Podcast Summary

Help Wanted – "How To Not Freak Out While Waiting For Someone"

Date: March 26, 2026
Hosts: Jason Feifer (Entrepreneur Editor-in-Chief) and Nicole Lapin (Money Expert)

Episode Overview

This episode tackles a common—and emotionally tricky—workplace scenario: what to do when you’re left hanging, waiting on a reply or decision from someone else, especially when silence feels like rejection. Jason Feifer offers actionable strategies to manage anxiety, reshape your perspective, and keep your cool when waiting for responses you can’t control.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Agony of Waiting: When You’re Left in the Lurch

Jason reads a listener’s text:
“[My friend] interviewed for a job and was told she’d hear back last week, but hasn’t. She asks, ‘There’s nothing to be done, right?’” (05:12)
Wider relevance: Waiting for a response is stressful, whether it’s about a job, a pitch, or even just hanging out with someone.
People often default to fearing the worst, making up narratives centered around themselves.

2. Personal Story: It's Not About You

Jason shares a story from his own life:
After moving to NYC and relying on a small circle of friends, one friend began pulling away. This led Jason to assume it was because of something he did.
The truth revealed:
His friend finally explained she was overwhelmed by personal issues (work stress, family fights) and had simply withdrawn from social life in general.
- Memorable quote:
  
  “As I listened… I realized this whole time I had been making this situation about me. I assumed that I was the one that was driving her decisions. But that meant that I never thought about her. Because her life was bigger than just me.” — Jason (06:55)

3. The Reframe: Flip the Narrative

Jason’s advice:
When waiting on someone, take yourself out of the story. Instead of imagining reasons centered around you (e.g., they dislike you), try to brainstorm plausible explanations that don’t involve you at all.
Practical exercise:
- Come up with stories for their silence that don’t include you (vacation, personal crisis, lost your message, busy, etc.).
- This breaks the cycle of anxious, self-centered thinking.

4. The Amanda Example: Real Work Application

Case study: Amanda, an entrepreneur, waits months for a CEO to reply to her project pitch.
Amanda imagines an intricate conspiracy of rejection. Jason coaches her through coming up with alternative stories:
- CEO on vacation (summer!)
- CEO dealing with board meeting prep, divorce, restructuring, or just a long to-do list
  (09:00–09:55)
- Jason tells her:
  
  “If it was a no, they’d just tell you.” (08:30)
Outcome: Amanda eventually gets the green light, but never learns what took so long. The important takeaway is it was never about Amanda—it was about the CEO’s life and priorities.

5. Big Takeaway: Keep Your Story Moving

Core truth:
While you’re waiting, your narrative doesn’t end—don’t put your life on hold.
- “While you wait for them, you can do other things. Because they are not the only person with other things to do. You have other things to do, too.” — Jason (11:50)
Perspective shift:
You are not always the main character in others’ stories. Their delays are not necessarily a verdict on your worth or effort.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On self-centered worry:

“I realized this whole time I had been making this situation about me… But that meant that I never thought about her.” — Jason (06:55)
On plausible reasons for delays:

“The only qualifications for this little guessing game is the story must be plausible and [you] cannot be part of the story.” — Jason (09:15)
On regaining agency:

“While you wait for them, you can do other things… One day, as you’re doing these other things, they will finally make a damn decision, at which point they will re-enter your story.” — Jason (12:10)

Important Timestamps

05:12 — Listener text: the anguish of waiting after a job interview
06:35–07:10 — Jason’s NYC friendship story and realization
08:30 — The Amanda example: shifting from personal blame to empathetic guessing
09:00–09:55 — Brainstorming alternative explanations for the CEO’s silence
11:30–12:11 — The episode’s key takeaway: don’t put your story on pause

Final Thought

This episode encourages listeners to step back from anxiously centering themselves in every unreturned message or delay, and instead—with empathy—consider the complexity of other people’s lives. In the meantime, keep moving forward with your own priorities and goals until stories reconnect, as they inevitably will.

Transcript

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C (1:15)

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