23: I Wrote the Book Young Jen Needed

Why does conflict make your stomach twist, your hands sweat, and your words disappear? If you’ve ever frozen in the middle of a hard conversation or walked away replaying everything you should have said, this episode is for you.For years, I struggled with conflict. I bottled up my feelings until they came out sideways—loud, messy, and usually unproductive. Growing up, I didn’t learn how to navigate disagreements in a healthy way. My mom avoided confrontation, and I followed her lead. It wasn’t until later that I realized how much those patterns were holding me back, not just in relationships, but in how I showed up for myself.That’s why I wrote I Said No: How to Have a Backbone and Boundaries Without Being a Jerk. It’s the book young Jen needed. The one that says: you’re not broken, you just didn’t get the tools. In this episode, I share the backstory behind the book—how it came to be, what’s inside, and why learning to handle conflict with more clarity and care is one of the best gifts you can give yourself (and everyone around you).We talk about where our conflict styles come from, why some of us shut down or explode, and how to start building the muscle of healthy confrontation, without losing your humanity.I Said No is available for pre-order now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble in paperback and e-book. It drops August 1.Listen in, and if it hits home, share it with someone else who’s ready to stop dreading conflict and start handling it with confidence.