Aug 10, 2023, 3:00 AM ETInterview

CMO Of Netflix: "Work Life Balance" Is BAD Advice! I Lost My Baby & My Husband!

Bozema St. John describes her life as a cycle of destruction and rebirth, stating, "my world has burned a few times and that I have risen every time."
At age 5, she was uprooted from Ghana following a political coup that overthrew her father, forcing a complete reconstruction of her identity.
At age 12, she moved to Colorado Springs and developed a "lifelong student of pop culture" mindset as a survival mechanism to fit in and read social cues quickly.
Her mother enforced a lesson on self-worth at age 12: "when you go to their house you do the things they want to do, when they come to your house they do the things you want to do."
She identifies as the oldest of four sisters, a role that instilled a leadership mentality where she was expected to "set the tone" and "lead the example."
Her father, a self-taught musician with two PhDs, defined success primarily through financial independence and high corporate titles, a metric she later learned to deconstruct.
She admits she initially chased titles due to paternal pressure but now understands that "a title doesn't actually give you anything."

St. John arrived in New York to apply to med school but "fell into" marketing, choosing to let her destiny find her rather than forcing a predetermined path.
At 22, while working as a temporary receptionist for Spike Lee's agency on Madison Avenue, she interrupted him to ask for his script for Bamboozled.
She returned three days later with her script marked up in red pen, offering critical feedback on dialogue and character motivation despite having no prior experience.
Lee, initially incredulous, offered her the job after seeing her notes, validating her belief that "there are no people on my team that I dismiss for lack of tenure."
This event taught her to foster an environment where junior team members feel safe challenging strategy, regardless of their level of seniority.
She conceptualizes a "contribution score" for team members, similar to a credit score, where frequent, low-value contributions lower one's influence when they do speak.
She advocates for protecting the "spirit" of team members after failed ideas, ensuring they are not ostracized and are encouraged to iterate rather than quit.

St. John experienced the suicide of an ex-boyfriend, Ben, due to untreated mental illness, a trauma that left her with persistent survivor's guilt and a re-evaluation of her role as a friend.
She met her husband, Peter, in 2000; despite him being outside her "type" (a white man with a gold chain), she challenged him to read Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon to prove his worthiness.
She married Peter in 2003, overcoming her Ghanaian father's strong disapproval of their interracial relationship and the couple's quick progression to marriage.
In 2008, during her first pregnancy (which she initially did not want), she developed preeclampsia, a condition where her body attacked the pregnancy.
Doctors forced a choice between saving the mother or the baby; Peter chose to save St. John, resulting in the death of their daughter, Eve.
The loss of Eve caused a severe fracture in her marriage, leading to a separation where she viewed her husband as an adversary rather than a team.
Peter was later diagnosed with terminal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; this diagnosis forced a reconciliation where they chose to "be together to the last heartbeat."
Following Peter's death, St. John adopted a philosophy of urgency and selfishness, prioritizing her own satisfaction over external expectations of "saviorism."
She defines "selfishness" as the act of placing oneself first to ensure one can be a good contributor to society, friends, and family.

St. John rejects the advice to follow a linear path, telling aspiring leaders that "there is no path" and that individuals must listen to their own intuition rather than copying others.
She advises professionals to be "very selfish in your life in your career," prioritizing personal fulfillment to avoid the "scariest thing": being unsatisfied with one's life on one's deathbed.
She identifies the "Sunday Scaries" and the "ick" feeling in relationships as critical signals that one is on the wrong path or in a toxic dynamic.
In marketing, she argues that success requires seeing the "forest" rather than just the trees, allowing leaders to address root causes like "trust" rather than symptoms.
She states that great marketers are "great storytellers" who can make narratives "close enough to the truth for you to believe it."
Her core advice for the next generation is to "get to know yourself better" and avoid confusing "aspiration with admiration."
She notes that her intuition has led her to every successful career move, often contradicting logical advice, and emphasizes that intuition is a muscle that must be trained to be brave enough to speak up.

74% of channel viewers two months prior did not subscribe; the goal is to reach a 50% subscription rate.
St. John worked at Apple, Netflix, Pepsi, Uber, and Endeavor (owner of UFC and WWE).
She graduated from Wesleyan University in Milltown, Connecticut.
Peter's diagnosis was Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which is incurable but treatable to shrink tumors.
She received a 25% discount on WeWork memberships via the code CEOWORKS.
She recommends a protein supplement with 20 grams of protein and 100 calories per serving.
She suggests a 10% discount on Zoe health services via the code CEO10.