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Career Forward: Strategies from Women Who've Made It
Former PepsiCo COO Grace Puma and former Nike President of Consumer Direct Christiana Smith Shi offer a groundbreaking, empowering guide for women that shows how to prioritize a career path, build professional value, and enjoy a full life both in and out of the workplace.
At a time when many long-held workplace structures and beliefs are changing, Career Forward is a beacon for women aspiring to achieve success and satisfaction in rewarding careers. Drawing on decades of experience reaching the top of Fortune 500 companies, Grace Puma and Christiana Smith Shi show women how to maximize their career journeys, get paid what they’re worth, navigate the shifts that occur in any company, build a leadership identity, and have a full life in and out of work.
The authors challenge negative stereotypes about female ambition, and urge women to be bold, follow their dreams, and seize the chance to lead “big” lives. The secret is to focus on career first, job second. Instead of chasing a better job title or a salary bump, the goal should be a long-range career path that leads to success. “Career forward” means keeping a focus on the future and recognizing that being good at your job is often not enough—that you should take every opportunity to boost your connections, take on “difficult” assignments, and work actively to broaden your skills.
Packed with personal anecdotes and wisdom from women who’ve been there, and featuring quizzes and checklists for self-evaluation, Career Forward provides a wealth of valuable lessons, including the value of thinking of yourself as a “growth stock” and, instead of chasing the elusive work-life balance, living a well-rounded 360-degree life that fully embraces both. Offering a refreshing response to anyone who wonders whether working hard is really worth it, Puma and Shi’s emphatic answer is “yes,” because by correctly following the blueprint in Career Forward , the rewards will far outweigh the effort.
At a time when many long-held workplace structures and beliefs are changing, Career Forward is a beacon for women aspiring to achieve success and satisfaction in rewarding careers. Drawing on decades of experience reaching the top of Fortune 500 companies, Grace Puma and Christiana Smith Shi show women how to maximize their career journeys, get paid what they’re worth, navigate the shifts that occur in any company, build a leadership identity, and have a full life in and out of work.
The authors challenge negative stereotypes about female ambition, and urge women to be bold, follow their dreams, and seize the chance to lead “big” lives. The secret is to focus on career first, job second. Instead of chasing a better job title or a salary bump, the goal should be a long-range career path that leads to success. “Career forward” means keeping a focus on the future and recognizing that being good at your job is often not enough—that you should take every opportunity to boost your connections, take on “difficult” assignments, and work actively to broaden your skills.
Packed with personal anecdotes and wisdom from women who’ve been there, and featuring quizzes and checklists for self-evaluation, Career Forward provides a wealth of valuable lessons, including the value of thinking of yourself as a “growth stock” and, instead of chasing the elusive work-life balance, living a well-rounded 360-degree life that fully embraces both. Offering a refreshing response to anyone who wonders whether working hard is really worth it, Puma and Shi’s emphatic answer is “yes,” because by correctly following the blueprint in Career Forward , the rewards will far outweigh the effort.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published February 20, 2024
88 people are currently reading
2948 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 19, 2024
I wouldn't exactly recommend this book to women of the younger generations who seem to be pushing for life happiness over the corporate climb.
While the core tenement on this book (the Career Forward mindset) is modern in that it encourages job hopping when suitable to advance your career and being loyal to your journey over the goal, underneath, it is the same tired advice of the authors' older generation. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, put in a zillion hours, and do twice as much work as your peers. Every section you are reminded: being the best at your job, being indispensable, being tirelessly hard working, is the surest way to succeed. That advice is so obvious, but again, so tired, that I began skimming the book about halfway through.
The authors are former C-level suite executives of Fortune 500 companies, admittedly, so I suppose this take was to be accepted. However, with all the posturing as feminist advice, it just fell flat for me. Examples like deciding to end her maternity leave six weeks early and rubber-band securing her clothes that didn't fit yet are apparently supposed to inspire confidence, but really just feel sort of sad. Time and time again, women must compromise their decisions and lifestyle choices to progress their careers.
Furthermore, an entire chapter is dedicated to rejecting the term "work-life balance" in favor of "the 360-degree lifestyle:" viewing your work as a part of you, and not pitting your work and home life against each other. Meanwhile one author traveled for work across the country every week while her kids grew up, and they worked 10-plus hour days.
All in all, nothing felt like new advice, except giving women permission to change companies as often as needed to progress and to accept that career progress may not be linear up a corporate ladder. Other than that, it was network with as many people as possible, do a thousand extras like keynote addresses and writing articles, constantly take on progressively harder work, and always be the best/ hardest worker in the room.
Also to me all the advice about dealing with sexism just seemed to be "be nonconfrontational and quietly out-work them."
While the core tenement on this book (the Career Forward mindset) is modern in that it encourages job hopping when suitable to advance your career and being loyal to your journey over the goal, underneath, it is the same tired advice of the authors' older generation. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, put in a zillion hours, and do twice as much work as your peers. Every section you are reminded: being the best at your job, being indispensable, being tirelessly hard working, is the surest way to succeed. That advice is so obvious, but again, so tired, that I began skimming the book about halfway through.
The authors are former C-level suite executives of Fortune 500 companies, admittedly, so I suppose this take was to be accepted. However, with all the posturing as feminist advice, it just fell flat for me. Examples like deciding to end her maternity leave six weeks early and rubber-band securing her clothes that didn't fit yet are apparently supposed to inspire confidence, but really just feel sort of sad. Time and time again, women must compromise their decisions and lifestyle choices to progress their careers.
Furthermore, an entire chapter is dedicated to rejecting the term "work-life balance" in favor of "the 360-degree lifestyle:" viewing your work as a part of you, and not pitting your work and home life against each other. Meanwhile one author traveled for work across the country every week while her kids grew up, and they worked 10-plus hour days.
All in all, nothing felt like new advice, except giving women permission to change companies as often as needed to progress and to accept that career progress may not be linear up a corporate ladder. Other than that, it was network with as many people as possible, do a thousand extras like keynote addresses and writing articles, constantly take on progressively harder work, and always be the best/ hardest worker in the room.
Also to me all the advice about dealing with sexism just seemed to be "be nonconfrontational and quietly out-work them."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2024
I’ve read a lot of “how to advance your career for women” books in my life, and this one was the best. Although I am no longer interested in climbing a lot higher, I wish I had this book when I was younger. The good points that separate this from the many others:
1. The authors readily admit you have to work hard and over perform. A lot of books seem to gloss over this. I appreciate the honesty.
2. This book contains real “mom” moments I can relate to. It’s not missing one meeting to attend your child’s graduation or calling your nanny at the last minute so you can make a meeting. It’s about needing to be there as a single mom or taking significant chunks of time off.
3. They give real practical advice on how to deal with specific situations, including the sexism women run into in the corporate world that isn’t “just deal with it” or “loudly complain.” Related - the advice isn’t just “act like a man would.” It’s useful, practical, and gendered.
4. They make work seem fun, not some big “power and money” trip.
A few ways this book wasn’t applicable to me, and probably not for a lot of women:
1. It’s about being executive level at a large company. If you work for a small company (and you probably already know this) none of this career advice will be relevant. It’s true for most career advice you’ll find out there.
2. It presumes that you are working not only at a large corporation, but in certain types of roles/industries. As an aside, why are the people that write this type of career advice always in sales or consulting? There are so many other positions out there. Any time I hear a story about having to pitch to a client I think of the millions of positions that don’t involve any customer interaction.
Again, overall this is the best of this type of book I’ve read, it’s just tailored to a more niche audience.
1. The authors readily admit you have to work hard and over perform. A lot of books seem to gloss over this. I appreciate the honesty.
2. This book contains real “mom” moments I can relate to. It’s not missing one meeting to attend your child’s graduation or calling your nanny at the last minute so you can make a meeting. It’s about needing to be there as a single mom or taking significant chunks of time off.
3. They give real practical advice on how to deal with specific situations, including the sexism women run into in the corporate world that isn’t “just deal with it” or “loudly complain.” Related - the advice isn’t just “act like a man would.” It’s useful, practical, and gendered.
4. They make work seem fun, not some big “power and money” trip.
A few ways this book wasn’t applicable to me, and probably not for a lot of women:
1. It’s about being executive level at a large company. If you work for a small company (and you probably already know this) none of this career advice will be relevant. It’s true for most career advice you’ll find out there.
2. It presumes that you are working not only at a large corporation, but in certain types of roles/industries. As an aside, why are the people that write this type of career advice always in sales or consulting? There are so many other positions out there. Any time I hear a story about having to pitch to a client I think of the millions of positions that don’t involve any customer interaction.
Again, overall this is the best of this type of book I’ve read, it’s just tailored to a more niche audience.
April 29, 2024
I gained a lot of perspective from this book! I’m surprised it’s not everywhere, I feel like it’s such a solid resource of advice for women.
Grace Puma and Christiana Smith Shi are so badasss. I listened to them on a panel at a work event and they’re just so smart and easy to learn from. They are like mentors through this book. They give really straight-forward, clear advice for how women can grow in their careers and find the success they want. And the content isn’t cliché, it’s practical, nuanced, and culturally relevant. I feel really motivated after reading it, I’d definitely recommend it to any women looking to progress in their career.
Grace Puma and Christiana Smith Shi are so badasss. I listened to them on a panel at a work event and they’re just so smart and easy to learn from. They are like mentors through this book. They give really straight-forward, clear advice for how women can grow in their careers and find the success they want. And the content isn’t cliché, it’s practical, nuanced, and culturally relevant. I feel really motivated after reading it, I’d definitely recommend it to any women looking to progress in their career.
February 11, 2024
This book contains helpful advice for women in an office/corporate setting. Therefore it's good for a niche market.
It would not be helpful in other locations, such as healthcare. Most healthcare careers are already held by women. I'm lowering my score by one star for that reason. We don’t need to claw our way to the top there.
I was given a freee copy of this book for an honest review. It was overall an okay book. Their advice couldn't really help me.
It would not be helpful in other locations, such as healthcare. Most healthcare careers are already held by women. I'm lowering my score by one star for that reason. We don’t need to claw our way to the top there.
I was given a freee copy of this book for an honest review. It was overall an okay book. Their advice couldn't really help me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2024
Mixed feelings!!!
Good:
Lots of high-level advice about getting by in corporate America. The parts on understanding a career trajectory and when to stay or go in a job are helpful. Absolutely zero apologies for ambition. Very high-level interesting anecdotes about the authors’ career challenges and success. Repeatedly describe work as fun and satisfying. Nice to know that’s possible.
Personal branding chapter actually helped me understand this as a career move much better than I had before.
The bad:
Wow okay so this was very “work like a man,” advice; they’d acknowledge inequality for women and then be like “too bad, here’s how to succeed in spite of it.” I don’t feel much of it was women-specific advice.
They also almost completely ignored delving deeper into systemic issues for women in the workplace, such as penalties for having kids, sexism, or women leaving the workplace during the pandemic. while we may not be able to enact change on these on an individual level, I think a deeper understanding is key for shaping our approach when facing them and demanding accountability from our employers or negotiating job offers. For example, one of the authors worked at Nike and specifically thanks Mark Parker in her acknowledgements—he’s one of the execs responsible for Nike’s mistreatment of its sponsored female athletes called out in The New York Times story “Nike told me to dream crazy, until I wanted a baby.” Once more, zero mention of problematic work cultures or there being at the very least two sides to aligning yourself with a giant corporation whose job is creating shareholder value above other concerns such as sustainability or worker protection.
Finally, I got annoyed how they kept saying you needed to be a high performer to get by…No mention of imposter syndrome nor burnout nor managing stress. I guess they came from high-pressure jobs where that really was the norm but in my experience everyone is performing okay as it is—management may not even notice overwork beyond an employee being busy—and it’s much more important to focus on strategic projects. The risk of burnout and this overachieving culture is REAL, along with employers making unreasonable expectations, and they just pretend it isn’t happening.
I am dying for a career book that tells it like it is, but I don’t think the authors are done working yet…so they need to keep toeing the line.
Good:
Lots of high-level advice about getting by in corporate America. The parts on understanding a career trajectory and when to stay or go in a job are helpful. Absolutely zero apologies for ambition. Very high-level interesting anecdotes about the authors’ career challenges and success. Repeatedly describe work as fun and satisfying. Nice to know that’s possible.
Personal branding chapter actually helped me understand this as a career move much better than I had before.
The bad:
Wow okay so this was very “work like a man,” advice; they’d acknowledge inequality for women and then be like “too bad, here’s how to succeed in spite of it.” I don’t feel much of it was women-specific advice.
They also almost completely ignored delving deeper into systemic issues for women in the workplace, such as penalties for having kids, sexism, or women leaving the workplace during the pandemic. while we may not be able to enact change on these on an individual level, I think a deeper understanding is key for shaping our approach when facing them and demanding accountability from our employers or negotiating job offers. For example, one of the authors worked at Nike and specifically thanks Mark Parker in her acknowledgements—he’s one of the execs responsible for Nike’s mistreatment of its sponsored female athletes called out in The New York Times story “Nike told me to dream crazy, until I wanted a baby.” Once more, zero mention of problematic work cultures or there being at the very least two sides to aligning yourself with a giant corporation whose job is creating shareholder value above other concerns such as sustainability or worker protection.
Finally, I got annoyed how they kept saying you needed to be a high performer to get by…No mention of imposter syndrome nor burnout nor managing stress. I guess they came from high-pressure jobs where that really was the norm but in my experience everyone is performing okay as it is—management may not even notice overwork beyond an employee being busy—and it’s much more important to focus on strategic projects. The risk of burnout and this overachieving culture is REAL, along with employers making unreasonable expectations, and they just pretend it isn’t happening.
I am dying for a career book that tells it like it is, but I don’t think the authors are done working yet…so they need to keep toeing the line.
March 10, 2025
Career Forward: Strategies From Women Who've Made It is an invaluable, honest, encouraging, powerful, and fascinating read! This book is co-written by two fabulous women in business. They are true leaders who have reached the top of multiple fortune 500 companies. I love Grace and Christiana's wisdoms and insights. They are encourage the reader to focus on career-cultovation and self-cultivation. Achieving success and feeling fulfilled are the sweetest when the work you do is honest hard work. These women encourage readers to dream big and live with purpose. I love that these women share their lived experiences recently and early on in their careers. What opens a door is not always what you'd expect. The karma of doing the hard but right thing came back to benefit these ladies multiple times. These women are not bosses they are genuine mentors. Mentors are such rare gems to find. Whether you are just starting your career or have years of experience in your career these women's words will mentor you and remind you of the importance of giving back that mentorship once you get the chance. There is so much to learn from this book. I adore the formatting, checklists, and quizzes included in this book. I could not recommend it more!
August 3, 2025
I've had a hard time determining who this book is for. The concepts feel fundamental enough for a recent grad or somebody early-in-career, but the authors--living lives and accustomed to roles quite far from that audience--routinely reach for examples and anecdotes in the world of senior and executive leadership. That's common in most corporate non-fic, but in a book about career advancement it felt like a hurdle.
Like so much of the genre, there's nothing truly bad, wrong, or offensive about the ideas here, but there's nothing prickly or sticky or surprising about them, either. Inflating them into a 250 page book feels more like a cashgrab than anything else.
The book came up short in terms of discussing the ways that workplace policies, benefits, and cultures deter women--especially those with families, and especially those most engaged in their work--from advancing. Maybe it was out of scope, but it's what I constantly ran into when trying to grapple with the concepts they presented.
Like so much of the genre, there's nothing truly bad, wrong, or offensive about the ideas here, but there's nothing prickly or sticky or surprising about them, either. Inflating them into a 250 page book feels more like a cashgrab than anything else.
The book came up short in terms of discussing the ways that workplace policies, benefits, and cultures deter women--especially those with families, and especially those most engaged in their work--from advancing. Maybe it was out of scope, but it's what I constantly ran into when trying to grapple with the concepts they presented.
July 26, 2025
Decent book on career development in corporate settings, packed with practical tips and hands-on insights from the authors. They share advice they’d give to their younger selves- what to focus on, and which pitfalls to avoid. It is accessible, clear, and actionable.
Why 3 stars then?
For readers already well-versed in executive presence or who’ve read books like Ask for It, much of the content may feel familiar or repetitive.
That said, the book still offers solid frameworks and a helpful structure for anyone navigating corporate growth.
Why 3 stars then?
For readers already well-versed in executive presence or who’ve read books like Ask for It, much of the content may feel familiar or repetitive.
That said, the book still offers solid frameworks and a helpful structure for anyone navigating corporate growth.
February 5, 2024
Great read for women who are interested in advancing in their careers! The book covers important topics such as mindset, professional equity, confidence, reputation, networking, opportunities, leadership, ambition, resilience, fulfillment and success. Both authors share their wisdom, advice and stories they’ve gathered as they grew in their careers. Would recommend to anyone who is starting in their career or who is interested in growth.
July 11, 2024
I picked up this book expecting it to have women-centric career advice but was surprised that it provided general career advice that are practical for those looking to advanced in their careers.
My main takeaway is gaining career equity to negotiate for what we want and the SKID framework to train ourselves to anticipate unexpected work situations, that might throw us off, and respond effectively.
I will definitely re-read this book again to refer to some of the insightful career advice.
My main takeaway is gaining career equity to negotiate for what we want and the SKID framework to train ourselves to anticipate unexpected work situations, that might throw us off, and respond effectively.
I will definitely re-read this book again to refer to some of the insightful career advice.
March 13, 2024
Career Forward was an interesting novel, but didn't help a lot unless you're in the corporate structure. A lot of the advice didn't resonate with me, because I don't work in a corporation. I did appreciate that there was honesty about how corporations are run, and that they'll require you essentially give up your life to make it ahead.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book!
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book!
May 15, 2024
The authors provide actionable strategies that can help you evolve and pivot your career. Frames everything from the perspective that high quality performance will open doors and build equity. While it’s written from the perspective of women in executive leadership positions, there are some salient points for every level in here.
July 6, 2024
Thanks for the two ladies.
Business books have one byproducts - bring you back to the ground. Maybe you are experiencing hard times; no intend to “ make a ding on the universe”; just enjoy the relaxing life style for now. If situations changed, you shifted gears, you know how to find directions with guidelines.
Business books have one byproducts - bring you back to the ground. Maybe you are experiencing hard times; no intend to “ make a ding on the universe”; just enjoy the relaxing life style for now. If situations changed, you shifted gears, you know how to find directions with guidelines.
July 25, 2024
Would be a great read for someone early in their career as this covers a lot of basics. It touches on some new perspectives for someone more advanced in their career, but mostly it served as a set of reminders.
March 27, 2024
Best leadership book for women that I have read in almost 20 years!
April 18, 2024
This book would be good for post-secondary students and new grads. I had been hoping for something more advanced, however, hence not a higher rating. Career Forward is mostly fundamentals.
July 11, 2024
Awesome. Recommend this to all women entering or part of the workforce. Plan to buy a copy for myself (I checked out a library book) and my mom.
August 28, 2024
If you are looking for career advancement as a female... this is the book for you!
April 12, 2025
One of the better career advancement books I've read. The focus is specific to women in a corporate career.
April 13, 2025
A good easy read from women who have made their way up the corporate ladder and share their experiences and advice for others (especially relevant to women).
April 30, 2025
3.5 stars.
July 16, 2025
Listened to this as an audiobook and enjoyed it! Definitely has some good tid bits on leadership and career growth. Of course I also loved the women supporting women theme! Would recommend 😊
December 28, 2023
Wish I had this book earlier in my career. A lot a great takeaways.
July 2, 2025
This is an amazing book that I highly recommend to get into the mindset of building a lasting successful career as a woman in tech.
I lacked it a lot in the past & believe having something similar back then would influence my path well. Given all the inspiration, frameworks, advice, and wit, it’s a great decision-making guideline
💪 💪 💪
I lacked it a lot in the past & believe having something similar back then would influence my path well. Given all the inspiration, frameworks, advice, and wit, it’s a great decision-making guideline
💪 💪 💪
May 6, 2025
Yes, Yes, Yes! I would cannot recommend this enough! So many actionable takeaways and validating information.
April 9, 2024
Much of the "advice" in this book was pretty outdated and, frankly, kind of insulting. It was a lot of what NOT to do (such as don't be emotional, don't be a nag, don't be a shrew) and not a lot of what TO do to move up the corporate ladder with your self-respect and dignity intact.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews