The Jefferson Fisher Podcast - Stop Feeling Guilty for Your Boundaries

Episode Date: July 14, 2026

Some conversations test your patience. Others test your character. In this call-in episode, I answer your questions about staying calm when emotions run high, setting boundaries with the people you love, handling conflict with confidence, and responding without losing yourself. We talk about how to stop overthinking your boundaries, what to say when someone asks questions you don't want to answer, how to break the cycle of the same argument with your spouse, how to handle backhanded compliments, what to do when someone complains nonstop, when a hard conversation is worth having, how to be taken seriously in a male-dominated industry, and how to be a good man without being a pushover. Leave me a voicemail to be featured on the show! https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/ask-jefferson  Join me on Supercast for ad-free episodes, bonus content, and AMAs: https://jefferson.supercast.com/ Order The Next Conversation Workbook: https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/workbook Thank you to our sponsors: LMNT: Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/jefferson for a free sample pack with any order. ZocDoc: Go to ⁠https://zocdoc.com/jefferson⁠ and book a doctor in your area. BetterHelp. Click https://betterhelp.com/jeffersonfisher for a discount on your first month of therapy. Order my book, The Next Conversation, or listen to the full audiobook today. Like what you hear? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a 5-star review! Suggest a topic or ask a question for me to answer on the show!  Want a FREE communication tip each week? Click here to join my newsletter.  Join My School of Communication Watch my podcast on YouTube  Follow me on Instagram  Follow me on TikTok Follow me on LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

how to stop the cycle of overthinking and not feeling guilty for having boundaries, and also how to have the confidence to maintain those boundaries consistently. Thank you very much. For a good day. When somebody is upset with your boundary, it doesn't mean that that boundary is wrong. It means that it's working. And how do you make sure that you consistently keep up with that boundary

is to know deep down that their disappointment will do. dissipate. The people who are disappointed by your boundary are most likely the very people who took advantage of you not having that boundary. That's typically what it is. Those are the people who are the most vocal about unhappy that you had that boundary. This isn't fair because most of the time they were used to cutting in line. They were used to you not having a bouncer at the door, so to speak. And so whenever you set that boundary and you set that consequence, how do you stick to it is I need you to be able to keep your eyes and ears on the goal, and that is, whatever it was serving for you, don't let somebody else's emotions or somebody else's

disappointment replace the very real reason why your boundary is there in the first place, and know that that discomfort that you're feeling is confirmation. That discomfort does not mean that you've made an error with that. That discomfort is confirmation that what you're putting into place is having the effect that it needs and that is it is preserving you and making sure that you are the one being taken care of. So don't lose sight of that. When it comes to overexplaining those boundaries, I need you to eliminate the word because instead of I need to put this boundary in place It's because blah, blah, blah, and give all this justification. They don't need that justification. I need you to get very firm instead of the ellipses, give them, meaning the dot, dot, dot,

get more comfortable with periods and wait and silence. And if they have a response, then they have the agency to ask that question. But don't try and answer a question that they haven't asked. That's just adding more words and the more words you add to that sentence, the more you're going to be watering down your message, and the more water down that boundary is going to be. So stick to small sentences. When you give that consequence, stick to it and know that that discomfort does not mean that something is wrong.

It means that's exactly what your boundary is meant to do. If you want to stop overthinking, I want you to get those thoughts out of your head, meaning on paper. and I want you to consider a framework like this, where you first write out the thought that you continue to go back to time and time again. What is the underlying thought that you are overthinking on? Number two, I want you to ask the question, what is the story that I'm telling myself about this thought? What is the underlying story there? Because there is.

there is an underlying story that maybe is I don't feel like I'm enough. I don't feel like I'm worth this boundary. I don't feel like I will be alone. People will not like me. And if I don't like me, then maybe I am being too much. There is a hidden story underneath that. And what I need you to write afterwards is, what do I know to be true? What do you actually know to be true?

This is where you take all those anxieties and they wash away by the very cold, hard truths of what you actually know. Not what you assume, not what you fear, not what you're worried about, not that past story that you've had on your record player playing for your whole life, but actually what do you know to be true? And when you write that out and you see that and you put it not into just words, but into sentences and the things that say, this is who I am. am, and this is what I know about me, the more firm you're going to be and the less you will overthink. Hi, Jefferson. I am recently unemployed and even more recently relapsed on alcohol after 14 years in recovery. I was in a car accident the same night I relapsed and was arrested and now have pending

DWI charges. I live in a very small town, and I'm fairly soon this will become public knowledge. I'm trying to find a job while anticipating losing my license. My question is, there will be people who have questions like, why did you relapse, how did you relapse? And I don't know how to tell people that it's not a conversation I want to have and that it's my own business, and I prefer not to discuss it. I'm an empath, and so I often say too much, wear my heart on my sleeve, and I'm deeply impacted by insensitivities. So I need to be able to draw clear boundaries around this, and I love your work, I love what you do, and I trust that you probably have excellent advice. I hope that I've shared enough context.

I did have 14 years sober without a drink, and losing my job and having trouble setting up unemployment, was all just too much and I didn't have the correct supports in place and therefore the relapse and the accident and the arrest. So I am just trying to figure out how I'm going to field questions that will come at me

from the people who have very little tact. Thank you so much. First off, I am so proud of you for calling because there are a lot of people who I imagine have gone through what you've gone through and have turned to even more hurtful and harmful

options. You're very brave. And I know you're probably at a place right now where you are really mad at yourself and you're at a loss and there's, and there's shame, and there's hurt. And it's going to be really easy, Lynn, for you to only look at this moment and allow that to cover

the last 14 years of sobriety that you've had. Don't let this moment define what your story's been and what your story will be. So I want to tell you first that there are other people who are watching. and for those that are listening, if you feel right, I want you to just tell Lynn how proud you are of her, because she's doing something that is, most people would not have the strength to do,

and that is taking control back of her life. So that's not something small. that's not something small that's you being a human Lynn the second question that you asked which is

let's say more on the practical communication side how do you handle it when somebody's asking you questions you go hey this is this is my business Lynn I don't want you to shy away from or feel like as soon as somebody asks

about why or how don't lead with an excuse. Even when excuses are sometimes true, they tend not to come out that well. So what I want you to do instead is to simply say, all I know is it happened and I'm learning to grow from it. I want you to focus far more on recovery than looking back and asking why.

I would prefer, and I think those around you would also, so prefer of this sense of one owning. I know you don't want to, I'm not saying that when somebody ask why that they're entitled to hear it. I'm not saying that. I want to give that, I want to address that here in a second. First, I want you to understand there's a, there's a sense of ownership that you have to take first. And it sounds like those are the steps that you're already on. How do I own? Yes. Yep. I, that happened. Yes, I relapsed. Yes. And I'm working to improve. prove it. I'm working to learn. I'm working on myself. I'm going back to the steps.

Whatever it is, it's a matter of ownership. And if you've been through any type of recovery program or AA, you know that's certainly part of it to say no doubt that unemployment, of course, would be an extremely triggering event that could lead to that increase of unmanageability, to where you felt powerless in that moment and turn to what your brain told you was addiction. And I can only imagine that you feel really defeated. And what I want you to do is hear from us that are also listening to you

to say that you're on the right path. And Lynn, when somebody's asking you that question, why, understand, you don't have to answer that. You can answer the question you want to ask. For example, if someone would say, why did this happen? I want you to say, you know what, I'm not asking why anymore. I'm asking where? Where am I going?

Where is this taking me? Where can I go to learn from what's happening? Of where you're going next to better places, to more improvement in positive things that are happening in your life. And you kind of get to, you can redefine that question. So you know what? I'm not really asking why. I'm asking where. Where is my life taking me right now?

And maybe it's, I'm learning to have grace for myself. Maybe it's, I'm learning to take care of myself even more. And I think there's, I think it's okay to even simply say, I don't know where yet, but I know it's somewhere that's going to make my life better.

If you want to handle it when somebody's asking you a question, and you say, I don't want to, this is not for others, it's okay for you to say, that's not a question I'm answering. Don't be in a position of going, well, I mean, I don't really, you know, I don't really share that kind of thing. I want you to take very assertive statements of, I don't talk about that. That's not something I share.

That's not something I divulge. That's personal information. This is work on myself. And which is the truth. Those people aren't entitled to private information about you. And really, and really, Lynn, the people who care about you the most are the ones who are going to be most invested in wanting to see the best for you.

The ones that are going, what happened? What do you mean? They want to look at all the closet of things. those aren't people who are looking for your best interests. Those are people that are looking for either gossip or ways to feel better about themselves. I want you to instead be around the people who are going to encourage you,

to uplift you, and just sit with you even when there's nothing to say. So for me to you, you just keep doing it. This episode is brought to you by Element. I am part of a family that is on the go at all times. And so what does that mean? You need to say hydrated. You need to make sure that what you're putting in your body is good stuff

because there's a lot of bad stuff with a lot of sugar and everything else. When it comes to electrolytes, element for our family is where it's at. My kids love it. They have it in not only just whole packets that you can rip and put it into a water bottle. That's what I like to do because I don't really like carbonation. My family, my kids love carbonation. and they love like the salzer type waters. They call it salty drink, is what they call it.

Why? Because Element is salty, but it's stuff that doesn't have any sugar, no fillers, no additives, anything like that. Just good, straight, clean hydration. My favorite flavor is they have this Arnold Palmer kind of flavor where they have tea and lemonade all in one. It hits the spot for me every single time. Element was made for people on a mission, not just athletes, but also parents and people in business,

and people who are working all the time. And they're offering my listeners a free single. sample pack with any order, which is pretty awesome. So head on over to drinklmn.t.com slash Jefferson to try it risk free. And if you don't love it, they will refund you. No questions asked. LMNT element, smart hydration for people going places. And now let's keep going. I am in this situation where it's with my spouse. We seem to continue to repeat the same argument over and over and over. and yeah, I'm seeing the pattern, and I point out that this is happening again. And it seems like we just can't and not seem to stop and get in a different direction.

And I don't know how to redirect the conversation to go to a better, a different result. So could just use some advice on how to stop having the same conversation, slash argument every time. All right. Thanks so much. Love your book. I'm going to get a workbook to. What you're doing is awesome, man. So, thanks so much. All right. Bye. If you haven't heard the end of it, then you haven't heard the heart of it. You will continue to have the same conversation time and time again on this miracle round because if you haven't heard the end of it, you haven't heard the heart of it. There's always something deeper every single time. I mean, it sounds like you've already caught that pattern.

Hey, I'm noticing a lot that this is coming up a lot. So let's put it when I'm talking now for the rest of my response to you. And I think it's an excellent question and the fact that you're asking this is a sign that you're wanting to improve your marriage, which is awesome. What needs to happen? How do you get out of this pattern? One, there needs to be a get out of the pattern conversation. Meaning with your husband, there needs to be a separate conversation, not in which. you are in the moment arguing about it. No, you need to now be talking about the process of how y'all

have been arguing about this. So instead of the content, I need you to go higher, right, and start looking as if you are talking about the process. How does this happen? Not a, you're wrong, you're right, you're wrong, you're right. None of that. It's how, what is the process, which we are taking and receiving information? And really, it's what are the filters we are applying? because what I'm hearing is when you're having this kind of pattern, there is a filter that's being applied, a lens that's being applied that is keeping you two from missing each other every time. And I know that feels hopeless. I know that feels maddening at times when you feel like each of you are just, you're missing it

every time. So I need you to have a separate conversation. In this conversation, there needs to be an agreement that neither one of us are going to be mad at each other. Both of us are in this because we want to figure this out and improve our communication and improve our relationship. And three, we will be patient and we will do our best not to get defensive. And if we are getting defensive, we will take a time out and come back to this when we are ready. Cool. So you have to set that framework for that conversation.

Second of all, I need you to have these statements of maybe it's as simple as when you, I feel. When you say this, I feel as though you are really trying to. to say X, Y, and Z, right? And then he gets to try. Okay. So when you say that, I feel like X, Y, and Z and start talking about what are the words and things that are really triggering or the words that are kind of these, I might say, Powell statements. These are the statements that make you really get heated and defensive. Say that. What is, what am I missing? Asking questions. Like, Okay, what am I missing when you say that? So when this happens, what is your brain telling you?

What's the process of what's the story behind that? So what's a very practical way of doing this? I want you to, whenever he says something or you say something. And I think what's best is, let's say, for example, he goes first or you go first. Let's say you go first. He would be asking the question of you'd say something and go, because that makes you feel and you go because that makes me feel X, Y, and Z. And then he'd ask you, because that makes you feel, well, because that makes me feel X, Y, and Z. And what you'll find, as you know, it's not about the

milk, okay? It could be about that thing that reminds you of that thing when you were 11, and that makes your nervous system feel the exact same way. Or it's always, you know, because that makes me feel that it reminds me of my stepdad who did this or reminds me of my mom who did this and I'm now feeling it now or it makes me feel less or it makes me feel afraid. It's sifting through and you'll have to be able to talk about this in a way that is not taking anything personally to the actual content of the conversation but instead I need you to focus on the mechanics and the way to do that is the because I feel because that makes me feel because that makes me think you're talking about the lenses, you're talking about the filters, you're talking about the, how do we get to this point

in time? So get really curious with each other of what is it that I'm missing and what is it about this particular conversation that takes us from here to down there. And the more open you are to that conversation and the more questions you ask without getting defensive, meaning you're going, nobody's going to say, yeah, but none of that. It's, okay, that makes sense. I hear you. Keep talking. Keep telling me more. That's the way. to get out of, off the merry-go-round and out of that pattern. Hey there, Jefferson. It's Peggy Pepper.

Peggy Pepper like salt and pepper. I have spent my entire life working out doing triathlons to stay in really, really great shape. And now, at 75, I'm happy to say I'm super healthy and really do look younger than my years. The only problem I have on a regular basis is a backhanded compliment that I get from people, which I take as a compliment, but it's still really annoying when people say, wow, you look really good for your age. It sort of takes the compliment away. My question is, when people give you backhanded compliments, what's a really nice way? to answer them back other than just a thank you. How do you train people to compliment directly and say what they mean?

I'm at and I am absolutely a fan of yours. That's Peggy Pepper signing off, hoping that I handle people who are trying to be nice to me but aren't, handle them a lot better. Thanks so much. Bye. That's great. Miss Peggy Pepper. Oh my goodness.

Well, first off, Miss Pepper, like salt and pepper. That's amazing. All right? I can say that is not something that you find that often. Somebody goes, you know what? I haven't taken a very, a lot of good care of my body and my exercise and it matters a whole lot to me. You go, how did I deal this back in a compliment? Now, the example you gave me, though, Ms. Peggy Pepper, is somebody saying, you look really good for your age.

And the part that you don't like, right, is the for your age. That's where you go, huh, I don't know about that. There's some ways I want you to think about that. One is, if you were to just say thank you, and consider and decide for yourself that they meant it, in a positive way. What would it look like if that was generally, take a very generous interpretation of it. So one is this,

I need you to have very generous interpretations and rather than take it personally, give them the benefit of the doubt that they're trying to say you look good. And though the four year age bothers you, and that's fair, I also want you to know that there's the possibility, Ms. Pepper, that they didn't mean it as a backhanded compliment.

So it's very possible that we don't get to decide that for them. So how do we do that? How do we know if somebody's really asking a backhand of compliment? Because sometimes we can just be taking it personally. Number two, when you feel like somebody is giving you a backhanded compliment, I think what I would prefer you to do is ask a question. and just say, do you mean I just look good? In other words, you are cutting out the for-year-age part,

and you can do it playfully. That's the key. Instead of you getting all serious or getting huffy or upset and getting more peppery on them, I want you to even playfully say, you mean I look good? I look good? Instead of the for-year age.

or take that offensively in some way. So using, when I typically go, how do you handle a back in a compliment? It's the, did you mean? So maybe somebody's saying ugly. Maybe there are in some way. You feel like they're making a back end of compliment. You say, did you mean for that to sound like a back end of compliment?

Did you mean to make a negative comment about my age? Did you mean to make that about my age? You know, that checks them. Usually brings out a lot of that if somebody is truly meaning it. But it sounds to me, Like, deep down, they're just wanting to say, man, you look really good. And I think that's something to be really, really happy and certainly proud of. And if you ever have the question, I would, or if you ever have a question of whether or not it's a back ain't a compliment.

I would encourage you just to friendly ask, you mean I look good? Or you mean I just look good? And I think you'll get the answer you're looking for every time. Hello, Chesverson. My name is Maras. I want to know how to respond to someone who is complaining non-stop, for example, at breakfast table or at dinner table with other people. How to respond.

When somebody is complaining outside of just the normal bounds of complaining, because sometimes complaining is absolutely justified and necessary and also part of communication, particularly you said in the mornings, because sometimes I don't want to be awake, so I'd rather complain. I want to go back in bed. How do you deal with somebody who is complaining or complaining a lot? Number one is let them get it out. If they don't get it all out, they will bottle it up and start assuming responses for you. And those responses will not be positive. Those responses will be negative. And what it will do, is only give them more things for them to think ain't what complain about. So how do we do this in a way that is you're just not sitting there for 20 minutes while somebody's simply complaining? I want you to be able to insert questions into it. That's going to number two kind of navigate where we can place this information. So when somebody's complaining, what can we ask or say? I want you to prompt questions

that are going to get them more to solutions, to conclusions, to resolutions, to resolutions of things to say, if somebody's complaining, you might say, okay, well, what do you think you should do about it? Well, what's your next step? Well, what's the takeaway? How do you, what solution do you have so far?

I want you to encourage, with your words, action steps, for a lot of people feels like they're in action, when they're not. They're just sitting still and wishing they were moving in a certain direction, and they just need a little bit of a verbal nudge to get them thinking into that area of,

okay, well, what do you plan to do about it? What would you like to do about it? Because we all know what it's like when somebody complains and complains, and you go, okay, so what are we going to do about it? Because it's not going to help complain. But I want you to understand that sometimes complaining is it's releasing that anxiety for that person. It's not helpful if you just immediately go to.

Let's just talk action steps. Don't even, don't tell me about your worries and fears because then those worries and fears are still going to be there and they're going to feel like you don't really care about that. You just want the conversation to be over. So to avoid that, let's let them get it out for a little bit. I want you to hear some of that stuff, maybe affirm it, maybe mirror it to get them to talk about it a little bit more than nudge them to a path that is going to land, a lot more specifically. Those are phrases like, what solution do you have so far? What do you feel

is the next step? Do you find that there is a decision that is going to need to be made? So using their information and try to nudge them in a path that's going to ultimately lead to not only decision, but also action taking. You can do that by saying, so what's the first step? That's going to help get their mind from switching to hopeless to what is happening next. That's a much better path forward. Before we get going, I want to take a moment to tell you about Zoc Doc. Can I be honest with you for a moment? One of the worst things about adulting is making doctors appointments. It's the worst. You try to find a doctor, a health care provider who you want to feel really safe and secure with. You're making a good decision for either you or your family. And then what you call.

And then sometimes they have an answering service. And maybe you get them. Maybe they don't answer. And sometimes you've got to call multiple times just to get an appointment. Well, Zoc Doc takes all of that pain away. Online, easy to search, easy to filter through. You can find doctors in your area, no matter what kind of field. So I'm talking dermatologist to dentist to, you name it.

They're able to find them, be able to see their reviews, make sure that they are in coverage for you, which is huge. And also, you can schedule appointments right there and it's pretty fast. anywhere from 24 to 72 hours, that's, I mean, what else could you want? You and your health matters and taking care of yourself should not be complicated. Zock-D-D-Sach-D-S-E-Sach-T-E-Sach-E-O-C. And get started on your first appointment. That's right, the appointment you've been putting off forever today. And now, let's keep going. How do you know when it's worth having the conversation? My mother and I fell apart about 10 years ago and she's been awful to me since then. I don't want her to die and feel regret in my heart.

I don't think we can get anywhere. Thank you. That's a big question. I thank you for sharing that with me. How do you know if the conversation's worth it? Depends on the conversation. There are some that as a general rule, I like to think that if I'm thinking about something I want to say or should have said the next day,

even if I've gone to sleep and wake up and I still feel like this is something that I'm holding onto that I can't let it go. That's a sign that something else needs to happen. You know you should have said it, but it didn't happen. And usually what I have found to be absolutely true, that the longer you hold on to it, the longer you go, ah, it's going to feel better today if I don't tell them. It's going to be better today if I don't bring it up.

And it's just the heavier that weight is going to be for you to carry. So that's a general rule of usually if you're still holding on to that thought over the next one to two days, it's something that you're going to need to bring up because at that part, it's not, at that point in time, it's not just in your head, it's in your heart. And that's a whole lot heavier for you to carry and struggle with. What I also hear you saying, and I want to bring up the point of unilateral, repair. Meaning, if there's somebody, like you said, who's in some type of estrangement situation, and you know that it's the conversation worth it. And you don't want her to leave this world

and you feel like you left something unsaid. Well, I need you to be really honest with what's the cost to you of is the cost of saying it worth more than the cost? of not in your life. And if that's true, then you need to be at a place where you go, mom, maybe, and I can give you a framework for this conversation. But the goal here is you're saying, mom, I need to say this for me. And I don't know, we're not guaranteed tomorrow. And I am not going to be okay.

is not going to be settled in my heart or my spirit. If I do not share this with you, even if you have no response to this, I need to say this for me. That's a unilateral repair where it does not take two people. It is you saying, I need to get this off of my heart to you. And that is not something to take lightly. If I was going to give you some type of model

of how to talk about this in a way with your mom or maybe some kind of frame, I'd begin with number one, I know. Mom, I know that we haven't, there's been a lot of distance between us. I know that we haven't spoken in years. I know this is, our relationship is not where we wish it would have gone.

Number two, I need you to begin with, I'm not. In other words, I'm not trying to push anything on you. I'm not trying to bring up and hurt old wounds, right? Because that's their fear. You're touching on their fear right there. three is you know i'm i'm ready to listen when you are because typically when somebody says i'm ready to talk

nobody wants to hear that they'd much rather hear i'm ready to listen to you um but between that that i'm not and i'm ready i think you can put in that that insert the i need to share this i'm not here to bring up old wounds, I'm here to say something that I know is on my heart and I need to share this with you because I need to say it and I will not be okay. It's not going to be okay in my spirit if I don't share this with you. And should you have something to say, I'm going to be here to listen. That's how you know if a conversation is worth the cost. And the truth is there are most likely a lot of people out there who know they need to say something. And to someone who could be dying sooner than later,

and they are afraid to say something or not say something because that person will no longer be here. My thoughts are you need to say it because most likely you will be living a whole lot longer, wishing and wondering what that conversation could have led to, at least giving peace, reconciliation, love, a chance in that moment, rather than not taking the opportunity

and living with the regret of not even using words, just words to try in that moment. So how could you approach that conversation? I want you to begin with, I need. I need to have an important conversation with you. I need to have something that's really been on my heart for a long time, and I need to say this. Two, I don't. I don't need you to agree with me.

I'm not asking you to respond in any way. I am not asking you to even receive this. I need to say something, this is three, I need to say something that if I'm not, if I'm I don't say, I will regret it forever. And hear me, it can't be something that it's like, it can't be something negative. It has to be something that's true from the heart. It can't be, I have been, I need to say you're a terrible human. It can't be that. It needs to be that moment that you know is that unspokenness between you and the other person and speaking directly from the heart. And I think you'll be surprised at what even giving hope a chance will do for that relationship.

My name is Sarah and I'm from London. Jefferson, I have trouble being heard by men, I feel. They don't take me seriously. This is a recent phenomenon that occurred and it's, yeah, it stems from me getting in a habit of overexplaining myself, which I'm probably doing now. how do I curb this? I'm trying to break into a football sector, which is the male-dominated industry. I've actually broken into it, and I've been very lucky I've spoken to people

that are quite high level in the sector. One gave me an endorsement with, you know, saying that I've got a great idea. However, I keep hitting walls. And I think some of the walls are actually within me, this feeling that somehow business isn't what it once was, and now everyone wants you to take it. slides and what do you do when you're not taking slides? So how do you overcome people, how do you

overcome men not taking you seriously specifically, either go flipping from like a pendulum from either thinking you're cute or actually then thinking just dismissing everything you say like I'm speaking and they're not actually registering what I'm saying? How do you make your ideas presentable in a manner that men, specifically men, in a male-dominated industry, things better, and how I can maybe get out of this mindset due to a traumatic event that occurred within my work that somehow, you know, it felt like men wanted to cut me down and to put me in my place, as it were, and thank God they didn't manage to do that, but it has left me shaken quite literally. So how do I get overcome all of those internal things from your perspective?

Like what would you advise? And how can a woman specifically articulate herself in a manner that isn't a man perceiving you as arrogant or cute and then dismissing everything you say? Thank you, Justin. I hope that makes sense. Please forgive me. It is quite late here in London that I just had to leave that message. Okay, take care of and keep up with great work.

Bye. That is a question and really an underlying message that I don't think is going to go away easily, certainly anytime soon. How do you deal as a woman? How do you deal with somebody in a male-dominated industry? One, I am very aware of what I am, and that is a male, and that means I can't speak from experience. I'm not going to pretend to even think that I could possibly know what it's like to be in that position. What I can tell you is I'm absolutely going to affirm that what you're feeling is real. There is a discrepancy.

There is a way of which certainly men can look down on you simply because of gender. I want to say first, big compliments to you of sounds like you're breaking, use the word walls and that you're breaking through them and you're breaking through ceilings to be in a heavily male-dominated industry, especially with football, which that would make all the sense of the world to me. So how do you, how do you be taking more seriously if as a woman you are needing to speak to men? Sarah, here's what I would say. If I could give it in a, if I could package this and a, how quickly can I deliver that to you? Is one, I want you. I want you to understand that what you're doing is something different than most people. In other words,

you are choosing to be in a more male-dominated industry, and I want you to, rather than feeling like there is, how am I ever going to climb up this hill? I want you to turn that into a way of how can you shift your mindset into being how much more you get to prove, how much more you get to be either excited, or what an opportunity there is. to be somebody who can pave the path, to be able to trailblaze something that would allow more women to join and follow your footsteps. So I want you to understand,

there are other women, more than you know, that are watching you and saying, if she can do it, then I can do it, and that's how change is made. Number two, I want you to do, if somebody is not taking you seriously, I want you to start using the word seriously or serious,

more often. I want you to find a way to use it, either in text or in the way you have in conversations, or even in the ways you ask questions. For example, don't be afraid to say, what would it look like for you to take me seriously right now? Or I have a serious question. Or I'd like to talk to you about something serious. There might be that tendency to want to, you know what it's like, to try and over people please, and to be really bubbly, or really overly warm and overly nice. that can put you over into a particular area of going, this is not somebody who takes a lot of things seriously. So I want you to use that word, why?

Because it's going to signal, give the signal and sign to everybody else that this is somebody who takes themselves seriously. Number three, what I want you to consider is every time you go into a meeting or have a conversation, I want you to even say to them, right? I'm somebody who takes a lot of things I'm somebody who takes this seriously.

This is a serious conversation to me. You see, I'm incorporating that word. What I'm telling you now is put that in the beginning of sentences, of when you meet somebody, that you take this job seriously and find a way to use that to your advantage because then we're trying to create and build your identity around somebody who goes,

you know what, she's somebody who takes this job very seriously. So even if you go, I don't feel like that really resonates with me, you can, like I'm not somebody who's a serious person, but I'm somebody who takes this job very seriously, and I'm not going to take this job or this position for granted because this is, I have earned this spot. You've earned that spot, and that's something to absolutely be serious about. Hey, Jefferson. My name is Austin. I have a 17-year-old who is looking for all the wisdom he can find. With that being said, here's my question. I don't want to be a pushover.

I don't want to be a man who lacks confidence. How can I improve this in my communication? Whether I'm talking to a manager or a friend or a narcissist that I come across, I want to be a good man and not a pushover. Thank you. Awesome. Man, I'm proud of you. What a great question.

At 17, I wish I was asking that question of people when I was 17. So how do you be a good man? Oh man. When you talk, what I heard you say was to the managers, to friends, to coworkers, to other people. I'm still working on how to be a good man, Austin. So I'll let you know if I ever become one. All right. Here's what I know to be true.

is you can't just be interested in the somebody's. I want you to treat everybody like there is somebody. So that means I want you to be interested in everybody's name, from the janitor to the runner, to the assistant, to the waiter, to the waitress, be far more interested in knowing, and showing them respect than treating those people as something different than those who wear suits. So don't just be interested in the somebodies.

Treat everybody at all levels with respect. And I can assure you that level of respect is going to go a whole lot farther than you know. Number two, I want you to model the apology. When you mess up, own it. Don't give an excuse. Don't deflect. Don't blame. A good man is somebody who owns fully their mistakes in the face.

Not running. I'm trying to hide from them. It's somebody who is true. And when they mess up, because you will, as somebody goes, yep, I messed up. That to me is, wisdom and three what i would encourage you is find ways to push back voicing insecurity and letting that be a a voice in your head because it's going to be very tempting especially early on of trying to say things

to prove yourself. In other words, how many friends you have, what kind of car you drive, what kind of clothes you wear, the people who name drop or feel like they need to talk about the accolades or how cool they are. Those aren't the people that are confident, Austin. Those are the people who are insecure. It is knowing that you have a big stick and you don't use it because you know that you're confident with yourself and confident of knowing who you are and you're not trying to be anything else and staying true to that and knowing what your values are. Write them out. It sounds like probably you already have. When you stay true to that and stay aligned with it, I think you're at least on the path like me, like many of us all, to be a good man.

And Austin, when it comes to not being a pushover, I want you to know that as somebody who's 17 and still finding his way, I want you to, one, have a lot of grace for yourself. I mean, in other words, go easy on yourself. Be kind to yourself. It's going to be really hard, and it doesn't stop where you feel like you have to take everything really seriously and really hard all the time.

Some of it is you just need to find ways to not be so hard, on yourself, right? Second, of not being a pushover is find, right now you're at a place in life where you have the opportunity to find your convictions, find what your values are, find what you feel convicted about in ways that you can say, this is what I firmly believe and I firmly hold, and this is what I know to be true. These are the things in life that you say, there is no gray to this, it's either black or white, and I have decided that this is who I want to be and this is who I show up. And when you are able to know those convictions and take them to heart, it gets much easier later on life to stand by what you know to be true, because this is your conviction that you have

a seed that you have planted on good soil. And you throughout your life in your early 20s and beyond, you have watered it, you have pruned it, you have cultivated it, to where it is something that is going to have so much growth and so many deep roots that it can't be cut down to where it doesn't matter what somebody says. It doesn't matter the disagreement. Your roots are deep enough to where you said, this is my belief at the cost of anything else to distract away from it. And this is what I know.

And this is why I can disagree and stay firm in what I believe. Great question, Austin. Can't wait to see. where your wisdom takes you in life.