Owl Have You Know

Striking the Right Chord feat. Shai Littlejohn

Owl Have You Know

Published: 26 March 2025 at 09:00 Europe/London

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Episode notes

Rice Executive MBA student Shai Littlejohn is a career-pivoting master. From law to music, and now coffee – she has built a career around fearlessly tackling challenges head on and following her passions.

Now as the Director and Corporate Counsel for Global Supply Chain & Innovation at Starbucks, Shai recently spoke on a panel at Rice’s annual Women in Leadership Conference about Texas’ evolving legal landscape.

After the panel, she joined Owl Have You Know co-host Brian Jackson ’21 to chat about her pivots from law to music to the coffee business, the invaluable lessons she’s picked up from her diverse roles, and what led her to pursue an executive MBA at Rice and how she’s already putting her education to use.

Episode Guide:

00:51 Shai Littlejohn's Career Journey

03:14 Navigating Law and Music

04:38 Pursuing Music and Personal Fulfillment

09:36 Transition to Starbucks

11:30 Balancing an Executive MBA

15:09 Empowering Women in Business

16:35 Conclusion and Favorite Starbucks Order

Owl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

On deciding what you want and going for it

[16:05] Brian Jackson: If you had a hope for one thing that the attendees today would take with them, what would that be?

[16:12] Shai Littlejohn: That they have to decide what they want and just go for it. You know, it's like—if the law doesn't... You can't look for laws necessarily to help you all the time or wait for the environment or timing to be right. We have talent that we can bring to the table. We have ideas, and nothing can stop that. We just have to keep putting them out there. You're not always going to get the reception you want, but that can't stop you from trying and going for it.

What Rice’s Women in Leadership Conference means to a woman in business

15:43: Being a woman in business is exciting, and attending this conference is truly invigorating because opportunities are all around us. No matter what’s happening in the world, we as women have immense potential and endless opportunities to pursue. This group is ready to seize them, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.

What’s the biggest difference in working between oil and gas and coffee?

11:17: Corporate culture. Starbucks has a unique corporate culture, which I hope remains distinct because balancing culture with productivity is crucial. Many companies struggle to get that right, and striking that balance—work-life harmony alongside productivity—is very challenging.

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