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What if safety and fulfillment were not opposites, but partners you could design on purpose? We walk through a practical, human path from control to contribution—using a true story about shifting from programming to journalism as a lens for smarter career bets and better leadership. Rather than glorifying big leaps, we unpack how small, low‑stakes experiments reveal fit, build confidence, and protect what matters.
We get specific about the leader’s role in growth: reflecting hidden talents with clarity, lowering fear of fallout, and granting permission to try without overpromising outcomes. You will hear how to reframe “not my job” into “a small offer I can make,” and why defining success as learning beats chasing perfect results. We also tackle outcomism—the trap of judging decisions only by results—and share a simple structure for experiments: a narrow scope, a learning question, and a visible measure of progress. Along the way, we examine risk and responsibility at different life stages, how to set buffers and rollback plans, and when to trade slices of the dream for the whole pie.
If you lead people, this conversation gives you tools to turn ambition into action without burning down stability: micro experiments, honest risk mapping, and strength‑based feedback that lands. If you are navigating your own crossroads, you will learn how to write down your risk threshold, communicate it, and nudge it outward. The payoff is a shift from certainty and ego protection to impact and collective benefit—the kind that lifts teams and careers.
If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s weighing a big decision, and leave a quick review so others can find it. Tell us: what micro experiment will you run this week?

Connect with Beki on LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/BekiFraser
Learn more about her coaching: TheIntrovertedSkeptic.com

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Get her book, C.O.A.C.H. Y.O.U.: The Introverted Skeptic’s Guide to Leadership - Amazon
Short Story Long is produced by Crowned Culture Media LLC