Hi there, it’s Jill!

Do you ever feel shy or reluctant to promote or advocate for yourself in your career journey? A new role opens up, an opportunity passes by, and you regret not speaking up to say: I could be a great fit for this.

You’re not alone. Many capable and thoughtful professionals feel uncomfortable, or even ashamed when it comes to “selling” themselves.

Today, I want to help you reset that mindset. We’ll redefine what selling really means, so you can become your own advocate and stop missing opportunities that were meant for you.

Also, please feel free to share with me your thoughts on the post, or any career-related questions by simply clicking “reply” to the email, I would love to hear from you, and will address those in future posts 😊!

Let’s dive in.

Before we go any further, pause for a moment and ask yourself:

What does good sales do?

Common answers I hear are:

If that’s how you think about sales, I get it. I used to think the same way.

But let me offer you a different lens, through a simple car-buying example.

Imagine you walk into a car dealership.

Did someone force you to be there?

No—you walked in because you wanted or needed a car.

A salesperson approaches and asks what you’re looking for. You already have a rough idea. Would you talk to them?

Most of us would say yes—because they can help you understand what’s available.

They ask about features you care about: appearance, functionality, how you’ll use the car, your budget. You share more details, and they narrow down a few good options. Maybe you even take a test drive.

If all goes well, you leave having found the right car—with far less time and effort than if you had done it all alone.

That’s a win-win!

Notice what the salesperson didn’t do:

What they did do was listen, filter information, and use their product knowledge to help you make a better decision—faster.

That’s what good sales really is.

Now let’s bring this back to understand what does that mean for our career.

When we advocate for ourselves—whether in an interview, a networking conversation, or a stretch opportunity—we’re doing the same thing a good salesperson does:

I find it helpful to reframe the story in my head:

Instead of: “I’m bragging because I want something.”
Try: “I’m helping them by offering clarity.”

Once you see self-advocacy as service, not ego, it becomes much easier to speak up.

And just like the car-buying example, it becomes a win-win!

Confidence rarely comes from personality alone. It comes from preparation.

I’ve written a few pieces that go deeper into this, especially if networking or advocating for yourself still feels intimidating:

At the core, strong self‑advocacy comes down to three things:

Genuine interest + active listening + prepared responses

When you know what you bring and what the other side needs, speaking up stops feeling awkward and starts feeling natural.

Advocating for yourself isn’t about being loud, aggressive, or self‑absorbed.

It’s about helping the right people see how you can create value—clearly, calmly, and honestly.

Once you internalize that, there’s no shame in speaking up.

— Jill

Founder of Anchor Growth Newsletter

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