Wanda J. Herndon memoir traces rise from Flint to Starbucks leadership

Wanda J. Herndon’s new memoir, Working Class to Breaking Glass, recounts her path from a blue-collar Flint childhood to becoming Starbucks’ first senior vice president of global communications. The book frames her career as a story about race, gender, leadership, and how representation shapes who gets a seat at the table.

Why it matters: - The memoir adds a rare Black woman executive voice to a leadership conversation still shaped by questions of access, belonging, and advancement. - Herndon’s story spans journalism, government, public relations, and corporate communications, giving the book broad relevance for business and workplace readers. - The book centers the challenge of being a “first” and an “only” in rooms where African American women were rarely present.

What happened: - Wanda J. Herndon released Working Class to Breaking Glass: One Woman’s Fight to Belong and to Lead. - Herndon grew up in Flint, Michigan, in a blue-collar family shaped by the Great Migration and General Motors. - Her father, a former assembly-line worker who left the Jim Crow South, told her, “You should get an office job.” - The memoir follows Herndon from Flint to Michigan State University and into careers in journalism, government, public relations, and corporate communications. - Herndon later became Starbucks Coffee Company’s first senior vice president of global communications. - More information

The details: - Herndon writes about financial uncertainty, imposter syndrome, racism, sexism, workplace politics, personal loss, mentorship, and the pressure of being a pioneer. - She says her “Wanda-isms” combine fearlessness, honesty, joy, and hard-earned wisdom. - At Starbucks, Herndon helped guide communications as the company grew from 550 stores to more than 15,000 stores across five continents. - Herndon advised leaders, shaped culture, protected reputation, and earned a place at decision-making tables. - Herndon also founded W Communications in 2006, a strategic communications consulting firm. - Her work extends beyond corporate communications to Broadway producing and investing, poetry, and co-authoring Writing While Masked: Reflections on 2020 and Beyond. - Herndon earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and received an honorary doctor of humanities degree from Michigan State University. - Herndon lives in Seattle. - The book is available where books are sold.

Between the lines: - The memoir is positioned as both a personal account and a leadership guide for readers navigating ambition, identity, workplace belonging, and legacy. - The early praise from business and culture figures signals an audience that reaches beyond memoir readers into corporate leadership, women’s empowerment, and professional development. - The story reflects a broader shift in what leadership narratives now include: not just achievement, but the barriers that shape access to power.

What’s next: - Herndon is available for interviews and speaking engagements. - The memoir’s reception will likely determine how widely it travels in leadership and business circles beyond its initial launch. - Herndon’s public platform may expand further through speaking, consulting, and media around the book.