Ever been told you’re too much, too intense, or too passionate, and started wondering if you should tone it down?
If you’ve been dimming your light to make others comfortable, apologizing for your energy, or shrinking yourself to fit into spaces that weren’t made for you… This episode will remind you that you’re not food, you weren’t made to be digestible.
In this episode of Being Relatable, host Erica Castner chats with two powerhouse businesswomen, Rossana Baez and Sylvia Dorisme, who’ve learned to own their intensity without apologizing and create boundaries that protect their energy.
MEET OUR PANELISTS:
- Rossana Baez – Founder & CEO of Baez Cleaning (10+ years in Florida), certified minority woman-owned business, mother, and entrepreneur who’s learned to filter energy strategically
- Sylvia Dorisme – Founder of Zeal Technical Institute (private technical school in North Fort Myers) and IZVOR Wellness, business leader with 20 years of experience in boundary-setting
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:
- The importance of protecting your peace by not adjusting to everyone else’s agenda
- Why dimming your light for others is a disrespect to yourself
- How to communicate clearly and set firm boundaries without apologizing
- The power of being intentional about the environment you want for yourself
KEY TIMESTAMPS:
- 6:24 – Rosanna discusses being called “too passionate” and learning to filter her energy
- 11:54 – Sylvia’s powerful college story about dimming her light and getting the lowest grade
- 16:45 – Rosanna’s journey to owning her intensity in business leadership without apologizing
- 22:51 – Sylvia introduces the concept of “intentional unavailability” and healthy boundaries
- 28:48 – The cultural challenges women face when learning to say no
- 33:10 – Rosanna’s experience of outgrowing a 10-year relationship that couldn’t handle her growth
- 38:39 – Sylvia’s advice: “We were not made to be digestible, we’re not food.”
- 45:08 – HYPE SESSION: Celebrating Sam (Rosanna’s daughter) and Claudette Pierre (Sylvia’s cousin)
QUOTABLE MOMENTS:
- “I made a promise to myself that dimming my light for others is a disrespect to myself. I will never shrink in any room to make others comfortable. Their comfort is not my responsibility.”
- “I call it intentional unavailability. You’re not intentionally being a mean girl by not supporting, you’re being intentional about the environment that you want for yourself.”
- “In a relationship where that love interest told me that I was too much. And my response was, go find less.”
ACTION STEPS TO TAKE AFTER LISTENING:
- Start filtering your energy – redirect it toward people who genuinely appreciate your intensity
- Practice “intentional unavailability” by saying no to one request without over-explaining
- Identify one relationship where you’ve been dimming your light and decide if it’s worth maintaining
WOMEN WE’RE HYPING UP:
- Sam – Rossana’s 30-year-old daughter, who serves as her teacher and inspiration, constantly lifts her mother with purpose and intention.
- Claudette Pierre – Owner of FabBar Med Spa in Fort Lauderdale, Sylvia’s cousin, who’s making waves in the aesthetic medicine industry.
CONNECT WITH OUR PANELISTS:
- Rossana Baez – BaezCleaning.com | Instagram | Facebook
- Sylvia Dorisme – Facebook & LinkedIn | ZealTechnicalInstitute.com | IzvorWellness.com
RATE + REVIEW
If this episode gave you permission to stop apologizing for being “too much,” leave a review wherever you listen to Being Relatable. Your review helps other women find the courage to own their intensity.
STAY CONNECTED
Follow host Erica Castner on LinkedIn for behind-the-scenes content and more conversations about building authentic relationships in work, life, and leadership.
Ready to stop apologizing for your intensity? Remember: when someone can only love a smaller version of yourself, that’s not your person. Go find your people who celebrate the fullness of who you are. Get Erica’s Weekly “Pep Talks” directly to your inbox HERE!
