🎙 Episode 25: Should You Take “No” for an Answer?
A real talk about persistence, boundaries, rejection, and knowing when to push — and when to let go.

🔸 Samar opens the episode by naming the tension behind this question: is “no” something you peacefully accept and move on from, or is it something you challenge and push through? She admits that not taking “no” for an answer often sounds like being rude, nagging, or overly pushy — especially outside the classic sales context.

🔸 Wafa then shares a raw, slightly embarrassing and very powerful story from six years ago, when she was finishing her master’s and desperately looking for her first HR job with no experience. After applying to a big financial firm, she received a rejection email within hours. Convinced they hadn’t even truly reviewed her application, she refused to accept that “no.”

🔸 Instead of giving up, she searched online for executive emails, wrote a bold message, attached screenshots, and CC’d multiple leaders to say, essentially: “This is not acceptable. At least give me a fair chance.” Within an hour, she started receiving calls and messages. The result? She got multiple interviews with that company — even though she ultimately didn’t get the job. The lesson: her refusal to accept a fast, automated “no” actually opened a door that would have stayed shut.

🔸 Looking back, Wafa recognizes that her approach wasn’t very professional at the time. But it came from a deep conviction that each opportunity mattered. She also acknowledges that depending on the hiring manager, her persistence could be seen as courage and seriousness — or as attitude. Even so, the story shows that sometimes “no” is not final; it’s just the beginning of the conversation.

🔸 Samar, on the other hand, is wired very differently. When she hears “no,” her instinct is almost the opposite: “Okay, no problem — there is abundance, I’ll find something else.” For her, taking “no” for an answer feels natural and even healthy. But as they unpack it, she also realizes it depends on the context:

• If a person clearly says “I’m not interested” (like in a relationship), that “no” must be respected, not negotiated.

• In other areas, especially work and ideas, taking “no” too quickly can look like giving up.

🔸 The conversation shifts to what “no” can really mean in practice:

• In business or career, a “no” can be feedback:

  • Your skills aren’t there yet.

  • Your product isn’t strong enough.

  • Your pitch isn’t clear.

• When you treat “no” as information rather than a verdict, you can improve your skills, refine your product, and increase your chances of getting a “yes” next time.

🔸 Samar connects this to not giving up: maybe you accept the “no” from this company or this person, but you don’t accept it as the end of the story. She brings in the well-known example of J.K. Rowling, who faced many rejections before Harry Potter was finally accepted by one publisher. She didn’t force one “no” to become a “yes” — she kept moving until she found the right “yes.”

🔸 Wafa adds that sometimes “no” exists because you haven’t made it easy enough for others to say “yes.” You might be:

• Half-prepared.

• Unclear in your communication.

• Leaving too many questions unanswered.
  Before walking away, it’s worth asking: Can I turn this “no” into a “yes” by being more prepared, clearer, or more thoughtful? And if not, what can I learn for next time?

🔸 By the end of the episode, they circle back to the core principle of the whole series: two opposing viewpoints don’t have to compete — they can work in sequence. Sometimes you push. Sometimes you accept. Sometimes you turn “no” into feedback. Sometimes you honor it as a boundary. The key is to use your personal context to decide which response fits this moment.

📖 Read the full article:
25. Should You Take “No” for an Answer or Not? — Personal Context Is Key
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/25-should-you-take-answer-personal-context-key-wafa-zdtjc/?trackingId=v7yymD%2BYTjihS8zOCrYqHQ%3D%3D

🎙 Episode 24: Should You Seek Credentials or Not?

A conversation about ambition, opportunity, and deciding why — and when — credentials truly matter.

🔸 This week, Samar brings one of her favorite topics: Should you seek credentials or not? She wrote the article back in January, before even applying to her master’s program, at a time when she was questioning her motivations. Was she pursuing a degree for growth? For confidence? Or simply to boost her résumé?

🔸 Wafa opens up about her own reaction at the time — she actually believed Samar shouldn’t pursue a master’s before gaining full-time experience. And yet, watching Samar make the decision with clarity and intention became a proud moment for her. It showed how personal and contextual the choice really is.

🔸 Together, they explore the tension many people face:
• Some seek degrees because the job market leaves them no other openings.
• Others pursue credentials for prestige, identity, or validation.
• And some avoid higher education altogether, insisting experience matters more.

🔸 Samar shares how credentials were always admired in her culture — yet she also met people with PhDs who lacked basic communication or practical skills. That contrast made her determined not to pursue education for ego or titles alone. She wanted meaning and opportunity, not empty status.

🔸 Wafa reflects on her own complicated relationship with credentials. Because of how people around her spoke about higher education, she grew up viewing degrees through a negative lens — even while pursuing her own PhD. She emphasizes how important it is to stay intentional and not fall into the trap of collecting degrees without purpose or real-world alignment.

🔸 The conversation expands into two extremes in today’s world:
• One culture glorifies credentials, academia, and achievements.
• The other rejects formal education entirely, arguing that the system is broken and experience is the only teacher.
Both perspectives have truth — and both can be harmful without balance.

🔸 Samar brings it back to personal context:
Not everyone lives in an environment where entrepreneurship is even possible. For someone in a limited job market, credentials can open doors that would otherwise stay shut. For others with access to opportunity and experience, the better path may be work, not another degree.

🔸 Wafa closes by emphasizing that both worlds — education and experience — are essential. Theory sharpens your thinking. Experience sharpens your judgment. True competence comes from combining both.

💡 Key Takeaways:
• Seeking credentials is not inherently good or bad — it depends on your goals, environment, and long-term direction.
• Degrees pursued for ego, status, or habit often feel empty; degrees pursued for growth, confidence, and opportunity feel meaningful.
• Experience alone is not enough, and credentials alone are not enough — the strongest foundation is built from both.
• The right choice comes back to personal context: your market, your limitations, your opportunities, and your vision for your life.
• You don't have to choose one side. You can honor your ambition and your reality by choosing intentionally.

📖 Read the full article:
24. Should You Seek Credentials or Not? — Personal Context Is Key
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/24-should-you-seek-credentials-notpersonal-context-wafa-wjzhc/?trackingId=Qag65%2BOdRjWjG1WGEcOYJA%3D%3D

#TheDecisionNavigatorsPodcast #OvercomingIndecisivenessPersonalContextIsKey

🎙 Episode 23: Should You Think Inside or Outside the Box?

Exploring how creativity and structure work hand in hand.

🔸 In this episode, Wafa and Samar dive into a topic that challenged even them at first — the idea of thinking inside versus outside the box. We’ve all heard the phrase “think outside the box,” often used to encourage creativity, innovation, and new perspectives. But what if there’s also value in thinking inside the box?

🔸 Samar recalls how confused she felt when Wafa first shared the article topic. The idea seemed strange — what does it even mean to think inside the box? Over time, she began to see that it’s not about limiting yourself, but about optimizing what you already have. It’s the mindset of using available resources and improving existing systems before searching for new ones.

🔸 Wafa expands on this by emphasizing that we don’t live in an age that lacks ideas — we live in one that lacks execution. For her, thinking inside the box means focusing on doing the foundational things right. It’s about structure, clarity, and consistency — the kind of thinking that turns creativity into real results.

🔸 Samar brings in her HR studies to show how creativity and innovation are deeply connected to employee well-being. She argues that we need both: a solid structure (thinking inside the box) and the freedom to explore new approaches (thinking outside the box).

🔸 Together, they find that the real secret lies in balance. Wafa explains that thinking inside the box ensures standards are met, while thinking outside the box helps refine and simplify those standards. Samar relates it to her struggle with perfectionism and procrastination — how starting small with what she already knows helps her act, while seeking new ideas gives her inspiration to improve.

🔸 Wafa closes the episode with a story from work where she combined both mindsets — following established procedures but also thinking creatively to make the process more efficient. The conversation ends with a shared realization that the two approaches don’t compete — they complement each other.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Thinking inside the box is about structure, discipline, and execution.

• Thinking outside the box is about creativity, exploration, and innovation.

• Both can — and should — coexist.

• The goal is not to choose one, but to know when and how to use each.

📖 Read the full article: 23. Should You Think Inside or Outside the Box—Personal Context is Key: Overcoming Indecisiveness | LinkedIn

#TheDecisionNavigatorsPodcast #OvercomingIndecisiveness #PersonalContextIsKey