FIRST THOUGHT: On Being Unstoppable
It’s been widely joked about in sitcoms that women won’t disclose two numbers: their weight and their age. Why is that? During a What Not to Wear marathon, I saw a common theme among women participants: shame. They felt ashamed of how their bodies looked and how old they were. The hosts would emphasize that they must live in the present, dress their current shape and accept their age. Easier said than done! There will always be the what-ifs: What if I looked this way or what if I had taken this career choice instead? What if we quash all the what-ifs?
WOMEN IN NUMBERS: 1 in 5 Women
Bummer alert: Statistics show you’ll be well into your AARP membership before retiring. Back in 1992, one in 12 women worked past the age of 65. This year, that’s crept up to one in seven women, and by 2024, one in five are predicted to do so. While there’s no doubt many women enjoy working well into retirement age (kudos!), TIME Magazine attributes this to an increase in debt and life expectancy, and a decrease in savings. What’s the secret to planning for the future, retiring at 65 and spending more time doing what we love? Seriously, though, tell me the secret.
WOMAN TO WATCH: Lesley Jane Seymour, former Editor-in-Chief of More Magazine
It’s hard to believe Lesley Jane Seymour only has 24 hours in a day. Seymour’s Twitter bio says she’s a “recovering editor-in-chief,” and I say rightfully so after looking at her resume. Seymour’s magazine-industry roots are deep. She studied English in college and interned at Seventeen magazine during her teen years. Seymour was ranked fourth on Forbes’ list of “Most Powerful Fashion Magazine Editors” in 2009. And before her most recent stint as editor-in-chief at More Magazine, she was editing for Marie Claire, Redbook and YM. And, ladies, she’s also authored two books. In what came as a shock to loyal readers, myself being one of them, More announced in February that the April 2016 issue would be the publication’s last. The woman’s lifestyle publication for us “over 40’s’ was launched in 1997 and had a circulation of 1.8 million—did I mention I was one of those and am in mourning that my favorite pub will be no longer? During Seymour’s time at More, they celebrated the most amazing women and Seymour became like a friend through her personal and touching Editor’s Letter. So on to what’s next—reinvention, if you will. While some powerful women claim they love every minute of their job, I think many of us can relate to Seymour’s perspective. She thinks that it’s damn near impossible, but that it is totally doable to concentrate on finding a job in an industry or company that mirrors what you’re passionate about. We can’t wait for Seymour to resurface and show us that passion, once again.
QUITE THE QUOTE
Most of my regrets are the times when I let my ethos get squashed by peer pressure. The next time you’re stuck between the cartoon angel and devil on each shoulder, take rock goddess Janis Joplin’s advice: “Don’t compromise yourself. You’re all you’ve got.”
That’s all for now. Be sure to share this so more women can have a voice! Thanks for getting ready with us.
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