Negotiate Like a Dutchie with Melanie Imming (aka "Be a Little Punk")

In this episode, we’re diving into one of my favorite topics: the art of negotiation. And I couldn’t have asked for a better guest than Melanie Imming—a Dutch consultant known for turning complex ideas into compelling stories and challenging the status quo with clarity, warmth, and courage.

Melanie and I first met in Switzerland, where I led a negotiation workshop for Open Science Retreat. She later became a coaching client, wanting to bridge cultural gaps while negotiating with a U.S.-based business partner. 

What made coaching her especially meaningful for me was that Melanie is already that person in her community—the go-to negotiation mentor. She’s known for helping internationals “negotiate like a Dutchie” by stripping unnecessary politeness out of letters, CVs, and emails so the message lands with clarity and confidence.

We talk about 

• Embracing "Dutchiness"—or directness—as a negotiation strength.
• Why and how of approaching negotiation like a dance, not a battle -- especially in the deal-making context.
• And how to have the moxie (or "a little bit of punk") to negotiate not just for the deal on the table, but for the bigger context—the values, relationships, and future outcomes that really matter.

Featured in this episode: 

• Learn about Melanie's consultancy here: https://www.immingimpact.eu/
• Learn about IM Studios here: https://www.im-studio.eu/
• Learn about coaching with Jamie here: https://www.jamieleecoach.com/apply

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