Creeps, Crooks & Courage: What Yadhav Mehra Taught Me About Authenticity, Power & Emotional Survival
We’ve all been there. That moment of second-guessing yourself in a meeting. That lingering guilt after saying “no” to a family member. That tight-lipped smile in the face of manipulation, because being the “bigger person” feels easier than confrontation.
But what if this isn’t emotional intelligence, but emotional sabotage?
On this episode of The AboutHer Show, I had the chance to sit down with Yadhav Mehra, TEDx speaker, corporate trainer, certified coach, and author of the piercingly honest book Creeps, Crooks, and Bastards.
This wasn’t just another podcast interview. It was an emotional excavation.
Why This Conversation Hits Harder Than Most
In a world that celebrates hustle culture, charming personalities, and the art of the “win,” Yadhav’s lens is refreshingly radical. He flips the spotlight onto those quietly losing, the emotionally available, the sincere, the peace-seekers. Or as he calls them, DGPs: Decent Good People.
His book and philosophy are built around two powerful archetypes:
- CCBs – Creeps, Crooks, and Bastards: people who manipulate, dominate, and get ahead by stepping on others.
- DGPs – Decent Good People: those who try to lead with honesty, growth, and fairness—often at the cost of being run over.
We talked about the emotional cost of being a “good” person, the traps women fall into when raised on guilt and peacekeeping, and how men must evolve beyond token allyship.
This episode is not a soft nudge. It’s a mirror. One that many will find uncomfortably accurate, and ultimately liberating.
Key Takeaways from the Episode
1) You Can’t Change a CCB – But You Can Outsmart One
Yadhav stresses that no matter how noble your intent, you cannot reform someone who thrives on manipulation. The real power lies in awareness and response, not in trying to “fix” people.
“You can’t change people, but you can learn to deal with them. And until you do, life will keep sending you the same lesson in different packaging.”
Also Read: From Forests to Fiction- Why This Conversation With Arefa Tehsin Will Stay With You
2) Childhood Conditioning Keeps Us Addicted to Approval
So many of us, especially women, are brought up to seek approval as proof of love. This creates a lifelong loop where we abandon our true selves just to be seen as “good.”
“The closer your social self and your authentic self move, the more emotionally grounded your life becomes.”
3) Women Face Unique Emotional Traps
From inherited guilt to perfectionist peacekeeping, women often live lives that look great on the outside but feel hollow within. Yadhav unpacks how these patterns form, and how to break them.
“Peace at the cost of self-worth isn’t peace. It’s a ticking emotional time bomb.”
4) Men Need to Show Up Differently
In a poignant segment, Yadhav calls out performative allyship and urges men to treat women not as damsels or colleagues who “need help,” but as equals, fully capable and deserving of respect.
“Stop treating women like they need rescuing. Stop judging them through your outdated lens. Treat them as intelligent, capable beings, and they will flourish.”
5) Vulnerability Isn’t Weakness- It’s Magnetic
With decades of training experience and having worked with over 100,000 people, Yadhav says the most powerful tool in any facilitator’s belt is vulnerability. That’s how people learn. That’s how they transform.
“When you align with someone’s pain truly, without judgment, you become a mirror, not a saviour. That’s when people open up.”
Memorable Quotes That Will Stay With You
- “You are the good wife, the good employee, the good citizen… and your goodness is letting the crooks prosper.”
- “Every time someone chooses harmony over truth, they silence their soul. And your soul keeps score.”
- “Don’t try to please the person who’s hurting you. That’s the deepest form of self-abandonment.”
- “Messiah of the Mediocres—yes, that’s what they call me. Because I don’t push people to be Gandhi or Dhoni. I help them just get unstuck, one small nudge at a time.”
About the Book
Creeps, Crooks, and Bastards is bold, unfiltered, and surprisingly relatable. Whether you’re dealing with emotional bullying at work, guilt traps at home, or your own inner critic—this book offers not just vocabulary, but a way out.
And for more formal settings, Yadhav has released an alternate version: Creeps, Crooks, and Bullies, same soul, just boardroom-appropriate branding.
Listen to the Full Episode
🎧 Click below to listen or watch the full conversation with Yadhav Mehra:
What You Can Do Next
- Reflect: Are you living for authenticity or approval?
- Read the Book: Pick up Creeps, Crooks, and Bastards at your nearest bookstore or online retailer.
- Share the Episode: Know someone who’s constantly playing peacekeeper or feeling emotionally drained? Send them this episode.
- Join the Conversation: Write back or comment below, what part of this conversation stayed with you the most?
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About the Author: Sangeeta Relan
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I’m Sangeeta Relan—an educator, writer, podcaster, researcher, and the founder of AboutHer. With over 30 years of experience teaching at the university level, I’ve also journeyed through life as a corporate wife, a mother, and now, a storyteller.
