Ep. 121: Doing the Inner Work, with Jennifer Abrams

In this follow-up conversation with international consultant and author Jennifer Abrams, we go deeper than strategies and surface-level “tips” for conflict resolution. This episode is about the inner work—the courage, humility, and self-awareness required to engage in the hard conversations we’d often rather avoid.

Building on our earlier episode (Ep. 102, “Successfully Navigating Hard Conversations”), Jennifer pushes us to look inward before we look outward. Together, we explore:

• The role of identity—how culture, race, gender, and lived experience shape the way conflict shows up

• Honoring what’s in the room—the emotions, histories, and immediate needs we often rush past

• Developing a language of empathy that allows us to stay grounded while still being honest

• The discipline of making space for discomfort

• Why “being professional” means tending to our inner being, not suppressing it

This is one of those episodes that refuses to stay abstract. Jennifer challenges us—as educators, leaders, and humans—to recognize our own triggers, interrogate our assumptions, and build the internal muscles required for meaningful dialogue.

If you work with people (and yes, that’s all of us), this episode will stretch you in the best way

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We’d love to hear your thoughts or ideas for future episodes:

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