Dia Bondi is the Founder, Communications Coach, and Advisor at Dia Bondi Communications, where she works with senior leaders, founders, and other professionals to help them identify and lead with their voice. With over 20 years of experience as a leadership communications coach, she has worked with world-class brands like Intel, Mozilla, Dropbox, and Salesforce. Dia helped Rio de Janeiro secure the 2016 Summer Olympics and has coached world leaders at United Nations gatherings. She is also the author of Ask Like An Auctioneer, which aims to empower one million women to ask for more and get it.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- [2:50] What led Dia Bondi to write Ask Like an Auctioneer?
- [6:45] How auctioneering taught Dia to build trust with an audience before making requests
- [9:28] Dia shares her core belief to speak from who you truly are
- [12:48] Behind the scenes of Rio de Janeiro winning the Summer 2016 Olympics bid
- [17:01] How fear of asking for too much limits opportunities, and the difference between price and worth
- [23:39] Why having a plan for handling rejection transforms how you approach major requests
- [25:15] Dia’s six-step ask plan framework for designing bold asks
In this episode...
Many women professionals struggle with asking for what they truly want, often fearing rejection, seeming too aggressive, or being seen as “not worth it.” This hesitation limits earning potential and stifles personal and professional growth. If making bold requests feels intimidating or unrealistic, how can leaders and entrepreneurs shift their mindset to embrace their value and move confidently toward their goals?
According to communications expert and auctioneer Dia Bondi, the key lies in understanding the difference between value and worth and designing requests that challenge your comfort zone. By leveraging the “zone of freaking out” (ZOFO) concept, women can view fear as a sign of stepping into new potential. Dia suggests creating a clear “ask plan,” which includes setting a tangible goal, identifying bold moves to reach it, and preparing for rejection as an obstacle rather than a failure. By separating your worth from the outcomes of an ask, you can make substantial requests to receive more.
In this week’s episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show, Andrea Heuston chats with Dia Bondi, the Founder, Communications Coach, and Advisor at Dia Bondi Communications, about how to make requests to achieve your goals. Dia discusses the difference between price and worth, her core belief, and leadership lessons learned from auctioneering.
Resources Mentioned in this episode:
Quotable Moments:
- “You are your most powerful when you speak from who you truly are.”
- “Rejection feels like an existential threat, period.”
- “Price is a measure of value, not worth.”
- “If you’re not in your comfort zone, you’re in your zone of freaking out.”
- “Confidence is an outcome of action; it can’t be a prerequisite.”
Action Steps:
- Develop a personal ask plan: Designing a strategic plan for your asks clarifies your goals and boosts your confidence to pursue them. Knowing your next big move keeps you focused and intentional rather than waiting passively for opportunities.
- Recognize the difference between value and worth: Separating how others value your asks from your self-worth helps prevent rejection from feeling personal. This mindset shift empowers you to keep asking boldly without internalizing setbacks.
- Embrace the zone of freaking out (ZOFO): Feeling uncomfortable signals you’re pushing the limits of what you think is possible. Recognizing and leaning into your ZOFO leads to greater personal growth and breakthrough achievements.
- Prepare a plan for handling rejection: Having a response strategy in place makes hearing “no” less intimidating and keeps momentum moving forward. It turns rejection into a detour instead of a dead end.
- Speak authentically from your true self: Leading with authenticity increases connection, trust, and impact in high-stakes conversations. People respond more positively to communication that feels real rather than overly rehearsed.
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