Can you talk about hard things? Can you negotiate your salary with a new boss? Can you tactfully comfort someone who's just had a devastating loss? Can you be open about your sexual needs with your partner? Anna Sale is the host of the Death, Sex, and Money, a award-winning podcast that "explores the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation." She's also the author of Let's Talk About Hard Things, a bestselling book that teaches you to have that conversation. She sits down with us this week to talk about tactics to have those challenging talks. Anna's philosophy is: "hard conversations" are inevitable in life, so you might as well learn how to have them. In this interview, she talks about why the three topics of death, sex, and money (all unavoidable sooner or later) can make people so uncomfortable. We discuss how your upbringing and background influence your life choices, and what happens when you choose to go off-script, as well as how hard conversations with your family of origin can be—and why that's completely normal. Anna also offers practical tips on how to start a conversation that might be awkward and uncomfortable, what to listen for in a difficult talk, and how to be direct, but at the same time kind. Find Let's Talk About Hard Things on Amazon or at your local bookshop. Find Anna on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or at her podcast, Death, Sex, and Money. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started. BECOME A PATRON: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more. TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue. SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps. WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us. JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured! NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon. TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!