The Myth of Making It: A Workplace Reckoning

by Samhita Mukhopadhyay

We can bury the girlboss, but what comes next? The former executive editor of Teen Vogue tells the story of her personal workplace reckoning and argues for collective responsibility to reimagine work as we know it.

“As I sat in the front row that day, I was 80 percent faking it with a 100-percent-real Gucci bag.” Samhita Mukhopadhyay had finally made it: she had her dream job, dream clothes—dream life. But time and time again, she found herself sacrificing time with family and friends, paying too much for lattes, and limping home after working twelve hours a day. Success didn’t come without costs, right? Or so she kept telling herself. And Mukhopadhyay wasn’t alone: Far too many of us are taught that we need to work ourselves to the bone to live a good life. That we just need to climb up the corporate ladder, to “lean in” and “hustle,” to enact change. But as Mukhopadhyay shows, these definitions of success are myths—and they are seductive ones.

Mukhopadhyay traces the origins of these myths, taking us from the sixties to the present. She forms a critical overview of workplace feminism, looking at stories from her own professional career, analysis from activists and experts, and of course, experiences of workers at different levels. As more individuals continue to question whether their professional ambitions can lead to happiness and fulfillment in the first place, Mukhopadhyay asks, What would it mean to have a liberated workplace? Mukhopadhyay emerges with a vision for a workplace culture that pays fairly, recognizes our values, and gives people access to the resources they need.

A call to action to redefine and reimagine work as we know it, The Myth of Making It is a field guide and manifesto for all of us who are tired, searching for justice, and longing to be liberated from the oppressive grip of hustle culture.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Audiobook, Business, Labor, Sociology, Womens

256 pages, Hardcover

Published June 18, 2024

About the author

Samhita Mukhopadhyay is an American writer and the former executive editor of Teen Vogue. She writes about feminism, culture, race, politics, and dating. She is the author of Outdated: Why Dating is Ruining Your Love Life and the co-editor of the anthology, Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump's America.

Reviews

[Chele Hipp · Rating 3 out of 5]

The juice is somewhat worth the squeeze.

This book slogs through a primer on feminism (pages 1-151) needed only by feminists who live under a rock and have done zero education on feminism. It works through first and second wave feminism, the author’s time on Teen Vogue, the rise and fall of girlbossing, the rise and fall of hustle culture, the impossibility of motherhood, the need for greater diversity, and the need for true ally-ship.

From page 152 to 195, the author gets to the heart of her point in an eloquent and touching manner making two points. First, social justice and personal ambition are strange bedfellows and should mostly be kept separate. Second, burnout is real and the self-care culture is a bullshit bandaid for what’s really wrong.

Pages 196-200 is where the book truly shines. An impassioned plea for collective change.

But the book could have been an essay.

Also, I find it super annoying that the title did not express that this book was for women and not for all. The only indication is a pink and green cover and I find that annoyingly hetero-normative.

[Brown Girl Bookshelf]

My freshly graduated, newly corporate America-indoctrinated self was missing a manager or mentor like Samhita Mukhopadhyay. Instead, during my first year out of college, I was immersed in a hustle-only impression of the rest of my life. As a result, I read books like "How Women Rise" by Marshall Goldsmith and Sally Helgesen.

The former executive editor of Teen Vogue offers readers a refreshing and holistic look at life at the top. It is tiring, doesn't pay millions, requires financing, and demands stepping away—an uncommonly paraded narrative.

My appreciation for Mukhopadhyay’s approach to her writing is threefold:
1. She traces the origins of misleading marketing phrases like “having it all,” “leaning in,” and "girlboss" with real proof points.
2. She is unabashedly candid with readers by disclosing her salary while working at Teen Vogue, offering a departure from the often glossy and unrealistic portrayals of financial success.
3. She does not aim to provide tips or tricks but rather thoughtfully points out which elements of corporate inclusion and health are simply not working.

I am guilty of getting lost in the climb, often running, not walking, to the next big thing. Living in a highly comparative city like New York doesn’t ease these thoughts. I am grateful for this book, which shares a tasteful and realistic approach to thinking about modern career paths. It’s about recognizing that as we shape language around our jobs, we must acknowledge where corporate feminism language has failed us and refuse to bind ourselves to the same rhetoric or standards many of us diligently pursued.

[Lucinda Garza Zamarripa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creo que el libro pudo haber sido más contundente de haber sido más conciso. No sé cómo me siento con la manera en la que se alternó entre cuestiones laborales históricas y el memoir. Aún así, me parece que Mukhopadhyay es una mujer brillante con una visión clara de cómo se ve el trabajo digno; necesitamos más líderes como ella, gente que apoye la sindicalización y los esfuerzos colectivos, que tenga conciencia de clase, que reconozca la humanidad en ella misma y en los demás.

Fue una (audio)lectura interesante, sobre todo después de haber experimentado un poco del mercado laboral estadounidense. Me pregunto cómo sería un libro así, sobre cultura laboral y los mitos del capitalismo, pero centrado en México (u otro país del sur global).

[3.5]

[Sarah Jaffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blurb to come! Really sitting with some feelings this brought up for me.

[Tina Panik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Those who read within this genre won’t find a lot of new information here, although it’s interesting to hear from a new voice.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giving this like a 3.6 but rounding up. A podcast I like jokes about their "1 book" theory of more right-leaning airport books...and I feel I've recently reached a place where almost all the books I'm reading give the same background on feminism, capitalism, work culture, etc...e.g., the previous economic thought that by this point in history we should only need to work 11 hours a week (lol).

That being said, I do appreciate what the author added and her own personal story!

[Katey Townshend · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quotes bell hooks - check
Critiques Lean In culture - check
Mentions the wage gap no less than 5 times - check

Pretty standard feminist book. 2.5 rounded up. I was excited for this book but it… didn’t deliver.

[Shaneli · Rating 2 out of 5]

It only took me 6 months but I finally finished this book lmao. This was way too long & didn't feel like it brought much of a new insight to me. It just felt very cookie cutter talking about girl-bossing, DEI, and moving around the workplace without giving me any real takeaways. Maybe this book wasn't meant for me as someone super satisfied in her work, who doesn't seek to leave, and who has excellent work-life balance (thank you to the best manager ever who's never denied my unlimited PTO and who knows I log on at noon every Thursday after my boxing class). I did end up enjoying some of the later chapters, but no major takeaways -- besides this quote:

"In a conversation with psychiatrist Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, author of Real Self-Care, Petersen asks her about what Lakshmin has dubbed faux self-care: “wellness activities” like yoga, face masks, and spa days. “It’s faux because it’s not sustainable, not self-directed. It’s faux because it exonerates the oppressive social structures that come from every direction and conspire with each other—patriarchy, white supremacy, toxic capitalism. It’s faux because it places the burden on the individual instead of calling for systems reform,” Lakshmin says. As a culture, we have trouble resting. Every moment feels like it should be maximized: dating, exercise, self-care, and hobbies that can make us smarter, better, and more productive. We all show up to work in whatever emotional state we are in, and when work further exacerbates those feelings, we are forced to swallow our stress, squeeze what we can from our health, and deprioritize our wellness in the service of our jobs. And we think a few small moments of self-care will rectify this. But if you are constantly afraid of messing up at work or losing your job, you don’t have a lot of space for mental or physical healthcare. And when work piles on trauma or the microaggressions add up, the pressure compounds, and it leads to burnout, anxiety, health issues, and more. Work is supposed to trump all—and distract you from what it feels like to be a fully whole and functioning person. This is exactly why actual self-care—not just mani-pedis and Peloton rides—is political."

[Maansi Sunkara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much, NetGalley, and the Random House Publishing Group team for an opportunity to receive an electronic ARC of this book! I appreciate it so much 💛🥹 All opinions are my own in this review.

In The Myth of Making It: A Workplace Reckoning, the author calls from her personal experiences climbing the corporate ladder and shares an overview of the corporate American work experience that women and more specifically women of color face. She dives into the history of workplace feminist movements by pulling from articles and books and proves that her experiences are not singular and that women have been facing some issues for quite some time now. She additionally talks about the origins of the famous phrases we've all heard, "having it all," "leaning in," and "girlboss.""

Here's my review ~

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I really needed to read this! This is for the corporate baddies!!! ✨️💻

I felt so validated while reading this and saddened that so many of us face similar issues when we're trying to make it in corporate America. This was an educational read for me, and I loved it! I highly recommend for any folks, especially women of color, who want to make an impact as an amazing leader in corporate America.

After finishing this book, I feel inspired to rethink what I am striving to do with my life and to be a compassionate leader to help cultivate healthier workplace environments.

Samhita shares the ups and downs she encountered as a leader and is very vulnerable when sharing her feelings during the dips. I'm so thankful Samhita chose to share her story and hope folks who pick up this book feel inspired to make a change! Together, we can change the world for the better 🫶🏽💛

[HP · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up on a whim at the library, and it was ok. Samhita's accessible and fun style made it a fast and fun read.

The content itself was a bit of a miss for me. I'm not really sure what the intent or overall message of this book even is...capitalism is terrible (esp. for women > the focus of this book), but if we "bring love to work" and "commit to loving others" then maybe it might not be that bad actually? The title encourages us to question whether making it is even possible, but the book itself is peppered with charming tactics to fit into capitalist landscapes, not reject them...from the radical power of taking naps to encouraging middle managers to have two way conversations with their employees. Nice.

Mukhodpadhyay makes passing efforts to include readers who occupy differing positions in America's class structure, but to me personally this entire thing read as helping a (higher paid) class of professional women feel less shitty about participating in capitalism. There's a lot of angsty hand wringing about how hard it is to be a manager being stuck between the rock of capitalism and the hard place of having to lay off pregnant people. If doing that makes you feel bad though, don't worry! Take a promotion and lead a team, just keep your mind "focused on these theoretical concerns." This is suitably vague advice for a similarly dubious goal the book has: creating a vision for a "liberated" workplace. I don't think it's controversial to ask how exactly we have a liberated workplace in an economic system that is predicated upon inequality...? I'm sure many of the people that Mukhodpadhyay quotes extensively throughout this book would object to her solutions for any segment of society, especially women.

It's strange to have such lukewarm perspectives on the workplace while constantly quoting feminist radicals...including the Combahee River Collective, which made the complete destruction of capitalism one of its main professed goals. Here, however, Mukhodpadhyay defangs a lot of these people's actual intellectual teeth, and extrapolates their ideas out into how women can adapt to a workspace instead of actually deconstructing it. And no, I'm not saying everyone needs to go Stalin on their workplace, but I do think it's disingenuous to use anti-capitalist feminist writing as infrastructure to support your own ideas that have a very different sort of intention.

The overall message seems to be: "This shit sucks, but we're not going to change it, so let's just make some changes so it doesn't suck quite as much!" There are some further vague calls for embracing the power of the collective so...unionize I guess?

TMOMT has some strong sections, specifically around the history of workplace feminism and speaking powerfully to the insurmountable difficulties women face in the workplace, but it was too much of a mixed bag with an unclear message for me personally. To be fair I'm not a woman, so, take my POV with a grain of salt.

[Parker | simplybibliophiles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off strong but then fell apart like a cheap sweater. Sorry for the comparison, but it did.

I firmly believe that books like this - part nonfiction, steeped in political and cultural examples and statistics, part memoir - are notoriously hard to execute because, more often than not, one part generally drowns out the other, and it’s typically hard to keep a good balance.

I believe Mukhopadhyay started off with a good balance. But later in the book, the chapters where she focused on her story were disheartening and stressful (with little reprieve or lightheartedness) and the chapters focused on pulling from social science literature and cultural examples that were heavy-handed and tedious.

One question I kept returning to is, "Who is the audience?"
Because if the audience is the hardcore feminists or women who are similar in age and lifestyle to the author, you've got them. There was a lot of relatability there. But for those who are a little more politically and culturally neutral, or maybe Gen Z people of color, or just people regardless of gender or race looking for some awareness about what is happening in the workplace in the 21st century, I think the author lost those people by the end. There was just too much going on, and for me, if it wasn't for the last couple of chapters that tied up the book's premise and main argument in a bow, the plot was lost.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

“You can have it all, but not all at the same time.”

**What if, instead of being so individually focused on having it all, we shift focus to all of us having enough?**

3.5 ⭐️ I initially thought this book should have been published in long-article form in THE NEW YORKER or THE ATLANTIC, as the writing and tone was in some parts uneven - sharing personal stories in some sections, citing enough big-name authors and publications in others I began to wonder if the author was trying to get published in SIGNS (I had to Google whether the academic feminist journal still exists in 2025 - it does!). But the book is more cohesive - and thus, had a greater impact - in the second half.

The author is at her best when she shares her personal experiences (in and out of the workplace) to illustrate her points, connecting to the larger narrative. My inner nerd rejoiced at her selection of quotes from Helen Gurley Brown, Barbara Ehrenreich, Karl Marx and Bessel van der Kolk in reference to our cultural concepts of work, value, alienation, self-reliance, and the burdens to one’s mental and physical health under capitalism.

A big shout-out to a fellow SUNY Albany Women’s Studies major(!), which I didn’t discover until she mentioned it 3/4 of the way through the book. While we didn’t graduate the same year, I’d like to think we shared some of the professors who trained us to be “professional feminists” - aka, working toward leaving the world a better place than we found it 🤓

[Jack Mcloone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is genuinely such an important book. Mukhopadhyay crafted an incredibly intersectional text that weaves together feminism, The State Of Work, race, body image, mental health, collective action, leadership in a concise, focused way. She also adeptly works in her own personal experiences that, while unique, she’s able to fit into her larger thesis.

Mukhopadhyay knows there’s no one answer to the ills facing women, particularly those of color, in the workplace, but she traces an engaging line of thinking that bends towards a mixture of collective action, self-care, more awareness and care towards those of different backgrounds and also, interestingly, better bosses. Her viewpoint as a former middle manager and executive editor initial made me skeptical in some of these cases, but it made for some really interesting points instead.

As someone who has admittedly read very little feminist literature, she, to my understanding, adeptly covered a lot of ground, pointing out both the inherent flaws but also lingering truths from the various waves.

I can’t speak to how eye-opening this would be for people of other backgrounds, but this feels like a really important and impactful read for other cis straight white dudes.

Also: banger

[Jordan Vitick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis: Former Teen Vogue Executive Editor Samhita Mukhopadhyay challenges the idea of “hustle culture” — and explains the history of the phrase — and questions what it really means to “have it all.” She also discusses her personal experiences with professional successes and failures, and what she’s learned along the way. “The Myth of Making It” also includes a lot of information about the effect of the pandemic on working women as well as current events and trends such as trad wives.

What I liked: Mukhopadhyay weaves in personal experiences with expert statistics and history, which breaks up the book from making it feel like a college textbook. This is the type of book that can be read annually as a refresher — and motivation.

What I disliked: Nothing to note!

This book is for you if… you are a working woman or manage a working woman; experience comparison in the workplace and burnout; struggle with mental health and self-care; are interested in the history and statistics of women in the workplace.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of #TheMythOfMakingIt.

[Marisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was probably fine for what it was - BUT I decided to give it a shot it because I read an interview with the author where it was construed as a business and management book, which it isn’t really. Towards the end there are some very, very small nuggets of information about managing diverse teams, but otherwise this is really more of a treatise on how traditional business environments are not set up for the success of women, especially not women of color. So if that’s what you’re looking for you will likely find it here, but if you’re waiting for the “yes, and” part where it tells you what to do instead, save your time and skip this.

As an aside, I have also been doing more reading/listening to non-fiction books in this vein this year, and I’ve noticed a heavy reliance on personal anecdotes and a lot of regurgitation of others’ research, two things that plague this book as well. Not trying to be a snob about it but what happened to original scholarship? Every time I listen to a book like this there is a part of me that wonders why it got published, and if it could find a publishing home, surely any book can. 2/5 stars.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to this one but would not recommend the audiobook - it's a good example of how authors should generally not narrate their own work. Picked this up because I loved Samhita's work at Feministing, but it was uneven. The early chapters in particular felt a bit warmed-over - anyone who's been paying attention is familiar with the conversations around Lean In, Elizabeth Holmes, girl bosses, etc. and the book didn't cover much new ground. And it was often unclear what, if anything, Samhita was arguing.

This did get better in the later chapters on diversity, motherhood and care work, and self-care and burnout, and as she brought in more personal experience. But the book seemed to come down often on the side of "[DEI / corporate feminism / etc] isn't enough, but it's what we have" which didn't feel especially novel. Similarly, I liked how she wraps things up but the policy recommendations - for strong unions and paid family leave - are very much within the progressive mainstream already.

[Lina Waseem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this book and loved certain chapters (ex: DEI, Model Minority), but as a whole, it fell slightly short of my expectations. I ranked up, but I felt like the book was more of a 3.6/3.7. I was initially skeptical that the tone would be very "millennial lib" but as the book progressed, I came to realize that was not entirely the case. What I really hoped to gain from this book -- the answer to overcoming the guise of capitalistic ambition without falling back to the trad wife trope -- did not appear until the last chapter. Even then, Mukhopadhyay's take felt a bit vague. Perhaps I am seeking answers she did not promise to and cannot give me. While I wish she spent more time on her final argument, I appreciated how she structured her historical analysis with the pieces she pulled in and how she weaved them with her personal story. Despite its perceived shortcomings, I would recommend this book to others and think there are enough valuable takeaways to make the short read (200 pages) worth your while.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won and advance reader paperback copy of the book from a goodreads giveaway.

My favorite parts of the book to read where were Samhita talks about herself and her career. He struggles in school and places she has worked.

And one thing she talks about is that I had never thought much about is when she talks about that white women started working out of the home is that other women had to do the jobs that the no longer could do as much of like cleaning and childcare.

And another interesting thing I learned is that the idea of women staying at home and taking care of the house and family is recent. In medieval times women worked outside the home. I had thought the idea of women and staying home had been that way forever. I was wrong.

I thought The myth of making it was Ok. Some of it was interesting to me a lot of it was not. However I did learn things I did not know before reading it.

[BAM who is Beth Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this resonates with me cause I’m just about the same age as Mukhopadhyay, so I understand exactly where she is in life and in her career.

Her perspective is so interesting because it opened my eyes to see that despite the obvious knowledge we, as “feminists,” as women in the workplace, as females who want to “be the change,” have around the systematic and cultural issues of what success could look like for women in corporate America, we still sometimes participate in the same behaviors that are keeping us right where we are.

I will most likely purchase this book for a multitude of women in my life. I will most definately reread this book multiple times myself. I have already annotated it and will continue to do so as i read again. I will continue to seek change.

[Christina Lear · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this on audiobook and found all the topics it covered very interesting but hard to follow a coherent thesis other than this large umbrella: our societal beliefs about work are problematic and exclude the experiences and needs of many people, especially women and people of color. I found myself agreeing with it and enjoyed the history the author presents, but I didn’t find a lot of new takeaways. Maybe this is a better primer on the topic but for someone who reads a lot about work and leadership and equity, I didn’t find it added a lot to the conversation for me.

[Cimorene Drake · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book after reading the excerpt on The Cut. The excerpt was a personal story from the author’s life, and I expected this book to be more of a memoir. Instead, it was a history of feminism and workplace culture? It seems like the author wrote it as a response to the Lean In and Girlboss books/culture. The purpose of the book could have been served better with more personal stories from the authors life instead of a summary of other people’s opinions.

(I would give this book two stars but I feel bad.)

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started out loving this book but towards the end I felt deflated. I think I’ve aged out of having certain kinds of hope for myself because I don’t feel uplifted when I read amazing book like this. I feel defeated. However I do support other people’s hope and will hand sell the crap out of this beautifully written book because it’s definitely a message I want to spread and I know that it will find its people and create a wave of influence.

[Tam Maj · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate the authors writing style, loved listening to their voice on audiobooks, and obviously their effort in writing about this content. But this felt like an elongated essay and more importantly, I really did not learn anything new. Perhaps it’s because I’m deep in the same content holes that this target demographic is likely already excavating. I’d recommend it to someone who is first discovering the ascent and consequent woes of career-woman under American capitalism.

[Quincy · Rating 4 out of 5]

its more like a 4.5. really enjoyed the research weaved into the personal experience. it opens up a lot of questions on how we relate to work but leaves the reader with a tangible way to assess that for themselves and a worthy call to action.

would reccomend to any person questioning labor and how they relate to it.

[Jeannie Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Agree with other reviews that if you’re already doing a lot of reading in adjacent spaces (feminism, work, feminism at work, burnout, DEI) there won’t be much new in here for you, but if you’re newer to these topics you’ll get a lot out of it. Also agree that the last 1/4 to 1/3 was the most compelling for me.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think a lot of the reviews of this book are pretty dismissive in calling it a primer on feminism. This book specifically touches on where the key tenets of feminism miss for Black women and women of color and how they are left out. Makes me think the people with that critique are a bit detached, maybe because they are centering themselves? Just saying. Lol. Another unfair critique is that the author offers no solutions. I think the chapters on impossible compromises and rest offer some of her approach to combat some of the issues.
For me, was a timely read as I contemplate my own relationship to labor after years of burnout. The chapters did feel a bit lengthy to get through but overall this was a good read.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quote:

"Not that anyone likes them much, but I really hate layoffs. They often feel unnecessary - or at least based on faulty strategy - and make clear a company's inability to prioritize their most important resource: people."

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

In agreement with Chele's review. I appreciated the candid points about how you can kill it at work and still not have much to show, critiques of leaning in, and discussions on how many (like me) are at a career crossroads and rethinking ambition.

[Krystle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great counter-narrative to the always on your grind girl boss work ethos. The author basically examines the questions: how much do you actually need? What’s the baseline to live a comfortable happy healthy life? Some great takeaways reside within this book. A good read!

[Stacey]

Personally, this one just wasn’t for me!

The first part feels like a feminism primer for people who don’t know shit about the history of feminism in this country, but even when I got beyond that section, I still felt like I mostly didn’t learn anything new or revolutionary from this book.