Latest news with #BozomaSaintJohn
Forbes
30-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Stanford Brings In Bozoma Saint John To Speak On Reputation Management
Bozoma Saint John speaking to business students at Stanford. Allison Kluger's Stanford Graduate School of Business class "Reputation Management: Strategies for Successful Communicators' hosted iconic marketing executive, author, and entrepreneur Bozoma Saint John for a conversation on "Reputation of a Risk-Taker, Survivor and Badass." In this class, students explore how they can effectively communicate to create, adapt and maintain their personal reputation as they navigate career decisions and interact with different professionals along their journey. The course is designed along three interlocking elements: reputation management literature, relevant case studies, and curated guest speakers. Students learn the fundamentals of strategic corporate communication and the risk of not managing reputation effectively. Kluger shared why Saint John was the perfect leader to inspire her students, 'After eleven years teaching Reputation Management, I thought I'd seen every possible guest and perspective, until Bozoma Saint John joined our class this week, filled with 70+ graduate students. You could hear a pin drop as Bozoma shared impactful, hysterical, brilliant, and memorable gems with my students. Bozoma taught us the power of curiosity, going with your gut instinct, and living life urgently so we can scoop everything up and be the greatest version of ourselves.' Bozoma Saint John speaking on reputation management and personal branding at Stanford Business ... More School. Saint John began speaking on her personal brand during her marketing career, "My reputation as a cultural influence, as someone who sits right in the middle fluidly between any number of industries, is what has earned me the seat not just at the table but to control the table.' She also transitioned to emphasizing standing out rather than fitting in. "What is the point of being 'in,' if you can't make a difference? I take some lessons from physics. Yes, I'm a marketer but I also understand science. Matter is made up of molecules. You change one molecule and the matter changes. When I entered Apple, that matter changed. Why would I not be confident in my own presence? For me, anytime I've entered a new environment, I understand the power of my molecule and the fact that that environment will never be the same when I leave it," she explained. Saint John is a dynamic and influential business leader who has consistently broken barriers and shattered glass ceilings throughout her career in various industries; including roles as the Global CMO of Netflix, CMO of Endeavor, CBO of Uber, Head of Marketing of Apple Music & iTunes and Head of Music and Entertainment Marketing at PepsiCo. Last year, she made her television debut on season 14 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and this fall, she'll take on a mentorship role as the Chief Marketing Officer on the new NBC reality series 'On Brand With Jimmy Fallon.' She has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, includinginduction into the Marketing Hall of Fame (2022), induction into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement (2014), induction into Billboard's Women in Music Hall of Fame (2018); and has been included in Fast Company's Most Creative People (2013), The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Power 100 list (2018) and crowned as The World's Most Influential CMO by Forbes (2021). Saint John is also the founder of the beauty brand, Eve By Boz and creator of the online series, 'The Badass Workshop'. Throughout her career and entrepreneurial evolution, Saint John has continued to show up as her authentic self. 'The choice —and it is a choice—to show up fully as yourself is not an easy one in any circumstance. It is not easy in this classroom, and it is not easy in the biggest conference rooms and corporations in the world. I don't walk into any environment and think I'm going to change anyone's mind about what they think about me. That's just too much work. It's too exhausting and it's too disappointing. Because it's painful and people are going to assume what they want of you. If you spend all of your time trying to convince them otherwise, you're going to waste your time. So I'd rather work on myself, making sure that I quell the fears of showing up as myself. "Never try to assimilate, just be yourself. I'd rather spend time working on myself than spend effort making others like me." Bozoma Saint John and Stanford Business School students. Saint John left a lasting impression on Stanford students, energizing them to elevate their personal brands with purpose and confidence. One student, Tess Hartigan, shared the impact Saint John's lecture left on her: 'Having Bozoma Saint John in class was sensational. I was brought to laughter and tears. Her gumption and shine were evident in every word. It was a master class discussion of eloquence, grit, and grace.'
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Garcelle Beauvais On Why She Quit ‘Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills' Reunion & Refused Cast Photo: 'They're All F***ing A**holes'
Garcelle Beauvais quit The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills after five seasons, a decision she made following her storming off the set of the Season 14 reunion. With the conclusion of the three-part reunion, Bravo aired the moment that led to Beauvais storming off the show's set, leaving everyone shocked and surprised. More from Deadline Garcelle Beauvais Storms Off 'RHOBH' Season 14 Reunion In Explosive Trailer: 'I Am Just So F***ing Sick Of It' Bozoma Saint John 'Disappointed' In Garcelle Beauvais For Quitting 'RHOBH': 'I Don't Think It's A High Note' 'The Valley's Kristen Doute On Feeling Vindicated Coming Into Season 2 & Why She's Happy About 'Vanderpump Rules' Reboot The reunion was ending, as usual, with a toast to ending a season and hoping to start things fresh in the next one. However, after a toast, Andy Cohen asked the cast to take a group photo celebrating the end, but Beauvais wasn't going to continue pretending anymore. 'I'm out,' Beauvais said, leaving host Cohen surprised. Dorit Kemsley, who Beauvais clashed with during the reunion, said, 'Garcelle, that's not cool.' 'I don't want to be in the cast photo,' Beauvais said as she walked off the set. 'Garcelle, that's really unprofessional,' Kemsley added. RELATED: Cohen noted that at the beginning of filming the reunion, Beauvais was hopeful that the cast could get a group photo at the end, as they hadn't taken one the previous year. Cameras followed Beauvais to her dressing room, where she said, 'I'm not doing this anymore. I don't want cameras here. I'm done.' In a hot mic moment, Beauvais is heard saying, 'And I never say I don't want cameras. I'm always a team player. But this — there's no team. I'm not doing it anymore. I'm not.' RELATED: On the set, Cohen asked Beauvais' closest friend Sutton Stracke what was going on, to which she said, 'I don't know. She's really unhappy.' Cameras were able to catch Beauvais once again where she aired out her frustration with the situation. 'I'm just so f***ing sick of it. It's like, they're all f***ing a**holes. No one said, 'Oh, I understand what you're saying.' No one said anything,' Beauvais said. During the reunion, Beauvais admitted feeling Kemsley's house invasion was a setup. Bozoma Saint John jumped in, saying it was 'dangerous' for Beauavais to say this. 'I'm always honest, but nobody said, 'Oh, you have accountability.' Everybody jumped on me,' Beuaivais said in her dressing room. 'And I felt I was on an island by myself. I can't be friends with people like that. I don't trust them and they obviously don't trust me.' At the reunion set, Stracke said she didn't really understand why Beauvais was upset. 'I'm done,' Beuvais continued saying. 'It's been an amazing ride. I'm so grateful for the opportunity, but I'm done.' The RHOBH cast took the photo without Beauvais, who left without saying goodbye to her fellow castmates. Stracke would later go to Beauvais' dressing room, but she had already left. Beauvais had been a loyal friend to Stracke throughout their time on the Bravo reality series. The year before, Beauvais left the reunion stage after Stracke had a medical emergency during filming. However, when Beauvais walked off the reunion stage this year, Stracke didn't seem to make the effort to go find her friend to comfort her. Following the reunion filming, Beauvais released a statement saying she was leaving RHOBH to focus on her family and multiple film and television projects. Best of Deadline 'And Just Like That ...' Season 3: Everything We Know So Far Everything We Know About 'Only Murders In The Building' Season 5 So Far Everything We Know About Celine Song's 'Materialists' So Far
Forbes
07-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Former Uber, Apple, Netflix Exec Who Didn't Raise Venture Capital And Self-Funded Her Startup
Bozoma Saint John poses in front of BMW manifesto during NYFW. While many celebrities and public figures such as Kim Kardashian, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jessica Alba raised venture capital to launch their brands, Bozoma Saint John didn't – instead, she flexed. She self-funded her Eve by Boz, a luxury wig, extensions, and hair care brand, with several million of her own hard-earned money. Indeed not everyone indeed has that kind of personal capital to launch a brand; however, even when they do have that kind of money, they don't invest in themselves. Saint John's investment in her own brand is the ultimate flex, especially considering the systemic racism that diverse founders deal with, particularly Black female founders. Ahead of going on stage at SXSW, Shark Tank billionaire and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban took some time to give advice to Black women founders in a talk with Essence magazine, telling them to stop looking for funding. 'I would tell you not to look for funding,' the shark said. 'You have to figure out a way to use sweat equity to build it on your own, even if it means starting smaller and slower, because there is a learning process, and it's twofold. One is learning about your business and making it loanworthy. Then, two is learning the language of those making the loans.' Cuban, like many early-stage VCs, espouses a very presumptuous and belittling opinion of Black female founders, presuming that they don't know the language of business, venture, or finance and that they need to start at the remedial basics. Due to the systemic bias of VCs, 'less than 1% of venture funding is going to diverse audiences, and even less than that to Black women.' ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Despite the viability of their businesses and the large TAM, Black founders say there is waning interest in their brands from the financial community. VCs don't always recognize the broad appeal or viability of their businesses or appreciate the problems that they are solving. While many female founders have raised millions at the idea stage for their beauty brands, Black female founders have difficulty raising capital even when they have purchase orders from major retailers. Black female founders carry a markedly higher burden when it comes to educating investors on the value and viability of their business ideas. The share of U.S. startup funding going to companies with Black founders hit a multi-year low in 2024, even as overall funding ticked slightly higher. Only around $730 million — or 0.4% of all funding — went to startups with a Black founder or co-founder last year, per Crunchbase. That's the lowest share in years, down over two-thirds from just three years ago. At the same time, the dichotomy is that black consumers' beauty spending is exceeding not only other demographic groups but also the industry overall in the U.S. According to NeilsenIQ, Black consumer spend in beauty hit $10.2 billion in 2023. "I didn't take a dollar from anyone to build this brand. I put my money into this business and every bit of stock I got from the companies I've worked at because I believe in Eve by Boz. So, yes, I want this business to be successful, but more than that, I want people to recognize our buying power matters. I'm going to show the world that it's possible to build an empire with Black women and women of color at the center," said Saint John in an interview with Byrdie. Uber Chief Brand Officer Bozoma Saint John (L) and TechCrunch moderator Megan Rose Dickey speak ... More onstage during TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2017 Bozoma Saint John is not the average founder. She has had an illustrious career as the former CMO of Netflix; Chief Marketing Officer at Endeavor; Chief Brand Officer at Uber; Head of Global Marketing at Beats by Dre, iTunes, and Apple Music; and Head of Music and Entertainment Marketing at Pepsi. Before Pepsi, Saint John was a Senior Account Executive at SpikeDDB, Spike Lee's ad agency, where she started as a temp. She was named Billboard's Female Executive of the Year, the #1 spot on Forbes' World's Most Influential CMOs list in 2021, and was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame in 2022. Although she didn't go to business school, Harvard Business School published a case study about Saint John's achievements titled "Bozoma Saint John: Leading with Authenticity and Urgency" through which she developed and taught a program at the University aptly named "The Anatomy of a Badass." Additionally, Stanford GSB's Dean's premier speaker series, 'View From The Top,' profiled her. When Saint John left Apple to join Uber during the #DeleteUber movement, people asked her why. She replied that she wanted to be 'recognized for my influence in tech, because I knew that if I could turn around the brand perception, no one could assign my success to anyone else.' She replied that she wanted to be 'recognized for my influence in tech, because I knew that if I could turn around the brand perception, no one could assign my success to anyone else.' She told Travis Kalanick that she wanted to be the face of Uber, and she was featured on 20 magazine covers and did 400 interviews. 'Companies get a lot of airtime for hiring someone like me. So if I'm out in front, I don't know why in the hell you're complaining. And by the way, you are very welcome that I'm able to get in front of an audience and they say, 'You know what? We trust her, and so, therefore, we'll trust you.' That was one of the biggest things that I brought to Uber,' she said. The Badass Workshop by Bozoma Saint John. Saint John branded herself Badass Boss and launched The Badass Workshop to share her wisdom and help others become the best version of themselves. Although the workshop started as an online workshop, she took it on a multi-city tour with a sold-out attendance in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Accra, Toronto, London, and Lagos. The workshop was recently featured on an episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. More recently, Saint John joined the cast of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH) Season 14. When asked why she joined, she said, 'No linear answer to why I joined RHOBH. That's not how my decisions are made. Mine are made by intuition. I've been in many rooms and disrupted the space because, among many other identities, I am Black, a woman, and I have really brilliant ideas. I've never been intimidated by spaces that maybe other people didn't think I should be in.' She added, 'I'm here to disrupt it.' She is a fan favorite on the show. Moreover, Saint John is aware of how entertainment offers an opportunity for representation. She said, 'I think that entertainment has a very, very, very big role in changing societal norms. If we are able to use entertainment to normalize experiences across the board, then we have a much better shot at being just better human beings.' Saint John also mentioned how content can spark curiosity and connection. Her tagline on the show's introduction is 'Introducing the greatest product I've ever marketed… myself.' She built a very engaged following on social media that has grown exponentially since she joined RHBH, which is great for her brand Eve by Boz. In addition to wearing Eve by Boz wigs and extensions, Saint John exclusively wears Black designers from head to toe for every episode. Bozoma Saint John poses with her new book, The Urgent Life, presented by Spring during NYFW: The ... More Shows 2023 at Spring Studios Eve by Boz isn't a vanity project for Saint John. She is a passionate domain expert. Previously, Saint John partnered with Dove, the CROWN Coalition, and LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network, to launch #BlackHairIsProfessional, a campaign to make a systemic impact, create more inclusive and equitable spaces for Black women to don natural hairstyles prevalent in the Black community in the workplace. Ahead of launching Eve by Boz, she went to Guangzhou, China, to research the hair manufacturing process and attended the largest hair show in the world while there. 'I asked one vendor, 'Why is the lace always white?' They said, 'Because nobody asked us for anything else.' While there, I saw it was possible to achieve different lace colors and textures. That's what really opened this door for me and made me want to create something intentional for us." Saint John wanted to create a luxury product experience for Eve by Boz, so the website features photos of beautiful models, including videos that highlight how the hair moves. The wigs and extensions are packaged in bonnets made by Ghana Textiles, the country's oldest textile company. She also realized she needed haircare products, so she worked with a Black chemist, Gerri Watson, to create the haircare line to increase the longevity of the wigs and extensions. Promotional imagery for Eve by Boz Saint John's impact extends beyond conventional business achievements and her startup; she's creating a path for others to see what's possible when you break through barriers (like systemic bias in venture capital), particularly as a Black woman in underrepresented spaces. Her unique blend of vision, strategy, and cultural insight speaks volumes. She's not just building a business without a safety net; she's establishing a legacy — demonstrating that resilience, innovation, and unapologetic authenticity can lead to something truly iconic. Her journey is a powerful reminder that success is measured not just by numbers but by the impact, influence, and inspiration it sparks in others to pursue their paths confidently.
