A Bada$$$ Bo$$

The day I heard about Bozoma Saint-John, it triggered a level of drive in me that I never knew I had. My dealings with intersectionality in corporate gave me an understanding of the difficulties for economic equity in the workplace as a black woman. How many C-Suite level executives can I identify with, being an African-Canadian dark-skinned woman in marketing. Bozoma has been the Head of music and entertainment marketing at Pepsico, Marketing Executive at Apple Music, Chief Brand Officer at Uber, Chief Marketing Officer at Endeavor and now the CMO at Netflix. Can I say more about the ceilings she’s shattering?

The best part of having Bozoma Saint-John in such a high position within the business world is she considered her job multi-layered. Not only is she doing the storytelling and branding of the world’s most influential brands, but she is doing it for the culture. She consistently champions women of colour and minorities who are overlooked in positions like hers.

Bozoma Saint-John, a.k.a @BadassBoz, is the most sought marketers in the world today, and she lets her audience know why. Her secret sauce? Being unapologetically herself. I discovered Bozoma a couple of years ago watching one of her speaking events. She danced on stage with a glorious afro. She said something that never left me.

“I feel like there’s a lie that has been told to us, especially women–that somehow we have to put our head down, be understated, and be humble, in order to gain respect. And I disagree wholeheartedly. I think we need to celebrate ourselves more. We need to show up. When we say we’ve done something, take the credit… I’ve coached women to practice the I’s statement. It’s a muscle. You have to practice it because it feels uncomfortable, at first. We have to build that muscle of celebrating our accomplishments, of celebrating our sisters. Because if we don’t do that, no one else will, truly.”

Bozoma has recreated a narrative for herself and everyone watching her. Culture has moulded her perspective, which is an angle I can resonate with coming from Ghana like herself. Knowing where you come from, and your worthy contributions are so crucial to breaking barriers. Most times, when you are from a minority, there is minimal conversation on your value. If no one is screaming your name, you should be able to be your hypeman because who else will do the job?

Humility and coding seem to be pushed on black women in corporate to get far ,and Bozoma threw those stereotypes out the door. That takes a lot of courage and boldness to show your naked identity to those who frequently misunderstand your individuality. The reason why I chose Bozoma Saint-John to be highlighted for Black in Business is her authenticity in her craft.

Black culture thrives most when black people use their platforms (whatever that might be) to show their incredible contributions to the world influenced by their intersectionality - race, gender, culture and beyond.

Linking this back to myself, the concept of representation and inclusion by leaders like Bozoma led me to pursue a profession in luxury and start ZHURI Magazine.

ZHURI Magazine is unique to me because it’s a magazine dedicated to the talented international African luxury creators (the majority of whom are black) looking for a luxury media channel that will help them reach an audience that can appreciate the culture craftsmanship and uniqueness of their brands.

Promoting the concept of African luxury has not been easy. I’ve heard narratives of “we don’t want to put ourselves in a box” or “I don’t want people to think my brand is only for Africans.” As my Luxury Brand Management Professor Denis Morisset taught, “Before becoming a business and an industry sector, the concept of luxury has probably existed everywhere in the world, under different formats, in different civilizations. It can be viewed as a cultural phenomenon. Each civilization had its own vision of luxury, based on its aesthetics and values.”

When I say African luxury I am speaking of heritage. The same cultural appreciation Versace has for its bold Italian roots, Hermes has for its French craftsmanship and Burberry has for its British tradition.

Discovering women of colour living their best life globally and audaciously is my constant motivation. If anything comes from you reading about Bozoma and myself, I hope that it is validation that what is meant for you will always be for you. You won’t have to shrink yourself or hide. Your magic is in your authenticity.