Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine career-life issues of successful women in the Americas. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 30 interviews were conducted with successful women in Canada, Argentina and Mexico. Themes were pulled from the interview transcripts for each country, analyzed and then compared across countries, looking at universalities and differences of experiences. Findings: The women in all three countries conveyed more subjective measures of career success, such as contributing to society and learning in their work, with Canada and Mexico particularly emphasizing receiving recognition as a hallmark of career success. Practical implications: This research provides insight into the experiences of successful women in the Americas, which can inform the career development of women in business. Originality/value: This research contributes to the literature on women's careers, highlighting successful womens experiences across cultures and in an under-researched area Latin America. (Contains 2 tables and 1 note.)