How I Judge Someone's Character Before Trusting Them | Jessica Soto Vera

<p>How do you know if someone is genuinely trustworthy — before it costs you to find out?</p><p><br></p><p>How do you spot manipulation before it&#39;s too late?</p><p><br></p><p>How do you say no without guilt? How do you protect your energy without becoming closed off?</p><p><br></p><p>Jessica Soto Vera has spent more than a decade finding answers to those questions. As the founder of Mujeres Líderes, one of Peru&#39;s most influential leadership networks, she has developed a sharp and specific eye for reading people, protecting her energy, and building spaces where the right culture takes care of itself.</p><p><br></p><p>In this conversation, recorded live in Lima, she shares the lessons she&#39;s learned — from the tiny behaviors that reveal someone&#39;s true character, to the inner work that makes boundaries feel less like a battle.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>🎙️ In this episode: </strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li>The specific behaviors Jessica watches for before trusting anyone</li><li>Why how someone reacts to your &quot;no&quot; tells you everything</li><li>How to spot manipulation before it costs you </li><li>How envy quietly destroys relationships — and how to see it coming </li><li>The difference between inner peace and happiness </li><li>Why &quot;no&quot; is a complete word and doesn&#39;t need explanation</li><li>How to build a community that protects its own culture</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>⏱️ Chapters: </strong></p><p><br></p><p>00:00 Trailer </p><p>01:06 Introduction </p><p>01:46 Hearing your own voice when life gets loud </p><p>03:26 Inner peace — what it is and where it comes from </p><p>07:00 How to help someone through a crisis </p><p>09:54 What was quietly missing — consciousness and the workaholic pattern </p><p>13:06 The scholarship that changed everything </p><p>17:14 The special moment that became a turning point </p><p>24:42 How to know if someone is taking advantage of you </p><p>25:10 How they react to your no </p><p>27:01 The restaurant test that reveals character </p><p>31:09 Language patterns that signal manipulation </p><p>32:18 How to protect your energy </p><p>36:20 Every day we have one day less </p><p>39:59 When someone pressures you — go to the bathroom </p><p>41:11 Guilt, childhood patterns and the inner judge </p><p>48:26 The mirror — seeing yourself through others </p><p>56:00 Envy and the scarcity mindset </p><p>01:22:06 How to build a culture that protects itself </p><p>01:26:34 What true happiness actually feels like </p><p>01:29:02 If you&#39;re a bird, your strength is in your wings</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Follow Jessica Soto’s work:</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Instagram: @mujereslideres.pe</p><p>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mujereslideres/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/mujereslideres/</a></p><p>Web: <a href="https://www.mujeres-lideres.com/">https://www.mujeres-lideres.com/</a> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>📺 Watch more episodes: </strong></p><p><br></p><p>Catch The Upswing is a podcast for people building meaningful things in a rapidly changing world. Honest conversations with leaders, founders, investors, and changemakers about what it actually takes to keep going, lead well, and stay hopeful about the future.</p><p><br></p><p>New episodes every week. Subscribe so you don&#39;t miss one.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>🔗 Follow &amp; connect: </strong></p><p><br></p><p>YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@CatchTheUpswing">https://www.youtube.com/@CatchTheUpswing</a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswing">https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswing</a></p><p>TikTok: <a href="https://tiktok.com/@catchtheupswing">https://tiktok.com/@catchtheupswing</a></p><p><br></p>