Fear rarely shows up looking like fear. It shows up sounding reasonable. "I just need more time." "I need more clarity first." "Now's not the right season." If you've been saying the same line for months, this episode is for you.

In Episode 2 of That Sounds Risky, Sara Emmerson breaks down how to tell a real reason from a fear wearing a disguise, and what changes once you can see it. She walks through the RISK test, a simple way to check whether the thing you keep saying is information or fear: Repeated (how long have you been saying it?), Isolate (what's the fear underneath?), Sacrifice (what's it costing you to wait?), Keep moving (one small action in the next 24 hours).

She also makes the case that staying stuck is its own kind of work, that readiness was never a feeling you wait for, and that confidence shows up after you move, not before.

In this episode:

1. How to tell a real reason from an excuse (the RISK test)
2. Why "I need more clarity" is often a courage problem, not a clarity problem
3. The hidden cost of staying exactly where you are
4. Why every version of your life requires work, so choose the work that's worth it
5. How to take the next brave step before you feel ready

"Readiness isn't a feeling. It's a decision."

Sara Emmerson is a certified life, business, and executive coach (ICF PCC) who helps capable people stop overthinking and make the brave move they've been putting off.

Learn more and work with Sara at saraemmersoncoaching.com. New episodes weekly, so follow along.

Readiness isn't a feeling. It's a decision. In the very first full episode of That Sounds Risky, life and executive coach Sara Emmerson shares why she almost didn't start this podcast, every excuse, every "what if I fail publicly", and what it really takes to begin something before you feel ready. Through honest and often funny stories (a childhood turtle named E.T., a painfully awkward high-school audition, an American Idol tryout at Soldier Field in front of 20,000 people, and a six-week leap that moved her across the country at 23), Sara unpacks why confidence comes after action, not before, and why the greatest risk is usually spending your life wondering "what if?" If you've been waiting to feel confident, prepared, or certain before you start the business, make the career change, or pursue the dream, consider this your permission to begin. Work with Sara at saraemmersoncoaching.com.

Risk is often the price of a meaningful life. Welcome to That Sounds Risky with Sara Emmerson, a life, business, and executive coach who helps capable people move from overthinking to action. This is the show about the decisions that stretch us, the fears that hold us back, and the courage it takes to build a life you're really proud of. Each week, Sara shares honest stories from her own journey, leaving a career, starting a business from scratch, taking risks that didn't make sense on paper but changed everything, plus practical coaching tools and mindset shifts to help you take the next right step. Whether you're considering a career change, building something new, healing from disappointment, or just feeling that nudge that there's more for you, you're in the right place. Start here, then dive into Episode 1. New episodes weekly. Learn more at saraemmersoncoaching.com.