Bozoma Saint John – 'You Want to Be Well-Known'

Bozoma Saint John has been a high-profile marketer for the likes of Netflix, Uber, and Apple. If you want to succeed, she says, don’t be shy about marketing yourself.

- By Nicole Lapin

If you know Bozoma Saint John's name, that is not by accident.

Yes, she's held high-profile corporate roles-working as the global CMO of Netflix, CMO of Endeavor, chief brand officer of Uber, head of marketing of Apple Music and iTunes, and head of music and entertainment marketing at PepsiCo. But now that she's working independently, she's happy to say that when she took those jobs, she was very intentional about being visible in them. She got press. She received industry awards. And that's because she believes very strongly: If you don't get attention for your work, you'll just be overlooked.

"People still say I'm self-centered," she says. "Well, if I'm not self-centered, who am I supposed to be centered on? Who? Please tell me it's not you."

Saint John wrote a memoir earlier this year, called The Urgent Life, about her work, the loss of her husband to cancer, and her message that people should live their lives with intentionality. In this conversation, we discuss how to get what you want-even if it makes you uncomfortable-and how the hardest paths can prepare you for the greatest achievements.

You're well-known for working at some of the world's biggest companies. What was your strategy for building your career?

Oh my gosh. Let me tell you this. This applies for everyone, but especially for women trying to become a better-known executive. One of the most undervalued ideas is: When you are better known for the things you do, your value goes up.

I became an expert at negotiating how public-facing I can be on behalf of the company. Because the moment you are hidden underneath somebody else, or you don't get the credit for the work that you're doing, the less you are known for your expertise. And you want to be well-known for the things that you do, so people come and seek you for your next job.