✅ Today's Checklist:

• The mindset shift that gets you to VP

• Word-for-word scripts to ask for your promotion

• What your mistakes are actually teaching you

🤔 Riddle me this: I return when flowers wake and the days grow longer. I bring rain, blossoms, and the feeling of starting over. What am I? (Find the answer on the bottom).

QUICK LINKS

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⏰ Three time management moves from an economist and brain researcher worth stealing.

BIGGEST CHALLENGE

How to Negotiate a Promotion Without Second-Guessing Your Worth

"How do I negotiate (and actually get) promotions without second-guessing my worth?" — Vandana K.

Asking for a promotion is hard. It requires confidence, preparation, and the willingness to advocate for yourself even when your brain is screaming that you're not ready, not qualified, or not deserving.

But here's the truth: if you're asking this question, you're probably already doing the work that justifies the promotion. You just need to package it, present it, and believe it yourself.

Here's how to do it.

Step 1: Email your boss to request the meeting

Don't walk into your boss's office unannounced. Give them a heads-up so they can prepare and take you seriously.

Email script:

Subject: Request to Discuss Career Growth

Hi [Boss's Name],

I'd love to schedule time to discuss my career trajectory and explore opportunities for growth within the team. I've been reflecting on my contributions over the past [time period] and would appreciate the chance to talk through next steps.

Would you have 30 minutes in the next week or two?

Thanks, [Your Name]

Keep it professional, not desperate. You're not begging. You're scheduling a business conversation.

Step 2: Prepare for the meeting

This is where most people fall short. They walk in unprepared, hope their boss "just knows" they deserve it, and leave disappointed.

Don't do that. Treat this like a business case, because that's exactly what it is.

What to collect:

Your accomplishments. Write down specific examples of impact you've made in the past 6-12 months. Use numbers wherever possible:

• "Increased lead conversion by 22%"

• "Reduced customer churn by 15%"

• "Managed a team of 5 through a major product launch"

Expanded responsibilities. Show how your role has evolved beyond your original job description. Are you mentoring others? Leading projects? Taking on tasks that weren't in your scope when you started?

Market data. Research what people in similar roles at similar companies are making. Use sites like Glassdoor, Payscale, or Levels.fyi. Come in knowing what the market pays for your work.

Your desired title and salary. Be specific. Don't say "I'd like a raise." Say "I'd like to be promoted to Senior [Role] with a salary of $X."

Testimonials or feedback. If you have emails, Slack messages, or performance reviews where colleagues or clients praised your work, bring them. Social proof matters.

Step 3: Give yourself the mental pep talk

This is the part where you fight your inner voice that says you're not ready.

Here's the pep talk:

You're not asking for a favor. You're presenting a business case. You are presenting the facts on why you earned this and showing the value you bring to the company.

If you don't advocate for yourself, no one else will. Your boss is not sitting around thinking about how to promote you. You have to make the case.

The worst they can say is "no" or "not yet." And if they do, you'll get clarity on what you need to do to get there. That's still valuable.

You deserve to be paid what you're worth. Not what you were worth when you started. What you're worth now, based on what you're delivering now.

Take a deep breath. Walk in like you belong there. Because you do.

Step 4: What to do if you get a "no"

If your boss says no, don't panic. And don't leave the conversation without a plan.

Ask:

• "What would I need to accomplish to be considered for this promotion?"

• "What's the timeline for revisiting this conversation?"

• "Are there gaps in my performance or qualifications I should focus on?"

Get specifics. Then follow up with an email to document the conversation.

Email script after a "no":

Hi [Boss's Name],

Thank you for taking the time to discuss my career growth today. I appreciate your feedback and want to make sure I'm clear on next steps.

Based on our conversation, it sounds like the key areas for me to focus on are:

• [Specific feedback point 1]

• [Specific feedback point 2]

I'd like to revisit this conversation in [3-6 months]. Does that timeline work for you? In the meantime, I'll focus on these areas and continue delivering strong results for the team.

Thanks again for your time and feedback.

[Your Name]

This does two things: it shows you're serious, and it creates accountability. If they don't promote you after you've met their criteria, you have documentation.

The reality

Promotions don't always happen because you "deserve" them. They often happen because you make a compelling case, at the right time, to the right person.

So stop second-guessing your worth. Prepare. Present. And if they say no, get clarity and come back stronger.

You've earned this. Now go get it!

PEOPLE OPS

The Fastest Way to Lose Good People? Bad Systems.

Turnover rarely comes with a warning. It builds through clunky onboarding, missed reviews, and contractors paid late. By the time you notice, your best people are already interviewing elsewhere.

Your HR stack is either building trust or quietly eroding it.

Hibob streamlines onboarding, keeps reviews on track, and makes continuous feedback the norm, not the annual fire drill.

Deel handles global payroll, compliance, and contractor management without the cross-border headaches.

BambooHR pulls hiring, records, time off, and performance into one place so nothing falls through the cracks.

CAREER TRAJECTORY

How to Actually Become a VP

I remember sitting in a leadership meeting, listening to a decision I disagreed with. I had a point of view. I had data. I had conviction.

And I didn't say anything.

Not because I didn't care. Because I wasn't sure it was my place.

I told myself, Someone more senior will bring it up.

No one did.

Afterward, I had an uncomfortable realization: I was still acting like someone whose job was to execute, not lead.

No one tells you this, but becoming a VP isn't about getting promoted. It's about changing how you show up long before anyone gives you the title.

Here's what that shift looks like:

Make yourself visible. Leadership requires trust, and trust requires people knowing how you think. You speak up in meetings. You share your point of view. You make your thinking visible.

Stop waiting for assignments. Start identifying opportunities. Bring ideas forward that have real impact, without being asked. The most important part? Share the solution. Even better? Start solving it. The best? Solve it and share the impact.

Let go of ownership. Early in your career, your value is tied to what you produce. You protect it. You refine it. But eventually, you realize the work isn't yours. It belongs to the business. Your job isn't to defend it. It's to make it better—even if that means it changes completely.

Lead through change. Leadership isn't about maintaining the plan: it's about maintaining momentum when the plan inevitably changes. Priorities shift. Work you invested in gets deprioritized. Leadership means staying focused on where the business is going, not where it was.

Observe the people already doing it. I started watching other VPs closely. How they communicated. How they simplified complexity. How they focused on outcomes. They weren't waiting for permission. They had decided it was their responsibility.

That's when everything shifted for me, and I got promoted to VP.

Because no one promotes you so you can start acting like a VP.

You become one first.

Sallie Oto (VP Marketing)

EXECUTIVE PRESENCE

You're Not Getting Passed Over Because of Your Performance

You're getting passed over because leadership sees you as the person who gets things done, not the person who leads what gets done next.

There's a difference. And it's costing you the VP title.

In this free, on-demand masterclass, former VP and executive coach Maya Grossman breaks down the 3 mistakes keeping high performers off the short list and the exact moves that change how leadership sees you.

You'll walk away knowing how to:

• Stop being typecast as the "doer"

• Talk about your impact the way executives actually think

• Position yourself as VP-ready before the role is even posted

The people getting promoted aren't outworking you. They're out-positioning you.

👉 Watch the free masterclass.

STAFF PICKS

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👑 Work Wisdom of the Week: "It's not the mistake; we mess up all the time. It's how we handle it and learn from it and build ways to never do it again." — Carrie C. (Vice President)

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