Straight Talk Blog
We Teach People How To Treat Us
"You can’t change your partner. However, you can change what you put up with from your partner.” - Lisa Merlo-booth We teach people how to treat us; we do this with our words, our actions, and even our silence. If we choose to stay in a conversation while someone is...
What Happened to Us?
Distance doesn't announce itself. It accumulates. "Keep your finger on the pulse today so tomorrow you don’t ask yourself, 'What happened to us?'” - Lisa Merlo-booth A common complaint I hear from couples is that they feel distant. Overall, things are okay – no big...
It’s Not enough to Be a Good Man Anymore
20,000 Videos. Not One Man Said Stop “Men and women alike are being harmed by a system that keeps them on oppositesides. Men and women uniting together is the only way humanity wins." Lisa Merlo-booth Nearly every woman in the world walks through the world aware of...
Your Boss’s Rage is Not About You
What every employee needs to know and do Have you ever had a boss who managed through intimidation, anger, and volatility? The kind of boss who had zero control of their emotions. Every time you or an employee made a mistake, the boss would blast you with a new tirade...
When Helping Isn’t Helping
"Confusing enabling with helping hurts everyone — every time." Lisa Merlo-Booth People feel good when they have a sense of mastery over their life. Taking care of life's everyday challenges helps you feel a sense of accomplishment, pride, and confidence that you can...
Workplace Incivility: Why Ignoring Disrespect at Work Makes It Worse
"Inherent in your silence is acceptance. Don’t silence." Lisa Merlo-Booth Workplace incivility is taking a staggering toll on employees and companies alike: U.S. workers experience 212 million acts of incivility every single day. 57% of employees say...
Trust: Are You Building or Breaking It?
"When trust is broken, the hurt must be healed — and going forward, trust must be built, not given." Lisa Merlo-Booth Some people trust quickly, others are slow to open up, and many fall somewhere in between. But regardless of where you land on that spectrum, once...
The Loop Nobody Talks About: Emotional Fragility, Men, and the Culture That Feeds It
"Silencing to the poor behavior of boys and men creates emotionally fragile men. Don’t coddle." Lisa Merlo-Booth The Alexander brothers didn’t become who they are overnight. Monday, March 9, 2026, all three –– Tal, Oren, and Alon Alexander –– were found guilty...
Dare to be Vulnerable
What Stoicism, People-Pleasing, and Avoidance Have in Common "Being invulnerable creates a dull, disconnected existence. You deserve to experience all the colors of life –– dare to be vulnerable." Lisa Merlo-Booth Most people want emotional intimacy and genuine...
Mistakes are human. Grace is strength.
"When you give others grace, you give yourself grace too; what a gift to both of you." Lisa Merlo-Booth Being human means that you are riddled with imperfections—as is everyone around you. There is no way around being imperfect. From the: Thoughts you have, To...
Collusion of Silence: How We Protect Harmful Behavior
"Protecting others from the impact of their bad behavior is collusion. Don’t collude." Lisa Merlo-Booth At a family dinner party, Sally responded to something her uncle stated by saying, "That's interesting, I don't think of it like that," and before she could...
Mike Vrabel and the Leadership Revolution We Desperately Need
How one coach's relational approach is transforming a team—and why these same principles work in marriages, families, and boardrooms "When there's adversity or when you need to hold somebody accountable, I think it's always coming from a better place when there's a...
An Open Letter to Christian Leaders
I'm tired. I'm angry. And I am enraged at the level of condoned violence and killing going on in our nation. However, I am particularly appalled at you—the leaders of Christian communities. Countless people turn to you for guidance. They look to you to help them be...
Stop Normalizing Toxic Behavior: Why Violence, Disrespect & Lack of Accountability Hurt Relationships
"Normalizing violence in your home, on the job, or in the world harms individuals, teams, nations, and our world." ~LMB Radically New Relationships™ are built on solid foundations of mutual respect, equality, kindness, and accountability. Sadly, far too many people...
What Keeping the Peace Is Costing You
"Waiting for someone to “see the light” and change their behavior keeps everyone stuck." ~LMB The number of families cowering, ducking, and silencing to a reactive adult is more than most people can imagine. Many families are tip-toing around the men in their homes....