Aesara Partners 

At Aesara Partners, our mission is simple: enable you to be the best version of yourself. We offer a range of focused services that unlock the potential of people, teams and cultures to maximise business performance. 

Collectively our Partners and Associates have decades of experience both in executive coaching and as board level leaders themselves working in multiple sectors across global markets.

Partner & Executive Coach

Doshisha University

Professor of Strategic Management, Global MBA Program

The CFO Coach K.K.

The CFO Coach K.K. is a boutique executive coaching firm specializing in developing High-Performance​ Financial Leaders and Teams.

Founder & Executive Coach

Kansai Gaidai University

•	Awarded President's Global Education Award (Teacher of the Year).

Professor of Leadership & Management

Benesse Holdings, Inc. (USD 4.5B; Tokyo Stock Exchange Code: 9783)

•	Member of the Board of Directors for Berlitz Corporation; Benesse Corporation; and Benesse Style Care.  Chairman of Audit Committee for Berlitz Corporation. Member of Benesse Holdings Pension Committee.
•	Global CFO covering all 40+ Benesse group companies
•	Championed and supported multiple cash generation initiatives including a CFO led "Save to Grow" initiative to improve Company Financial performance and to identify significant savings for business reinvestment
•	Enhanced Finance bench strength and hired a high potential team to start financial business consulting
•	Implemented several process and capability best practices to move group companies towards global standards

Global Chief Financial Officer & Corporate Senior Vice President

McCann Worldgroup Holdings

• Overall Responsibility for Operations (Finance, IT, Legal, and Administration - 10 legal entities) 
• Successfully turned around long term loss making lead agency by delivering double digit margin improvements within two years
• Delivered double digit margin improvements for all six MWG Group companies 
• Built a new Finance team and moved from Scorekeeping to Business Partnership and improved business performance
• Major projects within last two years include: 
  - Shared Service center creation/migration
  - New Financial System Migration
  - Acquisition & Divestiture
  - Business Turnaround
  - Retirement Plan consolidation/change
  - Office relocation/rent reductions

Group Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President, and Member of The Board

Becton, Dickinson and Company

• Led Finance, Procurement, General Affairs, and Rebates teams (43 staff) to deliver multi-million dollar cash and profit performance improvement for first year and beyond. Exceeded all budget expectations.
• Engaged Japan Management Team and Global Finance Leadership Team on company objectives to deliver best outcome (Finance Transformation initiative, Sales effectiveness improvement, Key Account Management, Business Continuity plan, and strategy/selection of backup distribution center).  Led process for 2012-16 Business Plan development
• Developed and executed Finance department strategy and vision to move from scorekeeping to business partnership. Implemented job rotation program and hired several high potential employees to improve bench strength.
• Championed multiple Finance and Procurement initiatives including definition and implementation of new 401k Retirement Plan; divestiture of non-core business; change of primary banks (reduced bank fees by over 30%); vendor reduction process, and new travel expense management system 
• Taught New Manager Essentials program and selected as leadership trainer for PEPFAR program in South Africa to teach Leadership and Change Management to African Health Ministry officials

Finance and Administration Director

Avon Products Inc.

•	Implementation project leader for Avon Sales Leadership Framework (ASLF) – Highest priority project for the Company to adapt to a new Sales Model.  Completed project implementation in record timing.  Awarded regional award as part of ASLF Team. Only person in Asia recognized for both Top-line and Bottom-line contributions in the same year.
•	Defined and executed new vision and mission and led Sales Support department to complete over 40 initiatives (within a six-month period) as part of Team’s new journey towards field motivational excellence. Incorporated new processes to deliver high impact incentives, and to create Sales energy and momentum for sales turn-around.    
•	Achieved highest employee engagement scores with Sales Support Department significantly exceeding country results in over 95% of categories.  Previously had also led Finance department to highest employee engagement scores.
•	Global Project leader for a high potential, multi-functional, multi-national team to study and recommend actions to improve Global Sales Incentive management/spending process.
•	Oversaw execution of a variety of Company and Public/Media events ranging from Sales Conferences to Philanthropic events including Annual Awards to Women, and Pink Ribbon Campaign support.

Executive Director and Member of the Board

•	Responsible for Financial policy making/implementation and reporting for Avon Japan as a public company (including statutory/public, and Board Meetings). All year-end financial documents audited with no comments/exceptions.
•	Defined and executed new department Vision and Mission, and recruited, trained and developed a completely new Finance team (80% new hires within a six month period) to move from scorekeeping to business partnership. Finance team formed core of country high potential list.
•	Consistently over achieved profit performance commitment under adverse conditions of sales decline by aggressively managing strategic business needs with cost cutting; Delivered zero overhead growth during all years; Japan winner of regional awards for best cost management performance, and for boldest transformation strategy.
•	Provided leadership and support for critical decisions and strategy development as Japan Leadership Team Member.  Actively led change management process within company.
•	Consistently achieved best internal control results in Asia-Pacific/Avon over a period of eight audits.  Japan one of only two countries with highest audit rating. Outstanding performance generated support to remove Japan from list of High Coverage countries.
• Co-developed strategic/financial business case, and obtained approval for number of campaign reduction in 2006 making Avon Japan only country ever in Avon to undergo campaign reduction. 
• Independently analyzed and provided strategic direction for Plant study which challenged and reversed previous recommendation by outside consultants on plant closure.
• Provided leadership in several restructuring initiatives by providing an achievable plan to achieve 12% people related cost reduction.  Played lead role in this study representing Finance, Supply Chain and HR 
• Consistently achieved highest performance rating and nominations to several high potential programs
• Elected (and re-elected) to Board of Directors

Executive Director, CFO and Member of the Board of Directors

Delphi

• Prepared Asia-Pacific regional messages / presentations for Delphi Strategy Board, and for Delphi Board of Directors.
• Supported development and implementation of critical Asia-Pacific strategies.  Performed competitive intelligence and other special studies to identify risks / competitive threats and outlined regional / corporate response.
• Provided Miller Heiman strategic selling process training to Asia-Pacific personnel to improve value propositions and increase sales effectiveness.

Director Asia-Pacific Planning

• Management responsibilities for Finance, HR, General Affairs, and Six-Sigma.
• Active member of the Japan Strategy Board and Japan management team.  
• Six-Sigma Deployment Champion for Delphi Japan.

Delphi Japan – CFO & Administration Director

Country Responsibilities:
• Managed all finance functions including accounting, budgeting / forecasting and treasury.
• Lead development of cross-functional and cross-divisional Internal Control Review Board.
• Lead and supported strategic initiatives including venture development support, site enhancement, competitive analysis, transfer pricing, and cost reduction studies.
• Represented Japan in Asia-Pacific Financial Task Team.

Regional Responsibilities:
• Coached country CFO and staff to implement common financial reporting processes.
• Supervised and provided training for engineering / commercial / plant / site analysts.  Coordinated regional financial training programs for the sector in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Coordinated the regional budget, business plan, and capital management process.
• Supported development of common financial practices among ventures including:  Loan monitoring, F/X and cash management, compliance with accounting principles, report submission, etc. Provided regional oversight of venture risk exposure.

Asia-Pacific Senior Finance Mgr.

Executive Coach | MBA Professor | Ex-Global CFO

I help senior leaders master complexity, elevate strategic impact, and lead with authentic authority.

I bring over 25 years of C-level and boardroom experience as a former Global CFO for a $5B publicly traded company, combined with a deep commitment to human-centered leadership development.

Today, I coach global executives, CEOs, and leadership teams — specializing in executive transitions, strategic leadership, high-performance teams, and Asian leadership development.

I am also an MBA Professor of Leadership and Strategic Management, blending research-driven frameworks with boardroom-tested insights to develop transformational leaders.

Based in Kyoto, fluent in English, Urdu, and Japanese.

Connect with me: arif@thecfocoach.jp

Website: www.thecfocoach.jp (please sign up on my mailing list to receive future announcements and newsletters)

Arif Iqball

Leadership strategist for ambitious women navigating power, politics, and high-stakes moves | ex-Fortune 500 | INSEAD MBA | Follow to future-proof your career

✅ Hi, I’m Julia Snedkova, your executive career partner.

If you’ve ever thought:
• I’m underpaid for what I deliver.
• If I don’t make a move now, I’ll fall behind.
• People with less impact are getting promoted.

Then yes, this is for you. 👇

_____

✅ WHAT I BRING

I’ve sat on both sides of the table.

At Fortune 500, I led $500M+ portfolios, managed cross-functional teams across 30+ markets, and shaped board-level decisions. I sat in real promotion rooms where perception, politics, and power often overruled performance.

Now I work with women who are:
• Done being told to “just wait”
• Done doing more while being seen less
• Done being called “top talent” with no real action

I hold an INSEAD MBA, am ICF ACC-certified, and combine global business fluency with strategic support that drives action.

_____

✅ HOW I WORK

Together, we position you to:

🔹 Build durable influence
🔹 Succeed in an AI-driven landscape
🔹 Earn compensation your work warrants
🔹 Make future-facing moves with intention
🔹 Step into executive roles that match your value

My approach is built on 100+ hrs of working with corporate women, backed by structured behavioral data and real-world strategy. 

I help tackle personal and systemic blockers: visibility gaps, political blind spots, biased managers, and the fear of falling behind.

_____

✅ WHY IT'S URGENT

These blockers won’t fade; they’re accelerating.

Women already face slower promotion paths. With AI adoption reshaping leadership, men are now twice as likely to use AI at work, gaining faster visibility, stronger positioning, and compounding career advantage.

If companies don’t act, leadership pipelines stall.
If you don’t act, relevance may outpace readiness.

_____

✅ OUTCOMES I AIM FOR

While every journey is unique, my clients often pursue:

🔹 Director, VP, and C-suite roles, often off-market
🔹 Significant salary progression (20–50%+ range)
🔹 Greater influence, faster progression, more fulfillment, without burnout

_____

✅ WHEN COMPANIES BRING ME IN

I help retain and elevate top female talent.

When ambitious women leave, they take knowledge, but also informal influence, team stability, and culture trust. Don't let it happen.

I partner with HRDs, Talent Partners, and C-leaders to:
• Coach succession candidates
• Elevate quiet high-performers
• Strengthen internal mobility for women
• Equip women to navigate politics and lead change

Available for: keynotes, coaching, workshops, cohort design, and strategic advisory.

_____

Subscribe to my weekly memo for women rising fast (link in bio).

📩 DM for all inquiries

Julia Snedkova

Nobody resigns when they're actually growing.
Nobody resigns when they're genuinely respected.
Nobody resigns when they're paid what they're worth.

These are the real things that matter to employees.

They don't care about "We're a family" speeches.
They don't care about wellness apps and 10 allowances.
They don't care about branded hoodies and "culture fit" interviews.

Personally, I put together a few actions that ensure employees are growing, paid fairly, and are respected.
(Repost if this resonates and if you want to see a positive change)

📌 On respect:
↳ Create channels where feedback leads to visible change.
– When someone raises an issue, close the loop.
– Tell them what happened because of it.

↳ Take people seriously.
– Give them real autonomy over their work.
– Trust their competence instead of micromanaging every decision.

↳ Involve employees early when decisions affect their role.
– Let their input shape outcomes.
– Instead of asking for opinions after decisions are made.

📌 On pay:
↳ Audit compensation annually against market rates.
– Don't wait until someone threatens to leave.

↳ Make raises predictable and tied to performance.
– Employees shouldn't have to fight for what they've earned.

↳ Be transparent about salary bands.
– Share them openly.
– Secrecy breeds resentment and distrust.

↳ If someone's doing senior-level work, pay them now.
– The title can follow.
– The compensation shouldn't wait.

📌 On growth:
↳ Map out real career paths with clear timelines.
– Aspirational org charts without deadlines mean nothing.

↳ Invest in skills development that employees actually want.
– Ask them what they need to grow.
– Instead of assigning mandatory courses.

↳ Assign mentors who actually mentor.
– With regular check-ins.
– Names on paper without real engagement is box-checking.

↳ Give stretch projects to people when they ask.
– Show you see their potential.

↳ Promote based on potential.
– Create internal mobility programs.
– Let people explore new roles without risking everything.

The companies that retain talent aren't doing anything magical.
They're just doing these basics consistently.
And that's rare enough to be a competitive advantage.

Which one of these three is your company actually getting right?

📌 More and more of my clients are asking for executive coaching in a small, trusted circle: not only for the coaching itself, but for the caliber of women in the room.

I'm willing to open this format if there's interest.
I would love to run it for you.

It'd a fantastic opportunity to be coached plus expand your network.
Small group. High standards. Real leverage.

If this resonates with you, DM "I'm in"

📌 Want strategies on respect, pay, and growth in your career? 
👇 Subscribe to The Private Career Memo newsletter, link in comments.

Image credit: Oliver Ramirez G.

I keep coming back to #5: "Make it safe to speak up."
Because everything else collapses without it.

Companies say they want honest feedback. 
Then, the first person who gives it 
learns what actually happens when you do.

If people fear giving feedback, 
problems hide until you can't fix them anymore.

You can't fire toxic people 
if naming toxicity feels career-limiting.

You can't reward performance 
if calling out favoritism gets you sidelined.

You can't address what's broken 
if speaking up costs people their next move.

Psychological safety shows up in the moment 
someone risks saying the uncomfortable thing.

And leadership either listens. 
Or makes them regret it.

If you actually want people to speak up, 
this is what has to change:

1️⃣ Close the loop publicly.
↳ Silence teaches feedback doesn’t matter
↳ Follow up within two weeks
↳ Explain what you decided
↳ Share actions in team meetings

2️⃣ Promote someone who challenge you.
↳ Agreement-only promotions reward silence
↳ Promote people who challenged you
↳ Review promotions for pushback
↳ Name dissent in announcements

3️⃣ Audit penalties for honesty.
↳ Track who raised hard truths
↳ Compare honesty with rewards
↳ Review patterns quarterly

4️⃣ Make disagreement safe early.
↳ Invite dissent before decisions
↳ State conviction level upfront
↳ Ask what you’re missing
↳ Delay final decisions

5️⃣ Stop blaming late warnings.
↳ Stop asking why nobody spoke sooner
↳ They tried; signals were blocked
↳ Audit calendars for missed warnings
↳ Ask peers for blind spots

📌 Which one of these five would shift the most in your company if leadership actually did it?

📍P.S. Many, many women from my 1:1 coaching have requested executive coaching in a small, trusted circle of high calibre women. They wanted the chance to interact with other ambitious women in the room and grow together.

I think this is a brilliant initiative so I'm launching an Executive Group Coaching Cohort in February.

Because networking with the right people can open unexpected doors.

📍Want in? Then DM "I'm in" 
Intentionally limited spots. First come, first serve basis. 

P.P.S. I write about workplace dynamics leadership won't explain in The Private Career Memo Newsletter. Link in the comments.

Image credit: Eric Partaker

Your resume didn't get you hired.
Your degree didn't get you hired.
Your interview didn't get you hired.

Someone saw something in you that couldn't be measured.
That's why you got hired.

16 years of leading teams at Fortune 500s taught me:
↳ You can teach technical skills in 90 days.
↳ You can transfer domain knowledge in 6 months.
↳ You can build process expertise in a year.

📌 You cannot teach someone to care about improvement.
That's either there or it isn't.

My career started with a caring manager.
He bet on me when I only had these 2 things:
a positive attitude and a desire to learn.

The five things I feel every manager should consider while hiring
(based on my personal experience):

1️⃣ Value curiosity more than credentials
↳ My degree was journalism. The role required analytics.
↳ He didn't care about the mismatch.
↳ He cared that I connected consumer behavior to business outcomes.

2️⃣ Watch how they recover, not just how they perform 
↳ He didn't punish mistakes.
↳ He watched what happened next.
↳ Did I defend? Or dissect the failure and rebuild?

3️⃣ Reward initiative, not compliance
↳ He wanted someone who saw gaps and filled them.
↳ Who built solutions before being asked.
↳ Not someone waiting for detailed instructions.

4️⃣ Bet on learning speed, not existing knowledge
↳ Know that technical skills are trainable.
↳ What matters: how fast they close their knowledge gaps.
↳ Without hand-holding.

5️⃣ Trust their judgment before they prove it
↳ He gave me decisions I wasn't "ready" for.
↳ Then stepped back.
↳ That trust taught me more than any training program.

When managers only promote "safe" choices, they filter for conformity.
When they only hire proven experience, they filter for privilege.
When they only reward perfection, people hide problems instead of solving them.

📌 The managers who took chances on me taught me:
Leadership isn't finding people who don't need you.
It's seeing potential before people see it themselves.

Who saw something in you that résumés couldn't capture?
Tag them below. They deserve to know.

📍 After a flood of messages from women asking for executive coaching in a small, trusted circle, I'm launching an Executive Group Coaching Cohort in February.

Not just for the coaching.
For the caliber of women in the room.

High-performing. Ambitious. Done playing small alone.

The interest is already strong, and spots will be intentionally limited to keep the room sharp, safe, and high-value.

📍 If this speaks to you and you want in on the first cohort, DM "I'M IN" and I'll get you set up.

📌 Want the workplace dynamics no one explains?
The Private Career Memo Newsletter breaks down what keeps high performers stuck (link in comments).

Image credit: Unknown.

High performers think intelligence is the currency of power.
It's not.

Kindness paired with humility is.

This is what no one tells you about career velocity.

I've personally seen people with the best credentials stuck at the Senior Manager role.

They deliver diligently.
But nobody wants to work for them.

Leadership tracks two data points about you.
→ One shows up in your review.
→ The other never gets written down.

📌 Repost this if you want to see your smart leaders being kinder, humbler, and respected.

7 invisible metrics that matter:

1️⃣ Performance data: What you deliver
→ Your output gets you the meeting with executives.
→ "Would you want her as your manager?" gets you the role.

2️⃣ Political capital: Who advocates when you leave the room
→ Competence without kindness creates silent advocates.
→ They'll praise your work. They won't fight for your seat.

3️⃣ Retention risk: Who would follow you if you left
→ Executives ask this before every promotion.
→ If the answer is "no one"? You're not getting the role.

4️⃣ Conflict cost: How much effort you require to manage
→ Brilliant people who drain energy get ratings. Not promotions.
→ Being right isn't enough if you're exhausting.

5️⃣ Stakeholder feedback: What people say when you're not there
→ "She's smart but hard to work with."
→ That sentence kills more careers than low output.

6️⃣ How fast people agree to help you
→ Intelligence makes people respect your ideas.
→ Humility makes people want you to win.

7️⃣ Trust velocity compounds faster than competence
→ One gets you credibility. The other gets you power.
→ This is the differentiator leadership won't name.

The smartest person I coached is still stuck at Director.
The kindest person I coached is now VP.

One optimized for being right.
The other optimized for being trusted.

Your intelligence isn't the constraint.
Your approachability is.

📍P.S.  Many, many women from my 1:1 coaching have requested executive coaching in a small, trusted circle of high calibre women. They wanted the chance to interact with other ambitious women in the room and grow together.

I think this is a brilliant initiative so I'm launching an Executive Group Coaching Cohort in February.

Because networking with the right people can open unexpected doors.

📍Want in? Then DM "I'm in" 
Intentionally limited spots. First come, first serve basis. 

P.P.S. I write about workplace dynamics leadership won't explain in The Private Career Memo Newsletter 
Link is below in the 📌 comment.

How many brilliant people do you know who plateaued for reasons nobody will say out loud?

Image credit: Unknown

If I were stuck in a senior manager role for 4 years, 
here's what I'd change in 3 weeks 
(without asking for more feedback)

The scenario: 
Strong performer. Solid reviews. 
Leadership keeps saying "keep doing what you're doing."

Four years later, you're still doing exactly that.

The real problem isn't your performance.
It's your positioning.

More feedback keeps you in execution mode when you need strategic visibility.

Here's what I'd shift immediately:

1. Change how I position myself publicly
→ Leadership needs to see your trajectory before your current reality.

2. Stop solving tasks, start identifying patterns
→ You become the person who sees what leadership needs to see.

3. Document strategic insights, not just deliverables
→ Position yourself as the thinker, not just the doer.

4. Shift meeting language from reporting to consulting
→ You're no longer executing strategy. You're shaping it.

5. Build visibility with decision-makers two levels up
→ Promotions happen when decision-makers already see you at the next level.

6. Own business outcomes, not project completions
→ Your value isn't what you delivered. It's what changed because of it.

7. Position yourself as the strategic advisor, not the executor
→ You're training leadership to see you as a strategic partner.

Perfect performance isn't required for your promotion.
Just strategic positioning.

I won't call these small tweaks. 
They're a complete reframe of how you show up, 
how you communicate, and 
how leadership perceives your value.

I send weekly strategies like this to help ambitious women reposition for the roles they've earned. Subscribe to The Private Career Memo Newsletter to get frameworks, repositioning moves, and strategic thinking that makes decision-makers see you differently. Link is in the comments.

What would change if you stopped optimizing for feedback and started optimizing for how leadership sees your potential?

7 step framework to move up the career ladder

99% of leaders tell you to “inspire” and “motivate” your team.
That’s not leadership. That’s cheerleading.

Real leadership is making people better 
at their jobs than they thought possible.

And making sure they know it.

If you only notice mistakes, people play safe.
If you notice growth, people take risks.

This is what changes how teams actually operate:

1️⃣ Catch people doing things right
When you only notice mistakes, fear takes over.
→ Name the exact behavior that worked
→ Reinforce it publicly so others learn

2️⃣ Know what they’re working toward
People show up for personal goals too.
→ Ask about their goals beyond this role
→ Support progress, even outside work

3️⃣ Give feedback they can absorb
Most feedback fails because delivery fails.
→ Ask how they prefer feedback
→ Adjust tone, not the truth

4️⃣ Own their growth as a leader
Team stagnation is a leadership signal.
→ Give work slightly beyond current skill
→ Review what changed, not just delivered

5️⃣ Tell them what they’re part of
Tasks matter more with context.
→ Share the mission on day one
→ Link role to how they’d be impacting

6️⃣ Expect growth, not just output
Leaving unchanged is a failure.
→ Set growth as an explicit expectation
→ Make time for skills beyond today’s work

7️⃣ Make growth visible
Output alone hides real progress.
→ Track skills, not just results
→ Acknowledge learning publicly

8️⃣ Stop solving problems for them
Over-helping creates dependence.
→ Ask what they’d do before stepping in
→ Step back when mistakes won’t be costly

If your team copied your leadership style tomorrow,
what would they become better at within six months?

📌 P.S. Many of my executive clients ask for a space to work through these dynamics together, not in isolation.

In February, I’m opening a small Executive Group Coaching Cohort for women who want to move strategically, especially where the rules are unspoken.

📌 Want details? Message me “I’m in”. Limited seats.

P.P.S. I write about the dynamics that decide careers long before titles do in The Private Career Memo Newsletter Memo. Link in the comments.

Video credit: Simon Sinek

Your career advantage is not intelligence. 
It is how coachable you are.

It plays out the same way in most careers:

Thinking you’re “done learning” is the fastest way to disappear.
Asking sharper questions is how you stay visible and valuable.

Because careers punish stagnation.

What helped you succeed before won’t protect you next.
The rules shift. Expectations evolve. Power dynamics change.
And most roles are rewritten long before job titles are.

So there are only two paths forward:

Keep upgrading how you think and work.
Or get comfortable being overlooked.

How to keep learning without quitting your job or burning out:

1️⃣ Steal time, don’t wait for it
Block 30 minutes twice a week on your calendar like a meeting.
No one questions calendar authority. Not even your boss.

2️⃣ Learn for your next role, not your current one
Ask: “What does someone one level above me get paid to know?”
That’s your syllabus.

3️⃣ Replace scrolling with upgrading
Commute, walks, workouts = podcasts or audio essays.
Zero extra time. Massive compounding.

4️⃣ Learn in public, quietly
Summarise one insight a week in a note, Teams message, or LinkedIn save.
Teaching sharpens faster than consuming.

I spend time every day learning how careers actually move
how influence is built, how decisions are made, how growth really happens.

Not out of fear.

Out of intention.

Every week, I share practical career insights to help you grow your credibility, income, and influence, without playing office politics blindly (4 minutes or less).

15,000+ professionals already read it.

Join them: Link in the comments/profile

Here's what $0 buys you in corporate culture:
A high performer who'll do VP work because you called it "leadership development."

Sound familiar?

"Every time you accept more responsibility without a title change, you're teaching them your labour is free."

I've watched this play out with brilliant colleagues who:
→ Absorbed entire workstreams
→ Led cross-functional teams
→ Owned P&L responsibility

All while their business cards stayed the same.

Here's what's really happening:

They get director-level output at analyst prices.
Your competence becomes their cost savings.
You're funding their organizational chart with your career stagnation.

But here's the good news - you can break this pattern.

6 ways to stop working for free:

1. Document scope creep in real time

Email summaries: "As discussed, I'm now overseeing X in addition to my original role of Y"
→ Create a paper trail they can't rewrite later

2. Name the promotion timeline upfront

"I'm excited to take this on. When should we discuss the title adjustment?"
→ Make advancement part of the conversation, not an afterthought

3. Calculate your market rate

Research what director-level compensation actually looks like
→ Know your worth before the negotiation starts

4. Set capacity boundaries
"I can lead the new initiative or maintain my current projects at their current quality level"
→ Force them to choose between free labor and realistic expectations

5. Build alliances with the top 1%

Share intel on promotion timelines and salary ranges
→ Collective awareness disrupts individual exploitation

6. Practice the redirect

"That sounds like a director-level responsibility. Are we talking about a promotion?"
→ Make them say "no" explicitly rather than implying it

The system works when women accept expanded responsibility as "opportunity."

It breaks when we demand that opportunities include actual advancement.

Your labor has value. Stop giving it away for free.

I expand on these ways in depth in The Private Career Memo Newsletter every week.
Subscribe with the link in the comments if you want to advance in your career without sacrificing your worth.

Hard conversations don’t require hard tones.
They require thoughtful language.

A manager mentioned a conversation she kept postponing.
The issue was clear, but the wording felt risky.
One wrong sentence could undo months of trust.

That hesitation is more common than it looks.

In most workplaces, language sets the temperature.
A few words can steady a room.
A few words can shut it down.

Small shifts in wording carry real weight.

They slow the moment.
They keep focus on the work.
They leave room for response.

The leaders who handle this well prepare carefully.
They think about impact, not just intent.

Quick scenario.

A strong performer keeps missing deadlines.
The work is solid.
The pattern is not.

You need accountability without killing momentum.

What would your first sentence be?

If this kind of thinking helps, subscribe to my newsletter,
The Private Career Memo Newsletter.

I share real situations, practical language,
and ways to say the necessary thing well.
The link is in the comments.

Which conversation has been waiting a little too long?

7 confidence moves accidentally making you look inexperienced
(#5 is what keeps brilliant women invisible)

You finally got the seat at the executive table.
But the behaviors that got you here are now holding you back.

Senior leaders are reading something you're not intending to send.

Here's what accidentally signals inexperience and what executive presence actually looks like:

(Swipe through the CAROUSEL for specific scripts and positioning tactics)

1️⃣ You apologize before speaking
→ "Sorry, can I just add something quickly?"
→ Apologies frame your contribution as an interruption
→ Instead: "Here's what we're missing in this discussion"
→ Senior leaders claim space without asking permission

2️⃣ You over-explain your reasoning
→ Excessive detail signals insecurity about your seat
→ Junior people justify. Senior people conclude.
→ Lead with your point, provide context if asked
→ Confidence sounds like clarity, not comprehensiveness

3️⃣ You stay silent until you have the perfect point
→ Waiting for perfection means you contribute too late
→ Instead: Contribute to shape direction, not validate it
→ Early input demonstrates strategic thinking

4️⃣ You defer when your idea gets challenged
→ "Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought..."
→ Retreat signals you don't trust your judgment
→ Instead: "I stand by this perspective because..."
→ Senior leaders defend reasoning without getting defensive

5️⃣ You nod constantly to show you're engaged
→ Excessive agreement makes you fade into background
→ Observers remember who pushed back, not who agreed
→ Instead: Show selective agreement and thoughtful challenge
→ Your disagreement becomes as valuable as your support

6️⃣ You answer every question immediately
→ Instant responses signal nervousness
→ Instead: "Let me think about that for a moment"
→ Pausing shows strategic thinking, not reactive thinking

7️⃣ You take notes on everything
→ Constant note-taking positions you as recorder, not decision-maker
→ Instead: Capture key decisions only
→ Executive presence means reading the room, not documenting it

↘️ ⬇️ ↙️ 

Over the last few weeks, I kept getting DMs from women saying the same thing in different words:

“If nothing changes, 2026 will look exactly like 2025.”

Not from beginners, but very capable, consistent, and quietly stuck women, watching less-qualified people move ahead at work.

One became clear to me:
the problem wasn’t their effort. It was positioning.

So I built Breakthrough ’26 `~ a selective, paid, high-commitment career acceleration experience for women ready to invest in changing their career trajectory, not repeat it.

All 9 early-access spots filled immediately.
I’m opening 3 final seats due to continued demand.

🔖 We begin January 12.
DM “APPLY” to be considered.

♻️ Repost to help those who stepped into senior leadership
✅ Follow Julia Snedkova for strategies that build executive presence

7 confidence moves making you look inexperienced

I studied promotion patterns at Fortune 500 companies.
The results were shocking:

The smartest people in the room rarely got promoted.
The most teachable always did.

Here’s how the top 1% leaders stay teachable:

1️⃣ They lead with questions, not assumptions
→ “Can you walk me through that?” earns more respect than lectures.

2️⃣ They treat feedback like strategy
→ Say: “I appreciate that insight” and mean it.

3️⃣ They don’t fake what they don’t know
→ “Let me check and come back to you” builds trust, not doubt.

4️⃣ They revisit what they once believed
→ Learning isn't once and done. They seek friction, not just confirmation.

5️⃣ They’re excited to be corrected
→ Instead of defending, they ask: “What would you do differently?”

6️⃣ They read what challenges them
→ Step outside your bubble. One off-topic newsletter can spark genius.

7️⃣ They choose progress over polish
→ Looking smart matters less than becoming smart. And it shows.

Success isn’t reserved for the smartest in the room.
It belongs to the most willing to grow.

Which one will you try this week?

Over the last few weeks, I kept getting DMs from women saying the same thing in different words:

“If nothing changes, 2026 will look exactly like 2025.”

Not from beginners, but very capable, consistent, and quietly stuck women, watching less-qualified people move ahead at work.

One became clear to me:
the problem wasn’t their effort. It was positioning.

So I built Breakthrough ’26 `~ a selective, paid, high-commitment career acceleration experience for women ready to invest in changing their career trajectory, not repeat it.

All 9 early-access spots filled immediately.
I’m opening 3 final seats due to continued demand.

🔖 We begin January 12.
DM “APPLY” to be considered.

🔁 Repost if staying teachable is your edge
🔔 Follow Julia Snedkova for actionable career insights

7 ways you’re blocking your next promotion

"We value work-life balance here."
That's why they expect responses within the hour. Always.

We hate accepting that:
🔴 They'll replace you in 48 hours
🔴 That pizza party isn't compensation
🔴 Your "loyalty" isn't in your performance review
🔴 They remember your mistakes, not your sacrifices

Stop romanticizing your workplace.

You're not building a legacy.
You're trading time for money.

And that's okay.

What actually keeps good people from walking out:

🟢 Pay that matches the market
→ Not "competitive." Actual competitive.

🟢 Transparent decision-making
→ No backroom deals. No surprise reorganizations.

🟢 Goals that don't change every quarter
→ Strategy shouldn't feel like whiplash.

🟢 Boundaries that actually hold
→ After-hours means after-hours. Period.

🟢 Promotions based on performance
→ Not tenure. Not politics. Results.

🟢 Managers who take the heat
→ They protect their team, not their image.

🟢 The freedom to leave without guilt
→ Notice periods work both ways.

The best professional relationships?
They're built on honesty.
Not emotional manipulation.

Your employer has a business plan.
You should have an exit plan.

What's the worst "we're family" line you've ever heard at work?

➕ Subscribe to The Private Career Memo Newsletter Memo for weekly reality checks your HR department won't give you.

♻️ Share this if you're tired of corporate emotional blackmail.

 6 gaslighting tactics at work (+ power moves to fix them)

Workplace incivility including gaslighting surged 21.5% in Q1 2025.
According to SHRM's Civility Index.

Incivility includes gaslighting, undermining, and dismissing your reality.

When someone tells you "that never happened" after you know it did.
Or "you're too sensitive" when you raise valid concerns.

This post gives you 7 actions to take right now.
All doable within the next hour.
To protect your sanity and your career trajectory.

1️⃣ Create your reality anchor
↳ Record a 2-minute voice memo after key meetings.
↳ State what happened, what was said, how you felt.
↳ When they deny it later, play it back privately.

📌 You're not crazy. You have proof for yourself.

2️⃣ Use the "curious clarification" technique
↳ When they say "that never happened," respond:
↳ "Interesting. Walk me through your version."
↳ Then watch them struggle to construct a coherent story.

📌 Gaslighters hate being asked for details.

3️⃣ Build a parallel timeline
↳ Keep a separate calendar with actual events.
↳ Not for HR, for you.

📌 When they claim "you only mentioned this once"
You'll know you raised it five times.

4️⃣Practice the 24-hour rule
↳ Don't respond to gaslighting in real-time.
↳ Say: "Let me think about that and get back to you."
↳ Gaslighters need immediate reaction to work their magic.

📌 Delayed response breaks their pattern.

5️⃣ Name it without naming it
↳ In meetings, say: "I want to make sure we're aligned."
↳ Then restate the facts neutrally.
↳ You're not accusing, you're "clarifying."

📌 This protects you while exposing inconsistencies.

6️⃣ Find your pattern witness
↳ Not just documentation, find someone who sees the pattern.
↳ A peer who's noticed the same behavior toward others.
↳ Gaslighting feels personal.

📌 But it's almost never just you.

7️⃣ Use the "broken record" method
↳ When they twist your words, repeat your original statement.
↳ Word for word. Same tone.
↳ Don't defend. Don't explain. Just repeat.

📌 "As I said, the deadline was discussed on Tuesday."
It drives gaslighters insane.

You can't win an argument with someone who rewrites history.
But you can stop playing their game.

Want to know more on reclaiming your power at work?

📍 I created Breakthrough ’26 after a flood of DMs from women who already know 2026 will look exactly like 2025...
....overlooked, underpaid, and watching less-qualified people move ahead while they stay stuck.

The response was immediate.
All 9 early-bird access slots are now fully booked.

📍Because requests keep coming in, I’m opening just 3 additional spots, reserved only for the most committed women.

🔖 We begin January 12.

📍If you see yourself in this and you’re done repeating the cycle in 2026,
DM “APPLY” and I’ll help you turn your career around.

♻️ If this feels uncomfortably familiar, repost it.
➕ Follow Julia Snedkova for strategies that actually change your career trajectory.

7 career-safe ways to shut down gaslighting

Every workplace has a Louis Litt.
Where you accidentally fall prey to getting "Litt up"

They're:
🌟 Brilliant.
🌟 Hard-working.
🌟 Undeniably competent.

🛑 And quietly exhausting to work with.

Louis Litt is often labeled a bad boss.
That label is convenient. And incomplete.

Louis did not fail because he lacked skill.
He failed because his inner world ran HIS leadership.

When standards are high but emotions are unchecked,
feedback feels personal,
control replaces trust,
authority shows up before influence.

Results still happen.
So does fear. Silence. And slow disengagement.

Most leaders miss this:

Louis cared. Deeply.

He fought for his people.
He rewarded merit.
He owned his mistakes, eventually.

What he lacked was not intent.
It was self regulation.

Titles do not fix what you have not worked through.
They only amplify it.

If you lead, or plan to:

🌟 Master your reactions before correcting others.
🌟 Earn influence before enforcing authority.
🌟 Build consistency instead of intimidation.
🌟 Delegate outcomes, not ego.

Competence gets you promoted.
Emotional mastery decides whether people follow you,
or simply survive you.

Swipe the carousel for the full debate.
And tell me, would you work for Louis, or work around him?

I break down leadership moments like this,
the kind they never warn you about before the promotion,
inside my newsletter The Private Career Memo Newsletter.

If this post made you pause, reflect, or feel slightly called out,
you will like what lands in your inbox.

Subscribe via the link in the comments.

A debate on Louis Litt, a good leader or a bad boss?

High performers stay because they think they should.
But your values matter more than your tenure.
Here are 7 red flags you might be ignoring:

(Swipe the carousel for practical solutions for below red flags)

1️⃣ Your company launched new perks, but culture feels worse

O.C. Tanner's 2026 Global Culture Report found 72% of culture initiatives led to zero improvements. Worse: 57% felt the culture declined after new perks were introduced.

2️⃣ You don't trust your manager anymore

Trust in managers dropped from 46% in 2022 to just 29% in 2024. That's a 37% collapse in two years.

3️⃣ You're afraid to speak up

62% of employees in toxic environments are afraid to voice concerns. Silence isn't professionalism. It's self-preservation.

4️⃣ Your company talks inclusion but doesn't act on it

Women in the Workplace 2025 revealed 84% of employees prioritize inclusive culture, but only 54% prioritize women's advancement. The gap between words and action is massive.

5️⃣ You have purpose but no autonomy

Purpose programs cut turnover by 52% when paired with autonomy. Without it, purpose is just a poster on the wall.

6️⃣ Toxic culture drives you out, not low pay

Research shows toxic culture is 10.4x more likely than compensation to drive employee exits. You're not leaving for money. You're leaving because it's unbearable.

7️⃣ Your company has no leadership pipeline

77% of organizations report insufficient leadership depth. If there's no clear path up, you're already hitting a ceiling.

🔖 (Swipe the carousel for practical solutions for below red flags)

Stop sticking around because you think you should.
Stay only where your values are actually upheld, not just praised.

On another note, I’m still receiving DMs from women who are stuck in:

🚩Another cycle of being overlooked despite delivering.
🚩Another review that praises their reliability, but not their compensation.
🚩Another promotion handed to someone louder, newer, or less capable.

I want to help and that’s why I built Breakthrough ’26 ~
a private, selective, paid career acceleration experience for women who are done being the backbone of teams they don’t benefit from.

This is not yet another free webinar with little to no value.
This is YOUR career repositioning so that your value is visible, undeniable, and compensated accordingly.

✨ 10 of 12 seats are already filled.
Because the women this is built for don’t wait for perfect timing.

🔖 We begin January 12
If you recognize yourself here and refuse to repeat the same pattern in 2026,
DM “APPLY” to be considered.

♻️ Repost if this names what you’ve been carrying quietly.
➕ Follow Julia Snedkova to accelerate your career growth

 7 work culture red flags high performers ignore

Careers don't stall because of lack of effort.
They stall because effort never becomes a story.

You're working harder than half your team.
But promotions keep going to people who seem to work less than you.

There are 5 types of work, and most people get stuck grinding at level 1:

1️⃣ Hard work
→ Late nights. Perfect deliverables. Always saying yes.
→ Essential but invisible. Leadership doesn't see your 60-hour weeks.

2️⃣ Smart work
→ Better processes. Faster results. Higher quality output.
→ You're more efficient, but still just executing other people's priorities.

3️⃣ Strategic work
→ Choosing projects that move business metrics leadership cares about.
→ Understanding what actually gets rewarded here.

4️⃣ Seen work
→ Making your wins visible to decision-makers consistently.
→ Creating narratives around your contributions, not just completing tasks.

5️⃣ Promoted work
→ Strategic impact that's documented, visible, and story-driven.
→ Leadership knows exactly what you've accomplished and why it matters.

The jump from hard worker to promoted worker isn't about doing less.
It's about making what you do count differently.

Start here:
→ Send weekly impact updates to your manager (wins, not task lists)
→ Connect every project to business outcomes and metrics
→ Volunteer for cross-functional, leadership-visible initiatives
→ Build relationships with people who influence promotion decisions
→ Document your wins and practice telling their stories
→ Ask your manager what's specifically valued at the next level

Your effort has always mattered.
But effort without visibility is career quicksand.

Want a more structured approach on how to go from a hardworker to a promoted worker?

I created Breakthrough '26 because I kept receiving DMs from women who know it'll be another year of being overlooked, underpaid, and watching less qualified people move ahead in their careers while they're stuck in theirs.

Due to such quick demand, all the 9 early bird access slots that I opened up got booked. 

🎁 Requests have been pouring in, so I'm opening up just 3 more slots for the most committed women.

If you are ready, I am ready to begin our Breakthrough '26 from January, the 12th!

🎁 If you see yourself here and can't wait to break that cycle in 2026, DM "APPLY" and I will help you turn your career around.

♻️ Repost if you're done being the hardest worker who gets passed over
✅ Follow Julia Snedkova for strategies that turn grinding into advancement

Someone’s confidence today traces back to you.
That’s power most leaders underestimate.

Here are 7 ways leaders change lives without realizing it.

♻️ Repost this if you’ve ever had one leader who made you feel seen
or if you’re trying to become that leader for someone else.

1️⃣ You spoke their name kindly in a room they weren’t in
↳ They walked into future rooms carrying that dignity.

2️⃣ You didn’t interrupt when their voice trembled
↳ They learned they were allowed to take up space, even imperfectly.

3️⃣ You noticed effort on a day results were missing
↳ They stopped believing their worth depended only on outcomes.

4️⃣ You stood up for them when staying quiet was safer
↳ They learned leadership can feel like protection, not fear.

5️⃣ You trusted them before they trusted themselves
↳ That belief became their inner voice long after you were gone.

6️⃣ You corrected without humiliation
↳ They learned mistakes don’t cancel belonging.

7️⃣ You stayed human when authority gave you an easy shield
↳ They learned power doesn’t have to wound to lead.

Most leaders will never know they did this.
There’s no metric for it.
No recognition.
No applause.

But somewhere, someone speaks more gently to themselves.
Raises their hand sooner.
Leads with more courage.

Because once, you did.

Who was that leader for you?
And what did they do that stayed with you?

If you’re comfortable, tag the leader who showed you kindness when it mattered most.

📌 P.S. Many of my executive clients ask for a safe space to work through these dynamics together with other high caliber women.

So, in February, I’m opening a small group coaching cohort for women who not only will get coached but also get to network and grow with the others.

📌 Want an invite? Message me “I’m in”. Limited seats.

📌 P.P.S. I write about the quiet moments of leadership, the ones that shape confidence, self-worth, and careers long before promotions do, in The Private Career Memo Newsletter.
Link in the comments.

Quote credit: Jessica Luna
Image credit: Eric Partaker

Your technical skills are 42% of what gets you promoted. 
The other 58% is something you've never studied.

The senior engineer who solved the architecture problem everyone else called impossible.
His manager took the credit in the executive meeting.
Six months later, the manager got promoted to director.

The pattern is everywhere:

🔴 The brilliant analyst who can predict market trends
→ Labeled as "not leadership material" because she's too direct in meetings

🔴 The developer who writes code that saves the company millions
→ Passed over because he "doesn't play well with others"

🔴 The researcher whose insights drive product strategy
→ Told she needs to "work on her communication skills"

🔴 The data scientist who spots the revenue leak before anyone else
→ Sits in the same role for three years while her manager becomes VP

Meanwhile, their managers advance.

The uncomfortable truth:
Technical brilliance gets you noticed.
Emotional intelligence gets you promoted.

The research backs this up:
EQ accounts for 58% of job performance (TalentSmart research)
90% of top performers have high emotional intelligence

Here's what technical people miss:

1. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻

Your brilliant solution matters less than whether leadership trusts you to represent the company.
Trust isn't built through technical competence.
It's built through relationships.

2. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻

The engineer who interrupts meetings with data?
His insights get ignored.
The one who reads the room first?
His suggestions become "strategic initiatives."

3. 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁

You can't promote yourself.
Other people promote you.
Those people need to like working with you.

The smartest technical people I know hit a ceiling around senior individual contributor.

Not because they can't do the work.
Because they can't navigate the humans.

The ones who break through?
They study workplace dynamics as intensely as they study their technical craft.

They understand that corporate advancement isn't a meritocracy.
It's a social system with unwritten rules.

Emotional intelligence is how you learn to read those rules.

Most people figure this out after years of watching less qualified people get promoted ahead of them.

The smart ones study it before they need it.

Which camp are you in?

---

I break down workplace dynamics like this every week in my newsletter - The Private Career Memo Newsletter.
The unwritten rules of corporate advancement that nobody teaches you.

Link in my profile.

8 compliments that make A-players quit 
(yes, these are said at least 2 times a week)

It's a myth to think these compliments motivate top performers. 
But they are secretly driving them away:

1️⃣ "You're so reliable, I know I can always count on you!"
→ Translation: You're going to get all the extra work while others coast by.

2️⃣ "You make it look so easy!"
→ Translation: Your effort is invisible, so don't expect recognition or a raise.

3️⃣ "You're a rockstar! Keep up the great work!"
→ Translation: Generic praise with zero specifics = I'm not actually paying attention.

4️⃣ "I don't know what I'd do without you!"
→ Translation: You're trapped here because I'm dependent on you, not invested in your growth.

5️⃣ "You're so humble and never complain!"
→ Translation: Stay quiet and don't ask for what you deserve.

6️⃣ "You're the glue that holds this team together!"
→ Translation: Your actual skills don't matter, you're just here to fix everyone else's mess.

7️⃣ "No one does it better than you, so I'm giving you this project too."
→ Translation: Your reward for excellence is burnout.

8️⃣ "You're too valuable in your current role to promote right now."
→ Translation: Your success has become your ceiling.

High performers don't want surface-level praise. They want:
→ Specific recognition of their impact
→ Growth opportunities, not just more work
→ Compensation that matches their contribution
→ A path forward, not a gilded cage

The best employees aren't leaving bad managers. 
They're leaving "good" managers who accidentally take them for granted.

On another note, I’m still receiving DMs from women high performers who are stuck in:

🚩A cycle of being overlooked despite delivering.
🚩Another review that praises their reliability, but not their compensation.
🚩Another promotion handed to someone louder, newer, or less capable.

I want to help and that’s why I built Breakthrough ’26 ~
a private, selective, paid career acceleration experience for women who are done being the backbone of teams they don’t benefit from.

This is not yet another free webinar with little to no value.
This is YOUR career repositioning so that your value is visible, undeniable, and compensated accordingly.

✨ 10 of 12 seats are already filled.
Because the women this is built for don’t wait for perfect timing.

🔖 We begin January 12
If you recognize yourself here and refuse to repeat the same pattern in 2026,
DM “APPLY” to be considered.

♻️ If this post spoke to you, repost to help other leaders avoid these traps.
🔖 Follow me, Julia Snedkova for more career insights for women high performers

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