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Unapologetically Ambitious

Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Own Terms

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Unapologetically Ambitious

By: Shellye Archambeau, Ben Horowitz - foreword
Narrated by: Shellye Archambeau, Dan Triandiflou
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About this listen

Full of empowering wisdom from one of Silicon Valley's first female African American CEOs, this inspiring leadership book for fans of Dare to Lead and Start with Why offers a blueprint for how to achieve your personal and professional goals, drawn from the author's own compelling story of how she weathered life's difficulties to build massive success.

Shellye Archambeau recounts how she overcame the challenges she faced as a young black woman, wife, and mother, managing her personal and professional responsibilities while climbing the ranks at IBM and subsequently in her roles as CEO. Through the busts and booms of Silicon Valley in the early 2000s, this bold and inspiring book details the risks she took and the strategies she engaged to steer her family, her career, and her company MetricStream toward success.

Through her journey, Shellye discovered that ambition alone is not enough to achieve success. Here, she shares the practical strategies, tools, and approaches readers can employ right now, including concrete steps to most effectively:

  • Dismantle impostor syndrome
  • Capitalize on the power of planning
  • Take risks
  • Developing financial literacy
  • Build your network
  • Establish your reputation
  • Take charge of your career
  • Integrate work, marriage, parenthood, and self-care

Each chapter lays out key takeaways and actions to increase the odds of achieving your personal and professional goals. With relatable personal stories that ground her advice in the real world and a foreword by leading venture capitalist and New York Times best-selling author Ben Horowitz, Unapologetically Ambitious invites listeners to move beyond the solely supportive roles others expect them to fill, to learn how to carefully tread the thin line between assertive and aggressive, and to give themselves permission to strive for the top. Make no apologies for the height of your ambitions. Shellye Archambeau will show you how.

©2020 Shellye Archambeau (P)2020 Hachette Audio
Leadership Motivation & Self-Improvement Women in Business Career Business Marriage Inspiring

Critic Reviews

"Shellye has achieved amazing success through a clear strategy of setting goals, making plans, and intelligent risk-taking. In this book, she's now sharing these strategies with us: why to set an ambitious plan and how to achieve it. Highly recommended." (Reid Hoffman, cofounder of LinkedIn and number one New York Times best-selling author of The Start-Up of You)

"Unapologetically Ambitious is a treasure trove of strategic wisdom and practical tips, brought to life through amazing storytelling that will leave the reader inspired, empowered and appreciative. The book deals with the realities of setbacks, trade-offs and societal norms in an authentic way, while illustrating that strength and success often lie in mindset and the team you choose in life. The closing chapter serves as a master guide to navigating life, providing a penultimate takeaway for any reader early in their journey to put the wisdom and experience of the Archambeau's lessons learned into immediate action!" (Brad D. Smith, executive chairman of Intuit and Nordstrom)

"Shellye Archambeau is one of the most intelligent, hard-working and focused women I have met in my 40+ years of business. I was very pleased to have her join the Verizon board in 2013 and have watched her rise within the board to now head the Corporate Governance Committee. Her experience as an African American women rising through the ranks of both large global businesses and technology startups gives her a unique perspective to share with those entering the business world especially those people of color. Grab a pen a paper as you read this book. It is full of the guidance that will put you on a path to career success." (Lowell McAdam, former CEO of Verizon)

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Adopted a new mentor in Shellye.

Shellye's narration of her book is crispy clear and personable. I felt as though she was speaking solely to me, and with my thoughts activated, I felt as though she was speaking with me.

Shellye is the blended life and career mentor I had been longing for ever since I finished high school. I am now mid-career, married, and deeply contemplative about how to take myself and my family into a new or next phase.

Hearing Shellye's approach, line of thinking, lessons learned and journey results - inspired, taught, and provoked me to consider my own blended life and career journey. I have not been so activated by another in this way other than my husband.

I commend this audio book to anyone who is craving for the voice of a woman of colour to speak into their lives wholesome perspectives that can be practically adopted, adapted and practiced. Every chapter is loaded with something that will appeal to many who value life, career and family.

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Felt truly connected with this book

I have never felt such a strong connection with a book until now. 💞

What can I say? It was as if Shellye Archambeau was talking to me directly.🥰

Unapologetically Ambitious has truly been a game-changer.👌

The book elevated my confidence to embrace its principles even more fervently. 👇

The key takeaway - Set your sight on your goal, make actionable plans and remain determined. 💁‍♀️

Here’s to channeling that ambition and never giving up! 💪🏻

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