Hi friends, In one of our recent podcast episodes (YouTube | Spotify | Apple), I (Alex) pointed something out that Gerta does frequently. When we were chatting on the podcast about negotiating rent, hotels, or flights, we were recounting Gerta’s call with a hotel’s customer service rep while I was sitting nearby overhearing the conversation. I then noticed a small move that Gerta does almost every time on these calls. At some point during her calls with customer support, Gerta will ask the...
5 days ago • 2 min read
Hi friends, Most negotiation advice focuses on how to get to a deal. But a big part of negotiating well is knowing when you have a “no deal.” In this week’s episode (YouTube | Spotify | Apple), we talk about “no deal” scenarios as a normal and sometimes necessary part of negotiating, one that people often misunderstand or avoid thinking about until it’s too late. Highlighting a few ideas from our conversation. 1. No deal usually comes down to priorities that don’t overlap In any negotiation,...
9 days ago • 3 min read
Hi friends, Below is a collection of screenshots of questions that people actually asked us in our live negotiation Q&As. Sharing our responses below for those who couldn't join our recent ones. But for those who are free tomorrow at 12pm PT... 👇 Kick Off 2026 Strong: Live Q&A (+ free gift for attendees) Tomorrow, January 28th at 12pm PT, we’re hosting our first negotiation Q&A of 2026! This is your chance to get live input and real-time feedback from us on all your negotiation questions as...
12 days ago • 4 min read
Hi friends, On this week’s episode of the Gentle Power podcast (YouTube | Spotify | Apple), we covered how to handle something that everyone in the job search encounters sooner or later: When you’re treated disrespectfully. We’ve all been there: You’re deep in the process with multiple companies. You’ve invested hours of time and energy into prepping for interviews. You’re tired and can’t wait to reach the end of the process. Then someone on the other side says something that lands wrong. A...
16 days ago • 4 min read
Hey friends, If you've followed our newsletter for a while now, you're probably familiar with one of our top negotiation tips: Always show enthusiasm for the role, team, and company at all stages of the interview process. This tip also tends to get the most pushback, so we wanted to dive deeper into it today. Kick off 2026 strong: live negotiations Q&A on Wed, Jan 28 @ 12pm PT (+ free gift for attendees) Quick PSA: We’re hosting our first negotiation Q&A of 2026 on Wednesday, January 28th at...
19 days ago • 3 min read
We’re back this week with Part 2 of our conversation with Arben Malaj, former Minister of Finance of Albania (also Gerta’s father 🙂). Part 2: YouTube | Spotify | Apple If you missed Part 1, you can catch up here: YouTube | Spotify | Apple | Newsletter (FYI: Part 1 was one of our most popular episodes to-date! If you liked it, reply back to this email and let us know what resonated with you most.) Quick recap: In his early 30s, Arben was put in charge of rescuing the country’s economy after a...
23 days ago • 5 min read
Hey friends, We’re sometimes asked if we negotiate with each other or our friends. The short answer: yes, but not in the way people usually think. When most people say “negotiate,” they envision haggling, transactional bartering, and zero-sum wins. Our definition is different. I think what makes for great negotiations is not leaving value on the table, looking for opportunities that make both sides (or at least one side) better off while not making anyone worse off. You may have heard of the...
26 days ago • 1 min read
Hi friends, This week on the Gentle Power podcast (YouTube | Spotify | Apple), we welcomed a guest who has negotiated at a scale most of us will never experience in our lifetimes. He is a former Minister of Finance of Albania who was put in charge of rescuing the country’s economy after a financial crisis pushed it to the brink of collapse. His name is Arben Malaj, and he also happens to be Gerta’s father :) When we visited Gerta’s family in Europe for the holidays, Arben sat down with us to...
30 days ago • 3 min read
Hey friends, A mistake we see job seekers make a lot is overrelying on their current role as leverage. Having a job can feel like they’re holding all the cards: “I’d be fine staying in my current role, I’m happy where I’m at, the recruiter reached out to me and I wasn’t even looking for a new job.” But being happy where you are is usually not the leverage you think it is, and anchoring yourself to your current role can actually weaken your position. Here’s why: 1️⃣ Your current situation is...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read