THE WEEKLY PAGE 📝 No. 180

Work lessons from Beyoncé + this week's picks for work, wellness, and wonder.

On July 6, 2003, just as I was about to begin my senior year of high school, a journalist named Kelefa Sanneh published a piece in the New York Times titled “The Solo Beyoncé: She’s No Ashanti.”

A couple years later, still laughing about the article, a woman named Marie put a reminder on her digital calendar to follow up with this article on its 20th anniversary.

Well, you know the rest of the story. July 6, 2023, rolled around a couple of weeks ago. Marie gets a notification from her calendar. She momentarily can’t recall what “Beyoncé Article Anniversary” is supposed to mean…but then, doh!, she remembers…the article.

On the 20th anniversary of Kelefa Sanneh stating that Beyonce was a failed solo act, Queen Bey was on a sold-out global tour during which she will reportedly make billions (yeah…with a B!).

Failed solo act? Sorry, Kelefa….but nope.

So what work lessons can we glean from this story?

ONE - Your digital calendar is your best friend. It can ensure you don’t forget that 3 PM meeting but also help you toss some well-deserved side-eye 20 years in the future.

TWO - Women don’t need to be pitted against each other — in life or in the workplace. There’s room for both a Beyonce and an Ashanti, and they have the capacity to not only co-exist but to support each other (Ashanti, by the way, is doing just fine).

THREE - Doing something new can be scary. You’ll have to be a “beginner” before you become a Beyoncé — criticism and all. Other people might not understand the vision you have for where you’re going…but that doesn’t mean you won’t get there.

🎧 LISTEN: By now, you know that I’m a Rachael Hartley *fan girl*, and she was recently a guest on the 10% Happier Podcast. I love Rachael’s approach to “gentle” nutrition and her focus on eating for energy and vitality (NOT weight loss). The title of this interview says it all “Nutrition Advice for People Who Don’t Want to Go on a Diet.” Listen below:

🥗 EAT: This Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce is one of those recipes that was so easy to make but so delicious and balanced that it instantly got bookmarked into my folder of go-to recipes (highly recommend having one of those if you don’t already!). We loved adding some crunchy chili oil for extra spice. Grab the recipe right here, m’dear!

📚 READ: Gabrielle Blair has long been one of my favorite Substack Follows, and for good reason. Have you read some of the things this woman has written?! 👀 Going back to visit my family in the US and seeing a copy of her book, “Ejaculate Responsibly” displayed proudly on my Dad’s coffee table was truly a life highlight 😂 She just recently published this piece titled “Straight Men Acting Like They Think Gay Sex is Gross is Not Believable” and well…I think you’ll just have to read it. Read her article here.

📺 WATCH: The Bear is back for its second season, and we loved episode 4, which features one of the main characters living his best life literally *in our neighborhood* in Copenhagen. The show follows Carmy, a brilliant young chef from the world of fine dining who is forced to return home to his family sandwich shop in Chicago. It has such a wonderful cast and such great writing. Watch the Season 2 Trailer here:

New Feature! Around the start of each month, I’ll publish “Monthly Motivation.” These posts feature a short, 5-minute podcast from yours truly, free wallpapers, printable calendars, playlists + more. August’s edition is now LIVE and is currently free for all subscribers:

💬 Commment & chat! Anything in this week’s newsletter spark your curiosity? Have questions? Got a recommendation of your own?