The Strategic Salary Series: Confidence, Career Growth & Pay Rise Strategies for Women

Lucy Daramola
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The Strategic Salary Series is the podcast for ambitious women who want to negotiate bigger salaries, lead with confidence and get promoted on their own terms. Hosted by Lucy Daramola, an advertising and tech leader and working mum, this podcast cuts through the corporate noise and delivers real, practical, unapologetic advice on how to ask for more, earn more and become impossible to overlook! Each episode features candid conversations with C-suite leaders, award-winners and industry trailblazers, revealing the unfiltered strategies behind salary negotiation that works, pay-rise and promotion pathways, career confidence for women in leadership, building visibility and influence, and navigating work as a parent. Expect raw insights, proven frameworks and stories you will not hear anywhere else. No fluff, no jargon, just powerful guidance to help you own your value, negotiate your worth and build a career that pays you properly. Follow, share and step into your most confident, highest-earning era. This is your blueprint for earning more and realising your value.

Episodes

  1. JAN 24

    Michelle Sarpong: Women in Trading, Power, Community and Pay Progression

    “If you’re constraining me as a Black woman earning that salary… but if you look at me as a Trading Director with 18 years’ experience, is that still a good salary?” In this episode of The Strategic Salary Series, Lucy Daramola is joined by Michelle “Sarps” Sarong, Head of Activation at The7Stars and founding committee member of the Women in Trading Network. Sarps aka Michelle shares how she broke into media through a bold cold email, why today’s job market feels tougher as AI reshapes entry roles, and how LinkedIn can act as your “proof of credibility” beyond a CV.  They go deep on salary strategy, including how Sarps built a fact-based negotiation business case and confidently addressed the realities of gender and race in the room. They also unpack why Women in Trading exists, and Sarps’ key takeaway: seek guidance early, from experienced people (even unexpected ones), and start the salary conversation before review season hits.

    47 min

  2. 12/20/2025

    Elfried Samba: Energy Over Hustle, How to Build Leverage, Income & Freedom

    “I used to think and focus on hyper productivity… but now I’m more focused on energy management.” In this episode of The Strategic Salary Series, Lucy Daramola is joined by Elfried Samba for a candid conversation about ambition, burnout, and redefining success beyond productivity. Elfried reflects on his personal and professional evolution, moving away from hyper-productivity toward energy management, intentional growth, and sustainability. He shares how chasing output without awareness eventually leads to diminishing returns, and why learning when to push and when to pause is a leadership skill in itself. Rather than glorifying hustle, Elfried breaks down the importance of protecting focus, managing emotional and mental energy, and being honest about capacity. He reframes rest not as disengagement, but as a performance multiplier, especially for high-performing leaders, founders and ambitious professionals navigating demanding careers.

    1h 16m

  3. 11/05/2025

    Vicky Millar: Working Mothers, Parental Transitions and Career Growth After Maternity

    “What gets in the way isn’t a lack of knowledge, it’s the high expectations women put on themselves when they come back.” In this conversation, Vicky Millar an experienced parental coach, explore the challenges faced by individuals returning to work after parental leave, particularly focusing on the confidence gap that arises from a perceived loss of knowledge and high self-expectations. She discusses the importance of aligning expectations with managers and the transition from HR to coaching, emphasising the transformative nature of coaching methods.

    47 min

  4. 10/29/2025

    Amina Folarin CEO: Salary Negotiation, Rest as Strategy and Leadership with Audacity

    “It is never a no. It is a redirection.” Amina, an award winning CEO, shares a fast track from retail and HR to C Suite by filling business gaps, keeping receipts on impact and advocating early. Her playbook is simple: flip what is your current salary to what does this role pay, ask often to build the confidence muscle and time requests with the economy while weighing total compensation. She treats rest as strategy, uses rapport and second degree networks to open doors and stays sharp with trusted news and AI digests. The takeaway: be your own number one fan and run toward the opportunity.

    37 min

  5. 10/07/2025

    Louise DiIulio: Women in Leadership, How to Negotiate Your Worth & Build Influence through Kindness

    “Somebody tells you no? You are asking the wrong person.” In this candid episode, Louise DiIulio, Chief Client Officer at Advertising Week, traces her accidental entry into media to more than twelve years building global events powered by deep relationships. She reframes sales as advanced relationship work with clear scoreboards and unpacks why many women hesitate to move from account management into sales. Her negotiation playbook is simple and sharp: start with the business need, show proof of impact, and state a clear why before you ask. We touch on Future Is Female, the pull of loyalty, and imposter feelings. Louise shows how being kind and true to yourself can still be elite career strategy.

    38 min

  6. 10/01/2025

    Jo Vaughton CMO: How to Ask for a Raise and Lead with Confidence at Work

    “Know the number you want to ask for and say it out loud until your brain and your voice are comfortable with it.” In this engaging conversation, Jo Vaughton, CMO of Popeyes UK, shares her unique career journey from aspiring journalist to marketing leader. She discusses the impact of her recent ADHD diagnosis on her personal and professional life, emphasizing the importance of understanding neurodiversity in the workplace. Jo provides valuable insights into salary negotiations, the significance of holistic compensation packages, and the role of learning and development in career progression. The discussion also highlights the power of knowing one's worth and the importance of having advocates in one's career journey, all while maintaining a light-hearted tone with personal anecdotes about cheese and family life.

    37 min

  7. 09/17/2025

    Nishma Patel Robb: From Google to Glitter, Redefining Success and Freedom

    “Success to me means freedom…freedom of time, freedom of money, freedom of location.” In this inspiring conversation, Nishma Patel Robb, former Google Marketing Director and Founder of Glittersphere, takes us on her journey from starting out in an analogue world at Teletext to shaping the future of brands at Google and beyond. After a decade leading marketing at one of the world’s most powerful companies, she chose to step away and build something of her own. Nishma opens up about the courage it takes to pivot at the height of a successful career, the sleepless nights of entrepreneurship, and why she believes success is freedom, of time, money, and choice. She dives into the difference between fame and influence, the role of visibility in building confidence, and the urgent need for women to understand and negotiate their value. This episode is full of energy, honesty, and actionable insights on how to back yourself, tell your story, and create the career, and life…you really want.

    51 min

  8. 09/10/2025

    Katie Streeter Hurle: Quiet Leadership, CEO at 6 Months Pregnant

    “You stepped into a CEO role 6 months pregnant” In this engaging conversation, Katie Streeter Hurle, CEO at SMG, shares her journey from Procter & Gamble to leading one of the UK’s most influential commerce media specialists. She redefined what leadership looks like when she stepped into the CEO role six months pregnant and opens up about the realities of balancing ambition with family life. Katie discusses the differences between client-side and agency work, the value of quiet leadership, and why setting clear boundaries can unlock flexibility and inclusion in the workplace. She also shares her approach to progression, focusing on business impact over effort, and reflects on the importance of trusting instincts and building supportive teams.

    27 min
  9. Alice Anson: Imposter Syndrome, Pay Cuts, Culture, Confidence and Career Moves

    09/03/2025

    Alice Anson: Imposter Syndrome, Pay Cuts, Culture, Confidence and Career Moves

    "Taking a pay cut was one of my smartest career moves" In this engaging conversation, Alice Anson, Director of Digital Retail Media at Nectar360, known as the queen of UK retail media, shares her unique career journey from law to retail media, her experiences with neurodiversity, and the importance of workplace culture. She discusses the significance of curiosity in career development, the challenges of self-doubt, and the value of having a supportive network. Alice also emphasises the importance of negotiation and making smart career moves, including her decision to take a pay cut for long-term growth. Full video on YouTube!

    28 min

  10. 08/27/2025

    Pete Markey CMO: Candid Setbacks to Success, How to Lead and Articulate Value

    "You are a marketable asset." In this conversation, Pete Markey, former CMO of Boots UK & Ireland, a seasoned marketing leader, shares insights from his extensive career journey, discussing the importance of passion for customers, embracing failures, and the nuances of salary negotiations. He emphasises the significance of having a development plan and understanding one's self-worth in the workplace. Pete Markey also highlights the value of creativity and personal growth through experiences like improvisation. Full video on YouTube!!

    15 min
  • 10 Episodes

About

The Strategic Salary Series is the podcast for ambitious women who want to negotiate bigger salaries, lead with confidence and get promoted on their own terms. Hosted by Lucy Daramola, an advertising and tech leader and working mum, this podcast cuts through the corporate noise and delivers real, practical, unapologetic advice on how to ask for more, earn more and become impossible to overlook! Each episode features candid conversations with C-suite leaders, award-winners and industry trailblazers, revealing the unfiltered strategies behind salary negotiation that works, pay-rise and promotion pathways, career confidence for women in leadership, building visibility and influence, and navigating work as a parent. Expect raw insights, proven frameworks and stories you will not hear anywhere else. No fluff, no jargon, just powerful guidance to help you own your value, negotiate your worth and build a career that pays you properly. Follow, share and step into your most confident, highest-earning era. This is your blueprint for earning more and realising your value.

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