Aspire for More: How to be an Everyday Negotiator

What would you do if your workplace didn’t have a maternity leave policy—and you were about to need one?

Would you risk asking for something that’s never been done before? Or walk away from a job you’ve helped build?

In this episode, our caller, Naeha, a manager at a small nonprofit, returns with a powerful update. When we first met her, she had just lost a valued team member who quit over the organization’s lack of maternity leave. 

Now, a year and a half later, Naeha shares how she turned that frustration into action—and successfully negotiated her own paid leave package.

In our conversation, Naeha reflects on the emotional turning point that pushed her to speak up, the subtle signaling that kept her ask collaborative rather than confrontational, and how she built internal allies to transform a simple “what if” into an actual company policy.

If you’ve ever wondered when to advocate for yourself—or how to balance what’s fair for you versus what’s good for the organization—this story is a must-listen. You’ll walk away with practical insights on timing, anchoring, and the power of allies—lessons that could help you or someone you love the next time a workplace negotiation feels out of reach.


MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

⚉ [Podcast] #15 Why negotiating with family is difficult? - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2323468/episodes/16181030 
⚉ [Podcast] #6 Negotiating Paid Maternity Leave | What if they ask for salary expectations in the job application? - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2323468/episodes/15140435 
⚉ [Blog Post] Why Negotiating with Family is Difficult - https://www.moonnegotiation.com/blog/why-negotiating-with-family-is-difficult 


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This podcast is a call-in show, so if you or a woman you know needs help in this area, feel free to contact me at joan@moonnegotiation.com to submit your questions or join me in our next episode. 


JOIN THE PRIORITY LIST FOR JOAN’S NEXT COHORT OF THE ADVANCED NEGOTIATION INTENSIVE
https://course.moonnegotiation.com/Join-the-Priority-List


CONNECT WITH JOAN:
⚉ Website: https://www.moonnegotiation.com/ 
⚉ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanmoon413/ 
⚉ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moonnegotiation
⚉ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moonnegotiation


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Many women spend hours building pitch decks, collecting data, and rehearsing persuasive talking points for negotiations—only to unintentionally weaken their position the moment they enter the room. 

The issue often isn’t the ask itself, but the posture from which it’s made.

In this second-part episode, Joan Moon and women’s leadership coach Stephanie Aitken continue their deep dive into the hidden behaviors that quietly weaken your negotiating position. 

These patterns are so ingrained. Often praised as being “helpful,” “loyal,” or “easy to work with”, most women don’t even realize how much influence they’re giving away before the conversation begins. 

The good news? Once you recognize them, they're entirely fixable.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Stephanie Aitken is a consultant, trainer, speaker, and coach, as well as the founder of Stephanie Aitken Consulting and the Gender Harmony Collective, an initiative designed to move beyond traditional gender equality toward true inclusivity. With over 25 years of professional experience, she began her career as an in-house lawyer for MTV and Channel 4, working on major projects such as the MTV Music Awards, Apple iTunes, and Stand Up to Cancer.

Driven by her passion for people’s growth, she retrained in neuro-linguistic programming, coaching, and transformational facilitation, later delivering interpersonal skills training for organizations including Network Rail, Dentons, Fieldfisher, and Barclays. She went on to serve as a lead trainer at One of Many, then the UK’s largest women’s personal development company, where she guided large groups through transformational programmes and honed her expertise as a speaker and facilitator.

Stephanie now specializes in women’s leadership development and inclusive workplace strategies, creating targeted coaching, workshops, and organizational programmes that accelerate women’s careers while fostering environments where equity benefits everyone. Her mission is to evolve gender equality into a model where all employees can thrive, amplifying both individual potential and organizational success.

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

⚉ [Article] Are You Taking on Too Many Non-Promotable Tasks? - https://hbr.org/2022/04/are-you-taking-on-too-many-non-promotable-tasks 

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This podcast is a call-in show, so if you or a woman you know needs help in this area, feel free to contact me at joan@moonnegotiation.com to submit your questions or join me in our next episode. 

JOIN THE PRIORITY LIST FOR JOAN’S NEXT COHORT OF THE ADVANCED NEGOTIATION INTENSIVE

https://course.moonnegotiation.com/Join-the-Priority-List

CONNECT WITH STEPHANIE:

⚉ Website: https://www.stephanieaitken.com/ 

⚉ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aitkenstephanie/ 

CONNECT WITH JOAN:

⚉ Website: https://www.moonnegotiation.com/ 

⚉ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanmoon413/ 

⚉ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moonnegotiation

⚉ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moonnegotiation

JOIN THE MAILING LIST FOR NEWS AND NEGOTIATION TIPS:

https://www.moonnegotiation.com/social-media 

Send us a text

Why do some people seem to glide through negotiations while others feel stuck, frustrated, or overlooked?

Why is it that even highly capable professionals—especially women—sometimes walk away from opportunities undervalued and underpaid?

The truth is, negotiation isn’t just about what you do in the room, it’s also about the habits and mindsets you bring with you long before the conversation starts.

In a recent discussion, women’s leadership coach Stephanie Aitken and I unpacked the subtle but powerful traps women often fall into when preparing for negotiations. The insights highlight not just what to do—but what to stop doing if you want to position yourself for success.



ABOUT THE GUEST

Stephanie Aitken is a consultant, trainer, speaker, and coach, as well as the founder of Stephanie Aitken Consulting and the Gender Harmony Collective, an initiative designed to move beyond traditional gender equality toward true inclusivity. With over 25 years of professional experience, she began her career as an in-house lawyer for MTV and Channel 4, working on major projects such as the MTV Music Awards, Apple iTunes, and Stand Up to Cancer.

Driven by her passion for people’s growth, she retrained in neuro-linguistic programming, coaching, and transformational facilitation, later delivering interpersonal skills training for organizations including Network Rail, Dentons, Fieldfisher, and Barclays. She went on to serve as a lead trainer at One of Many, then the UK’s largest women’s personal development company, where she guided large groups through transformational programmes and honed her expertise as a speaker and facilitator.

Stephanie now specializes in women’s leadership development and inclusive workplace strategies, creating targeted coaching, workshops, and organizational programmes that accelerate women’s careers while fostering environments where equity benefits everyone. Her mission is to evolve gender equality into a model where all employees can thrive, amplifying both individual potential and organizational success.


MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

⚉ [Article] Are You Taking on Too Many Non-Promotable Tasks? - https://hbr.org/2022/04/are-you-taking-on-too-many-non-promotable-tasks 


—
This podcast is a call-in show, so if you or a woman you know needs help in this area, feel free to contact me at joan@moonnegotiation.com to submit your questions or join me in our next episode. 


JOIN THE PRIORITY LIST FOR JOAN’S NEXT COHORT OF THE ADVANCED NEGOTIATION INTENSIVE
https://course.moonnegotiation.com/Join-the-Priority-List

CONNECT WITH STEPHANIE:
⚉ Website: https://www.stephanieaitken.com/ 
⚉ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aitkenstephanie/ 

CONNECT WITH JOAN:
⚉ Website: https://www.moonnegotiation.com/ 
⚉ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanmoon413/ 
⚉ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moonnegotiation
⚉ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moonnegotiation

JOIN THE MAILING LIST FOR NEWS AND NEGOTIATION TIPS:
https://www.moonnegotiation.com/social-media 

Send us a text

Imagine finally landing a great job offer, only to have it snatched away the moment you try to negotiate. It sounds like a nightmare, yet one man shared in a workshop that it happened to him twice when he tried to negotiate: “I got two job offers revoked.” 

It’s a story that sparks an immediate question we all secretly worry about: Could this happen to me? 

In this episode, I dig into this very fear. Why do some negotiations end in failure, while others don’t? Is it the act of negotiating that kills the deal, or something deeper about how we do it? 

Drawing from real-life stories, research on backlash, and painfully honest examples (including the man behind the infamous “two revoked offers”), I explore what actually goes wrong, and how to protect yourself when you negotiate. 


—
This podcast is a call-in show, so if you or a woman you know needs help in this area, feel free to contact me at joan@moonnegotiation.com to submit your questions or join me in our next episode. 


JOIN THE PRIORITY LIST FOR JOAN’S NEXT COHORT OF THE ADVANCED NEGOTIATION INTENSIVE
https://course.moonnegotiation.com/Join-the-Waitlist

CONNECT WITH JOAN:
⚉ Website: https://www.moonnegotiation.com/ 
⚉ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanmoon413/ 
⚉ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moonnegotiation
⚉ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moonnegotiation

JOIN THE MAILING LIST FOR NEWS AND NEGOTIATION TIPS:
https://www.moonnegotiation.com/social-media 

Send us a text

This might be a replay episode, but the topic is truly evergreen. After all, if you’re part of a family system, you’ll almost always find yourself negotiating—whether you realize it or not. And summer is one of those occasions that bring it to the surface. 

Summertime means time with family and relatives, and knowing your family, you might want to equip yourself with ideas and strategies to handle those tricky conversations: where to meet, what to eat, who hosts, and what topics to avoid at the table.

When I recorded this episode, my goal was to share why negotiating with family can feel so uniquely difficult—and what to do about it. 

In it, I walk through real examples of everyday family negotiations, explore the hidden dynamics that make them challenging, and share practical tools you can use right away. Whether you’re sorting out holiday plans, caregiving responsibilities, or just trying to keep the peace, these insights can help you navigate conflict and stay connected to the people you love.

Want to keep family visits from turning into battlegrounds?

Tune in to hear how you can set boundaries, manage emotional triggers, and handle those inevitable “why aren’t you married yet?” questions.


—
This podcast is a call-in show, so if you or a woman you know needs help in this area, feel free to contact me at joan@moonnegotiation.com to submit your questions or join me in our next episode. 


JOIN THE PRIORITY LIST FOR JOAN’S NEXT COHORT OF THE ADVANCED NEGOTIATION INTENSIVE
https://course.moonnegotiation.com/Join-the-Priority-List


CONNECT WITH JOAN:
⚉ Website: https://www.moonnegotiation.com/ 
⚉ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanmoon413/ 
⚉ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moonnegotiation
⚉ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moonnegotiation


JOIN THE MAILING LIST FOR NEWS AND NEGOTIATION TIPS:
https://www.moonnegotiation.com/social-media 

Send us a text