The Most Powerful Person Is You (with Lydia Fenet)
Episode
71 min
Read time
2 min
Topics
Career Growth, Productivity, Fundraising & VC
AI-Generated Summary
Key Takeaways
- ✓Salary negotiation timing: Involve your boss early in career discussions about salary expectations rather than waiting for crisis moments. Request realistic feedback on whether goals are achievable within two years, or seek opportunities elsewhere before resorting to ultimatums or fabricated job offers.
- ✓Authenticity in sales: Fenet raised three times more money at auctions after abandoning formal British auctioneer persona at age 29. She used personal stories and humor matching her actual personality, proving authentic connection outperforms traditional professional distance when selling or presenting to audiences.
- ✓Gender pay gap discovery: After ten years at Christie's working seven days weekly, Fenet discovered she earned one-third of market salary. She confronted management with a fabricated job offer, forcing immediate salary correction and opening conversations about systemic pay inequities within the organization.
- ✓Strike method for presentations: Create a ten-second ritual before important moments to achieve laser focus. Fenet hits her gavel three times hard on the podium to capture attention from 700-1000 people instantly, providing the adrenaline jolt needed to control rooms effectively.
- ✓Network through transparency: Tell everyone in your circle what career goals you pursue, even at age 20 with limited connections. Fenet's father connected her with a Christie's employee at a Louisiana Christmas party, leading to her internship after she persistently called the coordinator daily for two weeks.
What It Covers
Lydia Fenet, Christie's lead benefit auctioneer, shares how she overcame gender pay gaps, developed authentic sales techniques, and learned to command attention in male-dominated auction rooms through personal storytelling and confidence-building strategies.
Key Questions Answered
- •Salary negotiation timing: Involve your boss early in career discussions about salary expectations rather than waiting for crisis moments. Request realistic feedback on whether goals are achievable within two years, or seek opportunities elsewhere before resorting to ultimatums or fabricated job offers.
- •Authenticity in sales: Fenet raised three times more money at auctions after abandoning formal British auctioneer persona at age 29. She used personal stories and humor matching her actual personality, proving authentic connection outperforms traditional professional distance when selling or presenting to audiences.
- •Gender pay gap discovery: After ten years at Christie's working seven days weekly, Fenet discovered she earned one-third of market salary. She confronted management with a fabricated job offer, forcing immediate salary correction and opening conversations about systemic pay inequities within the organization.
- •Strike method for presentations: Create a ten-second ritual before important moments to achieve laser focus. Fenet hits her gavel three times hard on the podium to capture attention from 700-1000 people instantly, providing the adrenaline jolt needed to control rooms effectively.
- •Network through transparency: Tell everyone in your circle what career goals you pursue, even at age 20 with limited connections. Fenet's father connected her with a Christie's employee at a Louisiana Christmas party, leading to her internship after she persistently called the coordinator daily for two weeks.
Notable Moment
Fenet transformed her auctioneering career when she abandoned her formal British accent persona while sick on stage. She told the audience a personal story about crying through lunch with a client after a breakup, making the room laugh and bid enthusiastically for the first time.
Episode Transcript
I wanted to give a shout out to my cousin Sarah, an ER nurse saving lives at the Bay State Franklin Medical Center. She's working hard so we can get back to stacking Benjamins. Live from Joe's mom's basement. It's the Stacking Benjamin show. I'm Joe's mom's neighbor, Doug, and happy day after Easter. You know what that means? Yeah. Discount candy. So many delicious options. So little money. So little money. Hey, Joe. When did you say I'm getting that raise again? I need an advance on my paycheck because I mean, I'm a buying candy for all the neighborhood kids. They're finally gonna love me. Yeah. Well, just step on it. Would you pal? Speaking of candy, check out the pure sugar we're bringing on today's show. Ever wonder how you could sell yourself better? Today, we'll find out how from the woman who's lead benefit auctioneer at Christie's Auction House and one of Gotham Magazine's most influential women in New York, Lydia Fannett. During our headlines, we'll discuss why it's important to save no matter how much you earn, and we'll also toss out the Haven lifeline to a lucky caller. Yeah. Of course. I'll treat you to some candy themed trivia. And now, two guys who are not getting high, not on my supply of candy. It's Joe and oh, juge juge juge. I get all the Cadbury eggs. Just saying. Call in the Cadbury eggs. I always think it's funny how everybody talks about how their kids, like, raid the candy. And in our house, we'll have this candy until Halloween. The diminishing return of enjoyment just happens so quickly in our house. They're like, yeah. Candy. Maybe you should just hand it to Doug to give to neighborhood kids. I know. About about the time. Dentist and you get money per pound when you turn it in at our dentist. That is cha ching. That's great. Everybody, welcome to no cavities for the wind podcast. I'm Joe Salci, high average Joe money on Twitter, And welcome to Monday. You have a fantastic you guys celebrate Easter. You have a fantastic weekend. We did. It was a little, the weather wasn't perfect. And usually, you know, we have family over and a big dinner and an Easter egg hunt, and we go to church, and none of that happened this week. So that kinda sucks. But it was, you know, it's it's, like, another Tuesday. I I don't know the difference between Tuesdays and Sundays at this point. This is just a dress up Tuesday with eggs hidden around the backyard. Exactly. Yeah. Hey, if you want hidden gems in your email every week, how about that? Head to stackingbenjamins.com/stacker. There you will find all of the tips that are available online. Consolidate The tricks. Yes. Every single one of them in one place. All of it. Little truth in advertising there. Head to stackingbenjamins.com/stacker. You'll find out everything happening in the basement and you'll …
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