Speak Your Mind Unapologetically
af Ivna Curi | Leadership Communication & Influence
Good on Paper. Good at the Job. Still Not Seen as Good Enough?
Om denne podcast
Good on paper. Good at the job. Still not taken seriously by the people above you?
Speak Your Mind Unapologetically is for managers, directors, VPs and senior experts who want their work to count with their boss, senior leaders and peers. It's about managing up and across: disagreeing with someone senior, making your case so it gets acted on, getting credit for your own ideas, asking for the title or scope you've earned, and handling labels like too direct, too quiet or too emotional.
If this sounds familiar, you're in the right place:
- You know the work deeply, you go into the detail, and you can see you're losing people
- You go blank, or say yes too fast, when someone senior challenges you
- Someone else presents your idea, and the room goes with them
- Leaders say your work is great, and the opportunity still goes to someone else
- You've been told you're too direct, too quiet or too emotional
Each episode brings real workplace stories, the exact words to use, and conversations with executives and researchers.
460+ episodes, hosted by Ivna Curi: TEDx speaker, Forbes contributor and author of Unapologetic Voice. An engineer by training, analytics corporate background, Ivna has taught these frameworks to more than 8,000 leaders inside organizations including Labcorp, Qualcomm, Synchrony, Akamai, Blue Shield of California and Moët Hennessy.
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Join other leaders live with Ivna. Leave with the exact words for your next meeting with someone senior.
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Episoder
De nyeste 50 af 468 episoder
- Good on Paper. Good at the Job. Still Not Seen as Good Enough? · 34 min. · Sæson 1Someone with half your experience gets the lead role on the project everyone's watching. Someone with fewer credentials gets the promotion. Join our next free group live coaching…
- Good Work, Average Review: Why Your Self-Assessment Undersells You · 17 min. · Sæson 1At one of my prior jobs, my performance review went from outstanding to average. The work was good. I just couldn't explain what it was worth to the business. If you're a…
- You Think You Handle Conflict Well. Your Team May Disagree | Lan Phan, Ph.D. · 49 min. · Sæson 1Most leaders believe they handle conflict well. The people who report to them often see something different. Your team can't see your intentions. They only see your behavior. In…
- Change Management Is Dead. Build Change Agility Instead | Dr. Ellie Gates · 53 min. · Sæson 1Change is hard, yet it a common reality. Dr. Ellie Gates, who led the Adobe Check-In redesign that replaced annual performance reviews, says the old change management playbook is…
- Your Odds Change The Moment You Take Action| Sanjay Manandhar · 46 min. · Sæson 1Most of us check the odds before we try something big. MIT-trained engineer and serial founder Sanjay Manandhar, author of The Why Not Advantage, says that's the wrong number to…
- How to Influence Senior Leaders When You Disagree · 34 min. · Sæson 1How do you disagree with a superior or your boss when you see a problem in a decision you still have to deliver? How do you influence senior leaders when you don't have the final…
- Are You Kind at Work? 12 Signs You're Not · 17 min. · Sæson 1Being kind at work is easy when things are going well. Smiling, saying thank you, listening, remembering birthdays. The real test is what you do when there is a problem, a…
- How to Challenge Your Boss Without It Feeling Like a Challenge | Nita Patel, VP at Otis · 34 min. · Sæson 1Most people who challenge a superior's decision get it wrong. They oppose. Nita Patel, VP of Engineering at Otis, says the people who have changed her mind did something else…
- She Submitted a Conference Paper in Portuguese. She Didn't Speak Portuguese. She Had Three Months to Learn. Software CEO Katherine on Persistence, Pivots, and Never Giving Up · 49 min. · Sæson 1Two Ways to Fail: Give Up or Die." How Sigma Software CEO Katherine Built a Foreign Office, Completed a Half Ironman, and Learned to Lead on One Rule "There are only two ways to…
- They Called Her a Trouble Candidate for Asking for Equal Work. She Won the Company Award That Quarter. Aditi on Speaking Up Without Apology · 36 min. · Sæson 1Her first year in corporate. She noticed her male peer was getting more technical work than her. She raised it with her supervisor — not loudly, not aggressively, just directly…
- She Spent Five Weeks Getting Stonewalled Before Landing One Lunch. By the Time the Hiring Manager Called, Three People Had Already Been Talking About Her. Equifax SVP D'Lovely on Networking That Produces Results · 52 min. · Sæson 1She Stopped Leading With Her Title and Started Saying "I'm a Technology and Business Diplomat." People Immediately Wanted to Know More. Equifax SVP D'Lovely on Networking…
- She Names the Three People Who Changed Her Career and Exactly What Each One Gave Her. Director and Venture Partner Nancy on Building Your Personal Board of Directors · 39 min. · Sæson 1She credits three people with transforming her career trajectory at AWS and beyond. Tatiana got her into AWS. Wayne sponsored her advancement within it. Dan helped her break into…
- A Junior Employee Publicly Questioned Whether She Was Being Overpaid. She Stood Up and Said: "I Believe I Am Appropriately Compensated." Dr. Monique, CIO at Cal State Chico, on Advocacy, Bias, and Leading With Confidence · 52 min. · Sæson 1She came to the United States from Cameroon almost 30 years ago with a master's degree in education, almost no exposure to computers, and a goal to pursue a doctorate. Her two…
- Before Accepting the Offer, She Asked to Meet Her Manager's Manager. It Could Have Cost Her the Role. Coverys CITO Saadia on Courage, Bias, and Bold Career Moves · 40 min. · Sæson 1Her Peer Kept Misattributing Statements to Her Team. She Let It Slide Once. The Second Time She Confronted Her Directly. She had a verbal offer within four days. They were eager…
- "There Is Only One Reliable Advocate You Will Always Have — Yourself." How Harley-Davidson's Head of Motorcycle Strategy Ashwini Built Her Career Without a Long-Term Sponsor · 47 min. · Sæson 1She Told Her Director "Your Actions Don't Support That Opinion." He Apologized. Harley-Davidson's Ashwini on Self-Advocacy, Disrespect, and Owning Your Career She had a new…
- "If You Don't Tell Us What You Want, We Can't Help You Get There." VP Erika on Breaking Out of People-Pleasing and Advocating for Your Career · 41 min. · Sæson 1She Won a 40 Under 40 Award and Kept It Private. It Took Her 12 Years to Say Out Loud She Wanted to Be an Executive. People2.0 VP Erika on Self-Advocacy for People Pleasers She…
- She Didn't Know Who to Pitch Her Idea To, So She Pitched Everyone. How an AWS Leader Built Alliances and Attracted a Sponsor by Talking to Anyone Who Would Listen · 45 min. · Sæson 1She Moved to the US with $800, Changed Her Name to Fit In, and Built a Career at Merck, Oracle, Tableau, and Amazon. Helen on Going From Terrified to Outspoken Her legal name is…
- Speaking Up Doesn't Have to Be Heroic: How PVH VP Shatabdi Uses Small Moments of Courage to Shape Cultures, Careers, and Global Teams · 44 min. · Sæson 1She Asked Her CIO for a New Challenge at Lunch. Got a "Poison Chalice" Role. Flew to Japan in December 2019. Beat COVID by Three Weeks. PVH VP Shatabdi on Small Acts of Courage…
- On Her First Day, They Dismissed Her Idea. Six Months Later, She Had the Budget, the Buy-In, and a Legacy That Outlasted an Acquisition. CHRO Deepashri on Getting Your Ideas Heard · 48 min. · Sæson 1He Interrupted Her Mid-Sentence and Said "I Don't Agree." She Asked: "How Many Recruitment Drives Have You Led?" CHRO Deepashri on Standing Your Ground It was her first day in a…
- She Trembled for 60 Minutes Straight in Front of 60 Students. She Went Back the Next Day. Thomson Reuters CTO Anuradha on Facing Fear and Disrupting Yourself First · 45 min. · Sæson 1Disrupt Yourself Before Someone Else Does: How Thomson Reuters CTO Anuradha Turned Fear, Bias, and Discomfort Into Career Fuel She grew up in a small town in India, first…
- They Said No — Here's Exactly What to Say Next (8 Steps to Overcome Workplace Resistance) · 38 min. · Sæson 1Getting a "no" at work isn't the problem. Not knowing what to do with it is. In this episode, you'll get a proven 8-step framework to turn workplace resistance into genuine…
- She Waited for Someone to Offer Her a Promotion. Nobody Did. Ceridian SVP Geetanjali on Owning Your Career · 44 min. · Sæson 1A Recruiter She Never Asked for Advice from Told Her to Lower Her Ambitions. It Derailed Her for Months. What Geetanjali Learned About Who Gets to Define Your Ceiling. She was…
- "Success Isn't About Who You Know. It's About Who Knows You." How a J&J Senior VP Went from Waste Picker to the Top · 47 min. · Sæson 1His Boss Told Him He'd Never Rise Above Engineer Level. Three Years Later, That Boss Reported to Him. Samuel Santos on Getting Noticed at Work Early in his career, his manager…
- She Told Both Job Interviewers She Wanted to Be CIO. They Hired Her Anyway. Calendly's Head of IT Darlene on Being Unabashedly Ambitious · 45 min. · Sæson 1Her Dad Found a Rolex and Returned It. What That Taught Her About Asking for Everything. Her father came to the United States in 1989 with next to nothing. He found a Rolex in a…
- Every Man in the Room Ignored Her and Started the Meeting. She Interrupted. What Happened Next. (with Lisa, CSIO at Lee Health) — Part 2 · 36 min. · Sæson 1The Mirror Method, the WAIT Acronym, and Why "Learn Fast" Beats "Fail Fast": Lee Health CSIO Lisa on Challenging the Status Quo — Part 2 She walked into a conference room as the…
- She Was a Shy, Introverted Child Who Became a Chief Strategy Officer. The Realization That Changed Everything. (with Lisa, CSIO at Lee Health) · 40 min. · Sæson 1She missed the scholarship deadline for her MBA. She asked anyway. She got it. She was the only woman in her group project cohort, a single mom with a one-year-old, living…
- Years of Being Called "Hardworking and Quiet." How Revolut's Head of Strategy Daisy Rewrote Her Professional Brand · 49 min. · Sæson 1For years, Daisy's performance reviews said the same things: hardworking, great team player, result-driven, quiet. Cycle after cycle, different managers, same words. Then she…
- Be Brief, Be Bright, Be Gone: How Newell Brands VP Malvika Challenges Senior Leaders, Manages Type A Executives, and Turns Conflict Into Opportunity · 56 min. · Sæson 1When a new business leader walked in and told Malvika they were going to restructure the entire segment — 60% of company revenue — in a room with just the two of them, no leaks…
- Your Job Title Can Evaporate Overnight. Your Internal Power Can't. Leadership Lessons from Equifax SVP Alejandra · 44 min. · Sæson 1She watched a brilliant female CEO — strategic, skilled, accomplished — get pushed out of her company. And in that moment, Alejandra had a realization that changed how she thinks…
- "I'm Not Responsible for How You Feel": How Melissa Stood Her Ground With an Intimidating Executive and Changed Their Relationship Forever · 45 min. · Sæson 1Sixteen years later, she still tells this story. She was called into the office of a 6'4" senior executive she barely knew. He sat with his back to the door and said: "You will…
- Crying at Work, Called Polarizing, Still Made It to the Top: Executive Presence Lessons with Wendy · 55 min. · Sæson 1She was called polarizing. She cried in meetings. She was written off as "the rookie." Then she spent 30 years rising through Oracle and Microsoft to become a Global Customer…
- Socialized to Stay Silent: How Autodesk VP Mary Hope Found Her Voice and Learned to Hold Anyone Accountable · 47 min. · Sæson 1Mary Hope grew up learning not to make waves, not to get emotional, not to rock the boat. Those lessons followed her into the boardroom. When a male colleague made a sexist…
- How to Handle Pushback and Difficult Conversations at Work Without Getting Defensive · 27 min. · Sæson 1Find out the real reason difficult conversations feel so hard at work, and how our mindset hurts our conversations and relationships. This episode gives you four internal…
- Speaking Up With Intention: A Smarter Way to Set Your Goals · 41 min. · Sæson 1A new year doesn't require a long list of aspirational, feel-good goals. It requires the right specific goals — especially when it comes to speaking up at work. In this first…
- Boundaries During Holidays: How to Say No Without Guilt or Drama · 18 min. · Sæson 1As we navigate the holiday season, setting boundaries can be challenging. Find out how to respond confidently to intrusive questions and requests without guilt or drama. Learn…
- Accountablity: How to Stop Carrying the Team (Without Becoming "the Difficult One") · 35 min. · Sæson 1If you've ever felt like you're the one holding everything together at work — following up, reminding, double-checking, fixing last-minute mistakes, and caring more about the…
- When People Steal Your Idea in Meetings (and Get the Credit Instead) · 25 min. · Sæson 1Have you ever shared an idea in a meeting… and nothing happened? No reaction. No acknowledgement. People move on. Then minutes later — or even next week — someone else says the…
- Don't Let One Question Destroy Your Credibility — Learn the Top 1% Response Strategy · 27 min. · Sæson 1When you're in a high-stakes meeting, job interview, panel, or senior leadership presentation, everything can be going perfectly, until someone throws a loaded question at you…
- The One Conversation at Work You're Afraid to Have — And How to Finally Do It Right · 32 min. · Sæson 1Most people don't struggle with speaking up in general. They struggle with one specific conversation that feels risky — a conversation with career, relationship, or emotional…
- Why Every Leadership Problem Is Really a Communication Problem (with Lily Lapenna, MBE and Amy Ewbank) · 39 min. · Sæson 1Your voice is the bridge between who you are and how you lead. So how can you be heard and be remembered, even in toxic workplaces? In this episode we are joined by Lily Lapenna…
- Everything You're Afraid to Ask About Self-Advocacy at Work Without Backlash — Answered Rapid-Fire · 30 min. · Sæson 1Get clear, practical answers to the toughest speaking-up questions: recognition, raises, boundaries, timing, and more—so you're heard and respected at work. You asked. I…
- When Silence Is No Longer Safe: Conquer Fear, Speak Up, and Advance Your Career · 14 min. · Sæson 1Silence feels safe, but it kills your future. Unleash your authentic voice and stop letting the voice in your head keep you silent. In this episode of the Speak Your Mind…
- How to Speak Your Truth Without Sounding Harsh or Arrogant · 34 min. · Sæson 1Everyone says, "Be bold. Be unapologetic." But what does that really mean at work? Boldness easily gets mistaken for arrogance or aggression. Then, when you speak up, people shut…
- Never Let Fear Stop You From Speaking Your Mind Ever Again · 24 min. · Sæson 1Does fear ever get in the way of advocating for yourself? Everyone has fear. Everyone has courage. The difference is which one you give energy to. In this episode of Speak Your…
- Stop Asking For Permission: 30 Power Phrases to Start Owning Your Voice · 33 min. · Sæson 1Do you sound like a leader, or a pleaser? Asking for permission to speak up and using apologetic language can cost you promotions, recognition, and influence. Discover 30 subtle…
- Courage at Work: Stop Staying Silent & Start Leading Boldly (with Saadia Khilji) · 40 min. · Sæson 1Do you ever hesitate to speak up in tough situations at work, worried about backlash, bias, or saying the wrong thing? In this powerful episode of the Speak Your Mind…
- Why 'Just Be Confident' Is Terrible Advice — And What Actually Works · 36 min. · Sæson 1Discvoer 14 surprising strategies to finally speak up at work with confidence. These practical tips will help you stop holding back and start owning your seat at the table. In…
- Practical Self-Promotion Tips That Actually Work in Meetings and in Networking (Brag-Free) · 37 min. · Sæson 1What's the right way to self-promote without sounding arrogant? How do you confidently speak about your work (and get credit for it)? How do you talk about your achievements…
- How To Bridge Cultural Divides And Cultivate Respectful Conversations? (with Dr. Shaun Carver) · 40 min. · Sæson 1How can leaders can bridge cultural divides, welcome diverse team members, and cultivate respectful conversations? How can you be civil with uncivil people? These are some of the…
- 20 Power Moves for High Impact Leaders: Elevating Your Leadership Voice · 29 min. · Sæson 1 Have you ever walked out of a meeting thinking, I should have said something. They didn't take me seriously. Someone else said what I wanted to say, and then they got credit for…







