Carlos’s most prominent weakness is his inability to talk about his strengths, so I’m writing this for him. This is Tessi, Carlos's wife.

Carlos rarely acts in his own interest, focusing instead on helping others fulfill their dreams with his innovative ideas.

He is from Quito, Ecuador. As the firstborn to young parents, he faced complex situations in a crisis-ridden country, developing a resilience that keeps him steady, even in the most stressful situations.

He excelled in school across various countries.

Following his dad’s diplomatic career, he grew up in Uruguay, Switzerland and Argentina where he faced his father’s death.

But Carlos is strong, adapts, and overcomes.

We met when he was studying a double degree at LSE and Peking University, with an excellence scholarship from his home country.

He was a nerd in the class, but the good kind of nerd, getting excellent grades and prizes while helping others along the way. That's how we met.

When he does something, he does it with more than 100% involvement, organizing people to learn from one another. This because Carlos embodies authenticity, excelling in emotional intelligence, social finesse, and street smarts.

His ability to see opportunities amid challenges and his love for people truly define his character.

Fast forward, we married and moved to Ecuador. There, he served his country by advising the Minister of Health, taking on the role of Red Cross CEO and finding his passion for education with his unique style, going the extra mile, getting internships, graduate programs and conferences for his students, doing a program at Harvard with Marshall Ganz, and supporting me advance in my career.

But, with Ecuador becoming unsafe, I wanted to return to Europe. After some thought, Carlos agreed. It meant the world to me, as I know how much Ecuador and its development mean to him.

On top, he started doing the Stanford LEAD program, which pointed more in the direction of us moving to the US.

But that showed me -once again- the power of his character, his values and his priorities.

Our faith and our family are paramount to him.

Despite the chaos of moving and a new pregnancy, Carlos excelled in the program, earning 7 Intellectual Contributions Awards, a record in Stanford Lead's history.

Currently, he pursues an OB PhD, supervised by one of top scholars in the field, while he supports & advises high officials in governments and international organizations informally.

If you connect with him, chances are you end up at our dinner table leaving it with a completely different outlook on life. 😊

Carlos Santos Saint Romain

Finding parents energizing jobs | Career coach for parents | Lead dad of 4 boys | Certified EQ coach | Former aerospace executive |

You’re successful on paper. You’re a dedicated parent.
So why does your job feel like it's stealing your soul?
Because what you need from your work has changed.

If you are reading this, you are likely operating in a "guilt fog." 
You are exhausted from white-knuckling through the workday. 
You are collecting titles you aren't proud to share with your kids
You are pulled between staying late and being there for your family.

Working parents are told they are a liability.  That they should check their family at the door.
I'm not having any of that.  Any company that makes you feel that way doesn't deserve your energy.

I walked away from my long time job with a 6 month old at home.  I've been a rocket scientist, an airplane designer, a manager, an executive, a stay at home dad, and now a career clarity coach.

I work with parents who refuse to compromise on their family life or their professional drive. I help you find the right job for this season of your life using a three-part framework designed for efficiency and clarity:

1. Purpose & Clarity (The Ikigai Method) We move beyond job descriptions to discover work that fits your life. We use the "Ikigai" framework to ensure your next role fuels your sense of purpose rather than depleting it.

2. Confidence & Superpowers (EQi-2.0 Expertise) Drawing on my EQi-2.0 certification, we unlock your unique professional superpowers. We move you from self-doubt to self-trust, helping you land a role where you can provide maximum value with minimal friction.
The Outcome One client recently told me: "You've provided tangible tools to help me unpack deep questions... to help me make sense of where I am and where I want to go next".

3. Strategic Efficiency (The 2-Hour Job Search) As a parent, you don’t have time to waste. We eliminate the guesswork of the job hunt using structured, networking-first systems that reduce decision fatigue and focus your effort where it counts.

Along the way we work on owning your new identity as a working parent.  Integrating all the pieces of who you are into a new person who trusts themselves and can wipe away the guilt and live a full life that they want their kids to follow.

The goal isn't just a new job. It is about becoming the parent your kids deserve: energized, present, and aligned.

Ready to clear the fog?
Message me the word "Clarity" and let’s start the conversation

Alex Egeler

The dreaded number from after care lights up my phone.
“Come pick up your child.” His third strike? 
Throwing a yogurt across the room.

I used to take these moments personally.
"I should be able to control my kid." Not anymore.

I was absolutely frustrated with him, but I knew I had to let it go to help.

On the way home, he asks, "What do we do now?" 
I said, "Get out your favorite toys and play." 
He goes, "Really?"
"No! Of course not." 
(He smiled at that, so he knew I was doing my best).

I told him I was frustrated, but I knew he was a good kid and I wanted to help. 

Here is what we actually did:
First, a snack. "My tummy hurts though..." 
"Maybe you are hungry. Let's try a cracker." 
He scarfs down 3 crackers. "I was hungry!"

Then some water. 
Then the bathroom. 
If a kid is disconnected from his body, of course he feels bad.

I saved this for last: "Now we are going to go have a quiet moment in your room." 
"I don't want to." 
"I know. Let's just see."

He gets in his PJs. I put on a Winnie the Pooh audiobook. I turn out the lights. 

"Why are you turning out the lights, dad?" "No reason."

Literally 15 seconds later, he was asleep.
Hungry, thirsty, had to pee, and exhausted. Of course he crashed out.

I've been down this road before. 
My 13-year-old is diagnosed bi-polar. 
When he was little, he would lose touch with his body, feel bad, and act out. 

We used to send a laminated card to preschool with him: food, water, toilet, sleep. 
He would stare at the card pensively, then go get a drink of water.  Or try a snack.
We had to teach him what those sensations felt like so he could reconnect.

When my little guy woke up, he looked at me and said, "I was tired too!" 
No shame. No guilt.

"Kids do well when they can." 
My job is just to make sure he can.

Helping exhausted parents in tech find jobs that feel good

I had the hardest childhood.

-Father took his own life when I was 11
-Nearly died in house fire at age 8
-Ambulance rides from asthma

Or

I had the easiest childhood.
-House with indoor swimming pool
-Kindest, lovingest mother ever
-Top education available

Both are true.  

As I got older, I was able to heal from the bad and recognize the good.

Today I use both to inform how I live my life and parent.

I AM OFFICIALLY PRO-PARENTING CRUTCHES. 
In a house with two working parents and four kids, we are just trying to survive.

Here are some of ours:

Bribing the twins with chocolate peanuts to stay in their room at night.
Using Roblox time to get our 10-year-old to practice his euphonium.
Watching Mark Rober videos to trim fingernails or remove splinters.
Morning dance parties to get through putting on socks and shoes.
Blasting K-pop songs to get them to strap into their car seats.

At the grocery store last weekend, I offered the twins a $5 item of their choice if they could keep it together.  That brought things back from the brink.  We ended up with a cactus stuffy and a bag of kit kats :-)

I know it would be better if we didn't need these. In time, we are usually able to wind them down.

(Nobody has a pacifier anymore, so that is some evidence).

But parenting is hard. Using shortcuts doesn't make us bad parents.  We used to beat ourselves up over it. Now we give ourselves grace.

Use the crutches. Do your best. Live to fight another day.

My son was cast as the lead villain in his summer theater camp. 
The final performance was at 3:00 PM on a Friday.
If I still had a rigid in-office job, I would have missed the moment.

It’s a summer camp show, so everyone gets a part. 
Not everyone is an accomplished actor.

It got off to a slow start.  Hard to hear the lines, long pauses.

When my son burst onto the stage as Dr. Shock Clock, the energy in the room completely changed.

He commanded his minions.  He froze time.
He was loud. He was clear.  Suddenly, everyone else on stage was, too.

He elevated the entire show.

I almost always cry when he performs. This time, I was just in awe.

I wondered if it was just the proud father vibes.
Then another dad walked over to me after the curtain closed.
“Wow. He was the best one in the show by a mile.”  Nope, I didn’t imagine it.

What that dad didn't see was all the hard work that got him there. The singing lessons I drove him to.  Running through lines and songs in the living room every night.  All the times he auditioned for a show and didn’t get a part.

Seeing his performance transform that stage (and knowing it was the result of his resilience) was a moment I’ll never forget.

Sure, someone else could have driven him to those lessons.
I built a career with flexibility because I wanted it to be me.
I wanted to be there for the prep, not just the payoff.

Before I had kids, my career strategy was simple: 
Find an easy job. Clock out at 4:00 PM. Save all my energy for my family.
Then I had my son, and I realized how completely wrong I was.

Because an "easy" job didn't give me more energy. 
It just made me spend 8 hours a day wondering why I was even bothering.

My metric completely shifted. 
It went from “is this worth the money?” to “is this worth the time?”

I had uncovered the working parent paradox.

I needed a job that actually mattered to make the time away from my son feel worthwhile.
It wasn’t about balance. It was about integration. 

The way to be successful as a working parent wasn’t to step back.
It was to step into alignment.

The job I thought was perfect was filled with meetings on new concepts, but timelines of years meant no actual action. What actually fit was fast-paced updates to a supersonic business jet that we were designing every single day.

It had the flexibility I needed, but more importantly, it had a mission I believed in.
I could see how the work I did affected the outcome of the company.

A funny thing happened. 
I felt more confident. I felt proud to show my son the life I was building.

My kids saw me work hard, struggle, succeed, and fail instead of watching my career languish.
And that fulfillment gave me the energy to truly be present when I came home.

I never, ever would have predicted that was what I needed.

I became a full-time dad. 
And for months, I felt like an absolute failure.
Because of the legacy my family left me.

My father and grandfather had instilled a very specific definition of success in me.
Financial benefit to the family.

The startup I was working for dissolved in a flash. 
Taking over at home was the right thing for us.
I was succeeding in the way that mattered most to my kids.
But by the metrics I inherited, I was failing.

I grappled with that heavy guilt for months.

Until one night we were sitting on the bed after putting the kids down, rehashing the situation, and my wife said something that changed my perspective forever:

"Your father and grandfather are both gone.”

“Either they are looking down on you with disappointment…”

“Or they are high-fiving each other because you are the first one in the family to figure out what matters in time to do something about it.”

“You can choose which version to believe."

A weight felt completely lifted off of me. 
I knew exactly which of those stories would help me heal.

I let go of their expectations. I started living my own life.

You don't have to carry the success metrics you inherited. 
You get to decide the story you tell yourself.

After 11 weeks of paternity leave…
Not a single person had touched my work. 

My code was gathering virtual dust and more requests had been piled on. 

During those same 11 weeks, my son had transformed from a little potato on the floor to a small human sitting up and babbling. 

Everything at home had changed. 
Nothing at work had been enough of a priority for someone else to step in and do it.

All of a sudden, every day at work dragged on - and I couldn’t take it. 

Burnout isn't always about working too many hours. 
It’s also about working on things that don't matter.

A s a working parent, my career was going to need to look completely different. 

Before kids, my only success metric for my job was: "Is this worth the money?"

After kids, the metric shifted completely: "Is this worth the time I'm spending away from my family?"

When I changed to a job that felt impactful, my exhaustion faded.  I was energized by the job, even though it was more hours and more stressful. 

I’m chatting about this specific career shift and other lessons I’ve learned along the way on a LinkedIn Live with Greg Mischio today.  

We're going to talk about finding clarity, leaning into your actual strengths, and keeping enough energy in your reservoir for the things that really matter.

When you have clarity in your career, it isn’t about the number of hours you spend on your job, it’s about the alignment with your values.

Helping manufacturers improve their web presence and generate leads. Founder and CEO of Winbound, a digital marketing agency. Ghostwriter of memoirs and business books.

Burnout for working parents is often framed as a time management problem. But more often, it is a clarity problem. When identity, expectations, and inherited definitions of success collide, exhaustion follows.

In this LinkedIn Live, Alex Egeler will share his journey from corporate aerospace engineer to startup executive, stay-at-home dad, and now coach for working parents. Through personal experience and emotional intelligence work, Alex will explore how clarity around identity and values helps parents reshape their careers in ways that are sustainable, purposeful, and aligned with who they truly want to be.

You will learn:
• Why clarity, not balance, is the key to reducing burnout
• How identity narratives formed in childhood shape career decisions
• Practical ways to create a more sustainable integration between work and parenting

About Alex

Alex Egeler is a father of four, former rocket scientist and aerospace executive, and now an emotional intelligence and career clarity coach for working parents. After navigating his own identity shift from corporate leader to stay-at-home dad and back into professional life, Alex now helps exhausted parents redefine success on their own terms.

Through coaching grounded in emotional intelligence and self-awareness, Alex supports parents in finding meaningful work that aligns with their values while creating a sustainable, fulfilling life at home.

How Clarity Solves Burnout for Working Parents

The most progressive generation when it comes to masculinity and caregiving?
I was absolutely floored by the answer: It’s the Boomers.

According to the data, Boomers had the fewest men who agreed with the statement: “Men who take part in caregiving are less masculine.”

I guess my boys aren’t going to think I’m very manly.

Because they see a dad who does the dishes, helps with homework, and coaches their sports teams. To them, none of that is inherently "masculine." It is just being a dad.

But protecting that mindset takes work.

We are fighting a constant battle against the "manosphere." Algorithms pushing YouTube grifters and TikTok alpha-male videos to young boys, telling them caregiving makes them weak. We pay attention to their influences every single day.

Because the alternative is heartbreaking. Men feeling inferior because they can't uphold a 1950s "breadwinner" identity. Men missing out on the amazing journey of fatherhood because of imagined social pressure.

So in our house, we don't just talk about it. We model it. Babysitting doesn't fall to the daughters - that wasn’t an option.  My oldest son learned how to change his little brother's diapers when he was 8.

That came in super handy - I remember handling a tantrum with one two year old twin and watching while he deftly performed a standing diaper change on the other one.

We need more models of this in the world. Not just singular tough guys, but places where nuance exists. Men who can be heroes and caregivers, who can talk about emotions in a relatable way.

Like Joel from The Last of Us. Steve from Stranger Things. Ted Lasso. And of course, the greatest TV dad of all time: Bandit Healer.

Being a dad has been the most meaningful thing in my life by a mile. Talking about the joy of fatherhood out loud isn't weak.

It's the whole point.

“Running a business is a 24/7 commitment.  Who will take care of your kids?”
Is a question no dad founder has ever been asked. 
So why did they ask a mom in a movie trailer?

It was a literal jaw drop for me as the trailer unfolded.

The clueless dad almost ruining her shark tank audition because they didn’t think he could take care of the kids.

Seriously?  

So the women get funded if they can prove there is adequate child coverage.

And they think that is funny? 

The bumbling dad - redemption trope as he learns how hard being a parent is.  

His kids are like teenagers and he is just noticing what it takes?

So tired.

I really like Nate Bargatze - his “new math” jokes are a lived experience for me (and I was a rocket scientist) - but a Mr Mom type movie in 2026 is pretty far off the mark for me.  It’s bad enough they made that movie once, but it was 43 years ago…

We saw this trailer in the theatre over the weekend, ironically on International Women’s Day - one my kids just said “Why is he so bad at being a dad?”

I don’t know, and I don’t want to. 

Thumbs down to Breadwinner - coming to a theatre who cares when.

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Carlos Santos Saint Romain

Alex Egeler

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The Battle

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