Being Vulnerable Gets You Truth
Inspired by Jen Abel episode
Jen Abel on early-stage sales: admit you're learning, you'll get honest feedback. Works with toddlers who smell fake confidence.
When you tell customers "Our product is PERFECT"—they nod politely. "Oh, wow, amazing." They're lying. They don't want to hurt your feelings.
But the SECOND you go: "This is a mess. We built it at 2 AM on Red Bull"—suddenly they're brutally honest. "The interface makes me want to throw my laptop." Truth.
Same with kids. You act like you've got it figured out—your kid watches you pretend and stays quiet. They won't tell you anything real.
Then you break. You're yelling about homework and realize you're being insane. You stop and say: "I'm winging this. I don't know what I'm doing."
And BAM—suddenly they're POURING OUT. "I hate when you yell." "School is terrifying." "I'm scared you're disappointed."
All because you admitted: I'm scared too. I'm not the answer—I'm just here, messy, trying, WITH you.
Vulnerability isn't weakness. It's the only thing that opens the door to truth. That's when people tell you what's real.
