The Story You Are Telling Yourself

What if the biggest barrier to influence isn't other people...it's the story you've already created in your own head? We've all been there. You send the email. You pitch the idea. You hear...nothing. Silence becomes rejection. Questions become resistance. And before you've had a conversation, you've already decided how it's going to end. In this first episode of Simple, Not Easy, Michelle and Cyndee explore curiosity from the individual perspective—not as a personality trait, but as one of the most powerful leadership skills you can develop. Together they discuss: Why we create stories before we have facts. How assumptions quietly sabotage influence. The difference between asking questions for information versus asking questions for understanding. Why leaders must suspend their own point of view before expecting others to embrace it. How slowing down for curiosity actually helps you move faster. Curiosity is the courage to pause, challenge your own assumptions, and create space for better outcomes. CTA: Walk into one meeting and replace certainty with curiosity. In a world obsessed with AI, we're doubling down on human intelligence. Work is experiential, and every day you choose your role: observer, participant, or impactor. Simple. Not easy.