We Are So Much More

Aster Angagaw

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Succeeding in business and in life as a woman is a challenge. Many women, especially women of color, have sacrificed relationships, interests, personal growth, and even their health to advance their careers.

Aster Angagaw is an Ethiopian-American Black woman who put herself through college and eventually became CEO of Healthcare North America at Sodexo and then President of ServiceMaster Brands—both multibillion-dollar companies.

We Are So Much More features eighteen other remarkable female executives across ten countries from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America—global leaders from Adidas, Herman Miller, Mars Inc., Amgen, Sodexo, CBS, General Electric, and more. All share their stories and speak openly about their choices, setbacks, and regrets.

This book integrates these amazing stories, including Aster’s own, and distills their collected global wisdom around seven essential dimensions that hold the key to having it all. Across countries, class, and color, when we live with intention, We Are So Much More.

Press & Praise

Lorraine Hariton, President and CEO of Catalyst

The stories of these women leaders across the globe are inspirational and illuminating. Aster realistically showcases the challenges and determination these women possessed to reach the top of their careers. And most importantly, it provides a practical roadmap for organizations to develop their talent pipeline to help women leaders to develop and flourish.

Subha V. Barry, Chief Executive Officer of Seramount (Formerly Working Mother Media)

Aster's book (hopefully the first of many) We Are So Much More uses powerful storytelling as a guide for women and men aspiring to be leaders in their organizations. The inspiration comes from nineteen remarkable women leaders who transparently share their journeys of sacrifice and compromise but also their lessons learned and successes. Can you succeed in your career without giving up on having a family, personal passion, or time for self-care? Aster says yes and shows you how! This is a book for the global career woman.

Gwen Bingham, retired US Army Lieutenant General (three-star)

Aster Angagaw's book We Are So Much More is on point and transcends more than the corporate world. It is a must-read for anyone who aspires to learn from professional women who have continually found success in every aspect of their work-life journey. I applaud Aster for her selfless commitment and passion for courageously sharing these hard-hitting stories with timeless lessons! I will add it to my professional reading collection and recommend it universally!

Aster Angagaw is the seventh of ten children, born and raised in Ethiopia during a time when her parents faced tremendous struggles. In the face of many challenges, her mother, whom her children lovingly called Etaba (meaning “big sister”), was the glue that held the family together. Aster shares Etaba’s profound wisdom throughout this book.

Through hard work and her mother’s inspiration, Aster continued her lifelong journey for growth, earned a BA in organizational management from Eastern University and an executive MBA from Temple University, and became a graduate of the Harvard University Advanced Management Program. Today, she has more than twenty-five years of senior leadership experience in global multibillion-dollar corporations.

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