Read the Room?

Inside Her Head

Jasmin Barnett reads more than books. She reads the room, the headlines, the policies, the culture, and occasionally herself. Through candid conversations and unapologetic commentary, Read the Room explores literacy, politics, leadership, current events, community, relationships, and the experiences shaping how we see the world.

Episodes

  1. Sep 6

    Dear Diary, #igoteliminated

    What happens when the room you have been trying to grow in decides to eliminate your position? In Episode 3 of Read the Room, Jasmin Barnett gets candid about being fired—or, as it was explained to her, having her position “eliminated”—after a year of rapid professional growth. Three promotions. Nearly a $50,000 increase in salary. Expanded responsibility. Bigger results. And still, the room eventually decided there was no longer a seat for her. But this episode is not about begging for the seat back. It is about discernment, workplace power, false humility, outgrowing environments, and learning the difference between being humble and making yourself smaller so other people can feel bigger. Jasmin reflects on the ways she has dimmed her own light, ignored what her intuition was already telling her, and allowed professional recognition to carry too much weight in determining how she saw herself. Then she pulls the receipts. From building programs and raising millions of dollars to writing, teaching, leadership, community work, and creating a body of work that exists beyond any one employer, this episode asks a bigger question: What if losing the position is not proof that you failed—but an invitation to finally take ownership of everything you already built? Because an employer can eliminate a title. They cannot eliminate your experience, your relationships, your creativity, your capacity, or your calling. And sometimes you have to stop trying to blossom where you cannot grow.

About

Jasmin Barnett reads more than books. She reads the room, the headlines, the policies, the culture, and occasionally herself. Through candid conversations and unapologetic commentary, Read the Room explores literacy, politics, leadership, current events, community, relationships, and the experiences shaping how we see the world.