Negotiate Anything

The Skill AI Can’t Replace — Reading the Room (Bonnie Hammer)


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AI can write, edit, even cast—but it still can’t do what made TV legend Bonnie Hammer unstoppable: read the room.

In this candid conversation with Kwame Christian, Bonnie unpacks the human meta‑skill behind great leadership and negotiation—reading people and context in real time—and how it powered her “Blue Skies” era at USA & SYFY (Monk, Psych, Burn Notice). She shares why “fake it till you make it” fails (and what to do instead), how to hire for humility and team-first culture, why presence matters (“be in the room”), and how to build a spider‑web career that thrives through industry upheaval, streaming shakeups, and the rise of AI.

What you’ll learn

  • Reading the room: the irreplaceable skill that beats AI and drives better decisions, deals, and teams.

  • Face it till you make it: Bonnie’s upgrade to the old career cliché—and how to apply it immediately.

  • Hiring & culture: spotting humility, collaboration, and truth‑tellers (not cheerleaders).

  • Media shifts: streaming, bundling, budget pressure—and what creators should do now.

  • AI & guardrails: what to protect, what to embrace, and where human storytelling wins.

  • Presence & influence: first impressions, listening deeply, and speaking the language of the room.

  • Mentorship that works: why challenging mentors accelerate growth (Barry Diller story inside).

  • Women at work: the most damaging “lie” and how to replace it with actionable strategy.

    Discount code

    "KWAME" gives 30% discount over 3 months

    TL;DR what is folk?

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    folk is simple, integrated, and proactive to use.

    folk’s value proposition?

    folk CRM does the busy work for you, so you can focus on

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    folk’s tagline

    folk, like the sales assistant your team never had

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    Useful links & resources

    ⁠ folk's website⁠

    ⁠ folk's Linkedin⁠

    ⁠Simo, our CEO’s, LinkedIn⁠

    ⁠folk's Youtube⁠


    Keywords: Bonnie Hammer, reading the room, negotiation, leadership, team culture, hiring, mentorship, women at work, Blue Skies brand, USA Network, SYFY, Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, streaming strategy, AI in media, presence, career advice, spider‑web career, truth‑teller mentors, Kwame Christian, Negotiate Anything Podcast


    Connect with Bonnie

    Buy Bonnie's new book, 15 Lies Women Are Told at Work

    bonnie-hammer.com


    Contact ANI

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    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Kwame Christian on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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    Negotiate AnythingBy Kwame Christian Esq., M.A.

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