For this week’s episode, we are sharing our recent interview with Lauren McGoodwin from Career Contessa, where we focused on practical tips to improve your next job offer by 5-6 figures. We covered topics and strategies including:

• Why oversharing destroys your leverage, and how to tactfully deflect “What’s your number?” questions
• The surprising power of genuine enthusiasm in negotiations
• How to ask multiple open-ended questions, embrace strategic silence, and keep the dance going
• Letting employers know you’re interviewing elsewhere without giving away your leverage
• Clarifying your true priorities (cash, equity, flexibility) and using non-negotiables to guide every ask

We also share behind-the-scenes stories from Gerta’s journey (from Albania to MIT to co-founding YourNegotiations.com) and Alex’s path (Air Force Academy to Instagram product marketing).

Join us for a deep dive into the mental game of negotiation - equal parts strategy, psychology, and storytelling - to help you claim the deal you deserve.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

In this episode, we cover:

• Focusing on fairness can sabotage the negotiation
• Sometimes the best move is to just settle and spend your energy elsewhere
• Your job offer isn’t something you’re lucky to receive; it’s a mutual value exchange
• Do what’s best for you, not just what benefits the company
• Don’t take what an employer says at face value
• Negotiation is a game, and you’re allowed to play it

We also share:

• Gerta’s Sandbox retreat in rural Spain: tribal percussion, spider-ridden tent nights, and lakeside sunrise raves
• Alex’s solo week of running the business leading to an unexpected motivation boost
• A quick Milan detour for Dua Lipa with Albanian friends, then family time (and jet-lag battles) in Albania

Join us to learn how the right negotiation mindset, equal parts gratitude and game theory, can help turn any scenario into a better deal.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

For this week’s episode, we’re sharing Gerta’s recent conversation on the “Glasp Talk” YouTube series with Glasp cofounders, Kazuki Nakayashiki and Kei Watanabe. Glasp is a social web-highlighting tool that helps readers capture, organize, and share knowledge, empowering users to amplify their human insights with AI-driven intelligence.

This talk dives into Gerta’s journey from MIT-trained engineer to negotiation coach, why she and Alex focus on “gentle power,” and exactly how to grow the pie so that both sides leave the table happier.

Topics including:

• Stop over-sharing: how revealing your “other offer” (or personal plans) too early shrinks your leverage.
• Get it in writing: why a signable offer letter is your negotiation launch-pad, and what to do when HR keeps stalling.
• Offer component flexibility: base, equity, sign-ons, perks, and understanding which levers move at startups vs Big Tech.
• Global nuance: tailoring your ask when you’re negotiating in Europe, Asia, or Latin America.
• The AI question: why today’s chatbots still hallucinate, and why Gerta sticks to human-crafted language for high-stakes talks.
• Community as a superpower: how building founder circles and mastermind groups sharpens both deal flow and soft skills.

Connect with Kazuki, Kei & Glasp:

Glasp – glasp.co

YouTube – youtube.com/@Glasp

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

In this episode, we cover:

• Why you should insist on receiving a signable written offer before you start negotiating, and when to stop insisting if the company keeps stalling.
• How adding a simple “because” makes decision-makers say “yes” more often, and exactly how to use it in your comp ask. Don’t just take our word for it—read the study here.
• Building a “reason bank” before you negotiate: strong role-fit points, safe personal angles, and what reasons to avoid using.
• Our referral program: a flat $500 per referral who becomes a client (full details here).

We also share what we’ve been grateful for lately, including:

• Sam Harris’ Waking Up app and why guided meditation is finally sticking for Alex.
• How a simple gratitude journal rewires the brain to seek out the good in life—every single day.
• A smooth standby flight to Albania, grandma cuddles, and twin-cousin giggles.
• Our lives in San Francisco: block party vibes, a last-minute invite to ZHU’s set, and late-night city walks.

Tune in for mindset shifts and ready-to-use scripts that can turn the word “because” into a stronger offer.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

In this episode, we cover:

• Why there’s no magic “round limit” in negotiations.
• How “this is our best and final offer” usually signals when to stop – and when to read between the lines.
• Why “first offer = best & final” is almost never true – and how one client added six figures to an allegedly unmovable package.
• Strategies for fixed pay-band roles (government, academia, teaching): what you can still negotiate when base pay is capped.
• Dealing with recruiter personalities: why both overly aggressive and super-friendly counterparts can trip you up – and the one mindset that keeps you in control.

We also share personal stories including:

• A family-centered trip to Albania after an uncle’s passing – late-night calls, grandma cuddles, and twin cousins.
• How our pilot friend Alan found us last-minute standby flights.
• Reflections on missing home when you’ve migrated continents, and why you should never go a year without those family hugs.

Whether you’re navigating corporate roles, academic appointments, or government-scale jobs, this episode gives you the mindset and scripts to know exactly when to push and when to pause.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

We recorded this week’s show in the gorgeous GoSpread.ai podcast space in San Francisco – thank you, team! (Yes, we instantly wanted to crank out a dozen episodes in those vibes.)

Here’s what we covered:

• Negotiation behind-the-scenes of a dream weekend: Alex recently performed an opening DJ set at The Chainsmokers show (nearly 10K attendees!) in San Francisco—LED screens, crowd-surfing friends, and even a robot DJ trying to steal the show. But getting there wasn’t straightforward: he was already offered to open for another major artist the same weekend, and chasing the Chainsmokers slot meant taking a risk. We break down how our “maximize, don’t satisfy” mantra guided the decision—and how the whole experience became a real-life negotiation, balancing opportunity with long-term relationships.
• Promotions vs. raises vs. brand-new offers:
  • Why companies usually put a cap on your raise by leveraging status-quo bias.
  • The hidden leverage in new job offers—and how sharing salary history undermines it.
  • Long game vs. quick win: why asking for a raise is a months-long campaign, not a one-email sprint.
  • Tactful transparency: what to say (and not say) if you’re courting external roles while staying on good terms internally.
• Action homework: Answer a recruiter DM this week—even if you love your job—to test your market value.

Huge gratitude to GoSpread.ai for the beautiful set-up and post-production magic. If you’re in SF and need a turnkey podcast studio, reach out to them at hello@gospread.co.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

In this episode, we share about Alex’s most exciting performance to-date for his side hobby, DJing. We also share exactly how we work with you:

• DJing for The Chainsmokers: Alex is on deck as the opening DJ for The Chainsmokers’ SF block party, and the two of us are gearing up to join Titanic’s End for our first-ever Burning Man.
• What “negotiation coaching” really looks like:
  • Free 15–30 min consult on Zoom to see if we’re a mutually good fit and share some negotiation tips.
  • One-page Google-Doc contract to minimize friction—sign and we’re off.
  • Onboarding portal (via Beacons.ai) with your personal priorities, timeline, and all the details we need.
  • Self-paced video modules: our core negotiation philosophy, scripts for recruiter calls, written-offer tactics, email templates, and more—for life-long access.
  • Tailored strategy calls with Gerta: live prep, email/text drafts, on-the-fly coaching, “therapist-style” pep talks, and confidentiality you can trust.
• Pricing & ROI: flat fee + success fee (the delta between your initial and final offer)—why it pays to bring us in sooner rather than later.
• Real-world case study: see how one mid-career marketing candidate accidentally gave away his leverage—and how working with us early would have changed the game.

Whether you’re a C-level exec, founder, or rising manager, learn exactly what it’s like to work with YourNegotiations.com, and why every minute of prep before a written offer can unlock tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars.

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

For this week’s episode, we are sharing an interview that Gerta did with the Shift to Freedom Podcast. Led by transformational life coach Ben Easter, this podcast helps business owners reduce overwhelm, beat imposter syndrome, and lead with confidence and clarity.

In this conversation, Gerta and Ben dispel common negotiation myths, provide actionable insights, and share practical tips and strategies to transform negotiation outcomes from “dividing the pie” to “expanding the pie” – from identifying your priorities to learning the power of silence.

We covered topics including:

• Creative Value-Adds: Identifying the multiple “chips” you can trade beyond price – start dates, deliverables, perks, reviews, PTO and more
• Intelligent Discovery: Research hacks – from reading between the lines to tapping mutual connections – to uncover what truly matters to the other side
• Achieving “Best & Final”: Exact scripts and cues for when they say their offer is non-negotiable (and why it almost never is)
• Setting Your Boundaries: Clarifying your priorities and non-negotiables in advance so you know exactly when to press and when to walk away
• Avoiding the People-Pleaser Pitfall: Why extreme politeness can cost you – and when to bring in outside support or professional coaching

Connect with Ben here:

Website: lucidshiftcoaching.com

Instagram: @lucid_shift_coaching

For more:

Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly

Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com

Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter

Instagram: @yournegotiations

LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex