Why You Should Listen to This Episode

If you’re delivering results, hitting every metric, and still being passed over for leadership roles—you’re not alone. And you’re not doing anything wrong… except this one thing.

In this game-changing episode of The 5% Club Podcast, Austin-based executive coach Shayla King breaks down the number one mistake high-performing professionals make that keeps them in middle management—and the exact strategy to break through.

This episode pulls back the curtain on what really happens behind closed doors when promotions are decided, and how you can make sure your name is the next one spoken.

Whether you’re a rising star in tech, finance, or corporate leadership in Austin, TX—or anywhere else—this is required listening.

What You’ll Learn

• Why waiting for the job posting means you’re already too late
• The 5 career-advancing relationships every leader needs
• How to be known for your leadership—not just your output
• A practical framework to position yourself for promotion
• Why clarity about what you want is the ultimate career unlock

🎧 Listen Now:
[Spotify] | [Apple Podcast] | [Google]

🧠 Key Insights & Takeaways

1. Hard Work Is Not Enough

Being excellent at your job is expected. It’s the price of entry—not the ticket to promotion. If you want to move from middle management to executive leadership, people need to know your leadership potential, not just your deliverables.

Here in Austin’s fast-growing business environment, Shayla has seen too many brilliant women and rising leaders wait quietly, hoping to be recognized. This episode makes it clear: hope is not a strategy. Visibility is.

2. Promotions Happen Before the Posting

Decisions about who gets promoted are made long before the internal job site goes live. The moment a leader resigns, the question becomes: Who’s ready?

And unless your name is the first one someone says—you’re already behind.

This episode teaches you how to make sure your name is the one spoken. Because the most qualified doesn’t always get the job. The most connected does.

3. You Need 5 Power Players in Your Network

To be undeniable in any promotion conversation, Shayla shares the 5 essential relationships every leader needs:

🧭 Mentor
Someone who’s been where you’re going. They offer real insight—and you must act on their feedback to keep them engaged.

📣 Promoter
They talk about you in rooms you’re not in. This is not the same as a mentor. Promoters have influence—and use it.

🔗 Connector
Your internal Kevin Bacon. They introduce you to the right people inside and outside your company. You should have both networks.

🧑‍⚖️ Decision Maker
This person has the power to promote you. If they don’t know you—or worse, know someone else better—you lose by default.

🎯 Coach
You can’t ask for the right support if you don’t know what you want. A coach helps you define the goal, map the strategy, and stay on track. This is where Shayla’s Austin executive coaching clients find their biggest shifts.

4. Clarity Creates Momentum

Not sure what your next role is? You’re not alone. Shayla breaks this down with her classic Uber metaphor:

If you tell your boss you want to “make an impact” and “lead more people,” you’re not giving them a destination—they can’t help you get there.

Executives don’t get vague goals—they get specific.

Get clear on:

• What role you want next
• What timeline you’re aiming for
• What success actually looks like for you

This is one of the first things Shayla tackles with her coaching clients in Austin, TX and beyond—because it unlocks everything else.

5. Show Up Like an Executive Before You’re One

Start acting like you belong in the room now.

From strategic communication to decision-making presence, Shayla explains how to own your space and lead with clarity—before you ever get the title.

This is exactly what the Performance and Happiness Lab is built for: helping you evolve from “ready someday” to the obvious next leader.

Your Next Steps

✔ Listen to the episode → Spotify | Apple
✔ Join the pH Lab waitlist → [shaylaking.com]
✔ Book a consult → Booking Link

📍 Executive Coaching in Austin, TX

If you’re a professional in Austin looking for real talk and real tools to evolve your career, Shayla offers 1:1 executive coaching and runs the Performance and Happiness Lab, a 3-month accelerator designed for high-performers ready to level up.

Applications open June 18th and spaces fill fast. Secure your seat early to get access to pre-work and strategic planning tools.

📅 Doors open: June 18th
📩 Save your spot → shayla@evolve-career.com

Your career doesn’t need more checkboxes. It needs clarity, visibility, and a network that works for you.

Let’s evolve.

Your Coach, cheerleader, and accountability partner,

Career & Life Coach for Executives

Join Shayla’s Waitlist!