In partnership with

"Underpaying yourself is just another form of self-abandonment."

Today’s Ladder:

Stop Settling. Start Earning.

Being an immigrant worker, I always used to tell myself,
“Be grateful you even have a job.”

So I stayed quiet. Took on more. Smiled through late nights.

And every raise? Barely enough to cover inflation.

One day, a colleague with less experience got promoted and paid more.

I was angry at first.
But the truth?

He asked. I didn’t.

That’s when it hit me:

❌ I wasn’t being underpaid because I wasn’t valuable.

❌ I was being underpaid because I hadn’t learned to speak my value.

So I started gathering receipts: 

• projects led

• praise received

• results delivered

I practiced my ask until it didn’t shake in my throat.

And when I finally spoke up, I didn’t just get the raise.

I got my power back.

That is why Career Commandment #6 says:

Reclaim Your Worth.

Here’s how to start reclaiming your worth:

1. Track your wins – Weekly. No one can argue with results.
   

2. Practice your ask out loud – Clarity breeds confidence.
   

3. Know this truth: Your value doesn’t increase only when someone else says so.
   
   

Career Commandment #6 makes it clear…

Being humble doesn’t mean staying underpaid.
Being grateful doesn’t mean settling for less.

You can be proud and still ask.
You can be kind and still negotiate.
You can be generous with your gifts and firm about your price.

Because dignity and compensation are not enemies. 

They’re partners.

Takeaway:

Clarity Pays. Silence Doesn’t.

One day I was in line for coffee when I overheard a man behind me.

He was wearing scrubs and he was venting to his friend…

“I’ve been there five years. Still getting paid like it’s my first.”

I turned, smiled, and said:

“Mind if I ask… have you ever asked for more?”

He shook his head. “Didn’t think I had the right.”

That hit me harder than I expected.

We continued our conversation and I gently asked,

“Have you ever explained the value you bring?”

He looked at me and said, “I wouldn’t even know how.”

That answer stuck with me. Because I lived it too.

For years, I worked hard and waited.

But I learned that raises and recognition don’t come from waiting.

They come from communicating your impact - clearly and confidently. 

You deserve to be paid well.

But no one will pay for value they don’t understand.

That’s why I created the Speak Your Value mini-course. 

It’s a step-by-step system to help you:

✅ Identify your unique impact

✅ Speak about it without sounding like you’re bragging

✅ Get seen and paid for the results you already deliver

👉 Start the mini-course here.

Clarity pays. Silence doesn’t.

ICYMI: Links to recent issues

💵 How to Ask for More Without Burning Bridges

🙋🏻‍♀️ Mentors vs Sponsors: And Why You Need Both

❤️ How to Find Career Satisfaction by Embracing Your Identity

To your success,

Dr. Lex ✍️

Founder, Career Ladder | Career MBA

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