Feelings Aren't Just Fluff

3.5 Minute Read

In the business world, we’re often taught to value logic over emotion. We make our case with data. We analyze, strategize, and rationalize. And when feelings come up—our own or others’—we’re quick to call them “soft stuff,” as if they don’t belong at the table.

But they do. Because we do. We’re human. And if we as people are going to be at the table then we need to get comfortable with our feelings being there too.

The Substance Behind Our Intuitions

Feelings and intuition often signal something real; they don’t come out of nowhere. A discomfort we can’t quite name. An excitement that deserves our attention. A sense that something’s off—even if we don’t yet have the numbers or other “hard data” to back it up.

But here’s the key:

Feelings by themselves aren’t enough. And thinking by itself isn’t either.

It’s the integration that matters.

When our gut says “yes” or “no,” we have a choice:

• We can override it without examination (the “just be rational” trap).
• We can follow it blindly (the “trust your gut no matter what” trap).
• Or we can pause. Listen. And then clarify our assumptions and think it through.

This is where intentional leadership lives.

Not in the suppression of emotion, but in the integration of emotion and reason. And not in defaulting to either gut or logic, but in creating the space for both to inform the decision.

At Jenrada, we call that Assumption Hacking.

It’s the skill of noticing what’s guiding you—whether a feeling, a physical sensation or a belief—and checking:

Is it still true? Is it useful now? What else might be going on here?

Feelings and sensations are data. Thinking is interpretation.

Used together, they lead us not just to results—but to meaningful results.

And while we’re on the subject of being human, let’s go even deeper.

Being human isn’t just about thinking and feeling.

It’s also about living a life that’s meaningful—and joyful. 

Sometimes, the most powerful integration of thought and emotion happens outside the boardroom—when we’re faced with real life, raw emotion, and the invitation to respond with courage and care.

That’s what inspired Jenn’s Challenge.

It’s a personal tradition I started in honor of my daughter, Jenn Scheinkopf, who died in 2014 from brain cancer. Jenn was someone who felt fully and lived fully. She danced in the rain—literally. She made people feel seen. She was bold, joyful, and endlessly kind.

Jenn’s Challenge invites all of us to be just a little more like that.

Here’s the challenge:

Sometime between now and August 2,

💛 Do something kind for someone you otherwise might overlook. And, or

☀️ Do something joyful for yourself—something that brings you pure delight.

✍️ Then share your story. Not from the past, but from this month. Let’s spread the spirit.

This isn’t just about honoring Jenn’s memory.

It’s about reclaiming our own full humanity—especially in a world that feels divided, distracted, and emotionally distant.

Doing something nice—something kind or joy-filled—feels good.

And it matters.

Because when we act from that place, we’re not just better humans.

We’re better leaders, better thinkers, and better stewards of the results that truly matter.

👉 You can accept the challenge at jenrada.com/challenge.

Let’s be full-feeling humans, together.

With Focus, Flow, and Harmony,

 Lisa