Nobody at Work Is Your Friend: Relationships, Boundaries, and the Right Fit
Release Date: 10/14/2026
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info_outlineEvery career advice list says to protect your relationships. Almost nobody explains what that looks like day to day. Julia Hurley has built a real estate business, a political career, and an athlete management company on relationships, so she knows the how.
Julia and Bryce compare matchmaking in real estate and recruiting, and why buyers and candidates are both getting choosier. Julia explains how she teaches college athletes to be the CEO of their own lives by separating the people who support them from the people who manage their money and careers. She shares her rule of thumb for rental property and the "asset or liability" game she plays with her kids. She also explains why she believes nobody at work is your friend. The conversation ends with an honest look at what it takes to lead as a woman in the South.
This episode is for professionals managing their own career moves, anyone who has blurred the line between coworkers and family, and women who are often one of the few in the room.
About Julia Hurley:
Julia Hurley is a broker and the owner of Just Homes Group, a boutique real estate firm in Knoxville, Tennessee, with fifteen years in the industry and a business built almost entirely on past-client referrals. She is a former elected official, an author, and the founder of an athlete management and mentorship company. That company helps college athletes build investments, financial literacy, and professional teams that last beyond their playing days. She's a die-hard Tennessee Vols fan and plays "asset or liability" with her kids to teach them how money works.
Website: thejuliahurley.com | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/juliahurley
What We Cover:
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Introduction and Julia's path from public office to real estate to athlete management
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Why every industry Julia has worked in comes down to relationships
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How one athlete client turned into an athlete management business
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Why a burned bridge travels fast in niche industries like AEC
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What makes someone say yes to a move right now, and why buyers are getting choosier
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Real estate and recruiting as matchmaking
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Knoxville's growth, and what it can learn from Nashville's boom
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Teaching college athletes to be the CEO of their own lives
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Support system vs. management system
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The "asset or liability" game, and why your home is a liability
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The 1% rule for rental property
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The worst career lesson Julia learned: nobody in business is your friend
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Leading as a woman in the South
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Where to find Julia and her books + closing thoughts
Key Takeaways:
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Separate your support system from your management system. The people who helped you get here deserve your loyalty. They don't automatically get a vote on your next move.
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Hire your advisors independently. When one stops fitting, you can replace that person without unraveling everything else.
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Work relationships need boundaries. You can golf with your boss and go to dinner at their house, but when "we're family" replaces clear expectations, people get hurt.
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The right fit has to line up on every front at once: location, people, money, and timing. That's true for a house and for a job.
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For women who are one of the few in the room, stepping into the conversation is not optional. If you don't insert yourself, you're out of it, even if no one meant to leave you out.
Resources + Links:
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Julia's website: thejuliahurley.com
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Julia on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/juliahurley
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Just Homes Group: justhomesgroup.com
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Julia's books, a children's book and a real estate coaching book, available at thejuliahurley.com
This episode includes discussion of real estate and investing for informational purposes only. Nothing in it is financial advice.