Breaking Down Defensiveness: Real Talk on Communication in Business with Lisa Merlo-Booth

Apr 29

In this episode, I sat down with my longtime client and communication powerhouse, Lisa Merlo-Booth, to talk about the sticky (but super important) stuff: defensiveness in business communication.

Lisa is a relationship coach, speaker, and full-on paradigm shifter who's on a mission to transform how we show up in relationships—romantic, professional, and everything in between. This convo was juicy, real, and full of “aha” moments.

We get into:

Why defensiveness is rampant in professional settings (yes, even yours)
The three defensiveness archetypes and how they show up at work
What it actually means to “speak it clean” and why it changes everything
How to lead your team with grounded, powerful strength (without being a jerk)
What to do when you are the defensive one (hi, me 🙋‍♀️)
Why humane kindness and accountability are non-negotiables in a thriving business culture

Lisa also talks about her wildly impactful live course on defensiveness (which I highly recommend—it's changed the way I show up in my biz and my life).

If you’ve ever felt triggered by feedback, shut down in tense convos, or struggled to hold boundaries with clients, this one’s for you.

About Lisa:

Lisa isn’t your typical relationship coach. With over 20 years of experience as a relationship coach and trained therapist, she cuts through the fluff and gets straight to the heart of the matter. Lisa tackles complex issues head-on with clarity, humor, and a no-nonsense approach that drives real, lasting change.

Her mission is to help individuals, couples, teams, and organizations create radically new relationships and cultures that don’t just survive—they thrive.

The old relationship rules are broken, and Lisa is here to rewrite them. Through her Radically New Relationships™ Paradigm, she challenges outdated norms and replaces them with a bold, transformative framework. Her approach ensures relationships are deeply supportive, powerfully connected, and built to last.