244: Wanda J. Herndon: "What If Every 'No' Is Telling You to Find a 'Yes' Elsewhere?"
Wanda J. Herndon shares how her commitment to telling the truth guided her through corporate PR, and how she navigated being stifled by “sure things” in old-guard companies before helping build Starbucks into a global brand. Her memoir, *Working Class to Breaking Glass*, connects leadership, belonging, and resilience.
👤 About the Guest
Wanda J. Herndon is an award-winning communications executive, author, and trailblazer. Best known as Starbucks’ first SVP of global communications, she rose through Dow Chemical, DuPont, and Starbucks, and authored the memoir Working Class to Breaking Glass. Raised in Flint, Michigan, she brings a working-class, race- and gender-aware perspective to leadership.
🧭 Conversation Highlights
- How “telling the truth” works in corporate PR: selective communication, but not lying
- Starbucks as a brand-building environment: from local growth goals to global culture learning
- “Never hear no” reframed: when the party’s over, pivot to “yes” elsewhere
- Resilience and belonging: claiming the seat, building networks, and lifting others as you climb
💡 Key Takeaways
- Truth can be both a personal ethic and a communications practice, especially when you’re asked hard questions
- Stifling can feel like inertia, but you can still design your next “yes” and keep moving
- Brand growth is also internal culture, messaging, and earned media partnerships
- Global communication demands nuance: directness must flex to the people and context in front of you
❓ Questions That Mattered
- Where did Wanda’s commitment to truth get tested, and how did she handle the tension?
- What did “no” sound like in the boardroom when her global aspirations were blocked?
- What does it mean to pivot from fighting for one path to finding “yes” on another?
- How do you adapt external messaging and tone across cultures while staying true to the brand?
🗣️ Notable Quotes
- “You can leave out certain aspects and decide on what you should communicate.”
- “I was never afraid of losing my job. I had plan B.”
- “You’re the CEO of me. I am in control, and I am going to see how many yeses I can get on the open market.”
- “If you’re invited into the room, you already belong. Don’t let anybody take that away from you.”
🔗 Links & Resources
