Negotiate Your Way to What You Really Want with Kathryn Valentine

Amplify with Jess Ekstrom

Have you ever confused a bigger salary with a richer life? What if the key to getting what you truly want isn’t a better tactic, but a deeper understanding of your own values?

In this Amplify episode, Jess sits down with negotiation expert Kathryn Valentine, a former McKinsey consultant with an impressive background featured in Harvard Business Review and The Wall Street Journal. Kathryn's journey started with a high-stakes failure—a negotiation so bad it ended with a security escort. Still, that experience led her to discover that proper negotiation is a valuable tool for life design, not just a means to secure a salary bump.

Kathryn reveals how to identify your true currency (it’s often not money), the critical research that proves women significantly underestimate their market value, and the simple questions you can ask to strip away societal expectations and define your own "rich life."

Tune in for:

• The shocking story of Kathryn’s first negotiation attempt that ended in her being escorted out of a large company.
• The "Rich Life Design" concept: how seeing the long-term impact of choices from her 70-year-old grandparents taught her to prioritize currencies like time, credibility, and autonomy.
• What you really want is often a promotion (for long-term financial gain) or credibility (for respect), not just a raise.
• The "Magic Wand" question helps strip away fear and societal expectations, revealing what you truly want.
• The "Ask Relationally" formula that virtually eliminates the risk of backlash and moves "no" from a rejection to a piece of information.
• Why assuming good intent is the key to overcoming the fear of being "annoying" when following up.
• Kathryn's personal thoughts on how motherhood has changed her perspective over time and why she now chooses to pursue only projects that bring her "good exhaustion."

About Kathryn Valentine:

Kathryn Valentine is a negotiation expert, speaker, and former McKinsey consultant. Her work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review and The Wall Street Journal, and she advises companies such as JPMorgan Chase. She is dedicated to equipping women with the tools to negotiate for their richest life.

Resources & Links:

• Get the "76 Things You Can Negotiate" List: https://seventysixthings.com
• Watch Kathryn Valentine's TED Talk:
• Follow Kathryn Valentine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynvalentine/
• Amplify with Jess is produced by Walk West and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop.