Episode 288 How to Have a Backbone and Boundaries with Dr. Jen Fry

John talks with Dr. Jen Fry — TEDx speaker, tech founder, educator, author of "I Said NO: How to Have a Backbone and Boundaries Without Being a Jerk", former NCAA Division I volleyball coach with 15 years of experience at various competitive levels, Sports Geographer with a PhD focusing on the racial experiences of professional Black female volleyball players in Europe, and proud cat parent. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Intro [00:42] - Dr. Jen Fry's bio [02:16] - What is Sports Geography? [05:09] - How difficult transitions can be [07:21] - Dr. Jen's decision to leave coaching and try something new [12:23] - Men should never feel ashamed to cry or show emotions [14:43] - The reality of entrepreneurship [15:03] - No shortcut to get rich [18:26] - Young people often expect big pay without experience [20:06] - Importance of relationships for good leadership [22:19] - Challenges to becoming a speaker [25:00] - How John connects with the audience even after an event [27:14] - How speaking about handling conflicts became her main focus [31:34] - Dr. Jen's firm: JenFryTalks [32:18] - I Said NO book [36:54] - How Dr. Jen's book's title and subtitle evolved [39:22] - Entrepreneurial journey [41:41] - The impact of Dr. Jen's relationships on her business [44:27] - How to find your purpose [47:52] - Dr. Jen's definition of success [50:30] - Traits of a great leader [51:49] - #1 daily habit [53:47] - Closing thoughts NOTABLE QUOTES: "Men deserve to cry for missing someone. And if someone doesn't think that's manly, then they need to figure out what's wrong in their lives, that they don't think missing someone who was a central part of your life should be done." "If you think crying for missing someone is not manly, then go find somewhere to hold on to your tears — and end up blowing up like a crazy person, punching walls." "When it comes to being an entrepreneur, I tell people it's a wonderful life. It can be an amazing thing, but you need to understand upfront that you're going to exchange 40 hours a week for 80 to 100 and make almost nothing for a long time. You'll get there. It just takes a while." "There is no shortcut to not only making money, but making repeatable, consistent money." "If we can manage conflict better, we'll be better humans, because conflict is a mental health imperative. Conflict eats away at our brains because of what family and society have taught us about how to navigate it." "Conflict shows us the depth of our relationships." "When you catch yourself spiraling into worry, pause, because if you look back, life has never abandoned you. Even in the hardest moments, you found a way through. Faith is a reminder that you don't need every answer to keep moving forward. You just need to trust that you'll be carried, as you've always been." USEFUL RESOURCES: https://jenfrytalks.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenfry13/ https://www.instagram.com/jenfrytalks https://www.facebook.com/jenfrytalks https://x.com/jenfrytalks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvVIRx1ejz0&t=1s I Said NO: How to Have a Backbone and Boundaries Without Being a Jerk (https://a.co/d/gbKj8EO) CONNECT WITH JOHN Website - https://iamjohnhulen.com    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnhulen    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen    X - https://x.com/johnhulen    YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLX_NchE8lisC4NL2GciIWA    EPISODE CREDITS Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/