Finding Power in Owning Your Voice
By Merav Ammar, Partner Enablement Leader, SentinelOne
When Someone Calls You ‘Demanding’
Not long ago, someone told me - with a smile and a “don’t take it the wrong way” - that I was one of their most demanding customers. Oh, and “definitely opinionated”.
Translation: *you’re a pain in the ** 😊
And you know what? I’m okay with that.
Because here’s the truth: I wasn’t being difficult for the sake of it. I was pushing for clarity, for quality, for better. I was asking the questions no one else wanted to ask. Being labeled demanding often just means you’re holding the bar high - and refusing to lower it.
The First Sentence That Changed Everything
I still remember the first time I spoke up in a room where no one expected me to. It wasn’t loud or dramatic. It was a single sentence. But it landed. Heads turned. Someone scribbled notes.
That’s when it clicked: no one was going to hand me a seat at the table wrapped in a bow. I had to claim it - one sentence at a time.
From ‘Nice’ to Necessary
For years, I tried to keep myself “small.” I thought being nice meant smoothing edges, avoiding friction, smiling through discomfort. But I’ve learned that shrinking serves no one.
- Nice doesn’t always create change.
- Agreeable doesn’t always get results.
- Silence doesn’t always protect you - sometimes it erases you.
So yes, I speak up. I ask for what I need. I push against “the way it’s always been done.” That’s not being a pain - that’s being invested.
The Myth of Being Ready
We love to tell ourselves: I’ll speak up when I’m more prepared. But preparation is a moving target. The truth? You’ll never feel 100 percent ready - and that’s okay.
I’ve stumbled. I’ve had ideas met with blank stares. I’ve been wrong. But I’ve also sparked conversations, influenced decisions, and opened the door for others to add their voices too.
Confidence doesn’t grow in the moments you’re perfect. It grows in the moments you dare to show up anyway.
Creating the Rooms You Want to See
Sometimes, finding your voice in existing spaces isn’t enough - you have to create new ones. I’ve hosted informal coffee chats, led workshops, encouraged others to share their own “first sentence” moments.
The magic is this: once one person dares to speak, it gives everyone else permission to stop shrinking.
Your Turn
The next time someone calls you demanding, opinionated, or even difficult, ask yourself - difficult for who? If it’s because you expect more, because you care enough to ask hard questions, because you believe we can do better - own it.
And the next time you’re in a room; share the thought you’ve been holding back. You never know who’s waiting for the courage of your first sentence.
Bio: I’m Merav Ammar, a Partner Enablement Leader who is passionate about helping people grow, succeed, and feel connected. My career has always centered around channels, partners and relationships - building trust, creating programs that make a real difference, and making sure teams have what they need to thrive. I’ve worked with enterprises, a variety of channels and partners, service providers, or strategic accounts, but what excites me most is the human side of the work: fostering collaboration, mentoring others, and creating space for voices that don’t always get heard.
I believe collaboration creates impact. Whether I’m designing global programs, building impactful tools, or sitting down for a coffee chat, my goal is the same: to equip people with confidence and tools, and help them see the impact they can make. I’m also committed to ERGs that champion women in security and technology, where I mentor, advocate, and help amplify diverse voices.