The Closer

Ceiling Smashers, Book 1

By: Shaz Kahng

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

The decision was irreversible.... Vivien would become either the most remarkable female executive in the sports industry, or the biggest failure.

Vivien Lee has spent her entire consulting career helping CEOs look good, so when she finally has the chance to go after her dream of running a business, she grabs it. A lifelong athlete, Vivien arrives at the smart sports campus in Portland, Oregon, and is introduced as the first female president. It’s one of the highest profile jobs in an industry inhospitable to women. Principled but slightly naïve, Vivien believes her male peers will give her a fair shot. Stumbling early, Vivien makes a series of rookie mistakes. With guidance from the Ceiling Smashers, a secret society of successful professional women, Vivien learns to navigate the treacherous business terrain. A tight-knit group of male sports executives is determined to show that an industry outsider cannot prevail.

The challenge is all too clear: Will Vivien triumph in the sports industry against impossible odds? You’ll want to stay up all night to find out what happens to Vivien and share her inspiring story with your friends. This is a fresh, riveting tale about a strong woman endeavoring to succeed with smarts, scruples, and style.

©2017 Shaz Kahng (P)2019 Shaz Kahng

A bit snobby, but I enjoyed it anyway

So I started the book, and really wasn't liking it. It felt really braggy and pompous. I stopped listening. But then I was on a really long car ride and this was the only thing I had downloaded and not finished so I started it back up again. I ended up really getting into the story and really rooting for Vivian. I am a manager is a male dominated field so I could relate to her experiences and I did learn some interesting management ideas. It gave me hope for success in my own career. I will probably also get the follow up story from the same author based on this book.

Insightful, Relevant, and Empowering

The Closer is a fast-paced page-turner that touches on many relevant themes that career-driven women face today. Not only was it refreshing and empowering to read about a female leader trailblazing in an otherwise male-dominated industry (definitely inspiring to me personally, given that I am working in such a field), it was also wonderful to have the story narrated mostly through Vivien's POV, allowing readers a glimpse into her thought processes and effectively illustrating insights and interesting frameworks/approaches to effective problem-solving both in business and in life. Can't wait for the next book in this series! 

Captivating and fun

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Closer.
Vivian, the central character, successfully faces a number of challenging situations and it’s rewarding to see the teamwork she inspires, along with the diligence with which she approaches her new job.
I also enjoyed the actress she chose to narrate, as her voice brought to life each of the other characters in this book.
I am looking forward to the next book from this author, Shaz Kahng!

Important lessons to share

Thank you to the author for sharing what were likely pretty painful experiences. Many senior women have experienced some similar challenges (perhaps not being fed to a shark), and hearing them spoken of freely to be able to shine a light on or reign in bad behavior only helps all of use succeed in better, healthier, more enterprise-focused environments.
Good mix of anecdotes and reflections, challenges and wins, personal and professional. The multi-dimensionality is realistic and valuable.
Looking forward to the next book.

Loved it

I live this story in my small pond. Wish I read this in my 20s

A smart and insightful story about corporate politics & how to navigate through them

Insightful, with thoughtful strategies for navigating corporate politics for those looking to break corporate ceilings. A fun listen that will keep you captivated until the end.