Bozoma Saint John is best known for displaying her marketing chops at massive corporations including, PepsiCo, Beats, Apple, Uber, and currently Endeavor. The chief marking officer will now grace our television screens in a completely different way, showcasing her own brand with a new documentary series on Starz Network entitled, Being Badass.
It is said to be “a mix between Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Mister Rogers, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.” In a statement recently released to Fast Company, Saint John said
the series’ underlying message is “to show up wholly as ourselves, especially for anyone who feels ‘other-ed’ and that you don’t have the allowance to be fully yourself.” She added, “I’ve had a lot of great feedback from different types of people who have said they appreciate that I’m able to be exactly who I am in all these spaces, even if I’m the one and only.”This show aims to be aspirational, inspirational, and motivational, but not without its highs and lows. Topics will span across her business and personal life and will showcase her love of fashion and address the challenges of being a single, working mother, and widowed. Saint John’s husband passed away over five years ago after a battle with cancer. Saint John, who graced the cover of BLACK ENTERPRISE last year, will interview folks in similar situations to gain their perspectives.
Bozoma Saint John (center) on the cover of the January/February 2017 edition of Black Enterprise Magazine“I don’t agree with the line that says you walk into an office and you leave yourself outside,” Saint John continued. “I hope this show inspires people to celebrate all the parts of themselves that perhaps are rough around the edges. There’s something we can learn from each other, even if we’ve been through some things that are tough, or we love things that we think are frivolous. All those things are worthy of celebration and exploration.”
In addition to sharing her bold personal stories, there is also a tech element to this: Saint John will dive into her previous positions at Uber and Apple and where she believes innovation will happen next.
The show is set to air next year but is currently in production.