They’ll call you bossy. Build it anyway.
Sep 22, 2026 · 25 min · 8 segments
What if the thing people keep telling you to soften is actually one of the reasons you’re so good at what you do? I kept thinking about that while reading Bobbi Brown’s *Still Bobbi*. Throughout her…
What if the thing people keep telling you to soften is actually one of the reasons you’re so good at what you do? I kept thinking about that while reading Bobbi Brown’s *Still Bobbi*. Throughout her career, there were plenty of people with bigger titles and more traditional credentials telling her what she should change. Sometimes she listened. But often, she trusted herself—and some of the things others wanted her to change were the very things that made what she built extraordinary. It made me think about how often capable women are told they’re too demanding, too particular, too intense or too difficult to please. And sometimes we are. But I think we’re so quick to correct those qualities that we forget to ask: What if she actually does know better? There’s a difference between arrogance and earned judgment. When you’ve spent years doing something, made thousands of decisions, developed an eye and lived with the consequences, your instincts contain information. Constantly overriding them because someone else has a better résumé isn’t always humility. I am particular. I notice language, positioning, how something looks and how it feels. I could absolutely make my life easier by caring less about some of those things. But I also know some of my best work exists because I care so much. The question I’m learning to ask is whether my standard is creating excellence or simply creating unnecessary friction. Sometimes I need to communicate better, loosen my grip or listen more carefully. And sometimes I need to trust that I know what I’m doing. Become a better leader. Listen to smart people. Own it when you’re wrong. But don’t spend years sanding down the very qualities that made you exceptional just because they make someone else uncomfortable. ***They will call you bossy. Build it anyway.*** This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jasnaburza.substack.com
What if the thing people keep telling you to soften is actually one of the reasons you’re so good at what you do? I kept thinking about that while reading Bobbi Brown’s *Still Bobbi*. Throughout her…
- Speakers
Jasna BurzaHost
