“We keep saying yes until we have to say no.”

Play the interview forward and see where it goes. You never talk about money in your first interview. Since nobody in the history of business ever got hired without somebody mentioning money, you may not have to mention it either. If you don’t like the number, - then you say no.

Your hiring manager is your bar power.

Every company hires within it’s weight class. If you could hire above your weight class and attract people functioning at a higher level, in time your entire team would take the company to a new level. Problem is, “A” talent won’t sign on with “B” companies. Bar power is alive and well in corporate Vancouver.

How to best tell your future with your current employer

The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. In this instance I’m talking about your current employer’s behavior. Whatever career progress you’ve made with your company in the past five years is exactly what your next five years will look like. Things aren’t going to change much from what they’ve been. If your company won't make your future, then you have to do it. Move.