The Myth of Making It: A Workplace Reckoning

(Hardback)

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"As I sat in the front row that day, I was 80% faking it with a 100% real Gucci bag." Samhita Mukhopadhyay had finally made it- she had her dream job, dream clothes-dream life. But time and time again, she found herself sacrificing time with family and friends, paying too much for lattes, and limping home after working for twelve hours a day. Success didn't come without costs, right Or so she kept telling herself. And Samhita wasn't alone- far too many of us are taught that to live a good life we need to work ourselves to the bone. That to enact change, we just need to climb up the corporate ladder, to "lean in," to "hustle." But as Mukhopadhyay shows, these definitions of success are myths-and they are seductive ones. Mukhopadhyay traces the origins of these myths, taking us from the 60s into the present-day through a critical overview of feminist workplace movements that got us here today, stories from her own professional experience, analysis from activists and experts, and interviews with workers of all kinds. As more individuals continue to question whether dedicating their lives to their vocation can even lead to happiness and fulfillment in the first place, Mukhopadhyay asks- What would it mean to have a liberated workplace To answer this question, Mukhopadhyay underlines where movements have fallen short in the past-and highlights where they have succeeded-and offers insights gleaned from interviews with those who have found a vision for work that feels authentically successful. What emerges is a vision for a workplace culture that pays fairly, recognizes our values, and gives people access to the resources they need. A call to action to redefine and reimagine work as we know it, The Myth of Making It is a field guide and manifesto for all of us who are tired, searching for justice, and longing to be liberated from the oppressive grip of hustle culture. We can bury the girlboss, but what comes next The former executive editor of Teen Vogue tells the story of her personal workplace reckoning and argues for collective responsibility to reimagine work as we know it. "As I sat in the front row that day, I was 80 percent faking it with a 100-percent-real Gucci bag." Samhita Mukhopadhyay had finally made it- she had her dream job, dream clothes-dream life. But time and time again, she found herself sacrificing time with family and friends, paying too much for lattes, and limping home after working twelve hours a day. Success didn't come without costs, right Or so she kept telling herself. And Mukhopadhyay wasn't alone- Far too many of us are taught that we need to work ourselves to the bone to live a good life. That we just need to climb up the corporate ladder, to "lean in" and "hustle," to enact change. But as Mukhopadhyay shows, these definitions of success are myths-and they are seductive ones. Mukhopadhyay traces the origins of these myths, taking us from the sixties to the present. She forms a critical overview of workplace feminism, looking at stories from her own professional career, analysis from activists and experts, and of course, experiences of workers at different levels. As more individuals continue to question whether their professional ambitions can lead to happiness and fulfillment in the first place, Mukhopadhyay asks, What would it mean to have a liberated workplace Mukhopadhyay emerges with a vision for a workplace culture that pays fairly, recognizes our values, and gives people access to the resources they need. A call to action to redefine and reimagine work as we know it, The Myth of Making It is a field guide and manifesto for all of us who are tired, searching for justice, and longing to be liberated from the oppressive grip of hustle culture.

Author Bio

Samhita Mukhopadhyay is the former executive editor of Teen Vogue and the former executive editor at Feministing. Her writing has appeared in New York magazine, The Cut, Vanity Fair, Vogue, The Atlantic, and The Nation. Born in New York City, Mukhopadhyay lives between Putnam County and Brooklyn.