Career Forward - by Grace Puma & Christiana Smith Shi (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Former PepsiCo COO Grace Puma and former Nike President of Consumer Direct Christiana Smith Shi offer a groundbreaking, empowering guide for women that shows how to prioritize a career path, build professional value, and enjoy a full life both in and out of the workplace.

At a time when many long-held workplace structures and beliefs are changing, Career Forward is a beacon for women aspiring to achieve success and satisfaction in rewarding careers. Drawing on decades of experience reaching the top of Fortune 500 companies, Grace Puma and Christiana Smith Shi show women how to maximize their career journeys, get paid what they're worth, navigate the shifts that occur in any company, build a leadership identity, and have a full life in and out of work.

The authors challenge negative stereotypes about female ambition, and urge women to be bold, follow their dreams, and seize the chance to lead "big" lives. The secret is to focus on career first, job second. Instead of chasing a better job title or a salary bump, the goal should be a long-range career path that leads to success. "Career forward" means keeping a focus on the future and recognizing that being good at your job is often not enough--that you should take every opportunity to boost your connections, take on "difficult" assignments, and work actively to broaden your skills.

Packed with personal anecdotes and wisdom from women who've been there, and featuring quizzes and checklists for self-evaluation, Career Forward provides a wealth of valuable lessons, including the value of thinking of yourself as a "growth stock" and, instead of chasing the elusive work-life balance, living a well-rounded 360-degree life that fully embraces both. Offering a refreshing response to anyone who wonders whether working hard is really worth it, Puma and Shi's emphatic answer is "yes," because by correctly following the blueprint in Career Forward, the rewards will far outweigh the effort.

Review Quotes

"Career Forward will help you think bigger, act bolder, and ensure you are the architect of your success. Required reading."
--Lydia Fenet, author of The Most Powerful Woman in the Room Is You

"Engaging, practical, and hands-on with actionable insights you can put to work right away...No matter where you are on the career ladder, you'll be able to find yourself in this book."
--Carrie Cox, Chairman of the Board, Organon; ranked by Fortune for six years as "One of the Most Powerful Women in Business"

"In her six years with Nike Christiana Smith Shi was outstanding. The book she has written with Grace Puma, former COO of PepsiCo, is full of wisdom--an extremely valuable read for anyone interested in the art of building a successful career."
--Phil Knight, founder of Nike, Inc. and New York Times bestselling author of Shoe Dog

"Invaluable (and rare) career advice that involves mastering both the short and long game to make you the first chosen when opportunity knocks. A must read."
--Carol Tome, CEO of UPS

"Pure gold for those seeking a long-term blueprint for success...You're going to want to recommend this book to anyone trying to find their path."
--Mindy Grossman, former CEO of both WW International and HSN

"Reading this book is like having two great mentors who are willing to give you the tough love and real-world advice you need. Put yourself into their hands."
--Carolyn Dewar, New York Times bestselling coauthor of CEO Excellence

"Sure to be useful for anyone with big career dreams. In these pages, the authors share powerful lessons learned not just in business but in life."
--Brian Cornell, CEO of Target

"While Career Forward is written from a private-sector perspective, I found, as someone who has spent a career in the public and nonprofit sectors, that the lessons are universal."
--Helene Gayle, President of Spelman College

"With Career Forward, you'll be able to level the playing field and chart a clear path forward... The presentation is always captivating."
--Jennifer Aaker, Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and coauthor of Humor, Seriously

About the Author

Grace Puma is the former executive vice president and COO of PepsiCo, and before that held senior positions with United Airlines, Kraft Foods, Motorola, and Gillette. A board member of both Organon & Co and Target, she has been ranked on the "Most Powerful Latina" list by Fortune magazine and recognized as the "Executive of the Year" by Latina Style magazine. Puma holds a BA in business administration and economics from Illinois Benedictine University. She lives in Tampa, Florida.

Christiana Smith Shi is the former president of Nike's consumer-direct division where she led the company's global retail and ecommerce business. Before that she was a senior partner at McKinsey & Co. Christiana has been named one of the Most Influential Corporate Directors by Women, Inc. She currently leads Lovejoy Advisors, which is focused on digitally transforming consumer and retail businesses. Shi is a graduate of Stanford University and has an MBA from Harvard Business School, where she graduated as a Baker Scholar. She lives in Portland, Oregon.