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

“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...

“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 managem...

“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 discu...

“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 treat...

“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 i...

“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 neurod...

“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 co...

“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....

"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 challe...

"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 wor...