Naked Beauty Podcast
Host: Brooke DeVard
Guest: Bozoma Saint John
Episode: “Bozoma Saint John on Trusting Your Destiny”
Date: March 30, 2026

Episode Overview

Live from Essence’s Black Women in Hollywood, this special episode features powerhouse marketer, author, entrepreneur, and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Bozoma Saint John (“Bose”). Brooke DeVard delves deep with Bozoma about trusting one’s own path, the importance of intuition, the realities of being “the only one” in corporate spaces, redefining beauty and confidence, boldly pivoting to new phases in life, motherhood, love, and launching a beauty brand on her own terms. The conversation is packed with insight, humor, authenticity, and vulnerability.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Life, Identity, and Knowing One’s Worth

• Global Childhood’s Impact ([04:02])

  • Bozoma shared how moving around (Connecticut, Ghana, Kenya, DC, Colorado) helped her rapidly read rooms, adapt, and evaluate people’s intentions.
  • “If somebody is corrected three times and they still get it wrong, they don’t really care about me.” (Bose, [05:10])
  • Learning to assert her identity, starting with making sure her Ghanaian name was pronounced correctly.

• Beauty, Self-Perception, and Social Standards ([06:43])

  • Bozoma grew up confident in her beauty but was shocked by Western perceptions and pity towards Africans.
  • Memorable story: Her mother attempted to comfort her, only to hear young Bozoma respond, “I know I’m beautiful. I don’t know why they don’t know that. How is it they look at me and they don’t see how amazing I am?” ([09:20])
  • Navigates the oddness of “underhanded compliments” about being beautiful “for a dark-skinned girl.”

2. Career Expectations, Destiny, and Following Intuition

• Parental Pressure and Self-Discovery ([11:05])

  • Immigrant-parent expectations: Doctor, lawyer, or engineer were the only options deemed “secure.”
  • Only after college did Bozoma realize her ambitions were unique from her parents.
  • Her creative spark found a calling unexpectedly—first job at Spike DDB after temping, a “destiny moment” ([13:35]).

• Being ‘The Only’ in Corporate Spaces ([14:20])

  • Real talk: “There’s no pride in being ‘the only’… I wish there were other Black women around me in those rooms. It’s a very lonely place to be.” ([15:02])
  • Decision to always bring her full, authentic self—even if it ruffled feathers: “You’re gonna ‘other’ me anyway. I might as well come with my full self.” ([15:36])

• Building a Personal Brand in Corporate America ([18:17])

  • Met with accusations of arrogance, but asserts the importance of claiming and publicly owning accomplishments:
    • “Brand building is not you sitting back and letting you know, other people give you the recognition, because that will never come, ever.” ([19:48])
    • Encourages all women, especially Black women, to be vocal about wins and contributions.

3. Major Life Pivots & Trusting Intuition

• Hollywood Transition & Real Housewives ([21:54])

  • Against the advice of many, accepted offer to join RHOBH, trusting her instincts over external doubts.
  • Track record of pivotal, intuition-driven moves: leaving jobs, writing her book, launching new ventures.

• On Following Her Gut ([24:14])

  • “Intuition has guided me better than any external voice…The moments in time where I’ve trusted it have turned out better than other people anticipated.” ([22:18])
  • Example: Leaving Pepsi shortly after her husband passed led to a transformative ride—Beats by Dre, then Apple, then Apple Music keynote fame ([24:57]).
  • “If I hadn’t followed my intuition, none of those things would have happened.” ([26:24])
  • “I trust my destiny. I know there’s so much greatness in it. I’m not even anywhere near done.” ([47:46])
  • On knowing when to pivot: “Your intuition is your future self.” ([48:22])

4. Vulnerability, Motherhood, and Love

• Fertility, Health, and Representation on TV ([30:23])

  • Brave choice to show her fibroid surgery on TV, breaking taboos common among Black women.
  • “I felt it’s so important to open the door, kick it down… Why should we be ashamed about it?” ([31:34])
  • The decision sparked an outpouring of support and connection from viewers.

• Motherhood as Greatest Achievement ([40:28])

  • “I don’t just mother her [Lael] as an obligation… she has pushed every single assumption I’ve made about myself.” ([41:08])
  • Giving her daughter possibilities and pride motivates Bozoma’s boldest moves.

• New Love and Black Women Thriving ([43:11])

  • On getting engaged again: “It is difficult for us to find people who appreciate, celebrate, and respect [our success] without feeling inferior… Keely has all of that.” ([45:05])
  • “With therapy and Jesus, I am in this amazing place.” ([44:12])

5. Beauty, Glamour, and Self-Care Rituals

• On Beauty Confidence ([34:00])

  • “Some people are afraid to step into their glamour… But you’ve always been loud and proud about the beauty of it all.” (Brooke, [34:19])
  • Bozoma recommends starting with the outfit for red carpet looks, followed by hair, then accessories.

• Favorite Products and Rituals

  • Foundation: Lancôme - “They’ve always got my color right.” ([35:13])
  • Blush: MAC (esp. MAC Raisin for deeper tones) ([35:44])
  • African Sapo bath net: “If you take nothing else out of this conversation, please get yourself a sapo net. It will exfoliate your entire body.” ([36:11])
  • Drugstore loyalty: Eucerin lotion, Olay on the face ([36:42])
  • Minimal skincare: “I don’t have seven steps of skincare. I love it. So I’m here with the $7.99!” ([36:59])

• Eve by Bows: Self-Funding and Principles First ([37:05])

  • Forbes’ focus was on how much she’d raise, but Bozoma wanted full control: “I don’t want their money. I can get it. I don’t want it because I don’t want nobody to tell me what to do.” ([38:53])
  • Funded the brand herself, sold stock from every company she’s worked for to do it on her own terms ([39:56])

6. Reinvention, Purpose, and Listening to Your Inner Voice

• Knowing When to Move On ([46:06])

  • “You have to jump… The greatness doesn’t come to you when you’re sitting in safety. They say that ships were not built to sit at harbor, they were built to be out at sea.” ([46:51])
  • Ties the act of pivoting in life to trusting one’s intuition and destiny.

• Future Self as Guide ([48:13])

  • “It is a gift from both God and the future self…when you feel that calling, it is your future self telling you it’s time to go.” ([48:14])
  • “I believe 20-year-old me could hear 49-year-old me. And that is why I did it.” ([48:48])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Early Identity:
  “If somebody is corrected three times and they still get it wrong, they don’t really care about me.” (Bose, [05:10])

• On Being ‘the Only’ at Work:
  “There’s no pride in being ‘the only’… It’s a very lonely place to be.” (Bose, [15:02])

• On Brand Building:
  “Brand building is not you sitting back and letting…other people give you the recognition, because that will never come, ever.” (Bose, [19:48])

• On Career Courage:
  “If I hadn’t followed my intuition, none of those things would have happened.” (Bose, [26:24])

• On Self-Funded Entrepreneurship:
  “I don’t want their money… I want to move the way I want to move. I’m tired of being told how to do something.” (Bose, [38:53])

• On the Power of Intuition:
  “Your intuition is your future self telegraphing a message… Move.” (Bose, [48:29])

• On Beauty:
  “I feel most beautiful when I look in the mirror… I look at all of that and I think, I’m so dope.” (Bose, [51:37])

• On Motherhood’s Impact:
  “Being a mother to her has just pushed me to be the greatest version of myself.” (Bose, [42:31])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [04:02] Early life, adaptive skills, and the importance of name
• [06:43] Self-image, Western beauty standards, and early confidence
• [11:05] Career expectations vs. real ambitions
• [14:20] Being “the only” in corporate America
• [18:17] Corporate brand building and criticisms
• [21:54] Pivoting from C-suite to reality TV (RHOBH)
• [24:14] Following her intuition through career/life transitions
• [30:23] Fertility, reproductive health, and openness on TV
• [34:00] Beauty routines, favorite products, and hair wisdom
• [37:05] Launching Eve by Bows and the decision to self-fund
• [40:28] Raising her daughter and how it fuels her ambition
• [43:11] Love after loss and the challenge of successful Black women dating
• [46:06] Reinvention, walking away, and trusting intuition
• [48:13] Future self as guide to life’s next chapter
• [51:37] “When do you feel most beautiful?”

Tone and Atmosphere

Authentic, bold, and inspiring—full of laughter, warmth, and unapologetic truth-telling, with Bozoma’s signature confidence and candor shining throughout. Both host and guest regularly affirm each other, fostering a sense of genuine sisterhood and celebration.

Ideal for anyone seeking inspiration to trust their path, transcend expectations, redefine beauty, and lead authentically—especially women looking to boldly own their space and destiny.