Bozoma Saint John

So opening yourself up to like these things is what actually creates your destiny to run the way that it should. I'll give you one example. When Peter died in December of 2013, I was at PepsiCo. I'd been there for 10 years. It was a great job. I'd done many iterations of things. And at that time, I was the head of music and entertainment marketing.

And so I had been part of the team that did the deal with the NFL. for the Super Bowl halftime show. I put Beyonce on that stage. It was huge. I had a great, exciting career. And then Peter died. And I looked around and I was like, man, I think I want to do more things. Am I going to sit here for another 10 years in New York City doing this? Or have I had enough of this?

And so I had been part of the team that did the deal with the NFL. for the Super Bowl halftime show. I put Beyonce on that stage. It was huge. I had a great, exciting career. And then Peter died. And I looked around and I was like, man, I think I want to do more things. Am I going to sit here for another 10 years in New York City doing this? Or have I had enough of this?

And as I formulated that thought, I went to, I think it was NBA All-Star or something like that. And I met somebody that I knew very lightly who told me that Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre had started their company, Beats Music, off of the back of Beats by Dre, and that they were looking for a head of marketing, would I be interested? And the job was in LA. My husband had been dead maybe two months.

And as I formulated that thought, I went to, I think it was NBA All-Star or something like that. And I met somebody that I knew very lightly who told me that Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre had started their company, Beats Music, off of the back of Beats by Dre, and that they were looking for a head of marketing, would I be interested? And the job was in LA. My husband had been dead maybe two months.

I had a four-year-old child that I was trying to figure out how to raise by myself. You know, like all these things. And so logic would tell you that, no, sit your down. You know what I mean?

I had a four-year-old child that I was trying to figure out how to raise by myself. You know, like all these things. And so logic would tell you that, no, sit your down. You know what I mean?

situate your life, figure out how to be a widow and a single mom and the main breadwinner, like figure that stuff out, calm down, get some therapy, you know, just like sit and be quiet for a second, grieve, let a year go by and then figure out what you want to do. But instead I was like, it really doesn't make any sense for me to leave Pepsi, a long established company,

situate your life, figure out how to be a widow and a single mom and the main breadwinner, like figure that stuff out, calm down, get some therapy, you know, just like sit and be quiet for a second, grieve, let a year go by and then figure out what you want to do. But instead I was like, it really doesn't make any sense for me to leave Pepsi, a long established company,

and go to Beats Music where it's barely a company.

and go to Beats Music where it's barely a company.

I didn't know what music streaming was. I had no idea what that was. I had no idea. But I came and came to LA and took a meeting with Jimmy and he was talking about stuff that I had no idea about. And when I resigned from PepsiCo to take the job, Everybody told me it was a bad idea. It was when I tell you there was not one person who supported it. Not even my mother. No one.

I didn't know what music streaming was. I had no idea what that was. I had no idea. But I came and came to LA and took a meeting with Jimmy and he was talking about stuff that I had no idea about. And when I resigned from PepsiCo to take the job, Everybody told me it was a bad idea. It was when I tell you there was not one person who supported it. Not even my mother. No one.

Everybody thought I'd lost my mind. People thought I was acting out of grief. Maybe I was. But the magic was that that opportunity opened up the next 10 years of my life. It was the magic, the spark that I needed. It changed everything for me, Lewis. Everything.

Everybody thought I'd lost my mind. People thought I was acting out of grief. Maybe I was. But the magic was that that opportunity opened up the next 10 years of my life. It was the magic, the spark that I needed. It changed everything for me, Lewis. Everything.

Well, my friend, that's a great unknown. I don't want to get to the end of my life and ask that question. I don't want to sit there and say like, oh man, what would I have done if I'd taken that leap? Just tried that other thing. Maybe you fail, but that's okay. You know, you can pick yourself up again.

Well, my friend, that's a great unknown. I don't want to get to the end of my life and ask that question. I don't want to sit there and say like, oh man, what would I have done if I'd taken that leap? Just tried that other thing. Maybe you fail, but that's okay. You know, you can pick yourself up again.

And so sometimes I look around and like, especially when I'm like, you know, talking to a friend who's just like, oh girl, I can't do that because of that. And it's just like, but why? Like, why don't you believe you can do it? You did that thing and that thing and that thing. And again, it doesn't have to be like the world changing thing that got headlines.

And so sometimes I look around and like, especially when I'm like, you know, talking to a friend who's just like, oh girl, I can't do that because of that. And it's just like, but why? Like, why don't you believe you can do it? You did that thing and that thing and that thing. And again, it doesn't have to be like the world changing thing that got headlines.

But like your everyday accomplishments and did this thing simply went into that workplace that you feel like demeans you. And you still had a smile on your face. Like what an accomplishment that is, you know? Or anything that you did. So it's like, why then do you not feel like you have the power to be able to overcome the things, even if they're unknown to you? Yeah, that's how I feel.