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Introduction
Wage gaps. Promotion gaps. Fundraising gaps. We’ve talked about these challenges for years, but many of them still haven’t changed. That’s why in 2025, the smartest professionals—especially women—aren’t just waiting for the system to catch up. They’re actively learning how to navigate it strategically, advocate for themselves, and create power through knowledge and action.
Ashley Louise, CEO of Ladies Get Paid, joins the Ramped Podcast to share hard-won lessons and practical tactics that every professional can use to move forward, despite a system that remains unequal. Whether you're negotiating your first salary, trying to get promoted, or launching a new path mid-career, her advice is clear: learn the game, and play to win.
Apply to hundreds of jobs with the click of a button. Turn your job search on Autopilot and enjoy $100 off with the code GETTHATJOB100.
Understanding the Structural Barriers Women Face at Work
Women face deeply rooted structural challenges at work—from the wage gap to leadership underrepresentation to inequities in entrepreneurship. On average, women earn 82 cents to every dollar a white man makes. For Black and Hispanic women, that number falls dramatically to 63 and 55 cents, respectively. And while women are the majority of college graduates, only 22% reach senior leadership.
This isn’t just unfair—it’s bad economics. Diverse leadership teams consistently outperform homogeneous ones. Companies with women in leadership roles are more likely to implement policies that benefit everyone, like paid leave or flexible work arrangements. And yet, these voices are often missing from the decision-making table.
Entrepreneurship isn’t much better. Only 2% of venture capital funding goes to women-founded startups. Even when women do receive loans or investment, the amounts are smaller. These realities are discouraging, but they also make it clearer than ever that self-advocacy, financial literacy, and community support are critical for women’s advancement.
For Ashley, the mission is clear: “I will never apologize for teaching a woman to negotiate her salary.” Her work is about giving women the tools they need to level up—whether or not the system is ready for them to.
Learn how to strengthen your resume and job application strategy here.
Tactical Salary Negotiation Advice for Today’s Market
Salary negotiation can be intimidating, especially for early-career professionals or anyone entering a tough market. But not negotiating can cost you thousands—or even hundreds of thousands—over a lifetime. Ashley encourages women to negotiate not only for themselves, but also as a ripple effect. “Every woman who I teach to negotiate makes her life better. And then she teaches someone else.”
Here’s her go-to negotiation plan:
- Don’t respond to an offer immediately. Thank them and say you’ll take time to review.
- Do your research. Look up salary benchmarks using multiple tools—and ask real people. Always talk to at least one white man in a comparable role. If they’re the highest-paid group, their number sets the ceiling you should aim for.
- Don’t fear the negotiation. In nearly a decade of coaching, Ashley can count on one hand the times an offer was pulled after a negotiation attempt. If they do withdraw, that’s a red flag.
The best time to negotiate is at the offer stage—but it’s never too late to ask for what you deserve. Whether you're switching industries or stepping into your first big role, the earlier you start, the more your salary compounds over time.
Ready to negotiate better offers—without starting from scratch every time?
Let Ramped’s Autopilot tool help you apply to better roles faster. Use code GETTHATJOB100 here.
How to Find Your Career Edge—Even if You're Switching Paths
Career changes are normal, but traditional hiring practices still penalize people who “zigzag.” Ashley calls this out as outdated thinking. “It’s your job to tell the story of why you are the right person—no matter how winding your path.”
Whether you’re switching from retail into tech, corporate into nonprofit, or taking on a brand new challenge, what matters is the narrative you tell:
- Identify the common thread. What skills, values, or themes show up across your experience?
- Highlight what makes you unique. What did your previous roles teach you that others don’t have?
- Show your adaptability. If you’ve succeeded across multiple industries, that’s a sign you can learn and thrive in unfamiliar environments.
Ashley especially emphasizes this advice for entrepreneurs or creatives reentering the job market. “Hiring someone who’s built a business is not risky. It’s smart. We are the best problem-solvers you could hire.”
In a competitive job market, owning your story and framing it confidently gives you the edge—because no one else can tell your story the way you can.
Explore the top skills employers are seeking right now.
Getting Out of Your Own Way: Productivity and Personal Goal Setting
Ashley’s philosophy on productivity is clear: “Don’t get in the way of your own bag.” In other words, the world is hard enough. You shouldn’t make it harder by blocking your own growth with fear, hesitation, or disorganization.
Instead of getting overwhelmed by big goals, Ashley recommends starting small. Tiny, achievable actions compound into real momentum. Her own productivity strategy includes:
- Time-blocking and batching tasks by duration. If she has 10 free minutes, she checks a task from her “12-minute list.”
- Tracking distractions. She noticed she’d open her phone while waiting on ChatGPT responses, then waste 5–10 minutes scrolling. Identifying those patterns helped her tighten her workflow.
- “Shipping” small things daily. Tweeting, writing, finishing a deck slide—small acts build confidence and reduce perfectionism paralysis.
Her motto is simple: Was I a better CEO today than I was yesterday? You can apply that to any role. The bar isn’t perfection—it’s progress.
Want to clear your plate and accelerate your progress?
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Owning Your Story and Thriving in a Broken System
Ashley doesn’t sugarcoat the reality: the system is flawed. We still don’t have universal paid family leave in the U.S. Many employers penalize women for announcing pregnancies, and there’s a staggering lack of support for caregivers in the workplace. But while legislation and policy changes are desperately needed, she refuses to wait on them to help others.
Her advice is rooted in realism: play the game, and win it—but also push to change it as you go. Ashley and her co-founder Claire (who are married and expecting their first child) have built Ladies Get Paid into a media company and community that’s both empowering and practical. They offer weekly job seeker meetups, in-depth online courses, and a Slack network where over 3 million messages have been exchanged—including in salary negotiation channels.
Ashley knows the stakes are high. Parenthood has only made that more clear. “It’s not just us anymore. I want our family to thrive—not just survive.”
Whether you’re just starting out, switching fields, or trying to stay motivated in a tough market, Ashley’s story is a reminder: you have agency. Even if the system wasn’t built for you, you can still build your success within it—and help change it for the next generation.
Conclusion: Change the System—And Succeed Within It
Waiting for fairness is not a strategy. In 2025, the most powerful thing you can do for your career is take intentional action—on your terms. Whether that means negotiating your salary, launching a side project, or taking time to clarify your must-haves and must-not-haves, the path forward starts with self-awareness and strategy.
Ashley Louise’s message is bold and empowering: success doesn’t require perfection—it requires showing up for yourself consistently. Don’t wait for permission. Don’t downplay your value. And most importantly, don’t get in the way of your own bag.
Let the jobs come to you.
Apply smarter and faster with Ramped Autopilot — get $100 off with code GETTHATJOB100.
Watch the full interview with Ashley Louise here.
Things You Need While Searching for a Job
Once you are armed with the knowledge about what kind of job will make you happy, there are core things to get lined up for a job search. Let's look at a few.
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1 Value
2 Value
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5 Value
What to Look for in a Job
Fun fact, most people will have about 12 different jobs in their working lifetime. This goes to show that finding a job that you love enough to hang onto takes some forethought and possibly a bit of trial and error. Just the same, you can make some plans in advance, helping you land in a position that leaves you perfectly content. Check out a few things to look for when looking for that perfect job.
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