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How to Be a Boss: 18 Tips from This Is Us’ Randall and Beth Pearson

Photo collage of four characters from This Is Us. From left to right, Deja (Lyric Ross), Beth Pearson (Susan Kelechi Watson), Randall Pearson (Sterling K Brown)and Kevin (Justin Hartley).

So you wanna be a boss. Netflix andchillwill yourself to get off the couch already.How to Be a Boss (According to Your Favorite Shows)is your excuse to binge all the TV you want. It’s career inspiration, right? As for me, chain-watching teen dramas now qualifies as research to bring you this informative series. We all win.


There’s a lot of big boss energy surrounding the characters ofThis Is Us. It’s all thanks to Rebecca and Jack Pearson, who raised a trio of kids at once (go Big Three!) and absolutelyownedthe task, passing down some fierce life skills to their kids. And, really, to all of us.

It is Randall, though, who grasped what it really means to be a boss, even from a young age. I mean, look at those crisp button-ups! It’s he who has proved—one tear-filled moment at a time—that he’s next in line for the Pearson throne. But wait. Who evenisRandall without Beth? (Brandall, we stan!)

When your life begins by getting abandoned at a fire station, up is really the only way to go. Thus, Randall lives and breathes Dr. K’s mantra: “There’s no lemon so sour that you can’t make something resembling lemonade.” Here’s what we learned from Randall, Beth, and deliciously flawed characters ofThis Is Usabout how to win at business and life.

1. Shop talk isn’t pillow talk, even if yourlife partner is also your business partner.
Randall Pearson (Sterling K. Brown) stands behind Beth Pearson (Susan Kelechi Watson) who sits in front of a mirror in an episode of This Is Us.
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2. Learn what to do (and, in some cases, whatnotto do) from those around you.
Kevin Pearson (Justin Hartley) talks on a mobile phone outside a studio in an episode of This Is Us.
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3. Dress to impress.
Beth Pearson (Susan Kelechi Watson) sits at an office desk covered in papers, smiling off camera in an episode of This Is Us.
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4. ...even on your days off. After all,opportunities can strike at any time.
Beth Pearson (Susan Kelechi Watson) wears a blue top and leans against a wall in an episode of This Is Us.
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5. But maybe leave the power-clashing to someone who can pull it off.
Toby (Chris Sullivan) sits in front of a blue mural wearing a plaid jacket and shirt in an episode of This Is Us.
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6. ABC (Always Be Curious).
一个年轻的兰德尔·皮尔森(Niles惠誉)its at a table with a coffee mug while holding a magazine in an episode of This Is Us.
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7. Find a mentor who’s been through it all.
Portrait of William (Ron Cephas Jones) looking off camera in an episode of This Is Us.
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8. ...andpass along your lessons to the youth(even if they’ll probably have to learn the hard way).
Randall Pearson (Sterling K. Brown) crouches to speak to his daughters in an outdoor scene in an episode of This Is Us.
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9. But remember that you can learn a lot from them too. Just brush up on your gen Z speak first, dad. #hardo
Deja (left), Annie Pearson (middle), and Tess Pearson (foreground) sit in a living room looking off camera in an episode of This Is Us. Crayons and craft supplies cover a coffee table between them.
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10.It’s OK to be emotional during your journey. (Just never let your competitive brother see you cry.)
Kevin (Justin Hartley), Randall (Sterling K. Brown), and Beth Pearson (Susan Kelechi Watson) sit in a dark, crowded theater in an episode of This Is Us.
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11. Seek outa business partner who makes you better. Because who would Randall be without Beth?
Randall Pearson (Sterling K. Brown) stands behind Beth Pearson (Susan Kelechi Watson) hugging her in the kitchen in an episode of This Is Us.
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12. You’re never too old to get advice from your mom (and hopefully she’s as perfect as Rebecca Pearson).
一个年轻的兰德尔·皮尔森(Niles惠誉)its across from his mom Rebecca Pearson (Mandy Moore) at a kitchen table in an episode of This Is Us.
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13. Feedback is a gift. Even if you don’t want to hear it from your better half who tells it to you straight.
Beth Pearson (Susan Kelechi Watson) looks off camera with a serious expression in an episode of This Is Us.
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14. Perfect your stony, confident stare. It’ll serve you well during tough negotiations.
Randall Pearson (Sterling K. Brown) stands leaning against a mint door, looking off camera with a serious expression in an episode of This Is Us.
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15. ...but, um, lighten up every once in a while.
Randall Pearson (Sterling K. Brown) smiles off camera in an outdoor scene in an episode of This Is Us.
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16. Hustle hard for what you want—being a boss (and a mom)doesn’t stop at 5 pm.
Beth Pearson (Susan Kelechi Watson) stands outdoors leaning on the door of her car in an episode of This Is Us.
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17. On your way to the top,never forget where you came from(even if it’s areallylong story).
一个年轻的兰德尔·皮尔森(Niles惠誉)its at a table with a sandwich while holding a paper in an episode of This Is Us.
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18. And always rememberwhy all of this effort mattersin the first place.
Deja (Lyric Ross) sits in front of a peach wall smiling in an episode of This Is Us.
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Feature image by Niall McClelland
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