What is Paloma Power and How to Release Your Power Persona

I was recently speaking with someone about her salary raise negotiations. She'd ask me for some tips and I was all prepared to give her advice and a step-by-step plan. I asked her about her current negotiation strategy so I'd know where to start and how to best help her.

Turns out that she'd already done most of the things I was going to suggest. I gave her a couple of other suggestions but felt like she needed something else. As she described her situation to me, it became clear that her real issue wasn't with the content of her negotiation strategy but rather, her lack of self-confidence. When I asked her about it, she was shocked and practically yelled “YES! That's exactly the problem!” That's when I told her my Paloma Power secret. Lean in closer because I'm about to tell you too! 

I first started hearing about power posing a couple years ago but didn't really pay attention to it. It sounded silly and who has time for foolishness? Not me! Then I read Shonda Rhimes’ excellent book, A Year of Yes, and everything changed. In it, she describes being nervous before a meeting. While in the bathroom, she struck a power pose (aka Wonder Woman pose: legs hip-width apart, hands on hips, head held high) in the mirror and held it until she felt stronger and more powerful. Then she went into that meeting and handled it like a boss. 

There's another variation to the power pose: the power persona. We’ve all heard about Beyoncé and most of us have heard of her power persona, Sasha Fierce. Beyoncé is a smart, capable, and brilliant businesswomen and marketer. Sasha is her fierce, sassy, and dramatic on-stage persona. It's through Sasha that Beyoncé has been able to tap into her entertainment greatness. That's a tip we can all take advantage of, myself included. 

While I'm great at advocating for others, sometimes I'm not so great at advocating for myself. Enter Paloma, my power persona (and also my favorite drink 🍸! When I need to feel particularly powerful, I think “What would Paloma do?” Usually, the answer is that she'd ask for exactly what she wanted, not accept BS, and generally kick butt. She's not about that passive life so if there's action to be taken she takes it. Thinking about that is enough for me to feel empowered and emboldened to do the thing about which I was hesitant. I'm not going to lie. Over the last couple of years, I've tapped into my Paloma Power much more than I have in the past. Why? Because I've been pushing past my fears and comfort zone in both my career and personal life. It's not always easy but when it's not, there's always Paloma Power!

So, what's the name of your Power Persona and what attributes do you tap into? Comment below and let me know!

If you want help with your resume or LinkedIn profile, need guidance during your career transition, or help in finding your inner Paloma, shoot me an email at [email protected] and we can set up a free 20 minute discovery call.