Building the courage to negotiate hasn’t been the only challenge I’ve navigated as I launch the next chapter of life. As in any milestone moment, there are many hurdles to overcome. When I started applying to competitive business firms, I had some reservations. Was this company going to support my ambitions for the future? Was the work-life balance going to be possible? With the economy in such fluctuation, was my future going to be financially secure? As someone who came of age during a recession, the questions of job stability and financial security are never far from my mind. When I asked my guy friends about their concerns for the future, they looked at me like I had three heads. They never thought about it in such depth before.