How to Politely Say 'No Thanks' to a Job Offer: 7 Helpful Tips

There’s an art to politely declining a job offer without burning any bridges. We’re sharing 7 practical tips so that you can improve your professional communication and relationship management. Let's dive in!

Recently, Caitlin’s LinkedIn activities have led to several job-seekers reaching out to her for help. While she’s not a resume expert or an HR specialist, her warm and approachable demeanor combined with valuable insights and practical advice will equip you with the confidence to navigate the tricky terrain of rejecting a job offer.

This episode is for people who want to

• Master the art of gracefully declining a job offer.
• Craft a compelling and professional job offer decline email.
• Discover the key to maintaining professional relationships even after rejecting a job offer.

Sources for this episode
>>> Here’s this episode’s blog post! <<<

• Check out the resources from today's episode to access additional information related to declining job offers and other valuable insights. 
  • How to Politely Decline a Job Offer (With Example Emails) | The Muse
  • How to respectfully decline a job offer (5 tips & examples) | Handshake
  • How To Decline a Job Offer Respectfully (With Examples) | By Jamie Birt for Indeed.com
• Help us reach new listeners by sharing this episode with two people in your life, either by word of mouth or through social media.

The best support is a rating and a share.

Love,
CK & GK

Transcript

00:00:00 - Jenny GK
They say we're young and we don't know? We won't find out until we grow? Well, I don't know if all that's true? Cause you got me and, baby, I got you, babe, I got Tuesday. It's Tuesday.

00:00:24 - Caitlin Kindred
Wow. I was wondering how you were gonna try and bring that all together, but you did it. Good job.

00:00:29 - Jenny GK
Hey, would I commit? I go all the way.

00:00:33 - Caitlin Kindred
You are extra if nothing else, right? Deeply committed. All right.

00:00:38 - Jenny GK
And I played with. Do I need to sing the whole verse? And I was like, you know what? I do.

00:00:44 - Caitlin Kindred
I mean.

00:00:44 - Jenny GK
Yeah.

00:00:45 - Caitlin Kindred
If you're gonna commit again, go all the way. Right. Okay. Well, today we are talking about what happens if you don't want to commit to a job offer that you were given for whatever reason. So we are sharing how to politely decline a job offer in today's episode. So stick around. Give us just a minute. We'll get to it. But first, we need to introduce.

00:01:11 - Jenny GK
Yeah, I need to introduce Caitlin, but I normally have some kind of pickup line for her that somehow relates to. To the theme of the show. So today we will tell Caitlin she doesn't have to stay unemployed. Cause I got a position for her in my heart.

00:01:30 - Caitlin Kindred
Oh, hey. Well, that's amazing. But today, just know that that is Jenny, my inspired, fortuitous, smart caribou. Caribou. Like, I need to just. Caribou is good, right? I don't know where it's all coming from.

00:01:51 - Jenny GK
Did your website come back?

00:01:53 - Caitlin Kindred
No.

00:01:54 - Jenny GK
Oh, you figured this out on your own?

00:01:56 - Caitlin Kindred
No, I found it somewhere and stole it. But, like, no. Okay. There's, like, all kinds of code generators that you can use that I don't know how to use. So when it's like, here's an example of what could come out, I'm like, yes, I will take that.

00:02:10 - Jenny GK
That's amazing. That's so good.

00:02:12 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah.

00:02:13 - Jenny GK
Caribou.

00:02:14 - Caitlin Kindred
Caribou. All right, so we're politely declining job offers today. Now, the reason that this has come up is because lately on my LinkedIn channels, I've had some people reaching out to me and asking me to look at their resume. I am not a resume coach. Please don't ask me to do that.

00:02:34 - Jenny GK
I don't know how to do it.

00:02:36 - Caitlin Kindred
However, there are a few tips and tricks that I have learned, and they seem to be effective for people. So people who are transitioning. But this came to mind in particular for a reason that we can discuss at a later date. But I thought it was a really good topic. So we're going to talk about politely declining job offers for a host of reasons. Right. And the reason we're doing that is because the way that you do this matters. Sometimes the mentality is, well, it doesn't matter. I'll never see them again. And while that might be true of the company that you interviewed with, you'll never see them again or you don't want to work for that company, ultimately, you are dealing with people, and people do change jobs. You don't ever want a burnt bridge because of you just, you know, literally scorching earth as you don't.

00:03:37 - Jenny GK
And you never know who people know.

00:03:39 - Caitlin Kindred
Exactly. That's exactly it. You're dealing with people. So leading with kindness is only going to be a benefit to you in the long run. So here is how you politely decline a job offer. Okay. First thing you're going to do, respond promptly. Okay. Promptly. Yes, promptly. I'm using that word for a reason. It's a professional word for, like, do this now. Right. Okay. The quicker you respond, the faster the employer can fill the role. So that's kind of important, right. You don't want to, like, hurt them in the process of this. And also, like, confrontation. This feels like a confrontation.

00:04:17 - Jenny GK
Right.

00:04:17 - Caitlin Kindred
And anytime you have to deliver bad news or confront someone, it always sucks. So just rip off the band aid and do it. Okay. Keep your communication short. You don't have to go into some him and ha and detail about all of this. And we're gonna talk about what that looks like in just a minute. So keep it short. And if by some chance you know the person who hooked you up with the interview, it is okay to call them ahead of time and say, hey, I'm gonna be telling the HR person, like, thanks, but no thanks. And here's why.

00:04:52 - Jenny GK
That's great to know.

00:04:53 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah, great to know if that would feel better. Because, I mean, let's face it, in this day and age, it's, like, almost impossible to get an interview unless you know someone who knows someone. Right? So, like, if they went out on a limb for you, it is okay to say, like, hey, I have to say no for reasons. Right? What do they taste like? Okay, so sorry. No worries. Okay, so number two, be straightforward and honest. Okay? Thank the company for the opportunity, but.

00:05:27 - Jenny GK
Yeah, because you are thankful.

00:05:29 - Caitlin Kindred
Right. But don't go overboard with compliments about the job. You're not taking the job, so don't compliment it as though you were taking the job. Right. Like, this is an amazing position.

00:05:44 - Jenny GK
Don't want it.

00:05:45 - Caitlin Kindred
Right. This would be the opportunity of a lifetime. No, just don't. Don't even go into that. Right? Because if it would, and if it were, you would take it, like, the end, right?

00:05:58 - Jenny GK
I just want to be offered a job where I could just respond, no, will you offer me a job just so I can be like, no, do.

00:06:06 - Caitlin Kindred
You want this job?

00:06:08 - Jenny GK
Oh, no. You got to, like, send me an offer letter and everything, and I'm going to reply, no, period.

00:06:15 - Caitlin Kindred
No, I'm not doing all that. That's. You're that extra. I'm not that extra. Okay.

00:06:22 - Jenny GK
It's like that scene in half baked, which, you know, I won't describe all the way because I know that there are small ears.

00:06:27 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah, you can.

00:06:28 - Jenny GK
But everybody wants to quit a job that way.

00:06:31 - Caitlin Kindred
Yes. Yes. Or like, the card that's like, I'm sorry for your loss. And then they open it up and it's me. Yeah. I love it. Okay, number three, express gratitude. Let the company know that you appreciate all of their time and their effort. And then again, don't hem and haw over that. So here's what that would look like in an actual email. Oh, thank you. Yes.

00:07:00 - Jenny GK
I love a good mentor text.

00:07:02 - Caitlin Kindred
Yes. And I'm all about the example. If I don't, like, I could hear what you're saying, but I don't know what that looks like in real life. So I'm all about the example. So I'm giving you this example right here. I got two options. One, thank you so much for the offer, for the position, whatever it is. I so appreciate you taking the time to consider me and for answering so many of my questions about the company and the role.

00:07:26 - Jenny GK
Oh, that's great.

00:07:27 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah, there's one. The other option. Thank you again for the interview last week. I loved meeting the team and seeing the offices. I enjoyed learning about the operations director position or whatever the position is. And I appreciate this generous offer.

00:07:44 - Jenny GK
Now, I feel like you should only say that if the offer is generous, if the reason that you're declining it is because they don't meet your compensation needs, you probably shouldn't give them the indication that they are sure. Does that sound right to you?

00:07:59 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah, I mean, you could put in the no, I never adjective, this is great. Right?

00:08:05 - Jenny GK
This is great. Like, example go by, or, you know, whatever, as long as those things align.

00:08:13 - Caitlin Kindred
Sure.

00:08:14 - Jenny GK
Because I think, you know, I've had plenty of offers that were generous and I still declined.

00:08:19 - Caitlin Kindred
Right.

00:08:19 - Jenny GK
For other reasons. Right. But if I. But if the reason I'm declining is.

00:08:23 - Caitlin Kindred
Because, like, it's not generous enough, offered.

00:08:25 - Jenny GK
Half of what I made.

00:08:26 - Caitlin Kindred
Right? Like, you can say, I appreciate this offer, or you could just say, like, this interesting kind, whatever.

00:08:35 - Jenny GK
Yes.

00:08:35 - Caitlin Kindred
Insert your own adjective.

00:08:36 - Jenny GK
That's awesome.

00:08:37 - Caitlin Kindred
Okay.

00:08:37 - Jenny GK
That's so great. I love that.

00:08:38 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah. Okay, so the next one is give a reasonable explanation. If you spent a lot of time in this interview process, provide a genuine reason for your decision, and don't talk about how much it stinks or stunk to make the decision. Just be brief about it. Okay. Okay. Here's what that looks like. I've got a few examples here. So the first one, you're so good with these examples. I'm really trying. And I will give the sources for where I got a lot of this verbiage in just a few minutes. But one, after careful consideration, I've decided to accept a position at another company.

00:09:23 - Jenny GK
Excellent.

00:09:24 - Caitlin Kindred
Notice how brief that is. Not a lot of wiggle room for them to be like, well, we'll come, like, you know, ever. Yeah.

00:09:29 - Jenny GK
No.

00:09:30 - Caitlin Kindred
Two, after much thought, I've decided that now is not the best time to leave my current position.

00:09:37 - Jenny GK
Oh, wow. Yeah.

00:09:38 - Caitlin Kindred
I have also done the. It's not my first choice to leave my current position. And I've been offered a new opportunity within the same building. I've done that. That one has worked well for me. Okay. The third one, while this position seems like a great opportunity, I have decided to pursue another role that will offer me more opportunities to pursue my interests in whatever those. Whatever.

00:10:04 - Jenny GK
That's great.

00:10:04 - Caitlin Kindred
Now, I have to say this caveat here. If the position genuinely sounds like it sucks, and the only real reason that you have for not taking it is, you know, one of 10 million red flags, it is okay to say it's not quite the right fit for my career goals at this time. Okay. Like hiring manager.

00:10:28 - Jenny GK
Have you seen that girl on Instagram and TikTok that she is my signs off toodaloo?

00:10:33 - Caitlin Kindred
Yep. And she is all about the corporate speak for, you know, like, how do I say this is not within my realm of responsibilities? Right, right. Yeah.

00:10:42 - Jenny GK
She's so funny. There's one where she's like, I will not be attending the office team builder because it's at 07:00 p.m..

00:10:50 - Caitlin Kindred
Right.

00:10:51 - Jenny GK
And my work hours are between nine and five. But this is team building. She's like. So that our company is more productive.

00:10:57 - Caitlin Kindred
Right.

00:10:57 - Jenny GK
So, no.

00:10:58 - Caitlin Kindred
Right, exactly.

00:10:59 - Jenny GK
Do it during my work hours or I'm not going.

00:11:02 - Caitlin Kindred
Right. I'm gonna have to find her and link her in this episode show. Yes. I think she's really good. Okay. Yeah.

00:11:08 - Jenny GK
Tiger tiger. Tiger.

00:11:09 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah, for sure. Okay, the next one. Stay professional. All right. Again, those red flags. This is not the time to be airing those red flags. Okay.

00:11:23 - Jenny GK
There's no reason.

00:11:24 - Caitlin Kindred
Right. You don't work there. It's not your place. You're not taking the job. Don't say any of it. Okay.

00:11:31 - Jenny GK
And those might not be red flags for another person.

00:11:35 - Caitlin Kindred
I mean, hopefully they are, but yes, I mean, probably.

00:11:38 - Jenny GK
Right. But, like, it could be that somebody else is looking to step into that kind of role where they are working a lot to build up their resume and want the upward mobility that comes with that position and you at the place in your career. Like, I don't want to work all of those extra hours and weekends and all of that because I'm not looking to move up.

00:11:58 - Caitlin Kindred
Totally.

00:11:58 - Jenny GK
I'm looking to move over.

00:12:00 - Caitlin Kindred
Right.

00:12:01 - Jenny GK
It's different for everyone.

00:12:03 - Caitlin Kindred
And again, ultimately, you're dealing with people, and the HR person has to stay at that company, or probably is for at least a little while. So just don't. It's a really good way to scorch earth by airing all of your grievances in this time. So just don't do it. Okay. And this one I really liked. I thought it was a good idea, but it's. Stay in touch. You can leave a quick message or ask to connect on LinkedIn. Oh, so you can, you know, you can say, like, hey, I care about.

00:12:35 - Jenny GK
You as a person.

00:12:35 - Caitlin Kindred
Exactly. I enjoyed this. It was. I would, you know, this might not meet my career goals, but I'm still interested in keeping up our conversation. I think we might be able to help each other in the future. Whatever. You don't need to add any of that. But what you can say is things like, I hope to see you next month at the conference we're both attending, or, it's been a pleasure getting to know you, and I hope that we cross paths in the future. Please connect with me on LinkedIn, or again, thank you so much for your time and support. I wish you all the best.

00:13:05 - Jenny GK
That's amazing. Yeah, I see you. You are a human being. I am not only talking about a position, I am talking about a team.

00:13:13 - Caitlin Kindred
Exactly. And it's so respectful, too, to, like, you know what I mean? And if you don't, I love that if the red flags are present, you don't have to offer that part. You can just say, thank you for your time and support. I wish you all the best. And you don't have to connect. You're just making it, you know, a nice, clean break. This other one is optional, but I found that. So the reason that they're hiring is because they're trying to solve a problem, right? Like, whatever that problem is, they're either understaffed or they need this position or whatever it is. That's the problem that they're trying to solve. And when I can't solve the problem for someone, I try to find a way that someone else might be able to help. So this last one is including referrals.

00:14:00 - Jenny GK
Oh, that's cool.

00:14:01 - Caitlin Kindred
What that means is, like, reach out.

00:14:02 - Jenny GK
To your network, right?

00:14:04 - Caitlin Kindred
If you really liked everything and you just got a better offer or, you know, your current role said, hey, we're going to give you some more responsibilities and some more cash. Whatever it is. You can say, like, I genuinely enjoyed this place and I really don't want to leave them in the lurch. So that might look like. That being said, I have a few connections I think would be great for the role, and I'd be happy to send their information along to you. Right. You're doing your friend a solid. You're throwing their hat in the ring. You're doing the company a solid by saying, this is somebody that you. You liked me enough to hire me. I like this person enough. This might be a really good fit. So you're still assisting them in solving the problem. And you're not. You're not going to burn a bridge by offering that. They might say, like, thanks, but no thanks.

00:14:48 - Jenny GK
I know John has done that. I know he has. Like, there's a really good friend of a family friend of ours where he turned down a job, but said, look, I know exactly who you want.

00:15:00 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah, totally.

00:15:01 - Jenny GK
And this buddy of mine will be great.

00:15:03 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah.

00:15:03 - Jenny GK
Here's his information.

00:15:04 - Caitlin Kindred
I love that.

00:15:05 - Jenny GK
And then that guy got fired. Got hired? Oh, that guy got fired? Yeah, no, he. They hired him.

00:15:10 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah. See that can. You're still solving the problem. You're still helping the company out. And, you know, again, you're. You're bringing the goodwill here. No one's going to be upset with you for not taking the role if they do find someone who fits the role that you recommended. So it's not a bad way to go, right?

00:15:28 - Jenny GK
Yeah.

00:15:32 - Jenny GK
This is 2024, right? Like, there's no one who thinks that an interview is only for the company anymore. Everyone knows that the candidate is also interviewing the company.

00:15:44 - Caitlin Kindred
If you're not, you're doing something wrong yourself as the interviewee. So you yeah, I agree.

00:15:50 - Jenny GK
At this point, there's no. That's not like, a background conversation of like, oh, well, you're also checking them out. Like, no, everybody knows that you're looking for a good fit for both the employee and employer.

00:16:03 - Caitlin Kindred
Totally. Okay, so I'm gonna summarize all of this in just a couple of sentences here. So the way that you decline a job offer can be significant to your career. It's not okay to burn bridges for yourself and definitely don't do it if you don't have to. Right.

00:16:23 - Jenny GK
Right.

00:16:24 - Caitlin Kindred
Once you've declined the job, there is close to zero chance that you're going to be offered the position again. So this is not the time to negotiate a better deal from. Oh, ew.

00:16:38 - Jenny GK
What?

00:16:38 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah, there are people who do that. This is not that time. So make sure it's the right choice for you to decline, but then don't, like, decline and say, but I'd be willing to come back if you are going to give me XYZ. That should be part of the negotiation process. That's the negotiation.

00:16:55 - Jenny GK
Thank you so much for the offer. Let's discuss the details.

00:16:58 - Caitlin Kindred
Right, exactly. Then after, if that negotiation doesn't go the way you want it to, then if you need to decline, then you're.

00:17:04 - Jenny GK
Listening to our episode and following our instructions.

00:17:06 - Caitlin Kindred
Exactly. When you turn down an offer, be very clear and very firm in this decision. You don't want to have any confusion of an HR person going, wait, so what? Like, are you. Are you declining or not declining? That's why I was saying, like, don't wax.

00:17:22 - Jenny GK
Don't say like, this is, yeah, this is so exciting and such a great career.

00:17:26 - Caitlin Kindred
Right? No, right, but we've talked about the word but where it negates everything you just said. Like, this is not the time for that. This is, just stick to the script. Like, this is not the right move for me at this time. I appreciate the opportunity. Bye. Right? Like, don't. Yeah. Again, be sure to express your appreciation for a job offer. And don't be too specific in your reasons for why you're turning it down. You don't owe anybody that explanation. You just owe them a reason for not taking it. Right. And that reason can be vague. Right. We've all heard that it's a family emergency excuse. It's okay to be that big.

00:18:09 - Jenny GK
Depending on what the role is, it's very possible that that hiring manager is going to reach out to you and say, I understand that you don't want this. Can we talk a little bit about how I can make it more appealing to others.

00:18:21 - Caitlin Kindred
They might. They might not in this.

00:18:23 - Jenny GK
But if they don't do that, they don't care why you're saying no.

00:18:27 - Caitlin Kindred
Right.

00:18:28 - Jenny GK
They just want you to say yes or no.

00:18:29 - Caitlin Kindred
Right. Their job is to fill the position.

00:18:32 - Jenny GK
Right.

00:18:33 - Caitlin Kindred
So don't.

00:18:34 - Jenny GK
So unless they ask, you don't need to give all that detail.

00:18:36 - Caitlin Kindred
Exactly. And even if they do ask, you can just say, like, it's not the right move for me. You don't owe them any more than that. That's fine.

00:18:43 - Jenny GK
That's exactly right.

00:18:46 - Caitlin Kindred
Okay. That's what I have. That's how you politely decline a job offer?

00:18:50 - Jenny GK
That's amazing. Well, I do want to tell you that this information was really valuable, and I'm so thankful that you shared it with me, but I won't be using it.

00:19:00 - Caitlin Kindred
Oh, okay. Wait there.

00:19:06 - Jenny GK
I just followed none of your instructions.

00:19:08 - Caitlin Kindred
All right, let's take a break, guys.

00:19:40 - Jenny GK
I just really like Cher, so it's hard for me to just, like, break up.

00:19:44 - Caitlin Kindred
Totally get it. She's amazing. All right, let's talk about obsessions. Obsessions.

00:19:49 - Jenny GK
Okay.

00:19:50 - Caitlin Kindred
That word. Yes.

00:19:50 - Jenny GK
So I'm gonna get deep.

00:19:52 - Caitlin Kindred
Oh, do it.

00:19:53 - Jenny GK
Okay. These obsessions have been things like a great mascara or a funny movie or, you know, I really toyed with talking about my Edmonton Oilers advancing in the Stanley cup final, but I have talked about Stanley cup hockey so many times on the show, I feel like I don't need to talk about it again, even though I am right now. So instead, I decided to really get deep. I attended a leadership training this week, and a portion of it was about intersectionality. And if you're not familiar with this phrase, it really is just the understanding and recognition that we all belong to many groups, and every person is their own unique Venn diagram of overlap and has different stories to tell and different histories to bring to a team.

00:20:38 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah.

00:20:40 - Jenny GK
And in this workshop, the leader had us write down all of our identities, and I have done this activity before. Caitlin, I'm sure you have as well, where they have, you identify with different demographic groups, right? I'm a cisgender woman. I am white. I am middle class. Like, you identify these things about you to really hone the lenses that you look through when entering into a conversation. But this was like a different view of that same concept, because this trainer had us write down all of our identities, even the ones that we don't like. So rather than just identifying what demographic groupings you are a part of, it really got deep. I'm proud to say that I'm a wife and a mother, a scientist, a mathematician, but it was hard for me to write down. I'm a yo yo dieter. I'm an overly anxious person, and I'm a lousy cartwheeler. Sorry.

00:21:50 - Caitlin Kindred
Oh, that last one. Yeah.

00:21:53 - Jenny GK
Well, I figured I need to lighten.

00:21:55 - Caitlin Kindred
The load a little. Yeah, a little bit.

00:21:57 - Jenny GK
But it was a really great activity to sit there and write these things out about myself. I kept the paper. And I would just encourage you listeners, when you have a moment, start to think about all the identities that you carry outside of the demographic information that this is normally positioned.

00:22:17 - Caitlin Kindred
Interesting. Right.

00:22:18 - Jenny GK
This is typically about understanding our cultural differences and recognizing where you carry privilege. And I think that's very valuable and very important. But it also. It took me to a new place to start to identify where I land on things that I'm not proud are part of my identity and. And what things I want to work on or just recognize about myself and perhaps be vulnerable and share or not.

00:22:46 - Caitlin Kindred
Wow.

00:22:47 - Jenny GK
Yeah. So there you go. That's my obsession right now. I'm thinking about my identities that.

00:22:52 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah, that is very deep. That's. I don't know how I feel about that. No, it's okay. It's. I need a therapist. All right. So I am my. I'm not obsessed with a product right now, which everyone who has ever listened to this show is like, what? Wait, what I have been learning. I mean, you know, in my job, I learn something new every day. It's kind of amazing. And one of the things I've been learning about is just search engine optimization. For those of us in the marketing world, that's called SEO.

00:23:35 - Jenny GK
SEO. I know that one.

00:23:37 - Caitlin Kindred
And just what it actually looks like. And it's so much more than your keywords on a page. Okay.

00:23:44 - Jenny GK
That's all I know.

00:23:45 - Caitlin Kindred
Right, right. And it's been. How do I put this? It has been a humbling experience to go over our own website and search for those issues that would be causing us to maybe not have the performance on our website that I was hoping for. So, interesting.

00:24:11 - Jenny GK
But so you're learning these things.

00:24:13 - Caitlin Kindred
I am learning these things. And to be clear, I'm not like, a digital marketer. This is not how I spend my time. I spend most of my time writing content and organizing things for other teams, but I don't do a lot of the whole website optimization things like, you know, I'll find keywords for content that I write, but that doesn't mean that I optimize how it looks in a website. So this has been. You dabble? You dabble. I'm dabbling, and I'm using our website to test it. And so I've been spending a lot of time fixing our issues, and I'm proud to say that our scores, our SEO scores are coming way up. And so I'm hoping that ultimately we will start to rank. But I'm gonna ask that if you are a fan of this show, you please share this show with two people in your life. That's my ask for you today. Oh, I love it.

00:25:08 - Jenny GK
I love it.

00:25:08 - Caitlin Kindred
I am going to say that I will be linking, backlinking all of the content from today's episode that I got from, like, the muse, and indeed, which is actually totally where I got that stuff. I'll be backlinking that on our site so that you can go access that. In return, I ask that you share our episode with two people.

00:25:33 - Jenny GK
So that's amazing. And easy.

00:25:35 - Caitlin Kindred
Very easy.

00:25:36 - Jenny GK
Caitlin, you make it incredibly easy for others because you post several times a week links to our episode. So you really can just share it to your network socially.

00:25:48 - Caitlin Kindred
Totally. Yep. But really, word of mouth is even better. So if you could just say, like.

00:25:53 - Jenny GK
Hey, I was listening to this really cool show.

00:25:55 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah. And they were talking about. Right. And they were talking about that exact thing. So you should listen to this episode. Yeah. There you go. So that's my obsession, is just updating the website and fixing issues. So that's amazing.

00:26:09 - Jenny GK
It's a very healthy one.

00:26:11 - Caitlin Kindred
Thanks. Is it?

00:26:13 - Jenny GK
I'm. Yes. You're growing yourself. You're learning new things.

00:26:16 - Caitlin Kindred
Okay.

00:26:17 - Jenny GK
And you're applying things in a new way.

00:26:20 - Caitlin Kindred
That's fair.

00:26:20 - Jenny GK
That's the true learning.

00:26:21 - Caitlin Kindred
That is true. Okay. Right? Yeah.

00:26:23 - Jenny GK
You live in an era where no knowledge is no longer power. It's application thereof.

00:26:28 - Caitlin Kindred
It is the application. This is why all my tests were open. Note.

00:26:31 - Jenny GK
That's right.

00:26:32 - Caitlin Kindred
That's right.

00:26:33 - Jenny GK
The information is at your fingertips, in your pocket.

00:26:35 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah. Or in your ear holes.

00:26:37 - Jenny GK
All right. Okay. So, Caitlin, I've already told you this story, so I'm hoping that your laugh is authentic because it's still funny the second or third or 8th time.

00:26:49 - Caitlin Kindred
It's not eight times, just no no.

00:26:51 - Jenny GK
I'm just saying that, like, I feel like this will always be funny.

00:26:54 - Caitlin Kindred
It will be. It's adorable.

00:26:57 - Jenny GK
In our house, the tool that you use to change the channels.

00:27:03 - Caitlin Kindred
Yes.

00:27:04 - Jenny GK
Is called the kermoke because at some point when Abby was three or four, that's what she called it, and it never went away.

00:27:13 - Caitlin Kindred
Right. Just like yogurt covered raisins at our house. Or yogurt beans.

00:27:17 - Jenny GK
Yogurt beans. Perfect. That's exactly right.

00:27:19 - Caitlin Kindred
Yes. Enemies or M and Ms.

00:27:22 - Jenny GK
Yes, we have renamed an entire universe this weekend. Okay, some people are listening to this, actually, on Tuesday when it is released. And you know that this past Saturday was May 4.

00:27:37 - Caitlin Kindred
Yes.

00:27:38 - Jenny GK
And if you have ever been involved in american pop culture, you know that May 4 is Star Wars Day.

00:27:46 - Caitlin Kindred
It is May 4.

00:27:48 - Jenny GK
Be with you.

00:27:48 - Caitlin Kindred
And also with you. Sorry. She's Catholic, guys. The Catholic. The Catholic in me. And with your spirit. Oh, yes. Yes. That's the new one. That's. That one's relatively new. Yeah, that's good.

00:28:01 - Jenny GK
Do I have to shake your hand now or.

00:28:03 - Caitlin Kindred
No, I'd rather you not.

00:28:05 - Jenny GK
Okay, well, we're getting dressed Saturday morning and putting on Star wars themed gear, as you do. And Kit looks at us and says, well, since today is May 4, can we watch the Star horse movies? And I look at John and he looks at me and I said, did you hear it? And he said, what? I said, no, ask him. Ask him. Ask him what movie he wants to watch. And so he looks over at Kit and says, what movies do you want to watch today? He says, it's May 4. I want to watch Star Horse. So, my friends, forever, as long as we can make it last. Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, happened. Star horse.

00:29:04 - Caitlin Kindred
It was Derby day. To be fair, it was Derby day.

00:29:11 - Jenny GK
Right?

00:29:11 - Caitlin Kindred
See, there you go. Was perfect. When I made that connection, I was like, see, when he gets older and you guys are, like, teasing him about it, I'll just look at him and be like, it was derby day. You were combining. I got you. Yeah, yeah.

00:29:28 - Jenny GK
No, I'm never correcting him.

00:29:30 - Caitlin Kindred
No.

00:29:31 - Jenny GK
Remember, I told you the story that when I was in my twenties is when I learned that it was a rum and coke, not a roman coke. And I learned this because I ordered one at a bar, and the bartender looked at me and said, you want a what? And I'm hoping that he makes it to 15 or 16 when one of his buddies says, wait, what? What?

00:29:50 - Caitlin Kindred
What did you.

00:29:50 - Jenny GK
What movie are you watching? What did you call that?

00:29:53 - Caitlin Kindred
You know, star. No, no, no.

00:29:55 - Jenny GK
Honey, the words are on the. On the screen. It's Star wars, not Star horse. Not to mention there are no horses in that universe.

00:30:06 - Caitlin Kindred
Not a one. There's, like, a weird thing.

00:30:08 - Jenny GK
The tauntaun comes close.

00:30:09 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah, there's a weird camel thing. I don't know. I'm terrible with those movies. Oh.

00:30:15 - Jenny GK
You know that I was until.

00:30:17 - Caitlin Kindred
Until your husband.

00:30:19 - Jenny GK
Until my husband. And he was like, no, jen, you can like this and not be nerdy. People are like ogres. Like onions. They can have layers. I just don't have to be a Star wars nerd to love Star Wars.

00:30:29 - Caitlin Kindred
I just watched Shrek today, actually.

00:30:31 - Jenny GK
Oh, that's funny.

00:30:32 - Caitlin Kindred
This morning. Yeah, I love Shrek. Okay, well, I'm gonna take a hard left because you know this story too, but you didn't see it. Thank God. So here's what happened, y'all. I have the red hair, and some of the people with the red hair have, like. It's like, my hair is like, Auburn. And some of those people with that hair, they have darker eyebrows. And I'm not one of those people. My eyebrows are an interesting blonde, and so are my eyelashes. So every once in a while, my eyebrows kind of disappear into my skin. And I'm like, this is not okay. So I I dye my eyebrows on occasion. Not all the time, but, like, you know, just some.

00:31:16 - Jenny GK
And you do it yourself?

00:31:17 - Caitlin Kindred
I do it myself.

00:31:18 - Jenny GK
Oh, my gosh. You're so talented.

00:31:20 - Caitlin Kindred
Wow. I have a kit. So, um, my regular eyebrow dye was sold out. I had to buy a new or not sold out. It's, like, discontinued. Like, I can't find it anywhere.

00:31:34 - Jenny GK
Oh, no.

00:31:35 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah, I was very upset. And so is this like. It's like a henna for men? No, no, no. It's like a henna die. And so you leave it on, like the old one you left on for, like, a minute and a half, and it would, like, really develop. And I didn't want to leave it on any longer because of what happened to me this time. So I left it. This guy says, leave it on for ten minutes. And I was like, no, no, no. That seems too long, even for this car. That's just not gonna work. I'm gonna leave it on for, like, eight minutes.

00:32:06 - Jenny GK
Okay, so for context, like, when I dye my hair in the sink, I have to leave it on for, like, 35 or 40 minutes.

00:32:12 - Caitlin Kindred
Right, but these are eyebrows.

00:32:14 - Jenny GK
But eyebrows, it's less.

00:32:16 - Caitlin Kindred
Okay. It's really short. All right. Yeah. And it's so close to the skin. Right? It's like. Anyway. Oh, yeah, yeah. So.

00:32:24 - Jenny GK
Okay. Sorry. I'm just. I'm thinking, like, oh, ten minutes sounds normal, but no, you're.

00:32:29 - Caitlin Kindred
No, it totally sounds normal. Unless you've experienced another die where you're like, oh, three minutes is too long. I'm gonna go for a minute and a half. Yeah.

00:32:38 - Jenny GK
No, no, no. Got it, got it, got it.

00:32:40 - Caitlin Kindred
So ultimately, what happened was I left this die on for too long, and I wasn't used to it yet. It's a new formula. Everything was new, and I wasn't prepared for how it was gonna be, so I left it on for too long. And it something you have to know about Henna Dai is that even when you wipe it off and you, like, wash it off with water, it continues to develop over time. So you can look normal when you first take it off, and then, like, you know, five minutes later, you look like I do. Which was Sam Eagle, the blue muppet from all of the Muppeteer things. So, like, picture, like, the blue eagle with, like, a burnt eyebrow across the.

00:33:27 - Jenny GK
She sent me a picture of this muppet. And I'm telling Abby, who is twelve and very into cosmetics and not in a, like, I need to go to Sephora and spend $200 on brazilian bum bum cream. But more of, like, she understands that makeup enhances your natural beauty. You do not need to put on a lot. Like, you can have a natural look, blah, blah. And I'm telling her this. I am dying laughing. I was like, this is so funny. I haven't even seen it, but Sam Eagle, this is so funny. And Abby looks at me, she goes, you're a really mean friend. She's like, your friend is in crisis right now, and you are laughing at her.

00:34:11 - Caitlin Kindred
I was like, I walk in after getting it. It's developing, developing further. And I walk into my son's room, and, you know, my husband and my son are reading bedtime stories, and the first thing my son says to me is, your eyebrows look weird. Just like, thanks. And I look at Bryce, and I was like, I know. I don't even want to talk about it. And he was just.

00:34:32 - Jenny GK
I penciled him in with Sharpie. No big deal.

00:34:35 - Caitlin Kindred
Like, no, it's. And then he didn't say anything else. Like, okay, he can't lie because he's not capable of lying to me, but also he can't compliment them because they're so bad. So it probably took, like, a solid. It was like, two showers and, like, 24 hours, maybe.

00:34:56 - Jenny GK
Oh, jeez.

00:34:57 - Caitlin Kindred
Before they started to look normal. Yeah. And I was wearing, like, my thick brim glasses.

00:35:02 - Jenny GK
Cover them up a little sweatband.

00:35:04 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah.

00:35:05 - Jenny GK
I was like Rambo.

00:35:06 - Caitlin Kindred
I was like, oh, man, this is so bad. So, yeah, now I know it's probably gonna be like a six minute application, maybe five to. To go from there. But it was. Yeah, it was Sam Eagle on a Friday. Yeah, exactly. Oh, man, it was rough. It was rough. But. So if you've ever, I would love to hear your experiences with.

00:35:30 - Jenny GK
Yeah, well, Bryce's reaction reminds me of a conversation I had this morning as I was preparing for this morning's episode. I am talking about this intersectionality piece. And I said, okay, so what are some things about myself that I'm not really proud of?

00:35:44 - Caitlin Kindred
And.

00:35:44 - Jenny GK
And John was like, nope, not answering that.

00:35:46 - Caitlin Kindred
Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

00:35:48 - Jenny GK
That is gonna be a question that I am not getting even close to.

00:35:51 - Caitlin Kindred
Nope, you can't touch it.

00:35:52 - Jenny GK
And he was the one who was like, you can't do a cartwheel.

00:35:56 - Caitlin Kindred
It's like, okay, okay, that one's fair. You're right, I can't. And that one is not insulting, because at 40, should we be doing cartwheels? Probably not.

00:36:06 - Jenny GK
Well, and recently, Kit was talking about someone and said, you know, they're really not smart. They don't even know how to do a computer. And I said, well, that doesn't mean they're not smart. Just means they haven't learned it yet. I haven't learned how to do a cartwheel, but I'm still a smart lady. And so John's just playing back that same conversation that I already said aloud. He's like, no, no, no. I have been married long enough. I know what I can say and what I can't.

00:36:30 - Caitlin Kindred
Exactly. And that ain't it.

00:36:33 - Jenny GK
All right, y'all, speaking of what you can say, please say some great things about our show to your friends. Like Caitlin said, just talk about it in person or text or whatever, but make a connection with someone and tell them how fabulous we are and how we have changed your life.

00:36:50 - Caitlin Kindred
Yes.

00:36:53 - Jenny GK
There are two periods, before and after CK & GK Podcast. Right, right. And when you're choosing who you're gonna talk to, make good choices.

00:37:03 - Caitlin Kindred
And, um, don't burn any bridges when you're declining a job or leave your eyebrow die on for too long. Okay, bye.

00:37:12 - Jenny GK
Okay, bye, guys. Bye.