Risky Conversations with Jamie Lee – Details, episodes & analysis

Many people think I'm a negotiation coach, but I'm really a practitioner of change working at the intersection of ancient Eastern philosophy and modern Western neuroscience.

The Science: Quantum physicists like David Bohm and Zen masters in the mountains agree: Everything you think is "solid" (your desk, your body, your obstacles) is actually 99.9999999% empty space. Similarly, neuroscientists like Michael Gazzaniga have found that there is no singular, fixed "I" in your brain. You are a "Society of Mind," an aggregate of different parts negotiating conflicting and inherently empty impulses in real-time. 

The Philosophy: In Zen, this is encapsulated in a single character: Mu (無). It often gets translated as “empty,” but it can also reference a kind of boundlessness.

The Intersection: When you realize matter is mostly space, the "solid" walls in your mind begin to soften. You realize you are not your self-talk, the very thoughts that lie at the root of professional stress. 

Instead, you are the boundless potential behind the action. 

What you'll learn in this episode: 

02:15 – The Humble, Good News: Why you don’t need a PhD or to become a monk to benefit from these fundamental truths

04:30 – Your "Society of Mind": How the illusion of being a fixed, singular "I" is dismantled by both modern neuroscience and ancient wisdom. 

06:50 – Tyranny of Self-Talk: Getting to the root of all professional stress when external circumstances don't seem to go your way. 

07:45 – The Liberation of "Mu": What becomes possible when new perspectives enable new ways of thinking, feeling, and responding to circumstance beyond our control. 

09:30 – The 3 Stages of Change: A roadmap through Dissolution (of negative self-talk), Mental Rehearsal, and Embodied Brave Action.

11:00 – The Fortress of Trust: Why true trust comes from realizing your "self" is not a fragile, solid thing that can be broken.

12:15 – Creator & Masterpiece: When tangible results like getting promoted and better paid are the byproduct of accessing a deeper truth of who you really are. 

To learn more about working with me 1:1, come on over to https://www.jamieleecoach.com/apply 

Text me your thoughts on this episode!

Enjoy the show? 

• Don't miss an episode, listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  
• Leave me a review in Apple Podcasts. 

Connect with me

• Book a free hour-long consultation with me. You'll leave with your custom blueprint to confidence, and we'll ensure it's a slam-dunk fit for you before you commit to working with me 1:1. 
• Connect with me on LinkedIn 
• Email me at jamie@jamieleecoach.com 

When I sat down to record this conversation with M. Cristina Alcalde, Ph.D., ACC, last December, institutional biases hadn't yet turned as blatantly fatal as they have in the aftermath of Operation Metro Surge.

But truth be told, systemic exclusion leading to institutional violence has never been news for BIPOC and immigrants.

The endlessly "moving goalposts" is just one of many ways BIPOC professionals experience institutional bias in the workplace.

My guest Dr. Cristina Alcalde is an anthropologist, author, leadership coach, and professor of Global and Intercultural Studies at Miami University in Ohio.

In this episode, we explored: 

• Beyond "Us vs. Them": Why addressing institutional whiteness isn't about attacking people, but about fixing the hidden systems that block everyone from equity.
• The "Illusion Bubble": Why the status quo feels so "natural" to some, while creating moving goalposts for high-achieving women of color.
• Feminist Curiosity: How to stop being "complicit" and start asking the risky question: "Who actually benefits from the status quo?" 
• Agency in the Heavy Moments: Navigating institutional hate while holding onto our internal authority and resistance.
• Connecting the Dots: How historical exclusions—like redlining—continue to build the workplace barriers we see today.

Mentioned in this episode: 

• Connect with Dr. Cristina Alcalde on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-cristina-alcalde-ph-d-24b71b8b/
• Dr. Cristina Alcalde's Faculty Webpage: https://miamioh.edu/profiles/cas/m-cristina-alcalde.html
• Dr. Cristina Alcalde's Website: https://www.crisalcalde.com/
• Donate to Support our St. Paul Public Schools Community Fund https://my.cheddarup.com/c/support-our-st-paul-public-schools-community/items
• Learn more about Jamie's Executive Coaching Services: https://www.jamieleecoach.com/apply

Text me your thoughts on this episode!

Enjoy the show? 

• Don't miss an episode, listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  
• Leave me a review in Apple Podcasts. 

Connect with me

• Book a free hour-long consultation with me. You'll leave with your custom blueprint to confidence, and we'll ensure it's a slam-dunk fit for you before you commit to working with me 1:1. 
• Connect with me on LinkedIn 
• Email me at jamie@jamieleecoach.com 

As an executive coach for women working in male-dominated industries, I often coach on the topics of money, wealth, and self-trust. 

In this episode of Risky Conversations, I sit down with Andrea Liebross—results-driven business coach, podcast host, and author of “She Thinks Big.” 

Andrea shares her journey from corporate director to entrepreneur, and together we unpack what it really means to take risks, think big, and create wealth on your own terms. 

If you’re an ambitious woman ready to break out of your box, this conversation is for you!

Mentioned:

• Andrea’s website https://andrealiebross.com/
• Andrea’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-liebross/
• Andrea’s Instagram Andrea Liebross (@andrea.liebross.coaching)
• Jamie’s website Jamie Lee Coach
• Jamie’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/leejieunjamie/
• Jamie’s Instagram Jamie Lee (@jamieleecoach)

Key topics and timestamps:

• 0:00 – Why all worthwhile things are on the other side of a risky conversation
• 10:15 – The power of honest conversations and giving yourself permission to grow
• 19:00 – The TRUST framework for big thinking (Thought options, Real problem, Unknown, Securing support, Taking massive action)
• 32:00 – What “massive action” looks like: Real client success stories
• 36:30 – Wealth as choice: Redefining abundance beyond money
• 51:00 – Where to find Andrea’s book, podcast, and the “Silent Saboteur” quiz

Tune in for actionable strategies, inspiring stories, and a fresh perspective on what’s possible when you dare to think big!

Watch this interview with Andrea Liebross, Business Coach on YouTube: https://youtu.be/b0lWo6w94QY?si=KCZDJZW4IVQNX4Ey

Text me your thoughts on this episode!

Enjoy the show? 

• Don't miss an episode, listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  
• Leave me a review in Apple Podcasts. 

Connect with me

• Book a free hour-long consultation with me. You'll leave with your custom blueprint to confidence, and we'll ensure it's a slam-dunk fit for you before you commit to working with me 1:1. 
• Connect with me on LinkedIn 
• Email me at jamie@jamieleecoach.com 

If you've ever felt anxious or even angry after negotiating for your career growth with your boss -- who seemed upset that you negotiated -- there are five steps you can take to objectively assess the situation, regain your composure, and defuse  misunderstanding, so you can continue the negotiation process. 

In this episode, you'll learn: 

• What post-advocacy jitters are, and why it's important to understand it as a normal part of the process 
• What to do and what to say, when your boss gets upset that you negotiated, so you can mend the working relationship WITHOUT conceding your ask 
• What survivalist reaction is, and understanding the invisible context in which the reaction happens for professional women 

If you want 1:1 expert guidance in your corner, so you can build genuine self-confidence to speak up, lead and advocate for your career growth, you're invited to book your free 1:1 consultation with me. 

Come learn all about my coaching process, philosophy and real client results here: https://www.jamieleecoach.com/apply

Text me your thoughts on this episode!

Enjoy the show? 

• Don't miss an episode, listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  
• Leave me a review in Apple Podcasts. 

Connect with me

• Book a free hour-long consultation with me. You'll leave with your custom blueprint to confidence, and we'll ensure it's a slam-dunk fit for you before you commit to working with me 1:1. 
• Connect with me on LinkedIn 
• Email me at jamie@jamieleecoach.com 

How do you make the case to double your rate? A subscriber recently posed this question, and I'm sharing my answer here. 

Whether you are an entrepreneur who sets her own rates, an employee earning a wage, or an entrepreneurial employee with ambitions of one day setting, then doubling your own rate, you'll find something relevant and useful here. 

I've used the same mutual-benefit negotiation principles, that I once used to negotiate my pay raise as an employee, to grow my business. Now, I often teach the same principles behind sales and marketing strategies I've learned as an entrepreneur to help my clients get promoted and better paid. 

You'll learn: 

• The two things you first need to create, before you make the case for doubling your rate  
• Sample script you can use to create leverage in salary negotiation, when you have multiple job offers 
• What giving value ahead of time is, and how to do it from a position of strength 
• How to manage up in a smart and strategic way, so that you're set up for negotiation success in the workplace 
• How to build the case for what you want in the mind of the decider 

Featured in this episode: 

• BOOK your free 1:1 consultation with me to find out how executive coaching can help you grow your confidence to lead, influence and negotiate as a woman professional: https://www.jamieleecoach.com/apply
• READ the full transcript of each episode here: https://podcast.jamieleecoach.com
• LISTEN to episode 2: Five Steps to Secure Your Promotion Ahead of the Annual Review 
• LISTEN to episode 8: How to Get Better Paid, Pt. 1 (Pitfalls) 
• Check out Simone Seol's podcast 

Text me your thoughts on this episode!

Enjoy the show? 

• Don't miss an episode, listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  
• Leave me a review in Apple Podcasts. 

Connect with me

• Book a free hour-long consultation with me. You'll leave with your custom blueprint to confidence, and we'll ensure it's a slam-dunk fit for you before you commit to working with me 1:1. 
• Connect with me on LinkedIn 
• Email me at jamie@jamieleecoach.com 

In this episode, I'm coming clean about something personal I kept hush-hush for so long. I'm also sharing the replay of last year's Leadership Lab and inviting you to this year's Leadership Lab, an open group coaching call for women who want to REDEFINE leadership in their own unique voice, so they can feel alive and aligned as they take charge in their careers and lives. 

You will learn: 

• The unorthodox thing about me I was reluctant to share
• How self-advocacy builds leadership in the workplace 
• What to remind yourself of when you feel doubtful and unsure about being a leader 
• Five key phrases for getting buy-in on your ideas or your promotion
• How to stay resilient and focused in the age of distractions and distressful news 
• How to define your own success as a newly appointed manager to a team, when higher-ups don't define it for you 
• What to do when you get a 360 review with completely polarizing feedback from different folks 

If you'd like to dive deeper, you're invited to book your free 1:1 consultation with me to find out exactly how you and I can work together, so you build both the self-confidence and the leadership skills to help you get to the next level in your career.

Come on over to https://www.jamieleecoach.com/apply to learn about my coaching process, philosophy and real client results.

Text me your thoughts on this episode!

Enjoy the show? 

• Don't miss an episode, listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  
• Leave me a review in Apple Podcasts. 

Connect with me

• Book a free hour-long consultation with me. You'll leave with your custom blueprint to confidence, and we'll ensure it's a slam-dunk fit for you before you commit to working with me 1:1. 
• Connect with me on LinkedIn 
• Email me at jamie@jamieleecoach.com 

Why do we -- especially women and minorities -- hate office politics? What can we do to grow in our careers, without misusing power in the workplace? 

But also, who the heck is this Jamie Lee (points to self), and why should you listen to any of my career advice on the internet? 

I had the honor of answering these and other pointed and potent questions in an interview that recently got published online. 

Because the insights and suggestions apply to folks working across many industries such as science, tech, engineering, math, non-profits, etc, I'm sharing my answers and additional insights here on this podcast. 

You'll learn: 

• How the experience of marginalization can lead to associating power with the misuse of power 
• How to think about your promotion to have greater leadership presence 
• How to build genuine confidence to advocate for the career growth you want 
• My three unconventional tips to consider when thinking about working with an executive or career coach 

Featured in this episode: 

• Read the full article: Advance Your Career When You Hate Office Politics on Actuary Magazine 
• Book your free 1:1 consultation with me 
• Come on over to https://www.jamieleecoach.com/apply to learn all about my coaching philosophy, process and real client results. 

Text me your thoughts on this episode!

Enjoy the show? 

• Don't miss an episode, listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  
• Leave me a review in Apple Podcasts. 

Connect with me

• Book a free hour-long consultation with me. You'll leave with your custom blueprint to confidence, and we'll ensure it's a slam-dunk fit for you before you commit to working with me 1:1. 
• Connect with me on LinkedIn 
• Email me at jamie@jamieleecoach.com 

In this webinar recording, you'll learn: 

• how to bust three myths that keep smart, competent women overworked, but underpaid and under promoted
• A dead simple, but super effective way to articulate your professional value in one sentence so you can feel confident in both negotiation and in networking. 
• And my mad-lib negotiation script along with the framework that explains the thinking behind the script.

When you implement this well, you will have your manager, your client, your boss, nodding their head in agreement and thanking you for advocating for your growth.

If you know anyone who can benefit from learning how to negotiate for themselves, please be a friend and share this episode with them.

If you want to dive deeper and have the support of an expert in your corner, so you can start building your self-advocacy muscle and confidently take the reins over your career growth, you're invited to book your free 1:1 consultation with me.

Come on over to https://www.jamieleecoach.com/apply to get all the answers to questions you didn't even know you had about coaching with me. 

Text me your thoughts on this episode!

Enjoy the show? 

• Don't miss an episode, listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  
• Leave me a review in Apple Podcasts. 

Connect with me

• Book a free hour-long consultation with me. You'll leave with your custom blueprint to confidence, and we'll ensure it's a slam-dunk fit for you before you commit to working with me 1:1. 
• Connect with me on LinkedIn 
• Email me at jamie@jamieleecoach.com 

In this episode, I'm getting personal and sharing some of my early life experiences that have shaped my money philosophy and why I help women get bolder, braver, and better paid. 

To me, money is simply a bonus byproduct of having honored the limitless capacity of the human mind, brain, and soul, and a byproduct of having cultivated courage and conviction in the face of difficult circumstances. 

I coach for reasons bigger than money, because I know first hand what it's like to overcome being an immigrant, being in a lower economic class, and being a woman in a patriarchal society that undervalues women's contributions. 

For these reasons, I'm also sharing an important business announcement with the intention of making executive coaching more accessible to underprivileged women. 

You'll learn: 

• Why money is not my life's purpose and does not define my self-worth 
• What's bigger and more valuable and more important than making large sums of money at the expense of your well-being
• How to see money as a neutral tool, so you can use it in a way that reduces harm in the world and honors your values 
• The mindset and thinking behind the class-equitable sliding scale fee 

If you want to dive deeper with me, you're invited to book your free 1:1 consultation. In this hour-long, risk-free conversation, you'll find out exactly how coaching will help you generate genuine confidence that creates the ripple effect of positive change starting with you, your career, your income, then expanding to touch the lives of people you love and future generations.

Come to https://www.jamieleecoach.com/apply to get all the answers to questions about coaching with me that you didn't even know you had. 

Text me your thoughts on this episode!

Enjoy the show? 

• Don't miss an episode, listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  
• Leave me a review in Apple Podcasts. 

Connect with me

• Book a free hour-long consultation with me. You'll leave with your custom blueprint to confidence, and we'll ensure it's a slam-dunk fit for you before you commit to working with me 1:1. 
• Connect with me on LinkedIn 
• Email me at jamie@jamieleecoach.com 

As a coach, I've helped my clients negotiate and earn $2MM+ in additional income. 

But before that, as a young professional, I bungled my own salary negotiation and found out I'd left $50K on the negotiating table. 

I felt so disappointed in myself. 

I want to help you avoid disappointment and to avoid costly mistakes I made. 

In this episode, I walk you through the 8 DOs and 6 DON'T's of salary negotiation that I learned the hard way. 

You'll learn: 

• What you can say, when you go beyond online searches and talk to real people to expand your salary expectations
• Key questions you can ask your employer or client, so you can laser in on the value of your contributions and make your ask a no-brainer 
• How to make use of a key communication skill that FBI hostage negotiators use to create rapport in high-stakes conversations, so you build, not burn bridges, while growing your income
• What you can say when you want to set a positive tone to your salary negotiation without getting defensive when they offer you something below your expectations
• Why inflation is not a good basis for asking for a raise 
• Why checking boxes doesn't move your career 
• How to avoid setting a low bar for yourself so you don't end up leaving money on the table 

If you want expert 1:1 guidance in your corner so you can generate genuine self-confidence to speak up, negotiate, and lead in your career, you're invited to book your free consultation with me today. 

Come to https://www.jamieleecoach.com/apply to learn about my coaching process and philosophy and to book your free consultation today. 

Text me your thoughts on this episode!

Enjoy the show? 

• Don't miss an episode, listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  
• Leave me a review in Apple Podcasts. 

Connect with me

• Book a free hour-long consultation with me. You'll leave with your custom blueprint to confidence, and we'll ensure it's a slam-dunk fit for you before you commit to working with me 1:1. 
• Connect with me on LinkedIn 
• Email me at jamie@jamieleecoach.com