Working Girl's Guide #55: your old job misses you, monsters are trending

I’m back from Charleston, summer shopping can’t stop and won’t stop, and we’re chatting with EventBrite co-founder and CEO Julia Hartz on the pod.

Let’s get into it.

Your old boss is back, and they miss you

Surprising hiring trend: your ex-employer might come crawling back. In March, a whopping 35% of new hires were returning employees, and in tech, that number was way higher, at—hold my beer—68%!!! ADP is attributing this trend to a decline in job hopping, and the fact that employers are trending more and more selective about who they’re bringing onboard (thus, into the idea of hiring someone they already know). Looking for your next gig? You might consider your old gig!

Buy now, pay later…for your meal prep?

Everyone’s been talking about inflation, and we’ve heard about consumers relying on buy now, pay later platforms (like Affirm and Klarna) for big-ticket items like Coachella tickets. But a surprising trend in BNPL usage: groceries. Almost 25% of consumers are paying for their groceries over time; last year, it was only 14%. With food prices up a fatty 28% compared to 2020, many are relying on flexible options to get their meals on the table. Here’s something I didn’t know: BNPL companies take a way bigger cut from merchants compared to credit card companies, but it’s usually worth it to them, because people tend to spend more when they can push payment to the future.

It’s a monster-forward summer

Help me understand why Lilo & Stitch is soooo back? The film, just out, is on pace for $950 million ticket sales, which is sending me, because I haven’t thought about this duo since middle school! Disney has been prioritizing theatrical releases of remakes and series and stepping away from streaming originals, and it seems to be working. Stitch is back, Labubus are everywhere…seems like we’re on track for a monster-forward summer.

Have you guys ever considered Charleston for a bachelorette location? It’s this up-and-coming town, perfect for a girlypop getaway.. JK I’ll stop. Had so much fun with the girls, and my personal highlight was getting to pass around my NEW RING DID I MENTION I’M ENGAGED to all the girls to try on! We had the best time We partied til the break of dawn, and now I need 10 business days to recover. This fit (and all my weekend fits) are here. Guard your wallets!!

Oh I’m sorry, were you hoping that I would change gears and stop posting sets at some point? HA! Could not be me! If hot weather is in your future, this set is IT. Wore this in Charleston for shopping and bopping—obsessed with the whole look, but also plan to pair the shorts with a little white tee or cardi, and the top with jeans or slacks. It actually comes as a set, which is kind of rare—$205 for just one piece would be a little hard to stomach, but for both the top and the bottom? Whole other ballgame! This looks is brought to you by one of my besties, who is becoming a stylist and styled me for this weekend! Check her out! I’m obsessed with her summer Mango finds (thank you Megan!!!).

Is it just me, or is summer fashion better than it’s been in years? While hitting “buy” and committing to returning stuff that isn’t right seems like the lazy thing to do, it’s actually sneaky a lot of work… like, printing a label? Who has a printer? This isn’t a foolproof lazy girl hack, but if you’re trying to cut down on the aimless spending (and subsequent returns), might I recommend keeping a running list of items you want to buy? When I do this (as opposed to hitting purchase RIGHT EXACTLY when I want to), I tend to make smarter decisions and buy things that actually suit me and fill a hole in my wardrobe.

This week, we had EventBrite co-founder and CEO Julia Hartz on the pod, and her career journey is one for the books. From interning on the set of Friends (legendary) to wrangling the cast of Jackass at the MTV Music Awards (double legendary), Julia shares her wild early days in entertainment before diving into what it took to build a billion-dollar company with her fiancé. We get into her biggest leadership lessons, the chaos of going public, and somehow ended up talking cheese raves. Plus, Julia reveals her chaotic morning routine and drops some hot tips for your next internal office event. Listen here.

Thanks for reading!