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Organizational psychologist Alison Fragale (author of Likable Badass) explains why hiring help is essential for your sanity, not a luxury. She breaks down how she outsources childcare, cleaning, and errands without the guilt, why she hires a "third parent" instead of a nanny, and how to give feedback to the people who help you.

In this episode:

• Why you should always go first in a negotiation (the $300 couch)
• Why going "in the red" on childcare can be an investment
• The market reframe: you're not exploiting anyone by hiring help
• How to hire a "third parent" and give feedback to people who work in your home
• Why 80% done by someone else is a win
• Why to keep a bench of five sitters, and overpay them
• Why earning your own income doesn't end the "why do we need this?" argument, and what it does change

Book of the week: Likable Badass by Alison Fragale [AMAZON LINK]

Connect with Alison: [LINKS]

Chapters

0:00 Welcome, Alison Fragale
3:02 What makes a likable badass
4:50 Always go first (the $300 couch)
9:16 It takes a village
12:17 It's not about money, it's a mindset
14:37 Why it's okay to go "in the red" on childcare
18:13 The guilt of outsourcing
21:35 You're not exploiting anyone: the market reframe
22:34 Care.com, TaskRabbit, and the contractor mindset
25:51 Hire a "third parent"
28:00 How to give feedback without the awkwardness
30:22 Ask what they love and hate doing
31:49 Skip the agency? Alison's hiring philosophy
35:14 "If you leave for another nanny job, I failed you"
36:11 Founder's mentality and the 80% rule
39:27 What else can you outsource?
43:14 Where does your husband fit in?
47:44 The day the movers changed his mind
50:36 Keep a bench of five sitters
53:03 Why you should overpay sitters
57:01 Book of the week: Likable Badass
1:01:50 Meme of the week

We’re two New York City women talking candidly about the chaos of modern life, from relationships, parenting, working in and out of the home, to what it takes to stay semi-sane in a world that expects you to hold it all together and be #blessed.

We couldn’t find an honest and vulnerable conversation — so we started one! If you need a laugh, a cry, or just want to hear someone else admit their flaws and validate your crazy, you’re in the right place. Be ready to be… Unfiltered, Unafraid, and UnExpert.

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© 2025 Eva Heyman & Caroline Leventhal