#5SmartReads- April 29, 2022

LaToya is a content creator at the blog upcloseandepic.com with a focus on Black Joy. She is the founder of Black Women Leaders in Retail at Black Women Retail, started a women's only investing club called Business, Money & Investments Group and manages a Social Media Management business Upclose & Epic Media. Her next projects are a hand poured, luxury candle company, Lamoureux and a non-profit focused on children's goods called Baby Send. She is passionate about food, Black women, sheet masks, and sunscreen. Follow her!

Post Pandemic Loss Of Ambition (The Cut)

Ambition looks completely different for me these days. After the pandemic I emerged a new person and it only took me 8 months to quit my FT job (which I had been at for 7 years and in the industry for 17), start my own company and then have my first baby! I resonated with this article. A realigning of priorities could serve us all well.

Why The Past 10 Years Of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid (The Atlantic)

Elon buying Twitter and declaring free speech will be the most important thing above all, makes me nervous for the amount of misinformation that will be protected and even encouraged. If the past 10 years are any indication America may not be back on track for a while.

Colleagues Worry Dianne Feinstein Is Now Mentally Unfit To Serve, Citing Recent Interactions (San Francisco Chronicle)

I am a Democrat with mostly criticism for my party. One being the average age is 60+ in Congress and there is no bench being built, publicly. This article is disheartening and infuriating. Hopefully Dianne Feinstein's constituents make it clear how unacceptable her current mental state is and her friends and family get her to prioritize what really matters, her health.

Sienna Miller On Taking On The Tabloids: “It Was So Toxic-What Women Were Subject To (The Guardian)

Sienna Miller is in a fantastic new series on Netflix called Anatomy of a Scandal, which shows the real life complexities of consent given and revoked during sex. It’s a brilliant series (one I think should be shown in high schools globally tbh) and she’s wonderful in her portrayal of a housewife who’s stronger & wiser than she appears. 

It made me Google her to see what she’s been up to, and it’s not only her character that’s more than meets the eye. 

Netflix Executive Bela Bajaria Owning Failure (The Cut)

Starting a new business, having a new baby, and managing my life has been...complicated. This new series from The Cut called "My BIggest Setback" talks to women leaders about their failures and bounce backs and is literally always open on my phone. Anytime you need inspiration or to feel less alone after a mistake, read this.