Future Female Leaders

Looking back on everything since the series began on Labor Day, Nichole pulls it all into one pre-ask checklist so you can see where you stand and what's left. In this episode: A personal update from Nichole: she's expecting a baby girl in December, and she's pushing through on tired days to give you the confidence to ask A welcome to new listeners, whether you're tuning in live or months or years later, and a reminder of the mission to help 1,000 women ask for a raise before the end of the year The ten-item pre-ask checklist: Your mindset: believing your labor has value right now Your tracker: one place for your wins, with dates, results, and evidence Your research: your market range, where you fall in it, and where the numbers came from Your number: a specific ask or range, plus one sentence explaining why The type of raise: a merit increase, a promotion, or a market adjustment Your company's timing: a best guess for when raise decisions get made Feedback: a conversation with your manager, with their words on paper Your proof points: kudos, a testimonial or two, and highlights from your last review Your one-pager: all five sections on one page, read out loud at least once Your story: where you started, what you've built, and where you're headed Why a few "maybes" or "not yets" are the point of the checklist, since most people who feel unprepared are only missing one or two pieces A reminder to celebrate if you've checked almost everything, since you've done more preparation than most people do before a raise conversation A preview of next week's timing and strategy episodes: when to ask, how to read the room, how to request the meeting, and what to avoid This weekend's task: go through the checklist, circle the one or two gaps that matter most, spend thirty minutes on one, and use AI to help you decide what to tackle first Download the 7 Days to Ask for a Raise Challenge to help you confidently ask for a raise here. Connect with Nichole on Instagram @nichole.harrop

Nichole takes on the little voice that says you have nothing to offer, and shows how to find the real value in a year without a headline-worthy win. In this episode: Why most people don't have a big win every year, and why that usually means we're measuring ourselves against the wrong thing Consistency: showing up, meeting deadlines, and keeping things running as real value, with specifics like how many projects or how many months without a missed deadline What you made easier: a process you cleaned up, a template you created, or a guide you wrote for a question you kept answering What you prevented: problems caught early and fires that never happened, and asking yourself what would have happened if you hadn't been there What people rely on you for: being the go-to person, or the one new teammates get sent to, as a sign of trust and influence Your growth: new skills, tools, and responsibilities you took on without anyone asking Why a really hard year counts too, and why handling a tough stretch well is worth documenting What to do if the year still feels quiet: focus on your direction, and have the conversation about what you'll deliver next and what it would take to be positioned for the next round A reminder from the start of the series that your labor has value, and that a year without a flashy win is not a year without worth Today's task: set a timer for ten minutes and list small wins from the past twelve months using the prompts, then pick your top three and rewrite them with action, specifics, and result, using AI if you get stuck Download the 7 Days to Ask for a Raise Challenge to help you confidently ask for a raise here. Connect with Nichole on Instagram @nichole.harrop

Building on yesterday's performance review episode, Nichole helps listeners whose workplaces have no formal reviews create their own paper trail. In this episode: Why not having a formal review process is common, especially at smaller companies and startups, and why it doesn't mean you can't build your case Step one: asking for feedback on purpose, including a way to make a regular check-in with your manager a quarterly habit Step two: following up after any feedback conversation with a short recap by email or message, so there's a written record Step three: writing your own one-page self-review once or twice a year, with three sections: what I delivered, what I learned or improved, and what I want to take on next How to share your self-review with your manager to show initiative and give them something to react to Step four: leaning on goals by asking, "What would success look like for me over the next six months?" and using their answer as your scorecard Step five: using your kudos, testimonials, project results, and tracker as evidence, since a well-organized tracker can be just as strong as a formal review Why to avoid framing this as a complaint about not getting reviews, and how building your own system earns your manager's respect Today's task: choose one step and do it this week, either sending a recap of your last feedback conversation or starting your one-page self-review, even if it's just a draft Download the 7 Days to Ask for a Raise Challenge to help you confidently ask for a raise here. Connect with Nichole on Instagram @nichole.harrop

Following yesterday's episode on testimonials, Nichole shows how your last performance review, your own employer's words about you, can become some of your strongest proof. In this episode: Why a performance review is one of the most credible pieces of evidence you have, and why it shouldn't get filed away and forgotten How to reread your review like a detective, looking for strengths, growth areas, and goals Strengths: highlighting the strongest praise so you can say, "In my review, you noted that I do this well, and here's what I've done since to keep building on it" A tip for anyone who had a review in the last few months or so without getting a raise: use your strengths to reflect back on it Growth areas: why feedback is a gift, and how showing what has changed since shows you listen and follow through What to do if you haven't made progress on a growth area yet: start before you ask Goals: checking off which ones you hit, exceeded, or saw change, and why measuring against what your own company asked of you makes your case stronger Looking for language about the next level, which acts as a roadmap, and noting the date and overall rating to tell a clear story over time What to do if your review wasn't great: a personal note from Nichole that you're not alone, and why showing improvement can be just as compelling and often more memorable Why effort, determination, and grit to get better stand out Today's task: pull up your most recent review and highlight one strength you can quote, one growth area along with what you've done about it, and one goal you accomplished, then add them to your tracker with a date, and use AI to turn them into one-line talking points if you want help Download the 7 Days to Ask for a Raise Challenge to help you confidently ask for a raise here. Connect with Nichole on Instagram @nichole.harrop

Nichole adds a new proof point to your raise case before the timing episodes begin: a short, specific testimonial from someone other than you. In this episode: A quick change of plans from Friday's episode: a few more proof points come first, and timing follows Why a short, specific comment from a client or peer carries more weight than anything you say about yourself Who to ask: clients you helped, teammates in other departments, people you trained or supported, or someone more senior who saw the result of your work Why to look for people who can speak to a specific moment, not just say "she's great" When to ask: ideally right after a win while it's fresh, or later by reminding them of the specific project you worked on together A sample request to borrow, and why it works: it's short, names the project, tells them how little effort it takes, and offers to help Offering a few bullet points for them to react to, since writing from scratch feels like homework Asking whether you can reference their comments with your manager, and saying thank you Where the testimonial goes afterward: screenshot it, save it with your kudos in your brag document, and pull your strongest one or two into section three of your one-pager A reminder that people want to see you succeed, and that stepping out of your comfort zone to ask makes the next ask easier Today's task: pick one person who has seen your work up close and send them a short request, using AI to make it warmer and more specific if you want help Download the 7 Days to Ask for a Raise Challenge to help you confidently ask for a raise here. Connect with Nichole on Instagram @nichole.harrop