Stop Saying Yes: The Boundary Test Every Woman Needs | Paula Mathias

Send us Fan MailYour calendar can look “full” and still be empty of you.In this powerful conversation, Julie Fairhurst sits down with author and speaker Paula Mathias to unpack the quiet way women disappear inside lives that look fine from the outside. Together, they explore how women can come back to themselves through practical, repeatable choices — one pause, one boundary, one honest no at a time.Paula draws on her years as a technical recruiter in the tech industry, where she saw the same pattern again and again: women get hired, then struggle to stay when they do not feel heard, are interrupted, and carry extra emotional and invisible labor just to belong.Julie and Paula talk candidly about imposter syndrome, being the only woman in the room, workplace confidence, invisible labor, burnout, overgiving, and the lifelong conditioning that teaches girls to be quiet, helpful, agreeable, and easy to like — even when those habits quietly cost them their careers, their wellbeing, and their voice.Paula also shares her powerful Yes Test Method:Is it yours? Is it essential? Is it sustainable?From the “office mom” snack story to the pressure of being the default person at home, this episode gets real about how boundaries are actually built in everyday life. You’ll hear how to pause before the automatic yes, try a “no for now,” negotiate instead of overfunctioning, and remember that someone else’s emergency does not always have to become your priority.This conversation is for the woman who is tired, stuck, resentful, overbooked, overneeded, and quietly wondering where she went.It’s time to stop disappearing inside everyone else’s needs.Subscribe, share this with a woman who needs a stronger no, and leave a comment with the boundary you are practicing next.Paula Mathias, Author and Speakerhttps://paulamathias.com/Books: The YES Test: https://a.co/d/08mQsqJuSpeak Up: https://a.co/d/06iE4lWSIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website