259 | Grace Puma and Christiana Smith Shi | COO of Pepsi and Nike President of Retail Tell Us How to Succeed

How do successful people navigate their careers, overcome barriers, and strategically position themselves for success?

It is often challenging to navigate the complexities of professional growth when embarking on a successful career path. From shifting industry landscapes to personal and social expectations, professionals face numerous challenges and success in careers is largely determined by how one strategically positions themselves.

Grace Puma and Christiana Smith Shi, through their book Career Forward: Strategies from Women Who’ve Made It, provide strategic insights to define and achieve career aspirations. Aimed at millennials facing pivotal career decisions, this book highlights the importance of taking calculated risks early in a career to achieve outsized returns. 

In this episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius is joined by Grace and Christiana to discuss strategies for crafting a successful career, embracing resilience, and strategically navigating the ever-changing landscape of professional life. They also talk about Grace and Christiana’s upcoming book, Career Forward, set to launch on February 20, 2024.


Topics include:

The importance of leveraging network in finding a writing partner

Christiana highlights the value of having a clear direction or “cardinal direction”

Building professional networks and how it can be beneficial

Path of least resistance vs. intentionality

The concept of building professional equity by consistently demonstrating excellence

The idea of having a “growth stock mentality”

The concept of “operating at the top of your license”

Grace and Christiana talk about the audience for their book Career Forward


The idea of taking asymmetric risks in one’s career

Understanding and advocating for one’s worth in the professional realm

And other topics…


Connect with Grace:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/39999441.Grace_Puma 

Connect with Christiana:
Website: https://www.lovejoyadvisors.com/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/csshi 

Connect with Darius:
Website: https://therealdarius.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/
YouTube: https://therealdarius.com/youtube
Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708
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