Conflict costs profit. Done right, an apology can recover deals, retain clients, and de-escalate teams. In this episode of Nicole’s Business Notebook, Nicole sits down with **Jon Bui, J.D. — founder of The Negotiated Apology Project** — to unpack a practical, repeatable approach to conflict resolution that blends negotiation principles with emotionally intelligent communication.

What you’ll learn

• The “negotiated apology” concept: why apologies fail (and how to make them land)

• Language patterns that lower defenses in heated conversations

• A stepwise approach to acknowledge harm, accept responsibility, and propose repair

• When to bring in a neutral mediator vs. handle it in-house

• Crisis communication in business: customers, teams, partners, PR

• Frameworks and phrases you can use this week to restore trust and momentum

Who this is for

Founders, executives, sales leaders, HR/People Ops, CS and PR teams who handle client escalations, co-founder friction, vendor disputes, or public missteps.

Chapters

Cold open & why conflict is expensive

What is a “negotiated apology”?

The anatomy of an apology that actually works

De-escalation scripts for customers & teams

Crisis comms: from mistake → repair plan → follow-through

When to use a mediator (and what “good” mediation looks like)

About Jon Bui, J.D.

Jon is known as **“The Apology Expert,”** and leads **The Negotiated Apology Project**, which provides workshops, seminars, executive coaching, mediation, and crisis-communication training focused on resolving interpersonal and workplace conflict.

Connect with Jon

• Website: https://thenegotiatedapology.com

• Link hub / socials: https://linktr.ee/thenegotiatedapology

Hashtags

#ConflictResolution #CrisisComms #Leadership #Mediation #Apology #BusinessCommunication #CustomerSuccess #Culture #NicoleBanks