Interview with Bonita C. Stewart & Jacqueline Adams, authors of ‘A Blessing’

Hot on the heels of the audiobook release for A Blessing: Women of Color Teaming Up to Lead, Empower and Thrive, I chatted with authors Bonita C. Stewart and Jacqueline Adams about the need for diversity in our workplaces. If you’re looking for a perfect choice this Black History Month (and beyond), look no further than this well-researched and deeply personal call to action.

*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Listen in full to the complete interview by playing the video above!*

Audiobooks.com: Let’s start with the book’s title, which is a really powerful metaphor. Tell us about unicorns, blessings, and why you decided to write this book.

Bonita: So nice to be with you, Jemma, to discuss the exciting launch of our audiobook this week of A Blessing: Women of Color Teaming Up to Lead, Empower and Thrive. In our careers, we have often been the only woman of color in a room. I was the first African-American female vice president at Google, and Jackie was the first African-American female correspondent whom CBS News assigned full-time to the White House. So given that we were first, we have often been considered “unicorns”: rare and valuable beings. Like a flock of geese, a group of unicorns, in fact, is called a blessing. And so we are. You are probably asking why write this book now? The social and racial protests of last summer have begun to drive some business and political changes, but Jackie and I began our project towards the end of 2018.

Jacqueline: When Bonita and I first conceptualized A Blessing: Women of Color Teaming Up to Lead, Empower and Thrive—no surprise, we teamed up. We had a vision to change the narrative for women of color to create a substantive and scalable rallying cry around this notion of teaming up. Our book is a mission-driven legacy project. We’ve crafted a thesis, but we’ve grounded it in data, and we illuminate a number of points with anecdotal examples, lived experiences of ourselves, as well as eight other Harvard Business School Black female alums. To amplify our work, we reached out to a good friend, Scott Siff. He’s a highly respected pollster, and at the end of 2019, we used his firm’s quadrant strategies to survey 4,005 American women, so-called desk workers across four races—Black, Latinx, Asian, and White, as well as four generations—Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers. Amongst our most significant findings are the components of what we’re calling “generational diversity.” We’ve coined this phrase to highlight nuances that we think are being overlooked in today’s diversity and inclusion conversations.

“We had a vision to change the narrative for women of color to create a substantive and scalable rallying cry around this notion of teaming up.”

Jacqueline Adams

Bonita: In fact, we found that Black and Latinx women, especially our younger Gen Z and Millennials, are more innovative, more likely to be first adopters of new technology. In fact, our respondents said that their work contributes to the social good to a far greater degree than White or Asian women did. Overall, these women are confident that they will control their careers and can find new jobs easily if or when they want them. In fact, the demographics of the US are changing, and by 2027, people of color from ages 18 to 29—which are our Gen Zs and Millennials—will be in the majority according to the census. This will be a significant tipping point that will begin to shape the future of the U.S. as well as our global economy. I know from my firsthand experiences leading large teams that the most important investments you will make are the people within your companies. From our research, we found that these Gen Z and Millennial workers are demanding workplaces that provide the support they need to thrive and, in essence, demanding a greater sense of belonging than those of us who are Baby Boomers experienced or expected.

Audiobooks.com: It sounds like a ton of research went into this book and I’m wondering what the co-author experience is like for researching and writing.

Jacqueline: Actually, it was wonderful. Bonita is a great collaborator. She’s more organized than I am! I tend to throw ideas against a wall and I’m good at pattern recognition and following along. But I think our two styles work well together. As we said, we did not start out to write a memoir. We wanted to write a leadership book. Data matters—as Harvard Business School alums—metrics matter. So those factors were important to us.

Audiobooks.com: The third person when an audiobook listener is listening is, of course, the narrator. As mentioned, Janina Edwards is a fantastic, prolific narrator, and she’s the one reading A Blessing. I was wondering how you came to be a part of that process in choosing her and if you were fans of audiobooks before embarking on this process?

Bonita: I will jump in because I love audiobooks! In this new era of constant screen time, it’s actually nice to give your eyes a bit of a respite and focus on other senses. I will say, from an audio perspective, it was so heartwarming to me to hear Janina, in chapter one “Our Natural Grit”—I hear for the first time my father’s speech, which is entitled “The Trail to Success,” being recited to me. This was through the medium of audio, and to hear his choice words that were handwritten over 70 years ago, I’m hoping for the audience that this will bring joy to them and perhaps a bit of a teary eye to everyone when they hear his poem and life framework around what he called the four seeds of the trail to success, which includes character, concentration, culture, and courage.

Jacqueline: It was important to Bonita and me to team up with Black women and men in every aspect of the creation of our book, A Blessing. We specifically asked that a Black woman narrate the book. Just as we hoped, Janina Edwards is an absolute treasure. She reads with understanding. She gets our content and our context. Janina’s voice truly has become our voices.

“[Janina Edwards] reads with understanding. She gets our content and our context. Janina’s voice truly has become our voices.”

Jacqueline Adams

Even more than that, Janina also did a wonderful job reading the words of former Black Entertainment Television CEO Debra Lee in our preface, and also the words in our foreword of former American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault. Janina has a wonderful ability to differentiate the voices of our various contributors to the book as well. As a former broadcast journalist, I’m no pushover! I always have had high standards and Janina more than exceeded my expectations.

Audiobooks.com: That’s so good to hear! A narrator really can make or break a book, and as audiophiles, we so love to hear a great narrator bring a book to life. We’re so excited for our listeners to get to hear Janina bring yours to life. Your book, as we sort of alluded to, is releasing at a really unique time in our shared history. Why is this book an important read for right now?

Bonita: I’ve studied leadership for a long time and our book is perfectly timed for leaders because we see this dawning of a new era of leadership that’s happening right now which encompasses IQ, which is intelligence, and bringing along EQ, emotional intelligence. Now, this new era includes CQ, which is cultural intelligence. The complexity of today’s workplace is creating this new blue ocean opportunity for companies that are really eager to activate diversity as a competitive advantage. So what we did in the book, which is resonating right now, is we assess that there are deficits in the C-suite on corporate boards and in the management ranks, as well as some of the meager VC funding for black entrepreneurs.

“The complexity of today’s workplace is creating this new blue ocean opportunity for companies that are really eager to activate diversity as a competitive advantage.”

Bonita C. Stewart

We compared this against the burgeoning assets that are really fueling the situation right now, the first one being the education trends. The census says that Black women are the most educated slice of the US population. Secondly, we looked at entrepreneurship. Studies say that Black women-owned businesses are growing astronomically and in fact, in 2019, have more than $422 billion in revenue. Lastly, consumer spending. Nielson reports $1.5 trillion in consumer spending by Black women, which is more than the GDP of Australia. We could be our own country! Clearly, this gap that we see between the assets and the deficits provides an opportunity for what we believe companies should be doing in terms of harnessing untapped talent, which indeed makes us hopeful.

Jacqueline: We found some evidence of women of color winning every single day. Just open any newspaper or magazine and consider that now we have a woman of color as Vice President of the United States. At the inauguration, a fabulous young black woman, Amanda Gorman, was given what we call the ultimate stretch assignment by Dr. Jill Biden. Miss Gorman just thrilled us with her poetry! More and more organizations, we find, are acting on the data that diversity in business does drive profitability. With societal and governance pressures growing alongside the changing demographics that Anita mentioned, as well as the unshackled ambition of women of color, imagine the return on investment for companies who approach this talent pool of color with a business model that creates the sense of belonging that we describe, a sense of well-being for underrepresented talent. We believe that adopting this model would drive top-line and bottom-line results, effectively creating a scalable model for revenue inclusion.

Audiobooks.com: What is something that we can all do starting today to set more unicorns up for success in our workplaces and to make our workplaces more diverse?

Bonita: Well, I would say we now have people that have been reading the book, so imagine listening to this book. It will become a playbook for the unicorns that are out there. Also, we have a living log. Within the book, they will have the opportunity to ask questions. We have eight contributors so we have anecdotal stories along the way, including lived experience. But more importantly, we have the data to actually back up why the playbook exists. We think it’s something that could be activated, and I would say stay tuned. We have our new research that will be coming out that we’ve completed for 2020, and they can visit our website and stay in touch with us at www.leadempowerthrive.com. That’s exactly what we want: for women of color, as well as the allies, to lead, empower, and thrive.


A Blessing: Women of Color Teaming Up to Lead, Empower and Thrive by Bonita C. StewartJacqueline Adams, narrated by Janina Edwards

Publisher Summary:

A Blessing presents a fresh, bold analysis of African American female leadership. An unapologetic look at our often-overlooked role in America’s social, political, psychological and economic history, it is armed with data that should be empowering for today’s ‘unicorns.’

The book offers a ‘playbook’ to help Black unicorns ‘team up’ and find innovative ways to support one another as they climb, what research shows, are lonely, stressful, jagged yet ultimately rewarding ladders of opportunity.

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Build Successful Work Habits with These 5 Audiobooks

Diligent communication and thoughtful planning are habits that push you forward toward success. But other habits, even ones that may seem harmless, can slowly deteriorate your work ethic and attitude.

Being mindful of your work habits will help you to understand and build on personal strengths and weaknesses. You’ll learn how to consistently highlight your best features while growing from your faults, making you a happier and more successful contributor to your industry.

We know you’re busy, and that changing a habit can seem difficult on your own. That’s why we’ve put together a list of five audiobooks written by professionals to help you build better habits at work. Listen on your commute, while you’re getting groceries, or even at your desk. 

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg, narrated by Mike Chamberlain

In The Power of Habit, award-winning business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. Distilling vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives that take us from the boardrooms of Procter & Gamble to the sidelines of the NFL to the front lines of the civil rights movement, Duhigg presents a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential.

At its core, The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, being more productive, and achieving success is understanding how habits work. As Duhigg shows, by harnessing this new science, we can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives.

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Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear, narrated by James Clear

No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving–every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you’ll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.

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Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life: How to Unlock Your Full Potential for Success and Achievement by Brian Tracy, narrated by Brian Tracy

‘Every line in this book is bursting with truth, wisdom, and power. Brian Tracy is the preeminent authority on showing you how to dramatically improve your life. Let him be your guide. I’ve learned so much from Brian myself that I can’t thank him enough!’
-Robert G. Allen, #1 New York Times bestselling author

‘This book gives you a step-by-step system to transform your thinking about yourself and your potential, enabling you to achieve greater success in every area of your life.’
-Lee Iacocca, Chairman, Lee Iacocca & Associates

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Genius Habit: How One Habit Can Radically Change Your Work and Your Life by Laura Garnett, narrated by Laura Garnett

Combining the most recent and exciting research on productivity and performance with Laura’s experience guiding dozens of high-level clients to the heights of success, The Genius Habit is a must-read for anyone who believes that work can and should be one of the most rewarding aspects of life.

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Four Seconds: All the Time You Need to Stop Counter-Productive Habits and Get the Results You Want by Peter Bregman, narrated by Chris Sorensen

Peter Bregman, author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller 18 Minutes, offers strategies to replace energy-wasting, counter-productive habits that commonly derail us with truly effective ones.

The things we want most—peace of mind, fulfilling relationships, to do well at work—are surprisingly straightforward to realize. But too often our best efforts to attain them are built on destructive habits that sabotage us. In Four Seconds, Peter Bregman shows us how to replace negative patterns with energy-boosting and productive behaviors. To thrive in our fast-paced world all it takes is to pause for as few as four seconds—the length of a deep breath—allowing us to make intentional and tactical choices that lead to better outcomes. 

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New to Audiobooks.com? Get your first book free, PLUS a bonus book from our VIP selection when you sign up for our one-month free trial. Digital audiobooks make audible stories come to life when you’re commuting, working out, cleaning, cooking, and more! Listening is easy with our top-rated free audiobook apps for iOS and Android, which let you download & listen to bestselling audiobooks on the go, wherever you are. Click here to get your free audiobooks!

STAFF PICK: Leadershift by John C. Maxwell

Title: Leadershift
Author: John C. Maxwell
Narrator: John C. Maxwell
Bonus Content Narrators: Rachel HollisTrent SheltonEd Bastian

This one is for all the leaders out there—that does not just entail anyone who runs a company or works in a management position. You may be a leader at home, or among your colleagues. This audiobook really spoke to me about being an effective leader and the strategies to adopt in order to enhance your organization or personal growth. After all, as John mentions, “Everything rises and falls on leadership”.

John C. Maxwell teaches his readers how to shift their leadership style to keep transforming, improving, and influencing others. He uses his own examples and personal stories from his own leadership journey and provides you with practical advice on how to shift your leadership style and how to implement these 11 steps in your daily life. Each step requires you to change your thought process and actions which will ultimately lead you to be successful in a fast-paced world that is constantly evolving. You need to be a role model before you can expect change from others. After all, positive behavior is contagious and people will want to follow in those footsteps once they see positive changes in your leadership style.

John narrates this audiobook himself which engages you with his strong, encouraging, and confident voice. His narrating style is speaking to you as a friend, giving you tips on how to improve your leadership skills. He is such a genuine person and it really comes across at the end of the chapters when he has a little giggle and even tells you at points how much he loves narrating his books. The bonus features from a conference with Rachel Hollis, Trent Shelton and Ed Bastian were a nice added touch to learn from some of his “students” he has teamed up with who he has mentored in one way or another.

John C. Maxwell is very passionate about sharing his knowledge about leadership and giving us the tools we need to be more successful in how we manage situations in a leadership role. He is such a great leader and really makes you want to learn from his wealth of knowledge on the topic.

I personally strive to be a better leader in a lot of aspects in my life, especially in a work environment. This book has just added so many more tools in my toolbox and I cannot wait to listen to more of his audiobooks. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is currently in a leadership role or to anyone who wants to become a leader in the future or at home. Do not forget, “Tomorrow is ours to win or lose” – John C. Maxwell. If you enjoyed this book, you will also want to check out his other books, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, No Limits, and Developing the Leader Within You 2.0.

Publisher Summary:

Internationally recognized leadership expert John C. Maxwell teaches listeners how to shift their leadership to keep innovating, improving, and influencing others in today’s fast-paced world. BONUS CONTENT: Hear #1 New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hollis, Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastion, and motivational speaker and former NFL player Trent Shelton share their most significant “leadershifts” with John.

Change happens so rapidly today that leaders must be nimble and ready to adapt. Otherwise, they won’t survive. International leadership expert John Maxwell says, the key is to learn how to “leadershift.”

In Leadershift, John C. Maxwell helps listeners make leadership changes that will positively enhance their organizational and personal growth. He does this by sharing the 11 shifts he made over the course of his long and successful leadership career. Each shift changed his trajectory and set him up for new and exciting achievements, strengthening and sustaining his leadership abilities and making him the admired leadership expert he is today.

Among those leadershifts are “the Adaptive Shift from Plan A to Option A,” “the Production Shift from Ladder Climbing to Ladder Building,” and “the Influence Shift from Positional Authority to Moral Authority.” Maxwell gives specific guidance about how to make these shifts in their own lives. Each one requires them to change the way they think, act, and ultimately lead so they can be successful in a world that never remains the same.

Read more and sample the audio →

New to Audiobooks.com? Get a free audiobook when you sign up for our one month free trial. Digital audiobooks make audible stories come to life when you’re commuting, working out, cleaning, cooking and more! Listening is easy with our top-rated free audiobook apps for iOS and Android, which let you download & listen to bestselling audiobooks on the go, wherever you are. Click here to get your free audiobook!

6 Audiobooks for Budding Entrepreneurs

Get answers and inspiration to help kick-start your start-up.

 

1. You Are A Mogul by Tiffany Pham, narrated by Tiffany Pham

You Are A Mogul

As the founder of Mogul—praised by Sheryl Sandberg as the #1 millennial platform — Tiffany Pham created a global technology and media empire by the age of 27. As living proof that the old rules of success no longer apply, Tiffany writes the new rules for following your passions and forging your own path in an age of disruption.
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2. The New Science of Radical Innovation by Sunnie Giles, narrated by Janet Metzger

The New Science of Radical Innovation

Discover a groundbreaking, science-based approach to leadership that generates radical innovation for dramatic and permanent results. Today’s business arena is undergoing a revolutionary transformation, equivalent in impact to the Industrial Revolution. While most traditional companies are still built for the old-world economy, the companies that thrive today enter the market with a new approach.
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3. Dear Founder by Maynard Webb and Carlye Adler, narrated by Chris Ciulla

Dear Founder

More than 600,000 new businesses are launched each year. How can a start-up find the funding it needs to survive? How does an entrepreneur build and manage a workplace and create a lasting legacy? Maynard Webb has helped found, fund, and grow dozens of successful companies. Now, he’s sharing his lessons with aspiring entrepreneurs, at any age and stage in their careers.
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4. Influencer by Brittany Hennessy, narrated by Brittany Hennessy

Influencer

If you’ve ever scrolled through your Instagram feed and thought, ‘Why can’t someone pay me to live my best life?’ this audiobook is for you. Every influencer started with zero followers and had to mistakes to get where they are today, earning more money each year than their parents made in the last decade. But to be a top creator, you need to understand the strategies behind the Insta-lifestyle.
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5. Big Ideas for Small Businesses by John Lamerton, narrated by John Lamerton

Big Ideas for Small Businesses

Struggling to find marketing ideas for your business? Do you find traditional business books uninspiring? Former civil servant John Lamerton has run more than 60 small businesses, making millions of dollars and mistakes along the way. This is a collection of the lessons and successes he uses to mentor small business owners, teaching them to think bigger and design their business around the lifestyle they want.
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6. A Dozen Lessons for Entrepreneurs by Tren Griffin, narrated by Steven Jay Cohen

A Dozen Lessons for Entrepreneurs

With insight and verve, Tren Griffin argues that venture capital is a service business that depends hugely on “human factors.” He suggests that these investors succeeded because of their sense of hustle, keen judgment, hard work, and good luck. But most of all, they share a deep love of building businesses that goes beyond financial considerations.
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New to Audiobooks.com? Get a free audiobook when you sign up for our one month free trial. Digital audiobooks make audible stories come to life when you’re commuting, working out, cleaning, cooking and more! Listening is easy with our top-rated free audiobook apps for iOS and Android, which let you download & listen to bestselling audiobooks on the go, wherever you are. Click here to get your free audiobook!