How I Judge Someone's Character Before Trusting Them | Jessica Soto Vera

How do you know if someone is genuinely trustworthy — before it costs you to find out?How do you spot manipulation before it's too late?How do you say no without guilt? How do you protect your energy without becoming closed off?Jessica Soto Vera has spent more than a decade finding answers to those questions. As the founder of Mujeres Líderes, one of Peru's most influential leadership networks, she has developed a sharp and specific eye for reading people, protecting her energy, and building spaces where the right culture takes care of itself.In this conversation, recorded live in Lima, she shares the lessons she's learned — from the tiny behaviors that reveal someone's true character, to the inner work that makes boundaries feel less like a battle.🎙️ In this episode: The specific behaviors Jessica watches for before trusting anyoneWhy how someone reacts to your "no" tells you everythingHow to spot manipulation before it costs you How envy quietly destroys relationships — and how to see it coming The difference between inner peace and happiness Why "no" is a complete word and doesn't need explanationHow to build a community that protects its own culture⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Trailer 01:06 Introduction 01:46 Hearing your own voice when life gets loud 03:26 Inner peace — what it is and where it comes from 07:00 How to help someone through a crisis 09:54 What was quietly missing — consciousness and the workaholic pattern 13:06 The scholarship that changed everything 17:14 The special moment that became a turning point 24:42 How to know if someone is taking advantage of you 25:10 How they react to your no 27:01 The restaurant test that reveals character 31:09 Language patterns that signal manipulation 32:18 How to protect your energy 36:20 Every day we have one day less 39:59 When someone pressures you — go to the bathroom 41:11 Guilt, childhood patterns and the inner judge 48:26 The mirror — seeing yourself through others 56:00 Envy and the scarcity mindset 01:22:06 How to build a culture that protects itself 01:26:34 What true happiness actually feels like 01:29:02 If you're a bird, your strength is in your wings Follow Jessica Soto’s work:Instagram: @mujereslideres.peLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mujereslideres/Web: https://www.mujeres-lideres.com/  📺 Watch more episodes: Catch The Upswing is a podcast for people building meaningful things in a rapidly changing world. Honest conversations with leaders, founders, investors, and changemakers about what it actually takes to keep going, lead well, and stay hopeful about the future.New episodes every week. Subscribe so you don't miss one.🔗 Follow & connect: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatchTheUpswingInstagram: https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswingTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@catchtheupswing