What if empathy wasn’t about absorbing everyone’s emotions but about leading with heart and boundaries?
In this episode, Heather sits down with Shermin Kruse for a powerful and timely conversation about stoic empathy, emotional discomfort, and the messy middle between caring deeply and protecting your energy. They explore the spectrum of empathy; from burnout and people-pleasing to disconnection and avoidance. And they discuss what it really takes to lead, parent, and grow from a place of internal strength.
In this episode, they cover:
🩶 How to know when your empathy is hurting more than helping
🩶 Practical tools to stop absorbing others’ emotions and energy
🩶 The hidden discomfort in emotional growth—and how to face it with clarity
Whether you over-function, shut down, or toggle between both, this conversation will help you build emotional capacity that fuels your mission without draining your soul.
About Shermin
Shermin Kruse (most people call me Sher) is an author, speaker, professor, and TEDx producer who helps leaders, teams, and organizations master resilience, influence, and the power of human connection.
Her new book, Stoic Empathy (Hay House, April 2025), introduces a groundbreaking framework that fuses Stoic resilience with deep emotional intelligence, giving readers practical tools to navigate high-pressure decisions, lead with confidence, and build meaningful relationships in business and life.
Sher’s work is deeply rooted in experience. From growing up in war-torn Iran, fleeing to the West, and later becoming a successful lawyer, speaker, and executive coach, she has spent her career helping people harness both strength and connection to create lasting impact.
She has been featured in Forbes, The Chicago Tribune, The Huffington Post, and on TEDx stages, speaking on leadership, negotiation, resilience, and emotional intelligence.
She also works behind the scenes, producing TEDx events, coaching speakers, and consulting with CEOs, entrepreneurs, and corporate teams to help them master the art of influence, communication, and decision-making.
Sher brings high energy, deep insights, and engaging storytelling to every conversation and she’s excited to bring that to your audience.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sher.kruse
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sher_kruse/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shermin-kruse/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZEnWQF0ONo-IE2PLsBI2Eg
Website: https://www.sherminkruse.com/
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stoic-empathy-with-shermin-kruse/id1744005230
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