Know Your Value, Know Your Worth: Setting the Stage for Salary with Jo Dailami

On January 21, Utah Valley University’s Business Impact Lab (BIL) hosted a D.E.N. (Develop • Engage • Network) session led by Jo Dailami, a leadership, learning & development, and talent management professional turned business owner. Drawing from years of hiring and negotiation conversations, Jo shared a practical and empowering message: salary and career growth conversations start long before you talk numbers. They start with beliefs, clarity, and communication.

Jo opened with a personal story that set the tone for the session. After achieving rapid growth early in her career, six promotions in seven years, she stepped away from corporate life when she became a mother. When she returned, she realized her skills and capacity hadn’t changed, but her beliefs had. Those beliefs led her to accept a role far below her ability and previous pay. Her point was clear: when our mindset shrinks, our choices shrink too.

 

Jo framed negotiation confidence as a three-part process:

1. Unlearn limiting beliefs that keep us small
2. Know and name your value (even if you feel “new” or underqualified)
3. Communicate your worth clearly using simple structures that hiring managers understand

Highlights from Jo Dailami

Bias and beliefs shape how we show up

Jo defined bias as a natural “categorizing” process our brains learn early, shaped by culture and experience, yet it can quietly affect how we treat ourselves at work.

Participants did a quick exercise comparing:

• something that comes easily (and the positive beliefs attached to it), versus
• something that feels hard (and the negative story attached to it)

The goal wasn’t to judge those beliefs, but to recognize them, and remember we can rewire them through practice.

The “Limiting Belief” reset

Jo invited us to identify one belief that creates anxiety in interviewing or salary conversations (examples included: “I don’t have the right to ask,” “I should just be grateful,” “I’m desperate for the job,” “I don’t have enough experience.”)

Then she walked the group through three powerful prompts:

• When I believe this is true, how do I behave?
• Find 1 to 3 examples where it’s NOT universally true (because a “universal truth” must be true all the time)
• How would I show up if I couldn’t think this thought?

This shift matters because the same person can bring radically different energy into a negotiation depending on what they believe is possible.

Replace it with an empowering belief, and practice it

Next, participants wrote one belief they want to embody, such as:

• “I will bring tremendous value to this position.”
• “I deserve to advocate for myself.”
• “I deserve a salary that matches my value.”

Jo emphasized that empowerment isn’t a one-time moment, it’s a practice. She suggested simple daily habits like a two-minute visualization before interviews or negotiation conversations.

 

Jo's “Know Your Value” toolkit

1) Identify your superpower

Jo reminded us: “Just because it comes easy doesn’t mean it isn’t wildly valuable.” Participants were asked to notice moments of “flow” (work that feels energizing, natural, and even enjoyable) and name what they were doing (mentoring, streamlining processes, building content, solving problems, communicating with clients, etc.).

2) Capture your overlooked skills

Jo encouraged us (especially those early in their careers, returning to work, or with nontraditional experience) to recognize “power skills” built through life:

• strategic thinking, leadership, relationship-building, influence without authority, networking, decision-making, political savvy

She gave a strong example of how to translate a non-title-based action into measurable value: rallying a team to streamline a process and improving invoice turnaround time.

Tip she gave: keep a running “Yeah, I did that” document on your computer so you don’t forget wins when it’s time to interview, ask for a raise, or update your resume.

3) Turn “tasks” into achievement statements (STAR method)

Jo taught a hiring-manager-friendly way to communicate value: STAR
Situation – Task – Action – Result

Instead of listing duties, you communicate business impact (ideally with numbers). She shared a clear example of converting a management routine into a measurable result (team revenue), then polishing it into one strong sentence.

4) Do a skills gap analysis

Finally, Jo addressed a fear many participants shared: “Someone else is more experienced than me.” Her response was practical: if you can name what you’re still building, and show your plan, your “gap” becomes a growth signal, not a weakness.

Jo invited participants to rate themselves across key areas, including leadership, business acumen, and communication, and then identify one area for improvement and one concrete action step.

 

Q&A moments that stood out

The Q&A reinforced that confidence often comes from preparation:

• If your mind goes blank in interviews, Jo recommended writing your key points down and reviewing them repeatedly so they’re fresh. If you forget something, follow up after the interview. She noted that follow-ups can signal interest and professionalism.
• On timing for a raise negotiation, Jo suggested asking during the interview process about the organization’s typical timeline for raises and promotions. If it hasn’t been defined, the one-year mark can be a reasonable time to initiate a conversation, especially when you come prepared with STAR-style impact statements.

 

Key takeaways (what attendees left with)

By the end of the session, Jo anchored the event with three “do-now” priorities:

1. Name the belief that makes you shrink and challenge it.
2. Build evidence of your value (superpowers, overlooked skills, achievement statements).
3. Practice communicating worth with clarity, because salary growth follows visibility and impact.

 

Jo’s closing reminder was simple but powerful: your money matters, your trajectory matters, and your confidence is trainable. When you know your value and speak it well, you don’t just negotiate better, you build a career that fits who you are.

Watch the full BIL D.E.N. event recording on YouTube: