If you're the person that everyone turns to when things fall apart, this episode is for you.

We all face moments when emotions run high, at work, at home, and in conversations that matter.

In these moments, the hardest thing isn't finding the right words. It's staying centered enough to

use them well. That's what stoic empathy is all about. Learning to

stay grounded, to feel deeply without losing your balance, and to keep your clarity when

tension takes over. It's a skill that changes how we lead, how we listen, and how we show up

when the stakes are high. Today I'm joined by my friend Chermine Cruz, a lawyer and author, speaker,

and TED producer whose work explores how stoic empathy can transform the way that we lead

and connect, even in moments of conflict, pressure, or pain. Her insights will change the way that

you think about strength, emotion, and what it really means to stay in control.

Let's jump in.

So you've produced a lot of different TED Talks.

How was it actually giving one this year?

Yeah, so I actually, I've given three and they all had different producers.

And so I have a lot of different experience with different production groups. And through my

own production work and then also through giving the talks, I really, I learned to, I learned a lot about the production of short films. I learned a lot about

production outdoors versus indoors. I learned a lot about different types of cameras and different

types of microphones and things like that. And really what I learned more than anything are the

producers were really great,

just make sure you look really good, you sound really good, and keep you on sort of like this

straight path without imposing too much on what it is that you're going to say.

Because a lot of the producers, I mean, I as a producer,

...