Good morning, This week, we take on the mess we rarely say out loud. Friendship breakups that hurt worse than divorce. Money boundaries that keep you sane. The “retirement guilt” that can sneak in and steal your joy. And we’re flipping the script on famous men—asking if they’d still be legends if they were women.
We’re calling things what they are, then deciding what’s worth keeping.
Glad you’re here,
P.S. Your friendships might deserve a checkup. Scroll down for the audit—you might be surprised at your results.
LIVING OUT LOUD
Real stories of rewiring, relationships, and this messy, beautiful life.
When the heartbreak comes from a girlfriend? We’re left in pain. In this raw collection, 10 women reveal the endings that blindsided them—the ride-or-die who turned on them. The friend who made their tragedy about herself. Betrayal. Ghosting. The split that still stings years later. It’s messy, complicated, and rarely discussed. These are the stories we kept to ourselves—until now...
What you said stopped us cold. ✒️ Here’s what one fabulous reader had to say this week:
“As a former fashion exec, style has always been in my DNA. What I didn’t expect? The side-eye and backhanded compliments from other women—as though it’s a crime to care about your appearance. When did it become acceptable to stop giving a damn? I’m not trading my style and happiness for an elastic waistband, leggings, and a Chico’s loyalty card anytime soon."
What if Steve Jobs had been labeled “bossy”? If Gordon Ramsay’s temper was chalked up to menopause? Or if Barack Obama was dismissed as “too emotional” for the nuclear codes? In this satirical flip, we reimagine famous men as women. The results are outrageous, funny, and maybe uncomfortably close to the truth.
🎾 When Your Body Betrays Your Dreams Tennis legend Monica Seles just revealed her myasthenia gravis diagnosis—a rare autoimmune disease. Remember her famous grunt that dominated the courts in the '90s? At 51, she's choosing transparency over silence. Because even legends don't have to suffer in secret.
💰 Treatonomics: Small Splurges, Big Wins Forget waiting for permission. "Treatonomics" is women rewarding ourselves on our own terms. That $12 candle? The fancy coffee? Small spends with big mood boosts. Joy isn't frivolous when you're funding your own happiness. The pick-me-up trend that's actually picking us up.
🤖 ChatGPT Thinks Women Deserve Less Even AI has internalized the patriarchy. New research shows ChatGPT's "salary advice" lowballs women by tens of thousands, quietly coaching us to ask for less than men. If robots are already biased against us, we're in trouble. Time to teach the machines who's in charge.
When it comes to love and money, midlife women are breaking one of the last relationship taboos. Forget “what’s mine is yours.” Women are drawing a hard line between romance and their bank accounts. Is it self-preservation? A lack of trust? Or just plain smart? Behind the closed doors of marriages, remarriages, and “almosts,” is there a quiet revolution happening?
→ Love is one thing. Your bank account is another.
A registered dietitian side-eyed bagels and banned pasta. Then came one roasted sweet potato—caramelized at the edges—and everything changed. Before you toss your cauliflower rice, hear the whole story. Because the truth about carbs—especially for women over 40—isn’t what the diet industry has been selling.
→ Is it time to take the guilt off your plate and put carbs back?
Say hello to our friends at The Persistent! They're an independent media startup that’s 100 percent focused on telling women’s stories—on topics ranging from health and parenting to money and ambition to art and culture. Have you ever wondered why pockets are so rare in women’s clothes, or why the holidays tend to be so stressful for women? The Persistent is answering these questions and more.
You dreamed of this moment. But now you feel … sad? Even guilty? You’re not alone. Why does “retirement” feel less like a victory lap and more like a gut punch? It’s the guilt no one warns you about—the kind that can quietly eat away at joy, identity, and purpose. Here’s how to shut it down before it swallows your next chapter.
Reality Check: Is This Friendship Still Serving You?
🔍 FRIENDSHIP AUDIT
Since we're talking about friendships this week ... We've all got that friend. The one who drains more than she gives. The one you keep around out of habit, not joy.
Our newsletter and articles are written by Susan and the talented writers of PROVOKED. Read the full stories—and get to know the women behind them—on our site.
