Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Speak Your Mind Unapologetically Podcast

Change is hard, yet it a common reality. Dr. Ellie Gates, who led the Adobe Check-In redesign that replaced annual performance reviews, says the old change management playbook is dead. Change is now constant, and what organizations need instead is change agility.

In this episode, Dr. Gates breaks down why people resist change even when it makes sense, why leaders and employees go through the same change at completely different times, and what it really took to get rid of annual reviews at a company the size of Adobe.

What you'll get from this episode:

• The 3 levels of resistance to change (I don't get it, I don't like it, I don't like you) and how to address each one
• Why leaders are crossing the finish line of a change just as employees find out there's a race, and what to do about it
• How a pre-mortem helps you anticipate resistance before you launch
• The early signs a change is not landing, and why waiting for those signs means you're already behind
• Which parts of traditional change management still matter, and what has to give way to change agility
• How middle managers can lead a change they didn't choose, while still processing it themselves, by focusing on what is still in their control
• Inside Adobe's Check-In: why they scrapped annual reviews, why they refused to rush a replacement, how they brought the resisters in, and how it saved over 80,000 management hours in a single year
• How one CEO told his team the truth before missing payroll, and lost no more than 10% of his people
• Three things to start this week, including how to diagnose your own resistance to change

About Dr. Ellie Gates

Dr. Ellie C. Gates, DSL, is an Assistant Teaching Professor at CU Boulder's Leeds School of Business and Founder of BusinessTechne and the Human Ingenuity AI Foundation. For over 25 years, she has partnered with C-level executives at Microsoft, Adobe, T-Mobile, Box, and Snowflake on their hardest transformations. At Adobe, she led the Check-In performance redesign that saved 80,000 management hours and cut voluntary turnover by 30 percent. Trained in Strategic Foresight, she reads emerging trends before most leaders know to look. She holds a Doctorate of Strategic Leadership and a Master's in Organizational Leadership and Business Administration. She is a change agent at heart.

Connect with Dr. Ellie Gates:
✅ BusinessTechne: https://www.businesstechne.com
✅ Human Ingenuity AI Foundation: https://www.businesstechne.com/hiai/
✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliecgates

Mentioned in this episode:

• Beyond the Wall of Resistance by Rick Maurer
• The ADKAR change model (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement)
• Mike Robbins, author and speaker on feedback

More from Speak Your Mind Unapologetically:
✅ Free Newsletter: https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/
✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?': https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader
✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/

Most of us check the odds before we try something big. MIT-trained engineer and serial founder Sanjay Manandhar, author of The Why Not Advantage, says that's the wrong number to look at. A statistic describes the crowd, not you.

At 16, Sanjay applied to US schools from Kathmandu. He needed a full scholarship and airfare, and his friends asked if he was nuts. In this conversation, he shares the formula he uses to rewrite his odds, what a Nobel Prize winner's 40 years of persistence teaches about timing, and why your odds change the moment you take action.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why "probability does not exist," and the difference between the crowd's odds and your personal odds
• The BPCA formula (Belief x Preparation x Context x Action), and why a zero in any one variable takes your odds to zero
• The variable people underestimate most, and why the hardest negotiation is the one with yourself
• What Katalin Karikó's path to the Nobel Prize reveals about preparing for the moment context turns in your favor
• "Activation energy": why progress feels stuck right before a breakthrough, and how to push through
• Why any action beats overthinking when you're stuck, even if it isn't the perfect move
• How to keep your conviction without falling into confirmation bias or following the crowd, with lessons from the dot-com bubble and Theranos
• The deathbed test and the five-year test: two tools to decide what to do this week

About Sanjay Manandhar:
Sanjay Manandhar is a serial technology entrepreneur, mentor, and author of The Why Not Advantage: How Small Probabilities Create Outsized Outcomes. Originally from Nepal, he is an MIT-trained engineer. In 1994, he helped bring the internet to Nepal, and he has since founded and led multiple technology companies. He lives in Cambridge, MA, and loves trekking and motorbiking.

Connect with Sanjay:
Book and author site: https://sanjaymanandhar.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjaymanandhar

The Why Not Advantage is available on Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook.

Mentioned in this episode:
Bruno de Finetti, Italian mathematician
Katalin Karikó, Nobel laureate and mRNA vaccine pioneer
Bronnie Ware, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying

Know someone usure of which path to follow? Send them this episode.

 

Quotes from Sanjay:
"Your odds change in your favor the moment you take action."
"You don't get to run your venture 1,000 times or your career move 1,000 times. You have one chance, maybe two."
"Negotiating with a counterparty is hard. The harder part is actually negotiating with yourself."

 

Chapters:
00:00 Agency, and why the odds you're quoted aren't your odds
01:17 "If you think of it, do it": his mother's advice about time
05:01 One talk to 60 people that led to an $80M startup
08:07 "Probability does not exist": the idea behind the book
10:39 The BPCA formula: why one zero sinks your odds
13:11 The Nobel winner who waited 40 years for her moment
18:05 The variable people underestimate most
19:55 Survivorship bias: is beating the odds just luck?
23:29 Why almost everyone who starts a marathon finishes
26:04 Activation energy: why water won't boil at 99.5°C
30:13 Overthinking? Any action beats the perfect action
34:00 Conviction vs. the crowd: lessons from bubbles and Theranos
39:07 The deathbed test: what you'll regret not doing

 

How do you disagree with a superior or your boss when you see a problem in a decision you still have to deliver? How do you influence senior leaders when you don't have the final say?

In this episode of Speak Your Mind Unapologetically, Ivna Curi explores managing up and upward influence through two real workplace stories from her book, Unapologetic Voice.

Amy spent six months building a business case after senior leaders dismissed a gap she saw in their plan. Rebecca challenged a leader's approach to restructuring by proposing an alternative that addressed his concern about confidentiality.

Their experiences reveal practical ways to challenge a decision, earn consideration for your ideas, and help your organization improve.

You'll discover:

• How to disagree with your boss when your first concern gets dismissed: What to reconsider before repeating the same argument.
• How to get senior leadership buy-in: Connect your recommendation to business consequences and the results leaders want.
• How to push back without sounding combative: Address what the decision-maker is trying to achieve or protect.
• How to build a stronger business case: Use individual conversations to test assumptions, understand objections, and improve your proposal.
• How to recognize progress when you don't get a full yes: Evaluate whether a workable compromise improves the decision.
• Three questions to prepare for a difficult conversation with your boss or a superior: Identify your disagreement, understand their concern, and propose a specific alternative.

If you're a manager, director, or VP navigating a rejected idea, an overlooked risk, or a decision you believe needs reconsideration, this episode is for you.

Share this episode with a colleague working to get a useful perspective heard, and follow Speak Your Mind Unapologetically for more on leadership communication and upward influence.

Being kind at work is easy when things are going well. Smiling, saying thank you, listening, remembering birthdays. The real test is what you do when there is a problem, a conflict, or a disagreement.

This episode is a self-assessment. Twelve everyday workplace moments that look polite on the surface and cost someone else something real. Escalating to a manager before ever telling the colleague what the problem is. Staying silent in a meeting, then criticizing the decision privately afterward. Calling someone disrespectful instead of naming the behavior. Saying yes when you mean no. Redoing a team member's work instead of telling them what to change.

The pattern underneath all twelve is the same. Avoiding an uncomfortable conversation feels like kindness to the person doing the avoiding, and transfers the cost to someone else in the form of lost information, lost time, lost reputation, or a lost opportunity.

Here is the test: if your discomfort leaves someone else worse off on information, time, reputation, or opportunity, that is not kindness.

Go through the twelve. For each one, decide honestly whether you are being kind or protecting your own comfort. Then pick one to change this week.

Key takeaways

• Kindness measured in easy moments is worthless as a measure. What counts is how you behave when something is wrong.
• Avoidance is not neutral. It moves the cost off you and onto someone else.
• Directness is part of respect, not the opposite of it. Warmth plus avoidance is still a cost passed to somebody.
• Character labels like difficult, toxic, abrasive, and disrespectful attack identity and give the other person nothing to act on. Behavior plus impact plus a specific request does.
• People can only fix what they know about. Usable information delivered early is the actual kindness.
• Leaders set the standard here. How you handle a disagreement teaches your team what is allowed.

The 12 checks 

1. Escalating to a manager before telling the colleague what the behavior is
2. Escalating without one conversation plus one reminder first
3. Staying silent in a meeting, which reads as agreement
4. Criticizing the decision privately after the meeting ends
5. Using character labels instead of naming behavior and impact
6. Being warm and polite as a way to avoid the real conversation
7. Saying yes when you mean no, then delaying and under-delivering
8. Passing someone over for an opportunity without naming the gap
9. Ghosting an email because you do not know what to say yet
10. Watching work go the wrong direction for weeks before correcting it
11. Redoing someone's work instead of explaining what needs to change
12. Concluding someone is not ready without ever telling them why

Most people who challenge a superior's decision get it wrong. They oppose. Nita Patel, VP of Engineering at Otis, says the people who have changed her mind did something else: they stayed curious. They asked what happens after step two. They wanted to understand rather than object. By the end of the conversation she is the one asking them what they think, without realizing she was challenged at all.

That works because of the larger skill underneath it. Nita calls herself a translator, estimating 30 to 40% of her time goes to it: working out why a meeting matters, what the goal is, and which pieces of information will get someone there. The translation changes depending on whom you're speaking to. What she presents to a CEO is different from what she presents to the team building it or to a cross-functional peer.

She splits translation in two. Translating an idea to stakeholders means finding the intent and explaining it separately to each group that has to buy-in. Translating an idea into action means breaking the problem down and moving forward before the full plan is in place. She used both to launch the first IEEE Women in Engineering International Leadership Conference, arguing that sometimes you take the leap and build the wings on the way down.

She also names the Toastmasters feedback that changed her most: that she assumes too much and jumps straight to the answer. And she explains why technical leaders labeled direct or difficult are usually being read as too focused on the detail.

 

If you have ever had a good idea die on the way up, this episode is about the trip.

00:00 Meet Nita Patel, VP of Engineering at Otis
01:17 What Chess Teaches About Anticipating the Other Side
02:11 Know the Rules So the Unexpected Move Does Not Derail You
02:58 How to Make a Fair Call When the Rulebook Runs Out
03:56 Where Confidence Comes From in a Gray-Area Decision
04:35 Rules, Experience, Fallbacks: The Three Sources of Confidence
06:15 When Following the Process Costs You the Objective
07:30 Why the Analytically Best Move Is Not Always the Right One
09:02 How to Translate an Idea So Each Stakeholder Cares
10:25 Breaking a Big Idea Down So Others Can Act on It
10:47 Pitch Before It Is Perfect: Build the Wings on the Way Down
13:09 Hold the Why, Stay Flexible on the How
14:03 How to Challenge Your Boss Without It Feeling Like a Challenge
16:39 The Questions That Actually Change a Leader's Mind
19:39 Why "Too Direct" Usually Means "Too Detailed"
22:13 Find the Real Problem Before You Solve the Wrong One
25:56 The Feedback That Changed How She Briefs Executives
30:57 Why 30 to 40% of a VP's Week Goes to Translation
32:13 Nita's Closing Advice: Everyone Has Influence to Use

Two Ways to Fail: Give Up or Die." How Sigma Software CEO Katherine Built a Foreign Office, Completed a Half Ironman, and Learned to Lead on One Rule

"There are only two ways to fail: give up or die. And neither is a reasonable option."

That is the saying Katherine's team uses to remind themselves who they are. She means it literally. When she was trying to open Sigma Software Group's first Latin American office, she tried recruiting agencies, acquisition targets, universities, and different countries for an entire year. Nothing worked. Then in a brainstorming session, someone mentioned speaking at a developer conference. She found one in Brazil, submitted a paper, got accepted to one of the most selective conferences in the region, went, fell in love with the community, and pivoted the entire Latin American strategy to Brazil on the spot.

Then she went back to the same conference the following year and gave her talk in Portuguese. She had submitted the paper in December, in Portuguese, with a translator. The conference was in March. She did not speak Portuguese. She had three months to learn.

Katherine rose from junior software developer to CEO of Sigma Software Group Americas in 16 years. In this episode, she is completely direct about how she actually did it — not as a philosophy, but as a series of specific situations where she refused to stop.

You'll learn:

• How she spent a year hitting walls trying to open a Latin American office, the random brainstorming idea that changed everything, and why resolve in the goal combined with total flexibility in the approach is what finally broke through.
• Why she submitted a conference paper in a language she couldn't speak, learned Portuguese in three months with 15 minutes a day of consistent practice, and used the speech itself to encourage Brazilian engineers not to be afraid of making mistakes in English.
• The grandmother she is named after: a high-level judge described by everyone as tough, smart, and fair. Never nice or sweet. And why Katherine wants to invoke strong opinions rather than be universally liked.
• Why she believes being perceived as aggressive is an acceptable trade-off for being decisive and authentic — and where she draws the line between assertive and actually offensive.
• Her father's career advice that drives her decisiveness: "A wrong direction is better than no direction." Make the call, correct fast, keep moving.
• What she learned from completing a Half Ironman — 1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles on a bike, then a half marathon. She was terrified of the bike, had crashes, had scars, genuinely questioned whether to continue. She finished. She signed up for another one.
• How she managed a solo transatlantic flight from Barcelona to Dallas with a one-year-old and a not-yet-three-year-old by accepting beforehand that it would be horrible — and why pre-accepting the struggle removes the frustration when it arrives.
• The two tools she uses when doubt sets in: reminding herself of hard things she has already done, and surrounding herself with people who will do the same reminding when she can't.

About Katherine: CEO of Sigma Software Group Americas, Katherine rose from junior software developer to CEO in 16 years. She leads the Americas expansion for a global software company originally founded in Eastern Europe, including building the company's Brazilian office from the ground up. She is also a Half Ironman finisher and a Portuguese speaker.

 

Her first year in corporate. She noticed her male peer was getting more technical work than her. She raised it with her supervisor — not loudly, not aggressively, just directly. Instead of addressing it with her, the supervisor took it to a broader forum and told others there was "a trouble candidate in the team." The message filtered back to her. She had asked for fair treatment and had been labeled a problem for it.

What happened next is what makes the story worth hearing. A senior leader stepped in, routed someone to talk to her properly, understood what she actually needed, and gave her a product certification project. She suspected it was a test. She treated it like an opportunity. She delivered. That quarter, she won a company excellence award.

Aditi is Managing Director at Accenture's Cloud First Data and AI Group, where she leads digital transformation for large clients. She has been called outspoken — a label she has never apologized for — and decisive, a word she noticed women rarely claim for themselves.

In this episode she gets specific about what it actually looks like to speak up when you're new, when the reception is hostile, and when the outcome is uncertain.

You'll hear:

• Why being labeled "trouble" for asking a fair question was the moment that taught her the most about how organizations actually work — and why she considers the outcome a net positive even though it was uncomfortable to live through.
• What she did when a senior client contact told her directly "I don't think you even know this stuff." She didn't react. She absorbed it, reported it proactively to her leadership before it could reach them filtered through someone else, and stayed focused on delivery. What she learned about the difference between reacting and responding.
• Why outspokenness without data is just noise — and why outspokenness backed by facts, research, and conviction is one of the most useful things a leader can bring to a team.
• How she creates conditions for her own team members to speak up — and why, when she opens a conversation by sharing her own honest view first, she consistently finds that people who had something to say but were waiting for permission start talking.
• What "decisive" actually means in practice when you're managing a team with competing voices, a client with high expectations, and no time to wait for perfect information.

About Aditi: Managing Director, Accenture Cloud First Data and AI Group. Digital transformation leader.

She Stopped Leading With Her Title and Started Saying "I'm a Technology and Business Diplomat." People Immediately Wanted to Know More. Equifax SVP D'Lovely on Networking, Personal Boards, and Career Infrastructure

She was laid off twice. Both times, by the time the hiring manager called her, three or four people at the company had already been talking about her. Not because she got lucky. Because she had spent months having breakfasts, following up on cold contacts, asking questions instead of pitching, and making it easy for people to pass her name along. One of those contacts had been on a month-long holiday — not ignoring her. She kept following up. They finally had lunch. That person said: "You're the real deal." She talked to people. The hiring manager called within a month.

D'Lovely is SVP of Product, Data and Analytics, and Technology Planning and Execution at Equifax, a finalist for Woman of the Year in Engineering by the Women in Technology organization, and the person who calls herself a "Technology and Business Diplomat" — a title that took years to develop and immediately makes people want to know more.

In this episode, she breaks down how networking actually works as a career infrastructure system, not a social obligation.

You'll learn:

• Why being laid off the first time forced her to admit her network wasn't working — she was going to events and talking to people, but she wasn't being methodical. What changed after that realization and how she got both subsequent roles entirely through network relationships.
• The five-week story: how she targeted a specific company, got stonewalled on LinkedIn, shifted to building relationships across the organization, finally got a lunch, listened more than she talked, and had the hiring manager call her a month later saying people had been talking about her.
• Why "I need a job" is the wrong thing to be broadcasting in your network — and what to ask for instead. Almost nobody has a job in their pocket, but everybody can give you their story, their honest read on a company's culture, and an introduction to someone who needs to know you exist.
• The three-tier model for a personal board of directors: close inner circle, mid-range colleagues in similar roles and at similar levels, and the periphery of executive mentors and coaches. Who belongs in each tier, how often you should connect with each, and why having everyone at the same level above you actually limits what your board can do for you.
• Why you should never introduce yourself by listing what you do — and how to develop a power statement that makes the other person immediately want to know more. The difference between "I manage software projects" and "I turn engineering chaos into customer results."
• The exact tactics for staying top of mind without being annoying: leaving voicemails during your commute, following up twice without apology, sending a draft message someone can forward on your behalf so they have to do almost nothing to help you. Make it easy, close the deal, don't wait to be remembered.
• Why the most important networking conversations never mention work at all — and how those are often the ones that lead to the most powerful long-term relationships.

About D'Lovely: SVP of Product, Data and Analytics, and Technology Planning and Execution at Equifax. Finalist, Woman of the Year in Engineering, Women in Technology. Self-described Technology and Business Diplomat. Based in Atlanta.

She credits three people with transforming her career trajectory at AWS and beyond. Tatiana got her into AWS. Wayne sponsored her advancement within it. Dan helped her break into venture capital as a partner at Felicis Ventures. She did not stumble into these relationships. She built them intentionally, maintained them with discipline, and gave back at every stage — even when what she could give seemed small compared to what she was receiving.

Nancy was Director and General Manager at AWS Data Protection when this episode was recorded. She has since been promoted to CTO. She is also the founder of Advancing Women in Tech (AWIT), a venture partner at Felicis Ventures, and served on the board of UPenn's School of Engineering Online. She gave the commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania. The central idea of that speech: build your personal board of directors.

In this episode, she breaks down the full framework.

You'll learn:

• Why she calls her personal board of directors the most important career strategy she has used, and what it gave her that mentors, managers, and luck could not.
• The three specific people on her board, what each one did for her, and how those relationships were built over time rather than asked for upfront.
• The right way to ask for raw, unfiltered feedback from someone who outranks you significantly — including why the first or second meeting is almost never the right time, and what you need to establish first.
• Why follow-through is a bigger differentiator than IQ, communication skills, or credentials. "They need to want it more than you want it for them" — the advice from her own board member that she now uses with every mentee she works with.
• How compound interest applies to professional relationships: why small, consistent gestures build more than a single impressive one, and what she does quarterly to keep her board relationships healthy without it feeling transactional.
• She was preparing to meet a Fortune 500 CEO to ask him to join her board. His dog had just had surgery. She planned to bring dog treats. The reminder: every successful person is still just a human being, and treating them that way is both the right approach and the most effective one.
• The Lululemon wardrobe mistake: her first Silicon Valley job, she bought a whole new wardrobe to fit in with the casual culture. Hated it. Didn't feel herself. What she learned about knowing who you are and using that as a career filter rather than a liability.
• Why at her leadership level she says no far more often than yes, why she uses Amazon's "have backbone, disagree and commit" principle to push back when the room disagrees with her, and what she tells her mentees about having the courage to hold the unpopular opinion.

About Nancy: At the time of this recording, Nancy was Director and General Manager, AWS Data Protection at Amazon Web Services. She has since been promoted to CTO. She is also the founder of Advancing Women in Tech (AWIT), a venture partner at Felicis Ventures, and has served on the board of directors of the UPenn School of Engineering Online. AWIT's Coursera curriculum has reached tens of thousands of learners globally.

Advancing Women in Tech: https://www.advancingwomenintech.org/

She came to the United States from Cameroon almost 30 years ago with a master's degree in education, almost no exposure to computers, and a goal to pursue a doctorate. Her two sisters, both already in IT careers, redirected her. She thought she could never succeed in the field. She became an IT help desk worker. Then a network administrator. Then an IT manager. Then a director. Then a CIO. Then a COO in Spain. Then a Chief Technology and Innovation Officer. Then a Vice President and CIO at a California State University. Her PhD — the original goal from 1995 — she completed in 2019. Twenty-four years later than planned.

Dr. Monique is Vice President for Information Technology and CIO at California State University, Chico, and a multiple CIO award winner. In this episode, she shares the specific moments — some planned, some forced on her — that defined how she uses her voice to steer her career.

You'll learn:

• Dr. Monique was the only person of color in senior leadership at an elite STEM university. She organized the conversation her organization wasn't having: a roundtable on race and social justice with her IT team. She went first, dropped her own protective mask, and shared her own experiences with racism — which is what unlocked everyone else. The sessions grew into a six-cohort DEI program across the entire university, co-developed under her executive vice president.
• A junior male employee publicly questioned in a group meeting whether she was being overpaid. Her two white male predecessors' salaries had never been questioned by that same group. She stood up calmly and said: "I did not come to this meeting to discuss my salary. But if I must, I believe I am appropriately compensated for the work that I do." The room went silent.
• How she trained herself to respond to the angry Black woman stereotype: when emotions rise, her voice drops lower instead of higher. She slows down. She puts her hands on her thighs. She stands with her feet flat on the ground. She stated her intention to her team before a difficult conversation: "I am standing up not to be overpowering, but because having my feet on the ground helps me control my emotions." Days later, people were still reaching out saying it changed how they see her.
• At a conference in Chicago, a vendor friend insisted she skip the Super Bowl to meet someone he knew. She agreed. The stranger asked her about her career. She "unabashedly spoke up" about her achievements. He told her they were building a role to lead technological innovation. She applied. She got the job as Chief Technology and Innovation Officer.
• She applied for Deputy CIO at the Colorado School of Mines with none of the required higher education experience. Got interviewed. Got the job. Eight months later: interim CIO. Three months after that: full CIO. She directly asked her executive vice president there to sponsor her — sharing her goals specifically and asking for stretch assignments. That EVP let her serve as deputy COO while still serving as CIO.
• The framework she and Ivna coin in this episode: "confident humility." Women often embrace the humility and delete the confidence. The combination of both — taking no apologies for what she has accomplished while doing so with poise and grace — is what she credits for attracting sponsors throughout her career.
• Why she asks directly for sponsorship by naming specific career goals and specific asks, and why she audits her sponsor network regularly — including thinking about what would happen to her if her strongest advocate left the organization tomorrow.

About Dr. Monique: Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at California State University, Chico. Multiple CIO award winner. Immigrant from Cameroon. Former CIO at Colorado School of Mines, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, and Chief Operating Officer in Spain. PhD in Education and Organizational Leadership. Started her IT career at the help desk.

Her Peer Kept Misattributing Statements to Her Team. She Let It Slide Once. The Second Time She Confronted Her Directly.

She had a verbal offer within four days. They were eager. Before she accepted, she called HR and said: "Before I accept, I want to speak with my manager's manager." That request could have cost her the role entirely. She had already weighed it: if they say no, that tells me everything I need to know about this culture. If they say yes, I make a more informed decision. Within 24 hours, the executive cleared his calendar during a conference lunch and took a 30-minute call. He opened with: "What questions do you have for me?" She asked everything. She took the job.

Saadia is Global Chief Information and Technology Officer at Coverys, a medical liability company, with 20 years of IT experience across multiple Fortune 100 companies. In this episode, she walks through the specific moments in her career where courage was required — and exactly how she built it.

You'll learn:

• Her peer kept misattributing statements to her and her team in leadership meetings. She let the first incident slide. The second time, she requested a direct conversation: "This is what I heard. You were named as having stated this. Can you explain why?" The peer was speechless. Saadia set a clear expectation for next time — and never had the problem again.
• How she built a two-year disagreement relationship with a boss who actually respected being challenged: listen first before responding, don't feel obligated to disagree on the spot, return with facts, and always explain your thought process rather than just your conclusion.
• The career pivot her mentor pushed her into: leave IT entirely — her entire professional identity — and take a business strategy role with a Chief Marketing Officer. She lost her direct reports and became an individual contributor. Her biggest fear: disrupt her tech trajectory and never get back. Her mentor's answer: "Try it. If you don't like it, come back." She did it for two years, returned to IT as an executive, and credits that pivot for how she now thinks about strategy, stakeholders, and technology implementation.
• Why she stopped procrastinating in meetings after watching male peers say her exact ideas out loud and get the credit. The mindset that unlocked it: "I am in this room for a reason, and so is everyone else. Equal footing." Think you're the smartest: you stop listening. Think you're the worst: you stop speaking. Find the middle.
• Her direct advice on bias: keep an eye on how your ideas and voice are treated from day one. You will know quickly whether biases exist. Your manager and your peers are the most critical variables. If your manager has bias toward you, it will not work. Find a leader who respects what you bring, not just who you are.
• Why she proves herself to herself rather than to others — and why she has watched other women leaders make flawed decisions every time they shifted into "proving to others" mode.
• The skip-level coffee chat practice she has run for four years: meets individual contributors without their managers, no script, asks what challenges they are facing, never names names when sharing themes upward. The trust it builds has changed how her organization speaks up.

About Saadia: Global Chief Information and Technology Officer at Coverys, a medical liability company. Saadia has 20 years of IT leadership experience across multiple Fortune 100 companies and is a recognized voice on courage, leadership, and building speak-up cultures in technology organizations.

She Told Her Director "Your Actions Don't Support That Opinion." He Apologized. Harley-Davidson's Ashwini on Self-Advocacy, Disrespect, and Owning Your Career

She had a new director who made every interaction feel disrespectful — no matter the topic, no matter how well she was performing. It wasn't the work. It was the treatment. She hit her limit, went to her manager, and said: "There are only two paths. I have a crucial conversation with the director, or we go different directions." The meeting was scheduled. She opened by asking the director directly what he thought of her work. He praised her for two minutes. Then she said: "Your actions don't support that opinion. I don't feel respected when we interact. I don't feel wanted in this department." He was taken aback. He apologized. They reset. She went into that meeting prepared to lose her job if she had to — and she walked out with a relationship she could actually work in.

Ashwini holds a bachelor's and master's in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan. She spent over 20 years in automotive before moving to the motorcycle industry, where she is now Head of Motorcycle Development Strategy and Operations at Harley-Davidson Motor Company — one of the most male-dominated sectors in manufacturing. She is also President of the Automotive Women's Alliance Foundation (AWAF). And she will be the first to tell you she has never had a long-term sponsor.

In this episode, she is completely direct about what has actually driven her career forward.

You'll learn:

• Why she spent the first decade of her career with her head down doing great work, why it was necessary but not sufficient, and the moment she realized nobody outside her immediate area knew she had the appetite or ability to grow beyond it.
• Why she believes there is only one completely reliable advocate you will ever have, why most women are better at being advocates for others than for themselves, and how she built that muscle precisely because she didn't have a long-term sponsor.
• The full story of the disrespectful director: how she identified the problem, how she structured the conversation, why she led with "what do you think of my work?" before stating her case, and why going in prepared to lose her job is what gave her the confidence to say what needed to be said.
• The mentee who called her on a weekend in tears saying "I feel stupid." How Ashwini diagnosed the real problem (disrespect, not technical gaps), reached into her network to move the mentee to a different department, and how the same HR contact she helped later reached out to recommend her for a strategy role — a direct return on giving she never could have predicted.
• Why she describes her sponsors as "situational" rather than long-term, what that means in practice, and why she thinks the traditional sponsor model is harder to find than people admit.
• How she uses her role as AWAF president — where she manages an entire P&L — as a judgment-free environment to build skills that corporate rarely hands to women: financial leadership, public speaking, board-level decision making.
• The four A's feedback framework she uses with her leadership team: Appreciate, Assess, Action, Align — and how it prevents feedback from crossing into personal attack territory.
• Why she believes assertiveness and humility come from the same foundation, not opposing ones — and how saying "I don't know, and here's my plan to close that gap" has enabled her to pivot more successfully than projecting false confidence ever could.

About Ashwini: Head of Motorcycle Development Strategy and Operations at Harley-Davidson Motor Company and President of the Automotive Women's Alliance Foundation (AWAF). She holds a BS and MS in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and has spent over two decades in engineering and strategy leadership across automotive and motorcycle industries.

She Won a 40 Under 40 Award and Kept It Private. It Took Her 12 Years to Say Out Loud She Wanted to Be an Executive. People2.0 VP Erika on Self-Advocacy for People Pleasers

She received the SIA 40 Under 40 award. It was a big deal. And she kept it almost entirely to herself. She didn't know how to celebrate it externally without coming across as cocky. She treated it like a private accomplishment. Then she called her former leaders Kip Wright and Sunny Ackerman for advice on how to own it and talk about it. Their response changed how she thinks about her entire career: "Erika, if you don't tell the people around you — your internal sponsors, your mentors, everyone outside — we don't know how to help you get there."

That conversation also came with another realization. It had taken her over 12 years to say out loud, to anyone, that she wanted to become a company executive. Not because she didn't want it. Because the impostor syndrome was that loud.

Erika is VP of Strategic Account Management at People2.0, a SIA 40 Under 40 honoree, and by her own description a recovering people pleaser. She spent most of her early career waiting for leaders to notice her, navigate for her, and tap her for opportunities. It worked — until it stopped working. When she hit a plateau at Manpower, she realized: "If I didn't take those steps on my own, I would have stayed where I was at and probably gone stagnant."

In this episode, she breaks down what changed and how.

You'll learn:

• Why she kept her 40 Under 40 recognition private, what it felt like to not know how to celebrate her own win, and the mentor conversation that finally unlocked her ability to speak about her accomplishments.
• What it means to hit a career plateau as a people pleaser, and the moment she understood that waiting for others to drive her career was a strategy with an expiration date.
• Why she reached out to former leaders Kip Wright and Sunny Ackerman when she was ready to make a move, and why outside perspectives from people who know your results but are no longer your direct managers are some of the most valuable career input you can get.
• The 3 criteria she uses to choose mentors and sponsors who will actually move the needle for you.
• How she negotiated for work-life balance after years of traveling up to 90% of the time as a mother of two, and why the interview stage is the highest-leverage moment to ask for what you need.
• Why data-driven conversations change everything in salary and promotion negotiations: "For the past 24 months, I hit my targets at X amount" is a different conversation than "I think I deserve a raise."
• How to talk about your accomplishments in a way that reads as confident and grateful rather than arrogant, including what to do if you don't have formal SMART goals to point to.

About Erika: Vice President of Strategic Account Management at People2.0, SIA 40 Under 40 honoree, recovering people pleaser, and vocal advocate for women owning their career narrative. She has built her career across Manpower and People2.0 in strategic accounts and sales leadership.

She Moved to the US with $800, Changed Her Name to Fit In, and Built a Career at Merck, Oracle, Tableau, and Amazon. Helen on Going From Terrified to Outspoken

Her legal name is Hongyi, which means "the water is deep and wide." When she moved to the United States from China, she changed it to Helen so people could pronounce it more easily. She arrived with $800. She was terrified. At grad school, she barely had to speak. Then she entered the workforce.

Her first significant feedback at Merck: "You need to improve your communication." She was too intimidated to ask what that meant. So she made assumptions, started listening to radio broadcasts during her long New Jersey to Pennsylvania commute, and repeated every word she heard, even when she didn't know what some of them meant. She also completely changed how she structured her thinking: lead with the statement, give details only if someone asks.

Helen is now Head of Data Analytics Partner GTM at Amazon Web Services. She has built her career across Merck, Oracle, Tableau, and AWS, switching domains multiple times from chemist to engineer to customer management to partner sales. In this episode, she breaks down exactly how she got here.

You'll learn:

• Why she was too scared to ask her first senior leader what "improve your communication" actually meant, what assumptions she made instead, and how that experience shaped the way she now gives and asks for feedback.
• The Oracle account management idea she developed during the 2008 financial crisis, why she had no idea who to pitch it to, and what happened when she decided to pitch it to everyone who would listen: "I talked to anyone and anyone. And it worked."
• How that pitching-to-everyone strategy led her to the sponsor who first backed her idea, then backed her career, and why she believes sponsors select you rather than the other way around.
• The three factors she attributes to attracting a sponsor: visibility (being seen under pressure), adding value to the sponsor specifically, and consistency doing simple things reliably rather than many things sporadically.
• The senior Oracle executive who told her "everything can be simplified into three bullet points" and why that one insight transformed how she communicated with leadership for the rest of her career.
• What it actually looked like behind the "fast career" others saw from outside: 15-hour days, PowerPoint decks rebuilt at 4am and still not good enough, and switching domains so many times she felt perpetually behind.
• Why she credits letting other people shine and giving credit generously as one of the most underrated career moves she made, and how she discovered it mattered more than she expected.
• Her three closing principles: know your superpower, find your passion, and pay it forward because we have all been helped up the ladder at some point.

About Helen: Head of Data Analytics Partner GTM at Amazon Web Services, Helen has built her career across Merck, Oracle, Tableau, and AWS, moving from chemistry to computer engineering to enterprise sales to partner leadership. An immigrant who arrived in the US with $800, she now mentors and sponsors others on the same journey.

She Asked Her CIO for a New Challenge at Lunch. Got a "Poison Chalice" Role. Flew to Japan in December 2019. Beat COVID by Three Weeks. PVH VP Shatabdi on Small Acts of Courage With Big Consequences.

At a lunch with her CIO, she asked a simple question: "Is there a specific role where you need help? I'm ready to take a new challenge, even change my domain completely." The answer was an invitation to lead PVH's global SAP/ERP transformation across Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, and North America. She had no team in Asia Pacific. She had less than two months to build one remotely from the United States. People in the room called it a poison chalice. She flew to Japan in December 2019, got the team in place, flew home in January 2020. COVID hit weeks later. She had made it by the skin of her teeth.

That is one story. But Shatabdi, VP of Global Application Engineering Services at PVH Corp — home of Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein — believes the more important stories are the small ones. The under-60-second moments. The ones that most senior leaders stay quiet through.

In this episode, she shares both kinds.

You'll learn:

• A woman in a meeting quietly mentioned her son kept missing his classes because someone kept scheduling meetings after 5 PM. Shatabdi backed her up in under a minute. That intervention spread into a best practice across PVH's global time zones including Hong Kong and Bangalore.
• Why she credits a single direct ask at a CIO lunch for the entire trajectory of her VP career, and what she said that made the difference between getting an opportunity and being overlooked.
• How she heard people call her new role a "poison chalice" and responded by using their doubt as fuel: "If my leaders believe in me, I should believe in myself."
• What happened when a co-op intern named Christopher walked into her office and told her the access request process could be simplified to save significant man hours — and added that an AI solution could auto-fill the whole thing. She was amazed. She calls it reverse mentorship.
• The moment her longtime colleague Brian McGrath introduced her in a room by saying "if she's in the meeting, I know it's going to go positive" — and why that kind of public acknowledgment primes an entire room to actually listen to you.
• The "we vs. I" leadership model she uses: collaborative "we" language for collective goals, firm "I" language for deadlines and deliverables. And why learning when to use which one took her longer than developing either.
• How she structures team communication across three levels — broad town halls, staff meetings that start with "how's your family?", and one-on-ones where she opens up first about her own week — to build the kind of trust that makes honest feedback land well in both directions.

About Shatabdi: Vice President of Global Application Engineering Services at PVH Corp, the fashion company behind Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein. Shatabdi leads a global team across North America, Europe, Hong Kong, and Bangalore. She previously led e-commerce at Hitachi Consulting and at PVH before pivoting into global ERP transformation leadership.

He Interrupted Her Mid-Sentence and Said "I Don't Agree." She Asked: "How Many Recruitment Drives Have You Led?" CHRO Deepashri on Standing Your Ground

It was her first day in a new role. The leadership team was deep into planning the launch of a major production system. She raised her hand and asked: "What about the people strategy?" Everyone looked at her like she was speaking a different language. "What does people have to do with this? It's a manufacturing system." She asked again. Still dismissed. Still polite. Still ignored.

She could have let it go. Instead, she spent six months building an irrefutable business case. She spoke to the consultants. She researched the ROI. She calculated exactly what would be lost if people failed to adopt the system. She pre-worked the stakeholders she already had relationships with, one by one, so she would not be the only voice in the room when the moment came. Then she walked into a meeting with the global head of manufacturing, the global head of HR, and the other senior sponsors. She was the only woman in the room. She was a nervous wreck. She had her game face on.

She got the budget. She got the resources. She built a people pillar that outlasted her, survived an acquisition, and is still running today.

Deepashri is Chief Human Resources Officer at 8th Ave Food and Provisions. In this episode, she shares two very different stories of standing her ground at work — one strategic and six months in the making, one instinctive and decided in seconds — and what she learned from both.

You'll learn:

• Why she refused to use HR buzzwords like "empathy" or "doing the right thing" when pitching to hard-nosed manufacturing executives, and what she said instead to make her idea impossible to ignore.
• The pre-meeting strategy she uses before any high-stakes pitch: influence the people you already have relationships with one-on-one first, so you are never the only advocate in the room.
• How she walked into the biggest pitch of her career feeling like a nervous wreck, knowing that if she failed, she would be "just another person on the leadership team with no voice."
• The investment banker who interrupted her mid-sentence and said "I don't agree." What she said back, why she still calls him a friend today, and what happened when she pulled it off.
• Why she thought she was being assertive in a conversation that completely failed to land, what her coach told her, and the three-part technique she developed to deliver the most difficult messages in a way that registered clearly without feeling disrespectful.
• Why assertiveness looks and sounds different across cultures, and how she learned to calibrate between India's indirect communication style and the blunt directness expected in U.S. corporate environments.
• Her best career compliment: "Deeps will tell you the most difficult things in the nicest possible way."

About Deepashri: Chief Human Resources Officer at 8th Ave Food and Provisions, Deepashri has built her career across global HR, change management, and organizational transformation roles in India and the United States. She is a coach, storyteller, and advocate for assertive communication across cultures.

Disrupt Yourself Before Someone Else Does: How Thomson Reuters CTO Anuradha Turned Fear, Bias, and Discomfort Into Career Fuel

She grew up in a small town in India, first daughter in a middle-class family, educated in her mother tongue through 10th grade. She was culturally trained to listen more and speak less. Then she accepted a role as an assistant professor straight out of university, in front of 60 students, because she needed a job and couldn't say no to an opportunity. She showed up for her first class and trembled for the entire 60 minutes.

She didn't quit. She went back. She sat in her colleagues' classes to watch how they taught. She asked hard questions. She sought feedback from the students whose faces told her everything. Eventually, students started telling her: "No one ever taught this subject the way you do."

Anuradha is Head of Engineering and CTO of the Corporate Tax and Trade Technology Group at Thomson Reuters. She has since moved internationally alone, changed industries multiple times, and built a leadership philosophy around one core principle: disrupt yourself before someone else does it for you.

In this episode, she breaks down how.

You'll learn:

• She asked for a Senior Director role and was told not only no, but "even if you applied, they wouldn't hire you." What she said next, why she didn't confront him, and how she used that conversation to get clarity about whether the problem was her or the environment around her.
• The mental model she uses every time she gets a no: is this about me not having the skills, or is this about the climate in this organization not being ready for someone like me? Both are valid answers, but you have to know which one before you decide what to do next.
• Why she deliberately paced herself after that conversation, asked for names of other people to speak to, and processed it over days rather than trying to resolve it all in one go.
• Why running away from fear doesn't make fear disappear. It just means you'll face it later, under higher stakes, with fewer second chances.
• How she built confidence and humility simultaneously by changing industries repeatedly: retail, financial services, banking, payments, tax and trade. The more she learned, the more she understood how much more there was to learn, and why she sees that as a leadership asset, not a liability.
• What she means by "disrupt yourself before someone else does" and why it applies equally to personal growth, career management, and technology leadership at scale.
• Her model for leading through failure: look forward first, understand what went wrong second. And why leaders who impose their own stress on a team under pressure take everyone down with them.

About Anuradha: Head of Engineering and CTO of the Corporate Tax and Trade Technology Group at Thomson Reuters, Anu is a recognized tech executive and speaker at women's leadership and technology conferences. She has built her career across multiple industries and continents.

Getting a "no" at work isn't the problem. Not knowing what to do with it is. In this episode, you'll get a proven 8-step framework to turn workplace resistance into genuine cooperation — without pressure, without losing your composure, and without damaging the relationship.

Whether you're asking for a raise, requesting flexibility, pitching an idea, advocating for resources, or handling a performance review objection, these steps give you a repeatable approach for any high-stakes conversation where the stakes feel too high to get it wrong.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to recognize workplace resistance — even when it's subtle, indirect, or disguised as agreement
• The most common mistakes that kill your credibility and close the conversation down
• How to ask the questions that surface the real concern, not just the surface objection
• How to address objections confidently without being aggressive, passive, or overly apologetic
• The exact 8-step framework to move someone from "no" to "yes" while keeping the relationship intact

If you've ever left a workplace conversation feeling like you gave up too easily — or pushed too hard — this episode is for you.

 

A Recruiter She Never Asked for Advice from Told Her to Lower Her Ambitions. It Derailed Her for Months. What Geetanjali Learned About Who Gets to Define Your Ceiling.

She was doing great work, getting strong reviews, and waiting for someone to recognize she was ready for the next level. Nobody came. Finally, she went and asked. They said: "Yeah, we think you're ready." She walked away with one permanent lesson: no one knows where you want to go unless you tell them. Your manager cannot promote you toward a goal they don't know you have.

Geetanjali is SVP of Financial Planning and Analysis at Ceridian, and she has built her career across multiple industries, companies, and cities, often following her spouse's career moves and rebuilding her network from scratch each time. She has been told she had no career path because of a commute. She has had a recruiter give her unsolicited opinions about her ceiling — someone who had never worked with her and didn't even have a position for her. Both times, she fact-checked herself, pushed back, and moved forward.

In this episode, she gets specific about how.

You'll learn:

• Why she walked out of her first promotion conversation wondering why her manager didn't just offer it, and the mantra she built from that moment: "I own my career."
• How she separates "I can't do this" from "I don't want to do this" — a distinction her husband called her out on, and one that completely changes how you diagnose self-doubt.
• The worst-case scenario mindset she uses every time asking feels too risky: maximum they say no, and then at least you know exactly what you need to work on.
• The recruiter who told her to stay put and aim lower, without her asking for any of that advice, and how she spiraled — until she realized: this person has never worked with me, doesn't know what I do, and has no position for me. Why am I listening?
• The manager who told her she had no career because she was commuting. How she found a better position, and what she said in her exit interview when the CFO asked why she was leaving.
• How she negotiated leaving at 5 PM sharp with a male manager who was more supportive than she expected — and why building trust first is the prerequisite for every other ask.
• Her salary negotiation rule, applied to every job offer she has ever received: never accept in one go, always go back at least once, and negotiate the full package not just the base number.
• How she leads her team by modeling openness about her own mistakes first, which makes it safe for her team to take risks and tell her when she is wrong.
• Her networking approach: stay in touch with mentors even after years of silence, get involved in community organizations when you move cities, and commit to one lunch a month with someone new.

About Geetanjali: SVP of Financial Planning and Analysis at Ceridian, Geetanjali has built a finance leadership career across multiple industries and cities. She is a dual-career couple partner, working mom, woman of color from India, and active member of the Association of Financial Professionals.

His Boss Told Him He'd Never Rise Above Engineer Level. Three Years Later, That Boss Reported to Him. Samuel Santos on Getting Noticed at Work

Early in his career, his manager told him the company had a prototype for success: blonde hair, green eyes. Samuel Moody Santos was mixed race, Black, an immigrant who had started his working life as a waste picker. His manager told him he would never advance past engineer level. Three years later, Samuel was a manager and that man reported to him.

He went on to retire as Senior Vice President at Johnson & Johnson, one of the top 40 Fortune 500 companies in the world. He speaks five languages. He holds an engineering degree and an MBA. And he wrote the book on how he did it: "In Spite of the Headwinds."

In this episode, Samuel shares the specific mindset shifts, communication strategies, and career moves that took him from invisible to indispensable, as a minority, an immigrant, and someone who was actively told he didn't belong.

You'll learn:

• Why "success depends on who you know" is the wrong mental model, and the one-sentence reframe Samuel used to challenge a corporate trainer in a room of 40 people that changed how he thought about visibility for the rest of his career.
• Why doing excellent work and staying quiet about it is the same as doing nothing, and how he marketed his ideas without ever bragging about himself.
• How he turned a direct manager who tried to limit his career into a stepping stone by building relationships with leaders two and three levels above that manager.
• The "poor photograph" framework: why being visible without being skilled fails, and why being skilled without being visible fails just as badly.
• Why he treats every "no" the same way: either he didn't explain the idea well enough, or he needs a different audience. The Starbucks founder knocked on 242 doors. Samuel applied that same logic to ideas inside a corporation.
• How he disagrees with superiors without triggering defensiveness: "I never disagree with any person. I disagree with ideas." The specific language he used to pose challenges as questions so people moved toward his position instead of defending against it.
• The performance review confrontation where someone tried to penalize a team member for a mistake from two years prior, and how Samuel addressed the entire room to win that argument on the spot.

Why he focused ruthlessly on the one skill he could take above average (presenting technical ideas to non-technical executives), and chose not to develop things that wouldn't move the needle, including declining to learn Mandarin during a two-year assignment in Shanghai.

About Samuel Moody Santos: Retired Senior Vice President at Johnson & Johnson, Samuel is an engineer, MBA, minister, polyglot (five languages), honorary consul, former university professor, public speaker, and author of "In Spite of the Headwinds: My Journey from Waste Picker to Vice President at a Top-Forty Fortune 500 Company."

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Spite-Headwinds-Picker-Senior-Executive-ebook/dp/B09KGRQ61W Connect with Samuel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-moody-santos-56601a10/

Her Dad Found a Rolex and Returned It. What That Taught Her About Asking for Everything.

Her father came to the United States in 1989 with next to nothing. He found a Rolex in a locker room while working as a janitor and returned it. The owner gave him a job. He stayed 27 years. In that time, he asked his employer for a green card. They sponsored it. He asked for college tuition. They paid for his associate's and his bachelor's degree. He asked to pivot into chemistry. They made a role for it.

Darlene watched all of this and had one thought: if he could ask for all of that with nothing in his pocket and no English, why was she self-editing her ambitions?

She stopped. Now she opens job interviews by telling the people who will decide whether to hire her exactly what she wants: to be CIO of an organization. She told her future boss. She told the Calendly interviewer. Both were supportive. She uses it as a filter.

Darlene is Head of IT at Calendly, and in this episode she breaks down the frameworks she's built for speaking up, pitching ideas, and asking for exactly what she wants without apology.

You'll learn:

• How to know which conversations are worth inserting yourself into, and which ones to let go based on span of control, stakeholder complexity, and how badly you want the outcome.
• The self-interest framework: why "selfless" leads to burnout, "selfish" kills collaboration, and the middle zone of self-interest is where real buy-in happens.
• Why she describes senior leadership as "glorified salespeople" and what changed when she stopped clicking on the backend and started selling visions instead.
• The "directionally correct" approach to numbers: why giving a C-suite executive "$270K plus or minus 20%" is infinitely more persuasive than "decreased time" or a 6-decimal-point calculation that took two weeks to produce.
• How self-editing language like "I think the answer might be..." quietly signals low confidence, and how to hit the delete button on it.
• Why she tells every interviewer exactly what she wants out of her career, and how she uses their response as a filter for whether the organization is actually a place where she can grow.

About Darlene: Head of IT at Calendly, Darlene has built her career at the intersection of technology leadership and organizational influence. Originally from a Venezuelan family in Rhode Island, she leads IT strategy and operations at one of the most widely used scheduling platforms in the world. She is candid, direct, and unabashedly ambitious.

The Mirror Method, the WAIT Acronym, and Why "Learn Fast" Beats "Fail Fast": Lee Health CSIO Lisa on Challenging the Status Quo — Part 2

She walked into a conference room as the only woman in a room full of men in technical data roles. They introduced themselves to each other and started the meeting without acknowledging her at all. She paused, said "excuse me," stated her name, her role, and why she was there. It startled them. She was glad she did it. Because if she hadn't, she wouldn't have belonged in the conversation that followed.

In Part 2 of this conversation, Lisa, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Lee Health, moves from personal story into the specific leadership tools she uses every day to challenge the status quo, orchestrate high-stakes conversations, and move organizations through change without creating enemies.

You'll learn:

• The Mirror Method: why the most dangerous thing you can do when entering a new organization is come in with a fix-it mentality, and the structured listening approach that gets people to agree the status quo needs to change before you ever propose a solution
• WAIT — "Why Am I Talking?" — the acronym she uses to decide when her voice advances a conversation and when silence does more
• How she reads the nonverbals of an entire organization the same way she reads body language in a room, and what signals tell her when trust is building and when it isn't
• Why she stopped relying on PowerPoint and what changed when she started looking people in the eye instead of at her slides, including the mentor advice that saved her: "be ready to deliver a 5-minute version of what you just created" 
• The difference between intellectual sparring and debate, and how she creates conditions for divergent thinking that actually leads to decisions, not just more discussion
• Why she says "learn fast" instead of "fail fast", and how she navigates naysayers, skeptics, and the inevitable "you paid how much for what?" moments in healthcare innovation
• What she looks for when building a team: curiosity, courage, and comfort with ambiguity, and why trustworthiness ranks above everything else

About Lisa: Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Lee Health, Lisa leads strategic planning, innovation, and organizational transformation across one of Florida's largest health systems. She is a passionate advocate for women in leadership and women of color in senior roles.

She missed the scholarship deadline for her MBA. She asked anyway. She got it. She was the only woman in her group project cohort, a single mom with a one-year-old, living paycheck to paycheck. She told her group on day one exactly what she could do and when she was leaving. They respected it. On a business trip with a relatively new manager, she admitted mid-conversation that she wanted to move into a strategy role that didn't even exist yet. That manager became her greatest champion. That pivot launched the career that led her to become Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Lee Health.

Lisa has spent her career figuring out what fearless authenticity actually looks like in practice: not as a concept, but as a set of specific choices made in specific moments of risk. In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, she walks through the mindset shifts and early career moves that built her foundation.

You'll learn:

• The exact moment Lisa realized intimidation was her own internal problem, not something others were doing to her and how that realization changed every difficult room she walked into after
• Why the post-it on her monitor reads "no one wants to feel insignificant, incompetent, or unlikable", and how she uses it to decode defensiveness in herself and others
• The MBA-as-single-mom stories: how she advocated for a scholarship she'd missed the deadline for, set hard boundaries with her group project team from day one, and created an independent study that wasn't in the curriculum
• How a candid conversation on a business trip, admitting she wanted a completely different role, launched her entire strategy career, and what she learned about speaking up to managers about your real aspirations
• Why her first attempt at people management felt completely wrong, and the leadership philosophy she arrived at: "developing leaders, not amassing followers"
• How conflict made two of her most important professional relationships stronger, not weaker

About Lisa: Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Lee Health, Lisa leads strategic planning, innovation, and organizational transformation across one of Florida's largest health systems. She is a passionate advocate for women in leadership and women of color in senior roles.

For years, Daisy's performance reviews said the same things: hardworking, great team player, result-driven, quiet. Cycle after cycle, different managers, same words. Then she realized: those were her brand hashtags, and they were never going to get her to where she wanted to go. She wanted "confident," "influential," "driven," "leadership." And nobody was going to give her those labels. She had to earn them by using her voice.

Daisy is Head of Strategy and FP&A at Revolut, one of the world's fastest-growing fintechs. Originally from China, she built her career navigating the cultural expectation that hard work and results would speak for themselves. They didn't. In this episode, she breaks down exactly how she changed that, and what she now teaches every junior person who reports to her.

You'll learn:

• The performance review pattern that finally made her realize she was building the wrong brand, and the specific words she decided to own instead
• Why she stopped being the silent note-taker in every meeting, what she lost by doing it, and why AI has made that role completely obsolete
• The 4-phase framework for asking questions in town halls and large meetings, from canned questions that still get you seen, to strategic dialogue that opens collaboration doors with senior executives
• The "golden three months" strategy: how to use your newness as a security blanket to ask anything, map broken processes, and deliver visible value before anyone expects it
• Why there is no such thing as over-communication at work ,and how staying quiet to avoid being "too much" is actually the riskier move
• The one mandate she gives herself and every person she mentors: say something in every meeting, even if it's just a rephrasing

If you've ever been called "hardworking" but not "leadership material," or if you have great ideas that only come out in one-on-ones but never in the room, this episode is the blueprint.

About Daisy: Head of Strategy and Financial Planning & Analytics at Revolut, Daisy leads strategic and financial operations at one of the world's largest fintech companies. Originally from China, she coaches and mentors junior professionals on speaking up, building visibility, and translating strong technical work into leadership presence.

Stop Taking Notes, Start Getting Noticed: Revolut Head of Strategy Daisy on Building Your Brand Through Your Voice

 

When a new business leader walked in and told Malvika they were going to restructure the entire segment — 60% of company revenue — in a room with just the two of them, no leaks, no one else in the room, she didn't say no. She said: "I hear you. And here's how we get to the same outcome with the right people involved." Six months after implementation, he came back and told her it was the right call.

That's the ABC method — Acknowledge, Build, Challenge — and it's the framework Malvika has built her career on. As VP HR, Learning & Development at Newell Brands, she's spent years figuring out how to challenge senior leaders without triggering defensiveness, manage rooms full of type A executives without losing the thread, and find genuine joy in the conversations most people dread.

In this episode, she gets specific about all of it.

You'll learn:

• The ABC method for challenging leaders without coming across as aggressive, and the Project Panther restructure story that proves it works
• How she handled a client in Oman at 24 who kept making inappropriate comments — alone, in a foreign country, with a relationship and additional business on the line, and still won the next assignment
• The "be brief, be bright, be gone" framework for capturing and keeping the attention of type A executives in high-stakes meetings
• How she gamified a full-day leadership talent review to keep a competitive senior team engaged, and still got all the work done
• Why leading with facts instead of emotion is the only way to challenge the status quo without losing credibility
• Her personal technique for staying calm when everything is tense: painting, choosing to laugh, and the line about "not my circus, not my monkeys, but I do know some of the clowns"

If you work with strong-willed leaders, navigate difficult conversations across cultures, or just want to bring more effectiveness, and more joy, into the hardest parts of your job, this episode delivers.

About Malvika: Vice President HR, Learning & Development at Newell Brands, Malvika has led organizational transformation, talent strategy, and cross-cultural teams across global markets. Originally from India, she has built her career navigating high-stakes leadership conversations across cultures, industries, and executive levels.

She Was 24, Alone With a Difficult Client in Oman. What She Figured Out Built Her Entire Leadership Playbook.

She watched a brilliant female CEO — strategic, skilled, accomplished — get pushed out of her company. And in that moment, Alejandra had a realization that changed how she thinks about her entire career: if it can happen to her, it can happen to any of us. A job title is the most fragile kind of power there is. The only power that can't be taken away is the one you build inside yourself.

Alejandra is SVP of Technology, Global Infrastructure Solutions at Equifax, leading teams across multiple countries and continents. She also runs "I Am Remarkable" workshops — originally a Google initiative — helping professionals, especially women and underrepresented groups, learn to celebrate their own achievements out loud. She did not always find this easy. Growing up in Argentina, where the culture does not reward self-promotion the way the U.S. does, she spent years assuming her work would speak for itself. It didn't.

In this episode, she shares what she learned late, by her own admission, and what she now teaches others from the start.

You'll learn:

• Why waiting for others to recognize your achievements is a trap, and the mindset shift that breaks it
• The story of how she walked into a job interview at 22 with no experience and got hired on boldness and a single honest promise
• Why she left a well-paying job that supported her family to escape bias, and how she made that decision
• The difference between title-based power and internal power, and why only one of them survives a corporate restructure
• The single biggest leadership gap she sees across cultures, levels, and industries, and it's not what most leaders focus on
• How values contain ambition and keep influence from crossing into manipulation
• The practical system she teaches for tracking and sharing your own achievements before you forget them

If you've been doing great work and waiting for someone to notice, this episode reframes that habit entirely.

About Alejandra: SVP of Technology, Global Infrastructure Solutions at Equifax, Alejandra leads infrastructure teams across the globe. Originally from Buenos Aires, she moved to the U.S. seven years ago. She is an advisory board member of WATT (Women Advancing Technology Together) at Equifax, a board member of the Start House Foundation, an active facilitator of the I Am Remarkable initiative, and a member of Women in Technology (WIT) Atlanta.

Stop Waiting to Be Recognized: How Equifax SVP Alejandra Learned to Promote Herself — and Why You Need To

Sixteen years later, she still tells this story. She was called into the office of a 6'4" senior executive she barely knew. He sat with his back to the door and said: "You will either make me a very happy man or a very unhappy man." Something in her snapped. She replied: "I was always told I'm not responsible for how other people feel." He slowly turned his chair around with a smile on his face. That one moment became the foundation of a decade-long mentorship.

Melissa is Executive Director and Chief Privacy Officer at Kodiak Solutions, and she's spent her career learning, sometimes the hard way, what it actually means to hold onto your personal power when the professional stakes are high.

In this episode, she breaks down the real moments that tested her, and the specific tools she built to handle them.

You'll learn:

• What "giving away your personal power" actually means, and how to catch yourself doing it before it costs you
• What Melissa said to a senior executive that instantly shifted how he saw her, and why most people would have responded the opposite way
• How she handled a new boss who made every conversation feel like an interrogation, and the scripting technique that got her through it without losing her composure or her job
• Why a mentor told her "if you're going to swim with sharks, you need to thicken your skin", and what that actually means for women moving into senior leadership
• How to stop taking feedback personally when your whole identity has been built around being the A student
• The self-awareness practice that tells you when to speak up and when holding back is the smarter move

If you've ever left a difficult conversation beating yourself up, questioning your own judgment, or wondering why you didn't say what you meant, this episode gives you the tools to stop that pattern.

About Melissa: Executive Director and Chief Privacy Officer at Kodiak Solutions, Melissa brings decades of experience in technology and healthcare leadership. She is an active mentor to early-career women in tech and a champion of honest, values-driven leadership.

How to Reclaim Your Personal Power When Authority Figures Try to Diminish You

She was called polarizing. She cried in meetings. She was written off as "the rookie." Then she spent 30 years rising through Oracle and Microsoft to become a Global Customer Success Leader for the Americas. Wendy didn't wait to feel confident. She built the skills to project authority even when she didn't.

In this episode, Wendy breaks down exactly how she did it, including the practical strategies she used to manage emotional responses at work, shake off damaging labels, and position herself for opportunities most people never even get invited to.

You'll learn:

• A concrete technique to stop tears in the moment and stay composed under pressure
• How to identify the labels that cap your career, and what to actually do about them
• Why being heard at work isn't about speaking louder, it's about being in the right rooms
• When to be the one speaking up, and when letting someone else take the lead is the smarter power move
• How casual networking leads to the sponsors and mentors that actually accelerate careers

If you've ever been dismissed, mislabeled, or felt like your emotions were working against you at work, this episode is your playbook.

About Wendy: Retired after a 30-year career in Washington-area tech, Wendy served as Microsoft's Global Customer Success Leader for the Americas and VP of Customer Success at Oracle, where she led teams responsible for half of Oracle's North American Cloud Technology customers. She's a longtime advocate for diversity in tech and an active mentor through Girls in Technology (GIT).

Mary Hope grew up learning not to make waves, not to get emotional, not to rock the boat. Those lessons followed her into the boardroom. When a male colleague made a sexist comment during a high-stakes presentation, she said nothing. She couldn't even bring herself to tell her husband that night. The shame of her own silence was that heavy. That moment became the turning point.

Today, Mary Hope is VP and General Manager of Autodesk's Education Business, a business she helped scale from 5 million to over 235 million users. She's learned not just to speak up for herself, but to build teams and accountability systems where silence doesn't get to win.

In this episode, she gets specific about how.

You'll learn:

• The societal conditioning that trains women to suppress their voice, and the values-based trigger that finally broke through it
• How to hold cross-functional peers accountable when they nod along but never follow through, and the system that actually works
• Why she fired a trusted high-performing manager not for misconduct, but for failing to surface a toxic situation in his team, and what that decision cost her
• What a "listening tour" looks like when you're the one who needs to hear, not speak .
• The Billie Jean King moment she watched at age 6 that became her earliest model for speaking up when the stakes are real

If you've ever stayed quiet and paid for it later or led a team where silence was quietly doing damage  this episode is your playbook.

About Mary Hope: VP and General Manager of Autodesk's Education Business, Mary Hope co-founded Autodesk's consumer and 3D printing business in 2010 and helped scale its user base from 5 million to over 235 million users in four years. She serves on the SkillsUSA board of directors and is a longtime advocate for women's advancement, LGBTQ+ rights, and equal access to education.

Find out the real reason difficult conversations feel so hard at work, and how our mindset hurts our conversations and relationships. This episode gives you four internal switches you can flip in real time, so that you can have calm authority to fix conversations that go sideways.

You'll discover what confident communicators do differently in difficult conversations. Because you don't need to say the perfect thing. You just need to stay stable enough to say something useful in that moment so that you can keep your influence.

You'll learn how to:

• Stop taking pushback personally and stay detached under pressure

• Regulate your emotions so you don't interrupt, over-explain, or get defensive

• Bring clarity to conversations that feel messy or overwhelming

• Keep progress happening when discussions get tense, repetitive, or uncomfortable

If you want to:

• Handle difficult conversations at work with confidence

• Respond to pushback without shutting down or getting reactive

• Increase your influence with managers, peers, or senior leaders

• Speak up clearly, even when situations aren't perfect

…this episode will give you a practical internal system you can use immediately.

🎧 Listen now and learn how calm, clear communication moves decisions forward.

 

🎁 Free Resource:
Download the 30 Power Shifts Guide — a free, practical cheat sheet with real-life "weak vs. powerful" word swaps for meetings, presentations, and everyday conversations.

• Replace soft, hesitant phrases with powerful, natural ones.

• Speak with clarity, conviction, and calm authority.

• Be heard without apology.

👉 Get your free guide here: https://assertiveway.aweb.page/30power 

 

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':   https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

A new year doesn't require a long list of aspirational, feel-good goals.
It requires the right specific goals — especially when it comes to speaking up at work.

In this first episode of the year, you'll reframe goal-setting for speaking up at work — away from vague intentions like "be more confident" and toward specific, observable communication behaviors that actually change your impact, credibility, and influence at work.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why most speaking up goals fail by February

• The difference between wanting to speak up and deciding when and how to speak up

• Three practical assertive communication goals you can set for the new year:

  • What to say more of

  • What to say less of

  • What to say earlier — not perfectly

You don't have to change who you are, become fearless, or extroverted.

If speaking up at work, self-advocacy, and career advancement matter to you this year, this episode will help you start with clarity instead of pressure.

00:00 Speaking Up Goals That Actually Work 04:28 Understanding Situational Responses 05:40 Don't Wait To Feel Ready, Instead Plan Your Speaking Up Moments 06:48 Speaking Up When You're Not Confident, Not Extroverted, Not Fearless 09:35 Specific Speak Up Goals 10:48 What Will You Say More? 24:58 What to Say Less Of 32:12 Speaking Up Earlier 38:05 Conclusion  

🎁 Free Resource:
Download the 30 Power Shifts Guide — a free, practical cheat sheet with real-life "weak vs. powerful" word swaps for meetings, presentations, and everyday conversations.

• Replace soft, hesitant phrases with powerful, natural ones.

• Speak with clarity, conviction, and calm authority.

• Be heard without apology.

👉 Get your free guide here: https://assertiveway.aweb.page/30power 

 

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':   https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

As we navigate the holiday season, setting boundaries can be challenging. Find out how to respond confidently to intrusive questions and requests without guilt or drama. Learn why boundaries are hard to set during the holidays and discover effective strategies to assert your needs while maintaining relationships. From common boundary mistakes to real-life examples, this episode offers practical tips to help you protect your energy and priorities, enhancing both personal and professional interactions. Tune in to develop the skills to speak up with confidence and authenticity. Happy holidays!

00:00 Introduction: Navigating Holiday Boundaries

00:52 Why Setting Boundaries is Challenging During Holidays

08:56 Common Boundary Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

12:52 Effective Communication for Firm and Warm Boundaries

13:56 Handling Pushback on Your Boundaries

16:12 Conclusion: Strengthening Your Unapologetic Voice

 

🎁 Free Resource:
Download the 30 Power Shifts Guide — a free, practical cheat sheet with real-life "weak vs. powerful" word swaps for meetings, presentations, and everyday conversations.

• Replace soft, hesitant phrases with powerful, natural ones.

• Speak with clarity, conviction, and calm authority.

• Be heard without apology.

👉 Get your free guide here: https://assertiveway.aweb.page/30power 

 

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':   https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

If you've ever felt like you're the one holding everything together at work — following up, reminding, double-checking, fixing last-minute mistakes, and caring more about the outcome than everyone else — this episode is for you.

Because you shouldn't have to sacrifice your time, your sanity, or your career reputation just to compensate for other people's lack of follow-through.

And you also shouldn't have to choose between:

• staying silent and doing it all yourself or
• speaking up and being labeled "difficult," "demanding," or "not a team player."

There's a better way, and it starts with assertive accountability.

You'll learn:

• why holding others accountable feels so uncomfortable
• how to stop chasing and reminding without sounding controlling
• how to protect your boundaries without damaging relationships
• how to speak up early (before resentment builds)
• how to get colleagues and partners to follow through, without nagging or apologizing

We'll walk through 10 accountability conversations you can use with anyone you work with  peers, project partners, cross-functional teams, even leaders  to get results while maintaining respect and likability.

If you want to be known as someone who is reliable, respected, and not walked over, this episode will give you the exact language and confidence to make it happen.

 

🎁 Free Resource:
Download the 30 Power Shifts Guide — a free, practical cheat sheet with real-life "weak vs. powerful" word swaps for meetings, presentations, and everyday conversations.

• Replace soft, hesitant phrases with powerful, natural ones.

• Speak with clarity, conviction, and calm authority.

• Be heard without apology.

👉 Get your free guide here: https://assertiveway.aweb.page/30power 

 

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':   https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

Have you ever shared an idea in a meeting… and nothing happened?
No reaction. No acknowledgement. People move on.

Then minutes later — or even next week — someone else says the exact same thing, and suddenly everyone thinks it's brilliant.

It's infuriating.
It's discouraging.
And it makes you question your value, your credibility, and whether speaking up even matters.

Here's the truth nobody teaches you at work:

Most ideas don't get ignored because they're bad.
They get ignored because of how they're introduced, framed, and reinforced.

In this episode of Speak Your Mind Unapologetically, you'll learn exactly what to do so that your ideas land, don't get overshadowed, and are not repeated by someone else. You'll walk away with simple, repeatable strategies to make your ideas heard, respected, and credited back to you — without sounding aggressive, needy, or territorial.

You'll learn:

• Why some voices get taken seriously in meetings — and others don't (regardless of talent)
• How to speak up so your ideas stick the first time
• What to say when someone repeats your idea and gets the credit
• Phrases that reinforce your expertise without conflict or defensiveness
• How leaders can amplify overlooked voices and stop accidental idea-stealing

This episode applies to anyone who's felt ignored, overshadowed, or underestimated at work: introverts, early-career professionals, remote workers, immigrants, and empaths.

Because great ideas don't change careers.
Great ideas that get heard change careers.

Tune in now to learn how to make your voice impossible to overlook.

 

🎁 Free Resource:
Download the 30 Power Shifts Guide — a free, practical cheat sheet with real-life "weak vs. powerful" word swaps for meetings, presentations, and everyday conversations.

• Replace soft, hesitant phrases with powerful, natural ones.

• Speak with clarity, conviction, and calm authority.

• Be heard without apology.

👉 Get your free guide here: https://assertiveway.aweb.page/30power 

 

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':   https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

When you're in a high-stakes meeting, job interview, panel, or senior leadership presentation, everything can be going perfectly, until someone throws a loaded question at you.

Suddenly, confidence can turn into defensiveness. Preparation can turn into rambling.
Months of hard work can collapse in 10 seconds if you sound insecure, reactive, or unsure.

This episode of the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically Podcast reveals exactly how the top 1% of executives, leaders, and media-trained spokespeople stay calm, credible, and in control even when they're challenged publicly, and even when they don't have the answer.

You'll learn how to:

• Stay in command of the conversation when someone tests you
• Pivot without sounding evasive
• Respond without rambling, over-explaining, or defending yourself
• Sound confident even when you're caught off guard
• Protect your credibility under pressure

We'll cover 15 powerful media-training tactics used by CEOs, world-class communicators, and top-tier interview candidates to make sure tough questions never derail their image, confidence, or opportunities.

Whether you're navigating executive meetings, stakeholder presentations, performance reviews, client discussions, or interviews for bigger roles, this episode will teach you how to turn hard questions into opportunities for influence and respect.

If you want to feel unshakeable when someone challenges you, this episode is for you.
Press play and learn to communicate like someone who deserves to be heard.

 

✅ Schedule a Complimentary Call To Plan Your One Conversation: https://calendly.com/assertiveway/30min 

 

🎁 Free Resource:
Download the 30 Power Shifts Guide — a free, practical cheat sheet with real-life "weak vs. powerful" word swaps for meetings, presentations, and everyday conversations.

• Replace soft, hesitant phrases with powerful, natural ones.

• Speak with clarity, conviction, and calm authority.

• Be heard without apology.

👉 Get your free guide here: https://assertiveway.aweb.page/30power 

 

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':   https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

Most people don't struggle with speaking up in general.
They struggle with one specific conversation that feels risky — a conversation with career, relationship, or emotional consequences.

Whether it's a performance review, a promotion request, a conflict, a micromanaging boss, a workload pushback, a boundary conversation, or a situation where you feel overlooked or disrespected… avoiding the conversation always feels safe in the moment, but it silently costs you confidence, influence, visibility, and self-respect.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why certain conversations feel so intimidating
• What's really driving the fear of conflict, backlash, or judgment
• The hidden psychological and career consequences of staying silent
• What changes when you approach these conversations strategically rather than reactively
• How to communicate with clarity, respect, and strength — without aggression or over-explaining

If you've been overthinking a conversation at work or losing sleep about what to say, this episode will give you the roadmap to finally move forward.

 

✅ Schedule a Complimentary Call To Plan Your One Conversation: https://calendly.com/assertiveway/30min 

 

🎁 Free Resource:
Download the 30 Power Shifts Guide — a free, practical cheat sheet with real-life "weak vs. powerful" word swaps for meetings, presentations, and everyday conversations.

• Replace soft, hesitant phrases with powerful, natural ones.

• Speak with clarity, conviction, and calm authority.

• Be heard without apology.

👉 Get your free guide here: https://assertiveway.aweb.page/30power 

 

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':   https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

Your voice is the bridge between who you are and how you lead. So how can you be heard and be remembered, even in toxic workplaces? In this episode we are joined by Lily Lapenna, MBE, communication coach and facilitator, honored by Queen Elizabeth for her impact work, and Amy Ewbank, expert in voice and former professional actor and Head of HR. Amy Ewbank and Lily Lapenna are Co-CEO's at Verve Leaders They share how to express your true essence and the art of joyful communication.

You'll discover:

• The 3 Es Framework (Essence, Expression, Environment) that transforms the way you communicate.
• What Prince William taught me about communication in 3 minutes.
• How to listen to what's not being said, and create trust through attunement.
• How to pitch, present, and persuade with storytelling that enchants.
• The secret confidence technique of powerful speakers.
• What every great pitch needs to land, that most people avoid.

Amy Ewbank and Lily Lapenna are Co-CEO's at Verve Leaders

Lily Lapenna, MBE, is a communication geek working with professional to help them get heard and be remembered. She works in academic institutions Like Harvard and Oxford university on business and communication. She is a passionate coach and facilitator around all things communication. She was honored by Queen Elizabeth with an MBE for her social impact work.

Connect with Lily: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilylapenna/

Amy Ewbank is a leadership coach, communication strategist, and expert in voice. She began her career as a professional actor, performing in repertory theatre, BBC Radio, and Channel 4 amongst others. She also has experience working as Head of HR at a UK national charity, she has been featured on Sky News, Channel 5 and The Guardian for her work on the stage and beyond.

Connect with Amy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-ewbank-45158a231/

Elevate your communication skills with Verve: https://www.verveleaders.com/

 

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':   https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

Get clear, practical answers to the toughest speaking-up questions: recognition, raises, boundaries, timing, and more—so you're heard and respected at work.

You asked. I answered, fast. In this rapid-fire Q&A, we tackle the most common (and most avoided) questions about speaking up without backlash: how to advocate without seeming pushy, what you can reasonably ask for (and how to build a case), what to do when credit goes missing, how to set boundaries and still be seen as a team player, how to advocate when you're not senior, and how to bounce back after a "no." 

You'll leave with practical scripts, mindset shifts, and a repeatable approach to turn hard conversations into "liquid sunshine."

Listen if you want to:

• Be heard and understood, without damaging relationships
• Turn self-advocacy into a daily habit
• Get recognition, resources, and flexibility credibly

🎁 Free Resource:
Download the 30 Power Shifts Guide — a free, practical cheat sheet with real-life "weak vs. powerful" word swaps for meetings, presentations, and everyday conversations.

• Replace soft, hesitant phrases with powerful, natural ones.

• Speak with clarity, conviction, and calm authority.

• Be heard without apology.

👉 Get your free guide here: https://assertiveway.aweb.page/30power 

 

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':   https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

Silence feels safe, but it kills your future. Unleash your authentic voice and stop letting the voice in your head keep you silent. In this episode of the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically Podcast, you'll regain control over the emotional cycle of fear and confidence, so that your nervous system stops hijacking your presence in meetings, and you can reclaim your voice and your influence at work.

What you'll discover in this episode:

• Why silence is not an option.

• Why self-doubt, replaying worst-case scenarios, and "what-if" loops quietly steal your voice—and how that affects your career, your leadership and your impact.

• How to break the fear script.

• The three essential voices every professional needs.

• Why action = confidence, not the other way around—how one simple step leads to the next, builds momentum, and eventually changes your career trajectory.

• A call to stop choosing comfort over progress; because silence may feel safe, but it kills your future.

Who this episode is for:
You're a mid-to-senior professional, an emerging leader or an experienced leader who's ready to move from being unheard to being influential. You want to speak up smarter and navigate tough conversations without damaging relationships, and have the tools to advocate for yourself, your team and your future.

Tune in if you're ready to
Stop letting fear write your story.
Rewrite your script.
Own your voice, your goals and your future.

If this episode resonated, please share it with a colleague, friend or ally who's ready to speak up—and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode from Speak Your Mind Unapologetically. Let's lead out loud together.

 

🎁 Free Resource:
Download the 30 Power Shifts Guide — a free, practical cheat sheet with real-life "weak vs. powerful" word swaps for meetings, presentations, and everyday conversations.

• Replace soft, hesitant phrases with powerful, natural ones.

• Speak with clarity, conviction, and calm authority.

• Be heard without apology.

👉 Get your free guide here: https://assertiveway.aweb.page/30power 

 

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':   https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

Everyone says, "Be bold. Be unapologetic."
But what does that really mean at work?

Boldness easily gets mistaken for arrogance or aggression. Then, when you speak up, people shut down.

In this episode of the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast, Andrea Wojnicki, host of the Talk About Talk show, interviews Ivna Curi on how to speak up with confidence, strength, and respect, so you can be bold and build connection.

You'll discover:
✔️ What "being bold and unapologetic" actually means in the workplace
✔️ How to assert yourself without damaging relationships
✔️ A simple, proven formula for bold, clear, and respected communication

Tune in to discover how to be heard, respected, and influential, without ever being seen as "too much."

 

🎁 Free Resource:
Download the 30 Power Shifts Guide — a free, practical cheat sheet with real-life "weak vs. powerful" word swaps for meetings, presentations, and everyday conversations.

• Replace soft, hesitant phrases with powerful, natural ones.

• Speak with clarity, conviction, and calm authority.

• Be heard without apology.

👉 Get your free guide here: https://assertiveway.aweb.page/30power 

 

✅ Tune into the Talk About Talk podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talk-about-talk-communication-skills-training/id1447267503 

 

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':   https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

 

#Leadership #Communication #Assertiveness #CareerGrowth #SpeakUp #WomenInLeadership #WorkplaceConfidence #ProfessionalDevelopment

Does fear ever get in the way of advocating for yourself? Everyone has fear. Everyone has courage. The difference is which one you give energy to. In this episode of Speak Your Mind Unapologetically, we explore science-backed ways to be more courageous and build confidence in speaking up. From mindset shifts to emotional regulation and social strategies, this episode is your go-to guide for becoming fearless. Listen now to discover:

• 20 science-backed strategies to find your courage to speak up and be more assertive
• Mindset, cognitive, emotional, and social techniques to overcome fear
• How to boldly speak your mind and transform your career, leadership, and life

 

🎁 Free Resource:
Download the 30 Power Shifts Guide — a free, practical cheat sheet with real-life "weak vs. powerful" word swaps for meetings, presentations, and everyday conversations.

• Replace soft, hesitant phrases with powerful, natural ones.

• Speak with clarity, conviction, and calm authority.

• Be heard without apology.

👉 Get your free guide here: https://assertiveway.aweb.page/30power 

 

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':   https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

 

Do you sound like a leader, or a pleaser? Asking for permission to speak up and using apologetic language can cost you promotions, recognition, and influence.  Discover 30 subtle language shifts that transforms how people see your authority.

In this episode of the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast, host Ivna Curi shares easy language shifts  to speak with power at work, that will instantly project and make you feel more confident. You'll get practical tips on how to rephrase common workplace requests, updates, and disagreements to sound more assertive and influential. You'll also get a free guide below with 30 powerful language shifts to help you implement these changes and enhance your professional presence.

What You'll Learn

• How "permission language" quietly undermines your credibility

• Simple, powerful word swaps that make you sound confident and clear

• How to speak up without sounding aggressive — and be heard every time

 

🎁 Free Resource:
Download the 30 Power Shifts Guide — a free, practical cheat sheet with real-life "weak vs. powerful" word swaps for meetings, presentations, and everyday conversations.

• Replace soft, hesitant phrases with powerful, natural ones.

• Speak with clarity, conviction, and calm authority.

• Be heard without apology.

👉 Get your free guide here: https://assertiveway.aweb.page/30power 

 

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':   https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

 

✅ Chapters

00:00 Introduction: The Cost of Asking for Permission

01:03 The Power of Language: Shifting Perceptions

02:18 Practical Tips for Confident Communication

04:44 Real-Life Examples: Transforming Your Speech

07:01 Powerful Phrases for Professional Situations

11:50 Owning Your Voice: Assertiveness in Action

28:55 Conclusion: Embrace Your Unapologetic Voice

Do you ever hesitate to speak up in tough situations at work, worried about backlash, bias, or saying the wrong thing?

In this powerful episode of the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast, I sit down with Sadia Khilji, Global Chief Information & Technology Officer at Coverys, to explore how leaders and professionals can find the courage to speak their minds.

You'll discover:

• How to confront colleagues who undermine your credibility without damaging relationships.

• The right way to disagree with your boss, and avoid backlash while building respect.

• Mindset shifts to stop overthinking in meetings and finally share your ideas with confidence.

• How to recognize bias early and decide when to walk away from unhealthy environments.

• Simple strategies leaders can use to help their teams speak up with courage.

If you've ever held back your voice in a meeting, struggled with self-promotion, or wanted to advocate for your team with more confidence, this episode will give you the tools and inspiration to do it.

Listen now and start building the courage to lead boldly, speak with conviction, and create impact in your career.

 

✅ Connect with Saadia Khilji: linkedin.com/in/saadia-khilji-techexec 

 

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':   https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

Discvoer 14 surprising strategies to finally speak up at work with confidence. These practical tips will help you stop holding back and start owning your seat at the table. In this episode, discover how to find your confident voice to share ideas (even half-baked ones), set boundaries, negotiate with ease, and stop people-pleasing for good. 

These are practical, tested tips, not the tired "just breathe" or "use positive affirmations" advice. 

🎧 Tune in now and unlock the courage to make your voice matter at work. You'll find out: 

✔️The untold truth about confidence at work: what nobody teaches you ✔️The ultimate confidence blueprint to speak up, advocate, and get heard ✔️14 Non-obvious confidence hacks every professional needs    

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':   https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

 

Chapters: 00:00 Does The Lack Of Confidence Shrinks Your Voice? 02:55 Tip 1: Borrow Someone Else's Confidence 05:23 Tip 2: Train in Discomfort 08:21 Tip 3: Speak for Something Greater Than Your Fear 10:34 Tip 4: Ask Yourself Better Questions 12:48 Tip 5: Use Questions to Reduce Risk 15:18 Tip 6: Train With Micro Courage 19:41 Tip 7: Realize It's Not About You 22:26 Tip 8: Overwhelm the Fear with Action 25:04 Tip 9: Speak Early, Speak Often, Consistently 26:43 Tip 10: Make More Intentional Decisions to Speak 27:36 Tip 11: Build Mastery To Beat Nerves 30:19 Tip 12: Increase Certainty With Evidence 31:23 Tip 13: Find and Speak From Conviction 32:30 Tip 14: Practice Communication 34:25 Conclusion: Take Action to Build Confidence

What's the right way to self-promote without sounding arrogant? How do you confidently speak about your work (and get credit for it)? How do you talk about your achievements assertively? In this episode, you'll discover:

• What to do when your boss takes your idea and runs with it
• How to get credit at work (even if you're overlooked)
• Why your team gets left out of the thank-yous (and how to fix it)
• How to talk about your achievements when numbers don't tell the story
• How to share wins in a way that builds respect (not resentment)

Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction: Addressing Overlooked Contributions
• 01:21 Workshop Insights: Real Questions from Professionals
• 03:07 Promoting Your Team's Efforts
• 05:11 Networking Without Arrogance
• 06:41 Showcasing Achievements Without Numbers
• 11:26 Communicating with Higher Management
• 13:42 Building Self-Confidence and Recognizing Your Value
• 18:43 Handling Idea Theft by Managers
• 23:16 Promoting Non-Work Accomplishments
• 27:10 Cultural Nuances in Self-Promotion

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':   https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

How can leaders can bridge cultural divides, welcome diverse team members, and cultivate respectful conversations? How can you be civil with uncivil people? These are some of the questions that Dr. Shaun Carver, Executive Director of International House at UC Berkeley, answers in this episode. He's spent over two decades leading in global education, from China to California, creating spaces where people from all backgrounds and cultures can connect, communicate, and thrive.

In this episode, you'll discover:

03:24 Experiences in China and joining international house

04:19 Learning from cultural communication missteps

05:27 Civility and respect in disagreement in a diverse environment

08:35 The food strategy in connecting diverse people

12:43 The secret to not feeling offended

14:18 Ideas to seek out diverse interactions beyond comfort zones

17:27 Why a mission statement doesn't create a culture that bridges team divides

20:45 How smart leaders hire even smarter people and invite challenge and dissent

25:57 How to not censor free speech yet ensure civility

29:35 Conflict comes from not understanding others

30:15 Why hating a person is harter than hating a label

32:35 How to be civil with uncivil people

34:33 When is it appropriate to speak about taboo topics like politics, religion, and cultures

37:07 Why hatred comes from opinions based on ignorance, not experience (and how to fix that)

 

✅ About Dr. Shaun Carver: Dr. Shaun Carver, Executive Director and CEO, International House at UC Berkeley. With over 20 years of experience in international education and higher learning, Shaun is the Executive Director and CEO of International House at UC Berkeley, a renowned institution that fosters intercultural respect and understanding among people from around the world. Prior to I-House he served as Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs in the Rady School of Management, UC San Diego (2017–2020) and as Executive Director of the Hult International Business School (Boston, New York, San Francisco, Shanghai; 2013–2017), where he oversaw 750 students representing 82 countries. Before that he served in leadership positions in institutions of international higher education in China (2002–2013) at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, Tsinghua University, and the Sino-British College of the University of Shanghai Science and Technology (USST). He holds a Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California and an MBA from California State University San Marcos.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shauncarver/ 

 

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':  https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

 

✅ Support The Podcast

Rate the podcast on apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915

 Have you ever walked out of a meeting thinking, I should have said something. They didn't take me seriously. Someone else said what I wanted to say, and then they got credit for it.

Most smart, capable people struggle to make themselves heard, to be respected, to be taken seriously, especially when we are naturally thoughtful, humble, or we prioritize people and relationships.

So what can you do to get yourself to speak up and make yourself respected? You need some power moves. In this episode you'll discover 20 actionable 'power moves' to help you communicate confidently and assertively at four levels of leadership voice: Thoughtful Listener, Emerging Voice, Bold Communicator, and High Impact Leader.

00:00 The Struggle to Speak Up & Be Heard

02:51 The Four Levels of Communication 

05:17 Power Moves for Thoughtful Listeners

15:23 Power Moves for Emerging Voices

20:58 Power Moves for Bold Communicators

23:43 Power Moves for High Impact Leaders 

 

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':   https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

 

✅ Support The Podcast

Rate the podcast on apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915

How can we build resilience when facing adversity, and build a growth mindset to push through intimidation to have a voice? In this episode, we welcome Dhwani Trivedi, Program Manager and Business Operations Director at a Global Aerospace and Defense organization. Dhwani shares her experience of managing self-doubt, leveraging feedback, maintaining self-respect, and the importance of assertive communication. She also unveils her unique personal system for continuous improvement across various life domains and emphasizes the significance of mentorship, self-promotion, and showing up consistently with purpose and integrity. The episode provides practical insights and inspiring stories to help individuals express their authentic selves and build a supportive network. 00:00 Introduction 01:55 Voice and Personal Branding 03:12 How Self-Doubt Led to Not Speaking Up 07:54 Pushing Through Intimidation To Have a Voice 14:08 What It Means to Be Assertive 21:12 Earning Respect Through Adversity 27:57 Responding To Hard Feedback With A Growth Mindset 32:02 Strategies for Self-Promotion 36:41 How To Find Mentors Organically 39:56 Creating a Personal Routine for Success 45:56 Conclusion   ✅ About Dhwani Trivedi

Dhwani Trivedi is a distinguished leader in Program and General Management with over 25 years of experience in the defense industry. She currently serves as the Director of Program Management Excellence at L3Harris Technologies, supporting the Airborne Combat Systems sector. Prior to this role, she was the General Manager of L3Harris' Imaging and Laser Systems Division, where she led strategic initiatives and operational performance across the organization. Since joining L3Harris in 2014 as a Program Manager, Trivedi has risen through the ranks, holding progressively senior positions across multiple divisions, demonstrating exceptional leadership, business expertise, and a commitment to excellence.

Before her tenure at L3Harris, Trivedi was a Customer Program Leader at GE Aviation. Prior to that, she spent a decade at Parker Hannifin Corporation, in roles spanning Software Engineering and Program Management.

Beyond her professional achievements, Trivedi is deeply committed to giving back to the community. She serves on the board of Orlando Bal Vihar, a nonprofit organization focused on instilling leadership, independence, cultural values, and social responsibility in children. She also leads as the Enterprise Chair of the Asia Pacific Employee Resource Group (ERG) at L3Harris and is an active member of several other ERGs within the company. A passionate advocate for youth development and diversity, she dedicates her time to mentoring and supporting initiatives that inspire the next generation of leaders.

Trivedi leads a vibrant and fulfilling life outside of work. She is an accomplished dancer, avid writer, and an enthusiastic vocalist of Indian Classical music. Deeply rooted in her cultural and spiritual heritage, she enjoys reading scriptures and philosophical texts, and is currently learning Sanskrit. A devoted family person, she cherishes spending time with her large extended family and networking with professionals both within and beyond her organization.

An immigrant from India, Trivedi moved to the United States at the age of 14. She earned a Master's degree in Executive MBA from West Virginia University, and a Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Applied Mathematics, and Statistics, with a minor in Business, from Stony Brook University.

Trivedi's career is a testament to her passion for innovation, people leadership, and making a meaningful impact—both in the workplace and in the broader community.

 

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':  https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

 

✅ Support The Podcast

Rate the podcast on apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915

Discover the top 10 pieces of career and leadership advice you should ignore. 'Feel-good' advice can hinder career growth and personal expression. These 10 beliefs can sabotage your confidence, boldness, and opportunities. The episode encourages you to critically evaluate the advice you follow and take ownership of your career and life.   00:00 Introduction: The Pitfalls of Feel-Good Advice 02:41 Bad Advice #1: Don't Be Transactional 09:15 Bad Advice #2: Be a Good Listener 11:55 Bad Advice #3: Become Indispensable at Work 12:59 Bad Advice #4: Work Hard and People Will Notice 15:16 Bad Advice #5: You Are Special 18:09 Bad Advice #6: Be Fearless 19:05 Bad Advice #7: You Can Learn From Everyone 22:42 Bad Advice #8: Always Be Learning 23:48 Bad Advice #9: Be a Yes Person 24:27 Bad Advice #10: Be Patient 25:42 Bad Advice #11: Try To Help At Least One Person 26:38 Conclusion: Unlearning and Moving Forward  

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':   https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

 

✅ Support The Podcast

Rate the podcast on apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915

How can you communicate your unique personal branding to advance your career without feeling like a fraud? In this episode, Andrea Wonjnicki, an executive communication coach at Talk about Talk, shares how to develop and communicate your authentic personal brand. You'll learn and easy three-step framework for self-introductions and how to not sound fake or robotic in elevator pitches.

Tune in:

✔️ Understand and manage your personal brand

✔️Develop your personal brand

✔️Build your personal brand without sounding like everyone else

✔️A tool to identify and communicate your personal brand (even if you're not sure what makes you unique)

✔️Examples of unique personal branding to advance your career without feeling like a fraud

✔️How to use ai and ChatGPT to discover your personal brand

✔️A simple 3-step self-introduction technique that is easy to remember (without buzzwords or bragging)

✔️Exiting conversations gracefully without the awkwardness

✔️How to not sound fake, robotic and inauthentic in elevator pitches

✔️3 easy strategies you can implement today to build your unique personal brand

✔️When and how to use ethnicity, gender, race in your personal branding

✔️Examples of building personal brand: leveraging global experience

 

✅ About Andrea Wojnicki
Andrea Wojnicki is an executive communication coach and the founder of Talk About Talk, where she empowers ambitious professionals through 1:1 coaching and corporate workshops. With a focus on executive presence, personal brand, and presentation skills, Andrea helps her clients communicate with clarity and confidence. She's also the host of the Talk About Talk podcast, where she shares expert insights on how to elevate communication in the workplace. Learn more at TalkAboutTalk.com or connect with Andrea on LinkedIn.

 

✅ Free Newsletter:  https://assertiveway.com/newsletter/

 

✅ Take the Quiz 'Do You Speak Like a High-Impact Leader?':  https://myassertiveway.outgrow.us/highimpactleader 

 

✅ Listen on the Speak Your Mind Unapologetically podcast on Apple Itunes:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915   

 

✅ Listen on Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6L1myPkiJXYf5SGrublYz2

 

✅ Order our book, 'Unapologetic Voice: 101 Real-World Strategies for Brave Self Advocacy & Bold Leadership' where each strategy is also a real story:

https://www.amazon.com/Unapologetic-Voice-Real-World-Strategies-Leadership-ebook/dp/B0CW2X4WWL/

 

✅ Follow the show host, Ivna Curi, on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/  

 

✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:   http://assertiveway.com/workshops

Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com

Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2

 

✅ Support The Podcast

Rate the podcast on apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915