Yota Trom is an executive coach and promotion strategist who helps founders, leaders, and high performers ask for more, position their value properly, and stop getting overlooked.

She spent years inside companies like Yahoo and Amazon, doing the long hours, staying quiet about money, and paying for it with burnout. Today, she helps clients increase their salaries, move into more senior roles, and build the kind of visibility that makes decision-makers take them seriously.

In this episode, we get into why so many capable people stay underpaid, what actually drives promotions behind closed doors, and how to build a stronger case for your value without waiting for someone else to notice it first.

What we cover

1️⃣ The maths most people never do

A lot of high performers have no real sense of what their role is worth in the market, which means they start every pay conversation from the wrong place.

2️⃣ Why hard work is not enough for a promotion

Promotions are business decisions. Yota explains what leaders actually need to see before they move someone up.

3️⃣ The signs you are already operating above your level

Many people are already doing part of the next role without properly recognising it or documenting it.

4️⃣ Visibility beyond your direct manager

Career decisions are often shaped in rooms you are not in. This part gets into building trust and recognition across a wider leadership group.

5️⃣ Positioning yourself as part of the job

As you get more senior, the way you communicate your strengths, impact, and direction starts to matter more.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Yota Trom

02:14 Stop asking for a raise, build a business case

10:24 From Yahoo and Amazon to coaching full time

15:40 The unsexy reason people stay underpaid

16:41 The six-step promotion plan in plain English

23:35 Your manager is not your only advocate

27:31 Founders: why your best people drift off

31:17 What motivates people when money is capped

35:26 Self-worth, scarcity, and founder pay guilt

38:59 Fairness and why positioning gets rewarded

44:48 Personal branding as a promotion lever

51:03 Find your superpower and make it obvious

57:51 AI adoption: mindset is the real blocker

01:02:04 Scaling yourself without burning out

01:06:54 Fear, doubt, and the push that changes everything

Get more founder interviews and practical business lessons in the Millennial Masters newsletter at MillennialMasters.net

Send this to someone who is still undercharging or under-asking 💸

Get full access to Millennial Masters at millennialmasters.net/subscribe