290. I'm Sorry, But Someone Had to Say It (On Apologizing For Everything)

290. I'm Sorry, But Someone Had to Say It (On Apologizing For Everything)

From On Your Terms® by Sam Vander Wielen

May 25, 2026 · 22 min · Episode 290

About this episode

In this episode, Sam Vander Wielen discusses the issue of over-apologizing, particularly among women in business, and its negative impact on success.

I recently apologized to my shower handle. No, really. I turned off the water before rinsing out my conditioner, reached back to flip it on again, and instinctively said sorry to a cold, metal, completely inanimate faucet. And that moment stopped me dead in my tracks, because if I'm apologizing to shower handles, what else am I unnecessarily apologizing for in my life and business? This episode is a little different. I'm reading you an essay I originally published on my Substack, Beyond Business , because I genuinely believe so many of you need to hear it, not just read it. It's something I was almost too scared to put out into the world. But here's what I know: the over-apologizing so many of us do, especially as women in business, is costing us. It's costing us deals, visibility, clients, confidence, and the kind of success we've worked incredibly hard for. In this episode, you'll hear… Why so many of us learned to over-apologize long before we ever started a business, and how that pattern is still running the show The jaw-dropping (and infuriating) moment at a law firm that made me feel like my ambition was something to be ashamed of Where over-apologizing shows up in your…

People in this episode

Host: Sam Vander Wielen

Topics covered

  • apologizing
  • women in business
  • confidence
  • marketing
  • pricing
  • team management

Keywords

  • over-apologizing
  • business
  • success
  • confidence
  • marketing
  • pricing conversations
  • team management

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