Melanie’s Story

I have always been a hard-working, driven woman who moved very quickly up the “chain of command.” At 24 years old, I applied for a role as a Senior Manager reporting to the Chief Executive of a major National Organisation.

I was offered the job – and in my excitement, I accepted immediately without negotiating. It was my first leadership role, and I didn’t know how to advocate for myself. No one had ever taught me what I now teach women of all ages: always negotiate. Rookie mistake number one…

The salary was higher than my previous role, but the leap in responsibility was enormous. I naively assumed that once I proved myself, the pay would follow. And prove myself I did – delivering results, leading with impact, and earning consistent praise from my boss. So when my first performance review came around, I was confident. I arrived prepared, armed with achievements and a clear case for a salary increase. My boss agreed… and offered me $1,000. I was mortified!

In that moment, I knew I was being undervalued – because of my age, my gender, and a workplace culture that didn’t prioritise pay equity.

I later discovered my role was worth at least $25,000 more than I was being paid. For context, yes – my boss was an older Pākehā male, and while discrimination isn’t limited to any one demographic, in this case, it was undeniably relevant.

I didn’t explode (though my 24-year-old self wanted to). I calmly declined the offer, stated it didn’t reflect the scope of the role or my performance, and requested we reconvene after reflection. I was already taking on projects outside my job description – classic scope creep – so a shocking pay offer was never going to fly!

For the second meeting, I brought a support person: a family friend, a seasoned woman leader who carried herself like royalty. She looked like the Queen! I came prepared with a non-negotiable figure and a list of professional development opportunities I wanted funded. I negotiated hard – and I got everything I asked for. I also secured a future salary review tied to deliverables, arguing that my pay still didn’t match the role’s true value.

The following year, I returned solo – and negotiated another significant increase. The year before, I’d fought hard, held him accountable, and proved my value. This time, I didn’t have to fight – I walked in knowing my worth, and he met me there as he also knew my worth and had learnt a mighty leadership lesson the year before!