If you plan on asking for a raise or looking for a new role this year - you can’t negotiate effectively if you don’t know what your value.

There is already a major trust gap on the topic of pay between employees and employers.

69% of employees trust their employer’s pay decisions, but 93% of employers think we do. That’s a 24-point trust gap.

72% of employers have seen employees negotiate based on unreliable online information—TikTok salary advice, ChatGPT estimates, or outdated forums.

If you walk into a negotiation without solid data, you’re just guessing. This costs you money and credibility.

Your goal this week: Gather real market data on your role using at least two different methods so you know exactly what your market value is.

Why Market Value Matters

Knowing your market value gives you leverage and a ground to stand on. It tells you whether your current salary is competitive, what you should be asking for in a new role, and where you have room to negotiate.

Without it, you’re at a disadvantage. You might accept an offer that’s $20K below market rate. You might ask for a raise that’s too low—or too high—and lose credibility. You might stay in a job that’s underpaying you because you don’t realize better options exist.

The women who negotiate successfully are the ones who show up with data that back up their ask.

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This is the last Leadership Lessons of the year, and we’re doing things a little differently. No exercise. No worksheet. No action plan for you to complete by the 31st.

Your only goal for the rest of December is to power down, scale back, do less, and enjoy more.

We know you’re busy. The holidays are hectic. Women are especially stretched thin right now, carrying double the load at work and at home.

Why Rest Is Strategy

Research shows that real time away from work reduces stress, protects your mental health, and helps you come back more focused and creative. Chronic stress and always-on availability erode your decision-making and drain your energy over time, even if you feel like you’re “handling it.”

For women in corporate roles, this is especially critical. Burnout rates are consistently higher among women than men, and many end up using sick days or even leaving roles altogether due to unmanaged exhaustion. Protecting your energy now is one of the most practical ways to protect your future options and your long-term career.

What “Do Less” Actually Means

For the rest of this year:

• Power down where you can. Fewer meetings. Fewer “quick favor” requests. Fewer late-night emails that can absolutely wait until January.

• Scale back expectations—your own included—on being everywhere and everything to everyone. You don’t have to attend accept every invite, or finish every project before the break.

• Enjoy more. Time with people you care about. Rituals that matter to you. Moments that have nothing to do with your performance review or your to-do list.

Time away allows you to quiet the external noise, recover from the year behind you, and regain the mental space you need to show up as the leader you’re becoming in 2026.

Take the break. You deserve it.

Your Career Wingwoman

December seems like the appropriate time to reflect on the past year and what may come in the year ahead.

But let’s go a bit further into the future with a question that is a simple but powerful strategic career planning tool: Where do I see myself in 5 years?

I used to hate this question. During interviews, I’d give some politically correct answer like “working in a company where I feel valued” but really, in my head I’d make a joke like “retired and on a beach!”

And then I took a leadership training program that changed how I viewed this question and it became a powerful exercise for my own career planning.

It taught me to get specific, like really specific. It’s wasn’t just “I want to be a VP” but note as many details as I could think of – the title, responsibilities, type of company, my physical environment, etc.

And like an infomercial “but wait, there’s more!” was the part that took this from a goal to an action plan – what do I need to do starting today to get there?

Again, specific things like: What experience do I need? Which leadership attributes do I need to strengthen? Do I need certifications or formal training?

Your goal for this week (or the month) is to ask yourself “Where do I see myself in 5 years?” and develop your action plan.

Note: if 5 years is too far out, make it any number you want.

My ‘X’ Year Career Vision: Fill in your specifics.

• Exact role title

• Company type/environment Startup? Fortune 500? Independent agency? Industry sector?

• Key responsibilities What will you actually do in this role? Find a job description online for ideas

• What success looks like How will you know you’ve achieved it?

• Why this matters to you What draws you to this path?

Example from my own journey: I wanted to be COO of a marketing services company (agency, adtech, research, etc.) of 200-1000 that was ideally pre-IPO or aspirations to be sold. I wanted to determine how the company delivers its value proposition versus being the one to deliver it. The role would need to include responsibility for company-wide decision making including: structure, processes, talent & resources, automation, marketing, etc.

What I Need to Do Starting Today (This is Your Action Plan):

• Technical skills to develop

• Leadership attributes valued in that role Gravitas? Executive presence? Decision-making under pressure?

• Experience I need on my resume

• Training or certifications that would help

Example from my own journey: I needed to develop some technical skills so I signed up for online courses on Organizational Design, business/financial acumen and most recently AI training. If I wanted to work in adtech, for example, I needed to make more connections in that space and find colleagues that could attest for my skills.

We’ve created a downloadable guide you can use in Playbooks & Tools (paid subscribers).

My Career Strategy Guide

How to Use This

The best part of this exercise is you now have a prioritization tool. When opportunities come up, ask: Does this get me closer to my goal? It helps you say yes to what matters and no to what doesn’t. You beat burnout and stop working on things that don’t serve you.

And finally, use this to socialize with your manager, HR, colleagues and recruiters who can help spot opportunities to help you reach your goals.

You’ve got this. We’ve got you.

Your Career Wingwoman

Find an Advisor To Help You

Share Your Career Wingwoman

“The person with the biggest impact on your progression may be someone you don’t even work with directly - think finance, legal, an EA. They often have more sway than most realize,” says Dave Trifiletti, Executive Advisor

Your goal for the week is to step outside your lane and schedule one new meeting with someone beyond your function. These are the people who actually keep the business running, hold hidden influence, and can make you visible in all the right ways.

Even if you’ve been with the company for a year or so, this is a good exercise.

Step 1: Pick Purposefully

Choose an influential contact outside your direct role:

o Finance or Legal - these folks know where the business is healthy or at risk and how decisions get funded (including promotions).

o Operations - understand pain points and priorities behind the scenes.

o Sales – understand the “business of the business” and how the company makes money.

o Star move: Seek out an EA or admin who’s on a first-name basis with senior leadership because they’re “in the room” long before you are.

Step 2: Schedule a Meeting or Start a Conversation

Reach out with intent. Try something like…

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This month, we’re focusing on career zigzags.

Whether you've moved between companies, switched functions, changed industries, or even stayed in the same role for years while taking on diverse projects, you have a story of intentional growth that sets you apart. The key is learning how to connect the dots for people and communicate what you've learned along the way.

Your goal this week is to craft your career narrative using our C.A.R. "Challenge-Actions-Results" framework that transforms every experience - whether it's a job change, a new project, or expanded responsibilities - into evidence of strategic thinking and value creation.

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Happy summer to all and almost 4th of July weekend to our US members!

While you're hopefully taking some well-deserved time off, we wanted to share some thoughts that are perfect for a reflective holiday moment - no action items this week, just some strategic thinking about where your career journey might take you.

Over the past month, you've been building your skills portfolio and positioning yourself for opportunities that showcase your capabilities. But here's what we want you to consider - those skills you've been documenting and developing? They're not only your means to your next promotion - they're your passport to career freedom.

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Two weeks ago, you mapped your skills portfolio across our three key categories - now it's time to leverage that self-awareness strategically. The best career moves happen when you connect your strongest skills to high-impact opportunities that matter to your company's bottom line.

Your mission this week is to identify one stretch assignment or high-visibility project that showcases your best capabilities while directly supporting a business priority your leadership team cares about.

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Nearly half of organizations are moving toward skills-based hiring and promotion decisions and 45% now apply pay differentials specifically for competitive skills (in addition to years of experience).

This means your skill development directly impacts your earning potential and advancement opportunities.

Your goal for this week is to audit your skills and create a “skills development action plan” that you can follow for the remainder of the year.

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