Something’s been happening with the ambitious women in my life.
A friend who used to be focused on climbing the corporate ladder in her marketing job—while dabbling in a series of side hustles—is trying to figure out how to backpedal. A lawyer at a big tech company who’s the breadwinner for her family is taking a leave of absence. A creative force of nature who burned out mid-pandemic is trying to make peace with the not-that-difficult job she took just to hold on to her health insurance.
Then, over glasses of wine one weeknight, I found myself saying to a fellow go-getter: “I’m just not that busy lately.” As someone who has always had a sense of pride in her work ethic and found a sense of purpose in her career, this was a shocking, satisfying, and slightly shameful admission. I realized that something had shifted for me, too.
Women are in the midst of a revolutionary reckoning with our ambitions. We’re not resigning en masse—because who can afford to quit her job in this economy?!—but we are trying to figure out a new set of goals and guidance for our professional lives. Thanks to long-simmering inequality and stubborn sexism, clarified by the pain of the pandemic, our definitions of success increasingly lie outside the realm of work. We are waking up to the fact that our jobs are never going to love us back. And we are trying to adjust accordingly.
This story is from the September 2022 edition of ELLE US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2022 edition of ELLE US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
On Pointe
Gabriela Hearst lends her design ingenuity to a Latin-powered production of Carmen that provides a fresh twist on the classic.
There's Something About Julie
Whether it's acne products or emergency contraception, Julie Schott is upending industries and erasing stigmawith her trademark sense of humor.
Hollywood Rising
Our annual mustknow list of emerging talents we'll all be watching (and obsessing over) this year.
Goodnight Meme
An internet It Girl logs offfor good.
SCENTS OF PLACE
For Fendi, a major move into fragrance meant looking inward.
SEEING INFRARED
The celeb-favorite treatment claims to grow your hair and youth-ify your skin. Could it outshine LED?
FOLLOW THE STARS
With the northern lights peaking this year, celestial-obsessed travelers can watch the skies in luxury.
MUSIC OF THE SPHERES
Van Cleef & Arpels's Perlée collection is a continuation of a long-standing house motif delicate, playful beading that dates back more than a century.
The Language of Flowers
Young designers are falling for the subversive power of a classic motif.
THE MAX FACTOR
Ferragamo creative director Maximilian Davis is carrying on the brand's Old Hollywood legacy with some of New Hollywood's biggest talents.