Explore every episode of the podcast Gentle Power

Most people think negotiation starts when the offer lands. Our guest, Soumya Maya, makes the case that for anyone changing careers, it starts far earlier, back when you decide to switch and begin figuring out your story. Soumya began her career in architecture, spent about a decade exploring different fields, and moved into product management at edtech startups before leaving to build an AI tool for career changers. She also coaches people through their career pivots.

In this episode, we get into why career changers give away leverage they don't realize they have and what to do about it. Our conversation runs from the inner work of knowing your own worth to the practical mechanics of asking, reading the other side, and how to stay engaged and unrattled after hearing the first no.

• Why your negotiation really starts on day zero, not at the offer
• The reason career changers underrate their power, and how cultural conditioning impacts their thing
• Finding leverage when a new field treats your experience as a disadvantage
• Why the first no is rarely a real no
• Asking more than once, and why a rescinded offer might be a gift

Connect with Soumya: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soumyamaya

For more:

• Book free consultation call with Alex: https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call
• Get our free negotiation worksheet: https://www.yournegotiations.com
• Read our weekly newsletter: https://yournegotiations.kit.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournegotiations
• Gerta's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertamalaj
• Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhapki

Amanda Gustafson coaches leaders through conversations most managers dread: giving a co-worker constructive feedback, telling a direct report they’re underperforming, resetting expectations with a peer. She became a career coach via a very winding road, from a physics degree to running a theater at 23 years old, then to a master's in psychology to software consulting.

In this episode:

• Why describing behavior is better than labeling the person, and how to do it with a direct report

• "Don't solution before discovery," and how that relates to job offer negotiations

• Framing a hard conversation as project management so people don't get defensive

• Building a feedback loop so "we'll do better next time" turns into real change

• Amanda's hot take: the bigger the gap between perceived value and price, the easier the yes

Learn more about Amanda’s work: https://www.amandagustafson.com

For more:

• Book free consultation call with Alex: ⁠https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call

• Get our free negotiation worksheet: ⁠https://www.yournegotiations.com

• Read our weekly newsletter: https://yournegotiations.kit.com

• Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/yournegotiations

• Gerta's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertamalaj

• Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhapki

This week, Alex and Gerta react live to a short viral video from Alex Hormozi about a discount negotiation tactic. No guest, just the two of them watching the clip and breaking it down in real time. This episode is honest, funny (Alex shares his most embarrassing moment), and gets into something that comes up a lot in our negotiation work: why memorized tactics tend to backfire when it actually matters.

Here's what the episode covers:

• The Hormozi tactic itself: responding to a discount request, “can you do it for less” with "I could do it for more," and the anchoring logic behind it

• The hidden assumption in the clip that quietly undermines the whole tactic• Why short-form negotiation advice tends to reward gimmicks over judgment

• How memorizing scripts makes you less present, and why that costs you in live negotiations

• What Alex and Gerta actually coach clients to do instead: principles with real logic, not lines to recite

• Alex's mortifying elevator pitch story from college that illustrates all of this perfectly

For more:

• Book free consultation call with Alex: https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call

• Get our free negotiation worksheet: https://www.yournegotiations.com

• Read our weekly newsletter: https://yournegotiations.kit.com

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournegotiations

• Gerta's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertamalaj

• Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhapki

Tallulah Le Merle spent nearly seven years negotiating deals as a management consultant at Kearney, worked as a fractional COO and advisor for AI scale-ups, and is now a partner at Fifth Era, a conscious-tech investment firm. She's also a writer and speaker working on her upcoming book, The Case for Hope in the Age of AI. And she has a lot to say about negotiations.

In this episode, we get into how power reads differently across cultures, why authenticity isn't just an ethical position but a tactical one, the StrengthsFinder concept of WOO (Winning Others Over) and what it actually looks like in practice, and how to hold your ground without turning a negotiation into a standoff.

• How British and American corporate cultures handle power differently, and what that means for how you negotiate depending on the culture

• WOO (Winning Others Over) as a negotiation skill: reading the other side, mirroring their language, and walking into their world instead of asking them to come to yours

• The Rule of Three in consulting: why letting a client ask multiple times before treating it as a real ask protects both the relationship and the scope

• Why lying about competing offers backfires, and what authenticity actually buys you at the table• The difference between being firm and being rigid, and how the clearest negotiators are often the calmest ones

• Why vulnerability is a marker of power, not weakness, whether you're negotiating a salary or a relationship

Connect with Tallulah Le Merle: https://www.tallulahlemerle.com

For more:

• Book free consultation call with us: https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call

• Get our free negotiation worksheet: https://www.yournegotiations.com

• Read our weekly newsletter: https://yournegotiations.kit.com

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournegotiations

• Gerta's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertamalaj

• Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhapki

In this episode, we invited Surina Diddi, who spent nearly a decade in finance, from equity research at UBS to investment banking at Lazard and Scotiabank to private equity in the renewable energy and energy storage space.

We talk through Surina’s experience negotiating an additional $50K on top of her MBA scholarship at Chicago Booth School of Business. We get into how scholarship pools actually work, why the admissions officer relationship matters more than most people realize, and how she used a real job offer pipeline as leverage. We also talk about what she'd do differently: applying earlier and to more schools.

We Cover:

• How MBA scholarship funds are actually allocated and who controls them

• Why pitching your credentials alone isn't enough, and what actually moved the needle

• The role of persistence after a flat no

• How a real job offer pipeline became negotiation leverage against a business school

• Why Surina deliberately avoided naming a specific dollar amount

• The Forte Foundation and other pre-MBA fellowship programs worth knowing about

Connect with Surina Diddi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/surina-diddi-28824219

• Over many years, Surina has mentored lots of people pursuing careers in finance and admission to top MBA programs, often helping them secure scholarships. Feel free to reach out to her on LinkedIn if you think she can support you.

For more:

• Book free consultation call with Alex: https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call

• Get our free negotiation worksheet: https://www.yournegotiations.com

• Read our weekly newsletter: https://yournegotiations.kit.com

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournegotiations

• Gerta's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertamalaj

• Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhapki

What if negotiation isn’t just about tactics, scripts, and numbers? In this episode, we sit down with Julia Martin and Melanie Bettis to explore the intersection most people ignore: mindset and strategy.

Julia comes from the world of manifestation and intentionality. Melanie brings deep experience in job search strategy, interviewing, and salary negotiation. Together, they make a compelling case for something we’ve seen with our own clients: It’s rarely just tactics or mindset. It’s both.

We get into how your internal state shapes negotiation outcomes, why most people start negotiating too late, and how to expand what you believe is possible when the numbers feel out of reach.

If you found this helpful, share it with someone who’s about to negotiate an offer or make a big career move.

What we cover

• The question Julia uses to shift into a confident mindset

• Why negotiation actually starts before the interview

• How recruiters use early salary questions to anchor you

• The “ladder of believability” and how to ask for more than you’ve ever made

• How to identify and reframe limiting beliefs before a negotiation

• Why visualization is used by athletes, the military, and top performers

• How to mentally rehearse a negotiation or interview

• Why likability and genuine curiosity create leverage

• The small language shifts that make negotiation collaborative

• What most people misunderstand about persistence in negotiation

Key ideas from the episode

1. Visualization is practical, not just abstract. From athletes to military training, mental rehearsal is used to improve performance. The same applies to interviews and compensation conversations.

2. Negotiation starts earlier than you think. That “casual” salary question from a recruiter is not casual. It’s part of the negotiation.

3. Most people are anchored to their past. If you’ve been making a certain number for years, it can feel uncomfortable to ask for a lot more. The solution is expanding belief step by step, not forcing it all at once.

4. Your internal stories shape your outcomes. Limiting beliefs often drive hesitation in negotiations. Writing them down and reframing them can change how you show up.

5. Likability is a real advantage. “Be interested to be interesting.” Genuine connection makes people more willing to advocate for you.

6. Ask, then follow up thoughtfully/ Negotiation is not about being aggressive. It’s about being clear, collaborative, and persistent when it matters.

Learn more about Julia and Melanie’s work:

https://wearedreambuilders.com

For more:

• Book free consultation call with Alex: ⁠https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call

• Get our free negotiation worksheet: ⁠https://www.yournegotiations.com

• Read our weekly newsletter: https://yournegotiations.kit.com

• Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/yournegotiations

• Gerta's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertamalaj

• Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhapki

In this episode of Gentle Power, we talk with Sam Liu, founder of AI startup Fergana Labs and former Stanford PhD student in decision making.

We originally invited Sam on because we love both PhD dropouts and decision making science. What we didn’t expect was how many of his insights about negotiation had less to do with neat frameworks and more to do with how messy real decisions actually are.

Our conversation spans startup risk, taxi negotiations in Thailand, poker, game theory, and the emotional tension at the center of many negotiations.Sam shares why many big life decisions build quietly over time before becoming obvious all at once, why many career risks are actually social risks, and why the hardest part of negotiating is often simply holding your ground while the other side reacts.

We also discuss when negotiations truly become zero sum, why conviction can shape outcomes more than benchmarks, and what game theory teaches us about long term relationships and cooperation.

Learn more about Sam and his company here:

• Sam's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samzliu

• Fergana Labs website: https://ferganalabs.com

For more:

• Book free consultation call with Alex: ⁠https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call

• Get our free negotiation worksheet: ⁠https://www.yournegotiations.com

• Read our weekly newsletter: https://yournegotiations.kit.com

• Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/yournegotiations

• Gerta's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertamalaj

• Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhapki

We get this question a lot: “Have you trained an AI on your negotiation framework?” or “Can I just follow a template?”The appeal is obvious. A clean script would be easier for everyone involved and much easier to scale.The problem is that negotiation doesn't really work that way.Every negotiation is different. Different people. Different incentives. Different timing. Different pressure points. Different cultures.In this episode, we talk about why negotiation is both a science and an art, and why the “art” part is exactly what makes it so difficult to automate or turn into a simple template.We also walk through real examples from our work with clients and explain why judgment, context, and timing matter far more than most people realize.We cover:• Why negotiation can’t be reduced to a script or template: Even strong negotiation principles require judgment calls in the moment. The same rule can lead to different decisions depending on the situation.• Why we usually advise candidates not to give a preferred salary number: Every role has a budget ceiling that candidates rarely know. Sharing a number too early can anchor you below that ceiling or signal misalignment with the company.• The rare situations where sharing a number actually makes sense: For example, if you have a higher offer from another company but prefer a different employer that says their current offer is “best and final.”• How company culture changes the tone of negotiation: Some companies communicate very directly. Others use softer, more collaborative language. Adjusting your style to match the culture can make negotiations smoother.• Why compensation data is often overrated: Many candidates rely heavily on salary databases or friends’ compensation numbers. In reality, compensation outcomes are often driven by the company’s urgency at that specific moment.• How timing can dramatically change an offer: If a company urgently needs to fill a role before a major product launch, they may stretch their compensation range for the right candidate.• Small signals that can change your leverage: These include who referred you, how persistent the recruiter is about certain questions, and whether the company hints at other candidates in the pipeline. These details can influence how assertive you should be during negotiations.

For more:

• Book free consultation call with Alex: ⁠https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call

• Get our free negotiation worksheet: ⁠https://www.yournegotiations.com

• Read our weekly newsletter: https://yournegotiations.kit.com

• Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/yournegotiations

• Gerta's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertamalaj

• Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhapki

In this episode, we welcomed Yehong Zhu, founder and CEO of Zett AI. Yehong is a former Forbes reporter, a Harvard philosophy graduate, and a former product manager at X (formerly Twitter). We explored how her background across media, tech, and startups shapes the way she thinks about negotiation, decision making, and building companies that last.

We covered: 

• The “worst alternative” to a deal and the sushi conveyor belt problem of waiting too long for a better option

• Poker as a decision framework: protecting your energy stack, knowing when to fold, and developing your own risk styleAnnie Duke’s concept of “resulting” and how to separate decision quality from outcomes

• Reversible vs irreversible decisions, infinite games, and building companies that last beyond short term incentives

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

This week on Gentle Power, we sat down with Morgan Snyder for a candid conversation about executive content, personal brand, and the quiet factors that contribute to negotiation outcomes before a call even starts. We also get into what’s actually working on LinkedIn right now, why long-form still matters, and how to build relationships in a way that doesn’t feel like performance art, even though Morgan himself will post over-the-top content that mocks the status signalers.

We covered:

• Why Morgan thinks long-form content is where real trust gets built, which is a key pillar in negotiations
• How newsletters and consistent publishing increase your “surface area” and create inbound without constant pitching, which helps close deals
• Morgan’s take on what performs on LinkedIn in 2026, from “basement tier” posts to genuinely expert content
• The “secret sauce” question: what to share publicly, what to keep private, and why implementation is usually the real product
• Two simple habits that help you never run out of content ideas

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

This week on Gentle Power, we sat down with Mark Mirra, CEO and co-founder of Aligned Negotiation, for a deep (and very practical) conversation on how to make negotiation feel less like “combat” and more like a normal life skill you can build over time. 

We covered:

• Why Mark thinks negotiation should be treated like a lifestyle activity, not a scary, high-stakes “event”
• Why internal negotiations (inside your company) often feel harder than external ones
• The 4 negotiation types Mark teaches, and what each one demands from you
• The 4 phases of a negotiation, and how your mindset should shift across each phase
• What to do when a negotiation starts going off the rails

And learn more about Mark ⁠on LinkedIn⁠ and his website here: ⁠https://www.alignednegotiation.com/⁠ 

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations
LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

In this episode of Gentle Power, we sat down with Kenko Ueyama, cofounder of Tsubasa AI, an AI advisory agency that helps enterprise teams define their AI strategy and then actually build it. Kenko is also a senior advisor at Harvard Applied AI Institute, where he helps design AI coursework and leads executive workshops on navigating AI-driven change.

We covered:

• How underpricing yourself lowers not just your margins, but how seriously your work is taken
• A deep dive into your “resentment number,” where if a price makes you resent the work later, it was too low from the start
• The Japanese negotiation concept of “nemawashi”, where the real negotiation happens before the meeting ever begins

To learn more about Kenko and his work, connect with him on LinkedIn here, or visit his website: tsubasa-ai.com.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: ⁠Calendly⁠

Get our free negotiation worksheet: ⁠YourNegotiations.com⁠

Read our weekly newsletter: ⁠Newsletter⁠

Instagram: ⁠@yournegotiations⁠LinkedIn: ⁠Gerta⁠ | ⁠Alex

Professor Ofer Sharone has taught negotiations at MIT Sloan School of Management and currently at University of Massachusetts Amherst, and he happens to be one of Gerta’s earliest influences for her interest in negotiations. She took his Power and Negotiations class at MIT during undergrad, and over a decade later, we welcomed to our podcast!

Professor Sharone’s path to teaching about negotiations took many turns throughout his career. He earned his JD at Harvard Law School, spent his early career negotiating $100M+ finance deals in Japan, then left law to earn a PhD in sociology and to research how people navigate the job search and workplace. MIT brought him in to teach negotiations on the strength of his legal background, and today teaches the topic at UMass Amherst’s public policy shcool.

In this episode:

• Why power in a negotiation doesn't have to be zero-sum
• What makes a job offer the rare negotiation where the relationship and the money are both crucial
• How to run a salary conversation as joint problem-solving, and why "non-negotiable" isn’t a often a hard line
• The detective work of figuring out why a company picked you, and how to turn it into leverage
• Why naming a number too early works against you, and what Professor Sharone thinks about “anchoring” in salary negotiations
• Professor Sharone’s take on AI and the future of work

Connect with Ofer Sharone: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ofersharone

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call

Get our free negotiation worksheet: https://www.yournegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: https://yournegotiations.kit.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournegotiations

Gerta's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertamalaj

Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhapki

In this episode of Gentle Power, we talk about “no deal” scenarios. Not as failures, but as real and often necessary outcomes that people tend to misunderstand, resist, or personalize.

Most negotiation advice focuses on how to get to a deal. But a big part of negotiating well is knowing when there isn’t one. We explore why no deal happens, how to think about it strategically, and how zooming out can turn a disappointing outcome into the right one.

We cover:

• Why no deal usually comes down to misaligned priorities
• Why a strong process doesn’t guarantee results
• When the real win isn’t what you asked for, but what you actually needed
• Why folding can be the smartest move

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations
LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

In this episode of Gentle Power, we unpack a situation that comes up often in our client work: navigating moments where you feel undervalued, dismissed, or treated aggressively by the other side. We talk about how to respond without escalating the situation, how to protect your leverage, and how to distinguish between a one-off bad interaction and a real red flag about the company.

Our conversation covers:

• Why feeling disrespected during a job search is common, and why it hits harder than people expect

• The case for assuming best intent early on (even when the other side is rude or dismissive)

• How staying calm and professional can actually improve your negotiating position

• When disrespect might be a test, and how composure under pressure works in your favor

• Why recruiter behavior doesn’t always reflect what your experience at the company will be like

• Where to draw the line

  
  

If you’ve ever wondered whether a negative interaction is a deal-breaker, or how to respond without hurting your outcome, this episode offers a grounded framework for keeping your side of the street clean while still advocating for yourself.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

We’re back this week with Part 2 of our conversation with Arben Malaj, former Minister of Finance of Albania, and also Gerta’s father.

Quick recap: In his early 30s, Arben was tasked with stabilizing Albania’s economy during its 1997 financial crisis and civil war. His work put him across the table from institutions like the IMF, World Bank, and EU Commission, in negotiations where the power imbalance seemed insurmountable and the consequences of getting it wrong were enormous.

In Part 2, we zoom in on a few concrete moments that show how establishing respect for all stakeholders and creating transparent systems can help land a win-win.

Our conversation covers:

• What to do when the other side seems to hold all the leverage

• Why, if needed, respect must be established before negotiations can move forward

• Why the simplest solutions can create costly downstream effects

• How to design transparency when trust is fragile

  
  

Arben’s experience offers a grounded look at negotiations under immense pressure.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

In this week’s episode, Gerta sits down with her father, Arben Malaj, for a candid conversation about leadership under pressure, values-based negotiation, and what it looks like to take responsibility when everything is on the line. Arben is a prominent public figure in Albania and served as Minister of Finance during the country’s 1997 economic collapse, when pyramid schemes wiped out roughly half of Albania’s GDP and pushed the country into chaos.

This is part one of the interview, focusing on Arben’s background, the crisis years, and the negotiation principles that guided him through some of the most turbulent moments in Albania’s modern history.

Our conversation covers:

• From limited education under communism to winning high-stakes negotiations

• What happens when governments fail to act and how trust, power, and responsibility collide

• Being asked to lead during a national crisis

• Why integrity, sincerity, and goodwill matter more than leverage in high-stakes negotiations

• Lessons on leadership that translate far beyond politics and into everyday decision-making
  

We’ll continue this conversation in part two, where we go deeper into negotiations, international diplomacy, and the long-term lessons from rebuilding after collapse.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

This week, we talk about a type of negotiation most people deal with far more often than job offers: negotiating with hotels, airlines, and everyday services. The conversation was sparked by a real hotel booking situation that arose from Gerta’s upcoming MIT masterclass.

Our conversation covers:

• Why everyday negotiations still benefit from a clear ask
• How light preparation works better than rigid scripts
• How human connection plays a role in low-stakes negotiations
• What creativity looks like when you are not extracting value
• Why small acts of generosity can go a long way

This week’s conversation reminds us that clarity, kindness, and genuine engagement often outperform clever tactics in every situation, not just high-stakes conversations.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

This week, we’re sharing Gerta’s interview with Meredith Baker of the Powerful Stuff Podcast, a podcast for cheeky self-development. Their conversation is a refreshing reminder that negotiation doesn’t have to feel like a cage match. Gerta breaks down the mindset that makes negotiation work better (collaboration, goodwill, and even playfulness), plus a handful of tactics you can use immediately, whether you’re navigating comp, co-founder equity, rent, or just everyday life.

Our conversation covers:

• What can negotiators learn from decision science and poker?

• How to decide whether to negotiate? Expected value and resulting.

• Why negotiation works best when it’s collaborative, not when you play “hard to get”

• The first step most people skip: clarifying priorities and non-negotiables

• Why you shouldn’t give the first number in job offer conversations

• The power of silence, time, and not pushing for answers on the spot

• Everyday negotiations you’re need to try: rent, flights, seats, even concert tickets

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

Most weeks on Gentle Power, we talk about power dynamics in professional settings like job offers and negotiations. In this episode, we focus on negotiations in none other than… love and dating! We explore how vulnerability, power dynamics, and behavioral psychology shape connection and influence, often in ways people misunderstand.

Our conversation covers:

• Vulnerability feels like weakness but it’s actually a strong marker of power 

• People will like you more if you ask them for a favor - the Ben Franklin effect

• How to tell if someone likes you by looking at their body language

• How to regain power when the other party is being aggressive 

  
  

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

This week we sat down with our friend Victor Hsu, a New York - based real estate broker who works with global families, primarily Chinese, navigating the U.S. housing market. Victor’s perspective blends cultural nuance, decades of on-the-ground experience, and a front-row view into how real people behave when the stakes feel high. The overlap between real estate and hiring negotiations turned out to be even greater than we expected.

Our conversation covers:

• How Victor’s client negotiated over $3M off the asking price of a Manhattan townhouse

• Why showing enthusiasm from Day 1 can make sellers more flexible, not less

• What great real estate agents actually do behind the scenes

• Practical tips for buyers in today’s market and renters in competitive cities

  
  

Find out what he meant by ““Making offers is how you get intel”.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

There’s one insight in our client work that many people would find surprising: mid-career professionals often land stronger increases, both in percentage terms and in absolute dollars, than do senior executives.

At first glance, it feels counterintuitive. Senior leaders negotiate business deals, oversee large teams and budgets, and carry higher titles that signal experience and competence. But job offer negotiations draw on a different set of muscles, and the instincts that help people succeed at the executive level don’t always translate cleanly.

Our conversation covers:

• How common executive instincts like decisiveness and transparency can cause leaders to move too fast and lose early leverage

• Why “executive presence” can backfire

• Why role scarcity raises the stakes for senior candidates, and how the pressure to land a rare role can push executives to accept terms prematurely

If you’re a senior leader, mid-career professional, or simply someone who wants to negotiate with more steadiness and clarity, you’ll find a ton of insight in this episode about how to stay grounded and ask for what you actually need.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

This week we spoke with our friend Matt LeBaron, cofounder and CEO of Pocketbook. Matt helps large companies evaluate their software vendors, renegotiate contracts, and make smarter decisions about their tech stack. He also works as a part-time consultant with Adobe’s software procurement team.

Our conversation covers:

• How Matt creatively turned a full-time job posting from Adobe into part-time client work for his business

• Why negotiations are more flexible than they appear, and how stated policies or pricing often function more as starting points than strict rules

• How timing, context, and business needs contribute to negotiation leverage

• Why relationships matter more than negotiations tactics taught in the classroom or in books

Whether you’re a freelancer, you have your own business, or are a job seeker who’s having trouble finding that perfect role to apply to, you’ll find a ton of gold in this conversation with Matt.

Learn more about Matt and Pocketbook here: Website | Matt’s LinkedIn | email: matt@pocketbk.com 

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

Daniel Imberman was employee number 10 at Astronomer, the data company that went viral from a Coldplay kiss cam, and he helped grow it from 10 to 300 people. He then left to start his own consulting firm out of Mexico City, where he himself is the product. This career pivot massively flipped his experience with negotiations. He used to negotiate once every year or two as an employee. Now he negotiates every week, and this episode is a crash course on what he’s had to learn to make his business work.We get into what changes when negotiation becomes a weekly habit, why he treats selling more like gardening than hunting, what people really mean when they say that your service is too expensive, and the high-stakes internal negotiation at Astronomer that reshaped an entire product.• Why the once-a-year employee raise conversation is a different beast from negotiating as a consultant every week• The gardener approach to building a pipeline, and why some clients only sign months or years later• What “too expensive” usually means, and how to address this before you ever talk price• How to align incentives so your pay is tied to the other side’s outcome• What to watch for when your comp package is built on milestones rather than base• How Daniel changed a company’s product roadmap by showing up with receiptsConnect with Daniel Imberman: https://imberman.aiFor more:• Book free consultation call with Alex: https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call• Get our free negotiation worksheet: https://www.yournegotiations.com• Read our weekly newsletter: https://yournegotiations.kit.com• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournegotiations• Gerta’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertamalaj• Alex’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhapki

This week on Gentle Power, we’re joined by Shawna Samuel, an executive consultant who focuses on supporting executive-working mothers in demanding roles. 

Shawna began her career in global finance, where she spent two decades shaping partnerships across the US and Europe. When she became a mother, the structure that had supported her career started to feel less stable. Her responsibilities grew while the available support didn’t grow with them, and she began questioning the default assumption that people should simply adapt without help. That turning point led Shawna to create The Mental Offload, where she helps clients reclaim time, influence, and steadiness in both their professional and personal lives without sacrificing career trajectory.

This conversation will be valuable to anyone who is career-focused but also has big responsibilities outside of the office.

Our conversation covers:

• How to frame your asks around the business value you create rather than treating adjustments as favors

• Why silence can be a powerful tool and how to use it to guide a negotiation

• Practicing saying no in small, everyday ways so that boundaries shift from feeling uncomfortable to normal

• Why people do better work when the responsibilities they carry outside of the office are acknowledged and supported

Learn more about Shawna and The Mental Offload here: Website | Spotify | Apple | LinkedIn

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

This week on Gentle Power, we explore how Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy has changed the way we think about negotiations. The IFS school of thought is based on the idea that we all have different “parts” within us that try to protect us in different ways, and this framework offers surprising lessons for how we show up in high-stakes conversations.

Our conversation covers:

• Why curiosity works better than confrontation when someone gets pushy or defensive
• How to stay grounded when you feel triggered or under pressure
• Why advocating for your younger self (or for someone you care about) makes it easier to ask for more
• The link between self-awareness and business confidence, and why not negotiating can send the wrong signal
• How responding with kindness helps you maintain your power while also getting a better outcome

Negotiating from this mindset will feel less like a flight and more like a creative dialogue. When we understand our own reactions and stay curious about what’s happening on the other side, even tough moments can turn into opportunities for connection and confidence, and of course, better outcomes.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

In this episode, we break down one of the most overlooked negotiation traps: how people give away their leverage when they think they’re actually helping their case. From revealing salary history to competing offers to personal disclosures, even senior leaders can unintentionally anchor themselves low and limit their earning power.

Our conversation covers:

• How one of our high performing, executive clients made a fatal mistake in their negotiations thinking they were actually helping their case

• Why sharing salary history instantly anchors the negotiation and erases options you didn’t know you had

• How companies subtly steer candidates into revealing information they’re legally protected from sharing

• Why “market data” is far less reliable than people think. The real number that matters is the top of their budget - we can never know that number but here’s what to do about it. 

• The compounding cost of leaving even a small amount of salary on the table and how it shapes every raise, promotion, and future offer

• How disclosing pregnancies, relocations, side projects, or “I’m not talking to anyone else” can shift power

• Why naming competing companies or industries collapses your leverage, and how to keep optionality without lying

  
  

Most leverage is lost in moments that feel harmless. The more intentional you are with what you share, the more confidently you can negotiate for the future you want.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

In this episode, we discuss a common dilemma: how to negotiate when the job opportunity came through a referral. Many people hesitate to negotiate in these situations out of fear of seeming ungrateful or straining the relationship that helped them get in the door. We share how to approach these conversations without creating awkwardness or risking the relationship.

Our conversation covers:

• Why a warm intro doesn't mean you can’t advocate for yourself
• Why keeping a pulse on your market value now will help you negotiate roles later that came through warm intros
• The mindset of treating referrals as opportunities for both sides, not an obligation that you must fulfill
• How to communicate tactfully with gratitude, professionalism, and calm
• Viewing referrals like dating intros (mutual fit still matters)

We also share:

• Alex’s biggest DJ set yet: opening at one of NYC’s biggest Halloween festivals
• Recording our podcast and serendipitously hosting a mini-reunion during our 12-hour layover to Korea
• Alex's real-life story where the “backup company” became the dream offer

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

This week we’re joined by Alex Daniels, founder of Decrypted Law and a JD-MBA who is ex-Google, has advised startups and investors during his time at Cooley, and now through his own practice. Alex helps founders and employees navigate legal complexity and drive equitable outcomes through intentional legal design. We explore the structures that keep negotiations ethical, equitable, and grounded in real leverage.

Our conversation covers:

• What founders and employees should know about clawback clauses, non-competes, non-solicits, and NDAs, and why the language matters more than the label

• How to approach severance negotiations, what “reasonable” looks like, and when to consider outside counsel

• How personal disclosures can shift power in negotiations, and why the wrong timing or location-based pay changes can expose companies to discrimination claims

• The difference between RSAs, RSUs, and ISOs, and how early exercise or cash compensation can preserve real value over time

  
  

We also share:

• Alex’s journey from Google to Cooley to building his own flat-fee law firm for startups

• A true case of a relocation gone wrong and what founders can learn about jurisdiction and fairness

• Why reading and understanding every clause in your offer or CIIAA is the strongest move you can make

  
  

The more awareness you bring to the table, the better equipped you are to ensure your best outcome, and our conversation with Alex provides the tools to navigate your next contract confidently.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

In this episode, we’re joined by corporate attorney and SaaS dealmaker, Omeed Tabiei, whose career spans Hyperloop’s moonshot years, two startups of his own, and now a boutique legal firm that helps software founders from incorporation to exit. We dig into how negotiation really works across the startup lifecycle: pricing your services, converting cold outreach into warm relationships, and protecting leverage when buyers come knocking.

We cover:

• Why everything is a negotiation, from scoping legal work to structuring M&As

• How Omeed turns cold leads warm: identify motivations, give value up front, and keep a seat at the table

• How founders lose leverage in exits and how to run a competitive process

• Decoding offers beyond the headline price: stock, holdbacks, working-capital adjustments, taxes

• Guardrails for buyer diligence: phased NDAs, term sheets first, and when to use breakup fees

  
  

We also share:

• Bazaar-born instincts: a dad who made every purchase a negotiation (and how that translates stateside)

• The inside story of Hyperloop’s rise and lessons from raising nine-figure capital on a moonshot

• Omeed's journey: starting two companies, navigating a co-founder dispute, and returning to law to help founders succeed

  
  

“Gentle power” here means pairing clear asks with real empathy: protect your leverage, lead with value, and move every conversation toward fair, durable agreements, for both sides.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

In this episode, we’re joined by Mariane Bekker: engineering leader through six exits, former Director of Engineering at Mindbody, and founder of the 80k-member tech community, Founders Bay. Our conversation explores pay and negotiations from the hiring side, how bias actually shows up in offers, and how women (and allies) can ensure fair offers from both sides of the table.

We cover:

• How to avoid anchoring traps that disadvantage women in offers

• Why motivation and scope often matter more than “market data”

• Practical phrases that reframe the conversation without giving up leverage

  
  

We also share:

• Mariane’s path from cold-calling offices with 50 resumes to building a 55% women engineering org

• How asking for a higher title early shaped every step of her career

• Real tactics she used as Head of Engineering to redesign hiring systems

• The personal grit behind her negotiation style, from war-torn Lebanon to Silicon Valley

  
  

If you hire, lead, or negotiate in tech, this one’s a masterclass on advocating for yourself and others without leaving value on the table.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

This week we’re sharing a live workshop we hosted with Marianne Bekker (Managing Partner, Founders Bay) on how founders can negotiate across every phase of the startup journey, from co-founder splits to investor terms, design partners, vendors, and early hires. Gerta walks through a practical framework for keeping leverage, avoiding common traps (like giving numbers/ranges), and aligning deals to the right priorities rather than the loudest ones.

Our presentation covers:

• The founder negotiation map: co-founders, investors, early employees/contractors, advisors, vendors, design partners, customers, and M&A
• How to preserve leverage (and why you should almost never give numbers or ranges)- Crafting your priority stack (price now vs. lifetime value, brand/reputation, referrals, timelines) and marking true non-negotiables
• Design-partner dynamics: avoiding excessive customization and setting scope, time, and compensation
• Vendor contracts 101: price, scope, timelines, royalties, exclusivity, and when to push vs. trade
• Investor terms beyond valuation: board seats, control, and post-deal involvement
• In-person moments: why you shouldn’t negotiate on the spot (and what to do instead)

A founder’s job is nonstop negotiation, and this workshop gives you the scripts, structure, and judgment to secure better terms without burning bridges.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

In our first in-person interview, we sat down with David Carvalho: entrepreneur, veteran DJ, and the man behind some of San Francisco’s most iconic tech and music events. For more than two decades, David has booked talent for Dreamforce, the Super Bowl, and private gatherings for Silicon Valley’s most influential leaders, while also performing at Coachella, Ultra, Outside Lands, Giants, Warriors, and Raiders games, Google and Facebook’s IPO parties, and even Christina Aguilera’s wedding.

In our conversation, David shares how he has built long-lasting partnerships and a storied career by balancing integrity, creativity, and negotiation savvy.

We cover:

• How to discover priorities before talking price
• Why putting someone between you and the money protects both leverage and relationships
• The value of buying time instead of deciding on the spot
• How to use anchor packages to create choice and reframe negotiations

We also share:

• David’s path from spinning house music at local bars to performing at world-renowned music festivals, big tech’s IPO parties, professional sports games, and even Christina Aguilera’s wedding
• His journey building his event production company, SFVibe, and organizing San Francisco’s mega tech parties with VR-controlled robot fights
• Lessons from booking events for Dreamforce, the Super Bowl, and Silicon Valley’s most influential tech leaders

Whether you’re a job seeker, founder, or just navigating big decisions, this episode is a masterclass in applying real-world negotiation lessons to your own career and life.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

We often get asked, "What does a negotiation service look like?" In this video, we go into detail on exactly what our clients experience when they work with us to negotiate their compensation.If you're in the job search or expecting upcoming negotiations, book a free call with us to get free negotiation tips for your situation and to explore if we're a good fit to work together! Find a time here: https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call

We hosted a live Q&A a few weeks ago for people recently laid off from several large tech companies, but we ran way over time and couldn't get to all the questions. So we brought our lawyer friend, Alex Daniels, back to the podcast to finish the convo around all things severance agreements.

Alex Daniels is a corporate attorney who spent years at Cooley, one of Silicon Valley's top law firms. Joining us as co-host was Grace Ling, creator and community builder, who had just finished her guest interview with us and stayed to help field questions. Together, we all discuss some important things that laid-off employees need to know: what protected class status actually means in a negotiation, how discrimination gets established, and what it takes for a situation to be worth pursuing with an attorney.

Important legal disclaimer: Alex Daniels is a lawyer, but he's not your lawyer. Everything shared in this episode is general guidance, and employment law has a lot of edge cases that depend on your specific situation and location. We're also neither advocating for nor recommending that you take legal action against your employer. Speak directly with an employment attorney in your state if you'd like to explore your options.

• What at-will employment means and how protected class status changes your leverage in a layoff

• The difference between express and tacit discrimination, and why patterns matter even without direct evidence

• Why most employment disputes settle before reaching court, and what that means for how companies structure severance offers

• How to think about whether your situation is worth a consultation with an employment litigator

• Why state law governs most employment situations, and how different the landscape looks from state to state

• A simple rule of thumb for remote workers on which state's laws actually apply to them

To connect with Alex Daniels:

• Add him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandersamueldaniels

• Visit his website: https://www.decryptedlaw.com

For more:

• Book free consultation call with us: https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call

• Get our free negotiation worksheet: https://www.yournegotiations.com

• Read our weekly newsletter: https://yournegotiations.kit.com

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournegotiations

• Gerta's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertamalaj

• Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhapki

In this episode, we unpack the exact words and phrases that quietly tank negotiations, and what to say instead. A recent study conducted by Neil Rackham shows skilled negotiators use far fewer “irritator words” like “fair,” “reasonable,” and “generous,” because those labels backfire.

We cover:

• The “irritator words” to avoid based on the study (“fair offer,” “reasonable,” “generous”) and simple, better substitutes

• Irritator words that we have observed from our experience and what to say instead

• A kinder, stronger deflection than “I’m not comfortable sharing that” (for salary questions, competing offers, etc.)

• How to ask for details or a written summary without sounding distrustful (skip “can you put that in writing?”)

• When to hold your line without giving numbers or ranges, and still preserve rapport

• A quick behavioral nudge you can use (the “because” effect) without being manipulative

  
  

We also share:

• Gerta’s negotiation training roots (MIT/Harvard) and why behavioral science runs our playbook

• The odd “eyes on the coffee jar” study and what it teaches about human behavior

  
  

Tune in to learn the subtle wording tweaks that protect your leverage, keep rapport intact, and help you land better outcomes without sounding adversarial.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

In this episode, we tested AI against some of our most common negotiation questions to find out where it helps, and where it confidently steers you wrong. On paper it looked helpful, but the devil was in the details; the results were a mix of good reminders and dangerously misleading shortcuts. We covered topics like:

• Why “market data” (Glassdoor, Levels, Blind) rarely moves real offers, and what to use instead

• How to ask for a written offer the right way (and why a signable letter beats a summary email)

• Better scripts than “Is this negotiable?” (and why you shouldn’t give numbers or ranges)

• Reading “best and final,” when to keep pushing, and when to stop without burning bridges

  
  

We also share stories including:

• A world-class MBA who nearly blew an offer while being enrolled in a negotiations course

• The exec candidate who cited market data and was told, “Even our C-suite doesn’t make that”

• How big companies quietly changed their offer tactics and how we adapted

• A quirky-but-real priority a client negotiated (and why we re-ordered her asks)

  
  

Tune in to see us run a live test on an AI model’s negotiation advice, what it gets right, what it misses, and how to protect your offer when the stakes are high.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

In this episode, we cover:

• A real-life example of an offer letter from a major company that seemed to grant $50K/year in equity, but turned out to be far less
• Simple ways to ask for clarity without sounding combative
• Why assuming best intent helps you keep leverage and relationships intact

We also share:

• A Burning Man story that raised the question: do we negotiate with friends?
• The classic “splitting an orange” example that shows how creative problem-solving beats compromise

Tune in for practical strategies to catch misleading phrasing and protect your compensation.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

In this episode, we cover:

• Why even world-class professionals with top MBAs and deal-making experience can still mishandle their own salary negotiations

• The stigma around hiring a coach, and how it’s no different from hiring a trainer, therapist, or MBA consultant to help you level up

• The gap between knowing good advice and executing it well when the stakes feel high and context matters

• Why AI is unable to replace a negotiations consultant

  
  

We also share:

• A candid story from a friend who was literally taking a negotiations class while fumbling her own offer

• How we tweak strategies to fit the specific recruiter, timing, and leverage in each client’s situation, and why what the other side says often doesn’t mean what you think it does

  
  

Tune in for a mix of real-world case study and practical insights, so you can see why even seasoned pros benefit from expert support, and avoid leaving money on the table.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

This week, we spoke with Kevin Houng, an HR/people business partner, former employment attorney, and one of Alex’s longest friends, who’s helped launch dozens of venture-backed teams and guided executives through complex compensation decisions.

In our conversation, we covered:

• How companies actually decide budgets for open roles, from scrappy startups to Fortune 500 giants

• Why larger organizations lean on rigid salary bands (and algorithms) while smaller teams often make exceptions for the right candidate

• The truth about “we don’t negotiate” policies, and why there’s almost always more room than recruiters admit

• Tactics for spotting your leverage, asking the right discovery questions, and pushing past the fear of rescinded offers

  
  

We also share:

• Kevin’s journey from Columbia Law School attorney to HR leader, guiding both employers and employees through high-stakes conversations

• Surprising factors that tip the scales in negotiations, like how long a role has been open, or whether a company is in growth vs. downturn mode

• Why being polite and persistent beats being “hard to get”, and the overlooked power of thoughtful follow-up notes

Tune in for an insider’s view from both sides of the hiring table, plus practical scripts and mindsets to help you negotiate with confidence, secure fair pay, and avoid leaving money on the table.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

For this week’s episode of Gentle Power, we welcome our very first guest: Joe Dillon, founder of Equitable Mediation. Joe has spent nearly two decades helping couples navigate the high-stakes, emotionally-charged negotiations of divorce without lawyers, achieving outcomes that protect both their finances and their future relationships.

In our conversation, we explore the surprising overlap between divorce mediation and salary or job offer negotiations, including:

• Why “don’t decide before discovery” can save your leverage

• Common mistakes that derail negotiations, from unrealistic comparisons to letting emotions lead

• How to normalize feelings without letting them control the process

• Why assuming best intent often leads to better agreements

• Practical ways to run a business with your spouse while keeping both the work and the relationship healthy

We also discuss Joe’s path from corporate negotiations to Harvard negotiation training to achieving a 98% mediation settlement rate, and the mindset shifts that keep even tense deals from collapsing.

If you’ve ever had to protect your value, bridge a high-emotion gap, or keep a conversation moving toward a win-win, you’ll take away proven tactics to approach any negotiation with clarity, empathy, and ideal outcomes.

Learn more about Joe and his work at ⁠EquitableMediation.com⁠

For more from Gerta & Alex:

Book free consultation call with Alex: ⁠Calendly⁠

Get our free negotiation worksheet: ⁠YourNegotiations.com⁠

Read our weekly newsletter: ⁠Newsletter⁠

Instagram: ⁠@yournegotiations⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠Gerta⁠ | ⁠Alex⁠

In this episode, we cover:

• Five real reasons offers get rescinded (and how to avoid each)
• Cordial scripts and mindset shifts to push back safely without burning bridges

We also share:

• Why one client held onto her “Company A” offer - and how it saved her from a late‑stage fallback at “Company B”
• The “equity‑info blackout” that led to Company B falling through, and the upfront questions she now asks
• Our favorite Gentle Power negotiation script to keep your offer intact and relationships strong

Tune in to master the art of getting the deal you deserve, without risking rescinds or damaged relationships.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations
LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

For this week’s episode, we are sharing Gerta’s recent interview with Brendan Aronson on the Milvet Podcast, where we discussed actionable negotiation tactics tailored for military veterans transitioning into the civilian job market; insights are just as relevant for people from other backgrounds.

In this conversation, we cover:

• How military service shapes your mindset - and why “service before self” must shift to “advocate for yourself” in the civilian job market

• The single biggest leverage point: waiting for, and negotiating on, a written offer, not a verbal handshake

• Why lying about a competing offer backfires (and how to genuinely build FOMO with real options)

• The power of showing authentic excitement to seal the deal, and not negotiating against yourself

• Defining your “walk-away” point and using it to guide every ask

• Equity fundamentals for pre-IPO vs. public companies, and when to lean into cash vs. stock

We also share:

• Gerta’s journey from Albania to MIT and Harvard negotiation trainings

• Brendan’s Marine-to-startup perspective on advocacy and interview prep

• Must-know pitfalls: dodging illegal salary-history questions and framing your “why”

  
  

Listen in, sharpen your negotiation edge, and take confident steps toward the next chapter of your career.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: ⁠Calendly⁠

Get our free negotiation worksheet: ⁠YourNegotiations.com⁠

Read our weekly newsletter: ⁠Newsletter⁠

Instagram: ⁠@yournegotiations

⁠LinkedIn: ⁠Gerta⁠ | ⁠Alex

In this episode, we cover:

• How to lock in clear price limits with hairstylists, plumbers and other contractors - so you never get surprised by unexpected add‑ons

• Why spelling out the real problem you need to solve (“I keep getting unexpected invoices”) and your intent (“I run a business and need full visibility”) makes pushback feel natural

• Tactful scripts for deflecting vague scope creep, communicating your budget, and keeping relationships positive

• The power of a simple “here’s why it matters to me” explanation to transform awkward interactions into win–wins
  

We also share:

• Gerta’s platinum hair adventure - and the upfront budget script that kept her stylist from veering into gray‑area pricing 

• A simple, one‑minute exercise for reconnecting with old friends you’ve lost touch with

Tune in for a mix of practical money‑savvy tactics and heart‑centered mindfulness, so you can pay what’s fair, avoid hidden fees, and reach back out to the people who matter.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations
LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

For this week’s episode, we are sharing our recent interview with Lauren McGoodwin from Career Contessa, where we focused on practical tips to improve your next job offer by 5-6 figures. We covered topics and strategies including:

• Why oversharing destroys your leverage, and how to tactfully deflect “What’s your number?” questions
• The surprising power of genuine enthusiasm in negotiations
• How to ask multiple open-ended questions, embrace strategic silence, and keep the dance going
• Letting employers know you’re interviewing elsewhere without giving away your leverage
• Clarifying your true priorities (cash, equity, flexibility) and using non-negotiables to guide every ask

We also share behind-the-scenes stories from Gerta’s journey (from Albania to MIT to co-founding YourNegotiations.com) and Alex’s path (Air Force Academy to Instagram product marketing).

Join us for a deep dive into the mental game of negotiation - equal parts strategy, psychology, and storytelling - to help you claim the deal you deserve.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

Angela Liao has spent her career on both sides of billion-dollar manufacturing negotiations. She built her foundation on the supplier side in Asia, negotiating contracts on behalf of manufacturing companies with some of the world’s biggest tech companies as her customers. She later joined Tesla and then Google, where she now leads device strategy and supply chain partnerships, negotiating manufacturing deals for the Google Pixel phone. She also built and launched an internal negotiation training program at Google, which started as a physical card deck and is now becoming an AI-powered negotiation practice tool used broadly across many Google.

Angela shares her deep industry knowledge in what negotiations look like in high-stakes business deals and why leverage is rarely as one-sided as it looks, even if one side is seemingly more powerful and better resourced than the other.

• Why suppliers to much larger companies often hold more leverage than people assume, and how they use it

• The asker versus guesser culture of communication

• How Angela’s team resolved a months-long stalemate with a business partner that wanted 100% of the value on the table

• What every negotiator should clarify about their own priorities before walking into any negotiation

Connect with Angela Liao: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelaliaomba

For more:

• Book free consultation call with Alex: https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call

• Get our free negotiation worksheet: https://www.yournegotiations.com

• Read our weekly newsletter: https://yournegotiations.kit.com

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournegotiations

• Gerta’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertamalaj

• Alex’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhapki

In this episode, we cover:

• Focusing on fairness can sabotage the negotiation
• Sometimes the best move is to just settle and spend your energy elsewhere
• Your job offer isn’t something you’re lucky to receive; it’s a mutual value exchange
• Do what’s best for you, not just what benefits the company
• Don’t take what an employer says at face value
• Negotiation is a game, and you’re allowed to play it

We also share:

• Gerta’s Sandbox retreat in rural Spain: tribal percussion, spider-ridden tent nights, and lakeside sunrise raves
• Alex’s solo week of running the business leading to an unexpected motivation boost
• A quick Milan detour for Dua Lipa with Albanian friends, then family time (and jet-lag battles) in Albania

Join us to learn how the right negotiation mindset, equal parts gratitude and game theory, can help turn any scenario into a better deal.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

For this week’s episode, we’re sharing Gerta’s recent conversation on the “Glasp Talk” YouTube series with Glasp cofounders, Kazuki Nakayashiki and Kei Watanabe. Glasp is a social web-highlighting tool that helps readers capture, organize, and share knowledge, empowering users to amplify their human insights with AI-driven intelligence.

This talk dives into Gerta’s journey from MIT-trained engineer to negotiation coach, why she and Alex focus on “gentle power,” and exactly how to grow the pie so that both sides leave the table happier.

Topics including:

• Stop over-sharing: how revealing your “other offer” (or personal plans) too early shrinks your leverage.
• Get it in writing: why a signable offer letter is your negotiation launch-pad, and what to do when HR keeps stalling.
• Offer component flexibility: base, equity, sign-ons, perks, and understanding which levers move at startups vs Big Tech.
• Global nuance: tailoring your ask when you’re negotiating in Europe, Asia, or Latin America.
• The AI question: why today’s chatbots still hallucinate, and why Gerta sticks to human-crafted language for high-stakes talks.
• Community as a superpower: how building founder circles and mastermind groups sharpens both deal flow and soft skills.

Connect with Kazuki, Kei & Glasp:

Glasp – glasp.co

YouTube – youtube.com/@Glasp

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

In this episode, we cover:

• Why you should insist on receiving a signable written offer before you start negotiating, and when to stop insisting if the company keeps stalling.
• How adding a simple “because” makes decision-makers say “yes” more often, and exactly how to use it in your comp ask. Don’t just take our word for it—read the study here.
• Building a “reason bank” before you negotiate: strong role-fit points, safe personal angles, and what reasons to avoid using.
• Our referral program: a flat $500 per referral who becomes a client (full details here).

We also share what we’ve been grateful for lately, including:

• Sam Harris’ Waking Up app and why guided meditation is finally sticking for Alex.
• How a simple gratitude journal rewires the brain to seek out the good in life—every single day.
• A smooth standby flight to Albania, grandma cuddles, and twin-cousin giggles.
• Our lives in San Francisco: block party vibes, a last-minute invite to ZHU’s set, and late-night city walks.

Tune in for mindset shifts and ready-to-use scripts that can turn the word “because” into a stronger offer.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

In this episode, we cover:

• Why there’s no magic “round limit” in negotiations.
• How “this is our best and final offer” usually signals when to stop – and when to read between the lines.
• Why “first offer = best & final” is almost never true – and how one client added six figures to an allegedly unmovable package.
• Strategies for fixed pay-band roles (government, academia, teaching): what you can still negotiate when base pay is capped.
• Dealing with recruiter personalities: why both overly aggressive and super-friendly counterparts can trip you up – and the one mindset that keeps you in control.

We also share personal stories including:

• A family-centered trip to Albania after an uncle’s passing – late-night calls, grandma cuddles, and twin cousins.
• How our pilot friend Alan found us last-minute standby flights.
• Reflections on missing home when you’ve migrated continents, and why you should never go a year without those family hugs.

Whether you’re navigating corporate roles, academic appointments, or government-scale jobs, this episode gives you the mindset and scripts to know exactly when to push and when to pause.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex