Jenny Wood

Penguin Random House

Author of "Wild Courage: Go After What You Want and Get It", a business non-fiction book about how to chase what you want. And achieve it!

Author

Harvard Business Review

Write leadership, teamwork, and career pieces for Harvard Business Review.

Writer

Google

Lead large team across North and South America that helps F500 companies implement, optimize, and troubleshoot media campaigns.

Director, Americas Media Operations, Technical Service Managers

Founder of one of Google's largest and fastest-growing Career Development initiative in 25 years. We have 97% positive feedback with tens of thousands of people participating in the program. 

Our goal is to help Googlers increase their influence and impact in their current role and/or land their next role at Google. Be bold, be curious, be you.

Founder, Google's Own Your Career Program

Lead team of 25 full-time Googlers across 14 global cities to provide outstanding customer service on mobile apps troubleshooting issues. Influence stakeholders to make products easier to sell and improve sales teams' ability to sell them. Achieve metrics like turnaround time and customer satisfaction scores. Build awesome team culture and mentor women and other underrepresented groups. Also accountable for 18 offshore vendors.

Head of Global Customer Care, Mobile Apps

Head of Regional Customer Care, US West Coast

Lead 8-person business analyst team for Telecom industry in Google's sales & marketing organization. Advise senior executives at Fortune 500 companies on consumer and market data, insights, marketing strategy, and digital measurement & attribution. Responsibilities across brand and performance marketing, including omni-channel impact, customer segmentation, and brand-building.

Focus on D&I initiatives including equity, promotion diversity, and community inclusion.

Head of Analytics & Insights, Telecom Industry

Strategy and Operations Manager

Senior Analytical Lead

Account Strategist

Lambda Educational Technologies

Quality Assurance Manager

Harvard Business School

Research Associate

Author. Speaker. Founder, Google’s Own Your Career Program. Google Executive, America's Media Operations.

Order my NYT bestselling book: itsjennywood.com/book. WILD COURAGE: Go After What You Want and Get It will help you get seen, get heard, and get ahead.

Join 70K+ others who read my newsletter at itsjennywood.com/newsletter. It’s full of free tips to get what you really want in life.

18 years ago, I was an anxious, entry-level employee at Google. 

Then I chased my future-husband off the subway and gave him my number.

That moment made me realize the life I want won’t just happen to me. 

I have to chase it. And so do you! 

That mentality led me to become an executive at Google running a large operations team that helps drive tens of billions in revenue a year. I also founded Own Your Career, a large career development initiative at Google with tens of thousands of people benefitting.

After climbing the ranks from entry-level to executive, I realize something. What if the traits you need to get ahead are the exact opposite of what you’ve been told? To be successful you need to be:

Weird
Selfish
Shameless
Obsessed
Nosy
Manipulative
Brutal
Reckless
Bossy

And that takes courage. Wild amounts of it.

So I wrote a book! It’s called, WILD COURAGE: Go After What You Want and Get It, and it became an instant New York Times bestseller. 😮

I’m so excited for you to order it at itsjennywood.com/book and be more bold, persuasive, and successful. 

Follow me for advice to achieve your goals and get what you want. Unapologetically. 

The opinions I state on LinkedIn and other public forums are my own, not those of any past or present company.

My grandmother was the CEO of a NYC financial services firm until she was 92.

What. A. Boss.

And since it’s Thanksgiving week, I’ve been thinking about the things she taught me — the kind of wisdom I’m most grateful for.

She was sharp, funny, wildly independent…and at 88, she even agreed to be a bridesmaid in my wedding. She liked to challenge the status quo — and she taught me to do the same.

Here are five lessons she shared with me in my early 20s that still hold up:

1️⃣ Never spend more than you earn.
2️⃣ Pay your credit card bill in full every month.
3️⃣ Skip individual stocks; buy low-cost, well-diversified funds.
4️⃣ Dollar-cost average to minimize risk and stay consistent.
5️⃣ Max out your 401(k); matching dollars are the best kind of free money.

She was also famous for saying, "no is just an opening offer," and was a killer negotiator. 

And while she passed a couple of years ago, here’s the non-financial lesson that matters even more:

Call your grandparents. A lot.

Ask them what they’ve learned about money, work, love, risk, and resilience.

You’ll walk away richer every single time.

What's one thing you learned from your grandparents? Share in the comments. 👇

Join 30K+ others who read my newsletter at itsjennywood.com/newsletter. It’s full of free tips to get what you really want in life.

18 years ago, I was an anxious, entry-level employee at Google. 

Then I chased my future-husband off the subway and gave him my number.

That moment made me realize the life I want won’t just happen to me. 

I have to chase it. And so do you! 

That mentality led me to become an executive at Google running a large operations team that helps drive tens of billions of advertising revenue a year. I also founded Own Your Career, a large Career Development initiative at Google with tens of thousands of people benefitting.

Follow me for advice to achieve your goals and get what you want. Unapologetically.

The opinions I state on LinkedIn and other public forums are my own, not those of my company.

New York Times bestselling author. Keynote speaker. Former Google exec. Former Harvard Business School researcher. Founder, Google’s Own Your Career Program.

You should steal this quick “follow-up” script…👀

You finally had that networking chat you’ve been meaning to schedule. 

It went great. They shared insights, advice, and even opened a door or two for you. 

And then… you ghost them. 

(Not intentionally. Life happens. But still.) 

Here’s the thing: 

A thoughtful follow-up isn’t just polite—it’s powerful.

Try this: 

“Thanks so much for the chat, [Name]! I’m already thinking about how to apply your insights to [specific project or challenge]. If you ever want to bounce ideas or hear more about [related topic], feel free to reach out anytime.” 

Why it works: 

1️⃣ It shows you were listening. 
2️⃣ It offers value back to them. 
3️⃣ It keeps the connection alive without feeling pushy. 

And now you don’t have to spin your wheels about the “perfect” follow up note.

Done is better than perfect. This one is good enough. Copy/paste mine!

Bottom line? 

That follow-up email could turn a one-off conversation into a lasting connection. 

Who’s someone you need to follow up with today? Write the email. ✅

♻️ If you found this post helpful, repost it to your network to help others.

Follow me Jenny Wood for more unconventional business and career tips

The biggest lie about leadership? 👀

That the most successful people have a perfectly mapped-out plan.

They don’t.

They MOVE, 
THEN map.

I didn’t have a 5-year plan when I got promoted at Google. 😅
I didn’t wait until I had all the answers to start the Own Your Career program. 🫣
I didn’t have a safety net when I left my executive role to write Wild Courage. 😳

I took the step BEFORE I felt ready.

And that’s the secret…

Action provides clarity, not thought.

Too many people:

❌ Wait until they feel 100% prepared before making a move
❌ Overanalyze every decision instead of taking the first step
❌ Get stuck in “planning mode” and never actually do the thing

But the most successful leaders? 

They move first.

They take a small step, learn from it, and adjust as they go.

If you’ve been overthinking a big career decision, here’s my advice:

Stop waiting. Stop thinking. Start moving.

Do it! 👏

♻️ If you found this post helpful, repost it to your network to help others.

Follow me, Jenny Wood, for more unconventional business and career tips.

Managers, here’s the truth: you already get 100% of the credit.
Hire people who outsmart you and then get out of their way.

Leadership isn’t about proving you can do it all. It’s about creating the conditions where your people can do their best work.

Instead of proving you can do it all, prove you can build people up.

❌ Let them assume you made the slides.
✅ Say: “My direct report crushed this.”

❌ Lead every meeting with senior leadership.
✅ Give the opportunity to someone on your team you are trying to promote

❌ Doing the data work yourself to look "hard-working."
✅ Delegate the number-crunching and help the individual contributor pull out the most important insights. 

When you are the boss, leaders above you recognize your value is:

👉 Setting the direction
👉 Clearing roadblocks
👉 Coaching your people to do their best work

Have the confidence that these skills are valued. 

And necessary for your team to perform well. 

When your TEAM is successful, YOU are successful. 

Follow or connect with me Jenny Wood for more actionable tips to grow as a leader.

You teach people how to treat you.

Every time you answer emails at 10 PM…
Every time you say “no problem” when it actually is a problem…
Every time you take on extra work without pushing back…

You’re teaching people what’s okay.

I get it. Setting boundaries feels uncomfortable. (Especially if you’re known as super reliable.)

But the truth is…

👉 People respect what you consistently enforce.

When you set expectations — and hold them — they start to treat your time and energy differently.

Try this:

1️⃣ Say when you’ll respond and stick to it.

Example: “I check email twice a day. I’ll get back to you this afternoon.”

2️⃣ State priorities clearly.

Example: “My focus this week is [project]. Anything outside that will need to wait until next week.”

3️⃣ Normalize no.

Example: “I don’t have capacity for that right now, but I can connect you with someone who might.”

You can’t control how others behave. But you CAN control what you allow.

And while it might feel hard at first, setting expectations is one of the most productive choices you’ll ever make long-term.

And if someone gets mad because you didn’t reply in 5 minutes?  

Let them.  

You’ve got more important things to do :)

P.S. If setting boundaries still feels awkward or you worry you’ll sound rude, I put together a free Guide to Saying No (Without Feeling Like a Jerk).

Grab it here: itsjennywood.com/sayno — and start protecting your time with confidence.

I wrapped my last keynote of the year yesterday — my first full year as a full-time speaker.

As I was debriefing on my flight home, it clicked:

I’m not "becoming" a professional speaker anymore.
I AM one.

I’ve shared this photo of the sign that hangs behind my desk, because it resonates even more today.

If cauliflower can be pizza, you can be anything.

“Be” can mean whatever you need:

• Bolder in meetings
• Clearer with your boundaries
• More unapologetically you

What will you be in 2026? I'd love to help you get there. 

♻️ If you found this post helpful, repost it to your network to help others.

Follow me, Jenny Wood, for more unconventional business and career tips.

Your indecision is killing your career.

I watch people spend WEEKS agonizing over decisions that should take 10 minutes.

Not because they need more data.
Because they’re scared of being wrong.
Which vendor? Which project? Which hire?

They build spreadsheets. Schedule 47 meetings. Ask everyone’s opinion.

Meanwhile, their competitor just decided and shipped.

Instead, use the “Threessential Rule.”

Ask yourself, “What are the 3 essential things I need to know to make this decision?

📌 Choosing between projects?

What moves the revenue needle?
What can we actually deliver?
What happens if we don't?

📌  Hiring someone?

Can they do the job?
Will they make the team better?
Do I want to manage them?

📌  Saying yes to a meeting?

Is there a decision to make?
Am I the decision maker?
Is this the only way to decide?

That's it. Three questions. Done.

More questions = more confusion. 
More data = more delay. 
More analysis = more paralysis.

Your gut knows the answer after 3 questions. 

Everything else is just fear dressed up as research.

What's your go-to question for quick decisions? 👇

Smart negotiators ask THIS question. 

I bet it will surprise you: 

“What does success look like for you?”

✅ Maybe you’re asking for a bigger budget for a project. 
✅ Or more resources for your team. 
✅ Or approval for your new idea. 

Ask, “What does success look like for you?” 

Here’s an example script👇

You: “What does success look like for you in this situation?”

Them: “We need this project to stay under $100k and deliver a 20% revenue increase in Q1.”

You: “Got it. Adding the extra resources will help us hit the deadline and surpass the engagement target by strengthening [specific area].”

You’ve done 3 things: 

1️⃣ Aligned your pitch with their priorities.
2️⃣ Built trust by showing you care about their goals.
3️⃣ Made it harder for them to say no.

Next time you’re preparing a big ask, don’t lead with what YOU want.

Start with what THEY want — and watch the conversation shift in your favor.

♻️ If you found this post helpful, repost it to your network to help others boost their conversations. 

Follow me Jenny Wood for more unconventional business and career tips.

This was my 10-year old son’s reaction…

…when I told him about Shortform. 🤯

Shortform is a tool that breaks down 10-hour business books into 30-minute actionable guides.

His response: “Mom... why didn’t we have this in SCHOOL?”

You know that stack of “must-read” business books on your nightstand? 
You know, the ones you bought after that conference 6 months ago?

You’re not reading them. I’m not reading them. Nobody’s reading them.

But we all pretend we are.

I’m a big believer in this👇

Information without implementation is just expensive decoration.

The 47 books gathering dust on your nightstand aren’t making you smarter. 

The ONE concept you actually apply tomorrow is.

As someone who literally *hid* from reading until age 21, Shortform finally let me access the knowledge I wanted without the time commitment I didn’t have.

Now I actually learn from books instead of just collecting them.

P.S. Get $50 OFF Shortform here: shortform.com/jw

If the girl who used CliffsNotes for EVERYTHING in high school can become a learner, anyone can. 😉

5 things confident people do at work (that will surprise you): 

1️⃣ They admit when someone else’s idea is better.

“Sarah's approach is stronger. Let's go with that.” They don’t have an ego to protect. 

2️⃣ They ask “stupid” questions in big meetings.

While everyone else nods along pretending to understand the acronym soup, confident people raise their hand: “Can you explain what that means?”

They’d rather look uninformed for 30 seconds than be confused for 30 minutes.

3️⃣ They celebrate other people’s wins loudly.

They’re the first to post congratulations and first to buy drinks. They know someone else’s success doesn’t diminish theirs.

4️⃣ They share their failures openly.

“I completely bombed that presentation. Here’s what I learned…”

They own their humanity and know their worth isn’t determined by being perfect.

5️⃣ They protect their team’s time (and credit).

Insecure managers throw their teams under buses. Confident ones throw themselves in front of them.

What would you add to this list? Comment below👇

5 things confident people do at work 

Find out what’s holding you back at work and in life—and how to fix it. 
Take this fun, quick quiz: itsjennywood.com/quiz

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