I spent a good portion of my life believing that the secret to being loved and respected was to always be accommodating, never uttering that two-letter word: “no”. Growing up in a conservative small town in Texas, I was taught that niceness was synonymous with compliance. I carried this belief into adulthood, nurturing a reputation as a ‘yes’ woman, always eager to please, never one to ruffle feathers. But then, life happened. I moved to New York City for my dream job, a city as unapologetic and assertive as they come. Here, ‘no’ was not just a word, but an art form. Initially, I found myself drowning in this sea…