Voice Your Value: How to Advocate for Yourself and Make Your Voice Heard

Okay, let's get real for a second—no one’s going to hand you a microphone at work and beg you to share your brilliance. In fact, in most workplaces, the loudest voices are the ones that get noticed, even when those voices are saying a whole lot of nothing. So, if you’re thinking that keeping your head down and working hard will eventually get you recognized, I’ve got news for you: it won’t.

Throughout my career, I’ve seen countless examples of women who are killing it in their roles, but no one seems to notice because they aren’t shouting their achievements from the rooftops. We’ve been taught to work hard, stay humble, and let the results speak for themselves. Yeah...how’s that working out? Spoiler: it’s not. If you’re not voicing your value, you’re getting drowned out by the ones who have no problem promoting themselves—sometimes even promoting your work as their own. Time for lesson 34: voice your value!

The Myth of Humility: Why Staying Quiet is Holding You Back

Let’s talk about humility for a second. I get it—we’ve all been told that being humble is a virtue. We’re supposed to just do our jobs and wait patiently for the rewards to come. But guess what? The workplace doesn’t reward silence, it rewards visibility.

Take my friend Maria, for example. She’s a software engineer who consistently delivers top-notch work, hitting every deadline with flawless execution. Then there’s her colleague Ben, who, let’s be honest, is constantly asking for help just to get his projects over the finish line. Yet, Ben keeps getting promoted. Why? Because Ben knows how to sell his work. He’s out there making sure everyone in the office knows what he’s contributed (even when it’s barely his contribution). Meanwhile, Maria? She’s still sitting at the same level, waiting for someone to notice her hard work. Spoiler alert: they haven’t.

And that’s the hard truth. Being the best at your job isn’t enough. It’s not just about competence—it’s about being seen. If you’re not making sure your contributions are known, someone else will be more than happy to take the credit.

Stop Waiting for Permission: Take Control of Your Story

Here’s a tough love moment for you: No one is as invested in your career as you are. If you’re waiting for your boss or colleagues to recognize your hard work and offer you that promotion, you’re playing a dangerous game. You can’t afford to leave your success up to chance.

Take Jessica, a marketing manager I’ve worked with for years. She led a product launch that exceeded sales targets by 30%. Now, she could have just mentioned that she led the launch. But instead, she positioned her achievement strategically: “By leading the product launch, I implemented a customer segmentation strategy that drove a 30% increase in sales, directly contributing to our quarterly revenue goals.” Boom. Suddenly, she’s not just a manager who did her job—she’s the manager who transformed sales. That’s how you frame your accomplishments to make sure they align with the bigger goals of the company.

Learn to Brag (Without Being Obnoxious)

I get it—talking about your achievements feels icky. You don’t want to come off as arrogant or full of yourself. But let’s be real, there’s a difference between bragging obnoxiously and strategically communicating your value.

Self-advocacy isn’t about telling everyone how great you are; it’s about framing your successes in a way that shows how they benefit the team, the project, and the company. It’s about making sure that when people are thinking about the next big project, they think of you. You’re not just a cog in the machine—you’re someone who makes the machine run better, faster, and more efficiently.

Handling the Inevitable Backlash

Here’s the thing: when you start advocating for yourself, not everyone is going to clap and cheer. Some people might call you “too ambitious” or “aggressive,” but let’s be honest—that’s just a way to keep you in your place.

Cheryl Sandberg faced this when she published Lean In. She was criticized for being “too privileged,” “too bold,” and “too much.” And yet, she moved the conversation forward for women in leadership. Criticism is often a sign that you’re doing something right—because if you weren’t shaking things up, no one would bother pushing back.

The key here is confidence. When you voice your value with confidence, not only are you standing up for yourself, you’re showing others that self-advocacy is necessary. The criticism will pass, but your career? That’s what will last.

Silence Isn’t Golden—It’s Costly

Let’s cut to the chase: silence is not your friend in the workplace. Being passive about your achievements will cost you—whether it’s promotions, pay raises, or just basic recognition for the hard work you’re doing. If you don’t speak up, someone else will, and they’ll take the opportunities that should have been yours.

You’re not just advocating for a pat on the back—you’re fighting for the career growth, the leadership roles, and the financial rewards that you deserve. So, stop waiting for someone to hand you the microphone. It’s time to take it, voice your value, and make sure you’re heard.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, self-advocacy isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. If you want to move forward in your career, if you want to be recognized for the work you do, and if you want the rewards that come with that recognition, you have to voice your value. No one’s going to do it for you.

The world doesn’t need more women waiting in the wings, hoping their work will magically get noticed. It needs more women who are unapologetically confident, who speak up, and who take the spotlight they’ve earned.

So, here’s your megaphone. Use it.

#SpeakUp #OwnYourValue #WomenInBusiness #CareerGrowth #Leadership #Confidence #SelfAdvocacy