This week on SkyeTeam's People First, we sit down with HR veteran Vanessa Patrick, Associate Dean for Research, Executive Director of Doctoral Programs (PhD and DBA), Professor of Marketing, and lead faculty member of the Executive Women in Leadership Program at the Bauer School of Business at the University of Houston.

In her new book, The Power of Saying No, Vanessa delves into the new science of saying no and introduces the ground-breaking concept of “empowered refusal”—a proven framework for saying no that puts you in charge of your life — and reveals some surprising secrets about the power of the word no.

In this series, we explore the people side of successful business and careers. We all have a story to share, a leadership journey we are experiencing. We'll be interviewing authors, business leaders, thought leaders, and people like you to uncover the latest ideas, resources, and tools to help you become more effective at work - and in life. As it turns out, the secret is cultivating winning relationships. Business is personal, and relationships matter!

And...be sure to grab our book!

You, Me, We: Why We All Need a Friend at Work (and How to Show Up As One!) The hardcover is available to preorder now! We've put our hearts into this exciting new book; we're sharing the insights of our research and experience as authors, best friends at work, and our leadership development programs around the world. You, Me, We is a book for leaders who want to improve― at leading, yes, but also at their lives. How so? By building deep, long-lasting relationships that set everybody up for success.

Venessa Patrick’s LinkedIn profile is  https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessapatrick23/