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  • Someone needs what you know. Will you risk saying it? with Wiebke Tasch

    Someone needs what you know. Will you risk saying it? with Wiebke Tasch
    2026/09/08
    Most people don't struggle because they have nothing to say.They struggle because they're not yet convinced anyone needs to hear it.We wait until we feel more experienced, more qualified, more confident, or more certain. But what if confidence doesn't have to come before contribution? What if confidence grows because we choose to contribute?In this episode of Deals with Heels, Debra Bowers sits down with Wiebke Tasch, founder and CEO of Digital Authors, to explore what happens when we finally begin trusting our own voice—and allow other people to benefit from what we've learned.Wiebke shares how writing her first book began not with confidence or a publishing strategy, but with a personal need to put her experiences into words. That book eventually became a bestseller and helped launch the publishing career she has today.Debra and Wiebke also explore why capable people—particularly women—can struggle to claim their expertise, how years of expectations and people-pleasing can teach us to water ourselves down, and why sharing what we know can change us as much as the people who receive it.Because sometimes the experience you dismiss as “just my life” contains exactly the insight someone else needs.And sometimes confidence doesn't arrive before we speak.It develops because we finally do. Key Topics- Why capable people struggle to stand behind what they know- Trusting your own voice before you feel completely confident- Why our lived experience can feel ordinary to us- The fear of being judged, misunderstood, or disliked- How people-pleasing can cause us to water down our ideas- Women, authority, and permission to claim expertise- Separating other people's reactions from our responsibility- Why sharing our ideas changes us- Writing as a way to process and understand experience- How articulating your ideas reveals connections between them- Why confidence can follow contribution instead of preceding it- Recognizing the value of your own story- Turning lived experience into something that helps others- Why one meaningful impact can matter more than thousands of passive views- Writing a book as a transformative process for the author- Using your story to create frameworks that help other people- Listening when an idea continues calling you forward- Why market research should happen before writing and positioning a book- Matching expertise with existing market demandResourcesConnect with Wiebke TaschWiebke shares resources for prospective authors through her website, including a free course based on the Hero's Journey and a market-analysis resource for people considering a book.She is also active on LinkedIn and invites listeners to connect with her there. Websitehttps://www.digital-authors.comLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/wiebke-tasch-%F0%9F%93%9A-43731b164/?locale=enConnect with Debra BowersLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-bowers/The Human Sales Playbookhttps://thegrowthvanguard.com/free-ebookThe Growth Vanguardhttps://thegrowthvanguard.com/5 Signs Your Growth Is Breakinghttps://5signs.thegrowthvanguard.com/Hexagon Mediahttps://hexagonmedia.net/Stay Connected with Deals with HeelsDeals with Heels explores the human side of leadership, growth, sales, decision-making, and the moments that shape who we become as leaders.If this conversation made you think of someone who has something valuable to say but hasn't quite trusted themselves enough to say it yet, share this episode with them.🎧 Follow Deals with Heels on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.💬 Join the conversation by connecting with Debra on LinkedIn and sharing what resonated with you.⭐ Leave a rating or review to help more people discover Deals with Heels and the conversations that can help them grow.Until next time, stand strong in your power—especially when it gets uncomfortable.
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    48 分
  • When Everyone Resists Your Idea: Leadership, Trust, and the Courage to Listen with Tina Larsson

    When Everyone Resists Your Idea: Leadership, Trust, and the Courage to Listen with Tina Larsson
    2026/09/01
    DescriptionEvery leader eventually reaches a moment when they can see what needs to change.The harder part is helping everyone else see it too.Organizations, teams, and communities rarely resist change simply because the idea is bad. Change asks people to give up something familiar, accept uncertainty, learn something new, invest time and energy—and trust that they can handle whatever happens next.In this episode of Deals with Heels, Debra Bowers sits down with Tina Larsson, co-founder of The Folson Group, to explore leadership, governance, resistance to change, and what HOA and co-op boards can teach us about leading people through difficult decisions.Drawing from Tina's experience advising condominium and co-op boards—and her own experience helping transform her building's board—Debra and Tina discuss why volunteer boards can become reactive, how competing priorities derail long-term planning, why the loudest complainer may still have something important to say, and why outside perspective can sometimes break through problems insiders have been raising for years.They also explore an uncomfortable leadership question:What if people aren't resisting your idea because they're afraid of change? What if they're resisting because your idea isn't actually the best one?Because leading change requires more than conviction.It requires trust, listening, discernment, communication, and enough confidence to reconsider your own thinking when the evidence tells you to.Key Topics- Why people resist necessary change- Fear of change versus fear of our capacity to handle change- Why familiarity can feel easier than intentional change- How HOA and co-op boards make complex decisions- The challenges of volunteer leadership- Why organizations become trapped in reactive problem-solving- Proactive versus reactive leadership- Building trust before asking people to follow- Listening as a leadership skill- How leaders build demand for change- Why credibility and consistency matter- The value of outside perspective- When complainers stop being heard- How emotional history creates listening blind spots- Using data to build support for change- How to tell whether resistance is fear—or your idea is wrong- Separating personal investment from good decision-making- Prioritizing infrastructure over appearances- Creating long-term plans that survive leadership turnover- Starting with the end in mindResourcesConnect with Tina LarssonThe Folson Grouphttps://thefolsongroup.com/Living the High LifeTina Larsson's book about helping co-op and condominium boards move from reactive management toward proactive governance.The first chapter and additional free resources are available through The Folson Group website. Connect with Debra BowersLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-bowers/5 Signs Your Growth Is Breakinghttps://5signs.thegrowthvanguard.com/The Human Sales Playbookhttps://thegrowthvanguard.com/free-ebookThe Growth Vanguardhttps://thegrowthvanguard.com/Hexagon Mediahttps://hexagonmedia.net/Stay Connected with Deals with HeelsIf this conversation resonated with you, share it with a leader, founder, board member, or colleague who needs to hear it.Deals with Heels is where we explore the human side of leadership, growth, sales, decision-making, and the moments that shape who we become as leaders.Follow the show so you never miss an episode, and if you're enjoying these conversations, please leave a review. Your reviews help more listeners discover the show and support our ability to bring thoughtful, meaningful conversations to a wider audience.🎙 Follow Deals with Heels on your favorite podcast platform⭐ Leave a review and help us grow📢 Share this episode with someone who could benefit from the conversationUntil next time, stand strong in your power—especially when it gets uncomfortable.
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    37 分
  • When Betrayal Changes How You Trust Yourself with Dr. Debi Silber

    When Betrayal Changes How You Trust Yourself with Dr. Debi Silber
    2026/08/25
    DescriptionWhen someone betrays our trust, we expect it to change how we see them.What we may not expect is how deeply it can change the way we see ourselves.If I trusted someone and I was wrong, can I trust my own judgment? My intuition? My decisions? And what happens when those questions quietly follow us into our leadership, relationships, work, and willingness to connect with other people?In this episode of Deals with Heels, Debra Bowers sits down with Dr. Debi Silber, founder of the Post-Betrayal Transformation Institute and researcher behind one of the largest studies on betrayal, to explore why betrayal is different from other forms of trauma and what can happen when it remains unresolved.Debi explains how betrayal can shatter not only a relationship, but our internal system for deciding who and what is safe. Together, Debra and Debi explore functional freeze, repeated patterns, vulnerability, emotional avoidance, self-trust, and why highly capable people can appear successful while still carrying unresolved experiences beneath the surface.They also challenge a quality leaders are often praised for: resilience.Because sometimes working harder, staying strong, exercising more, pushing through, and continuing to perform aren't signs that we've healed.Sometimes they're very effective ways of avoiding what still needs our attention.And perhaps moving forward isn't about becoming who we were before.Perhaps the opportunity is to rebuild something different.Key Topics- Betrayal as the breaking of spoken or unspoken trust- Why betrayal can affect self-trust and discernment- Post-Betrayal Syndrome- Why unresolved betrayal can repeat through different relationships- Functional freeze and the appearance of functioning well- How betrayal affects leadership and decision-making- Why high performers can hide emotional avoidance inside achievement- The difference between resilience and transformation- When hard work becomes a form of numbing or distraction- Why “fine” can become a place where people get stuck- Familiarity versus safety- Rebuilding identity after betrayal- Trust accumulation and Compound Confidence- How past betrayal can influence present relationships and buying behavior- The Five Stages of Betrayal Recovery- Moving beyond recovery toward transformationResourcesConnect with Dr. Debi SilberThe Post Betrayal Transformation Institutehttps://thepbtinstitute.com/Trust AgainDr. Debi Silber's book for those navigating betrayal and rebuilding trust.UnstuckDr. Debi Silber's resource for coaches, counselors, therapists, and practitioners seeking to better understand the Five Stages of Betrayal Recovery.Books are available through Amazon and linked through the PBT Institute website. Connect with Debra BowersLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-bowers/The Human Sales Playbookhttps://thegrowthvanguard.com/free-ebook5 Signs Your Growth Is Breakinghttps://5signs.thegrowthvanguard.com/The Growth Vanguardhttps://thegrowthvanguard.com/Hexagon Mediahttps://hexagonmedia.net/Stay Connected with Deals with HeelsIf this conversation resonated with you, share it with a leader, founder, or colleague who needs to hear it.Deals with Heels is where we explore the human side of leadership, growth, sales, decision-making, and the moments that shape who we become as leaders.Follow the show so you never miss an episode, and if you're enjoying these conversations, please leave a review. Your reviews help more listeners discover the show and support our ability to bring thoughtful, meaningful conversations to a wider audience.🎙 Follow Deals with Heels on your favorite podcast platform⭐ Leave a review and help us grow📢 Share this episode with someone who could benefit from the conversationUntil next time, stand strong in your power—especially when it gets uncomfortable.
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    43 分
  • When Survival Becomes a Superpower: Turning Adversity Into Leadership Strength with Allie Grack

    When Survival Becomes a Superpower: Turning Adversity Into Leadership Strength with Allie Grack
    2026/08/18

    Description

    Some of the skills that make people exceptional leaders aren't learned in classrooms, boardrooms, or leadership programs.

    They're learned much earlier.

    Through adversity. Adaptation. Reading the room. Solving problems quickly. Navigating uncertainty. Learning how to keep going when no one is coming to rescue you.

    But the same survival strategies that once protected us can eventually become the patterns that hold us back.

    In this episode of Deals with Heels, Debra Bowers sits down with entrepreneur and Workhorse Marketing founder Allie Grack for a candid conversation about childhood adversity, resilience, creativity, self-trust, leadership, and learning to work with the mind and experiences you've been given rather than constantly fighting against them.

    Allie shares how adoption, foster care, becoming a teen mother, and growing up without consistent stability shaped her fierce independence and belief that there is always another step forward. She also explores what she's had to learn as a leader: understanding her own weaknesses, developing emotional intelligence, creating a workplace where people can thrive, and recognizing that success doesn't have to mean sacrificing everything else.

    Together, Debra and Allie explore a deeper question: How do we know when we're responding to today's reality with wisdom—and when we're still reacting from the survival patterns that got us here?

    Because growth isn't about erasing where we've been. It's about understanding what our experiences taught us, deciding what still serves us, and learning to trust ourselves enough to write what comes next.


    Key Topics

    - Childhood adversity and leadership

    - How survival strategies become leadership strengths

    - Hyper-independence and self-trust

    - Processing experience instead of avoiding it

    - Compound Confidence and accumulated evidence

    - Creativity and the “messy mind”

    - Pattern recognition as a leadership strength

    - Knowing what you know—and what you don't

    - Emotional intelligence and communication

    - Creating psychologically safer workplaces

    - Modeling the culture you say you value

    - Redefining success beyond money

    - Separating your identity from other people's judgments

    - Choosing what your story means

    Resources

    Connect with Allie Grack

    Workhorse Marketing
    https://teamworkhorse.com/

    LinkedIn — Allie Grack

    Workhorse Marketing is a women-founded, women-run marketing agency working with “good people doing good things.”

    Connect with Debra Bowers

    LinkedIn
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-bowers/

    The Human Sales Playbook
    https://thegrowthvanguard.com/free-ebook

    5 Signs Your Growth Is Breaking
    https://5signs.thegrowthvanguard.com/

    The Growth Vanguard
    https://thegrowthvanguard.com/

    Hexagon Media
    https://hexagonmedia.net/

    Stay Connected with Deals with Heels

    If this conversation resonated with you, share it with a leader, founder, or colleague who needs to hear it.

    Deals with Heels is where we explore the human side of leadership, growth, sales, decision-making, and the moments that shape who we become as leaders.

    Follow the show so you never miss an episode, and if you're enjoying these conversations, please leave a review. Your reviews help more listeners discover the show and support our ability to bring thoughtful, meaningful conversations to a wider audience.

    🎙 Follow Deals with Heels on your favorite podcast platform
    ⭐ Leave a review and help us grow
    📢 Share this episode with someone who could benefit from the conversation

    Until next time, stand strong in your power—especially when it gets uncomfortable.
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    40 分
  • Compound Confidence: Why Trust in Yourself Is Built One Experience at a Time with Debra Bowers

    Compound Confidence: Why Trust in Yourself Is Built One Experience at a Time with Debra Bowers
    2026/08/11

    Description

    We're often told to "be more confident" as though confidence is something we can simply decide to have.

    But what if confidence isn't something we create?

    What if it's something we accumulate?

    Every success, failure, difficult conversation, disappointment, risk, recovery, and uncertain moment becomes evidence. Over time, that evidence shapes what we believe about our competence, our capacity, and our ability to handle whatever comes next.

    In this solo episode of Deals with Heels, Debra Bowers introduces the concept of Compound Confidence and explores why confidence isn't certainty or optimism. It's the trust that develops when you've accumulated enough evidence to believe you can navigate uncertainty, recover from setbacks, learn, adapt, and keep moving forward.

    Debra also shares the deeply personal story of her mother, Juanita, who survived nearly five years after being diagnosed with Stage 3B lung cancer despite initially being given less than a 10% chance of surviving one year. Her experience became a powerful example of how confidence can compound—not only within ourselves, but through the evidence other people accumulate about us.


    Key Topics

    - Because the experiences we have matter.

    - But so does the story we decide those experiences mean.

    - What Compound Confidence means

    - Why confidence isn't the same as certainty

    - How we accumulate evidence about ourselves

    - Why recovery can build more confidence than success

    - The relationship between competence, capacity, confidence, and trust

    - How uncertainty helps us learn to trust ourselves

    - Why two people can experience the same setback and carry forward completely different evidence

    - How emotional reactions affect the stories we tell ourselves

    - Building confidence as we move into higher levels of leadership

    - How leaders contribute to the confidence of other people

    - Why other people are constantly accumulating evidence about us

    - The relationship between confidence and Compound Credibility

    - How one person's confidence can become evidence for an entire community

    Resources

    Connect with Debra Bowers

    LinkedIn
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-bowers/

    The Human Sales Playbook
    https://thegrowthvanguard.com/free-ebook

    5 Signs Your Growth Is Breaking
    https://5signs.thegrowthvanguard.com/

    The Growth Vanguard
    https://thegrowthvanguard.com/

    Hexagon Media
    https://hexagonmedia.net/


    Stay Connected with Deals with Heels

    If this conversation resonated with you, share it with a leader, founder, or colleague who needs to hear it.

    Deals with Heels is where we explore the human side of leadership, growth, sales, decision-making, and the moments that shape who we become as leaders.

    Follow the show so you never miss an episode, and if you're enjoying these conversations, please leave a review. Your reviews help more listeners discover the show and support our ability to bring thoughtful, meaningful conversations to a wider audience.

    🎙 Follow Deals with Heels on your favorite podcast platform

    ⭐ Leave a review and help us grow

    📢 Share this episode with someone who could benefit from the conversation

    Until next time, stand strong in your power—especially when it gets uncomfortable.
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    26 分
  • The Biology of Capacity: Leadership, Pressure, and the Limits We Ignore with Hannah Curman

    The Biology of Capacity: Leadership, Pressure, and the Limits We Ignore with Hannah Curman
    2026/08/04

    Description

    Leadership isn't just about competence.

    It's about capacity.

    In a world filled with uncertainty, many leaders assume they need better strategies, more discipline, or stronger leadership skills. But what if the real limitation isn't competence at all? What if it's biology?

    In this episode of Deals with Heels, Debra Bowers sits down with executive coach and neuroscience-based leadership expert Hanna Curman to explore how our nervous systems influence leadership, decision-making, resilience, communication, and our ability to navigate uncertainty.

    Drawing from both neuroscience and deeply personal experiences, Debra and Hanna discuss grief, burnout, emotional regulation, work-life integration, corporate pressure, leadership expectations, and why sustainable growth requires building the capacity to hold it.

    Whether you're leading a company, rebuilding after a difficult season, or simply trying to grow without sacrificing your health, this conversation offers a new perspective on what leadership really demands.


    Key Topics

    - The biology of leadership

    - Capacity versus competence

    - How uncertainty affects the nervous system

    - Burnout and sustainable performance

    - Emotional regulation under pressure

    - Leadership and life balance

    - The curse of being capable

    - Why capable leaders often struggle to ask for help

    - Building the capacity to hold growth

    - Creating healthier leadership habits

    Resources

    Connect with Hanna Curman

    Website

    https://hannacurman.se

    LinkedIn

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannacurman/

    BrainShift

    Executive coaching, neuroscience-based leadership development, and organizational transformation.

    Connect with Debra Bowers

    LinkedIn

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-bowers/

    Free Resource – 5 Signs Your Growth Is Breaking

    https://5signs.thegrowthvanguard.com/

    The Human Sales Playbook

    https://thegrowthvanguard.com/free-ebook

    The Growth Vanguard Website

    https://thegrowthvanguard.com/

    Hexagon Media Website

    https://hexagonmedia.net/


    Stay Connected with Deals with Heels

    If this conversation resonated with you, share it with a leader, founder, or colleague who needs to hear it.

    Deals with Heels is where we explore the human side of leadership, growth, sales, decision-making, and the moments that shape who we become as leaders.

    Follow the show so you never miss an episode, and if you're enjoying these conversations, please leave a review. Your reviews help more listeners discover the show and support our ability to bring thoughtful, meaningful conversations to a wider audience.

    🎙 Follow Deals with Heels on your favorite podcast platform

    ⭐ Leave a review and help us grow

    📢 Share this episode with someone who could benefit from the conversation

    Until next time, stand strong in your power—especially when it gets uncomfortable.
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    52 分
  • What Freedom Costs: A Conversation with Iranian Human Rights Leader Zolal Habibi

    What Freedom Costs: A Conversation with Iranian Human Rights Leader Zolal Habibi
    2026/07/28
    DescriptionAs the world continues watching events unfold in Iran, it's easy to lose sight of the people whose lives have been shaped by decades of oppression, sacrifice, and hope.In this episode of Deals with Heels, Debra Bowers sits down with Iranian human rights activist and National Council of Resistance of Iran Foreign Affairs Committee member Zolal Habibi for a deeply personal conversation about courage, leadership, and the price of freedom.After losing her father to the Iranian regime at just seven years old, Zolal made a life-changing decision to dedicate her future to the fight for democracy and human rights in Iran. More than two decades later, she continues that work as an international advocate for freedom and women's leadership.Rather than focusing on politics alone, this conversation explores the human side of leadership—what it means to live for a cause greater than yourself, to continue when the outcome isn't guaranteed, and to choose hope in the face of extraordinary adversity.Whether you follow world events closely or simply want to better understand the courage required to stand for what matters, this is a conversation you won't soon forget.Key Topics- Leadership when freedom is at stake- What freedom really costs- The human side of the Iranian resistance- Living for a cause greater than yourself- Women's leadership and courage- Purpose, sacrifice, and resilience- Hope as an act of resistance- Building democratic movements- Leadership without certainty- The responsibility that comes with freedomResourcesLearn More About Zolal Habibi and the Iranian ResistanceNational Council of Resistance of Iranhttps://www.ncr-iran.org/Maryam Rajavihttps://www.maryam-rajavi.com/Maryam Rajavi – Ten Point Planhttps://www.maryamrajavi4change.com/Organization of Iranian American Communitieshttps://oiac.org/Iran Freedomhttps://iranfreedom.org/Connect with Zolal Habibi on LinkedIn, and Instagram.LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/zolalhabibi/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ashrafi4ever/Connect with Debra BowersLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-bowers/The Growth Vanguardhttps://thegrowthvanguard.com/Free Resource: 5 Signs Your Growth Is Breakinghttps://5signs.thegrowthvanguard.com/Hexagon Mediahttps://hexagonmedia.net/Stay Connected with Deals with HeelsIf this conversation resonated with you, share it with someone who believes leadership is about more than titles—it's about courage, conviction, and choosing to move forward even when the outcome isn't guaranteed.Deals with Heels explores the human side of leadership, growth, resilience, and the decisions that shape who we become.Follow the show so you never miss an episode, and if you're enjoying these conversations, please leave a review. Your support helps more listeners discover thoughtful conversations that challenge us to lead with greater courage and humanity.🎙 Follow Deals with Heels on your favorite podcast platform⭐ Leave a review and help others discover the show📢 Share this episode with someone who believes freedom—and leadership—are worth fighting for.Until next time, stand strong in your power—especially when it gets uncomfortable.
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    48 分
  • Why Growth Feels Harder Than It Should with Debra Bowers

    Why Growth Feels Harder Than It Should with Debra Bowers
    2026/07/21

    Description

    Growth shouldn't feel this hard.

    Yet business owners everywhere are saying the same things:

    Sales are taking longer.
    Buyers are more hesitant.
    Teams are working harder than ever.
    Marketing costs more.
    Results feel smaller.

    After decades in sales, marketing, demand generation, consulting, and more than 125 conversations with leaders and founders on Deals with Heels, Debra Bowers noticed a pattern she couldn't ignore.

    Organizations don't experience growth one department at a time.

    They experience growth as a complete system.

    In this special Season 6 opening episode, Debra introduces two original frameworks—the Architecture of Demand and the Enterprise Growth Cycle—to explain why so many organizations continue solving the wrong problems and why sustainable growth requires looking beyond sales alone.

    If you've ever wondered why your organization is working harder while growth feels more difficult, this episode offers a completely different way to think about demand, leadership, customer experience, trust, and organizational alignment.

    Key Topics

    - Why growth feels harder than it should

    - The Architecture of Demand

    - The Enterprise Growth Cycle

    - Why organizations experience growth as systems but manage it in departments

    - The difference between demand building and lead generation

    - Why sales often carries the weight of organizational problems

    - How customer experience creates sustainable demand

    - Trust as the foundation of growth

    - Leadership, alignment, and organizational friction

    - Why growth breaks in the connections between systems


    Resources

    Connect with Debra Bowers

    LinkedIn

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-bowers/

    Free Resource – 5 Signs Your Growth Is Breaking

    https://5signs.thegrowthvanguard.com/

    The Human Sales Playbook

    https://thegrowthvanguard.com/free-ebook

    The Growth Vanguard Website

    https://thegrowthvanguard.com/

    Hexagon Media Website

    https://hexagonmedia.net/

    Stay Connected with Deals with Heels

    If this conversation resonated with you, share it with a leader, founder, or colleague who needs to hear it.

    Deals with Heels is where we explore the human side of leadership, growth, sales, decision-making, and the moments that shape who we become as leaders.

    Follow the show so you never miss an episode, and if you're enjoying these conversations, please leave a review. Your reviews help more listeners discover the show and support our ability to bring thoughtful, meaningful conversations to a wider audience.

    🎙 Follow Deals with Heels on your favorite podcast platform

    ⭐ Leave a review and help us grow

    📢 Share this episode with someone who could benefit from the conversation

    Until next time, stand strong in your power—especially when it gets uncomfortable.
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    29 分