BOUNDARIES THAT DON'T BACKFIRE-A Script-First Guide for the Modern Workplace

Boundaries That Don't Backfire — A Script-First Guide for the Modern Workplace

Stop improvising. Start saying it out loud.

Most boundary advice was written for the wrong battlefield — friendships, family, dating. It tells you to “know your worth” and “say no without guilt.” That advice isn’t wrong, exactly. It’s just aimed at a relationship with no power dynamic — which is not what you have with a boss who can affect your paycheck, your promotion timeline, and your next reference. Boundaries That Don't Backfire is the antidote.

Written specifically for the workplace power dynamic, this script-first guide gives you the exact words — not just the permission — to protect your time without reading as difficult, uncooperative, or not a team player.

What’s inside (7 chapters + 6 bonus sections):

You’ll learn to map exactly where your boundaries are being crossed across the three violation types — time, scope, and emotional labor — and build the S.A.F.E. framework (State impact, Alternative, Firm close, Exit gracefully) into how you respond under pressure. From there, ready-to-use scripts for the most common workplace violations, boundaries with your boss that don’t read as insubordination, boundaries with peers and reports, and exactly what to say when the first no gets pushback — the guilt trip, the re-ask, the escalation threat — without escalating things further than they need to go. It closes with a 30-day reset that turns everything in the book into daily practice, so this becomes how you operate, not a stressful exception.

Bonus content includes Real-World Case Studies, a Frequently Asked Questions section, a Glossary of Terms, the Complete Script Library, a Boundary Audit Worksheet, a Red Flags Checklist, a guide to Performance Review Season, and a One-Page Cheat Sheet so you can act on it immediately.

Who this is for:

Real people — with a boss, a full inbox, a 9pm Slack notification, and a “can you also just…” that’s slowly become a second job. Not people looking for permission to have boundaries. People who need the exact words to say when their heart is racing and their manager is waiting for a reply.

No promise of a script so perfectly worded it removes 100% of the risk. Just an honest framework: firm but professional, clear but not cold — built to minimize risk and maximize clarity, not eliminate discomfort entirely.

The bottom line: The people whose boundaries hold aren’t the ones who care less about the job. They’re the ones who stopped improvising and started using the same words, the same way, every time. This book hands you those words.

7 Chapters · 6 Bonus Sections · 1 Framework That Changes Every Conversation