Negotiating salaries is hard and awkward and most people hate it as it's a necessary evil. Unless you like volunteer work. But, luckily for everyone, it doesn't have to be a should I rip the band aid off quickly, or take my time and peel it? sort of situation. Maybe more of a let's soak it in water and then take it off with more ease. There's a neat language tactic people can use to assert a grounded stance on where they think their salary should be, providing more legitimacy to their request and making it a tad bit harder for employers to low-ball them.
I set aside extra money for my kids, mortgage, bills, and car payments. My original goal was to reach $12,000 in savings. That way, when I started my coaching business, I could jump right into it without affecting my family financially. I ultimately reached about $10,200 before my exit. I'm glad I did that because it gave me some peace, and I wasn't thrown into a scarcity mindset when I left.
