Podcast Summary: Help Wanted
Episode: How to Do The Thing You're Afraid Of
Host(s): Jason Feifer (Entrepreneur Magazine Editor-in-Chief), Nicole Lapin (Money Expert)
Date: December 11, 2025
Overview
This episode centers on overcoming fear—specifically, how to finally take action on the thing you're most afraid to do in your career or business. Jason Feifer shares a personal story about helping a friend face her fear of launching a podcast, breaks down the roots of that fear, and offers a practical, compassionate framework for moving forward—one uniquely tailored to you, rather than the generic “just do it” advice.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Why “Just Take the Leap” Doesn’t Work
- [04:58] Jason opens by challenging the oft-given advice to “just do it,” describing it as dismissive:
“Take the leap—that is dismissive of your fears. It’s telling you to just magically stop being afraid. As if you could just, just be like, ‘Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. Hadn’t thought of not being afraid.’ It doesn’t work like that.”
- He emphasizes that fears are real, personal, and need to be understood, not ignored.
2. Case Study: Andrea’s Fear of Starting a Podcast
- [05:34] Jason recounts a conversation with his friend “Andrea,” an accomplished behind-the-scenes producer, who’s afraid to put herself out there with her own podcast.
- Andrea’s fears (direct text):
“I’ve been wanting to start one around industry shifts and AI technology, but I just wonder if I’m boring. Lol. … I just feel like I’ve been stuck in the sponge phase where I’m just soaking in all the information but really unsure if I should pull the trigger.” [05:55]
- Jason asks the key question:
“What’s the worst that can happen if you start a podcast?” [06:33]
- Andrea’s answer:
“Everyone will know I suck. I think optics, that’s my biggest fear.” [06:50]
- Jason suggests lowering the stakes:
“What if you made a first episode and sent it to like 10 nonjudgmental and honest friends and asked them if it sucks?” [07:12]
- Andrea replies:
“Honestly, that’s not a bad idea.” [07:23] “Yeah, like baby steps instead of no steps. Ha.” [09:20]
3. Understanding Fear: “Referred Fear” Analogy
- [08:05] Jason compares fear to “referred pain”—the idea that sometimes, where you feel the problem isn’t where it originates.
- Quote from James C. Watson, Mayo Clinic:
“Sometimes pain felt in one area of the body does not accurately represent where the problem is because the pain is referred there from another area.” [08:32]
- Translation: Sometimes you think you’re afraid of not being knowledgeable, but the real fear is about something deeper—such as optics, embarrassment, or being “seen.”
- Key lesson:
“If you have a gallbladder problem, no amount of shoulder massage will cure it. … We can think of fear similarly. Fear radiates outward. It starts in one place but manifests in another.” [08:55]
4. Defining Your Lock and Finding Your Key
- [10:00] Jason creates a powerful metaphor:
“You’ve created a specific lock for yourself, so let’s find the key to that lock. … Your fear isn’t general. It’s specific. It has nuances.”
- Generic advice (“take the leap”) ignores the lock, but each fear is a personal lock, requiring a personalized key.
- For Andrea, her “lock” is the fear of being boring or being seen as inadequate. The “key” is to take a small, private first step—submitting her work to trusted friends for feedback.
- Jason underscores baby steps:
“Once she starts making it, her instincts are going to kick in. She’ll start to learn to refine. … It’ll also address what she calls her optics problem. She’s worried about being embarrassed. Now she has permission to do it differently.” [11:00]
5. A Practical Framework for Facing Fear
- Jason reviews his approach:
- Recognize:
“Your fear is real. It is the product of you, informed by you, created by you. It can also be solved by you.” [12:05]
- Locate:
“Ask yourself what’s the worst thing that can happen? Interrogate that answer. Find the thing you’re really afraid of, the original source of the fear, which, just like pain, might originate from somewhere unexpected.” [12:12]
- Unlock:
“You have defined your fear. That is your lock. Now craft a key to unlock it.” [12:25]
- Recognize:
- The goal isn’t to eliminate fear but create willingness to try:
“The goal is not to be unafraid. That is not possible. … As Ryan Reynolds once told me, to be good at something, you must be willing to be bad. That is our actual goal here, to create the willingness.” [13:06]
6. Memorable Quotes & Moments
- On personalized solutions:
“The key has to be as personal as the lock itself.” [10:22]
- On the act of doing:
“She will not magically make an award-winning podcast and she will not feel instantly good about it. But hopefully, hopefully she will give herself permission to move forward, to engage with it, to do the thing that actually eliminates fear, which is the act of doing and improving and succeeding.” [12:57]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [04:58] – Why “just do it” fails as advice
- [05:34] – Andrea’s case and her text message fear
- [06:33] – Jason’s “what’s the worst that can happen?” intervention
- [08:05] – The “referred pain” analogy applied to fear
- [10:00] – Visualizing fear as a lock requiring a custom key
- [12:05] – Step-by-step summary: Recognize, Locate, Unlock
- [13:06] – Ryan Reynolds quote and the fundamental goal: “create willingness”
Conclusion
Jason Feifer delivers a compassionate, sharply practical framework to help you move past fear and take that next step in your career or creative journey. The advice is rooted in real human concerns—not generic bravado—and invites listeners to honestly interrogate their own fears, find the “lock,” and take the often small, but crucial, steps to unlock progress. If you’ve ever felt stuck in the “sponge phase” or paralyzed by the optics of trying something new, this episode breaks the cycle with actionable empathy.
Notable Quote Recap
- "Take the leap—that is dismissive of your fears." [04:58]
- “You’ve created a specific lock for yourself, so let’s find the key to that lock.” [10:00]
- "To be good at something, you must be willing to be bad." – Ryan Reynolds [13:06]
For further advice or a chance to have your work question answered, contact: helpwanted@moneynewsnetwork.com
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