Have you ever been great at your job, but still struggled to get your ideas heard or get the recognition you deserve?

In this episode of Unleash Your Voice, Priya Sam sits down with global product marketing leader and coach Amruta Hunnurkar to talk about why your voice — your judgment, perspective, and ability to bring people along with you — may matter more, not less, in the age of AI. As AI makes it easier for anyone to generate a deck or a strategy doc, Amruta explains why discernment and influence are becoming the real differentiators, and how to use AI without losing your own voice in the process.

Amruta also shares the career lesson that shaped her thinking on influence: losing out on a promotion to someone she was more qualified than, and the feedback that followed — that no one could see how she'd influence the C-suite. She and Priya dig into what changed after that, including a story from her time at Samsung, where she used consumer research and a strong business case to challenge the executive team's preferred strategy for a major product launch, all the way up to the CEO.

If you've ever felt like your work should speak for itself, but you're realizing that visibility and influence require a different set of skills, this conversation will give you a new way to think about your career.

In this episode, you'll learn:
→ Why your voice, judgment, and perspective may become more valuable, not less, in the age of AI
→ How to use AI without losing your own voice
→ The career lesson Amruta learned after losing a promotion she expected to get
→ How data and a strong business case can help you influence high-stakes decisions
→ Why communicating your impact and managing up are essential career skills
→ How people-pleasing and perfectionism can affect your visibility at work
→ Why advocating for yourself isn't bragging
→ How identity, practice, and role play can help you become more influential

CONNECT WITH AMRUTA HUNNURKAR

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amrutahunnurkar/
🌐 Substack: https://unignorablepmm.substack.com/

CONNECT WITH PRIYA
🌐 Website: https://priyasam.com/
📹 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PriyaSam
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyasam/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/priyasam
👤 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/priyassam/

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Meet Amruta Hunnurkar: Global Product Marketing Leader & Coach
01:00 – The Samsung Campaign That Taught Amruta to Speak Up
04:00 – How Consumer Research Helped Her Challenge Senior Leaders
05:00 – Why Influencing Without Authority Changed Her Career
06:00 – From Managing Teams to Influencing Without Authority
07:00 – The Coaching Experience That Helped Amruta Find Her Voice
08:00 – Why Product Marketers Struggle to Get Their Ideas Heard
10:00 – Losing a Promotion and the Feedback That Changed Everything
12:00 – Why Communicating Your Impact Matters as Much as Doing the Work
13:00 – How Gender Conditioning Can Affect Career Visibility
15:00 – Why Advocating for Yourself Isn't Bragging
16:00 – The Emotional Gut Punch of Realizing Your Old Approach Isn't Working
18:00 – Why Your Voice Becomes More Valuable in the Age of AI
20:00 – How to Use AI Without Losing Your Voice
22:00 – Why Your Own Experience Is Your Biggest Differentiator
23:00 – Why AI Can't Replace Human Judgment and Influence
25:00 – The Impact of "Desi Daughter" Conditioning on Career Growth
28:00 – People-Pleasing, Perfectionism, and the Pressure to Be Good
30:00 – Why Product Marketers Need to Learn to Influence Without Authority
32:00 – Why Generic Career Advice Doesn't Tell You How
33:00 – Why Identity Comes Before Influence
35:00 – What Amruta Is Most Proud of in Her Career
36:00 – The Joy of Seeing Clients Put Their Skills Into Action
37:00 – Where to Connect With Amruta Hunnurkar