# Saying No: The Art of Letting the Elk Walk Away

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/per-diem-podcast-7144619/saying-no-the-art-of-letting-the-elk-walk-away
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/per-diem-podcast-7144619/saying-no-the-art-of-letting-the-elk-walk-away.md
Podcast: [Per Diem Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/per-diem-podcast-7144619)
Published: 2026-04-16T08:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.perdiempodcast.com/episodes/e9VRltVc60S
Audio file: https://media.podcastai.com/episodes/e9VRltVc60S.mp3?u=1776337200
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/per-diem-podcast-7144619/episodes/saying-no-the-art-of-letting-the-elk-walk-away
Duration seconds: 2833

## Resource

In this episode, Keaton Turner begins with an apology and announces a brief podcast hiatus. He shares personal moments from a surprise retirement party and family celebrations, before diving into work and ongoing projects. Using an elk analogy, Keaton discusses the pursuit of big projects, weighing effort against opportunity, and recognizing when to walk away. He stresses the importance of communicating tough business decisions and shifting focus to smaller, manageable tasks. The discussion highlights the skill of saying no, evaluating customer value beyond price, and identifying project red flags. Keaton reflects on trusting instincts, finding peace in decisions, and wraps up with a request for podcast reviews.

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## Transcript

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