Q&A with Executive and Author, Christiana Smith Shi

What inspired you to write this book?

My co-author, Grace Puma, and I had been wanting to write a book to give back to women coming up behind us. We’re both asked to speak to women executive groups often, and the question we get most often is “How can I be you?” When we compared notes about the advice we give, we found we had a lot of thoughts in common – even though our career paths were very different. We decided that at some point we should write a book, but the news about the Great Resignation and women dialing back made us feel the urgency to get our message out there now!

What have you discovered during the writing process that has been surprising to you?

Honestly, it’s all surprising to me, being a first-time author! But a few things stand out:

Why is helping other women reach their career goals important to you?

The reality is, we need more women at the highest levels of leadership, and for all the talk about gender equality, we’re not there and will lose ground unless more women think about creating equity in their careers. Grace and I believe that women need to take the long view of their careers so they make the right decision based not on the immediate horizon, but from the perspective of what’s going to give them future opportunities. What boosts their earning power, how to maximize the value of what they do now, and (for those who want it) how to reach the top management levels.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I have a lot of work-related things I do when I’m not writing, but I enjoy exploring vegan food carts in Portland (seriously, it’s a thing), hiking local trails with my dog, Lulu (she’s a Jindo-Akita mix, and a total sweetheart), and binge-watching new shows with my family. 

Do you have any suggestions for aspiring authors?

First, I can’t believe I’m giving advice to other authors! Second, I truly believe everyone has a book in them – and at some point in your life, it’s worth it to figure out what that book is, and take steps to make it happen. I guess my main suggestions would be to leverage your network and ask a lot of questions. Grace and I knew nothing about how to get started, but we had generous friends who shared their experiences with us and helped us find good partners like Pithy Wordsmithery and get started!

What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

I really began to appreciate the power of language when I started to learn another language in school – probably 6th grade or so. I grew up in San Diego, California so we learned Spanish. I loved figuring out how to communicate with people in a totally different language, and it drove me to become fluent in Spanish and to study a little bit of the languages of many of the countries I travelled to for work or fun. It’s very powerful to be able to greet people, thank them, and have a bit of a conversation when you are traveling. It always warms your welcome and builds a bridge!