MEL #018 | From Reluctant Engineer to Empowered Entrepreneur through Communication Mastery with Neil Thompson

In this episode, I speak with Neil Thompson, founder of Teach the Geek, online public speaking resources, geared towards those in the technical fields. Neil Thompson entered engineering because his father told him to pursue it, not out of personal passion. After earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in engineering and briefly starting a Ph.D., he pivoted into medical device development and eventually launched his business, Teach the Geek, to help technical professionals improve their public speaking skills.In our leadership segment, Neil talks about how he was thrown into a project lead role without formal authority, and had to learn how to influence a cross-functional team. Through structured communication, building relationships with functional managers, and focusing on helpfulness and clarity, he became an effective leader without direct power.Neil urges aspiring engineering leaders to follow their own motivations rather than external expectations. He stresses the importance of planning career transitions carefully, building supportive communities, being willing to invest in yourself, and maintaining a strong focus on communication skills.Takeaways, transcripts, and more in the show notes: https://drangeliqueadams.com/insights/