Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.

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Sally Ivester guides talented professionals in major tech companies who feel stuck, helping them breakthrough to their next career milestone. Through her Maven course, newsletter, social media presence on LinkedIn and TikTok, and suite of digital resources, she shares proven strategies for advancement.

Drawing from her experience as a Chief of Staff in Big Tech, she helps clients understand and master the unwritten rules of corporate success, turning insider knowledge into actionable career growth strategies.

Here’s some of my takeaways from this week’s episode…

1/ 🎯 Impact > Effort: Stop working harder, start working smarter. The corporate world rewards quality over quantity - one high-impact project beats five mediocre ones. Focus on identifying the 3 critical things that drive real business outcomes.2/ 🎮 Corporate Success is a Game: You can play on hard mode (figuring everything out yourself) or easy mode (learning from others' playbooks). First-gen professionals often play on hard mode by default, but can level up by studying successful peers.3/ 📢 Work Loudly (But Smartly): Allocate your time: 60% doing work, 20% talking about work, 20% finding new work. It's not bragging - it's ensuring your impact is visible to decision-makers.4/ 🔑 High Impact + Low Maintenance = Career Acceleration: Being great at your job isn't enough - you need to be someone people want to work with. Focus on taking feedback well and building authentic relationships.5/ 📦 The Work Box Theory: Managers put you in one of three boxes - invest in you, use you, or want nothing to do with you (Eeyore). Once you're in a box, it's very hard to change boxes. Choose your manager carefully.6/ 🎯 Focus on Long-Term Value: Build skills that compound over time, invest in relationships, and think about how each role builds your personal brand. Play long-term games with long-term people.7/ 💬 Master the Feedback Flywheel: The more you share work, the more feedback you get, the better your work becomes. Adopt a "B+ is the new A+" mindset - there's always room for improvement.8/ 🤝 Lead Through Value Creation: When leading without authority, focus on delivering results that matter to others, not just showcasing your work. Speak their language and solve their problems.

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Where to find Sally Ivester:

* Web: https://maven.com/sallyivester/corporategame

* Newsletter: https://hisallyivester.kit.com/1624f309a9

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hisallyivester/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hisallyivester/

Free resources mentioned in the show:

* 1:1 Agenda Template: https://hisallyivester.gumroad.com/l/agenda

* Notify Email Template: https://hisallyivester.gumroad.com/l/notifyemail

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In this episode, we cover:

00:00 Technical Difficulties and Setup Challenges 00:33 Shifting Mindsets: From Hard Work to Impact 05:27 Navigating Corporate Culture as a First-Generation Professional 11:38 The Importance of Working Loudly 16:15 Balancing Impact and Visibility in Your Work 16:52 The Importance of Marketing Yourself 18:01 Balancing Work and Communication 20:21 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome 25:19 The Pitch Framework for Self-Advocacy 29:11 Managing Up: How to Communicate with Your Manager 36:32 High Impact, Low Maintenance: The Key to Success 42:36 Feedback: The Path to Growth 47:42 Building Authentic Relationships at Work 52:48 The Importance of Curiosity and Empathy 54:42 Thinking Long-Term in Your Career 59:23 Choosing the Right Manager 01:01:53 Understanding Work Box Theory 01:06:37 Leading Without Authority

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Obligatory disclaimer: I've worked at YouTube and Google for about a decade in various marketing teams. Nothing I say in my personal spaces is necessarily endorsed by them.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit horizonspod.substack.com