Reaching out to a quiet or withdrawn friend seems simple but for many of us, it feels surprisingly hard.

In this episode, we explore why caring deeply doesn’t always translate into action, and how a maladaptive internal process can quietly keep us from making meaningful connection. In this episode, we unpack the fears, assumptions, and protective strategies that stop us from reaching out and offer practical, low-pressure ways to show up for the people we care about.

This episode is for anyone who has thought, “I should check on them,” and then talked themselves out of it.

• Why reaching out to quiet friends triggers hesitation, overthinking, and avoidance
• How hidden commitments (like not wanting to intrude or say the wrong thing) block connection
• The common assumptions that keep us silent—and how to test them
• Why “no response needed” messages can be powerful
• Four simple, low-pressure strategies for reaching out
• Why consistency matters more than perfect words

We would love to connect with you.

• Facebook: Communication Skills for Working Women
• Visit our website: communicateconnectthrive.com
• Email: communicationskillsforwomen@gmail.com

An unscripted conversation about what happens when “tell me more” doesn’t lead to understanding but instead reveals pain, anger, and the limits of curiosity as well as how that insight can actually calm you.

Ever try to get curious, ask questions, or say statements like “tell me more” and you are met with resistance or even anger? This can then increase your anxiety around conversations.

In this episode we unpack a text message in real time - share our thoughts and insights - and leave you with some key take aways around tone, awareness and efforts in communication.

Join us for this real conversation!

Join our Facebook Group

Interested in Coaching? Reach out here.

Discussed Resources:

Blind Spot

Episode 027: 3 Tips on getting curious to transform your anxious conversations to calm

Quick Explanation of the ‘Wise Mind’ (AI)

Wise Mind is a core concept in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) representing the integration of your Emotional Mind (driven by feelings) and your Reasonable Mind (driven by logic and facts) to achieve balanced, intuitive, and effective decisions and actions, acting as a middle path or inner wisdom. It combines emotional awareness with rational thinking, allowing you to respond to situations with both clarity and compassion, leading to healthier choices and a life worth living.

https://communicateconnectthrive.com/

Difficult conversations about discrimination, inequity, and exclusion often escalate not because of bad intentions, but because they activate deep internal protection systems.

In this episode, we help listeners understand:

• Why defensiveness, silence, or over-explaining show up
• How hidden commitments protect identity at the expense of connection
• How to stay regulated and engaged during high-stakes conversations
• How to build real capacity for equity-centered dialogue over time

In this episode:

• Why “good intentions” aren’t enough in conversations
• The four elements of the Immunity to Change framework
• How hidden commitments drive conflict behaviors
• Practical, interventions that reduce escalation
• Tools for facilitators and leaders navigating group conflict

If you’re navigating difficult conversations around equity and belonging, you’re not failing you’re developing.

Connection grows when we slow down enough to examine what’s happening inside.

Neurodiversity isn’t a trend or a deficit, it’s a fact of human variation.

In this episode, we examine how neurotypical assumptions shape workplaces, families, and relationships and why good intentions alone aren’t enough to create access.

Rather than focusing on how neurodivergent people should adapt, this episode explores what neurotypical people can shift internally and systemically to support real inclusion.

• Why “treating everyone the same” isn’t neutral
• How neurotypical assumptions become invisible rules
• Why accommodations trigger resistance
• How hidden commitments preserve barriers
• How to distinguish fairness from sameness
• How to support difference without lowering standards

When was the last time you avoided asking for something you needed at work and what fear was really driving that avoidance?

Do you find yourself waiting for someone to notice your value instead of advocating for yourself and what might that silence be costing you?

What would change if you believed that asking for fair compensation was professional and appropriate, not greedy or entitled?

Today we're sharing how to confidently ask for a raise (or any other need at work) so you can overcome hidden fears and advocate for yourself effectively.

What you'll learn:

• Why "just ask" advice doesn't work (and what actually does)
• The hidden commitments keeping you from speaking up
• How to respond to "yes," "no," or "maybe later"
• Why asking for what you need is professional, not selfish

• Raquel the Capacity Coach
• Communicate Connect Thrive

Contact: communicationskillsforwomen@gmail.com

In this episode of the Communication Skills for Working Women Podcast, we explore why clear communication isn’t just a skill issue—it’s often driven by hidden fears and internal protection systems. We guide you through a practical, compassionate process to understand what’s really getting in the way of speaking clearly and confidently at work.

You’ll learn how well-intentioned habits like self-editing, rehearsing, and monitoring how you’re perceived are often strategies designed to protect belonging, approval, and safety. Rather than forcing yourself to “be bolder,” this episode shows you how to practice clarity in a way that feels grounded, authentic, and sustainable.

• Facebook Group: Develop Confidence in Relationships Through Effective Communication Skills
• Website: communicateconnectthrive.com
• Email: communicationskillsforwomen@gmail.com

If this episode supported you, please leave a review and share it with another working woman who wants to communicate clearly and confidently in the new year.

Until next time— Speak clearly, and listen bravely.

As the year comes to a close, this episode of the Communication Skills for Working Women Podcast invites you into a thoughtful year-end reflection focused on communication, emotional well-being, connection, and personal growth.

In this episode, we walk through a powerful and practical reflection exercise centered on what to leave behind and what to take forward into the new year. This process can be used in your personal life, workplace, leadership teams, families, and relationships to create clarity, closure, and renewed confidence.

We discuss how habits like taking offense, hiding, shame, anxiety, and disconnection can quietly undermine communication at work and at home—and how intentionally releasing them can open the door to calm, curiosity, creativity, and stronger relationships.

You’ll hear personal stories and real-life examples that demonstrate how curiosity instead of offense, and reflection instead of reactivity, can transform communication and help working women thrive emotionally, relationally, and professionally.

This episode also marks the closing of a chapter for the podcast and gently introduces the transition into a new season and direction ahead.

The end of the year is an opportunity to honor both the good and the difficult experiences—and to decide what you will carry forward. By letting go of anxiety and offense and choosing curiosity, reflection, and connection, you create space to communicate clearly, connect deeply, and thrive in the year ahead.

• Facebook Group: Develop Confidence in Relationships Through Effective Communication Skills
• Website: communicateconnectthrive.com
• Email: communicationskillsforwomen@gmail.com

If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review and share it with another working woman who wants to strengthen her communication skills and relationships.

We kick off the episode with a powerful reminder: curiosity is the antidote to anxious communication.

We talk about the truth that most misunderstandings don’t come from lack of love—but from lack of clarity. When you stop filling in the blanks with anxious assumptions and instead get curious, communication becomes gentler, easier, and more productive.

We also share 3 tips that can change everything.

Let Curiosity Lead! Until next time Think Clearly and Listen Bravely!

We would love to connect with you.

• Facebook: Develop confidence in relationships through effective communication skills
• Visit our website: communicateconnectthrive.com
• Email: communicationskillsforwomen@gmail.com