In this episode of The Conversation, Clint sits down with Julie Newman, an accomplished aerospace engineer and bestselling author of Pull Don’t Push, to challenge the way we think—and talk—about engineering.

After decades of well-intentioned efforts to encourage more girls and young people to pursue STEM, why haven’t we seen the results many hoped for? Julie argues that the problem isn’t a lack of encouragement. It may be the message itself.

Instead of emphasizing how difficult engineering is or pushing young people toward a particular career, Julie suggests starting with a different question: What problems do you want to help solve?

That simple shift can change the entire conversation. Engineering isn’t just about math, science, or technical expertise—it’s about creativity, curiosity, teamwork, communication, and finding better ways to solve meaningful problems.

Drawing from Julie’s career in aerospace, Clint and Julie explore the misconceptions that keep people from considering engineering, why creativity and storytelling are essential skills in technical fields, and how parents, educators, and leaders can make opportunities more compelling by focusing on possibility rather than obstacles.

The conversation also carries an important lesson for leaders: whether you’re introducing someone to a career, building a team, or trying to influence change, pushing harder isn’t always the answer. Sometimes, asking a better question and giving people something meaningful to move toward can be far more powerful.