In this Business Blast podcast episode, host Tyler Wagner interviews conflict‑resolution specialist Lynne Maureen Hurdle. Lynne shares a formative childhood experience when a racially hostile mob threatened her on a Bronx bus, a moment that sparked her lifelong commitment to bringing people together and studying non‑violent conflict. She explains her core belief that conflict is a mirror that teaches us about ourselves and urges listeners to view it as an opportunity for self‑reflection. Her primary business advice is to listen deeply—both to words and the subtext—because true listening builds better sales, relationships, and overall outcomes. She offers personal wisdom to her younger self: act on your convictions without hesitation. Lynne defines happiness as knowing and standing in one’s authentic self, a grounding practice amid life’s challenges. She recommends Adyashanti’s The End of Your World, highlighting the insight that the ego resists reality and that moving beyond ego reveals clearer perception. Her favorite quote, “Everything’s figureoutable,” from Marie Forleo’s mother, serves as an entrepreneurial mantra for overcoming fear. The episode concludes with her website, LynnMaureenHurdle.com, where listeners can find more of her work.
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Welcome to the Business Blast podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner. This episode is brought to you by Authors Unite. Authors Unite provides you with all the resources you need to become a successful author. You can learn more about Authors Unite and join the free community at authorsunite.com. Now let's jump into the episode.
All right everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Business Blast podcast. I'm your host Tyler Wagner, and today I have Lynn Maureen Hurdle with us. She is a communications and conflict resolution expert. So welcome to the show, Lynn.
Thank you, Tyler. Thrilled to be here.
Of course, we're thrilled to have you here, and we'll dive in. The first question I have for you, Lynn, is what is the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?
I was— I'll tell you, I've been a performer since I was 3 years old, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do from 3. I wanted to be an actress, singer, dancer, the whole nine. So I'm 17 years old, I'm going, I'm going to be going to Syracuse University for their theater program, finally pursuing my dream. My parents had moved us into an all-white neighborhood in the Bronx. I'm from the Bronx, New York, and I'm on my way home from my high school, and I'm on a bus, a public bus, and I'm noticing that we're sitting at a stop, but the bus driver has not opened the doors. And I look up, and there are at least 50 young white males in red bandanas with baseball bats running toward the bus. And they get to the bus, and they're saying, send out the ens. And I don't use the N-word, but you know what I mean. And I look around, the bus is crowded, but myself, a teenager, and the bus driver are the only Black people on the bus. And so I know I'm in trouble. And when he wouldn't open the doors and they couldn't break in, they started to try to turn over the bus. And the only thing that saved us was that another bus on the other side of the street filled with African Americans came, and they ran over there. And I got off the bus, went home, and when I got home, the only thing that I could think of, and it came up really in my spirit, was, "You are gonna have to do something about bringing people together around these issues." And this is a wonderful story because I knew what I was going to do. I was gonna be a performer. And yet, when I got to Syracuse, they started a new program on nonviolent conflict and change, and I changed into that major, and I've been doing this work ever since.
Thank you for sharing that story with us. The next question I have for you, Lynn, is what is the most valuable piece of information we should know that's within your expertise or industry?
The most valuable thing you should know is conflict is here to teach us about ourselves. As so many of us are afraid of it. But the truth is, the purpose of conflict is for you to really look at how you view it and how you engage in it.
And what is your best piece of overall business advice? So not necessarily industry specific.
My best piece of advice is listen more, no matter what it is you do and want to do in business. Listening and listening beneath the words, listening between the lines to what people are saying, really saying, is only going to get you the sale better. It's going to get you the relationship better. It's going to just make things better in your business because you're really going to start to understand what people want.
And if you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?
That would— my young self, hey, wake up faster. Just do what you really believe in no matter what other people say.
And in your opinion, what is the key to happiness?
The key to happiness is knowing who you are and standing in it no matter what comes at you. That's a search, that's a journey, but knowing who you are really helps you to stay grounded.
And what is the best book that you've read and what was the number one thing you learned from that?
Ah, the best book, Adyashanti's The End of Your World. I love it because he talks about the ego as being a mechanism that our mind uses to resist life as it is, so that if we actually push beyond ego, that we start to see things in life that we misinterpreted.
And what is your favorite quote and why?
Um, favorite quote, Marie Forleo's mother said, everything is, um, Oh my gosh, it just went out of my head. Everything's figureoutable. See, there it is. Everything's figureoutable changed my life when I started to be afraid that I was doing— as an entrepreneur, I had to figure everything out and I didn't think I could. I say that to myself and every single time I figure it out.
Yes, I love that. Thank you so much for coming on. The last question I have for you before we let you go is where's the best place for people to find you online?
People can find me at Lynn, L-Y-N-N-E, Maureen, M-A-U-R-E-E-N, Hurdle, H-U-R-D-L-E.com. LynnMaureenHurdle.com.
Perfect. Thank you again for joining us, Lynn. We really appreciate it.
Thank you.
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