211. Shamelessly manipulating the people I love

There’s a strategy I’ve been using in my marriage, my parenting, my friendships, and even with myself that gets me more of what I want without requiring anyone else to lose. And somewhere between two days of nonstop conversation in a tiny village outside Barcelona, I realized… technically, it might be manipulation. So let’s talk about it. TOPICS WE EXPLORE The wildly underrated art of letting yourself be taken care of What hyper-independence cost me in my marriage Why being needed might matter more than we realize The rise of purposelessness in men The friendship piece we don’t talk about enough as ambitious women The two things I bring into almost every hard conversation Why disarming someone changes what becomes possible next The parenting strategy that gets my kids to actually talk to me How I “manipulate” the people I love THE POINT Maybe getting more of what you want from the people you love isn’t about asking harder, explaining better, or controlling the outcome. Maybe it’s about understanding people well enough to create the conditions where you both get more of what you need. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Work with Ash P.S I’m back on socials so you can follow along on IG Are you loving it? Send Ash a text! MORE ABOUT ASH I'm Ash McDonald — the Entrepreneur's Therapist. Trained therapist, seasoned entrepreneur, mom of 3, && the person you call when your business coach doesn't get your brain && your therapist doesn't get your business. I built the thing I couldn't find anywhere else: whole-picture support that holds your strategy && your humanity in the same conversation at the same time.  LINKS: Work with me 1:1 → Deep Cuts Fast-track your results → The Green Room Solve one thing right now → Studio Sessions Burnout-proof your life && business → Mixtape Get your free podcast playlists → The Soundcheck Weekly emails that tell you what your business coach won't && your therapist can't → Subscribe to The Beat Website: ashmcdonaldmentoring.com