Two-time Emmy and three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Mori Taheripour.

🎯 Purpose of the Interview

To explore Mori Taheripour’s journey as a globally recognized negotiation expert, her personal resilience, and the empowering message behind her book Bring Yourself: How to Harness the Power of Connection to Negotiate Fearlessly. The interview also highlights her insights on authenticity, self-worth, and redefining negotiation as a daily life skill.

🧠 Key Takeaways 1. Professional Background

• Faculty member at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
• Holds degrees from Barnard College, Wharton, and a Diversity & Inclusion certificate from Cornell.
• Clients include Fortune 100 companies, major sports leagues, nonprofits, and government agencies.

2. Redefining Negotiation

• Negotiation is not just about conflict or business deals—it’s a daily life skill.
• We negotiate constantly: with ourselves, family, coworkers, and even in mundane decisions.
• The key to successful negotiation is knowing your value and bringing your authentic self.

3. Book: Bring Yourself

• Written to dispel myths about negotiation being aggressive or confrontational.
• Encourages readers to lead with empathy, curiosity, and authenticity.
• Highlights that anyone can be a good negotiator by honoring their values and self-worth.

4. Personal Resilience

• Mori shares her experience living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which she kept private for years.
• She discusses how prioritizing health and self-care became essential.
• Her openness about MS in her book was cathartic and empowering, showing that chronic illness doesn’t define or limit success.

5. Diversity & Inclusion

• Mori’s early career focused on public health in underserved communities.
• Her work in diversity and inclusion stems from a desire to create equitable access, especially in healthcare.
• She emphasizes that inclusion is about recognizing and respecting individual value and lived experiences.

6. Emotional Intelligence in Teaching

• Mori’s classroom is a safe space where students are encouraged to be vulnerable.
• She values kindness, respect, and emotional connection as essential tools for learning and leadership.
• Her teaching style blends academic rigor with empathy and real-world application.

💬 Notable Quotes

• “We negotiate with ourselves all the time.”
• “You have to honor yourself—whatever that is.”
• “If you don’t understand your worth, you will never be a good negotiator.”
• “Bring Yourself is about showing up authentically, not what society expects you to be.”
• “Kindness and respect will get you further than anything else.”
• “Sometimes enough is perfect.”

#SHMS #STRAW #BEST