Have you ever wondered how far you can push for what you need at work without burning bridges—or how your negotiation can create lasting change for everyone in your organization?
In this episode, our caller Naeha, a manager at a small U.S. nonprofit, shares the continuation of her negotiation journey for parental leave. After discovering a major leadership transition that gave her unexpected leverage, Naeha details how she navigated a complex, months-long conversation with her organization to secure nearly a year of leave for herself while also shaping an official company-wide policy.
This episode is a masterclass in strategic negotiation, patience, and advocacy. Whether you’re negotiating your own leave, navigating a promotion, or looking to create structural change in your workplace, Naeha’s story shows that careful planning, allies, and thoughtful communication can lead to outcomes that benefit both you and your colleagues.
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
—
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/newsletter
Aspire for More: How to be an Everyday Negotiator
#30 Part 2: The Negotiation That Changed a Company: How Naeha Secured Paid Leave and Paved the Way for Others
Fri, 21 Nov 2025#29 Part 1: The Negotiation That Changed a Company: How Naeha Secured Paid Leave and Paved the Way for Others
Mon, 03 Nov 2025What 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
—
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/newsletter
#28: 3 Things You Should STOP Doing in Preparation for a Negotiation with Stephanie Aitken (Part 2)
Thu, 16 Oct 2025Many 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
—
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
#27 3 Things You Should STOP Doing in Preparation for a Negotiation with Stephanie Aitken (Part 1)
Thu, 02 Oct 2025Why 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
#26 “I Got Two Job Offers Revoked”—Could This Happen to You?
Tue, 02 Sep 2025Imagine 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 Message to Aspire for More: How to be an Everyday Negotiator
Podcaster File Aspire for More: How to be an Everyday Negotiator
