Share

cover art for 360 turn from Engineering and Sales without overthinking: Transitioning into a high performance coach and author with Lison Mage " Act Before You Overthink"

Multiple hats

360 turn from Engineering and Sales without overthinking: Transitioning into a high performance coach and author with Lison Mage " Act Before You Overthink"

Ep. 2

Overthinkers Beware!

Have you ever fallen into the rabbit hole? Thinking and thinking, stuck into analysis paralysis?


🎙️ From Engineer to High-Performance Coach: How Lison Mage Helps Overthinkers Make Decisive Moves After a global tech career at Salesforce and Oracle, Lison Mage pivoted into coaching and authored Act Before You Overthink—teaching professionals how to trade analysis paralysis for action


🔍 What You’ll Learn:

  • What happens when a STEMM career path no longer fits—and how to pivot with purpose
  • Why overthinking is one of the most overlooked barriers to career change and leadership
  • How to leave a corporate job without a plan—and build a business from experimentation
  • Practical tools to develop "audacity"—the mindset muscle that makes action possible
  • Why quitting isn’t failure—and how to reframe sunk cost fallacy and reversibility
  • How to create visibility and traction by building in public and gathering feedback early


🧠 About the Guest:

Lison Mage is a French-Australian author, keynote speaker, and high-performance coach who started her career in engineering and corporate tech, working at companies like Oracle and Salesforce. After feeling stuck and unfulfilled, she took a leap—leaving the corporate world to become a certified coach and eventually publishing her book Act Before You Overthink. Lison now helps professionals across Australia make confident decisions, overcome perfectionism, and lead more aligned, action-oriented lives.



📌 Episode Highlights:

00:00 Quitting corporate to “unbecome”—and rebuild from scratch

03:00 From childhood in France to over 33 countries and a STEMM degree

05:00 Trading electronics for human behavior: moving into sales

08:00 The slow realization that success ≠ happiness

10:00 How curiosity—not clarity—sparked a career pivot

13:00 Experimenting with coaching, retreats, and finding product-market fit

15:00 Why overthinking is often about too much convergent thinking

17:00 Finding mentors and navigating imposter syndrome

20:00 Blogging before book deals: building audience through newsletters

23:00 “I became an overthinker to write for overthinkers”

26:00 Decision reversibility: how to think about going back or changing lanes

30:00 Emotional support, shared responsibility, and building a personal success team

33:00 Pet-sitting, lifestyle downsizing, and creative financial strategies

36:00 How to ground confidence when you feel like the least experienced person in the room

38:00 Relevance over experience—and why that matters in entrepreneurship

40:00 Writing in a second language, using standing desks, and habit stacking

43:00 Flops, tears, and the value of being seen in your full humanity

45:00 Privilege, locus of control, and redefining what success looks like



🔗 Resources Mentioned:



🤔 Reflection Time:

  • Are you using overthinking to delay action—or gathering just enough data to move?
  • If your current role no longer fits, what “audacious” step could you take this week?
  • Do you have a team—mentors, supporters, challengers—that helps you move forward?


 


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 Careers

If 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

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 25. Why This Cancer Researcher Left Academia to Train the Next Generation of Clinical Researchers with Dr. Sue Nguyen

    59:11||Ep. 25
    ❓What if the real barrier to your next career move isn't your capabilities but your plan B? 🔍 What You’ll Learn:For every STEMM professional feeling stuck delivering someone else vision 9-5,This episode help you reframe your frustration into opportunities with one simple question. You will learn from yet another PhD who turned around their academic career to live up to their own vision and : the catch 22, that traps entry level into a loop of needing experience to get experience, especially in clinical research. How to magnetize people by communicating your purpose so well that you can open door that you never felt were possible. How to unlock your full resourcefulness potential by forcing full commitment.Tactical first steps for launching a values-driven career transition—from personal vision to rallying people and pricing experiments. 🎧 Ready to break the cycle of regrets? Hit play to learn how Sue went from postdoc to purpose-driven entrepreneur.🧠 About the Guest:Dr. Sue Nguyen is the founder and CEO of Clueo Clinical, a training and coaching organisation on a mission to solve the entry-level catch-22 in clinical research. A cancer genomics PhD turned entrepreneur, she combines deep scientific knowledge with a heart for impact—empowering the next generation of STEMM professionals to find their place in industry.📌 Episode Highlights:00:00 Why clinical research has a skills gap—explained03:45 What CL Clinical teaches (and who it’s for)06:10 From cancer research to clinical trials09:00 Growing up in Vietnam, chasing free education14:15 “Why did my grandmother get sick?” A question that sparked a career17:30 How real passion landed her first job—without applying22:10 The untapped potential of academics in industry24:00 Leaving corporate life during a pandemic—cold turkey30:00 Bootstrapping without a fallback plan36:00 Why vision > backup plan40:00 The three first steps to make your idea real45:00 Serving underserved regions—and charging sustainably53:00 From early adopters to sustainability (3-year journey)56:00 Winning the Global Healthcare & Pharma Award🔗 Resources Mentioned:CL ClinicalGlobal Health & Pharma Awards🤔 Reflection Time:What core question or injustice in your field keeps you up at night—and could drive your next career chapter?Can you articulate your passion and what you stand for?Do you have any limiting mindsets that keeps you small?
  • 24. Why Interdisciplinary Thinkers Will Lead the Future: Dr. Anushi Rajapaksa’s Journey from Biomedical + Aerospace Engineering to MedTech Startup

    01:06:20||Ep. 24
    🎙️ Creating Your Own Path as a STEMM Professional with Dr. Anushi Rajapaksa "If not me then who" - why you may actually be the one who should take the first step and how to get started.  What if your unique combination of STEMM degrees could solve a global health problem?Are you a STEMM professional ready to pivot your career or start something new? In this episode, Dr. Anushi Rajapaksa—biomedical, mechanical and aerospatial engineer and medtech founder—shares how she used her diverse STEM background to create Misti, a groundbreaking respiratory care and lung advanced drug delivery innovation. Learn how interdisciplinary thinking, knowledge brokering, and imperfect action can help you build your own path outside traditional science careers.🔍 **What You’ll Learn: How to identify your unique "knowledge brokering" superpower and your purposelearn practical steps to start validating your ideas (even with Nobel Prize winners!),gain the confidence to take imperfect action because "scrappy progress is better than no progress."How to put together a roadmap that can get you started and later on grow Listen now to transform your perspective from "I need more credentials" to "I already have everything I need to start."  📌 **Key Topics:**In this episode we explore additional themes, including :How to recognise opportunitiesThe financials of getting through the first 6 monthsHow to get your opinion heard and why it mattersWhy being clear on your message is the foundation of creating opprotunitiesWhy you don’t have to be part of the 5am club everydayAnd much more  Episode Timeline:[00:00] Introduction to Multiple Hats and Dr. Anushi Rajapaksa[02:45] What is Misty and why it should exist[06:30] The two product lines: My Misty and Med Misty[13:00] Anushi's academic journey: from electrical to aerospace engineering[16:30] The undervalued superpower of "knowledge brokering"[21:45] Early career experiences and grant writing lessons[28:00] Giving your expertise a voice and platform[31:30] First steps in founding Misty during the pandemic[37:00] Morning routines and managing priorities[38:45] Building a roadmap with IP, regulatory and customer focus[45:00] The role of accelerators and mentors[49:30] Funding journey: from small experiments to product development[55:30] Overcoming the perfectionism trap in product development[57:30] Customer engagement strategies without marketing[1:01:30] Privileges and systemic issues faced as a founder 🔗 **Resources & Links:**Misti: https://www.misti.com.auAnushi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-anushi/Startmate Accelerator: https://www.startmate.com/ 🤔 Reflection time:What pivot could your unique combination of STEMM skills make possible?Discover how your apparently unrelated experiences might be your greatest superpower.   
  • 23. From Uni to CEO: How Mechatronic Engineer Sophia Kurianski Took on Decades-Old Industry Norms with Jinolo

    01:10:55||Ep. 23
    🎙️From Uni to CEO: How Mechatronic Engineer Sophia Kurianski Took on Decades-Old Industry Norms with JinoloChallenging outdated 3D design processes straight out of university, Sophia Kurianski turned frustration into a startup—and built Jinolo from the ground up🔍 What You’ll Learn:How questioning outdated systems can spark breakthrough ideasHow to validate a product idea before writing a line of codeWhat building a tech startup as a solo founder really looks likeWhy grants and customer discovery are key early toolsHow STEMM professionals can reframe failure in sales as growth🧠 About the Guest:Sophia Kurianski is a mechatronic engineer and the founder of Jinolo, a 3D collaboration platform transforming how technical and non-technical teams work together. Straight out of university, Sophia rejected “the way things have always been done” and built a startup that now serves over 500 customers. In this episode, she shares how problem-solving, lean execution, and persistence powered her entrepreneurial leap.📌 Episode Highlights:00:00 Welcome to Multiple Hats00:29 Meet Sophia Kurianski: Founder of Jinolo00:37 The problem with legacy 3D design workflows01:21 Bridging technical and non-technical collaboration03:34 Engineering roots and early work experience13:01 How Jinolo started: the first iteration19:26 Building a minimum viable product22:30 Getting feedback + iterating27:40 Customer discovery & early sales strategies34:37 Launching solo: founder mindset40:07 Hiring contractors and scaling46:34 Technical scalability vs customer onboarding55:00 Funding the startup & managing cash flow58:58 Personal growth through selling01:06:57 Final reflections + future vision🔗 Resources Mentioned:Visit JinoloSophia Kurianski on LinkedIn🤔 Reflection Time:What processes around you feel outdated? Could your discomfort with “how it’s always been done” be the clue to your next move?How might your STEMM background position you to create a better way?Hey, I hope you have enjoyed this interview and the career twists!While you listen, can you see the pattern - Founders tend to go get their destiny and create their own luck.And so can you!Creating your own luck has a lot to do with how you put yourself out there and speak about what you want to do.Send me a message if you want to start being at the right place, at the right time and make your own stars align.visit my website angelique.greco.com.au or send me a message on LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/angelique-greco        
  • 22. From Startup to Global Impact: Ida Tin’s Role in the Femtech Revolution—Without a STEMM Degree

    01:10:40||Ep. 22
    The Femtech revolution with Ida Tin, founder of ClueDid Apple "forgot" to add a period tracker to the Apple Heath tracker at a time when Femtech was not a thing?Imagine you’re pioneering a product in a completely new sector, carving out an entirely new market category. That’s the journey of Ida Tin, the co-founder of Clue, one of the largest Femtech health apps serving 10+ million active users across 190+ countries. Ida coined the term 'Femtech,' to provide a unifying banner for the sector dedicated to women's health technology. We get to hear how it started from the ida of a home hormonal test ( a decade before home testing of anything was a thing) to taking a 100% digital approach to contraception.  🔍 What You’ll Learn:How Ida Tin co-founded Clue, one of the world’s most popular women’s health appsThe origin story of the word "Femtech"—and how naming it shaped a $60B+ industryThe workarounds of building a women’s health startup without a STEMM backgroundWhy data privacy, ethics, and inclusive design were non-negotiables for Clue and what happens to those who took shortcutsHow to fund and grow a mission-driven product in a male-dominated VC landscape 🧠 About the Guest:Ida Tin is the co-founder of Clue, a pioneering period and fertility tracking app with over 10 million active users in 190+ countries. While she doesn't come from a traditional STEMM background, her vision and language helped define an entire sector: Femtech.Her story is one of category creation, mission-driven innovation, and challenging the norms of tech, funding, and health. 🗂️ Episode Timeline:00:32 Meet Ida Tin: The Mother of Femtech 01:45 The Journey of Clue 03:55 Data Privacy and Ethical Considerations 07:09 Challenges and Innovations in Femtech 17:55 Building the Clue Team 33:33 The Birth of the Term 'Femtech' , definition and a new unifying banner39:41 Inclusivity in Femtech: Bridging the Gender Gap 40:57 The Duality of Periods: Normalization vs. Medical Attention 42:28 Creating a Supportive Work Culture for Women 44:11 Challenges in Femtech: Data Gaps and Funding Issues 51:31 funding , Ethics and Success in Femtech: A Comparative Analysis 56:24 Navigating Gender Bias in Venture Capital 01:07:14 Balancing Motherhood and Entrepreneurship 01:09:23 Conclusion: Building a Unified Future 🔗 Resources & Mentions:Follow Ida Tin on LinkedInSign up for her upcoming Femtech bookDownload Clue on your app store  
  • 21. Rising Above the Critics and Embracing your differences: Boldest Lessons from STEMM Career Changers and change makers in 2024

    26:25||Ep. 21
    🎙️ 2024 Wrap-Up: Dream, Surround Yourself Right, Embrace Your Patchwork, and Take the LeapReal-life examples and mindset shifts to help STEMM professionals take bold, imperfect action🔍 What You’ll Learn:How to identify and act on the projects that resonate with your passionThe importance of surrounding yourself with supportive individualsStrategies to embrace your unique combination of experiences—your "patchwork"Ways to overcome self-doubt and external criticismThe value of taking risks, regardless of age or stage in your career🧠 About the Host:Angelique Greco is the host of Multiple Hats and founder of Thought Leadership Democratised, a coaching program that helps life science professionals position themselves as thought leaders and create career paths that align with their values and ambitions. With a background in drug development, real-world evidence, and science strategy, Angelique combines her expertise in storytelling, teaching, and critical inquiry to spotlight those reinventing what it means to succeed in STEMM.📌 Episode Highlights:01:02 The Importance of Community01:50 Facing Detractors and Naysayers02:58 Finding Support in Startup Communities06:06 Real-Life Examples of Overcoming Detractors13:37 Embracing Your Unique Path17:17 The Value of Taking Risks21:58 Age is Just a Number25:38 Conclusion and Call to Action🔗 Resources Mentioned:Take the Survey for a Chance to Win "How I Built This" by Guy RazAngelique Greco's WebsiteAngelique Greco on LinkedIn🤔 Reflection Time:What project made your heart sing this year?Who are the people around you? Do they support or detract from your goals?What unique experiences make up your professional "patchwork"?What's one action you can take this month to move closer to your goals? 
  • 20. From Fresh Grads to Founders: How Two Google Software Engineers Turned Chronic Illness into a Health Startup

    01:13:32||Ep. 20
    🎙️ From Fresh Grads to Founders: How Two Google Software Engineers Turned Chronic Illness into a Health StartupAnnabel Zhou and Vivian Shen launched Toastie—an app to track and manage chronic illness—just after graduating with computer science degrees, all while working full-time at Google🔍 What You’ll Learn:How to spot real opportunities: Why a messy spreadsheet turned into a startup idea—and how to recognize your own “this could be better” momentWhy you don’t have to wait until you’re 40: How two software engineers launched Toastie almost straight out of uniHow to start without quitting your job: Smart ways to test your idea and keep your cashflow safe while working full-timeHow failure fuels future success: What second-time founders know about learning from what didn’t workWhat mindset helps you build for impact: How to go from frustration to mission-driven founder—even if you’re still figuring it out🧠 About the Guests:Annabel Zhou and Vivian Shen are software engineers at Google and co-founders of Toastie, a health tracking app designed to help people with chronic illnesses understand patterns in their symptoms, meals, and daily routines. Instead of settling for messy spreadsheets, they built an app that transforms scattered health data into meaningful, doctor-ready insights. Toastie is proof that you don’t need to quit your day job—or have it all figured out—to start something important.📌 Episode Highlights:00:00 Introduction to Multiple Hats00:37 Meet Annabel and Vivian01:05 Living with chronic illness and tracking with spreadsheets03:34 From personal pain to product idea09:19 Building Toastie while working full-time13:01 Lessons from their first startup19:26 Validating ideas with real users22:30 Support networks and community27:40 Future vision for Toastie🔗 Resources Mentioned:Sign up for Toastie’s pre-release🤔 Reflection Time:Are you sitting on an idea sparked by a personal frustration?What skill could you apply right now to start exploring a solution?Could your “annoyance” be your next opportunity?
  • 16. Series Trailer: Startup Sparks – Stories from the UNSW Founders Program _ turn your ideas into reality

    03:44||Ep. 16
    🎙️ Series Trailer: Startup Sparks – Stories from the UNSW Founders ProgramReal stories from founders and program leaders inside one of Australia's most active startup communitiesWelcome to a special series of Multiple Hats, created in collaboration with the UNSW Founders Program—one of Australia's leading startup accelerators for students, researchers, and early-stage entrepreneurs.Whether you’ve already started building something or just have an entrepreneurial itch, this series is here to show you what’s possible when you dare to give it a go.You’ll hear from:Founders solving real-world problems—from medtech to education to climateProgram managers who power the supportive community behind the scenesCandid stories of near-explosions, “there-has-to-be-a-better-way” moments, and the turning points that sparked something newIt’s packed with insights on how to go from idea to realisation—and what it actually takes to build something with impact.🔗 Resources:Learn more about UNSW Founders
  • 19. Forging Founders Early: How UNSW’s New Wave Program Helps Women Start Something New

    01:04:03||Ep. 19
    🎙️ Forging Founders Early: How UNSW’s New Wave Program Helps Women in STEMM ( and others) Start Something NewVictoria Rose Tucker on why it’s never too early to explore entrepreneurship—and how women can take the first step with support, structure, and community🔍 What You’ll Learn:Why the startup world needs more women founders—and how programs like New Wave open doorsHow to test your entrepreneurial curiosity without quitting your job or degreeWhat makes UNSW’s New Wave program unique in lowering the barrier to entryHow mentorship and confidence-building are just as important as fundingReal-life outcomes: from AI health tools to inclusive innovation leadership🧠 About the Guest:Victoria Rose Tucker is Program Manager of UNSW’s New Wave, an accelerator designed to empower women entrepreneurs—many from science backgrounds—to take the first step into the startup world. Victoria shares how the program’s structure, community, and low-barrier entry approach is helping women build confidence, test ideas, and change the face of early-stage entrepreneurship.📌 Episode Highlights:03:15 Overview of UNSW Founders’ entrepreneurial programs05:13 Who can join and how it works06:07 New Wave structure & what participants actually do07:15 The real challenges women face—and how the program supports them09:45 Success stories & future vision16:46 Debunking the myths of what a founder “should” look like32:22 Early-stage ideas: discreet solutions to real-world needs32:37 Spotlight: AI-powered chronic illness management (Team Toastie)34:05 Addressing the gender data gap in health34:53 Mentorship, peer support & community37:01 Building purposeful, diverse teams39:02 Celebrating wins: showcase & awards42:35 Victoria’s own path into entrepreneurship48:21 Momentum Month: sustaining progress beyond the program53:22 The future of inclusive entrepreneurship54:39 How to create more opportunities for women in STEMM59:48 Final reflections and call to action🔗 Resources Mentioned:UNSW Founders – New Wave Program🤔 Reflection Time:Could a program like New Wave help you take your first step toward entrepreneurship?What stories or stats shook your assumptions in this episode?Is there an idea you’ve been sitting on that’s worth testing—just to see?
  • 18. How a Biotech Student Project Brewing Beer Led to a Bioplastics Startup: Alinta Furnell on Spotting Unexpected Opportunities

    01:04:06||Ep. 18
    🎙️ Episode Title:How a Biotech Student Project Brewing Beer Led to a Bioplastics Startup: Alinta Furnell on Spotting Unexpected Opportunities💬 Subtitle:Armed with a biotech degree and a partner-in-crime, Alinta Furnell turned a student side project into Synbiote—a startup tackling sustainability with science🔍 What You’ll Learn:Spark inspiration early: How a biotech degree and a chance lab visit sparked an unexpected founder journeyWhy you should always try something new to set you on unpexpected tracks: Why non-alcoholic beer became a stepping stone to sustainable materialsLeverage every event to your advantage: How to navigate pivots, branding, and IP issues early in your startup lifeWhere to find help: What community, accelerators, and fellowships can do for STEMM entrepreneursStep into your growth mindset: The mindset needed to turn scientific curiosity into commercial innovation🧠 About the Guest:Alinta Furnell is the CEO and co-founder of Synbiote, a startup creating high-grade industrial bioplastics. What began as a brewing project during university quickly evolved—after a surprising trademark hiccup—into a company at the intersection of biotech, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. With a background in biotechnology and a diverse range of early roles, Alinta has built a career rooted in exploration, creativity, and action.📌 Episode Highlights:00:00 The unexpected trademark hurdle that changed everything01:05 Meet Alinta and the founding of Synbiote01:22 Brewing non-alcoholic beer as a biotech student project03:03 Rethinking what biotech really is04:37 Building innovative, sustainable bioplastics07:13 How the beer-to-bioplastics pivot happened14:44 Alinta’s early career, side quests & science exposure33:03 The brewing startup journey (and almost exploding a brewery)34:00 Sales strategy and lean innovation38:29 Brand, IP, and naming lessons41:09 Scaling up production and thinking bigger48:02 Finding support through programs and peers54:53 Personal branding in science and tech59:52 Privilege, access, and systemic barriers01:01:31 Final takeaways🔗 Resources Mentioned:Synbiote – Alinta’s startupBioplastics overview – Nature articleBioplastics & sustainability – NCBI🤔 Reflection Time:What project in your life started small—but might be more than it seems?Could your STEMM skills translate into solving real-world sustainability challenges?Have you underestimated how powerful community and storytelling can be in a scientific career?