'My Big Fat Fabulous Life' star Whitney Way Thore says women can’t be afraid to ask for what they deserve

Having the confidence to ask for what you want doesn’t necessarily come easy to everyone, but the art of negotiation is a leadership skill that anyone can put into practice. Whether you’re asking for a raise at work, seeking a lower interest rate on a credit card or clapping back at body-shaming trolls on Instagram, what you deserve matters.

Leadership will be a focus at the 2019 TheCurvyCon — a three-day convention that brings together celebrities, body-positive influencers and their fans to celebrate diversity and fashion inclusivity.

“We feel that body positivity and fashion inclusivity are integral elements of the women’s movement. This is why we’ve added Women’s Leadership Sessions to our programming this year,” says conference co-founder CeCe Olisa.

As we look forward to this year’s convention (tickets are on sale now, so don’t miss out), Yahoo Lifestyle reached out to a few influencers to find out how they ask for what they deserve.

Pop singer Chel notes that “it’s not even just about monetary ... it’s about respect.” She continues, “What you allow people to get away with is what you will get.”

Whitney Way Thore of TLC’s My Fat Fabulous Life tells Yahoo Lifestyle, “Something that I think people struggle with a lot, specifically women and more specifically plus-size women, is remembering that we can put ourselves first.” Just the simple act of making that a priority can be life-changing.

“When you don’t put yourself first like that you really compromise what you’re able to bring to the table,” says Thore.

Singer Troy Solomon agrees with the importance of knowing your value, and he strongly advises “not being afraid to go after that.” He adds, “Be your own advocate. Be your best advocate.”

Watch the video above for more tips on how to ask for what you deserve, including a much-needed pep talk from model Hunter McGrady that’ll get you fired up.

Go to TheCurvycon.com to buy tickets for the 2019 convention.

Visit Yahoo Lifestyle on Friday, September 6th and Saturday, September 7th to watch our live-stream of TheCurvyCon 2019, and follow us on Instagram for some fun activations before the event!