Introducing… my husband! I always knew I would bring him on at some point (he has offered many times), so an email inquiry about how my husband and I communicate provided the catalyst. In our very first podcast together, Dave and I will walk you through a situation in which we were both emotionally triggered, and how we handled it. You’ll hear my perspective and his: what we were each thinking, feeling and saying. We’ll also share how our open communication style is different (and so much better) than it used to be. Speaking your truth is something I talk about a lot as being critical to personal growth and building your value, so we’ll be sharing what that looks like in practice. The backdrop will be a recent wedding we attended where we arrived an hour late to a group dinner. I was triggered, he was triggered… it was a big ol’ trigger fest.

As you’ll see, transparent communication isn’t about coming to a resolution. The goal isn’t to make the other person understand your position or agree with you. Forget winners and losers; it’s about opening up and sharing your feelings honestly, without blame. It’s about taking responsibility for the impact your words and actions have on someone else—even if it wasn’t your intention. When you approach it with an openness to listening and sharing, communication brings you closer together. It enables you to drop the scorecard and the heaviness of holding your feelings inside. Learning how to speak and listen this way is critical to a healthy relationship and EVERYONE can do it.