From Intimidated to Influential: Sylvie Tongco talks success mind shifts, open conversations with management, and the power of the pause

Career Wanderlust

Intimidated in the boardroom? Learn how this senior communications strategist overcame imposter syndrome to climb the ranks at Fortune 500 tech companies, and discover the game-changing advice that can transform your career trajectory today.

Guest Bio

Meet Sylvie Tongco, VP of Corporate Communications and senior-level communication strategist with nearly two decades of experience navigating the tech landscape. From guiding billion-dollar companies through transformative communications strategies to building trusted C-Suite relationships at companies such as Genesis and Five9, Sylvie has established herself as a transformational leader in corporate communications. Her journey spans both agency excellence at Atomic PR and in-house innovation, offering unique insights into how authentic messaging drives business impact. Connect with Sylvie at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stongco/

Content sample:

· a powerful mentorship experience that redefined her approach to knowledge gaps

· the "opera incident" that taught her everything about professional boundaries

· the negotiation that nearly doubled her pre-30 salary

· transforming intimidation into opportunity

· why the art of asking "stupid questions" became her secret weapon in tech leadership

· compelling framework for making confident career decisions offers actionable wisdom that challenges conventional thinking about what it means to "know enough."

Key Takeaways

• [02:00] - The Knowledge Gap Revelation: "They're not smarter than you - they simply had more information about a specific topic"

• [08:00] - The Opera Boundary: Why a senior executive's refusal to work late became a powerful lesson in professional priorities

• [23:00] - The Six-Figure Conversation: How honest dialogue with her manager resulted in a salary increase beyond what she imagined possible

• [31:00] - The Certainty Principle: "The only thing I'm certain of is that things will change - you can only be sure of yourself"

Memorable Quotes

"Don't let anybody intimidate you... They simply had more information about a specific topic of what we were talking about. Learn to ask questions."

"No opportunity is worth compromising your overall health and mental wellbeing."

"Being vocal about what you want and where you want to go - half the time we tend to underestimate just being vocal about what you need."

Suggestions:

Ready to transform imposter syndrome into career confidence? Subscribe to Career Wanderlust Podcast for more insights on authentic career advancement.

Looking to build your dream communications, PR, marketing, or sales team? Connect with Paradigm Staffing at paradigmstaffing.com - where we match world-class talent with transformative opportunities.

Host and Platform Information

This podcast was hosted by Jolie Downs with Paradigm, a voice in career evolution and growth. You can connect with Jolie here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joliedowns/.

If you enjoy learning from others, please give us a like, subscribe, and share with a friend.

If you are looking to add talent to your public relations, marketing, communications, sales, or business development team with the best talent, and quickly, check us out at paradigmstaffing.com.

Ending Note

As Sylvie reminds us, change is the only certainty. What will you choose to change in your career approach today?