream jobs in big tech.

What is more inspiring than his career success is how Mauricio is truly happy, and living a life of purpose.

So press play and let’s chat… with a Lifestyle Engineering Blueprint graduate, a true leader, and my good friend.

The Happy Engineer Podcast

WATCH EPISODE 19: GET INTO BIG TECH WITH MAURICIO NUNES

LISTEN TO EPISODE 19: GET INTO BIG TECH INTERVIEW WITH ZACH’S DEBRIEF

Listen on Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Android // iHeartRadio

INSIGHTS ON HOW TO GET INTO BIG TECH COMPANIES FROM THIS EPISODE

Mauricio has been an incredible client (and now friend), a role model for so many engineering leaders, and truly has demonstrated courage at a level that many people will never step up to. Such a huge honor to have him on the show and in this conversation, but let’s get back into action. How do we take all of the story and the experiences that Maricio just shared with us and put it into action?

I just want to share three big points. The first one is that it’s okay to ask questions about what direction to take. There is such a stigma, such a taboo in our culture and in our companies around needing to know the answer of exactly what your career plan is. And I understand this because a big part of what I do as a career coach and a life coach and, you know, support for all our clients here at OACO is answer those questions with you.

But I also want you to know that it is absolutely okay to feel confused and to not know. Mauricio was really vulnerable with us about a couple of key points in his career where he got back to really basic questions about what do I even want? Which direction do I want to go? Do I want to stay technical or do I want to move into higher level people management positions? What do I want to do? Where do I want to build my career?

It is absolutely normal. It’s not only ok, but it’s good to ask questions about where you want to go, what direction you want to go. And it’s also okay to feel stuck and frustrated. Yeah, I’m giving you permission to feel those negative emotions. It’s okay to be absolutely frustrated about the state of your career.

Right now, emotions are signals. And if you simply seek to avoid feeling that way, it’s not going to solve anything. And it’s actually going to get stored into your subconscious in your nervous system and create more problems. It’s okay to feel those negative emotions. It’s not okay to stay in that place. I want you to make a list of what questions you’ve maybe been hiding from.

You’ve been avoiding authentically asking them, they’re lingering there in the back of your mind, but you haven’t taken the time or had the courage to face them. Make that list of real questions. What is it that you’re actually thinking when your head hits the pillow at night? What is it that you need to ask yourself about your career and your life?

You know what they are. I want you to write them down and commit to take time, to sit and ponder, marinate in, reflect on, and answer those questions for yourself. Then, see what surfaces you may find clarity. You may also find confusion and uncertainty, and it doesn’t matter which one you discover.

The key is taking the next step based on what you find. If you’re uncertain, get help. If you’re totally certain, take action and make it happen… but don’t hide from the questions about what you want in your career and life. 

Number two, when you face these big decisions, when you ask these big questions, I want you to be totally honest with yourself. Are you answering from a place of fear and a survival instinct or are you answering from a place of courage and purpose? You see, your brain’s natural pattern is not for success. Hear me: You are not wired for success. You are wired for survival. You are wired for safety. Fear and survival are driving your subconscious mind to keep you comfortable and keep you safe.

And while that has a purpose and value in your life, it is not the place that you want to make the big decisions for your career and life. You should be in a state and a mindset of courage and purpose, which brings up Mauricio’s core question that he left. Do you know your purpose?

It is very difficult to live from a place of courage and purpose when you don’t know what it is. Don’t overthink this so many people want to take this idea of purpose and say, I need to go into the Himalayan mountains in Tibet and sit in a monastery for a year to discover the depth of my life’s purpose.

No, you have a clear focus and purpose inside you right now. You simply need to walk the process to discover it. And it is a lot easier than you think. If you need help with that, please reach out to me because it’s exactly what we do with all of our clients. And it is such a powerful process. But the second point is simply this: be honest with yourself. Are you making big decisions from a place of fear and survival, or from a place of courage and purpose? 

Number three, let go of your need for control. Ah, all right. I’m speaking to myself on this one. So bear with me. Needing to control your environment, the people around you, the things that are happening in your world, engineers are the worst.

And I’m talking about myself as well. This is something that I continue to work with my coach on – this need for control engineers. We are training to solve equations to understand Y equals F of X, what is the transfer function? What are the fundamental physics? How do these pieces fit together? What connects all the dots and how do I control and move and manipulate all of the levers to get to the answer I want.

That is an incredible skill. And that is why you get paid. You get paid to solve problems at work, but the need for control is holding you back from becoming the leader who will be successful and happy at the next level. You must learn to surrender to the process. You must learn to release limiting beliefs.

When you do this, did you catch what Maricio said? It wasn’t just about the mental health benefits, relieving stress relieving the anxiety relieving, the frustration relieving all these negative emotions. It was also the real, tangible benefits in his life. Getting his time back, being able to delegate with more confidence, becoming a better leader, surrendering to the process. Letting go of the need for control is a fundamental shift that engineering leaders like yourself need to make to accelerate personal growth and development to accelerate your career.

To get the results you want in your life, and to be happy, we must surrender. I know you may not like that. And I’ll tell you, to this day I still struggle with holding on to my vision and dreams with an open hand, rather than a clenched fist, but it’s so important. And this requires a shift and a transformation of the subconscious mind.

This is a pattern in your nervous system. It’s not just thinking, it is also physiology, the distinction between the mind and the brain and to make these kinds of shifts happens at both levels. So if you need help understanding how to do this again, don’t sit in this alone. Take action. Reach out to us. Find a mentor, find a friend who’s had a transformational experience like Maricio and ask for help. Just ask.

Alright, engineers, take action. Three things on the list:

1. Where are you pretending that you have it all figured out, but you really have questions?
2. Are you being driven by fear and a survival instinct or courage and purpose? Make sure you’re clear and get to the side of purpose.
3. Let go of control. 

You do those things, you’re going to create momentum and accelerate your career and life. You’re going to experience the happiness that Mauricio talks about.

Let’s do this.

Previous Episode 18: Stereotypes and CTO’s with Sam Tam

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ABOUT MAURICIO NUNES

Mauricio Nunes is a leader in technology, currently managing a team of software developers at Facebook supporting the Mobile Products Runtimes (MPR) team. He has also held leadership roles at Spotify in their Back End Ad Studio, and Amazon in Content Experience for Prime Video. 

Beyond the technology, Mauricio has built a reputation with his teams and ability to lead people. He also has a strong talent for technical interviewing, and a passion for mentoring and coaching his mentees to success in getting past the notoriously difficult interview process for big tech.

Originally from Brazil, Mauricio had to make the same decision all talented engineers face. Technology leadership or people leadership? He shares the challenges with that decision, and how it has shaped his career and life. In April of 2020, that career path collided with career coach, Zach White, and the Oasis of Courage.

Since that time, he has found a new level of purpose in his life.  And, Mauricio has taken the most courageous decision of all. His family added a new puppy to the mix just weeks after he and his wife brought TWINS (the cutest #LifestyleEngineers you’ll ever see) into the world!  Haha, now that’s a man with confidence in his whole life balance. 

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FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:

Please note the full transcript is 90-95% accuracy. Reference the podcast audio to confirm exact quotations.

[00:00:00] Zach White: Mauricio, it is absolutely a pleasure to have this time with you. I have been privileged to coach this man for a while and your story is just incredible. So thank you so much for making time for me and for the listeners. 

[00:00:27] Mauricio Nunes: Thanks so much for the invite. It’s not only a pleasure, but it’s an honor being, for everything that we went through together in the last year.

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