360 Degrees of Valentina - Paperback

by Ana V. Ayestas (Author)

She asked for a promotion. She got a performance review.

Valentina Navarro is 29, single, and the first in her family to land a corporate leadership role in the U.S. She's finally managing her own team at Orion Grocer-and four months in, her numbers are up, and leadership is pleased. There's just one problem: her team hates her.

Haunted by guilt after pushing out a long-tenured employee, Valentina pours her shame into a self-drawn graphic novel alter ego: La Machetera, a machete-wielding villain forged by corporate dysfunction. But when the drawing lands in HR's inbox, she's forced into a brutal 360-degree performance review that threatens to unravel everything she's worked for.

Navigating office politics, old wounds, and an unexpected reunion with her ex, Valentina struggles to reconcile the pressure to lead with authenticity against a backdrop of toxic positivity, double standards, and "feedback culture." As her team turns from resistance to trust, she must decide what kind of leader-and woman-she wants to be.

A sharp, darkly funny, and emotionally resonant debut, 360 Degrees of Valentina is a coming-of-leadership story for anyone who's ever felt like an outsider in a world that wasn't built for them.