Working Girl's Guide #20: Sleepmaxxing, ISO of a tennis sponsor, bad emails

It’s officially fall! We’re talking dressing for tennis, how the kids are feeling about vaping these days, and the perfect pants/vest combo that I swear is serving corporate baddie and NOT American Revolution.

Let’s get into it.

Cracking Down On Phones in Schools

Interesting new startup alert: Graham Dugoni’s Yondr is solving the issue of phones in schools with their magnetic lockable pouches. They started out at concerts and event venues, but have since majorly scaled to schools across the country, with 1/3 of NYC public schools currently making use of their product. Great initiative, please just don’t take my phone away from me.

Speaking of Schools, Vaping is Down

Apparently public health campaigns are working, because the kids aren’t vaping as much anymore: last year, 7.7% of middle and high schoolers vaped, and this year, it’s under 6%. That’s great, although these numbers are apparently self-reported, and are we really trusting 13-year-olds with accuracy and self-awareness? I’m twice their age and would probably tell you I spend 30 minutes a day on TikTok (Annie, don’t correct me).

Naps are the New Olympics

A new trend called sleepmaxxing seems kinda extra and also just sounds way too similar to being a maxxinista? You’re probably familiar with morning sheds, fancy pillows that reduce facial pressure to prevent wrinkles, mouth tapes, sleepy girl mocktails, etc. I’m all for a good night of rest, but interesting, some doctors are noting that sleepmaxxers are becoming so preoccupied with sleep that they’re developing anxiety disorders “similar to orthorexia”. That’s all the warning I need to never try one of those spooky jaw strap thingies.

I was sick as a dog all weekend long. On the bright side, I watched the entire season of The Perfect Couple on Netflix (highly recommend). I finally mustered up the courage to play some tennis on Sunday, which I’m getting kind of better at? If any tennis companies want to sponsor me, my DMs are very much open. This white diaper fit is not it and I will happily wear literally anything else.

I may be a west coast girl but the New Yorker in me says you can NEVER have too much black in your wardrobe! I’m obsessed with sets, as you def know by now, and love that these two can be mixed and matched for the office and/or for a night out on the town with my girls. It feels like the Seventeen Magazine articles of my youth (remember all the warnings about day-to-night dressing?) are finally coming true!

The fifth-grade nerd within me gets so hype for fall. If you see me at Walgreens browsing pens and notebooks… no you didn’t. But seriously, there is something so reminiscent of elementary school about September and it makes me feel SO productive. I feel like people are motivated after a dope summer (does it seem like everyone had the best summer of their lives?), everyone’s finally back from their Eurotrips (again… everyone was in Europe this summer??), and the pace of life is generally just picking up again. I’m using the boost as an opportunity to rethink my priorities, which sounds obvious, but here’s my suggestion: instead of adding or overhauling your tasks, pick one thing that you can stop doing. Maybe it’s a work task that you bring up to your boss: is there someone else who could handle it better/more effectively? Perhaps you hate deep cleaning your bathroom and decide to hire it out once a month. This isn’t about shirking responsibilities… but there is something to be said for reprioritizing and getting some energy back by offloading the things that are dragging you down. I will personally be handing the task of cleaning my room off to Annie! No I’m kidding, I wouldn’t do that to her. But… Annie? Anything I’m bad at that you’d like to do for me instead??

Does the perfect email exist? What about the most imperfect email (definitely exists, have seen it). If opening your email every morning feels like a desperate game of whack-a-mole, you’re not alone, and we have thoughts on crafting effective work emails. In this week’s pod, Ross shares all the out-of-the-box techniques he’s used to grab a buyer’s attention, and we get into some inflammatory subject lines that guarantee opens (you’re welcome for not using them here). Listen here.

Thanks for reading!