Topic Guide
What Is Relationship standards?
Relationship standards is a subject covered in depth across 1 podcast episode in our database. Below you'll find key concepts, expert insights, and the top episodes to listen to — all distilled from hours of conversation by leading experts.
Key Concepts in Relationship standards
Start with yourself
This is Grede's core philosophy and the title of her book, emphasizing that personal success, integrity, and well-being begin with an inward focus. It's about prioritizing your own needs, principles, and values as the foundation for leading effectively and living a fulfilled life, rejecting the notion that self-sacrifice is always necessary for others' benefit [52:03].
Both/and mentality
This framework encourages individuals to embrace the possibility of having multiple aspects of life simultaneously, rather than feeling forced into "either/or" choices. Grede applies this to balancing ambition with being a good mother, making money while doing impactful work, and enjoying life's moments alongside the chase for success [53:04, 70:20].
Visibility and proximity
Grede asserts that for ambitious individuals seeking career advancement, being physically present and visible is "essential," not just a "nice to have." She argues that direct engagement in the office allows for deeper understanding of business flow, recognition of excellence, and opportunities that are less accessible through remote work [63:14, 64:15].
Life's seasons of transition
This concept acknowledges that life and business evolve, requiring adaptation and conscious choices rather than rigidly adhering to past approaches. Grede highlights that what worked during a startup phase may not suit the next season of life, particularly when balancing career with raising older children [45:56, 48:59].
What Experts Say About Relationship standards
- 1.Emma Grede's early life in East London, raised by a single mom as the eldest of four girls, instilled a profound sense of capability and self-reliance, with tasks like cooking dinner for five at age 10 fostering a belief in her own superiority to peers [02:03].
- 2.Her mother's mantra, "You're not better than anyone, but no one's better than you," was foundational to Grede's belief that she was equal to individuals from more privileged backgrounds, like those who attended Eton or Harrow [03:05].
- 3.Grede developed a "hustler" mentality from a young age, engaging in various jobs from a paper route to selling fireworks and designer shirts, viewing these early dollars as freedom and never seeing herself as disadvantaged [04:05].
- 4.She attributes her ability to have a thriving marriage to her refusal to compromise on the type of person and life she wanted, setting and maintaining high standards for herself and her partner [08:11].
- 5.Grede emphasizes the critical importance of intuition, explaining that she actively manages her emotions like anger (even attending anger management counseling at 19) to ensure they serve her rather than dictate her decisions [11:15, 22:28, 23:30].
- 6.Her vision for success was initially modeled after Oprah, who introduced her to concepts like mindfulness and gratitude, providing a blueprint for a strong, graceful, and intelligent woman who also achieved financial success [27:38].