Aspire with Emma Grede

Aspire with Bozoma Saint John: Why Playing Small Is Sabotaging Your Success (and How to Stop)

10 snips
Jul 29, 2025
Bozoma Saint John, a marketing powerhouse behind brands like Apple and Netflix, shares her inspiring journey of rising to success. She emphasizes the importance of trusting your intuition and highlights her mother's mantra that 'excellence is a baseline.' Boz discusses how shedding rigid plans opened doors to unexpected opportunities and explains the significance of self-advocacy, especially for women. Additionally, she talks about her commitment to empowering Black women in the beauty industry through her hair-care brand, Eve by Boz.
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INSIGHT

Excellence as Baseline Expectation

  • Excellence was not optional but a baseline for Bozoma's life from a very young age.
  • This expectation was ingrained by her immigrant parents who overcame massive odds.
ANECDOTE

Confidence Despite Being Different

  • At age 13, Bozoma knew she was different but didn't doubt her worth.
  • She focused on showing others how 'dope' she was instead of changing herself.
ANECDOTE

Boldness Wins Spike Lee's Respect

  • Bozoma was hired as a temp assistant for Spike Lee and audaciously redlined his film script.
  • Her boldness impressed him, securing her a job and shaping her confidence.
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