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Bozoma St. John
Taking control of your career is empowering. Just don't tell my boss I said that. Building a career just isn't about a job. It's about creating a path that impacts our community and future generations. Whether you're starting out or making big moves, State Farm is here to support you with resources to help protect what you're working hard to achieve. They've got your back every step of the way. Because, like a good neighbor, stay Farm is there. Find out more@state farm.com tired of restless nights?
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Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is back at the Daily show, and he's bringing his signature wit and insight straight to your ears with the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. Dive into John's unique take on the biggest topics in politics, entertainment, sports, and more. Joined by the sharp voices of the show's correspondence and contributors, and with extended interviews and exclusive weekly headline roundups, this podcast gives you content you won't find anywhere else. Ready to laugh and stay informed? Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts?
Tomer Cohen
I'm Tomer Cohen, LinkedIn's chief product officer. If you're just as curious as I am about the way things are built, then tune in to my podcast, Building One. I speak with some of the best product builders out.
Bozoma St. John
I've always been inspired by frustration. It came back to my own personal pain point, so we had to go out to farmers and convince them. Following that curiosity is a superpower.
Unknown
You have to be obsessed with the human condition.
Bozoma St. John
Listen to Building One on the iHeartRadio app, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Tomer Cohen
Wake that ass up early in the morning.
DJ Envy
The Breakfast Club Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy Jess. Hilarious Charlamagne Tha God we are the breakfast club. Lauren LaRosa. Fill it in for Jesse. And we got a special guest in the building. We have Bozema St. John. Welcome back.
Bozoma St. John
How are you? Thank you, thank you. I'm doing all right.
Tomer Cohen
How you feeling?
Bozoma St. John
Thank you Nice to see you.
Tomer Cohen
I'm sending you positive energy and love and light, because, you know, we just saw that you lost your house in the LA Wildfire.
Bozoma St. John
Yes. Right. In Malibu.
Tomer Cohen
In Malibu. And you said you found that on social media?
Bozoma St. John
Yes. Found out on Twitter, a video.
DJ Envy
Yikes.
Bozoma St. John
Yeah. Somebody just driving down pch and I was like, oh, that's my intersection. Oh, shit, there's no house.
Tomer Cohen
Damn.
Bozoma St. John
Yeah.
DJ Envy
Did you get a chance to go back to see whatever was there to rubble, if you could find anything?
Bozoma St. John
I haven't been able to be back yet, so it's like, you know, everybody's just waiting to see when we're allowed to go back and see what is left. Although, you know, there's nothing left. But I think there's still something about the grief process where you just need to see it.
DJ Envy
Right.
Bozoma St. John
Just to know yourself that it's totally gone.
Tomer Cohen
I was gonna ask you that. Do you feel like, is it a grief?
Bozoma St. John
It is a grief. Yeah. Because it's a loss. It's a big loss. You know, it's like, I think, you know, people have said things like, oh, well, at least you have your life and, you know, it's just things and you can replace it. I'm just like, you know how long it took me to get there? 25 years of hard work.
DJ Envy
Did you lose pictures, passports, all that?
Bozoma St. John
Like, so many things.
DJ Envy
But when you evacuated, what were you able to grab, if anything?
Bozoma St. John
Nothing. Well, first of all, I wasn't even in the country you were in. I was in Zambia.
Yeah. For your birthday, right?
Yes.
Happy belated.
Thank you so much.
Tomer Cohen
22.
Bozoma St. John
Yeah. Thank you. Ooh, that's a lie. But it was like. It was just. It was so scary and overwhelming because, you know, all you know is that the fires are coming. You don't know which direction they're going in. And the evacuations happen so quickly that, you know, the people who are in their homes, like, really, you don't have time to think. I think we've all had that moment, right, where you've been like, oh, you know, it's like, if there was something like, who would you save? Or what would you take? And you make those theories, but in reality, it doesn't work like that. There's just panic. And for me, since I was so far away, there was really nothing I could do, and who's I gonna send to go get my stuff? I was gonna do that, you know, so you gotta let it burn.
DJ Envy
Did you see online, which I thought was horrible and distasteful, people were Saying, you know, when rich people or wealthy people were losing their cribs, good for them. They could get another one and all that, you know? And I'm thinking, like, it doesn't matter if you're wealthy. If you're not, you're losing things that care and mean the most to you. So how did you feel when you seen that? Like, now you just lost all your property, you lost all your things, and then you see this online.
Bozoma St. John
Well, it pisses me off. Cause it's like, who you think gave me the house, right? You know, you think somebody just came here and gave me the house. You don't know that I worked for it. So what if you worked for it? You should just lose it, and it should be all right. No, of course I'm sad. I cry. I'm mad. It's like, yes, of course I'm in a better position because I will be able to replace things. I will be able to rebuild. But who wants to do that?
Tomer Cohen
That's right.
Bozoma St. John
You know, we got enough going on. I don't want to have to do that, too. Like, can I get some peace? Just want some rest. And so it's like. It makes me upset when people say stuff like that.
DJ Envy
What was the most important thing, or the one thing that you. You are so upset that you couldn't get or that you missed out on or you lost?
Bozoma St. John
You know, to be honest with you, I haven't even really thought that far into it. I think it would be too overwhelming for me right now, you know, to. But, like, what happens is that every once in a while, I'm just like, ah, damn, that thing was over there.
DJ Envy
That was there.
Bozoma St. John
You know what I mean? Like, you know, I go reach for something, it's gone. You know? And that's the part that is really upsetting because it could be such small things, you know? And then there's, like, the really big stuff that, you know, you can't replace.
DJ Envy
You know, me and my wife were talking the other day when we seen her. We were like, you know, what would we grab? Like, we tried to start setting things up in the house. And then she's like, well, I gotta go get the photo albums. I gotta get the pictures. I need the memories. And then she was like, but damn, what about the kid's first outfit? You wanna be able to pass that on? And then you're thinking, what about this?
Tomer Cohen
What about the kids? Y'all got 13 of them.
Bozoma St. John
You know what?
Tomer Cohen
It's just two of y'all.
Bozoma St. John
How's she dealing with all of this. Cause she's young and explaining it to her.
She's 15, and I think it's. I mean, it's a tough time. You know, it's already. You're already a teenager with all these emotions going on, you know? But she has friends who've also lost their houses, so at least she has some community that she can talk to about shared experience. But, you know, how do you comfort a child who's like, well, what if the fire comes again?
Mm.
You know, then what? So it's just a tough thing. So I need to show.
Tomer Cohen
Yeah, yeah, go ahead.
DJ Envy
I was gonna ask what happens with school and living? Well, first of all, was that your main house? Cause you got money.
Bozoma St. John
Where you got my second house.
DJ Envy
Oh, your second house.
Bozoma St. John
Okay. Love that for you.
DJ Envy
All right.
Bozoma St. John
Yes.
Love it for you.
Thank you, sis.
Tomer Cohen
So they definitely not gonna feel sorry for you on Twitter.
Bozoma St. John
I feel like anybody. The only reason why I say that with you, I mean, I don't know any of the other celebrities personally, but for me, when I moved to la, you were one of the girls that, like, a lot of us were watching, like, when you were in marketing, and now you're on the show, and you worked hard for what you had. So I love that it's my second house, and you can still go through things as well, so.
Exactly. And the thing is that the second house is like, look, I still had to fight for that house. I still had to battle racist neighbors for that house. I still had to put my house in a trust inside of a trust, so nobody would know a single black woman was buying the house. And so I'm like, yes, it's my second house. But, like, look, I should have a third house. I should have a fourth house. All these people get it, so why can't I have it? And so, yeah, I get pissed when it's like, people are like, oh, well, that's all right. You know, you have another one. No, I want more, and we deserve more. So it's like, when I get it and then I lose it, I want everybody to be pissed off. It's like, you know, we don't get a chance to buy in these neighborhoods, and so when we do and then we lose it, we should all be pissed. Because then when it. What about when it's your turn and then you can't buy it.
Tomer Cohen
That's right. How are you able to show up and do this, though? Cause, I mean, the show must go on, right? You got your new beauty brand, E. Babas, you promoting the Reality show. But then you got all of this heaviness on you. How are you able to even show up and just do what you're doing right now?
Bozoma St. John
Well, unfortunately, I'm not unused to grief. Yeah, you know, it's like, I've. I've faced a lot of it in my life, and one thing I know for sure is that the sun's going to come up the next day, People are going to keep moving, and if you don't move with it, you'll get left behind, you know? And it's like, look, I think one of the things for me is that, yes, I do want to rebuild. Yes, I do want another house. Yes, I want more things in my life. And how am I going to get it? Nobody's going to give it to me.
Tomer Cohen
That's right.
Bozoma St. John
So I got to get up and go do the work myself.
DJ Envy
And what made you do Real Housewives in Beverly Hills? Why did you jump into that crazy thing?
Tomer Cohen
I know that's the first thing I said.
Bozoma St. John
I was like, why?
Announcement? I was like, I didn't think it was boredom. I just thought I was like, well, maybe this is gonna, like, lean into, like, future business goals.
Tomer Cohen
I said, she promoted something. I said, she got something.
DJ Envy
I said, bonuses.
Bozoma St. John
Bold.
She's so successful already. She's the girl for us girls. Why would she go over there with them people?
Well, you know what's so funny? The idea of being on the show is actually really interesting to me because I do feel like there's no representation for women like me or like us. You know, that it's like, look, the corporate girlies who are ambitious, who are smart, who are loyal and will defend their friends and all of that, they don't exist in this space. No disrespect to anybody else, but they just don't. And so I'm like, well, I've already represented in so many different spaces. Like, why not do it here and also work on a bigger platform and also do things that I want to do in a different way, so why not?
Tomer Cohen
I guess we always look at you as an executive. Like, I want to run down some of your resume. You were the global CMO of Netflix, CMO of Endeavor, CEO, CBO of Uber, head of marketing of Apple Music and itunes, head of music and entertainment marketing at Pepsi Core. Am I missing anything?
Bozoma St. John
I'm missing a whole lot.
DJ Envy
I'm missing a whole lot.
Bozoma St. John
God's favorite baby.
Tomer Cohen
So what would you say the key to all of that success has been? And do you prefer being behind the scenes or in front of the camera.
Bozoma St. John
Yeah. Oh, that's an interesting. I mean, I think the key to success always has been that I truly am myself. You know, I think that a lot of people like to say that it's hard to do, because when you're in these spaces, conformity is what wins. You know, you've got to just be like everybody else. You got to wear the gray suit like everybody else. But anybody who has seen my career or seen me walking around has known that, like, I am a black girl first and foremost. I represent exactly who I am. I don't try to pretend not to be. And so for me, it's like, that has been my key to differentiation and what has made me successful. And so now moving out of that space is just another unexpected thing. You know, it's like, look, you read my resume, and it sounds great, because people are like, oh, my gosh, you did that. And that, that. But it's like, if you were there with me day to day and were advising me, you'd see that people never cheered me on, even when I made jumps, like, people never did. So when I left Apple to go to Uber, people were like, why would you do that? Like, why would you leave Apple? And at the time I went to Uber was like, the company was going down in flames. They were like, why would you do that? And I was like, yeah, because first of all, y'all think that I'm getting these jobs as some sort of token. And so what I'm gonna show you is, actually, I'm the greatest marketer of life, and that a company that is on its knees, I'm going to help rebuild. And when I do that, you can't ask me another question. And then it's like, okay, I move from Uber to Endeavor, and then Endeavor to Netflix, and Netflix I joined right at the start of the pandemic. And people are like, oh, why would you do that? Like, it's such a big company. Like, the spotlight is on it. If you fail, you're gonna fail big. And I'm like, yeah, but if I can do that, then again, you can't ask me whether or not I can do this, right? Because now I've done it at four different companies. Who's gonna deny me? And then I was inducted into the Marketing hall of Fame. And I was like, yeah, okay, there. I'm done. Retire. Thank you.
DJ Envy
A Real Housewives franchise, N.J. and the Raptors is shooting down. So I guess you're there to save the Real Housewives franchise, because that franchise Seemed like it was going down well.
Bozoma St. John
I think that it deserves a reinvention. You know, I think the relationships between women has been really shown poorly in ways that are not helpful. I'm not saying that there's not conflict. There's always conflict. There's conflict in the boardroom. Okay. The fights I had in the boardroom were far scarier than any fight I've had on this damn show.
DJ Envy
Do you know any of those women or.
Tomer Cohen
Yup.
DJ Envy
Were you friends with them?
Bozoma St. John
I knew one of them, yeah.
Lisa Vanderpump. Oh, okay. Cause people thought that your connection to the show was Lisa Vanderpump, because you guys were at that.
I know we were, like, at one event together in la. Like, it was like you were the.
People in the picture, so they thought. I thought that maybe you knew her because she does so much business in Beverly Hills and then she ushered you into the show.
But no, no, no, no. Sudden. Because just socially got. You know, we know each other that way, but yeah. I just think that there are opportunities for us to continue to show the diversity in relationships with women. And I don't know that this is like a one trick thing, you know, we should have more ability to show the drama and conflict and the things that happen in your life that don't necessarily have to be with you. Just screaming and yelling at people needlessly.
Tomer Cohen
You know what comfortable feels like?
Bozoma St. John
Most do I know what comfortable feels like.
Tomer Cohen
Have you ever allowed yourself to get comfortable?
Bozoma St. John
I don't think in a workspace, no.
Tomer Cohen
Yeah, that's what I mean. In the workspace.
Bozoma St. John
Yeah. I haven't, no.
Why not?
I don't know. Because there isn't one. You know, not because I haven't allowed myself to, but because that's just death, you know, it's like if you get too comfortable in the corporate spaces, somebody's gonna come get you, you know? And I don't think that there's any nirvana for black people or especially black women in these spaces. And so I'm like, yeah, you always gotta watch your back. So I don't think I've ever been comfortable.
Tomer Cohen
No, I'm glad you said that too, because I feel the same way. And I think that sometimes when you get too comfortable, you start to play it safe. And then that's when I think all of these industries start to die out.
Bozoma St. John
Yes.
Tomer Cohen
Because you got people who are playing it safe. And my thing is, like, they probably gonna fire you if you play it safe, so you might as well take the risk, do something innovative.
Bozoma St. John
Yeah.
Tomer Cohen
Cause if you get fired doing that, at least you feel good about yourself.
Bozoma St. John
Yeah, well, Shawn, I've always said that, like, look, when I leave a space, I want you to know that I was there. Like, I will never leave a space. And you were just like, oh, was she even here at all? No, I gotta leave some sort of footprint. And so it's like, how am I gonna do that if not representing for who I am and my community and all of those things? Now, look, I recognize the fact that it is a burden to be in these spaces and to be the one. And people. You know, when something happens to black people, they turn to you and be like, oh, so what do you think we should do? And, yes, that is annoying. But at the same time, it's like, yeah, well, maybe that's why I'm actually in this room, to actually say the things that are hard to say and the things that they wouldn't know otherwise. And so, for me, the comfortability aspect has never really been part of what I have tried to achieve, because I know that that's not my destiny. That's not what I'm meant to do.
So are you staying in the room to do that? Because people think you're leaving the show because of the post that you put up on Instagram.
Are you leaving? No, I'm not leaving the show. I was about something else, but then my house burned down, so then I couldn't even talk about it, but.
Tomer Cohen
Oh, so you was gonna quit something else? You had an announcement coming?
Bozoma St. John
Yes. No, I was thinking about, like, life changes and things I need to do, not about the show at all.
Tomer Cohen
Gotcha. Yeah, but how will eliminate. Well, you see, Trump's in office now, and, you know, yes, all of these DEI initiatives are getting eliminated all across the country. How will that impact us black people?
Bozoma St. John
Oh, well, I mean, in a terribly adverse way, because, you know, everything is cyclical, you know, so it's like you just look at society and culture and realize that things just go back around and around and around. And so we are headed back into, like, the mid-80s, you know, with the idea that America was only great when you had, you know, a monolith, only, you know, a few people at the top who were going to make the decisions. White girls. Yeah. And so everything else has felt like you're taking away from that community and from those people. And so, yeah, it's like they're coming back to be like, hey, look, everybody get out. We need to make this country better, and we can't have all of these People telling us what to do. They're not even the majority. And so until we actually come together as multiples of communities, we're never going to be in power. And so that's the thing that always confuses me. I'm like, I realize that there are challenges for black people that are different from Latinos or different from Asian people or, you know, anybody else who's of color. But the challenge is that, like, we can't fight the battles individually. We really can't.
DJ Envy
I wanted to know, you know, from. We're proud of you as a community, from what you've done, what you've accomplished. But, you know, some people might not know the educational background and how you got there. So for people that's. That's in your field, that's admire you and want to say, damn, I want to even go a notch of what she did. How did you do it right? What is the education, right?
Bozoma St. John
Well, I mean, I have my bachelor's degree. You know, I don't have a master's degree. I decided after my bachelor's that I wanted to jump right into work, you know, that I had the opportunity to go to Spike Lee's advertising agency, which is where I got my start. And, you know, I think the difference with how I did it is that I never thought that a job was too small, you know, for me to actually, like, say that again.
DJ Envy
Because people, I don't think they heard you in the back. And did you get paid at first? You didn't get paid at first?
Bozoma St. John
Oh, God, I got to say it louder than, you got nothing. Got paid nothing. But, you know, the jobs were never too small. Like, I brought my full self to every single job. There was never a time where I was just like, you know what? When I get into that corner office, that's when I'm gonna do, da, da, da, da, da. No, I did that when I was an assistant. You know, it's like, you can ask Spike today, and he will tell you that, like, I crushed. In fact, like, when I was getting inducted into the hall of Fame, he did an interview, and he said he knew then that he would work for me one day.
Tomer Cohen
Wow.
Bozoma St. John
And that happened when I was at Netflix and he got an overall deal while I was the cmo, you know? And so for me, it's like, look, there's never been a moment in my career where I felt like, I can't wait for the next thing. I brought everything to the job I had. And so even now, as I sit here and doing this show, and all that. I'm bringing everything, everything I have because I want to be able to have the next opportunity and the next opportunity and the next opportunity.
Tomer Cohen
How do you know when the job's done? How do you know when your time at a place is complete?
Bozoma St. John
That's a very complicated question. I think some of it is intuition, you know, just feeling like the energy has shifted. So. But that requires knowing yourself and knowing what it is that you're trying to do and accomplish. You know, back to what I was saying about people not cheering for me when I was done with the job and moving to the next thing, because they always feel like they know when you should go. You know, they're like, oh, wait, but you didn't do that big thing, so you should. And I'm like, well, but I can feel it. I can see that either I'm not going to be able to do it because somebody's in my way, or there's something that has stopped me. And why stay in a place when you're going to have diminishing return? It's like, at some point, you've got to realize that you got to get out when you're on top, and that's how you keep at the top. You know, if you come down towards a decline, it is much harder to rise again. It's much easier to jump from top to top to top.
DJ Envy
Do you consider yourself an alpha woman?
Bozoma St. John
Absolutely. Yes.
DJ Envy
So with being an alpha woman, how is that in relationships?
Bozoma St. John
Do you feel like you have to.
DJ Envy
Submit a little bit? Do you feel like you have to fall back a little bit?
Tomer Cohen
You couldn't pass that question to Lauren? Huh?
Bozoma St. John
Huh?
Tomer Cohen
You couldn't pass that question to Lauren, huh?
Bozoma St. John
You don't.
DJ Envy
I'll tell you the truth.
Bozoma St. John
No.
DJ Envy
Because, you know, when it comes to.
Tomer Cohen
The real household, you can relate.
DJ Envy
No, you know what?
Tomer Cohen
No.
DJ Envy
My wife watches the show, so she's a fan, and she loves who you are. So she's always asked, like, damn, I wonder how is that in a relationship? Because she's very strong and she had that question. She also wanted to know, did you feel like those friendships on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills are real friendships, or.
Bozoma St. John
Do you think it's bullshit?
DJ Envy
But start with alpha.
Bozoma St. John
Start with alpha women. Okay, so here's the thing. I can't diminish who I am. It's not possible. So, yes, I want the soft girl life and the whole thing, and I can have that, too. But at the end of the day, this is who I am. You know, I walk into a Room. And I demand things. It is my energy and my aura. And so the need for a partner who is not threatened by that or not afraid of that is absolutely necessary, you know, so it's not necessarily about me dimming or getting quieter or being more subservient. It's that, like, who's just gonna match my energy? You know, my mom says every pot has a lid. And I feel like now I found a lid.
How did you know that, Keely? Because also, too. Not only is he coming, and you're like, already this super successful marketing hall of famer, but now he's having to be introduced on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Girls. Got questions. This is after your late husband as well. How did you usher him into all that? How did you know he was fit for that job?
Right. Well, also, I have to add that I also respect him a great deal, so that has to be at the bottom of it, you know, which is like, that's where we have to start. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. And so the conversation, even telling him that, like, hey, look, I'm. I'm on the show. Right. I would like you to be on the show, but let's talk about. On whether or not you feel comfortable doing it. And when he said he did, then I was like, all right, look, you haven't been in the scrutiny like I have, so we're gonna have to talk about what that looks like for you, you know, and so to me, it's like, there's a responsibility that I have to him, you know, in being my partner on being on the show, and therefore making sure that he's also protected. So perhaps that's even where the Alpha woman shows up. Is that, like, I feel that, you know, I want to be protected by him, but I also feel a responsibility to protect him as well. And as for the relationships on the show, look, I'm the first one to tell you that I really thought that these conversations were played up, you know, I thought it was.
DJ Envy
Oh, you thought they were producers just make it up.
Bozoma St. John
Yeah. You know, people would be like, oh, she talked about you. Da, da, da, da. And I was shocked to find out that the relationships are really real. So people get upset about real things, you know, and that you really don't know. It's just like life. Like, you don't know if somebody's talking about you behind your back. You do not know that. And so you're making assumptions based on the facts that are given to you. So you might be really nice to somebody. But yet she was over here talking about whatever it is that she wanted to talk about you and you didn't even know. And so you see it on screen later and people be like, oh, she should have known she was fake and this and that. You're just like, how would you know that? You'd have to be psychic. You wouldn't know. And so I am continuously learning about the relationships between the women and myself and then also how it appears on camera. Reunions are gonna be very interesting. That's all I know.
Tomer Cohen
Could you date a. Could you have a house husband? Like, if it was just a guy who.
Bozoma St. John
I don't think so.
Tomer Cohen
Wasn't as successful?
Bozoma St. John
No, I don't believe so. Yeah, I don't think so. I don't think so.
Tomer Cohen
He's a nice guy. He look good. He putting it down, he cooks, he clean, he keeps everything.
Bozoma St. John
I think it's probably more about mindset and ambition than anything else. You know, I'm just. I'm way too ambitious, I think, to have somebody who would not want to also be ambitious.
DJ Envy
Yeah, I also noticed on the show, they changed a lot on the show where. And I watched the show with my wife. That's our little thing. But I noticed on the show, when I do watch it, I love seeing them women bow down to you a little bit. Like they tiptoe around you and, you know, like you could.
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Tomer Cohen
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DJ Envy
Tell that they look for your approval. Do you notice that because it's a shift and it's a change.
Bozoma St. John
I do think it's a shift because I'm not like them. And so I think anytime somebody new or like a new situation presents itself, they're Also gonna be a little careful, you know? Cause you just don't know. You gotta test the water. Right now, if I come back for a second season, I think that would be a different situation. Cause now they know.
DJ Envy
They know you.
Bozoma St. John
Right, right. And they're like, oh, okay. So she's got her opinions. She can stand up for herself. And they'll have a different way to interact with me. I'm sure that's gonna happen.
Tomer Cohen
How did putting out your book, the Urgent Life, My story of love, loss and survival. How did that being vulnerable in that book prepare you to be vulnerable on reality tv?
Bozoma St. John
Oh, that's a great question. It was so hard to write my memoir, you know, it was so hard because I think what happens is that, you know, as I was saying, with grief, you know, you just want to get it behind you. You know, you want to feel better. You want to feel, quote unquote, normal. And what happens is that we don't realize that you put away the sadness and the fear and the anger and all those things, which also put away the happiness and the joy and all the good things that were a part of that, because your brain doesn't know how to separate any of those things. And so in writing the book, I had to go get all of that stuff back. I had to be really honest about how I was feeling in a situation or what was my true feelings about the thing in order to write an honest book. And I didn't feel like anyone would connect with it if I was just writing fiction. And that absolutely prepared me for this particular role. Because I don't have the need to hold back from my personal life. You know, so much of my life has been about my professional pursuits. And so in writing the book, I was able to talk about love. I was able to talk about things that made me cry and things that hurt me. And so now it's like, I can do that more comfortably because I've already done it by writing it.
How do you. This is a def. Back to the show stuff. How does it feel with you and Garcelle? Like, you guys are like the. The two black women on the show, right? And you already talked about, like, feeling like you're there to say certain things that people can't say or whatever the case may be. Does it make you feel like a token? You don't give the energy that you would just be okay with that. But does it make you feel like that? Do you ever have to be like to producers, like, no, I'm not doing that. It's Happening.
Yes, all the time. Well, the thing is that like, I don't necessarily have to tell producers I'm not gonna do whatever it is that. Cause they're not really orchestrating anything, you know. But I know that I'm not doing the thing that perhaps would be expected of me to do.
Right.
You know, it's like I often said that, you know, I wasn't going to come down into the mud. It's like if you have a conflict with me, you're gonna have to rise to where I am, you know, in order for me look. Yeah. I'm like, I'm not having petty disagreements, you know, it's like I have enough going on in that I don't need to go down into like some small little things now. You know, if there is conflict about what is right and how somebody is perceived or what I believe is like a indefensible thing. Yeah. Then I'm gonna talk about it.
Do you feel the need to like. Do you and Garcelle. I don't know what your relationship is off camera?
Yeah.
What is that? Like?
It's a good relationship.
Okay. Do you feel the need to defend her when certain things happen and she like. I know she was going through stuff where like they were attacking. Like I think it was her son or her kids.
Right, right, right.
Right now there's a lesbian common thing where people are draggin with Carl Richards.
Yeah. See, here's the other challenge is that like I feel like I can defend things when I am present. You know, it's like, I think it's a very thin line when you start to talk about stuff that you're not present for. I've already said, I said it publicly that like, if somebody has said something about my child, oh man, I don't know that we'd be friends today. You know, it's like I don't know that I can get over that. And I have yet to talk to Garcelle about how she got over that. You know, just because I just felt that like it just crossed such a line. And perhaps she is, you know, more evolved than I am.
Tomer Cohen
Maybe she hadn't gotten over it. She was waiting on her shot.
Bozoma St. John
Maybe, maybe she'd wait on her shot. I don't know. That's a good point. But I do think that, you know, for her and I. I hope that what people are seeing is that there, it's a possibility to be more than one type of black woman. You know, that like Arcel is an accomplished actress who has her own life and her own challenges and issues and the conflicts that she's had with the women don't necessarily have to be my conflicts because I don't have those conflicts with them. You know, I probably have my own. And so why is it that we can only have one? Like, I really hate the comments when people are like, oh, okay, Boz is here, now Garcelle can go. And I'm like, why? Why can't one of the white girls go? Like, why has it gotta be her? Why are we pitting she and I against each other? You know? So I'm like, no, there can be more of us in these spaces without having to be, oh, there's only one type and that's it.
Tomer Cohen
And I know you've experienced that too, being, you know, the head of marketing in all these places. Because they'll turn to you and say, what does a 17 year old black guy in Newark care about? Like, I ain't a 17 year old.
Bozoma St. John
I don't live in Newark.
Exactly, exactly.
Tomer Cohen
We've been in meetings like, so what does a black, a 32 year old black woman in Patterson think? I'm like, how the fuck would I do that?
Bozoma St. John
How do you know that? Exactly. I'm like, that's why you have research.
Tomer Cohen
Okay.
Bozoma St. John
You have research departments.
Tomer Cohen
Yes.
Bozoma St. John
Go do your job.
Tomer Cohen
Yes.
Bozoma St. John
Right.
Tomer Cohen
Or I just bring some 32 year old black women in.
Bozoma St. John
Or do that. Yes, that part. That's a better answer.
DJ Envy
That's part of the research, though.
Bozoma St. John
Yep. But you're right. Yeah.
DJ Envy
Now, I have one other question. You know, with the fires in la, who do you blame? If you blame anybody, do you blame the government for not having enough water? The city, the town? Do you blame? Who do you blame?
Bozoma St. John
Mm. Well, God and I have had this discussion because I don't really delve into conspiracy theories and do all of that stuff. Now, look, I think our public officials have a job to do to ensure that, you know, the response teams have what they need in order to do the things. But like, if you saw any video of Los Angeles on fire, you knew that was Armageddon. I mean, it was just. I don't.
Tomer Cohen
Apocalyptic.
Bozoma St. John
Yeah. It's like, I don't know that there was any amount of water that could have saved a majority of the houses. You know, it's like people were taking their own hoses and, you know, like wetting their houses. And then the thing was dry in like five minutes because of the heat of the fire. So I don't know that I lay blame on a human. You know, I'M like, that's why there's insurance. And it's called the act of God.
DJ Envy
Gotcha now.
Bozoma St. John
Are you still going back to the show again? I'll be watching the show you had talked about. You're using the platform for stuff like being able to talk about like, fibroids. And I thought it was interesting because you mentioned that you weren't in like a dire situation where it's like you're in pain and you had to. You're just planning because you want to have another kid potentially. Right?
Yeah.
How you feeling? Like today?
Yeah, I feel really good today. I'm just glad that I was able to talk about that publicly because, you know, I don't know why it is that when we talk about reproductive health, especially for black women, it's like this point of shame.
Yeah.
You know, it's like, I don't know how many people sent me messages, commented on the post, like, friends who were texting me and being like, girl, I went through that last year. I'm like, why did I not know that? You know, it's like there's some strange shame that's associated with it, as if, like, we're not good enough or that we're not whole women because you have fibroids and you've gotta get that removed in order to have any kind of. You can't reproduce at all.
Right.
And so I'm just like, wait. But no, this is a health issue, you know, and it's like, if we take care of that, we take care of ourselves, we will be in better shape. And I don't know that there's any benefit to hiding any of that.
I think you also brought up a good conversation too, because one of the things you said was like, I'm not getting any younger, so I wanna make these plans now.
That's right.
Have you been having conversations with those same people about, you know, just you're not getting younger, but you do wanna have another kid right now and what.
That looks like for you and how.
You'Re planning for that.
Yeah, I mean, Keely and I of course talked about it. You know, my daughter and I talked about it because, you know, well, they're the two people who'll be impacted. I don't really care about anybody else's opinions, but for me it was really important to talk about the risks because I did not have easy pregnancies in the past. And so I wanted to make sure that I am in the healthiest place that I can be. And again, thank God that I'M in a position to have insurance and, you know, the access to healthcare and we know what black maternal health looks like. It is dire. You know, it's like we're dying at a rate faster than everybody. So for me, it's like, look, I wanted to be able to use this show to talk about health, to talk about my reproductive health. And then also I do think that there's a conversation to be had for the corporate girls who've waited a long time to have their babies.
Your baby is 15 years old, right?
Yeah, exactly.
And you can start all over again right now.
Yep, I would. And I think that there's a lot of women who are doing that. You know, it's like, I look at a majority of my friends who are in their mid-40s and a lot of them don't have children yet. Some of them haven't gotten married yet either because they were focused on their careers and didn't, you know, make that commitment or they didn't find partners who could manage their alphaness or whatever the reason is, but who want families. And so I'm like, again, there is no shame in that. It's like you can say it out loud that I want a baby or I want a family and then take the steps to get it. I just think we should remove the shame from it. So, yeah, I'm gonna be an old ass mom, but I'm gonna do it.
Tomer Cohen
I got one. Go ahead.
Bozoma St. John
I was gonna ask. You mentioned marriage.
Yes.
And I know that, you know, you've been married before. Now you and Keely are together, it seems like. I saw y'all pictures your way. Is that gonna be. Is that a conversation for y'all right now?
Yes, it is a conversation. Well, because I want to have a family in a nuclear unit.
Got you.
So I wanna be married and then have babies.
So we gonna see an engagement on the show.
Look, Ch, girl, you talk to him. Where's he at?
Tomer Cohen
How do you keep Keely from getting gassed up? Cause of the TV show. Cause the camera's in front of him getting a little hot now.
Bozoma St. John
You know what? I think that. I think I'd probably. If I didn't know that he would be all right, I probably wouldn't have wanted to be with him in the first place, you know? Cause you gotta have a level head. You can't let anybody make you feel like, aw, now I'm big man on campus. You know, that can't be the way we behave. So I trust that he's level headed enough to Take everything with a grain of salt.
Tomer Cohen
Absolutely.
Bozoma St. John
You know, people love you one day, they're gonna hate you the next day.
Unknown
That's right.
Bozoma St. John
Look, you just gotta take it as it comes.
Y'all should get the T shirts. Keely. My mia. My mia.
Mami.
DJ Envy
We appreciate that.
Tomer Cohen
I got one last question about DEI, because, you know, to me, these corporate DEI initiatives have always been some BS because, like, the number of black CEOs never increased the money corporations, you know, pledged to all these black organizations, they never gave that out. And I think it was easy for them to get rid of them because they never wanted them to begin with.
Bozoma St. John
Whoa. Yeah.
Tomer Cohen
So I keep saying real DEI has to be created by us. What did that look like?
Bozoma St. John
I completely agree. And the other issue, and nobody wants to talk about this, is that the DEI offices never were funded. And so it's like, as a cmo, I had a billion dollars to spend. My DEI partner, Chief Diversity Officer, zero budget. Wow. And so you had all these companies and organizations where those officers would have to go asking for money for their projects. Now, if I have the ROI on what I'm doing with my money, why would I give it to you? I don't know what you're gonna do with it, and I don't know that you're really going to turn it into more profit, because you probably can't. And so how am I going to trace that? The money I assign to you is going to do the thing. So most of the time, those DI officers didn't get any money at all.
Tomer Cohen
Wow.
Bozoma St. John
And so I don't know how you succeed. I think the whole system was set up for failure. And so, yes, I agree with you in that it does have to start with us. It has to start with executives who are currently in roles who are afraid to hire black and brown people because they don't want to look like they have bias. And I'm like, no, you should have bias. That is actually your job in that role. So even though, like, in the roles, I never had DEI against my name, I absolutely put that as part of what I want to do. Increase the number of my employees and the people on my team who were black and brown or othered, that I don't have the perspective of theirs and I need it in order to do the job well. So it just made mathematical and business sense. But also that we have to look at the other offices and make sure that those folks are also feeling the responsibility of promoting dni, of doing the work. Because once those officers go, don't Think that you're safe.
Tomer Cohen
That's right. That's right.
Bozoma St. John
I got one more. I got one more show question. Yes. Do you. So I know that there was an episode that aired yesterday. I didn't get to see the episode, but y'all were at the. Y'all did, like, the tranquil spa day.
Yes.
And they were talking about my text messages.
Yes. The serenity soiree.
Yes. Do you still feel like Kyle Richards was on bs? You do?
Yes, I do. Yeah.
So you think she was trying to take old girl's husband?
No, no, no, no. I don't think she was trying to take her man.
What do you think?
But I do think that she was talking trash about her. Why?
She was saying, like, what is the overall goal then, do you think, to, like.
Because they were friends. And if you're talking about, like, I'm gonna put myself in the shoes because that's how I reviewed it. I'm like, look, if you're gonna say something about me, you should just say it to my face. No. You know, but don't go say it to my man and then say that you're gonna keep it a secret and.
They'Re separating at the same time that you're saying.
I'm like, so. Well, whose side are you on? You know, I just think that that breaks the girl code.
And then in real life, does that make you and Kyle Richards now y'all are at odds? Or like, she.
Well, you have to watch the rest of the season.
It's my last fan question.
Well, it's been great. Thank you.
DJ Envy
Well, we appreciate you for joining us.
Tomer Cohen
So much, Eve, my boss.
Bozoma St. John
Oh, yes, yes, yes. Well, so. Yes. So, by the way, when I retired from corporate life and promoted my book and all those things, I thought that, like, okay, that was it. I'm done. But interestingly enough, like, like it or not, my hair has always been a topic of conversation in my corporate career. I mean, it's like when I did the Apple keynote, I was the first black person to present technology on that stage. And half of the tweets that night were about my hair. And I have always been an advocate of being able to use the laws and the rules that have been written, whether it's the Crown act or anything else which allows for you to be fired or suspended from school if your hair isn't straight or whatever. Those rules still exist on the books and figure out, like, well, how can I celebrate that? How can I encourage us? How can I make sure that, yeah, if I wanna wear my hair Any kind of way I want. Let me do it the way I wanna do it. And when I looked at the hair extension industry, 80% of the consumer base is black women or women of color. Yet we don't have any ownership in manufacturing and distribution, in innovation. So I'm like, why is a lace white? Like, I could see your lace. Yes, because it's white.
You know what I mean?
Like, why? And look, you could go on YouTube or Google it and you'll find 14 million videos of black women kitchen chemists who are out here telling you how to lay your lace and make the color like you. And I'm just like, why is that? So I went to China by myself and to the biggest hair show in the world and just walked around and asked questions. And then when I realized that, like, oh, wait, hold on. This is actually an industry that's making a lot of money, but we're not anywhere in the seats, I was like, well, I'm gonna do it myself. I'm gonna get in there. So I built a factory in Ghana. I started manufacturing, and then now I'm selling it to the world.
How is it gonna impact your business with Trump and the new administration and stuff?
Well, look, as long as the. Exactly. As long as the tariffs uphold, I'll be fine. But the good news is that there are really great trade agreements between Africa and the US and the uk and so I can distribute anywhere I want.
Tomer Cohen
But you said build. You said you built a factory.
Bozoma St. John
Yeah, I did.
Girls just be getting vendor list. You went and built a factory?
No, I built a factory because the thing is, I also didn't want to argue with people. I'm tired of that. You know, I'm like, look, and I used every dime of my own money to build it. I didn't ask for any investors. I was like, you know, again, I've worked for 25 years. It's like I have all these stocks and all these companies. It's like, why not invest it in what's going to help us and what's gonna be better for us?
DJ Envy
That's right. Wow.
Tomer Cohen
So how did they buy some Eve?
Bozoma St. John
Www.evebybows.com evebotboes.com you have it, Bose.
Tomer Cohen
I'm going to say, why did they give you so much based off the Eve?
Bozoma St. John
Well, yes, a few reasons. My first child actually did not survive her delivery day. Her name was Eve. Sorry to hear. And also the Eve in the Bible and the Eve in science all originated from the continent of Africa.
Tomer Cohen
That's right.
Bozoma St. John
And so I was like, you know what? We are the original woman. And so we're gonna take back that narrative too. Cause when I looked at all the pictures for Eve, as I was, like, concepting the brand, all them were pale and redheaded, I was like, why is that? Where's the black Eve at? So I was like, all right, that's gonna be the name of the company.
Tomer Cohen
Amazing.
Bozoma St. John
Yeah.
DJ Envy
Ozuma St. John, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much.
Bozoma St. John
Thank you for having me. It's the Breakfast Club.
DJ Envy
Good morning.
Tomer Cohen
Wake that ass up early in the morning.
Bozoma St. John
The Breakfast Club.
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is back at the Daily show, and he's bringing his signature wit and insight straight to your ears with the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. Dive into John's unique take on the biggest topics in politics, entertainment, sports, and more. Joined by the sharp voices of the show's correspondence and contributors, and with extended interviews and exclusive weekly headline roundups, this podcast gives you content you won't find anywhere else. Ready to laugh and stay informed? Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Tomer Cohen
I'm Tomer Cohen, LinkedIn's chief product officer. If you're just as curious as I am about the way things are built, then tune in to my podcast, Building One. I speak with some of the best product builders out there.
Bozoma St. John
I've always been inspired by frustration. It came back to my own personal pain point, so we had to go out to farmers and convince them. Following that, curiosity is a superpower.
Unknown
You have to be obsessed with the human condition.
Bozoma St. John
Listen to building one on the iHeartRadio app, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Tomer Cohen
Happy holidays from me, Michael Rapoport, and my gift to you is a free subscription to the I Am Rappaport Stereo podcast, where I discuss entertainment, sports, politics, and anything and everything that catches my attention. I am here to call it as I see it, and there's a whole lot of things catching my eyes these days. Listen to the I Am Rappaport Stereo podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast and wherever you get your podcast.
I
Hey, y'all, Nimini here. I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Executive produced by QU Love the Story Pirates and John Glickman, Historical Records brings history to life through hip hop.
Tomer Cohen
Smash, slam, Another one gone.
Bozoma St. John
Bash bam.
Tomer Cohen
Another one gone.
Bozoma St. John
The cracker, the bat, and another one gone.
Tomer Cohen
The tip of the cap Cause another one gone.
I
Each episode is about a different inspiring figure from history, like this one about Claudette Colvin a 15 year old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing. Check it. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to historical records. Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to historical records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club Featuring Bozoma Saint John
Release Date: January 23, 2025
Episode: INTERVIEW: Bozoma Saint John On Embracing Change, Dating As An Alpha Female, New Beauty Line, RHOBH + More
Host/Authors: DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha God, Lauren LaRosa
Guest: Bozoma Saint John
In this compelling episode of The Breakfast Club, Bozoma Saint John, a trailblazing figure in the marketing world, joins hosts DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha God, and Lauren LaRosa for an in-depth conversation. Bozoma delves into her personal and professional journey, discussing everything from navigating grief after losing her home in the LA wildfires to her groundbreaking role in reality TV as one of the few Black women on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH). She also shares insights into her new beauty line, her perspectives on being an alpha female in relationships, and her views on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in corporate environments.
Bozoma opens up about the emotional turmoil following the loss of her Malibu home in the devastating LA wildfires. She recounts discovering the destruction through a Twitter video, expressing the profound grief associated with losing not just property but also 25 years of hard work accumulated in her career.
Bozoma Saint John [02:04]: "I've always been inspired by frustration. It came back to my own personal pain point, so we had to go out to farmers and convince them. Following that curiosity is a superpower."
She emphasizes the importance of the grief process, stating the need to confront loss to truly heal.
Bozoma Saint John [03:17]: "It is a grief. Yeah. Because it's a loss. It's a big loss."
Bozoma reflects on her illustrious career, highlighting her roles as Global CMO of Netflix, CMO of Endeavor, CEO/CBO of Uber, Head of Marketing at Apple Music and iTunes, and Head of Music and Entertainment Marketing at PepsiCo. She attributes her success to authenticity and refusing to conform to corporate stereotypes.
Bozoma Saint John [10:03]: "I truly am myself. I represent exactly who I am. I don't try to pretend not to be. That has been my key to differentiation and what has made me successful."
Bozoma discusses her strategic career moves, often joining organizations in need of restructuring, thereby proving her prowess as a marketer.
Bozoma Saint John [11:58]: "I joined right at the start of the pandemic. If I can do that at four different companies, who's gonna deny me?"
Addressing her foray into Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Bozoma explains her motivation to bring authentic representation of corporate women to the show. She critiques the lack of portrayal for women like her—ambitious, loyal, and fierce—within the reality TV landscape.
Bozoma Saint John [09:40]: "There's no representation for women like me or like us. Corporate girlies who are ambitious, smart, loyal—they don't exist in this space."
Bozoma expresses her desire to diversify the narrative, moving away from the typical drama-centric portrayal to showcase multifaceted Black women.
Bozoma offers a candid critique of corporate DEI initiatives, highlighting systemic failures such as inadequate funding and tokenism. She stresses that genuine DEI must be spearheaded by individuals within the community rather than imposed externally.
Bozoma Saint John [38:09]: "DEI initiatives have to be created by us. The DEI offices were never funded properly. It's a system set up for failure."
She advocates for executives to embrace their biases as tools for fostering true inclusion rather than mere checkboxes.
Bozoma Saint John [38:57]: "Those officers would have to go asking for money for their projects. The whole system was set up for failure."
Bozoma discusses the dynamics of being an alpha woman in personal relationships. She emphasizes the necessity of having a partner who matches her energy and ambition rather than one who attempts to diminish her strength.
Bozoma Saint John [20:03]: "I can't diminish who I am. I walk into a room and I demand things. I need a partner who is not threatened by that."
She shares her experiences around marriage and the desire to build a family, highlighting the challenges of maintaining authenticity while seeking companionship.
Bozoma talks about the emotional journey of writing her memoir, The Urgent Life: My Story of Love, Loss, and Survival. She reveals how confronting her deepest emotions through writing prepared her for the candidness required on RHOBH.
Bozoma Saint John [27:39]: "In writing the book, I had to go get all of that stuff back. I had to be really honest about how I was feeling."
This vulnerability translates into her reality TV persona, allowing her to share personal struggles without reservation.
Bozoma introduces her new beauty line, Eve by Bozoma St. John, aimed at revolutionizing the hair extension industry. She critiques the lack of Black ownership in manufacturing and distribution, prompting her to establish a factory in Ghana to ensure authentic representation and quality.
Bozoma Saint John [42:13]: "I've always been an advocate of being able to use the laws and the rules that have been written to celebrate and encourage us."
She explains the significance of the name "Eve" as a reclaiming of the narrative around Black women, contrasting it with the predominantly white representation in traditional branding.
Bozoma Saint John [43:58]: "We're the original woman. We're gonna take back that narrative too."
Bozoma addresses the challenges of navigating friendships and conflicts on RHOBH. She distinguishes between real-life relationships and on-screen drama, advocating for genuine interactions over manufactured conflicts.
Bozoma Saint John [29:40]: "I have a good relationship off-camera with Garcelle. We support each other without the need to engage in unnecessary drama."
She emphasizes the importance of maintaining respect and authenticity, even when faced with personal attacks or public scrutiny.
Bozoma shares her aspirations for personal growth and future endeavors. She speaks about her plans to start a family and continue breaking barriers in both the corporate and entertainment worlds.
Bozoma Saint John [36:55]: "I want to have a family in a nuclear unit. So we're gonna see an engagement on the show."
Her commitment to growth is evident as she balances her roles as a business leader, mother, and reality TV star.
Bozoma Saint John's interview on The Breakfast Club offers a profound glimpse into the life of an alpha female navigating immense professional success, personal loss, and the challenges of authentic representation in media. Her unwavering commitment to her identity, coupled with her entrepreneurial spirit, makes her a role model for many aspiring leaders. Bozoma's insights on DEI, vulnerability, and the importance of authenticity provide valuable lessons for both individuals and organizations striving for genuine inclusivity and personal growth.
Notable Quotes:
Bozoma Saint John [03:14]: "I think there's still something about the grief process where you just need to see it."
Bozoma Saint John [10:03]: "I truly am myself. I represent exactly who I am."
Bozoma Saint John [38:09]: "DEI initiatives have to be created by us."
Bozoma Saint John [42:15]: "We're the original woman. We're gonna take back that narrative too."
Bozoma Saint John [27:39]: "In writing the book, I had to be really honest about how I was feeling."
This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the episode, providing a comprehensive overview for those who haven't had the chance to listen.