We all know that person. The one who could win the lottery and complain about the taxes.

And yes, we’ve all been that person too. This week we’re talking about complaining. Why it spreads so fast, when venting is actually good for you, and when it turns into a swamp of sadness nobody wants to sit in. Arnold Schwarzenegger says no complaining unless you bring a solution. Jessica has lived by that rule for years. Jamie thinks it’s a total man thing to say. So yeah, we had some opinions.

• The 17 alarms, the road nobody mows, and the husband who gets up five minutes after you’ve done all the chores.
• One problem, three solutions. Jessica’s rule for her kids and her team.
• Why sometimes you just need someone to listen.
• Venting vs. complaining, and how to tell which one you’re doing.
• The friend who shoots down every single solution you give her.
• How to protect your energy around the professional complainers in your life.
• What you can control, what you can’t, and why we waste so much time on the second one.

Your challenge this week: the next time you catch yourself complaining, ask what you’re actually going to do about it. If the answer is nothing, let it go.

Send this to someone who needs to complain a little less.

Lead Like a Girl is empowering everyday women through our stories — the good, the bad, and the funny.

leadlikeagirllab.com
youtube.com/@LeadLikeaGirlLab
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Nancy Post rose to Vice President at a Fortune 100 company, and she’ll tell you she spent years talking herself out of wanting things so nobody could tell her no.

Then she got pregnant young, before anyone she knew had a baby, and realized if she waited until she felt ready, she never would have done it. That voice message kicks off this episode and sets up the question Jamie, Coralyn, and Jessica spend the hour on: how often are we counting ourselves out before anyone else gets the chance?

• Nancy Post on talking yourself out of wanting something so a no can’t hurt you.
• Why “I just need a little more experience first” might be the most expensive sentence in your career.
• The confidence gap and why so many women wait until they feel fully qualified to go for it.
• Coralyn’s take that some people read a job description like a wish list while women read it like a checklist.
• Jessica’s midnight routine of researching, taking a LinkedIn course, and still not hitting apply.
• The fear nobody talks about: skipping opportunities because you don’t want to be the one who has to say no.
• How having people in your corner growing up shapes how much risk you’ll take as an adult.
• Coralyn’s college softball story and the opportunity she still thinks about.
• Jessica’s brand new trademark, “It Ain’t Bragging If It’s True,” and why telling your wins is a skill.
• Four ways to stop counting yourself out, plus the kudos file habit that gives you proof on hard days.
• The bottom line: if you feel ready, you probably already missed it. Go at 60%.

About our guest: Nancy Post spent 28 years at John Deere, rising to Vice President of Embedded Software and Solutions, and now coaches Fortune 500 leaders. Her new book, REFRAME: From Automatic Reactions to Intentional Living, uses neuroscience and real stories to help you recognize and rebuild the patterns running your reactions. Find it at nancypostcoaching.com/book

Send this to the friend who keeps saying she’ll go for it once she’s ready.

Lead Like a Girl is empowering everyday women through our stories — the good, the bad, and the funny.

leadlikeagirllab.com
youtube.com/@LeadLikeaGirlLab
linkedin.com/company/leadlikeagirllab

https://www.nancypostcoaching.com/

Some friendships have lasted longer than our marriages, careers and favorite hairstyles. But does knowing someone for 20 years automatically mean they belong in the next chapter of your life?

This week on Lead Like a Girl, Jessica, Jamie and Coralyn are talking about friendships after 40, growing apart, friendship breakups and why your circle might look different as you get older.

Jamie shares a powerful story about forgiveness and reconnecting with a friend during her cancer journey. Coralyn talks about learning to have her own opinions instead of always going with the flow. And Jessica asks the question that gets the conversation rolling: Who still deserves a seat at your table?

We get into everything from lifelong friendships and shared values to finding new girlfriends as an adult. Because apparently, making friends after 40 is a lot like dating. Except nobody knows who's supposed to make the second move.

Three takeaways:

1. History doesn't guarantee a seat at your table. A friendship can be meaningful without remaining part of your closest circle forever.

2. Growing apart doesn't mean someone did something wrong. Sometimes priorities, interests and seasons of life simply change.

3. The right friends let you be fully yourself. They celebrate your wins, tell you the truth, show up when it matters and make you laugh until you can't breathe.

We also talk about whether your spouse can be your best friend, why friendships need honesty and vulnerability, and the surprising challenge of making new friends as grown women.

Maybe growing older isn't about having fewer friends. Maybe it's about being more intentional with the friendships you have.

Lead Like a Girl is empowering everyday women through our stories, the good, the bad and the funny.

Connect with us:
https://leadlikeagirllab.com

Have you ever outgrown a friendship without a falling-out? We'd love to hear your story. Find us on social media or leave a comment on YouTube.