Working Girl’s Guide #43: Apple’s $500B Splurge, Wall Street Tantrums & Solo Travel

Apple’s throwing money at AI like it’s a T. Swift presale, Wall Street’s meltdown is giving big drama energy, and solo travel is all the rage. I’m fresh off a jam-packed weekend in SF (prime rib dinners, new couch puzzles, and looking hot at the airport), so I’m absolutely ready for the week. Plus, I’ve got conference survival hacks and a deep dive into LinkedIn cringe. Let’s get into it!

Apple’s throwing money at AI

Apple just announced it’s dropping $500 billion (yes, with a b) and creating 20,000 jobs over the next four years, mostly to beef up its AI capabilities. One major investment? A massive new factory in Texas that’ll build the machines powering Apple’s AI. Between this and their $10 billion boost to the U.S. Advanced Manufacturing Fund, it’s clear Tim Cook is in his “I will not be left behind” era.

Wall Street Just Had a Breakdown, And Investors Are Feeling It

The stock market just threw a full-blown tantrum: Nasdaq plunged 4%, Dow lost 890 points, and S&P 500 had its worst day since 2022 on Monday. What’s the drama? Investors are reacting to Trump’s tariff talk and recession concerns. Tech stocks took a hit (Tesla down 15%), Bitcoin dipped below $79K, and many are shifting to safer investments. Might be a good day to focus on anything but the markets.

The Eat, Pray, Love girlies are keeping the travel industry alive

Solo travel is having a moment, and airlines are loving it. 76% of millennials and Gen-Z travelers are planning solo trips this year. Airbnb’s Spring 2025 Travel Trends report shows that a lot of people are looking to venture off solo. They found a 90% YoY increase in solo searches. Airlines are even rolling out more business-class pods and single-occupancy upgrades to cater to all the girlies out here finding themselves in Europe. Will this finally be the year we all book that impulsive "one-way ticket to Paris" moment? (If my boyfriend is reading this, it’s just a joke, I promise).

First full weekend in SF with the boyfriend (because we quite literally cannot stop traveling)! When I landed from Austin, I went straight to a 9pm dinner at a Prime Rib restaurant with two other couples, so while my body wanted to sleep, I forced it to choke down a slab of meat and two dirty martinis. We also got a new couch (shout out to LOVESAC) and still haven't finished putting it together (please pray for us).

I like looking cute at the airport - SUE ME. You never know when a Ross and Rachel airport scene might spring into action. Felt absolutely adorable in this fit on the plane PLUS who doesn't love a ~look good, feel good~ moment in the airport?? Sweats? Never heard of them! This T-shirt (while slightly expensive) comes in at the waist to make me look put together but feel like I'm in my sweats. Who doesn't love that?

CALLING ALL CONFERENCE GIRLIES. Conference season is upon us, which means 12-hour days of standing, yapping, and partying with people you aren’t even sure you like. How are you expected to survive this? To the lazy girls like myself out there, here are the three things you need:

1. COMFORTABLE SHOES: I will never forget when I wore kitten heels to a tech conference in Vegas… never again. I got myself a pair of NOBULL Allday shoes which are cute and comfortable. They feel like I’m walking on a cloud, and I dress them up or down (if you’re the gal who likes to wear a dress, you can still pair them with these!) I also love the brand because their whole vision is to promote “No bull****” when it comes to wellness and personal growth. Who has time for BS? Not me!

2. EYE DROPS: Anyone else get insanely red eyes when go-go going? Bring your favorite eye drop of choice when coffee ceases to work and you need to trick people into thinking you’re having fun.

3. DEODORANT: When it hits hour five of the conference, I always have a moment of realization that I quite literally stink. Don’t be the stinky gal like me, and bring some deodorant.

You can get an exclusive 30% off discount if you buy your own Allday shoes at www.nobullproject.com/natalie! Thanks to NOBULL for sponsoring this section.

Is your LinkedIn feed a daily dose of cringe? Ours is too. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the digital circus that is LinkedIn. We trace the evolution of LinkedIn from a simple resume database to a battleground for personal brand supremacy, dissecting the most absurd posting tactics along the way. From celebrating your first forklift sale to strategically sparking online feuds with business rivals, we leave no stone unturned. We’ll also explore the attention-seeking antics of “thought leaders,” the rise of AI headshots, and how not to stand out on LinkedIn.

Thanks for reading!