In this inspiring episode of No Boxes: Just Verses, we sit down with powerhouse CEO Christiane Pendarvis. Are you a leader trying to navigate an unconventional career path, overcome self-doubt, or find your authentic leadership style? Christiane's journey is a powerful testament to the value of taking risks, embracing pivots, and finding your purpose beyond a career plan. From her upbringing in South Carolina to leading global brands like Savage X Fenty and PATTERN Beauty, this conversation reveals the songs and stories that shaped a true unboxed leader.

Christiane Pendarvis is a growth-oriented Chief Executive Officer with over 30 years of experience. She is currently the Co-CEO of PATTERN Beauty and previously served as Co-President of Savage X Fenty, where she grew revenues six times over and closed a major financing round. She brings a leadership style grounded in compassion and empathy and serves on the boards of public companies, including Him for Hers and Hootsuite.

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Key Takeaways:

• Exposure Drives Growth: Learn how a childhood of black excellence in South Carolina, followed by a move to Harvard, taught Christiane that a leader's growth is often accelerated by new experiences and diverse exposure.

• The Power of Authentic Leadership: Discover how Christiane learned to overcome the fear of showing her whole self at work, realizing that full authenticity is the key to building genuine connections and career longevity.

• Pivots are a Pathway to Purpose: Hear how an unexpected maternity leave project at Gap and a risky move to a small startup prepared her with the exact e-commerce, strategy, and operational skills she needed to lead Savage X Fenty.

• The Key to a C-Suite Role: Find out why Christiane believes that the path to a CEO role isn't about a calculated plan, but about being deeply passionate, maniacally focused, and constantly learning what interests you.

Christiane’s story proves that a leader's journey is a beautiful, unpredictable path. What lessons will you take from her story to create your own unboxed career? Share this episode with a friend and remember to leave a rating and review!

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CONNECT WITH CHRISTIANE PENDARVIS:

LinkedIn

PATTERN Instagram

Playlist

CONNECT WITH SHANNON:

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn Shannon | LinkedIn NBJV

Theme Song: Pedal to the Medal by Martin Luther (Spotify | Apple Music) 

The Unlikely Path from a Maternity Leave to CEO

Have you ever looked at a successful leader's career and wondered how they got there? You see the impressive titles and the big brands they've worked for, but you can't see the twists, turns, and pivots that led them to the top. What if the most powerful thing you could do for your career is to stop planning and start trusting your journey? In an interview on the "No Boxes: Just Verses" podcast, powerhouse CEO Christiane Pendarvis shared her inspiring story of how an "unboxed" career path, including an unexpected maternity leave, was the perfect training ground for her to lead some of the world's most dynamic brands. This article is for you if you're ready to let go of a rigid career plan and find your own way to the top.

This article is for you if you are feeling stuck on a career path that doesn't feel like your own. It's for anyone who is willing to learn, take risks, and trust that their unique experiences are their greatest asset. You don't need a perfect background or a pre-made plan. All you need is an open mind and a commitment to following your curiosity.

Step 1: Find a Mentor Who Gives You "Permission" to Be Yourself

Many of us feel pressure to be a certain way at work, to put on a "professional self" that is different from our real self. This is a common mistake that can hold you back from building genuine connections and reaching your full potential. Christiane shared that she struggled with this early in her career, feeling she had to be guarded and not show her "whole self" at work, a lesson from her family who grew up in the Jim Crow South. But everything changed when she met a Black female boss at Procter & Gamble who showed up as her full, authentic self, wearing natural hair and teaching aerobics classes to her team. This woman’s success gave Christiane "permission" to do the same, and it changed her whole career.

Conclusion:

Showing up as your authentic self is a powerful leadership tool that builds genuine connections and career longevity.

• Be your whole self at work, not just your "professional self".

• Seek out mentors who show up authentically and give you permission to do the same.

• Don't be afraid to let your personal interests and passions show at work.

• Remember that authenticity is a strength that cannot be easily copied.

Step 2: Let Exposure Drive Your Growth

It's tempting to stay in a job or a city that feels safe and comfortable. But a common mistake is believing that staying put is the best way to grow. Christiane's journey proves the opposite: "exposure drives growth”. She left her home in South Carolina for Harvard, then moved to Dallas, Texas, and later to San Francisco. Each of these moves, while challenging, gave her exposure to new cultures, people, and ideas she had never seen before. She learned about different businesses from her Harvard classmates, and she learned about new holidays like Juneteenth when she moved to Texas. These experiences broadened her worldview and opened her mind to new possibilities she never would have imagined.

Conclusion:

A leader's growth is often accelerated by new experiences and diverse exposure.

• Don't be afraid to leave your comfort zone for a new city or a new job.

• Seek out new experiences and surround yourself with people who are different from you.

• Remember that every new exposure, whether it's cultural or professional, is a chance to grow.

• Let your curiosity guide you to new places and opportunities.

Step 3: Embrace the Career Pivot

We often think of a career as a straight line, but the truth is, the most successful careers are often full of zigzags and pivots. A common mistake is to see a pivot as a step backward. Christiane’s story is a perfect example of how a series of pivots was the ultimate training for her to become a CEO. She left a secure job to learn e-commerce at a small startup, a move her friends thought was crazy at the time. A maternity leave from her role at Gap led to a strategy project that taught her about the digital side of business, a skill she never had before. These pivots, which seemed risky or unplanned, gave her the exact skills she needed to lead Savage X Fenty and Pattern Beauty.

Conclusion:

Your career pivots, even the unexpected ones, can be the perfect training ground for your next big role.

• Be willing to take a step back to learn a new skill.

• See every new opportunity as a chance to add to your unique toolkit.

• Don't be afraid to take a risk on a small company to learn a big skill.

• Remember that a well-rounded career is built on a series of pivots.

Step 4: Follow Your Passion, Not a Career Plan

A lot of people feel pressure to have a rigid, five-year plan for their career. But Christiane’s journey shows us that a "planned" career is often overrated. She shared that she never had a grand plan to become a CEO. Her path was unpredictable and full of pivots. She got to where she is today because she was "maniacally focused" on the businesses she cared about, and she was passionate about constantly learning new things. She advises aspiring leaders to stop trying to follow a rigid plan and start following their passion and curiosity, because that's what truly opens up opportunities.

Conclusion:

Passion and curiosity are the keys to a successful career, not a rigid, predetermined plan.

• Focus on what you are passionate about, not what you think you should be doing.

• Be a problem-solver who is maniacally focused on the business at hand.

• Let your curiosity about new trends and technologies guide your career moves.

• Remember that a leader's job is to deliver great business results, and passion is the fuel for that.

Conclusion: Your Unboxed Journey to Authentic Leadership

You’ve learned that a life of purpose and leadership isn't about what’s on your resume. It’s a journey of finding your authentic voice, letting new experiences drive your growth, and embracing the pivots that make your path unique. The big idea here is that your life journey, with all its unexpected turns, is what makes you the perfect leader for the moments you are in. Christiane's story is a beautiful anthem of a leader who trusted her instincts and created a career that is truly her own.

Now it's your turn to apply these lessons. Start by asking yourself:

Final Steps to Take:

• What are you passionate about, and how can you let that guide your career?

• What is one new thing you can learn today to expand your "exposure"?

• What is one pivot you can make today to add a new skill to your toolkit?

• How can you start showing up more authentically in your work and in your life?