5d ago

"You're too quiet": the role I was afraid to take, and the 41% it was worth

Get the free guide, What to Say When You Want to Speak Up: sharonsinghsidhu.com/speakup The first presentation I ever gave bombed, with my boss frowning and shaking her head through the whole dry run. For years afterwards, I chose roles where I could stay in the background, and boss after boss told me the same thing, “You’re too quiet”. In this episode, I share how I went from avoiding meetings and presentations to facilitating leadership workshops, what finally pushed me past the fear, and what I’ve seen from inside HR about why quiet people so often get overlooked. In this episode: * Why being praised as the quiet, good child stayed with me into my first job * The presentation dry run that went badly wrong, and what I did next * What finally made the pressure to change bigger than my fear, and the role I’d avoided that came with a 41% salary increase * What talent reviews reveal about why quiet people become invisible * How preparing thoroughly, and holding on to something bigger than myself, helped me speak up while I was still afraid * Why your fear may be pointing to your strengths * One thing to try the next time you hesitate in a meeting If this episode resonated, share it with a friend or colleague who’s been holding back, and get the free guide at sharonsinghsidhu.com/speakup This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sharonsinghsidhu.substack.com

Oct 25

The money story I didn’t know I had

Most money advice stops at budgeting, saving and investing. This episode goes one layer deeper, into the beliefs that quietly drive what we do with money. I grew up with a dad who provided for everything. Without realising it, I carried a story into adulthood: someone will always take care of me. That story got tested when our café closed with debt to repay, I became the sole provider, and then I lost the job we were counting on. In this episode, I share: * How a belief formed in childhood shaped my money decisions for decades * What happened when I went from “extra income” to the main income almost overnight * The shame, secrecy and resentment I didn’t admit to anyone, including myself * Why I started writing about money under a fake name, and what changed when others replied * The first thing I had to learn before I could fix anything: how to look at my numbers and stay calm * Three questions to help you find your own money stories Free resource: The Know Your Number worksheet. One page to work out where you are, what the life you want costs, and the gap between the two. As you fill it in, notice how you feel. That’s where your money stories show up. Get it here: https://sharonsinghsidhu.com/knowyournumber Missed last week? Start with the episode on knowing your number. It’s the first step. This one is the second. Listen to last week’s episode HERE. I’m not a financial advisor. These are my own experiences and opinions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sharonsinghsidhu.substack.com

Oct 18

Why I Still Check My Number (Even After Paying Off the Debt)

The Number I Avoided for Years My eldest just started university in the UK this month. My second heads there next year. Between them, we’re looking at close to a million Singapore dollars in fees. The money is there. But settling my son in, with bills landing before the income is in, brought back a feeling I thought I was done with more than ten years ago - the panic around money. In this episode, I share what’s different this time, and the simple steps I still use whenever that old worry shows up. In this episode: * Why the same money fears can return when you enter a new stage of life * My story: a failed café, a large business debt, losing my job, and becoming the sole provider with two young kids * Why I avoided looking at my numbers for years, even with an economics degree * Three common reasons we avoid money, 1) fear, 2) busyness, or 3) never being shown how * Why accepting the number doesn’t mean lowering your standards * What I see in HR when people ask for a pay rise, and the gap that causes frustration * Why expecting your job to give you everything is an unreasonable expectation * The 4 steps to know your number and build a plan you can keep The 4 steps: * Know where you are now, and what the life you want actually costs * Work out the gap * Decide how the gap will be filled, including income beyond your job * Build a plan you can sustain without burning out Free resource:Download the Know Your Number worksheet. It’s one page and takes 15–20 minutes. You’ll walk away knowing your number, your gap, and where to start.Get it here: https://sharonsinghsidhu.com/knowyournumber This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sharonsinghsidhu.substack.com

Oct 3

Stop Putting Your Money on a Diet

I flew home from the UK just in time for my daughter’s graduation. While I was there, I bumped into a teacher who had made big changes to his health over the past year. When we asked what worked, his answer was simple. It wasn’t a diet. It was a lifestyle. I could relate with that. I grew up overweight and spent years trying every diet and exercise plan out there. I lost weight, put it back on, and started again. Looking back, my relationship with food has always mirrored my relationship with money. In this episode, I share the two lessons that changed my relationship with food and money. In this episode: * The simple input vs output maths behind both weight and wealth * Why lasting change is a lifestyle choice, and why that starts with identity, not habits * What “leverage” really means when it comes to money and food * Why I prefer the “make more” principle over endless cutting back * Why investing alone can feel too slow when you need options now * How employers decide who to pay more that most employees still don’t get * The recurring patterns that still show up in my life, and what I do about it Mentioned in this episode: * Atomic Habits by James Clear Get the weekly newsletter:Prefer to read? The newsletter is the written version of each episode. Subscribe to receive it in your inbox weekly. You have the option to get the free or paid version: Disclaimer: I’m not a certified financial advisor. Everything I share comes from my own experience and results. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sharonsinghsidhu.substack.com

Sep 27

I Was Already Living It (Recorded From a Hotel Bathroom)

This week’s episode comes to you from a hotel bathroom in the UK. It was the only quiet room while I’m here sending my son off to university. Before we got to the city, we stayed in a cottage on a farm by the coast. One morning, over coffee and my journal, I took a photo out the window. A few days later I realised it was the exact scene I used to picture years ago, back when I had one salary and a lot of worry about money. In this short episode, I share: * The moment I realised I was already living what I’d set out to build * Why going straight from one goal to the next can make you feel like you’re never there * How having to earn outside my salary changed how I see my career: as an asset I own, not a job someone gives me * The old-fashioned way I think about work, which is to find a problem someone will pay to solve * Why not every paid problem is worth your limited time and energy * Why I’d rather adapt to how work works now than wait for it to change Mentioned: The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli Get the podcast and newsletter every week: When you subscribe, reply to my email and tell me what you’re building. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sharonsinghsidhu.substack.com

Sep 20

198: How I Went From Financial Panic to Funding Two Overseas Degrees

Four months ago, I had no idea how my husband and I would fund university in the UK for both our kids. Today I’m recording this from the UK, seeing my son off at his new university. In this episode, I share the idea that if you want to reach a bigger financial goal, you have to be able to handle the bigger level of money that comes with it. That means the spending, the pressure, and the uncertainty, not just the math. In this episode * Why $30,000 in debt and $30,000 in income feel so different in your body * Why “live within your means” is only half the advice * The choice: raise your income, or lower your spending * How losing a business, losing a job, and becoming the sole provider taught me to handle money * Why every new income level brought a new financial test * How I stay curious instead of panicked when I don’t have the answers yet Key takeaways * The math is the easy part. Handling the pressure of a bigger number is the harder part. * If you want to spend more, you have to earn more. If you don’t want to earn more, you have to spend less. Both are valid choices, but be honest about which one you’re making. * Panic skews your thinking. Curiosity opens up options. * Financial pressure can be a training ground for your financial skills. Mentioned in this episode * Dr. Maria Nemeth, The Energy of Money * My LinkedIn post about funding my kids’ university * Subscribe to my podcast and newsletter Let’s connectDid this episode resonate? Send me a DM on LinkedIn or reply to any newsletter email. Subscribe to the podcast and the weekly newsletter here: https://sharonsinghsidhu.com/subscribe This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sharonsinghsidhu.substack.com

Sep 13

197: The Skill That Got Me Through a Rough Week

This week didn’t go as planned. A late-night call from a police investigator, an abrupt change to home help, and leadership changes at work all happening at the same time. That’s why last week’s episode and newsletter was skipped. In this episode, I share what helps me get back on track when things don’t go as planned. It’s the same skill I’ve used for almost 30 years in HR dealing with performance issues. I also explain why relying on one salary for your financial security isn’t workable anymore and what you can do instead. In this episode: * What happened this week that knocked my schedule off track * The one skill from 30 years in HR that gets me back on track fast * Why “a good job” is the wrong way to think about it and what to do instead * The real math behind why one salary is one point of failure * How to find the sellable skill sitting inside your current job title Mentioned in this episode:Free Corporate Job Title Translator to find your sellable skill. Get it here: sharonsinghsidhu.com/translator This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sharonsinghsidhu.substack.com

Aug 30

196: What Sitting in PIP Meetings Taught Me About Your Financial Freedom

What happens when you apply corporate performance logic to your own personal freedom? In almost 3 decades in HR and Performance Management, I have sat through many Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) meetings. A PIP is a brutal, hyper-focused 90-day execution roadmap. It strips away distractions and uncovers a hard truth. Either you hit the goals with certainty, or you realize the role is no longer a fit and it’s time to design an exit. As we head into the final Q4 rush in 2026, let me ask you a question. Why are you running a flawless PIP at work, but leaving your own financial milestones unmanaged? In today’s episode, I share my insights filtered through my HR and performance management lens on how to build a supportive 90-day execution blueprint to build income beyond your job, even if you only have 1 hour a day. In this episode, you will discover: * The PIP Analogy: How to strip away personal goal-setting clutter and focus on what moves the needle. * The Q4 Trap: Why waiting until January to build security outside your salary is a major financial risk and the impact of putting your plan in place now. * The Workable Plan: What your plan should look like so it brings relief instead of becoming another exhausting to-do list. Ready to design your own 90-day roadmap? Don’t wait until January. The waitlist for my Live October 90-Day Financial Freedom Planning Session is officially open. Secure your seat on the waitlist here: sharonsinghsidhu.com/90dp This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sharonsinghsidhu.substack.com

Sharon Singh Sidhu

"You're too quiet": the role I was afraid to take, and the 41% it was worth

The money story I didn’t know I had

Why I Still Check My Number (Even After Paying Off the Debt)

Stop Putting Your Money on a Diet

I Was Already Living It (Recorded From a Hotel Bathroom)

198: How I Went From Financial Panic to Funding Two Overseas Degrees

197: The Skill That Got Me Through a Rough Week

196: What Sitting in PIP Meetings Taught Me About Your Financial Freedom

Ratings & Reviews

About

Information

Sharon Singh Sidhu

Episodes

"You're too quiet": the role I was afraid to take, and the 41% it was worth

The money story I didn’t know I had

Why I Still Check My Number (Even After Paying Off the Debt)

Stop Putting Your Money on a Diet

I Was Already Living It (Recorded From a Hotel Bathroom)

198: How I Went From Financial Panic to Funding Two Overseas Degrees

197: The Skill That Got Me Through a Rough Week

196: What Sitting in PIP Meetings Taught Me About Your Financial Freedom

Ratings & Reviews

About

Information