Many 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 Send us a text The Aspire For More podcast and all related content are presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. While Joan strives to provide incisively strategic and research-based content, your listenership does not create a coach-client relationship. Negotiation involves inherent risks. Joan and her guests are not attorneys, financial advisors, or mental health professionals. No part of this show should be taken as a substitute for professional advice tailored to your specific situation. Any action you take based on the information in this podcast is strictly at your own risk, and Moon Negotiation LLC is not liable for any losses or damages in connection with the use of this content.
