We share negotiation tips + a peek into running a business with your life partner. 👫 🤝 Hi Reader, Many job seekers feel like they've crossed the finish line after getting a verbal job offer—only to see it disappear or rescinded when negotiations start. The verbal offer stage is one of the trickiest parts of negotiating a new role because the company indicates interest but nothing is binding yet. You may be tempted to share too much information or push the envelope with negotiations at this...
8 days ago • 2 min read
We share negotiation tips + a peek into running a business with your life partner. 👫 🤝 Hi Reader, Ever feel stuck when a recruiter asks for your salary expectations before you’ve even seen a formal offer? You’re not alone. This week, we talk about how to tactfully handle that delicate dance—plus a little cameo from our new pet friend, Muji. What kind of pets do they have in Albania? If you’ve followed us, you know Gerta grew up in Albania—where pets weren’t exactly household staples (she has...
15 days ago • 2 min read
We share negotiation tips + a peek into running a business with your life partner. 👫 🤝 Hi Reader, We’re back with another episode of our newly minted podcast, Gentle Power—and we’re embracing all the imperfections that come with starting something brand new. In this week’s behind-the-scenes: We accidentally recorded half an episode with the mic on mute. But we decided to “ship” the good half anyway rather than throw it all away because it wasn’t perfect. Design magic from the universe: A...
22 days ago • 3 min read
We share negotiation tips + a peek into running a business with your life partner. 👫 🤝 Hi Reader, We have a big update for you this week—we launched the first episode of our podcast, Gentle Power! In each episode we’ll be sharing a peek into our personal lives here in San Francisco, as well as a few negotiation tips. And for this first episode, we’re sharing a tip that many people find controversial. More below! Personal Life: Community over Everything If you know me (Gerta), you know I...
29 days ago • 2 min read
We share negotiation tips + a peek into running a business with your life partner. 👫 🤝 Hi Reader, We’re beyond excited (and a bit nervous) to launch our podcast, Gentle Power, next week! Per popular demand, every episode will be part chit-chat about our lives in San Francisco and part sharing negotiations tips. We’ll be looking for a lot of feedback (and support) so stay tuned for launch date, March 24th! Subscribe on YouTube so you don't miss the first episode drop. Podcast launching March...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
We share negotiation tips + a peek into running a business with your life partner. 👫 🤝 Hi Reader, Big names like Amazon, AT&T, and JPMorgan Chase are calling everyone back to the office…except for the “chosen few.” According to a new Wall Street Journal article, star employees—the ones hitting (or exceeding) performance quotas—are quietly getting special treatment. Think flexible schedules, more remote days, and far less micromanagement. So, what if you’re not the current “all-star” in your...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
We share negotiation tips + a peek into running a business with your life partner. 👫 🤝 Hi Reader, Ever feel like you need to negotiate every little perk or benefit to maximize your offer? Sometimes, that strategy backfires—and here’s a real-life example to prove it. The $3K Benefit That Could’ve Cost $40K A senior product manager we worked with was laser-focused on one specialized parental benefit worth about $3K/year. But when we mapped out her priorities, we noticed: Parental Benefits...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
We share negotiation tips + a peek into running a business with your life partner. 👫 🤝 Hi Reader, We’ve known this for a while but here’s a recent article that further confirms it - employers have more leverage in the current labor market. Companies are hiring more selectively, scaling back perks, and leveraging stricter return-to-office mandates to quietly shed staff (the so-called “quiet cutting” phenomenon). And while the overall job creation numbers remain decent, many roles in tech,...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
We share negotiation tips + a peek into running a business with your life partner. 👫 🤝 Hi Reader, Ever heard a recruiter or hiring manager say, “I don’t wanna play games—just tell me your preferred number”? Chances are, you’ve also thought, “Exactly! I don’t want to play games either. Let’s just be direct.” But is sharing your preferred salary the best move? Here’s why it might not be. Why Companies Say It They want you to anchor first. Once you toss out a number, they can shape the...
2 months ago • 2 min read