Building support network in STEM, leadership leaps and big career pivots as a Boeing aerospatial engineer with Cassie Leonard
MULTIPLE HATS: STEM Careers | Reinvention | Entrepreneurship |Thought LeadershipShow Notes
Building Your STEM Safety Net: Cassie Leonard on Being the Only Woman Engineer at Boeing and Leaving Corporate to Coach and Publish
The 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 Boeing 01:41 Meet Cassie Leonard 03:29 Engineering Roots and Role Models 04:38 What Aerospace Engineers Do 06:30 Culture Shock in Engineering Classes 08:14 Landing Boeing Through Persistence 09:55 Finding Your Voice on the Team 11:23 Career Growth in Two Dimensions 14:44 Support Networks as Safety Nets 17:38 When Life Forces a Reset 21:07 Why She Left After 16 Years 22:50 Motherhood in a Male Workplace 27:13 Building a Methodical Exit Plan 29:18 From Pro Bono Coaching to Business 30:50 Yoga Detour and Finding a Niche 32:54 Marketing Through Community and Boards 34:11 Book Framework Origins 35:00 Science Mindset Coaching 37:12 Whole Life Career Stories 37:54 Holistic Planning YOLO 39:39 Writing Editing Timeline 40:26 Self Publishing Elm Press 42:32 Money Mindset Metrics 46:36 Building Business Systems 48:07 Pricing Coaching Services 50:10 Marketing Website Authenticity 54:31 Targeted Volunteering Myths 56:53 Presenteeism Performance Debate 01:01:39 Redefining Work Life Balance 01:04:02 No Going Back 01:04:23 Inspiration Book Song 01:05:28 Final Takeaways Village
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
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