Michelle Sarpong: Women in Trading, Power, Community and Pay Progression

Michelle Sarpong: Women in Trading, Power, Community and Pay Progression

“If you’re constraining me as a Black woman earning that salary… but if you look at me as a Trading Director with 18 years’ experience, is that still a good salary?” In this episode of The Strategic Salary Series, Lucy Daramola is joined by Michelle “Sarps” Sarong, Head of Activation at The7Stars and founding committee member of the Women in Trading Network. Sarps aka Michelle shares how she broke into media through a bold cold email, why today’s job market feels tougher as AI reshapes entry roles, and how LinkedIn can act as your “proof of credibility” beyond a CV.  They go deep on salary strategy, including how Sarps built a fact-based negotiation business case and confidently addressed the realities of gender and race in the room. They also unpack why Women in Trading exists, and Sarps’ key takeaway: seek guidance early, from experienced people (even unexpected ones), and start the salary conversation before review season hits.

Elfried Samba: Energy Over Hustle, How to Build Leverage, Income & Freedom

“I used to think and focus on hyper productivity… but now I’m more focused on energy management.” In this episode of The Strategic Salary Series, Lucy Daramola is joined by Elfried Samba for a candid conversation about ambition, burnout, and redefining success beyond productivity. Elfried reflects on his personal and professional evolution, moving away from hyper-productivity toward energy management, intentional growth, and sustainability. He shares how chasing output without awareness eventually leads to diminishing returns, and why learning when to push and when to pause is a leadership skill in itself. Rather than glorifying hustle, Elfried breaks down the importance of protecting focus, managing emotional and mental energy, and being honest about capacity. He reframes rest not as disengagement, but as a performance multiplier, especially for high-performing leaders, founders and ambitious professionals navigating demanding careers.

Vicky Millar: Working Mothers, Parental Transitions and Career Growth After Maternity

“What gets in the way isn’t a lack of knowledge, it’s the high expectations women put on themselves when they come back.” In this conversation, Vicky Millar an experienced parental coach, explore the challenges faced by individuals returning to work after parental leave, particularly focusing on the confidence gap that arises from a perceived loss of knowledge and high self-expectations. She discusses the importance of aligning expectations with managers and the transition from HR to coaching, emphasising the transformative nature of coaching methods.

Amina Folarin CEO: Salary Negotiation, Rest as Strategy and Leadership with Audacity

“It is never a no. It is a redirection.” Amina, an award winning CEO, shares a fast track from retail and HR to C Suite by filling business gaps, keeping receipts on impact and advocating early. Her playbook is simple: flip what is your current salary to what does this role pay, ask often to build the confidence muscle and time requests with the economy while weighing total compensation. She treats rest as strategy, uses rapport and second degree networks to open doors and stays sharp with trusted news and AI digests. The takeaway: be your own number one fan and run toward the opportunity.

Louise DiIulio: Women in Leadership, How to Negotiate Your Worth & Build Influence through Kindness

“Somebody tells you no? You are asking the wrong person.” In this candid episode, Louise DiIulio, Chief Client Officer at Advertising Week, traces her accidental entry into media to more than twelve years building global events powered by deep relationships. She reframes sales as advanced relationship work with clear scoreboards and unpacks why many women hesitate to move from account management into sales. Her negotiation playbook is simple and sharp: start with the business need, show proof of impact, and state a clear why before you ask. We touch on Future Is Female, the pull of loyalty, and imposter feelings. Louise shows how being kind and true to yourself can still be elite career strategy.