Gentle Power

Gerta and Alex at YourNegotiations.com
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Join Gerta Malaj & Alex Choi break down our negotiation strategies, unpack real-world success stories, and share practical tactics alongside conversations with leading experts. As cofounders of YourNegotiations.com, they help execs, mid-careers, and founders negotiate job offers and business deals. They're Harvard, MIT, and Wharton alums who have helped hundreds of clients increase their comp packages by an average of $100K, with some seeing increases up to $1.7M. Their backgrounds span tech (LinkedIn, Meta), the US Air Force, venture capital, and building venture-backed companies.

  1. 3D AGO

    53. Let people ask 3 times before you take it more seriously | Tallulah Le Merle

    Tallulah Le Merle spent nearly seven years negotiating deals as a management consultant at Kearney, worked as a fractional COO and advisor for AI scale-ups, and is now a partner at Fifth Era, a conscious-tech investment firm. She's also a writer and speaker working on her upcoming book, The Case for Hope in the Age of AI. And she has a lot to say about negotiations. In this episode, we get into how power reads differently across cultures, why authenticity isn't just an ethical position but a tactical one, the StrengthsFinder concept of WOO (Winning Others Over) and what it actually looks like in practice, and how to hold your ground without turning a negotiation into a standoff. • How British and American corporate cultures handle power differently, and what that means for how you negotiate depending on the culture • WOO (Winning Others Over) as a negotiation skill: reading the other side, mirroring their language, and walking into their world instead of asking them to come to yours • The Rule of Three in consulting: why letting a client ask multiple times before treating it as a real ask protects both the relationship and the scope • Why lying about competing offers backfires, and what authenticity actually buys you at the table• The difference between being firm and being rigid, and how the clearest negotiators are often the calmest ones • Why vulnerability is a marker of power, not weakness, whether you're negotiating a salary or a relationship Connect with Tallulah Le Merle: https://www.tallulahlemerle.com For more: • Book free consultation call with us: https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call • Get our free negotiation worksheet: https://www.yournegotiations.com • Read our weekly newsletter: https://yournegotiations.kit.com • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournegotiations • Gerta's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertamalaj • Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhapki

    1h 6m

  2. MAR 27

    52. She turned a no into $50K. Here’s how. | Surina Diddi

    In this episode, we invited Surina Diddi, who spent nearly a decade in finance, from equity research at UBS to investment banking at Lazard and Scotiabank to private equity in the renewable energy and energy storage space. We talk through Surina’s experience negotiating an additional $50K on top of her MBA scholarship at Chicago Booth School of Business. We get into how scholarship pools actually work, why the admissions officer relationship matters more than most people realize, and how she used a real job offer pipeline as leverage. We also talk about what she'd do differently: applying earlier and to more schools. We Cover: • How MBA scholarship funds are actually allocated and who controls them • Why pitching your credentials alone isn't enough, and what actually moved the needle • The role of persistence after a flat no • How a real job offer pipeline became negotiation leverage against a business school • Why Surina deliberately avoided naming a specific dollar amount • The Forte Foundation and other pre-MBA fellowship programs worth knowing about Connect with Surina Diddi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/surina-diddi-28824219 • Over many years, Surina has mentored lots of people pursuing careers in finance and admission to top MBA programs, often helping them secure scholarships. Feel free to reach out to her on LinkedIn if you think she can support you. For more: • Book free consultation call with Alex: https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call • Get our free negotiation worksheet: https://www.yournegotiations.com • Read our weekly newsletter: https://yournegotiations.kit.com • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yournegotiations • Gerta's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertamalaj • Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhapki

    50 min

  3. MAR 21

    51. Visualization & the DREAMS framework in negotiations

    What if negotiation isn’t just about tactics, scripts, and numbers? In this episode, we sit down with Julia Martin and Melanie Bettis to explore the intersection most people ignore: mindset and strategy. Julia comes from the world of manifestation and intentionality. Melanie brings deep experience in job search strategy, interviewing, and salary negotiation. Together, they make a compelling case for something we’ve seen with our own clients: It’s rarely just tactics or mindset. It’s both. We get into how your internal state shapes negotiation outcomes, why most people start negotiating too late, and how to expand what you believe is possible when the numbers feel out of reach. If you found this helpful, share it with someone who’s about to negotiate an offer or make a big career move. What we cover • The question Julia uses to shift into a confident mindset • Why negotiation actually starts before the interview • How recruiters use early salary questions to anchor you • The “ladder of believability” and how to ask for more than you’ve ever made • How to identify and reframe limiting beliefs before a negotiation • Why visualization is used by athletes, the military, and top performers • How to mentally rehearse a negotiation or interview • Why likability and genuine curiosity create leverage • The small language shifts that make negotiation collaborative • What most people misunderstand about persistence in negotiation Key ideas from the episode 1. Visualization is practical, not just abstract. From athletes to military training, mental rehearsal is used to improve performance. The same applies to interviews and compensation conversations. 2. Negotiation starts earlier than you think. That “casual” salary question from a recruiter is not casual. It’s part of the negotiation. 3. Most people are anchored to their past. If you’ve been making a certain number for years, it can feel uncomfortable to ask for a lot more. The solution is expanding belief step by step, not forcing it all at once. 4. Your internal stories shape your outcomes. Limiting beliefs often drive hesitation in negotiations. Writing them down and reframing them can change how you show up. 5. Likability is a real advantage. “Be interested to be interesting.” Genuine connection makes people more willing to advocate for you. 6. Ask, then follow up thoughtfully/ Negotiation is not about being aggressive. It’s about being clear, collaborative, and persistent when it matters. Learn more about Julia and Melanie’s work: https://wearedreambuilders.com For more: • Book free consultation call with Alex: ⁠https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call • Get our free negotiation worksheet: ⁠https://www.yournegotiations.com • Read our weekly newsletter: https://yournegotiations.kit.com • Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/yournegotiations • Gerta's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertamalaj • Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhapki

    1 hr

  4. MAR 12

    50. ⁠The moment a negotiation stops being rational | Sam Liu

    In this episode of Gentle Power, we talk with Sam Liu, founder of AI startup Fergana Labs and former Stanford PhD student in decision making. We originally invited Sam on because we love both PhD dropouts and decision making science. What we didn’t expect was how many of his insights about negotiation had less to do with neat frameworks and more to do with how messy real decisions actually are. Our conversation spans startup risk, taxi negotiations in Thailand, poker, game theory, and the emotional tension at the center of many negotiations.Sam shares why many big life decisions build quietly over time before becoming obvious all at once, why many career risks are actually social risks, and why the hardest part of negotiating is often simply holding your ground while the other side reacts. We also discuss when negotiations truly become zero sum, why conviction can shape outcomes more than benchmarks, and what game theory teaches us about long term relationships and cooperation. Learn more about Sam and his company here: • Sam's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samzliu • Fergana Labs website: https://ferganalabs.com For more: • Book free consultation call with Alex: ⁠https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call • Get our free negotiation worksheet: ⁠https://www.yournegotiations.com • Read our weekly newsletter: https://yournegotiations.kit.com • Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/yournegotiations • Gerta's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertamalaj • Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhapki

    55 min
  5. 49. Can you outsource your negotiation to AI?

    MAR 7

    49. Can you outsource your negotiation to AI?

    We get this question a lot: “Have you trained an AI on your negotiation framework?” or “Can I just follow a template?”The appeal is obvious. A clean script would be easier for everyone involved and much easier to scale.The problem is that negotiation doesn't really work that way.Every negotiation is different. Different people. Different incentives. Different timing. Different pressure points. Different cultures.In this episode, we talk about why negotiation is both a science and an art, and why the “art” part is exactly what makes it so difficult to automate or turn into a simple template.We also walk through real examples from our work with clients and explain why judgment, context, and timing matter far more than most people realize.We cover:• Why negotiation can’t be reduced to a script or template: Even strong negotiation principles require judgment calls in the moment. The same rule can lead to different decisions depending on the situation.• Why we usually advise candidates not to give a preferred salary number: Every role has a budget ceiling that candidates rarely know. Sharing a number too early can anchor you below that ceiling or signal misalignment with the company.• The rare situations where sharing a number actually makes sense: For example, if you have a higher offer from another company but prefer a different employer that says their current offer is “best and final.”• How company culture changes the tone of negotiation: Some companies communicate very directly. Others use softer, more collaborative language. Adjusting your style to match the culture can make negotiations smoother.• Why compensation data is often overrated: Many candidates rely heavily on salary databases or friends’ compensation numbers. In reality, compensation outcomes are often driven by the company’s urgency at that specific moment.• How timing can dramatically change an offer: If a company urgently needs to fill a role before a major product launch, they may stretch their compensation range for the right candidate.• Small signals that can change your leverage: These include who referred you, how persistent the recruiter is about certain questions, and whether the company hints at other candidates in the pipeline. These details can influence how assertive you should be during negotiations. For more: • Book free consultation call with Alex: ⁠https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call • Get our free negotiation worksheet: ⁠https://www.yournegotiations.com • Read our weekly newsletter: https://yournegotiations.kit.com • Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/yournegotiations • Gerta's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertamalaj • Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhapki

    26 min
  6. 48. Optionality has downsides and complexity

    FEB 27

    48. Optionality has downsides and complexity

    In this episode, we welcomed Yehong Zhu, founder and CEO of Zett AI. Yehong is a former Forbes reporter, a Harvard philosophy graduate, and a former product manager at X (formerly Twitter). We explored how her background across media, tech, and startups shapes the way she thinks about negotiation, decision making, and building companies that last. We covered:  The “worst alternative” to a deal and the sushi conveyor belt problem of waiting too long for a better option Poker as a decision framework: protecting your energy stack, knowing when to fold, and developing your own risk styleAnnie Duke’s concept of “resulting” and how to separate decision quality from outcomes Reversible vs irreversible decisions, infinite games, and building companies that last beyond short term incentives For more: Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter Instagram: @yournegotiations LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

    55 min
  7. 47. A personal brand is a negotiation asset

    FEB 20

    47. A personal brand is a negotiation asset

    This week on Gentle Power, we sat down with Morgan Snyder for a candid conversation about executive content, personal brand, and the quiet factors that contribute to negotiation outcomes before a call even starts. We also get into what’s actually working on LinkedIn right now, why long-form still matters, and how to build relationships in a way that doesn’t feel like performance art, even though Morgan himself will post over-the-top content that mocks the status signalers. We covered: Why Morgan thinks long-form content is where real trust gets built, which is a key pillar in negotiationsHow newsletters and consistent publishing increase your “surface area” and create inbound without constant pitching, which helps close dealsMorgan’s take on what performs on LinkedIn in 2026, from “basement tier” posts to genuinely expert contentThe “secret sauce” question: what to share publicly, what to keep private, and why implementation is usually the real productTwo simple habits that help you never run out of content ideas For more: Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter Instagram: @yournegotiations LinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

    39 min
  8. 46. Preparation is overrated in negotiations

    FEB 14

    46. Preparation is overrated in negotiations

    This week on Gentle Power, we sat down with Mark Mirra, CEO and co-founder of Aligned Negotiation, for a deep (and very practical) conversation on how to make negotiation feel less like “combat” and more like a normal life skill you can build over time.  We covered: Why Mark thinks negotiation should be treated like a lifestyle activity, not a scary, high-stakes “event”Why internal negotiations (inside your company) often feel harder than external onesThe 4 negotiation types Mark teaches, and what each one demands from youThe 4 phases of a negotiation, and how your mindset should shift across each phaseWhat to do when a negotiation starts going off the rails And learn more about Mark ⁠on LinkedIn⁠ and his website here: ⁠https://www.alignednegotiation.com/⁠  For more: Book free consultation call with Alex: Calendly Get our free negotiation worksheet: YourNegotiations.com Read our weekly newsletter: Newsletter Instagram: @yournegotiationsLinkedIn: Gerta | Alex

    50 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Join Gerta Malaj & Alex Choi break down our negotiation strategies, unpack real-world success stories, and share practical tactics alongside conversations with leading experts. As cofounders of YourNegotiations.com, they help execs, mid-careers, and founders negotiate job offers and business deals. They're Harvard, MIT, and Wharton alums who have helped hundreds of clients increase their comp packages by an average of $100K, with some seeing increases up to $1.7M. Their backgrounds span tech (LinkedIn, Meta), the US Air Force, venture capital, and building venture-backed companies.

Information

  • Creator
    Gerta and Alex at YourNegotiations.com
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Gerta and Alex at YourNegotiations.com
  • Show Website
    Gentle Power

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