The Big Life: Embrace the Mess, Work Your Side Hustle, Find a Monumental Relationship, and Become the Badass Babe You Were Meant to Be

by Ann Shoket, Michelle Phan (Foreword)

Millennial women are changing what it means to be powerful and successful in the world--for everyone. Forever. You want The Big Life--that delicious cocktail of passion, career, work, ambition, respect, money and a monumental relationship. And you want it on your own terms. Forget climbing some corporate ladder, you want a career with twists and turns and adventure. For you, success only matters if it's meaningful. Ann Shoket knows the evolving values of young women more than anyone. She's the voice behind the popular Badass Babes community, a sisterhood of young, hungry, ambitious women who are helping each other through the most complex issues around becoming who you're meant to be. As the trailblazing editor-in-chief of Seventeen for the better part of a decade, Shoket lead provocative conversations that helped young women navigate the tricky terrain of adolescence and become smart, confident, self-assured young women. Now that they are adding muscle to the framework of their lives, she's continuing the conversation with The Big Life.

The Big Life is packed with actionable guidance combined with personal advice from high-profile millennial women who have already achieved tremendous success, plus intimate conversations with a cast of compelling characters and Shoket's own stories on her quest for The Big Life. You'll learn to tackle all of the issues on heavy rotation in your mind such as:

How to craft a career that's also a passion. How to get respect from a boss who thinks you're a lazy, entitled, and self-obsessed millennial Why you need a "squad" of people who support you as you build your Big Life How a side hustle will make you smarter, hotter, and more in control of your destiny. Why work/life balance is a sham and your need to embrace the mess. How to find a partner whose eyes light up when you talk about your ambition.

Written in Shoket's friendly and authoritative style, The Big Life will help you recognize your power, tap into your ambition, and create your own version of The Big Life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Business, Memoir, Buisness, Productivity, Personal Development

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 14, 2017

About the author

Ann Shoket has been a key architect in shaping the national conversation about and for millennial women. Over the last 15 years, Shoket brought two major young women’s publications to number one across every platform. As Editor-in-Chief of Seventeen from 2007 to 2014, Shoket repositioned the iconic fashion and beauty brand to dominate as the most relevant voice for its 13 million readers. As part of the launch team of CosmoGIRL in 1999, she helped revolutionize teen magazines by talking openly about important emotional issues that weren’t yet addressed by traditional publications.

Shoket has appeared regularly on Good Morning America, Today, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The View, CNN, Access Hollywood, and E! News, and she was a guest judge for four seasons on America’s Next Top Model. Forbes has named her one of the “Most Powerful Fashion Magazine Editors” in the country.

Reviews

[Book Riot Community]

Whether we’re fresh out of college, contemplating a career change, or figuring out how to balance it all; we all have a vision of what our Big Life looks like. Ann Shoket digs deep into the premise of The Big Life; discussing personal and professional relationships, work ethic, and being the badass woman we all desire to be. I read this book in about 2 days, and filled it with so much highlighter than it now resembles a textbook. From the quotable gems of advice to the relatable personal stories of women she’s invited over for dinner; Shoket has indeed created the new it-guide for all career women. This is the book I’m giving to all of my friends this year.

— Natalya Muncuff



from The Best Books We Read In June 2017: https://bookriot.com/2017/07/03/riot-...

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book from goodreads first reads. Despite being the target audience for this book (millennial/woman/in a position of power at work/etc) I could not culturally connect to it at all. The "cultural universals" it talks about - fashion stuff, beauty stuff, big industry names - I didn't know them or know of them. Even the wording had a magazine style feel to it (the author spent a lot of time with Seventeen magazine so that makes sense I guess). I don't think it does a satisfactory job at defining The Big Life. The ending was a bit sour - the whole book cheers you on but then talks about when things go too far with high pressure situations. This topic needed to be included but having it only at the end and just ending on it brought the whole project down. Ultimately, this book says what other self improvement books say but is packaged more enticingly for the younger crowed that wouldn't pick up those other books so it could have a shot at making an impact for some folks.

[Amélie Boucher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this on audio, and while I absolutely loved it, I think I would have benefited from it more had I read it physically. This book is full of tips and tricks to help young women thrive in their careers and help them conquer the workplace. I was expecting it to be just a memoir narrating Ann Shoket's life story, but it was so much more. Not only did we get her story, but she also shared input from multiple women in different fields and at different stages of their lives, which is why I believe this book was so insightful. I can already tell that this is the kind of book I will want to reread several times, at different stages in my career.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kind of liked this the first time I listened and I'm kind of on a self-help reread kick (because reasons). Anyway, this time I realized that despite what the author said, this really only applies to privileged young women who live in New York so...eh.

[Christy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess if I were gunning to be CEO of a major corporation in NYC and living out a bunch of Sex and the City fantasies, maybe this would be my Bible, but...

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was too annoying for me to finish. Her target audience is millennial women in their 20s and 30s, but she uses a tone borrowed straight from the pages of Seventeen, targeted at teenage girls. The whole thing is written in second person, and the assumptions she makes about the lives of her readers are generic and unimaginative stereotypes that paint us as two-dimensional when she's trying to make a case that millennial women are so interesting and badass. It's seriously all #squadgoals and boozy brunches and Taylor Swift, it's almost pandering. She says she gained her research for the book from having dinners with "Badass Babes" in all industries and stages in their careers, and makes a blanket statement at one point that it doesn't matter whether you're in the Midwest or NYC because our goals are all the same and that is just so narrow-minded. In my opinion, it is painfully obvious that she only spoke to New Yorker women for this book and it's so typically New Yorker to not even be aware of the bubble you're operating within. All around UGH.

[Kelly]

Ann's writing is very conversation, very full of pop culture/style icon references, and yet, it's got so much depth and heart to it, that those things that feel a little superficial (I felt there was an overemphasis on looking good, for one thing) are easy to let go of. I suspect some readers will love those pieces and feel validated by them, which isn't a bad thing.

Some of the ways The Big Life are presented are what makes this book so valuable. I love Ann's method of talking about what she wants to do in her life: she wants to always work toward empowering young women to be their best selves. Rather than focus on a specific job, it's a bigger, broader picture, which allows so many pieces to come together in different, unexpected, and downright exciting ways.

The chapter I needed most right now for myself was about letting things be messy. Perfection is the enemy of ambition and more, there's no such thing as "finding balance." It's weird to give up the idea of tossing balance out the window, but that comes from needing a sense of control -- and to be and do everything you want, you have to throw them out.

I got to do one of the Badass Babes dinners she talks about in the book, and it was really a phenomenal experience. Listening to tons of women in my age group talk about the things that light them up and the things they would change was such a nice reminder that we're all in this messy thing called life together, and we can always, always lift one another up.

There are certainly many things I didn't relate to here, and there were many things that came off with privilege and a sense of how city life is better than small-town life, BUT like all self-help/career/self-improvement type books, you take what you need and leave the rest. The bigger positives in this one are that The Big Life isn't and doesn't have to be all about the career. It can -- and should -- be about so much more.

[Ryley (Ryley Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks so much to Raincoast Books for sending me a copy of this book for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

This book was a little outside my usual realm of reading - it's a collection of essays about life, mostly as a millennial, in today's world, both professionally and personally.

I can definitely see where this book would be really insightful for fellow young women to help guide and reassure. I think my problem with it was it was just a little bit too old for me. I'm still in university and most of the book dealt with getting that first Big Job or finding the One. I definitely thought the information given was interesting, and the stories and anecdotes were great, but I'm just not quite at that point in my life yet.

One thing I did find a little, I guess odd, was the fact that the author was in her forties. Don't get me wrong, she had some great insight on a senior professional level, especially within the magazine/editor world, which interests me. But something just felt a little off about taking advice on how to get somewhere as a millennial from someone who wasn't a millennial.

Some of the essays were really interesting, and I enjoyed the book as a whole, but I just didn't take away as much from it as I had hoped.

Overall, insightful, but not for me.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the "self-help" book that you didn't know you needed. It's like talking to a friend who is a little wiser but wants to do everything in her power to push you forward in your career and life. This life is entirely too short not to be the best you can be and Ann Shocket encourages that to the fullest in this book. Every millennial woman needs a copy of this on her bookshelf.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspiring. This was the perfect book for me to read at this point in my life. This book made me realize that I have been selling myself short and dreaming too small. Highly recommend if you are feeling stuck or unmotivated, or just don't know what to do next.

[Deborah Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ann is the former Editor of Chief of Seventeen magazine and she proves once again with The Big Life that she has her finger on the pulse. She is a Millennial guru, and this fine work is fast-becoming their bible. A must read for anyone trying to gain ground in this brave, new world.

[Catherine Wicker · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a teen I was a hard core 17 magazine fan. Ann Shoket combined interviews, stories from her friends and her experiences to talk about growing personally and professionally. She lost me with it not having tangible tips I can always point back to.

[Caitlyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I strongly dislike reading books about careers that advise side hustles as solutions to work problems.

[Jennifer Danish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Tips — but ideal audience limited

Most of the tips are very targeted to an audience of those 20-30 years old. There are definitely still good tips though for professional women past 30.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was kind of hard for me to read. It's part guidebook and part memoir or encouragement. It's geared at millennial women (though that is not distinctly defined and seems to cover women from their early 20s to their early 30s) who have strong career ambitions. The whole book had a kind of "Do whatever you have to do to make your dreams happen" vibe, which is great and which I definitely approve of. It encouraged women to pursue side hustles to stoke passions while also working boring jobs. It vaguely encouraged or promised women that their hard work and passions would pay out eventually.

Here’s the thing. While I love the encouragement in this book and how much it says to connect with other career ambitious women and pursue your passions, it's not practical. There was actually some career advice in the book that I, a woman in my early 30s, found outdated. Most notably, the recommendation to try connecting with the CEO of the company you want to work for instead of HR, and the recommendation to send a personal thank you note to the interviewer after an interview. Those are things that I, in an impersonal world where there are always more applicants than jobs, would never consider doing.

And while I approve of the thought behind encouraging your passions, there's no practical advice in this book for how to make that work. There is a single chapter about the "dark side" of working this hard, but not much about how to deal with depression, burnout, lack of social life, or lack of money. I guess the women who really want these lives just figure out how to make it work.

I also love those ambitious women who want to shoot to the top as soon as they graduate college, but there wasn't a lot in the book about how maybe for the first couple of years post-college people should pace themselves, work on building resume skills, and possibly work miserable jobs for the sake of building a foundation for the future.

And honestly, it's hard for me to really connect with a book that recommends that anyone work that hard for the sake of career ambition; I hate that we live in a world where to get farther in your career, you must be willing to sacrifice anything and everything, including your sleep and free time--not just that this is okay, but that it's expected.

I feel like another book I read recently, Drop the Ball, addressed these problems more clearly, and I've read some other articles along the lines of "until the workplace gives more flexibility and perks to ALL EMPLOYEES, it's going to be impossible for women to truly advance in their careers and keep families as well." Disappointing that this book encouraged women to push themselves so hard without being clear or realistic about the potential lack of payoff.

Overall, I liked the book, although it was skewed towards women both younger and more ambitious than I am, I just wish there had been more real talk or practical advice in it.

[Victoria Whited · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed with this book. If you think the "big life" entails working 16-18 hours a day in journalism, editing, or business, then this book is for you. Some parts of the book, especially about side hustling were pretty good. It's important to recognize that a person's primary employment isn't going to lead to a 100% fulfilled life so it's important to branch out in other directions. However, parts of the book were just downright appalling. Shoket wrote about how some of her "Badass Babes" were so stressed out and overloaded with work that they couldn't get out of bed for a month since they pushed themselves too hard or how one "Badass Babe" picked up an eating disorder because of stress and anxiety. I'm sorry but does that sound like the "big life" to you? That sounds like a downright depressing life to me! Shoket also comes across as a self-proclaimed know-it-all about millennials as well which is a bit irritating. She talks about how Gen-Xers were deeply impacted by the 2008 recession but seems to think millennials emerged unscathed from the same recession. Ms. Shoket, why do you think so many of your "badass babes" worked for start-ups? It's because your Gen-Xers took all of the "McJobs" you talked about.

[Debbie Wakefield · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very inspirational and up lifting read. She has some worthwhile advice for young women who are focused on their careers.
I can't give it 5 stars because it felt repetitive. At one point, the same sentence about one particular girl had been used three times throughout the book. Also, parts felt very aspirational and less attainable. Not everyone is able to assemble a Taylor Swift style squad.
I'd still recommend it to young modern girl looking for advice after college.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Imagine a bunch of high-power women at a dinner party -- and then imagine if the hostess was recording the whole thing in order to pull out the best quotes and write that into a book.

So this is that book. And it turns out, successful career women are only great at telling you how THEY were successful. Not always so useful for others, particularly as privilege, debt, socioeconomic class, racism, and sexism are rarely addressed.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book not just for young women but for mothers and grandmothers aswell. As a grandmother I so loved this book and highly recommend it.

[Natalya | TheIslandReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading about The Big Life by Ann Shoket in a Her Agenda newsletter earlier this year. I took a screenshot of the cover because the premise sounded interesting and I wanted to check it out.
Fast forward a couple months, I purchased the book a few weeks ago, and it was one of the best book purchases I have made in a while.

Whether we’re fresh out of college, contemplating a career change, or figuring out how to balance it all; we all have a vision of what our Big Life looks like.

Ann Shoket digs deep into the premise of The Big Life; discussing personal and professional relationships, work ethic, and being the badass woman we all desire to be.

I read this book over the course of two days and there is so much yellow highlighter in the book, the pages may seem worn through. This was the book that I absolutely needed to read at this particular time in my life, it was the book I had no idea I needed until I started to read it.



Shoket drops a lot of gems in this book, here are my favorites:

“Your dreams are worth achieving and you are worth your dreams.” (p.8)

“Let go of the anxiety about when or how, and focus on honoring your ambition, dreaming big, and building the Big Life you know you deserve.” (p.11)



Comparison is the thief of joy

We all know that comparing ourselves to others gets us nowhere. It only heightens our anxiety and sends us on a spiral. We love to compare our real lives to someone’s highlight reel. We know this, yet we still do it. We have to get out of the comparison mindset if we truly want to succeed. Comparison and trying to keep up with the Joneses is a waste of time for two reasons: 1) We don’t know what the Joneses had to do to get and keep what they have, and 2) While they are seemingly moving on, we will be stuck in the same place because we’re too busy comparing what they have to what we do (or don’t).

“There will always be someone with a bigger job or a more glamorous vacation or working at a hotter nonprofit that is saving the world (not to mention, we all know those shiny Instagram posts rarely reflect reality – please! And so the world turns.” (p.34)

You need a side hustle

“Your side hustle isn’t about actually conquering the world. It’s about honoring the fact that you want to do something bigger and giving yourself a shot. “ (p.68)

Build Your Tribe

Your squad/tribe isn’t necessarily your best friends who you spill your guts to about your boyfriend drama. These are the people who understand you and your lofty ambitions. Shoket has a wonderful list of necessary people that are needed in your squad. After reviewing the list of must-haves, I definitely need to add a few members to my squad ASAP if I truly want to move to the next level.

Don’t Be Afraid Of Your Mess

Work-life balance is a myth, a fallacy; stop believing it. You can have everything you want, just not all at once. Trying to be perfect and create this preconceived notion of balance will only enhance your anxiety. Embrace your flaws, embrace your mess; and live life.

“The more you suppress your dream, the louder she’s going to bang – and the bigger your mess is going to be.” (p.119)

It’s not so much about the destination, it’s about the journey.



There’s no such thing as perfect – let it go.

“Perfection is the enemy of distraction.” (p.194)



The biggest lesson, however, that I’ve learned from reading this book? “You have a choice, to feel diminished or to be inspired.” (p. 198)

Either be the change you seek to become, or let change consume and happen to you.

Living The Big Life is hard and messy work, but if we are committed to the dream and to living the highest expression of ourselves, we must be willing to embrace the mess, the ups and downs, and the hard work to get the life we dream of.

These are only a small handful of the important lessons Shoket shares in this book. Without a doubt, The Big Life is the must-read career book of 2017. Stop what you’re doing right now, and go and purchase a copy of this book. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sigh. I wanted to like this. I really did. The author is admirable in her genuine intentions for uplifting other young professional women - but I just don’t think there were enough insights to justify a book. Instead, what fills the gaps is a ton of superficial, feel-good advice.

(I love the genre though - and would recommend wholeheartedly instead: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3.... Review for that one coming later.)

The tone/angle of the narrative is certainly enticing - dinner parties with wine! Lots of references to the sisterhood / the "squad"! Vague quotes about this concept called “The Big Life” that you deserve, the meaning of which is still not quite clear, but it sounds really good! Follow this advice and you too, can be a glamorous top fashion editor! What's lacking though, is real depth and vulnerability.

The author can’t have gotten to where she is without some serious hustle and smarts - but I think she might have written this book 10 years too early, and in a way that’s a little too eager to lecture and preach, and present herself as a mentor and full of wisdom. And she probably is! But there were a few too many parts that made me raise an eyebrow - subtle references that perpetuate the stereotypes about competitive women (paraphrased, “that chick who seems to have it so together, don’t you just hate her? ugh!”) to advice about negotiating compensation and starting "side hustles” that doesn’t seem quite thought through - or at least, only applies to a very narrow population, mostly white women who already have access to wealth and privilege. And sigh, some of the stylistic choices - could we not refer to professional women as “chicks”?

The book is relatable, but perhaps *too* relatable is the problem - many subjects are covered but on a shallow level, and in a way that makes the author sound smart, not necessarily empowering the reader. Even though targeted towards millennials, it might be more appropriate for the Gen Z / teenager crowd for whom this might be a more accessible introduction to the professional world. But given the problems of this book, there are probably better options out there.

[Taylor Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because of my love for the whisper goddess, the queen of seventeen magazine, the best part of ANTM, the Ann Shoket- I knew I was going to enjoy this book 💜 I’m technically the target demographic being a millennial women, but since this book is a little older, I think some parts are slightly outdated and sadly don’t apply to my life anymore. Truly I wish I did read this book even just a few years ago, because I think it would’ve been more beneficial to my life then, but overall I still really enjoyed it! There were definitely parts that had me rolling my eyes, mostly because of how over the top and “girl boss”-y it was getting, but there is also some seriously good advice and really cool insight from women of different ages and backgrounds all chasing their dreams in New York. I would happily recommend this book to my younger sister or women around her age that are just now graduating college and figuring out their career paths. As someone who has definitively decided after bad experiences that the hustle culture life is NOT for me or my nervous system, there was a lot that didn’t resonate with me and some of it that made me low-key concerned for the girl bosses. Most of them bragged about how insane their lives are, working 15 hour days, eating ramen on the floor of your cubicle, going on 5 tinder dates a night, even bragging about how they’re so stressed at their job that they throw up every day. This is not girl boss!!! Thankfully, a lot of them recognize this isn’t normal or sustainable and a lot of the conversations are them asking Ann advice on how to make their crazy lives more manageable. If anything this book really just further confirmed for me that I made the right decision moving to a small town on a small acreage farm trying to make it work in a quiet life for me, even though Ann and her girl boss babes probably would judge me for it 🤷🏼‍♀️ all in all, really solid book and inspired me in a lot of ways I really didn’t expect!

[V · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book up on a whim after reading an interview with the author on the Forbes website. In the interview, the author seemed to be encouraging women to embrace their financial independence. As a relatively successful millennial with an interest in finance, I was excited to hear the authors take on how women can manage their careers and their money. All I can say after reading this book is that I'm profoundly disappointed.

I initially thought that the author might be an older millennial who navigated career and finance and has lessons to teach...nope, she's 45. Next, I assumed that she was a very successful businesswoman looking to mentor the next generation...nope, she worked for Seventeen magazine before getting fired and apparently accomplishing nothing since (besides writing this book, assuming you consider this book an accomplishment). So where did this woman acquire all of her insight into the millennial psyche? She held dinner parties with frozen pizza and invited millennial women. Am I the only person who finds the idea of a 45 year old woman randomly having dinner parties with women 20 years her junior weird?

Despite her shaky credibility, I was giving to give this book a chance. I just didn't get it though. There were a few interviews with successful millennials (Michelle Phan and Alexa Von Tobel come to mind) but beyond that, there wasn't a single memorable / insightful point worth repeating. I'm annoyed that I wasted 5-6 hours reading this garbage. Can Tiger Beat magazine please hire this woman so she stops writing books?

[Ashlie Swicker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely more for a business-career type in her early twenties (and to be fair, the book never promised to be anything but). As an older millennial in her early thirties, I can usually glean inspiring information from books like this, but I found The Big Life to be particularly focused on a certain point in life that I've already passed. I also wasn't a fan of some of the language/advice around dressing and appearance. The concept that the instant you're making more money you should be buying the same black blazer from a more expensive brand seemed silly to me, whereas the rest of the book was decidedly not so. THAT BEING SAID, I really enjoyed the concept of the Badass Babe Dinners (a "focus group" type model that Shoket used to research the book) and I liked a lot of the questions that Shoket used to help young women examine their paths and figure out what they wanted for themselves. I'd give this to college grads and people who move in business circles.

[Smudgedink7 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw the author do an interview and picked up the book as a result. I liked the book but the examples skewed younger than my age group; which considering her experience with Seventeen magazine makes sense. I did get a few takeaways. It can work for anyone at any point in their life as long as they are clear about their goals and make an effort to get there. I appreciated most that Shoket didn't get the life she wanted until her late 30's, that's a much more inspiring story than 20 something tech goddesses. She does a good job addressing that your life goal doesn't have to look like your neighbor's as long as you actually enjoy it.

I'll forget the book eventually but I am gaining something from subscribing to her weekly newsletter. In short, Shoket seems pretty awesome, the book is just ok.

[Addison · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a moment almost halfway through that I thought I was going to give up. I didn't think this was applicable to my life because I didn't have this dream of a career I wanted or an idea on how I wanted to impact the world. But of course, shortly after the book clicked and I got excited.
It's self-help books like these that share personal stories of a variety of woman that I love. I don't want lists of the top 10 ways to be happier. I want to see how woman have struggled to see their true potential and what they did to overcome, or what they are currently doing.
I also read 17 magazine for years so it was refreshing to hear from their previous editor in chief. She's one cool chick! Would recommend for any young woman ages 18-29.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. There were a lot of great insights into what it’s like to be a career-driven Millennial woman, and validation that you don’t have to apologize for that. I enjoyed the examples from real women and how applicable much of the advice was for my own life.

The only reason I gave it a 4 is that, at times, it seems especially geared toward young, early 20s, single women. Some of the content didn’t feel quite as relevant (and a bit trivial, at times) for someone older or with more life experience. Not bad - I just wasn’t the target audience for that.

Overall, I would recommend this book - especially for badass women just graduating college or in the first leg of their career.

[William Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

From curating your friend groups and advisors to pushing for a promotion, The Big life covers a powerful set of topics in a way that uplifts and empowers. Starting off with narrative appetizers for the stories to come, Shoket establishes her credentials, accomplishments and wit right from the start. Beyond the basics she gives tips for success both when driving your own ventures and while on the corporate ladder.

In particular I loved her mention of "secret office handshakes" such as chatting before a meeting or jumping right in, and nods to the pressures of social media.

While written with a clear demographic in mind (millennial women), literally anyone who is interested in materializing their career ambitions will find value here.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up reading Seventeen when Shoket was the editor-in-chief so when I heard that she wrote a book about helping young women realize their potential and go for their dreams it felt very full circle for me. She offers her wisdom in a unique way. She uses other women's success stories as well as her own to show a well-rounded approach. It really helped me with some of my questions and fears of achieving my own asperations. She is wise without being condescending and it did not feel corny like a lot of books on the subject of personal success like Tony Robbins books.

[Gillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did appreciate some of the advice, there were times when I felt it was hypocritical or that it didn't take everything into account. I am a very different person than when I first got this book. I wanted to be this ambitious woman, but I'm coming to the realization that I'm not that woman and probably have never been. I wish there were more books that were geared to introverts or women who just want to survive, not always thrive. Also, I could have done without all the fashion/beauty stuff as well as seeing my toxic old company brought up in a positive light.