Too often, we say "yes" to friends, bosses, and even strangers when what we really want to say is "absolutely not." Why do we do this? Vanessa Patrick, a marketing professor at the University of Houston, has spent years researching this question. The answer she's come up with could change your life.
Yesterday
The Workforce Is Getting Restless
Why are so many workers—blue-collar, white-collar, contract, freelance, and college-educated alike—feeling like the old bargain has broken down? Today, Paul Osterman, author of Disposable Workers: The Transformation of Employment, explains how companies increasingly rely on worke ... Show More
23m 9s
Aug 21
What We Find When We Lose Our Way
What does it mean to find your way—through a city, a life, or a world that refuses to make perfect sense? In The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise, Pico Iyer travels from Iran to North Korea to Japan in search of peace in the middle of uncertainty. In Dark and Magical Plac ... Show More
28m 28s
Jun 2023
95. The Power of No: How Boundaries Help Us Live More Empowered Lives
<p>Saying no can seem risky. We worry about offending others, damaging relationships, or hurting our own reputation. But as <a href="https://www.fastersmarter.io/guests/vanessa-patrick/">Vanessa Patrick</a> says, no is an empowering word that gives us greater agency in our lives. ... Show More
25m 30s
May 2025
The Problem with Being Too Nice: How to Reclaim Your Voice and Say NO
Saying "yes" when you mean "no" is a slow poison. Buy The Book Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes In this episode, Dr. Sunita Sah, a physician turned organizational psychologist, reveals the hidden costs of excessive compliance and how it silently destroys your s ... Show More
43m 50s
Jul 2025
Dr. Sunita Sah: How to Say No at Work
How many times have we been juggling a thousand projects, and responsibilities just keep coming? And we say yes to everything! Today's guest, Dr. Sunita Sah, has spent her career studying the power of "no." Dr. Sah is a Professor at Cornell University's Graduate School of Managem ... Show More
36 m
Feb 2025
How to say ‘no’: The power of defiance, with Sunita Sah, PhD
How often do you “go along to get along,” or say yes when you really want to say no? Organizational psychologist Sunita Sah, PhD, author of “Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes,” talks about why it can be so hard to speak up and and how can you strengthen your resol ... Show More
38m 12s
Sep 2025
How to say NO without guilt at work I The Psychology of Approval-Seeking
You say yes to another task. Even though your plate is already full. You stay late, again. You avoid pushing back, just in case it makes you seem less committed.In this episode, Martin Wolf and Dr. Verena Seibert-Giller unpack the psychology behind our struggle to say “no” at wor ... Show More
15m 42s