Levi’s Unbuttoned
By Jennifer Sey

Jennifer Sey was on track to become the first woman CEO of Levi Strauss & Co. As the President of the Levi’s brand, she was widely celebrated as a versatile and inspirational leader who had helped save the iconic brand from bankruptcy.  Formerly a self-described “left of left of center” progressive, she was beloved as the embodiment of the company’s “profits through principles” ethos.

But everything changed when Sey publicly opposed the closure of San Francisco’s public schools at the height of the pandemic. In response to her ‘wrongthink,’ management gave her a choice: shut up or leave. She decided that defending at-risk children was more important than the job that she loved, and so she resigned. After more than two decades at the company, she gave up her professional future in order to retain her voice.

In Levi’s Unbuttoned, Sey recounts her remarkable journey from U.S. National Gymnastics champion through her rise up the corporate ladder at Levi’s. As the highest profile executive to fall victim to the cancel culture engulfing America, her story is an inspiration for all those who, in these difficult times, feel pressured to remain silent on their most fundamental beliefs.

The more Americans who stand up to “woke-ism,” the better chance we have at creating a truly equitable and inclusive society. Principles and integrity matter. Ultimately, they matter more than anything else.

  • “In 'Levi's Unbuttoned,' we hear the voice and resolve of a woman who’s paid a steep price for the sin of being unapologetic and right. Inspirational!”

    — Megyn Kelly, journalist

  • “'Levi's Unbuttoned' is a must-read for anybody seeking proof that dark times inspire bright lights. Highly recommended.”

    — Michael Shellenberger, author, San Fransicko and Apocalypse Never

  • “Jennifer Sey is an American heroine who stood up to the brutality of corporate and government group-think on the most pressing liberty issues of our time. She defended the values and principles that make America great, she lost her job, she lost friends and she was even rejected by some of her own family members. But she persevered – and the lessons she learned are informative to all students of history and lovers of freedom.”

    — Harmeet K. Dhillon, civil rights attorney

  • "In today’s toxic social climate, a very vocal minority has the mic, and they are using it for emotional extortion. Jennifer Sey refused to be silenced and never backed down, despite the sacrifice she ultimately had to make: her job. 'Levi’s Unbuttoned' not only pulls the curtain back on the price Jennifer paid for using her voice but starts a very necessary conversation."

    -Dr. Phil McGraw

  • “The market is overrun with books telling women how to be a boss, find your voice, and stand in your truth. But 'Levi’s Unbuttoned' is the first I’ve encountered that shows just how much sacrifice is required to uphold your values. From her early career as a world class gymnast to her time at Levi’s, Jennifer Sey’s story is exhilarating, maddening and riveting. She tells her story not just with conviction but also with a humor and humility that is all too rare these days. You needn’t agree with her on every point to be cheering her on at every step.”

    — Meghan Daum, author of The Problem With Everything: My Journey Through The New Culture Wars

  • “An inside look at woke capitalism from the vantage point of its highest levels and how the Covid lockdown became a litmus test of loyalty. A stunning book!”

    — Jeffrey Tucker, President Brownstone Institute

  • "Jennifer Sey is one of the heroines of the resistance to the domestic tyranny that assailed us in the pandemic. She fought especially bravely for the rights of kids to be educated, and not damaged by isolation in ‘lockdowns.’ ‘Levi's Unbuttoned’ is the fascinating story of a heterodox thinker in the fight of her life, as well as being a revealing analysis, by a former insider, of ‘woke capitalism.’"

    — Naomi Wolf, bestselling author of The Bodies of Others: The New Authoritarians, COVID-19 and The War Against the Human

  • “Jennifer Sey tells the riveting story of her intimate personal encounter with corporate cancel culture, bringing readers into the trenches of American capitalism for a rare, close-up look at how so much has gone so wrong so fast. It's a true modern story of success, of womanhood, and personal conviction that will surely inspire others to resist the pressures of conformity, even and especially when that's difficult. You don't want to miss it.”

    — Emily Jashinsky, culture editor at The Federalist

  • “We are all fortunate that Jennifer Sey put principles over allegiance to party. Her remarkable story should prompt Americans to re-examine a disturbing aspect of modern culture: the silencing through coercion of those who dissent from an apparent consensus.”

    — Jenin Younes, civil liberties attorney

  • "Sey had a lot to lose by questioning COVID-19 mandates like school closures and masking children. But she continued to question, putting her extraordinary career on the line. In the end, Sey was proven right, and Levi’s was left looking foolish. This is a story everyone should know.”

    — Michele Tafoya, 4-time Emmy winning sports reporter and host of the “SidelineSanity” podcast

  • "At least twice in her life, Jennifer Sey stood up against tremendous and unfair opposition to expose a deep injustice and seek to correct it. Her goal both times was to speak for vulnerable victims who could not speak for themselves. In this engaging book she tells the story of how she stood up for children a second time in her life at great cost to herself and to her family. Jennifer is a modern American hero."

    — Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Health Policy, Stanford University

Levi’s Unbuttoned
In the news

  • Sey joins Tucker Carlson Today: "I took this stance in defense of children."

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  • NY Times: She Was a Candidate to Lead Levi’s. Then She Started Tweeting.

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  • NY Post: Former Levi’s top exec reveals how woke mobs took over corporations

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  • Fox Business: Your activism should not be a litmus test for employment: Jennifer Sey

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  • Varney & Co.: Former Levi's brand president Jennifer Sey rips 'woke' mob: 'They can't take anything from me'

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  • MSNBC: Would Levi's ex-brand president still have her job if she was a man?

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About Jennifer

Jennifer Sey is an American author, filmmaker, business executive and retired artistic gymnast. She was a seven-time member of the U.S. Women's National Team and was the 1986 U.S. Women's All-Around National Champion. Her first memoir, Chalked Up, was released in 2008 and detailed the coaching cruelty inflicted on children in the sport of gymnastics. Sey also produced the 2020 Emmy-award winning documentary film, Athlete A, which connected the crimes of Larry Nassar to the broader abuses in the Olympic movement. Sey began working at Levi Strauss & Co. in 1999, rising to Chief Marketing Officer and then Brand President until, in January 2022, she was asked to resign because of her vocal opposition to the extended closure of San Francisco’s public schools. She is a mother of four, and now resides in Denver with her family.

Bio photo by Julie Harris
Cover photo by Noah Berg