What We Learned About Proactiveness, Trust, and Core Values on 'Negotiation Secrets'
From Earning Trust to Defining Your Worth: Anas Memon’s Deep Dive on Career Navigation with Dr. Gloria Esoimeme
If you are a regular listener of The Dollar Diaries, you know that our mission is simple: to explore the paths to professional success, learn from those who have built incredible careers, and share that knowledge straight to you. Our entire team is driven by a desire to learn, grow, and bring that expertise to our community. That is why we were incredibly honored—and yes, a little star-struck—to be invited onto Dr. Gloria Esoimeme’s highly esteemed Negotiation Secrets podcast.
For this special three-part feature, Dr. Gloria hosted three of us from The Dollar Diaries team: Gazala Parkar, Abubakr Sajith, and Anas Memon. Stepping into the guest chair instead of sitting in the host seat gave us a unique opportunity to reflect on our individual journeys and the shared principles that guide our work together. While Gazala focused on calculated risk and sincerity, and Abubakr examined the mindset of excellence over perfection, Anas’s segment was a masterclass in professional strategy: how to earn trust, why proactiveness is non-negotiable, and the necessity of being anchored by your core values in a constantly changing world.
Anas’s discussion delivered profound, actionable lessons on mastering workplace dynamics and securing your professional success. These are the secrets we are bringing back home to The Dollar Diaries community.
Trust is Not a Gift: The Currency of Professional Relationships
One of the most foundational principles of negotiation, career growth, and leadership is the concept of trust. Dr. Gloria began this segment by probing Anas on how a young professional builds credibility quickly, especially when starting a new job or internship.
Anas’s answer was direct and immediately applicable: Trust is not a gift; it is earned.
He emphasized that no one can simply “gift” you with trust. If someone meets you today and says they trust you implicitly, they are either lying or they do not understand what the word means. Trust is built in small increments—through small wins and big wins. When you find something that either a senior person finds annoying or that you simply find fascinating, you offer to help out with that small thing. You execute it, you show up, and you follow through.
This is the essential negotiation for every new hire, intern, or team member: you negotiate your value not by demanding it, but by demonstrating reliability. You prove your worth through consistent follow-through. When people see that you showed up once, they are willing to trust you to show up again. This applies to everything we do on The Dollar Diaries, from securing a high-profile guest to editing an episode perfectly; we have to earn the internal trust of our team members every single week.
The takeaway here is a crucial negotiation strategy: Do not ask for trust; earn it by showing up and following through, consistently.
The Non-Negotiable Trait: Proactiveness and the Power of Asking
A major theme in Anas’s segment was the distinction between being reactive and being proactive. It is easy to do the work you are assigned, but to truly grow, you must constantly be asking for more.
Dr. Gloria noted that Anas’s career progress, and the success of The Dollar Diaries, stemmed from this proactive mindset. Anas explained that no matter where you find yourself today—whether you are top management or an intern—you have to be proactive. If you are not asking for more roles, you are not learning, and your growth will plateau.
The hard truth, which we have experienced ourselves, is this: No one is going to hand anything over to you that is of importance.
If you want to move up in your career, if you want to be an integral part of a new project, you have to ask for it. But asking is not enough; you must be ready to take on the responsibility and see it through.
This is the career negotiation you have with your organization: by proactively asking for more difficult roles, you are negotiating for accelerated learning and increased visibility. You are proving that you are a high-potential asset willing to do the heavy lifting. The advice is simple:
Identify the Gaps: Look at tasks that are either difficult or annoying for others.
Offer to Fill Them: Say, “Hey, let me help you out with that small thing.”
Learn and Grow: Take on more roles so you can expand your skill set and earn that invaluable professional currency: trust.
Be proactive. Do not wait for an opportunity to be created for you; create your own opportunity by stepping up.
Navigating Chaos: Staying True to Your Core Values
The professional world is constantly in flux. As Anas observed, one day a company exists, and one day it does not. One day a person has an idea, and one day they do not. Given this high degree of professional volatility, what is the anchor that helps a person stay true to their professional path and personal integrity?
Anas and Dr. Gloria agreed that the answer is having, and sticking true to, your core values.
You have to know what those values are. These are the non-negotiables that guide your decisions, whether you are negotiating a salary, a project timeline, or an internal conflict. When the professional world throws curveballs—a toxic work environment, an unethical request, or a sudden downturn—your core values act as your compass.
This is the ultimate negotiation of self-worth. It is about understanding that your integrity is more valuable than any short-term gain. As a team, The Dollar Diaries has maintained its focus on authenticity, learning, and mutual respect, and it is that value system that has sustained us through challenging decisions. When we know our values, we negotiate from a position of strength and clarity, allowing us to walk away from any deal, role, or relationship that does not align with who we are.
The Dollar Diaries: Negotiating Our Shared Success
Bringing these powerful lessons full circle, the principles discussed by Anas, along with the insights from Gazala and Abubakr, are the very foundation of how we run The Dollar Diaries.
We are a team of eight young people producing a major podcast that requires constant negotiation—of time, responsibilities, creative direction, and logistics. Our shared success is not accidental; it is the direct result of applying these negotiation secrets:
Trust is Earned: We rely on each other because we have all shown up and delivered consistently.
Proactiveness: We are constantly seeking out new roles, new guests, and new ways to improve the show.
Core Values: We maintain our focus on high-quality content and authentic conversations, which anchors us in a volatile media landscape.
Anas’s segment was a crucial reminder that professional success is not just about competence; it is about character, intentional action, and anchoring your career to immutable values.
The Collective Call to Action: Be Proactive and Stay True
Our final words to Dr. Gloria’s audience, and now to our own, were simple and unanimous: Be proactive, and stay true to your values.
Do not wait for certainty. Do not wait for permission. Take the advice from Anas: look at your current situation, identify areas where you can step up and take ownership, and then ask for the opportunity. Start earning that trust today with small wins.
We are so grateful to Dr. Gloria Esoimeme for having the three of us—Gazala, Abubakr, and Anas—on Negotiation Secrets. The conversation was a powerful reminder that every professional secret starts with a principle, and every success story is built on the willingness to earn trust, be proactive, and maintain your integrity. Now get out there and start negotiating your next big win!