The Suite

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What’s In Issue #41:
Is It Time To Quit Your Job? | Why We Have Our Best Ideas In The Shower | Create A Capsule Wardrobe That’s Good For The Planet | 2023’s Biggest Food & Drink Trends

Editor’s Note

What have you changed your mind about lately?
It was a question I posed to some women leaders for this week’s issue (see their thought-provoking answers below) and it got me thinking about what, perhaps, I had changed my mind about recently...
For one, I used to think I was a terrible salesperson – just not ‘my thing’. My sister Lisa? Can sell sand at the beach. Me? I’m the one buying it from her. But then I pitched a big client recently, sold my little socks off, and won the contract. Not-so-shabby in the sales department after all...
Two, I always saw prioritising my health and fitness as something I had to do, begrudgingly. Now, my entire day is messed up if I don’t exercise. Who even am I?!
And three – and this is a big one for me – I used to genuinely believe it was my clothes that made me look and feel good. Actually, more to the point, it was new clothes that did it. For as long as I can remember, I’d let my outfit dictate my mood. If it was new, I’d feel on top of the world. Anything less, and it wasn’t pretty. So I shopped. Looking back, it was such a waste of time, energy and money. And yes, I’m a little embarrassed to admit that here.
Thankfully, clothes no longer maketh the woman I am today. I haven’t bought anything new in what feels like forever, and instead I quite enjoy the challenge of coming up with new outfits from the (many) clothes I already own.
That’s not to say, I’ll never shop again, of course. But I’ll be buying less (nine new pieces, to be exact) and buying better from now on. I’ve always longed for a capsule wardrobe, and I think this might be the year I finally create one. I’ll let you know how I go.
In the meantime, enjoy the issue, see you next time.
Susan

COVER STORY

L-R (clockwise): Stephanie von Behr, Lisa Sanders-Nakahara, Victoria Pelletier, Stephenie Rodriguez, Dr Kim Granland and Dr Talat Uppal.

What Have You Changed Your Mind About Lately?

It’s an interesting question to ponder… Our brains have been wired to believe a change of mind is a negative – a sign of weakness; being indecisive; lacking in character. Some believe it’s because the decision to change your mind is not like any other, belonging instead to a special category called “meta-cognition”, where the brain is essentially “thinking about thinking” – that is, thinking about itself (er, insert mind-blown emoji here).

However, countless studies are proving it’s actually a good thing. Researchers from the Queensland Brain Institute at the University of Queensland have discovered that changes of mind tend to be good for behaviour – if you have time to deliberate, you tend to end up making a better choice. What’s more, it allows you to have fresh perspectives and creative insights, and shows that you’re flexible and open to ideas. When it comes to changing your mind, you really shouldn’t think twice. Just ask these six women leaders…

Victoria Pelletier, Managing Director, Accenture
“Changing our mind, or deciding to make a pivot, is something we should all feel confident in doing. We evolve and change, and taking action to change takes maturity and confidence; unless we’re doing it out of fear. I have made many pivots in my career, including making the decision to turn away from extremely well-paying roles that weren’t aligned with the kind of work that brings me more joy, on a consistent basis. Making this choice is contrary to what many have advised me to do, as it offers greater financial freedom. But the choice to wake up each week, looking forward to the actual work and impact I’ll have, means more than the money alone.”

Stephanie von Behr, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Founderland
“I am someone who often has strong opinions, but I’m also open-minded enough to consider other people’s perspectives. However, I’ve recently realised that this approach doesn’t always align with my values, especially when I am confronted with someone who challenges my value system. Therefore, I have recently changed my mind on this and have made a conscious effort to cultivate more curiosity and ask more questions. This allows me to embrace ambiguity and opposition with greater ease, while trusting my intuition.”

Stephenie Rodriguez, Founder, JOZU For Women
“I recently changed my mind about how I saw myself. I never believed that I could be athletic. It was not encouraged as a child with my strict upbringing – girls were not supposed to be physically strong. Through my recovery from Cerebral Malaria and Sepsis, I have had to recalibrate my thinking and prioritise my physical well-being, as much as my intellectual and mental fortitude. Para-fencing found me, and the sport is an elegant game of strategy and interaction. No fencer is good alone. Becoming Australia’s first female para-fencer in the 2024 Paralympics in Paris is now a meaningful goal and I appreciate the discipline it takes to master a sport, especially later in life.”

Read the full story, with quotes from Lisa Sanders-Nakahara, Dr Kim Granland and Dr Talat Uppal HERE. Then hit reply to this email to tell us what you’ve changed your mind about lately.

SUITE SUCCESS

Janice was so burnt out she didn’t eat her chocolate Bourbons.

When Burnout Is A Sign You Should Leave Your Job

When Jacinda Ardern recently stepped down from her role as Prime Minister of New Zealand because she no longer had “enough in the tank” to continue, her decision struck a chord with many. Here was a woman, at the top of her game, who knew she no longer had what it took to do the job at hand, and do it justice.

“I’m leaving, because with such a privileged role comes responsibility – the responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not,” she said. “I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It’s that simple.”

There are countless reasons people quit – from a change in management to a personal identity shift – but one of the top reasons for resignation is, you guessed it, burnout. Here’s how to spot the signs…

Burnt, Baby Burnt
Everyone feels exhausted from time to time, but real burnout is when you’re so emotionally drained you feel you have nothing left to give. You have an overwhelming sense of pessimism or indifference, and you believe that, no matter what you do, or how hard you try, you’ll never be effective at your job.

If this sounds familiar, take a break. A week-long holiday should help, but be aware: if, within a couple of hours of your return to work, you’re back to being angry and hating your job, that’s a big warning sign. There’s a difference between “work is a pain” and “I can’t be in this place for one more day”.

Burnt For You
Also, know this: burnout is not your fault – it’s a management issue. You have the right to have work that fills you up, not sucks the life force from you, and countless studies have shown that people are most likely to experience burnout in the face of conditions such as unrealistically high workloads, low levels of job control, incivility, bullying, poor organisational resources, stressed leaders, and negative leadership behaviours. If your organisation is rampant with burnout, and its only suggestion is everyone should do more yoga, it’s probably time to leave.

Making the decision to walk away from your job is not always easy or even feasible. But when your physical or emotional well-being is suffering, and your stress isn’t eased by the occasional day off, experts say it’s generally best to start looking elsewhere.

Feel The Burn

If you’re feeling burnt out to a degree that it’s affecting your relationships, your sleep and your physical and emotional wellbeing, if you anger easily or if you feel sad or excessively guilty, please seek help.

SUITE LIFE

So excited about those ‘shower effect’ epiphanies, Hilary will take one just about anywhere – a waterfall, the dog park, an overflowing roof gutter...

Why We Have Our Best Ideas In The Shower

It’s a truth universally acknowledged yet little understood: your best ideas always arrive while you’re in the shower. Don’t believe us? Wait til the next time you’re washing your hair…

It’s actually called the ‘shower effect’ and scientists have been arguing for years over why this hot and steamy environment leads to some of our greatest epiphanies. Essentially, it’s down to a mixture of dopamine and distraction. Neuroscience is finding that when we are idle, and happy, our brains are most active. The default mode network (DMN) lights up, which connects parts of our brain that don’t typically communicate. So a random memory, a left-of-field thought, or an image can combine in novel ways to produce novel ideas. Et voila, eureka (and suddenly we’re bilingual).

Of course, there are times when intense, uninterrupted focus is required, like when you’re filing a tax return or taking an exam, but when you’re really stuck on a problem, and you need to think more creatively, it’s important to incubate or step away to solve it. And that’s where a shower comes in. It’s relaxing, solitary, and the type of physical task that comes so naturally – at least we hope it does – that it requires very little cognitive focus, so other parts of the brain start to fire up.

With part of your brain focused on outer stimuli, the rest of your mind loosens up to consider a wider range of ideas and inspiration. This explains why you can also experience the ‘shower effect’ while you’re out for a run or at one with nature.

The moral of the story? The brain needs time to daydream. We can all struggle with new ideas, new projects, and new things we want to pursue. We’re also pretty bad at saying no. But by filling our lives with activity, we’re squeezing out any time or space to innovate and think. That’s why it’s so important to manage your energy and create space in your life. This will allow you to bring the best of who you are to what you do.

SUITE STYLE

Make the decision to “buy less and buy better”.

Create A Capsule Wardrobe That’s Also Better For The Planet

How many new pieces of clothing did you buy last year? If you’re in the UK and Ireland, you probably picked up 27 items; in Australia, it was a shameful 56. And in the US? The average person purchased 64 new items in 2022.

Does the average person need that many clothes? Of course not. According to research from the Hot Or Cool Institute, a Berlin-based think tank studying the intersection of sustainability and society, we actually only need a total of 74 pieces to make up a “sufficiency” wardrobe. And when you think that around 70% of the clothes hanging in your wardrobe right now are “passive” – that is, hardly worn or never worn – this seems like a pretty reasonable number.

What’s more, researchers have found that we should only be purchasing nine new garments a year in order to stay in line with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5-degree mark. Given the strain the planet is under, and what we’ve all got to lose, reducing our fashion purchases isn’t that big a deal. If we fail to keep temperatures from rising above 1.5 degrees by 2023, scientists warn we’ll go past the (environmental) point of no return.

So, with that in mind, and “buy less and buy better” ringing in our ears, we’re on a mission to reduce the footprint of our closets. One way is with the ultimate, love-forever, capsule wardrobe. Here are the nine – and the only nine, we promise! – pieces we’ll be buying this year.

1. Blazer
Oh, how we love a good blazer. From dawn til dusk, winter to spring, it looks the part wherever you’re headed – whether it’s a work meeting, a weekend brunch or even a wedding. Which blazer, in our humble opinion, beats all others? The classic, sharp, sexy, tuxedo-style blazer by Saint Laurent. Sigh. One day, it will be ours…

2. White Shirt
The most dependable of wardrobe essentials, the white shirt is among a mere handful of garments that can exude authority and polish in an instant. Find the perfect fit in white, and then next year you can buy the same style in blue poplin or pinstripe.

3. Plain White Tee
If you’re going to buy just one item this year, make it the perfect plain white T-shirt. No further explanation necessary.

4. The LBD

While style’s most famous acronym stands for little black dress, your go-to can be a midi or maxi if you prefer. The only prerequisite is that it makes you feel invincible. A sacrosanct closet classic with the magical ability to be dressed up or down, this is the number you throw on that you know will tick all the boxes.

5. Day Dress
While the LBD is your go-to for night, the easy, breezy, brightly-coloured day dress is the perfect piece to slip on when the sun shines. This hero piece is a blank canvas; a reliable do-it-all ally that you can turn to no matter what the day holds.

6. Jeans
Consider timeless straight-leg styles the new/old/forever denim default for your capsule wardrobe. Whether you shop them new or vintage, a high-waisted straight-leg pair in an easy blue wash is the wear-everywhere denim you’ll never tire of.

7. Cashmere Knit
Find a cashmere knit you love and it will never let you down. For maximum wearability, stick with go-tos like cream, grey and camel, or a classic nautical stripe.

8. Tailored Pants
Fashion comes and goes, but a few select pieces last forever. One such piece is a beautifully cut pair of tailored trousers. Timeless, chic and totally understated, the perfect pair will have a hallowed place in your closet for years to come.

9. Trench Coat

Structured, streamlined, timeless. There are several reasons why trench coats are the only outerwear deserving of capsule wardrobe status. This is a tried and true investment piece.

HOME, SUITE HOME

Some Of 2023’s Biggest Food & Drink Trends, According To Experts

Remember when Finland ran out of feta because of that viral TikTok recipe? Or when the airfryer became the kitchen appliance to beat all others? And that time when every dish you ordered at a restaurant came served, charcuterie-style, on a wooden board? Food trends certainly come and go, and this year will be no exception. Here are four you may, or may not, get into. You do you, Boo.

AvocaDos
You’ll be pleased to know avocado toast is going nowhere. Phew. In fact, the not-so-humble fruit will evolve and take new creative forms. Expect to see avocado oil become a favourite cooking medium, as well as lots of avocado-based desserts and cocktails. We quite like the look of this one.

Embrace The Brine
Who would have thought tinned mackerel would one day be so chic? During the pandemic, tinned seafood sales rocketed as people looked for convenient, shelf-stable foods to enjoy at home. Then, late last year, tinned anchovies, mussels, squid, octopus and tiny tuna fillets started popping up on restaurant menus worldwide, and taking over TikTok and Instagram. Apparently, 2023 is the year of tinned fish. You’ve been warned.

Hold The Alcohol
Certainly not a surprise, the sober-curious movement will continue to gather momentum, with some experts predicting the alcohol-free drinking scene will explode in full force this year. According to Pinterest Predictions, searches for “Fancy non-alcoholic drinks” are up +220% right now, and “Mocktail Bar” is up +75%, with Gen X (that’s us!) driving this trend. There will also be a growing interest in other little-known drinks, like Japanese hojicha tea, michelagua made with juice and spices, and horchata, the Mexican rice drink.

Winner Winner, Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich
Like your chicken spicy, fried, wedged between bread and drizzled with sauce? Okay, dumb question. According to the 2023 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast, created in partnership with the American Culinary Federation, chicken sandwiches will rule the roost, especially if they’re spicy, fried, or have a sweet-heat fusion. Oh, and crispy chicken skin will also have its moment: as a snack, as a base for nachos, even as a type of crouton in salads. We genuinely don’t know how we feel about this... but we’re willing to give them a try. All in the name of investigative journalism, of course.

SUITE NEWS

Priscilla Presley is contesting the will of her daughter Lisa Marie Presley, who died last month at 54. Priscilla is disputing a 2016 amendment that cut her and her former business manager out.

A new study shows that nearly two-thirds of employees have faced toxic situations at work. Women are far more likely to leave these toxic environments than men.

China is exploring a new policy to cover part of the cost of IVF under national health insurance. This is one measure the government hopes will buoy the country’s declining population, as the fertility rate in China is below the global average.

European conservatives are making moves to strategically align with far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. She could help make up for the conservative power lost with Angela Merkel’s resignation, but her anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigration stances complicate things.

SHORT & SUITE