Bozoma Saint John
CMO of Netflix
Bozoma, currently the CMO of Netflix, defines hustle and authenticity. She’s worked at well-known brands ranging from Apple to Uber to Pepsi-Cola. While she’s had a diverse career at many different companies and has lived in various places across the US and Africa, one thing has remained unchanged–she’s always been true to who she is and has never conformed to try to fit in, which is a huge reason for her success. Aside from having important, corporate jobs, Bozoma also makes time to spend with her daughter, travel, and has her own side-hustle, The Badass Workshop, where she teachers women how to be, well, badasses.
One of the keys to Bozoma’s success has been following her intuition and not practicing patience. She says touting her own achievements and leaving a company when she’s not being valued or promoted have been keys to her success. She is OK with getting up and leaving because she knows she’s the best. She also believes in diverse perspectives and doesn’t surround herself with yes-people.
Powerful Quotes by a Powerful Woman
“I’ve never taken the easy route. I don’t even know what that is!”
“Don’t let the myths make you believe that women don’t support other women.”
“Everyone is going to be skeptical if they don’t know what is happening.”
“I believe in manifesting the words that are coming out of my mouth. I’m very careful with what I say because the intention is then out in the universe.”
“If you are in a hiring position, hire someone that is nothing like you. We keep looking for the commonalities, but find someone with commonalities that are nothing like you.”
“Sometimes I’m not being given the opportunities that I know I’m ready for [like] that next promotion or that next bit of power or control over a budget. Or sometimes [there are] shifts in the way that I am valued. That’s when I know it’s time to move on.”
“I don’t know that I want to belong because if I belong then I won’t be fearless, and I won’t fight. I’ll get too comfortable.”
“If people don’t see my value and appreciate it, then I don’t like them. And then I don’t like the situation.”
“I am very competitive—with myself and everybody else. I’m petty, too. Don’t get it twisted. I do things just so I can beat yo’ ass. I’m always trying to do things better than I’ve done them before, do them faster than I’ve done them before.”
“There is something to be said about taking the risk. We all know that is where the greatest reward is.”
“You cannot be great in pieces. You can only be great as your full, whole self.”
“I want white men to look around in their office and say, ‘Oh, look, there’s a lot of white men here. Let’s change this.’”
“What do you stand for? What do you not stand for? Then let those things come out in your actions.”
“There’s nothing more badass than being who you are … I am a force of nature in fierce stilettos.”
