She told them it stayed at the table. Two weeks later, HR called.

For Heather Rippere, it was her dream job. One dinner and one shared secret later, a coworker was gone and her trust in the team was broken. She stayed nearly ten years, kept her head down, and never spoke about it.

Now a leadership coach and author, Heather joined The Raw Onion to close out our September series on betrayal. This time we take it where many of us spend most of our day: the workplace.

We get into:

• The dinner-table secret that cost a coworker his job and shaped how Heather showed up for almost ten years
• Why HR is not your friend (said with respect)
• How a work problem so often traces back to childhood
• The burnout both Heather and Stephanie went through because they could not say no

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why going quiet after betrayal is your brain adapting, not paranoia
• Why workplace betrayal sparks anger instead of heartbreak
• How taking responsibility differs from blaming yourself
• How coaching moves you from functional to optimal
• Why authenticity at work needs boundaries
• What Heather would tell her younger corporate self

🎙️ GUEST:

Heather Rippere, PCC. ICF PCC-certified leadership coach, Prosci® Certified Change Practitioner, and trauma-informed NLP practitioner with nearly 30 years of corporate experience. Her work blends somatics and change management. Author of From Imposter to Influencer: Stories and Steps to Unlock Self-Doubt and Lead Authentically.

⏱️ CHAPTERS:
[0:00] Welcome
[4:15] Meet Heather: a coach who lived it
[7:01] A dream job and a secret at dinner
[12:09] Trust is a prediction your brain makes
[21:09] Taking responsibility privately
[32:30] Why workplace betrayal hits differently
[39:01] How coaching moves you forward
[47:41] Authenticity needs boundaries
[48:41] Stephanie and Heather on burnout
[1:06:38] Choosing how you trust again
[1:09:10] Where to find Heather

🛠️ RESOURCES:

• Appraisal theory, Richard Lazarus
• Dickerson and Kemeny's research on social-evaluative threat

🔗 CONNECT WITH HEATHER RIPPERE:
Website: heatherrippere.com
Book (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/Imposter-Influencer-Stories-Unlock-Authentically/dp/B0FSS3TWVW/
Book (Lulu): https://www.lulu.com/shop/heather-k-rippere/from-imposter-to-influencer/paperback/product-p6g8mqj.html?

🔗 CONNECT WITH US:
The Raw Onion: https://www.therawonionpodcast.com

🔗 CONNECT WITH STEPHANIE:
Let's Talk: https://scheduler.zoom.us/stephanie-ohannesian/30-mins-discovery-zoom

🔗 CONNECT WITH YOSHIE:
Let's Connect: https://lotusflowerjourneys.com/contact