Girl World #22: Serena Williams, Meghan Markle, Empathy, Bangkok, Imposter Syndrome, Moto Jackets, Taylor's Trainer, Talking to Strangers, Sleeping, Coconut Cult, and More

We’re building Girl World and Late August Media because we’re creating the world we want to live in. This week, people who don’t get the privilege to live in Girl World (for obvious reasons), and therefore won’t be named, attacked empathy. Empathy—the very human experience that has shaped our evolution. When it’s stripped away, we’re left with individualism, which is exactly what they want and how we got to where we are today as society.

Community is the cure to late-stage capitalism, hate, and fascism. We can achieve more when we come together, when we care for each other, when we care…period. As long as we continue to isolate, weaken our friendships, severe our ties with people who aren’t perfect, we will never achieve true power.

Empathy is a strength—and anyone who says otherwise isn’t someone who should hold any type of power. And, you won’t find any of that in Girl World.

So, let’s be rebellious and stand together in community: call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while this weekend, go to a coffee shop and compliment someone’s shoes or smile, stay off social media and start living in community. It could be as simple as getting dinner with some friends—or inviting a friend over for Girl Dinner.

The Meghan Markle (Sussex) of it all: We’ve been fans of Meghan since her Tig days (RIP). We loved her on Suits. We loved her falling in love with a prince and then deciding that royal life wasn’t what made sense for them. Her new Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, debuted this week on Netflix. While her fans defended her lifestyle show, it has been utterly panned. Objectively, it has some problems. People claim it’s unrelatable. Really though, were we going to relate to a princess? No. It’s stiff, it’s too curated, and comes off as inauthentic. It doesn’t have a ton of value, which is crucial in today’s unscripted media world.

But, we get it. She is being torn to shreds for every tiny thing that someone can point to. And, it’s been like that since her relationship with Prince Harry went public. If you’re consistently criticized and picked apart, any reasonable person is going to attempt perfection to the point where it’s inauthentic.

Online and media critics shoulder some of the blame here. Women are expected to be perfect, but not too perfect. Just the right amount of perfect, as determined by every individual person on the planet. When a creator tries to achieve that level of perfection, it’s messy.

We’re empathetic towards Meghan and for all women in a spotlight. This type of scrutiny and negativity keeps too many amazing women leaders and creatives sidelined. And, the cure to this issue is empathy, compassion, and kindness.

Cheers to season 2 of With Love, Meghan. She’s laughing all the way to the bank, as she should.

2025 Oscars Red Carpet: The Oscars red carpet was absolutely beautiful this year! These five women are just a few of the many amazing looks we saw—not including the red carpet at the Vanity Fair After Party. We love how feminine and powerful each of these looks are. Selena Gomez is portraying Old Hollywood glam perfection. Lupita Nyong’o’s dress is the epitome of femininity, but with a structured touch. If we were Mindy Kaling, we would never take this dress off. Ariana Grande’s dress is feminine and playful. Plus, it’s a built-in table! And, Halle Berry’s dress is a masterpiece.

And, with that, the 2025 awards season comes to a close.

1. An essay on imposter syndrome explores how the term became a catch-all for self-doubt and a way to explain the real culprits of our self-doubt.

2. Ashley Tisdale credits failure for her success in this Nice Talk podcast episode. She’s now the founder of the beauty brand, Frenshe (who knew!?). The full episode is here.

3. Whether you’re 28 or 58, we all experience points in life where we don’t feel creative or we’re burnt out. These tips share how to get the creative spark back—and they don’t require you to quit your job and run away to an Italian Villa. Though, that’s a valid life choice, too.

4. Flash Back Friday: Legally Blonde was an incredibly feminist movie. We’ve watched this movie countless times over the years, and this creator highlights why it has such amazing feminist storytelling.

5. A radical idea: having deeper conversations with strangers is actually fulfilling. Connection is everything and you can’t really do that with water cooler talk. The article closes with a list of questions to help you start having deeper conversations! We promise: it only feels like it will be awkward, but it’s not.

6. We’re loving the Monica Lewinsky resurgence happening right now—including her Rolling Stone feature story and her Call Her Daddy interview.

Lucy Ji and Mila M., the co-founders of Irritated, a new skincare company that hasn’t even launched yet. They’ve gained over 2,000 followers on TikTok by sharing their journey, what’s worked for them, and helping other entrepreneurs and creators along the way. They’ve shared their Canva templates and branding tips—all for free. They’re building community ahead of their product launch, and we’ll be the first ones in line supporting them and buying their products when they do.

Lessons: Don’t wait for something to be perfect, show the process behind the scenes—even if it’s messy. Community isn’t just customers: it’s industry peers and those a few steps behind you. Being resourceful and helpful will take you a long way.

Serena Williams and her husband, Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian, are betting on women sports. They have a shared thesis that betting on women athletes and investing in women’s sports is just plain old good business. Serena joined the ownership team for the WNBA Toronto Tempo this week. Together, they are driving the narrative and building a legacy for their daughters and the next generation of women athletes.

Lessons: It goes without saying, but having a partner with shared values is essential. The big lesson here is finding purpose. Having a purpose will carry you through good and bad times, and make a deep impact in both your life and the lives of others. You don’t have to have the platform of Serena to make a difference. It can start with finding an issue or cause that you care deeply about and focus your efforts on it—whether that’s 2 hours a month or your full-time job. You’ll feel better and make the world a better place in the process.

A wellness trend that we can get behind: investing in your sleep. We’re also pro-napping, but that’s another story. Getting routine quality sleep is what’s lacking in many of our lives—and the commitment to getting good sleep will improve your mental health, increase your focus, increase your productivity, help you make better decisions, keep you more likely to stick to your wellness routine, and so much more.

Women actually need more sleep than men. The average recommended sleep for adults is 7-9 hours, and many doctors are suggesting women focus on getting closer to 8-9 hours per night. But, what about sleep debt? Can you make it up on the weekends? Yes, sleeping a little extra on the weekend can be beneficial when you haven’t been able to get enough sleep throughout the week. But, don’t oversleep—it’s all about balance.

If you haven’t found a good sleep routine, start by exploring your sleep hygiene and adopt a few suggestions. Even adding one new habit could make a difference in your sleep quality.

Weekly Hits: 5 ways to balance glucose to increase your energy, high protein food that’s less expensive than eggs, how to relieve fibroid pain naturally, beat sugar addiction with this free masterclass, and a trainer’s take on 75 Hard.

I took a workout class with Taylor Swift’s trainer, and it changed how I feel about the gym.

Star sign compatibility might actually matter when it comes to dating. Scorpios and Geminis get such a bad rap.

6 books to read this month. So many great reads that the TBR pile is taller than us.

I have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear. Honestly, same.

Have you joined the coconut cult club yet? We’re this close to joining.

The spring jacket roundup is here now that the weather is warming up—and Glamour says we can still wear our leather moto jackets. Currently clapping in millennial.

An unsupportive partner can kill your sex drive. Stressful, unsupportive relationships are such a turn off.

Doechii is crushing Paris Fashion Week. Please put her in everything.

We want this vitamin c body oil.

If you want safer streets, cover them in art!

We’re obsessed with Bangkok—here’s a list of the best things to do if it’s on your list, too.

Going Out: Going to the movies. Yes, actually in the theater. It’s the best place to watch a Marvel movie!

Watching: Running Point on Netflix

Listening: Lady Gaga’s new album, Mayhem

Reading: We’re in the middle of reading the Let Them book by Mel Robbins. Here’s a preview of her discussion around time and relationships that’s worth a listen. Then, grab the book and dive into it—or not. We’ll let you decide.

In the Kitchen: Making these mini pineapple upside down cakes because we can’t be trusted with a full-sized cake.

Moving our Bodies: Chicago winters make it hard to get your 10,000 steps in so now that spring is around the corner, we’re spending our time walking outdoors. It calms the nervous system—and even cold sunshine is good for the soul. We’ve spent the last two Sunday AMs in longer yoga classes and it’s made all the difference. A weekly 90-minute reset and stretch is life-changing.

💋 Jamie | Late August Media Founder

Girl World is a Late August Media publication.