How to Get What You Want

You can have a solid plan. You can know exactly what you want to say. And still, in the moment, emotions take over. Your body tightens, your brain fogs, and suddenly you’re second-guessing everything.

We all get hijacked like this. Even the best negotiators. But the difference is, they know how to notice it and keep moving anyway.

In this episode, I’m talking about what emotional pressure really does to your decision-making, how it s...

Ever walk into a meeting and immediately lose your footing, even though you were completely prepared? There’s a reason for that. Too many of us focus only on what we’re going to say, not where we’re saying it or who actually holds the power.

In this episode, I’m sharing the overlooked skills that separate confident communicators from everyone else. From reading the power dynamics in the room to knowing exactly when to stop talking a...

Getting what you want doesn’t start with doing more. It starts with knowing what matters and letting go of what doesn’t.

This week I’m joined by my friend Monisha Longacre, author of Practical Productivity and founder of Productivity 101. She’s spent decades leading in tech and building systems that help high performers stop spinning and start choosing.

We talk about how easy it is to give your time away without even realizing it, an...

Not all feedback is helpful. Sometimes it's vague. Sometimes it's self-serving. And sometimes it hits a nerve even when it doesn't feel true. If you’ve ever been told something like "you're not strategic enough" and didn’t know how to respond, this episode will help you find your next step.

I’m sharing how to handle feedback that feels off, how to keep it from derailing your confidence, and what it real...

Ever walked away from a conversation with a senior leader and wondered, did they even hear me? It’s not just what you say that matters. It’s how you say it, when you say it, and whether you’ve thought about what they need from you. Executive communication isn’t about filling space or adding polish. It’s about clarity, timing, and making it easy for someone to say yes.

In this episode, I’m sharing what actually works when you need yo...

We wait. For permission. For someone to notice. For the timing to be right. But the truth is, your career doesn’t move forward just because you’re doing great work. It moves when you opt in.

Cerys Goodall, COO of Vetster, knows this firsthand. She went from biotech dropout to C-suite leader by saying yes before she felt ready. In this conversation, we talk about what shifts when you stop waiting and start raising your hand. Whether ...

Ever notice how fast you jump in to fill a quiet moment? But what if silence isn’t something to avoid, it’s something to use. In this episode, I’m digging into why silence might be the most powerful thing you don’t say. Whether you’re negotiating, leading a meeting, or just having a one-on-one, those few seconds of quiet could be the difference between misunderstanding and connection. I’ll walk you through the research, the mindset...

We tend to picture negotiations happening in boardrooms, but the real opportunities? They show up in hallways, at the end of meetings, in the quiet moments when you're not quite ready but should be. If you're not clear on what you want or how to ask for it, those moments pass. And when they do, someone else’s name gets mentioned instead of yours.

In this episode, I’m talking about how clarity creates opportunity and why ca...

You know that temptation to say “I’ll do anything” when you’re ready for something new? My guest today, Seyka Mejeur, is here to challenge that thinking. As the CEO of an executive search firm placing technical leaders in space and climate, Seyka spends her days helping founders and execs clarify what they actually want so they can make better decisions, faster.

We talked about how lack of clarity gets in your way more than you real...

Think someone else just “got lucky” with that big opportunity? I used to believe that too. Until I started paying attention. In this episode, I’m sharing what really sets opportunity-spotters apart. It’s not magic. It’s not hustle. It’s observation and initiative.

If you’ve been waiting for someone to notice your work or hand you your next move, this is your reminder: visibility is something you create. I’ll walk you through how to ...

You’ve got the experience. You’re delivering results. So why does asking for more still feel... off? Today I’m talking about the internal blockers that hold us back from advocating for ourselves, especially when it comes to money, promotions, or recognition. 

It’s not just about timing or strategy. It’s the stories we tell ourselves about being selfish, ungrateful, or difficult. I’ll walk you through a new lens for thinking about yo...

You walk into a high stakes conversation certain you’ll get a green light. One curveball later, you’re staring at a “maybe” or, worse, a flat out no. Today I’m sharing why relying on optimism alone keeps us stuck and how a few minutes of strategic prep can save the day. I’ll show you how my client went from deer-in-headlights to confident negotiator by planning for the answer she didn’t want to hear. You’ll leave knowing exactly ho...

You’ve hit your goals, earned the title, maybe even built a strong team. But it still doesn’t quite feel like you. Let’s talk about why that happens and what to do about it.

I sat down with my friend Dana Williams to talk about what it really means to live and lead authentically. Dana spent 25 years as a marketing leader at Southwest Airlines before starting her own business as a Gallup-certified strengths coach and launching the St...

You walk in ready to ask for 92K. They offer 80, and suddenly you're countering at 85. What just happened? Your brain got anchored. In this episode, I’m unpacking three subtle mindset traps that can derail you in a negotiation. Whether you're navigating a job offer, managing up, or leading a conversation that matters, these patterns quietly work against you.

They’re not flaws. They’re automatic brain traps. And the first s...

You know that moment when you want to raise your hand, share your idea, or say yes to something that scares you, but you don’t? In this episode, I’m digging into what’s actually happening in those moments and why your brain thinks it’s helping by keeping you quiet. This isn’t just about fear. It’s about the subtle, sneaky ways we stay stuck in the name of safety.

If you’ve been playing it small or second-guessing your next move, thi...

You know those moments when logic and facts just aren’t cutting it? That’s where story comes in. Stories connect. They soften resistance, bring people into your world, and shift conversations in a way that facts alone can’t.

In this episode, I’m exploring how storytelling works inside negotiation and decision-making. I’ll show you how to use it to build trust, move conversations forward, and make your message land, especially when t...

Avoiding conflict might feel like the safest move, but it often leads to confusion, disconnection, and missed opportunities. Conflict is part of leadership. What matters is how you choose to engage with it.

In this episode, I’m joined by conflict consultant and former litigation attorney Ursula Taylor for a real conversation about what it takes to show up in hard moments. We talk about why self-awareness is the foundation of conflic...

Ever walk into a high-stakes meeting thinking you're ready, only to realize too late that you missed the moment? That was me, on a packed airport train, suddenly thrown into a deal conversation I had no business leading.

In this episode, I’m breaking down what situational awareness really looks like, why most people miss it, and how to stay grounded and clear-headed when the pressure is high. You’ll learn the CLAW framework I t...

The stakes of a negotiation are usually obvious. But the interests, the things that actually matter to the other person but never make it into the contract, are often overlooked. And when that happens, both sides lose.

In this episode, I’m breaking down the difference between stakes and interests, how to spot what is really driving someone’s decision, and how to use that insight to get better results in every kind of conversation. I...