Podcast Summary: Action Academy | Millionaire Mentorship For Your Life & Business

Episode: The CORRECT Way To Ask For A Raise In Your Job (That Actually Works)
Host: Brian Luebben
Date: September 8, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode breaks from Action Academy’s usual “quit your job” narrative to focus on a crucial intra-career skill: how to correctly ask for a raise within corporate America. Brian Luebben shares his personal story, lessons from his first manager, and actionable steps to proactively and effectively secure meaningful pay increases—paving the way for listeners to accelerate their wealth-building journey, whether they ultimately stay employed or become entrepreneurs.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Wrong Way: Asking for a Raise After the Fact

[00:00-04:00]

• Most people ask for a raise after doing extra work, expecting recognition after the fact.
• Typical approach: “I’ve been doing more, I want a raise”—which often results in excuses like “no budget” or “not approved.”
• Brian’s insight: “If you’re having the conversation after you did something amazing, you have already failed.” [04:05]

2. The Correct Approach: “Uno Reverse” the Process

[04:00-06:00]

• Flip the conversation: set expectations and get agreement before you go above and beyond.
• “Instead of going and doing a really good job and then coming after the fact, you begin the conversation with the intention of making more money and then have them list out what’s required for you to make more money.” [04:47]

3. Practical Step-by-Step Process

[06:00-09:00]

1. State Your Ambition:
   • Open with your aspirations and intent to perform at a higher level.
   • Example: "I have aspirations for being a top performer in this role... I want to work on a plan with you so that I can figure out what is required..." [06:35]
2. Co-Create the Plan:
   • Ask your manager to outline specific performance targets, skill sets, and development required for the new role or raise.
3. Document Everything:
   • Recap the plan in an email, confirm with your manager in writing (email response/approval).
   • “You have it all in writing in an email. You send the email recap to your manager, you have them reply back… Now you have irrefutable proof that you had an agreement and you just executed it.” [08:20]

4. Why This Works

[09:00-12:00]

• Managers want proactive employees; career growth is in everyone’s interest.
• Prevents excuses and ambiguity.
• Documentation is key: “Every single thing that’s ever gone wrong in corporate, with all the politics, is because you have handshake agreements and verbal agreements. You don’t have written agreements.” [11:47]

5. Advice for Employers & Leaders

[12:00-13:00]

• Leaders should have open, proactive discussions with their teams.
• “For me as a business owner, there are certain drivers of the business… If you hit this, I can 1000% warrant paying you this much money.” [12:23]
• Empower employees to create growth paths; it’s a win-win.

6. Edge Cases and Cautions

[13:00-14:15]

• Sometimes, managers may sabotage or block raises, especially due to difficult internal politics.
• Notes a commonly reported issue: "female manager with a female employee to have a little bit of discrimination, ironically." [13:54] Not a hard rule, but a reality for some.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you’re having the conversation after you did something amazing, you have already failed.” — Brian Luebben [04:05]

• “Instead of going and doing a really good job and then coming after the fact... you begin the conversation with the intention of making more money and then have them list out what’s required for you to make more.” [04:47]

• “You have it all in writing in an email... Now you have irrefutable proof that you had an agreement and you just executed it.” [08:20]

• “Every single thing that’s ever gone wrong in corporate, with all the politics, is because you have handshake agreements and verbal agreements. You don’t have written agreements.” [11:47]

• “Any boss that has an employee that comes and does this is going to be freaking amazing.” [11:20]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–04:05 – The classic (ineffective) way most ask for raises
• 04:05–06:00 – Introduction to the proactive “uno reverse” approach
• 06:00–09:00 – Step-by-step script: what to say, how to document
• 09:00–12:00 – Why it works; essential role of documentation and mutual clarity
• 12:00–13:00 – Advice for leaders and business owners
• 13:00–14:15 – Edge cases, additional context, and cautions

Recap & Action Steps

• Figure out the next position or salary bump you want.
• Schedule a 1:1 with your manager before going above and beyond; express your ambition.
• Co-create a plan: Ask specifically what’s required to earn the raise/promotion.
• Document the agreement in writing (email recap & manager’s written approval).
• Execute the plan.
• Present proof of achieving targets, and then ask for the raise from a position of mutual agreement.

“If you guys do this, it will reasonably warrant you more money in corporate America.” — Brian Luebben [13:55]

Tone

Encouraging, direct, practical, with real-world anecdotes and actionable tactics. Brian’s energy and personal experience lend credibility and inspiration, empowering listeners to be proactive in corporate settings and setting a foundation for entrepreneurial transitions.

For more resources or to explore transitioning out of a traditional job entirely, Brian invites listeners to check out the Action Academy’s back catalog and mastermind community.