As a longtime marketer and brand storyteller, I’ve always believed in the power of living intentionally. But after attending a recent workshop with Bozoma Saint John, the former CMO of Netflix, Chief Brand Officer of Uber, Head of Global Consumer Marketing for Apple Music, and now a reality TV powerhouse, that belief expanded. Boz doesn’t just talk about bold career moves, personal branding, or storytelling. She lives it. And she challenges you to do the same.

Here are the key takeaways from Boz’s The Badass Workshop that left an imprint on me – and why I think every woman in business needs to hear them.

Carpe Omnia: The Bold Reframe We All Needed

We’ve all heard “Carpe Diem” tossed around as a motivational motto. But Bozoma offered a reframe that hit deeper: Carpe Omnia. It doesn’t just mean “seize the day.” The Latin root of “carpe” actually means “to pluck.”

“It’s not about doing everything,” Boz said. “It’s about intentionally plucking the abundance in your life. Carpe Omnia means choosing it. Going after it.”

It made me think: Am I being intentional about the things I want each day – or just letting life happen to me?

As women, we’re taught to be grateful for what we have, to not ask for too much, to keep our ambitions in check. But Boz reminded us that abundance is not arrogance. It’s a mindset. One worth choosing – daily.

You Are the Center of Your World

This was one of the most powerful truths of the session: You come first.

Not in a selfish way, but in a foundational way. If you constantly put yourself second – or last – you’re building a life around everyone else’s priorities but your own.

Many women in business are conditioned to minimize themselves. Wait your turn. Be humble. Say “we” instead of “I.” Boz called that out for what it is: shrinking.

She shared how, for years, she was conditioned to apologize, to soften herself, to wait her turn. But life isn’t a line. It’s an open field. You have to step into it. Boldly.

She challenged us to think about the ways we put ourselves at the bottom of the list – and how that communicates our value to others.

Intuition Is a Leadership Strategy

Boz’s career path wasn’t paved by external validation – it was built on deeply trusting her intuition. When her husband passed away from cancer, her grief told her she couldn’t stay in the same role. Everyone around her advised against leaving. But her intuition whispered, go now. That whisper took her to Beats by Dre, which led to Apple Music, and eventually to a global keynote presentation that would change her life.

“If I had stayed,” she said, “I would not have lived.”

This wasn’t about impulse. It was about listening to her inner voice – her spirit, gut, higher self – and acting on it. Boz encouraged us to stop asking for advice we don’t need. If you know what you want, ask clarifying questions – not for someone else’s opinion, but to sharpen your own.

Intuition is a muscle. The more you use it, the louder it gets.

Say It Out Loud

We don’t talk about this enough as women: the power of claiming our own brilliance.

Boz called out how often women default to “we” when we really mean “I.” We dilute our achievements to make them more palatable. But how can others celebrate your ideas if you don’t own them?

“I started saying it out loud,” she said. “I said, ‘I had a badass idea.’ And then guess what? People started repeating it back.”

This wasn’t ego – it was clarity. Vision. Personal branding in its purest form.

Are You Living a Wide Life?

The final message that lingered? Don’t just aim to live a long life – live a wide one. One filled with risks, reinventions, and stories that your future self would be proud to tell.

Boz said she often thinks about her 85-year-old self. Not in a rigid, 10-year-plan kind of way. But as a north star. She wants that future version to be proud. Inspired. Full of rich stories from a life lived boldly.

That really stuck with me. We spend so much time trying to map everything out – but what if the ideas meant for us are too big for today’s dreams? What if the opportunities are already right in front of us, waiting to be plucked?

Final Thought

Bozoma Saint John didn’t just give a workshop. She delivered a rallying cry for anyone who’s been playing it small, waiting for permission, or doubting their own power.

I left reminded that intuition is a strategy. Speaking your truth is a leadership skill. And that the boldest, most abundant life is one you intentionally choose – one day, one decision, one badass idea at a time.

Are you ready to live a wide, carpe omnia life?

For more information, check out The Badass Workshop, her website, and her book, The Urgent Life: My Story of Love, Loss, and Survival.

Jessica Gioglio is the co-author of The Laws of Brand Storytelling and The Power of Visual Storytelling. Professionally, Jessica has led innovative marketing and public relations programs for Dunkin’, TripAdvisor, Sprinklr, and more. Today, Jessica is a keynote speaker (book her here) and founder of With Savvy Media & Marketing, a strategic branding, storytelling, and content strategy consultancy.