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Table of Contents
About The Book
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 Smith Shi’s emphatic answer is “yes,” because by correctly following the blueprint in Career Forward, the rewards will far outweigh the effort.
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 Smith Shi’s emphatic answer is “yes,” because by correctly following the blueprint in Career Forward, the rewards will far outweigh the effort.
About The Authors
Photograph by Carrie Wildes
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. 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 Benedictine University. She lives in Tampa, Florida.
Photograph by Stephen DiPaola
Christiana Smith Shi is the former president of Nike’s consumer-direct division, where she led the company’s global retail and e-commerce business. Before that she was a senior partner at McKinsey & Co. Currently the head of Lovejoy Advisors, which is focused on digitally transforming consumer and retail businesses, Smith 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.
Product Details
- Publisher: Scribner (March 28, 2024)
- Length: 256 pages
- ISBN13: 9781668018606
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Raves and Reviews
USA Today Bestseller
“A compass for those navigating their professional journeys.”
—Forbes
“Will inspire you to focus on the future, take every opportunity to boost connections, and work actively to broaden your skills.”
—Inc
“Helps empower women to take ownership of their career journeys, position themselves strategically for advancement, and invest in their well-being to maximize professional and personal fulfillment.”
—McKinsey Author Talks
“Breaks down how to drive your career forward.”
—Fast Company
“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 Tomé, CEO of UPS
“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
“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”
“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
“[An] energizing debut manual…The combination of helpful anecdotes and rousing encouragement makes for a sensible program on how women can achieve their professional goals. Readers will feel inspired.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Women workers will no doubt appreciate the authors’ advice and take heart in a vision of career success that helps balance out the lean-in mentality that has—quite unintentionally—led to high rates of burnout among high-performing women over the last decade. A thoughtfully upbeat and humane business book.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“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
“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
“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
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Career Forward Hardcover 9781668018606
- Author Photo (jpg): Grace Puma Photograph by Carrie Wildes(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
- Author Photo (jpg): Christiana Smith Shi Photograph by Stephen DiPaola(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
