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I'm Highly Percent Sure: A Memoir of Intuition, Instigation, and the Bold Pursuit of Purpose
In this rich, intelligent, and witty memoir, the President and CEO of Essence Ventures—a woman with a defiant intuition who rejects cultural expectations and outside influence—tells how she charted her own destiny, offering inspiration and advice to help everyone on their own journey to becoming everything they were born to be.
That confidence took her from interning at Target to becoming the company's Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, and eventually to the top of Essence Ventures, where she has only magnified her reach. Oprah Winfrey once emotionally remarked that Wanga reminded her of the great Maya Angelou with the strength and clarity of her purpose and voice.
But Wanga has faced challenges along the way, including losing her sense of identity and veering from living her purpose. Throughout the narrative, told in her raw, purposeful, yet humorous voice, she separates the person from the profession, to help us understand the sequence of all that transpired in her life and the lessons she discovered along the way.
That confidence took her from interning at Target to becoming the company's Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, and eventually to the top of Essence Ventures, where she has only magnified her reach. Oprah Winfrey once emotionally remarked that Wanga reminded her of the great Maya Angelou with the strength and clarity of her purpose and voice.
But Wanga has faced challenges along the way, including losing her sense of identity and veering from living her purpose. Throughout the narrative, told in her raw, purposeful, yet humorous voice, she separates the person from the profession, to help us understand the sequence of all that transpired in her life and the lessons she discovered along the way.
192 pages, Hardcover
Published May 6, 2025
17 people are currently reading
2651 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 1, 2026
☕ A Daily Dose of Caroline Wanga is Exactly What You Need
Real talk: I knew Caroline Wanga before she became the Caroline Wanga, CEO extraordinaire. Back in her Target days, I’d catch her talks and let me tell you—those words are still echoing in my head at exactly the right moments, like she planted little seeds of wisdom that bloom when I need them most.
This book? Pure. Gold.
I have a saying now: everyone needs a dose of Caroline Wanga in their lives, both professionally and personally. Reading (okay, listening to) her story is like sipping your favorite coffee or tea—you just don’t want it to end. Her authentic delivery hits different. It’s honest, it’s real, and it chronicles the journey of how this powerhouse leader came to be.
Every single anecdote is a gem. And Brian Cornell wasn’t kidding when he said that if your turn to speak comes after Caroline, you better bring the absolute best content of your life. (No pressure, right? 😅)
Her journey to the top wasn’t some fairy tale with a straight path. She shares hard truths that speak directly to anyone climbing their own mountain: if you’ve got the determination and the dream, you can swim through the struggles. But what exactly does it take? Well… you gotta read (or listen to!) the book to find out.
Fair warning: there’s so much energy, hope, inspiration, and confidence-boosting kick packed into these pages that you’ll finish wondering why it couldn’t be twice as long. And honestly? I didn’t even know about Essence until she became CEO—now I can’t imagine anyone else at the helm.
Do yourself a favor: grab this book. Your future self will thank you. ✨
Real talk: I knew Caroline Wanga before she became the Caroline Wanga, CEO extraordinaire. Back in her Target days, I’d catch her talks and let me tell you—those words are still echoing in my head at exactly the right moments, like she planted little seeds of wisdom that bloom when I need them most.
This book? Pure. Gold.
I have a saying now: everyone needs a dose of Caroline Wanga in their lives, both professionally and personally. Reading (okay, listening to) her story is like sipping your favorite coffee or tea—you just don’t want it to end. Her authentic delivery hits different. It’s honest, it’s real, and it chronicles the journey of how this powerhouse leader came to be.
Every single anecdote is a gem. And Brian Cornell wasn’t kidding when he said that if your turn to speak comes after Caroline, you better bring the absolute best content of your life. (No pressure, right? 😅)
Her journey to the top wasn’t some fairy tale with a straight path. She shares hard truths that speak directly to anyone climbing their own mountain: if you’ve got the determination and the dream, you can swim through the struggles. But what exactly does it take? Well… you gotta read (or listen to!) the book to find out.
Fair warning: there’s so much energy, hope, inspiration, and confidence-boosting kick packed into these pages that you’ll finish wondering why it couldn’t be twice as long. And honestly? I didn’t even know about Essence until she became CEO—now I can’t imagine anyone else at the helm.
Do yourself a favor: grab this book. Your future self will thank you. ✨
January 4, 2026
Caroline Wanga starts her book by saying she’s better heard than read. I picked up her book after hearing her interviewed on a podcast, and she’s absolutely correct. She is smart and funny and likable and ambitious. You can see from her life story that those things must be true. But this book has no idea what it wants to be. Is it an autobiography (that’s where the library put it)? I mean, it started there with a bunch of stuff about her ancestry… though that was mostly written by her parents. Is it a self help book? There are like 2 pages at the very end where she gives the closest thing to clear instructions she could muster after teasing us with the idea all book long about how she wants to inspire readers to go grab what they want in life like she has. Oh but those two pages are guest-written by a business partner. Is it a business book, or a DEI book? Maybe? I mean there was a long interlude (written by her boss) about the intersection between Profit & Loss statements and Black Excellence. And then a few testimonials at the end from her friends about how awesome she is.
I guess what I’m saying here is that it’s endearing but a hot mess of a read. You should listen to the podcast instead.
I guess what I’m saying here is that it’s endearing but a hot mess of a read. You should listen to the podcast instead.
June 3, 2025
Inspiring, Authentic, Us
So proud to have read this book. And that Caroline shared this with us. Me. It is an authentic take on the life and work of someone who cares about us more than any individual. I read this as I am challenged with, and in the heart of, boycotting Target the company. Proud that Caroline laid the foundation for an organization that touches so many people. I am hopeful Target will follow the example she set, and continues to exemplify, what it means to take care of the community. Thank you, Caroline.
So proud to have read this book. And that Caroline shared this with us. Me. It is an authentic take on the life and work of someone who cares about us more than any individual. I read this as I am challenged with, and in the heart of, boycotting Target the company. Proud that Caroline laid the foundation for an organization that touches so many people. I am hopeful Target will follow the example she set, and continues to exemplify, what it means to take care of the community. Thank you, Caroline.
June 3, 2025
Caroline, you were an amazing force at Target and greatly missed. I loved how loud and authentic you were, how you met with the masses to learn our stories, making us feel heard. Thank you! Sad your momentum seemed to cease, but glad to see you are still on an amazing roll, moving onwards and upwards. Congrats on a great book! ✌️
March 11, 2026
I read this book literally by accident - I don’t remember why I picked it up - maybe because I enjoy African authors? But I have almost zero interest in business or career planning, and this book contains a lot about these topics. However, it captured my interest enough to keep me going. It’s an idiosyncratic mixture of stuff, but hey, why not. Worth reading.
June 4, 2025
This was it. I was wondering when I'd find my 5 star book that I want to recommend to everyone and reread! This is it! So relatable, so inspiring, so damn good!
November 6, 2025
I liked that she had other people write chapters.
July 17, 2025
I’m Highly Percent Sure by Caroline Wanga is more than a book—it’s a spiritual recalibration, a corporate exorcism, and a permission slip to be your whole self in every room you enter. As a DEIA practitioner and executive, I didn’t just read this—I felt it. Deeply. In places I didn’t even realize were still raw from trying to lead while bleeding.
Wanga doesn’t give us another playbook filled with buzzwords. She gives us truth—unfiltered, culturally rooted, and powerfully human. She writes like someone who’s survived the fire and isn’t afraid to name who lit the match. Her blend of ancestral wisdom, business strategy, and radical authenticity knocked the wind out of me—in the best way.
This book met me in my exhaustion, spoke to the weight of invisible labor, and reminded me that excellence doesn’t require erasure. It honored every version of me I’ve had to be to survive leadership spaces not built for my fullness.
This isn’t just five stars. It’s a mirror, a manifesto, and a miracle for anyone carrying the tension of purpose and pressure. I’m highly percent sure this book just saved somebody’s career and soul.
Wanga doesn’t give us another playbook filled with buzzwords. She gives us truth—unfiltered, culturally rooted, and powerfully human. She writes like someone who’s survived the fire and isn’t afraid to name who lit the match. Her blend of ancestral wisdom, business strategy, and radical authenticity knocked the wind out of me—in the best way.
This book met me in my exhaustion, spoke to the weight of invisible labor, and reminded me that excellence doesn’t require erasure. It honored every version of me I’ve had to be to survive leadership spaces not built for my fullness.
This isn’t just five stars. It’s a mirror, a manifesto, and a miracle for anyone carrying the tension of purpose and pressure. I’m highly percent sure this book just saved somebody’s career and soul.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews