• My child was born in 2020, and our rent went up significantly from people moving to our town.
• My husband and I were living paycheck to paycheck by 2024.
• At 31, I dismantled my retirement to pay for school for my son.

All I have ever wanted to do is work hard for a good future. I was born into and raised by people who struggled to set goals and provide for their kids, so I knew I wanted something better for my own when I decided to settle down. Unfortunately, to give my son the best future possible, I had to give up any concept of retiring.

I was 27 when my partner and I, freshly married, decided to start our family. We'd done the entire checklist that we had been told would promise success. We both went to college, we got jobs in stable career fields, and built up savings and stability before getting married. By 2019, we felt ready to tie the knot, and by the end of the year, I was so baby hungry I already had a tote of little clothes tucked away in a bin in my office.

But 2019 was a very different time. I was working in technology as a hardware specialist for a local school district, my partner was a teacher. Our rent was $1150 for a three-bedroom house in a nice part of town. We were more than stable, very ready to buy a home, and content in our careers.

I became a parent in 2020

We found out we were pregnant the week of the shutdown in 2020. I remember thinking that people had raised kids during the 2008 recession. This was just some strange blip, a moment in time. It would end, and we'd move on.

Weeks stretched into months. I was forced to step away from my job as the demands of getting technology out to school districts became too taxing while pregnant. I had to start taking gig work as a writer, something I had never done before, to keep our finances stable. Wipes and diapers were impossible to find; there was no baby furniture, and I felt guilty buying anything before I had a person who could use it.

My son was born in November of 2020, and what followed were the hardest years of our lives. The price of everything skyrocketed. People began flocking to Boise, Idaho, where we have lived our whole lives. Our rent went from $1150 to $2200 in just three years. Formula shortages made every box cost as much as a tank of gas. Groceries ballooned in price. Any hope we had of buying a house began to bleed away alongside our savings.

I picked my son's education over retirement

Despite picking up an extra job, working grueling hours as an editor for entertainment publications, and cutting almost every enjoyable element of our lives away, by 2024, we were barely making it paycheck to paycheck.

We lowered costs by keeping my son home, avoiding day care bills, but that meant working around him and effectively isolating him from other children his age.

By the summer, we knew he would need to attend preschool, but there aren't free options for that in Boise. We were going to have to pay tuition, and we just weren't sure where it was going to come from. Unfortunately, all the scholarship and hardship assistance for pre-school programs in Idaho still function on income data from five years ago. It doesn't take into account the effects of inflation, unmanageable housing costs, or stagnated wages.

In July 2024, I filled out the paperwork to withdraw my retirement savings from my 401(k). My family and friends asked me why I would do something like that. Didn't I want to retire?

I explained that there was nothing in my future if there was nothing in his. My son will always come first, even if I have to work until I'm dead.

We can't have any more kids

Shockingly, I don't regret dismantling my retirement at 31 for my child's preschool tuition. What I truly regret is knowing that we can't have any other children. I only had one savings fund. I can't empty another for a second baby.

I'd always seen myself as the mother of a little clutter of children. I've dreamed of having a family since I was very young. But it's not possible. I won't ever have more children, because doing so while the cost of living is what it is, would force my son and any future siblings to miss out, just so I could hug more babies. It's not fair to him, and it wouldn't be fair to any others.

I will never regret sacrificing for my child, but the grief of a life abruptly thrown off course has been difficult to navigate. I often wake up and ask myself, "What could I have done better?"

My goal now is to do everything I can for my son, to give him everything I have, even if it isn't fair. I hope that when he comes of age and enters the world, it will be a kinder place. I dream that he won't have to sacrifice so much to be safe and secure, and that he will have all the comfort and security we have lost.

He deserves to dream and, for me, that matters more than retiring. It's just such a shame that these are the choices so many parents are currently having to face.

• Maddy DeVita was working in healthcare before surprising herself and working on an Italian farm.
• DeVita said a string of rejections gave her the bravery to send a shot-in-the-dark DM.
• Now, she has a career she never imagined as a private chef and content creator in New York City.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Maddy DeVita, 26, a private chef and content creator based in New York City. It has been edited for length and clarity.

For me, the spring of 2022 was spent applying to pretty much every job under the sun that I was remotely interested in. I had been working at a global health nonprofit since graduating from college during the pandemic, but realized that, despite always thinking I'd go into medicine, I actually wanted to work in food. My cover letter was sparse — I didn't have any professional experience, I just loved to cook, and was a halfway knowledgeable home chef.

The search felt endless. I interviewed at World Central Kitchen and never heard back. I tried test kitchens, like Food52, to no avail. At one point, I decided to try going into management consulting, because I'd at least make a lot of money. Rejections kept rolling into my inbox, and I reached a breaking point.

A string of rejections made me braver

But the rejections also made me bold — what else did I have to lose? What's something crazier I could try? I was so used to getting nos, so one more wasn't going to make much of a difference.

I'd been following a small Italian farm, Ebbio, on Instagram for a while, so I sent them a DM to see if there was any way to work together. They read it but didn't respond, but I weirdly wasn't deterred. I'd been turned away from so many jobs at that point, so I figured I'd just pitch myself to them once more.

And this time, it worked. They responded and said they were working on a cookbook project and that they'd love to have me help. By early August, I'd booked a flight to Italy and put in my two weeks' notice.

Quitting was never part of my plan

It's not like I woke up one day and decided to quit my job. In fact, as the supremely logical oldest of three girls, I never thought I'd quit without a clear career plan. If I'd gotten an offer from any of the more practical jobs I'd applied to, I probably would've taken it.

So many people are stuck in the thought loop I was in: "Oh my gosh, I want to do this, but it will never happen," or "I'm not the type of person who would do this." I learned, though, that there's actually a narrow pool of people who actually go after the crazy idea, so your odds of getting what you want might be better than you'd first think.

After spending six weeks on the farm and getting back to New York, I enrolled in culinary school and started private chefing for clients in the city after graduating. I kept posting content on my food Instagram, HandMeTheFork, which had mainly consisted of filtered photos of avocado toast when I first started my frantic job search.

Listening to my gut gave me the life I love now

I spent most of the past two years cooking consistently for families — getting embedded in their homes, spending a summer out in the Hamptons, making everything from meal-prepped lunches to Sunday dinner — but I don't do that as much these days, since I'm starting to earn money from my online content. Now, I'm doing more one-off, larger dinner parties and figuring out how to manage the world of social media, so my schedule is way more flexible.

If I'm not cooking for an event and I'm feeling disciplined, I'll start my day with a Barry's Bootcamp-style workout class, which kicks my butt. I'll then do my admin work at a café in my Brooklyn neighborhood, likely while listening to bossa nova music, my current obsession. After finishing up any video or Substack editing and recipe planning, I'll go grocery shopping, ideally at the farmers market.

The afternoon is usually filled with recipe testing and filming content, and I actually try to limit my social media time to the midday hours. Evening means cooking dinner for myself and my fiancée, and doing some more editing. All along, I've just wanted days that are dynamic, that are always different, and I've found that.

Listening to my gut has been my north star these past few years, though it often feels like my brain has to catch up to my instincts. I haven't made decisions based on right or wrong, or the next most practical career step, but instead based on what I'm called to do in the moment. Of course, I've gotten lucky, but I'm so glad that I've led with what I feel pulled to internally.

While at my college reunion a few months ago, I saw a ton of friends who were in my pre-med class, some of whom have finished med school and are fully doctors. It was such a surreal experience, realizing that could have easily been me, but that, despite my early expectations, it's not my life at all.

• Glenview is a Gilded Age mansion built by millionaire Wall Street banker John Bond Trevor in 1877.
• Visitors can tour the historic home located in Yonkers, New York.
• Glenview appears as Mrs. Astor's house in HBO's "The Gilded Age."

For a limited time, fans of HBO's "The Gilded Age" can see Mrs. Astor's costumes from the show on display in the actual Gilded Age mansion where her scenes were filmed.

Glenview, a 19th-century seasonal home built for millionaire banker John Bond Trevor and his family, has been painstakingly restored by the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, New York. Its ornate furnishings are so well-maintained that HBO used the mansion as a film set to portray Mrs. Caroline Schermerhorn Astor's home on Fifth Avenue's "Millionaires' Row" in "The Gilded Age."

Through October 6, Glenview will host an exhibit of costumes worn by Donna Murphy, who plays Astor in the series.

"Seeing the dresses in the context of Glenview's period rooms will highlight the connections between our historic house and Gilded Age lifestyles of the Trevor family at Glenview and the Astors in New York City," said Laura Vookles, who chairs the Hudson River Museum's curatorial department.

As a fan of "The Gilded Age" and a historic mansion enthusiast, I visited Glenview in July to check out the costumes and learn more about the Trevor family's life at the mansion. Take a look inside.

Glenview is located at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, New York.

The museum offers guided tours of Glenview from Wednesday through Sunday. Tickets cost $20 per adult and can be purchased on the Hudson River Museum's website.

The home was constructed between 1876 and 1877 for John Bond Trevor, a millionaire banker and stockbroker who worked on Wall Street.

Trevor purchased the 23-acre estate in 1876 and hired architect Charles W. Clinton to design the home.

After his first wife died, leaving him with three children, Trevor moved into Glenview shortly after marrying his second wife, Emily Norwood Trevor.

The Trevors' primary residence was in New York City, but they lived at Glenview from April to December each year. When in residence at Glenview, Trevor commuted into his office on Wall Street in New York City about 23 miles away.

Trevor died in 1890. Norwood remained in the home until her death in 1922, when it was then sold for $400,000, or around $7.6 million in 2025 when adjusted for inflation.

Our first stop on the tour was the Great Hall, where guests would enter the home.

The hall featured woodwork by Daniel Pabst, a Victorian furniture designer based in Philadelphia, and an encaustic tile floor designed by the English company Maw and Co.

A portrait of John Bond Trevor, seen right, is also on display in the hall.

Our guide pointed out an ornate calling card holder on an entryway table, where visitors would leave their information if the Trevors weren't available.

During the Gilded Age, members of high society used calling cards to announce their visits and maintain their social standing. When visiting another home, guests would present cards with identifying information to a servant, who would bring them to the mistress of the house to determine if they would be allowed inside. If the mistress wasn't available, guests would leave their cards on a tray.

The Great Hall also featured a grand staircase with the only two remaining original light fixtures in the home.

The lights were powered by gas because wealthy Gilded Age socialites believed that gas lighting was the most flattering to a woman's complexion, our tour guide said. When Norwood Trevor descended the staircase to greet guests, she wanted to look her best for her grand entrance.

Once guests were admitted to Glenview, they were welcomed in the parlor.

Guests would have been greeted with live music. The couch and chairs in the parlor are original to the home. Other furnishings included Italian marble sculptures and a stuffed peacock in front of the fireplace.

The museum repainted the parlor's ceilings with the original designs to restore it to the way it looked during the Gilded Age.

The wallpaper closely resembles the original design the Trevors chose as part of the Aesthetic Movement, which favored simpler, colorful geometric patterns over more ornate Victorian styles.

The parlor appeared in HBO's "The Gilded Age" as Mrs. Astor's house, and features some of her costumes for a limited-time exhibition.

The Hudson River Museum has costumes from "The Gilded Age" worn by Donna Murphy, who portrays Mrs. Astor, on display at Glenview through October 6.

We proceeded into the Ebony Library, which was Trevor's domain as the man of the house.

Trevor used the library as his study. The wooden cabinetry and fireplace were not made of actual ebony wood, but ebonized cherry wood made to look darker.

Fans of "The Gilded Age" may recognize the fireplace from a scene in season one where Mrs. Astor tosses a party invitation from Mrs. Russell into the fire.

The ceiling was decorated with chrysanthemums, a symbol of power used by Japan's imperial family.

Chrysanthemums appear throughout Glenview, carved into the bricks of the home's exterior and in the pillars on the Grand Staircase.

Next door, the sitting room served as Norwood Trevor's area for entertaining as well as a family room.

The room's curved floor-to-ceiling windows were a status symbol of wealth in the Gilded Age due to the high price of glass.

Its windows looked out onto stunning views of the Hudson River.

The original home featured a wraparound balcony that could be accessed through the Sitting Room, but it was later removed in order to lower maintenance costs.

The ceiling was decorated with more feminine floral patterns than the Ebony Library.

Our tour guide said that Norwood Trevor was "obsessed with little gestures of hospitality," and chose the pattern to ensure that women who entered the room felt as comfortable and at home as possible.

A display case featured Mary Trevor's wedding portrait and a fan she held on her wedding day.

In 1892, the Trevors hosted the wedding reception of their oldest daughter, Mary Trevor. She married Grenville Winthrop, a Harvard Law graduate and attorney, in the Parlor of Glenview.

A chair with a unique detail proved that Trevor also spent time in the sitting room.

An original chair in the sitting room featured a button on the arm that allowed it to recline. It was considered unseemly for women to lounge during the Gilded Age, so it would have only been used by Trevor.

The dining room featured another costume from "The Gilded Age," as well as a decorative panel to hide the entrance to the kitchen where servants worked.

The dining room could seat anywhere from 11 to 18 people for dinner.

The medieval-style furnishings included walnut wainscoting along the walls and painted ceilings.

The dining room features the only remaining original ceiling paintings at Glenview.

A sideboard, also designed by woodworker Daniel Pabst, included a nod to one of Aesop's fables about how to be a gracious host.

In the fable of the fox and the crane, the fox invites the crane for dinner and serves food in a shallow bowl, which the crane can't eat because of its beak. The crane then invites the fox for dinner and presents food in a tall glass, which the fox can't reach with its short snout. The moral of the story is to be hospitable and accommodating to guests.

We ended the tour by returning to the Great Hall, where we stopped by an ornate tiled fireplace.

A row of tiles above the fireplace depicted fairytales such as Beauty and the Beast and Rumpelstiltskin, which children could point to and indicate which story they'd like to hear. The bottom of the fireplace showed Guinevere, the wife of the legendary King Arthur.

Glenview's Gilded Age grandeur isn't just for fans of the show — it's for anyone who enjoys history, architecture, and a taste of the finer things in life.

Even if you haven't seen "The Gilded Age," visiting Glenview provides a look into the lives of Gilded Age millionaires outside of New York City, where seasonal estates provided an escape during the warmer months and small gestures of hospitality helped visitors feel at home.

• Lex Luthor is easily Superman's most iconic foe.
• He's been played countless times across TV, movies, and video games.
• We ranked all the major Lex performances, including Nicholas Hoult's new version.

When you think of comic book villains, the Joker would likely come to mind first.

After a few tries, you'd no doubt get to Lex Luthor, the bald baddie obsessed with taking down Superman — and that would bug him to no end.

What makes Lex a compelling villain is that, despite having the most powerful hero of all time as a nemesis, he's actually a worthy opponent. His intellect, wealth, and enormous reserve of hatred for our favorite Kryptonian are more than enough to concern Superman time and time again.

In every version of on-screen Superman (or Supergirl), there has been a Lex, including in the latest film, "Superman," starring David Corenswet as Clark Kent and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.

We've gone through every major version of Lex — sorry, to the extensive list of animated DC TV movies, but we'd be here all day if we included them — and ranked them from worst to best.

Here's how Hoult stacks up to every Luthor before him.

13. Ike Barinholtz ('The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part,' 2019)

Due to the nature of his time on screen — essentially a cameo as a brainwashed version of Lex, who was friends with Superman and the rest of the Justice League — Barinholtz's version of the character is at the bottom of this ranking.

But we'd like to see Barinholtz take another crack at it. Please give us a sequel to "The Lego Batman Movie," Warner Bros.!

12. Lyle Talbot ('Atom Man vs. Superman,' 1950)

This is the first on-screen depiction of Superman's greatest foe, just 10 years after his comics debut — and before his background was revamped for the Silver Age of comics in 1960.

Therefore, Talbot's version of Lex is just too different from the character we've come to know and love (to hate) over the last 65 years.

This serial is fun, though, for any fan of Superman who wants to be a completionist.

11. Titus Welliver ('Titans,' 2022)

Welliver was in just one episode of "Titans" before the character was killed off, but he made an impression. However, his version of Lex can't be any higher because we barely saw it.

Welliver's performance, though, does have the inherent malice and manipulation skills needed to be a solid Lex. We just wish we'd seen more.

10. Jesse Eisenberg ('Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,' 'Justice League,' and 'Zack Snyder's Justice League,' 2016-2021)

Far and away, the most controversial portrayal of Lex is Eisenberg's version of him in the now-defunct DC Extended Universe.

The first issue? It takes him the entire movie to be bald. We just can't abide by that.

Secondly, Eisenberg's version of Lex is too motormouthed and manic to be intimidating. And his plan in "Batman v Superman" is too convoluted to be scary. Remember the jar of pee?

Eisenberg himself knows that he wasn't the most popular version of the character. "I was so poorly received," he told Dax Shepard on an episode of "Armchair Expert" in 2024. "I've never said this before and it's kind of embarrassing to admit, but I genuinely think it actually hurt my career in a real way."

9. Michael Cudlitz ('Superman & Lois,' 2023-2024)

Cudlitz popped up in the final two seasons of The CW show "Superman & Lois," which followed Supes and Lois on their journey as parents to twin teenagers.

His version of Lex is more of a brawler than some others and, weirdly, not that smart, which is a problem since his intellect is usually what makes him a formidable foe.

8. Jon Cryer ('Supergirl,' 2018-2021)

In a funny bit of meta-casting, Cryer was tapped to play this bald baddie 31 years after playing Lex's nephew Lenny in "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace."

However, Cryer (best known for his comedic roles in "Two and a Half Men" and "Pretty in Pink") just wasn't quite intimidating enough to be a plausible threat to Supergirl and the rest of the heroes from the Arrowverse.

7. Giancarlo Esposito/Lance Reddick/Wendell Pierce ('Harley Quinn' and 'Kite Man! Hell Yeah,' 2019-2025)

We're lumping the three vocal performances across the "Harley Quinn" and "Kite Man" universes together, since they're equally brilliant, but ultimately, Lex isn't a big enough character in the "Quinn"-verse to rate higher.

6. John Shea ('Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,' 1993-1997)

This version of Lex brought the idea of Clark/Superman and Lex as romantic rivals to our TV screens, as both were in love with Lois Lane (Teri Hatcher), a plot that was also used in "Smallville."

Shea was only a series regular for the first season of "Lois & Clark," so we didn't get to see much of the arc between Superman and Lex, but he was a suitably sinister Lex.

He was also quite believable as a snarky businessman, a key part of the character.

5. Kevin Spacey ('Superman Returns,' 2007)

Spacey's performance as Lex is another controversial one, as he was supposed to be a continuation of Gene Hackman's version of the character (more on that next), but the two weren't all that similar.

Spacey's version of Lex has more barely suppressed rage than Hackman's, and while he might be even hammier than his predecessor, we'd argue that he's almost as compelling.

Two scenes of Spacey's stand out to us. First, when Lex is demonstrating his evil plan to his team on the model town, and he slowly disappears into the darkness. It's genuinely eerie stuff.

Second is when he's captured Lois on his megayacht, and he's begging her to say that Superman will "never let you get away with this!" … only to scream "WRONG" in her face.

3. Gene Hackman ('Superman,' 'Superman II,' and 'Superman IV: The Quest for Peace,' 1978-1987)

Hackman, who played Lex across three movies, is still probably the best-known and beloved version of the character. He's a perfect foil to Christopher Reeve's Boy Scout-esque version of Superman — while Superman is selfless, Lex is only interested in the bottom line.

Our only knock is that Hackman's performance gets campier and more outsized as the movies go on, capped off by the abysmal "Quest for Peace."

But if we limit his performance to the first two films, Hackman belongs on the comic-movie-villain Mount Rushmore.

4. Nicholas Hoult ('Superman,' 2025)

Yes, he might be new, but Hoult's version of Lex is an all-time, No. 1 Hater of Superman, which is really what the character boils down to. He just hates Superman's guts and everything he stands for.

Hoult is also perfectly calibrated to director James Gunn's wild and wacky tone, so his over-the-top moments don't stand out. And, while a bit silly, he manages to be quite menacing throughout and unafraid to get his hands dirty to take down the Man of Steel.

There's a speech Lex makes in this movie that also explains why he hates Superman so much: He's jealous of him. That might be a simple idea, but it's not one we've seen depicted on screen many times.

2. Clancy Brown (The DC Animated Universe, 1996-2006)

One of two Lex Luthors who played their character for a decade, Brown's vocal performance as Lex is a standout in an animated universe that's filled with iconic performances (Kevin Conroy as Batman, Tim Daly as Superman, Mark Hamill as the Joker, Dana Delany as Lois — we could go on…).

Brown's version of the character is never anything less than cool. He's smart, he's rich, he's got an iconic lair surrounded by an aquarium of sharks, and we wouldn't want to cross him. What more could you ask for from Lex Luthor?

1. Michael Rosenbaum ('Smallville,' 2001-2011)

Are you surprised? Rosenbaum had seven seasons (plus a series finale cameo) to build his characterization of Lex. He starts the show as one of Clark's friends and ends it as his biggest enemy (and also the president of the United States, somehow).

We got to learn about Lex's tortured relationship with his father, his insecurities about his intellect, and his insatiable curiosity.

It's the most fully realized version of the character, and for that reason, Rosenbaum ranks No. 1.

• When I was younger, I thought I'd be settling down, getting married, or having kids in my early 30s.
• Instead, I developed a passion for — and made a career out of — solo travel. I love my life.
• I wish people celebrated my travel achievements the way they celebrate wedding rings.

Growing up, I was always enamored with geography, so it's no surprise that I developed a passion for solo traveling.

In my 20s, I assumed I would solo travel for a few years to "get it out of my system" before settling down. Instead, my destination bucket list grew while my desire for things that felt like societal norms at my age — kids and marriage, for example — dwindled.

By 30, it dawned on me that both of those things are choices, not requirements. While some women successfully balance it all, I'm not personally willing to swap spontaneous trips for dirty diapers.

My solo ventures have led me to experiences like road-tripping in Madagascar and seeing all 20 regions in Italy. Recently, they led me to my 90th country, Mauritius, where I snorkeled with colorful fish and ate street dholl puri.

What Mauritius really provided, though, was a moment to reflect on all that comes with solo traveling as a single, childless 34-year-old woman.

The judgmental comments are relentless, but I don't let them deter me

I've built a business around solo traveling through my Instagram and blog, so I am no stranger to unsolicited comments.

My earliest trips were funded through my work as a bartender, and I quickly became skilled at traveling comfortably on my budget. I finessed systems like SkyScanner's "Everywhere" search feature to find inexpensive flights, and I slept in affordable hostels.

Still, everyone from strangers online to coworkers in real life constantly insinuated that a man was paying for my trips — or my parents were.

I was taken aback by how frequently people asked how I could afford to travel, when I would never dare ask how someone could afford to raise a child.

I received other nosy questions, too. Whenever I dated someone, people asked if my partner was mad that I traveled alone, or said it was nice that he "let" me go on trips without him.

It made me wonder how often solo-traveling men are told it's nice their partner "lets" them travel.

Naysayers aside, solo traveling has led me to a community of like-minded people

In my experience, it's much easier to meet people when you're traveling alone since you're not stuck in your own group.

Solo traveling has led me to plenty of friends that I've met naturally in hostels, bars, and even on airplanes, and through my online community via social media.

Although solo travel — like babies and marriage — isn't for everyone, I have found my footing in this world because of it. For me, it's empowering to be in an unknown part of the world with nothing but myself to rely on.

Even as a seasoned traveler, I still learn something new on every trip, whether I'm dismantling negative stereotypes about places I'd been taught were unsafe or reminding myself I don't need to wait for a partner to enjoy typical honeymoon destinations.

Solo travel has fed my curiosity, opened my mind, and given me the gift of enjoying my own company.

I wish that my life, passions, and career were celebrated in the way that marriage and kids are

If you had asked me when I was a kid where I saw myself in my 30s, "solo traveling the world" would not have been on my radar.

I assumed my life would consist of a stable career and a house in the suburbs with my husband and kids. However, looking back, I don't know that I ever actually wanted kids — rather, it was something that was simply expected of me.

Now, I know that I don't have the desire to have children, although I'm still open to marriage or a long-term partnership with the right person one day.

I recognize that for many, having a family is a dream come true. My dream life, however, is the one I'm living right now.

Perhaps that's why it's disheartening that my accolades, like visiting 90 countries alone, will never be celebrated by society the same way having a baby or a ring on my finger will.

Knowing this, I threw myself an "Antarctica send-off" party the night before leaving for my final continent — because, if nothing else, solo travel has taught me to be my biggest supporter and my own best friend.

• The cost of living in the US was too much, so I moved my family to Thailand.
• I got an apartment, our visas, and set up our life in a matter of days.
• I wish I had moved to a country with less bureaucracy sooner, because life is much easier.

I don't have the closest relationship with my parents, but I'm grateful that they exposed me to travel early in life. My mother is Kenyan and sent my brother and me to live with our aunt in Kenya when I was 12 years old.

That trip to Kenya, as well as trips throughout my formative years, instilled in me a love of travel.

As an adult, I continued to travel and even moved my family from Wisconsin to Maui. I've also lived in Medellín, Colombia, in several countries in Europe, and have spent periods traveling continuously.

My wife and I have six children between us, all of whom are now adults. When we thought about how we wanted to spend our empty nest years, we decided the goal would be to retire early at 50 (for me) and 55 (for my wife) and to move abroad.

Thailand offers the cost of living we're looking for with affordable, world-class healthcare. What we didn't expect was how easily we could set up our lives in a foreign country.

It's too expensive to retire in the US

The cost of living in the US continues to rise, especially in Florida, where we used to live. When we looked at the numbers, it became obvious that we couldn't reach our financial goals if we stayed in America.

Since we've traveled extensively, we've come to realize that many countries offer a better cost of living and lifestyle upgrades, such as the ability to hire help, affordable healthcare, easy-to-obtain visas, and the opportunity to save more of our money due to lower expenses.

We weighed our options and decided to call Thailand home.

Within three days, we were set to live in Thailand

After deciding to move to Thailand with a few of our adult kids, we got to work, applying for visas and exploring areas where we wanted to live. I also booked a trip to Bangkok to set up our life.

I set up apartment tours before I left the US. I landed in Bangkok, toured four apartments the next day, and signed a two-year lease by the evening of the second day.

The lack of bureaucracy and fees was shocking compared to what I'm used to in America.

I didn't need a credit check (or the credit check fee), a background check (or the background check fee), renter's insurance, or to pay the $8,550 in upfront costs we paid for the last place we rented in the US.

I also didn't have to wait a few weeks to a month for everything to process.

I paid the first and last month's rent via the Wise app, and our family was set. The apartment complex helped us set up all of our services (electricity, WiFi, water) the next day.

Securing visas was surprisingly easy, too. Before I left for Thailand, we were approved for a five-year DTV visa, which was granted in less than a week.

It was surprisingly easy to move abroad

The process of setting up our life in a new country contrasts with the lengthy and bureaucratic processes I've faced in every place I've lived in the US throughout my life. It was never quick and always involved numerous layers.

The beauty of a life with less bureaucracy is that it frees my mind and finances. Rather than always being on the grind and hustling to pay for life, I have access to affordable care, lifestyle upgrades, and lower costs in Thailand.

Since moving abroad, I've been working less and spending time doing fun things like reading, watching movies, learning a new language, and exploring the country. My income has also gone further.

I wish I had moved across the world sooner.

• I'm from Chicago and took a gap year to travel when I turned 30. I started out in Florence.
• I loved living in Florence, where it was easy to meet people, and everyone I met seemed welcoming.
• I was optimistic about my next destination, London. However, it wasn't a right fit for me.

When I hit my 30s, I hit the road. I quit my job in the US and flew straight to Florence, where I spent the next six months basking in the city's sunlight and rich culture. It was a beautiful start to my gap year of travel, which I was treating myself to as I entered a new decade of life.

After Florence, I ventured to London, which was a bit of a culture shock. I'd always pictured London as this luxurious city filled with Royals and cheeky accents. However, living there was a new reality far from what I'd expected.

All in all, I wasn't ready for the fast-paced life in London after living the slow life in Florence. The harsh contrast was something that made me wish I had never left Italy.

I felt welcome in Florence, and meeting people was easy

In Italy, I was spoiled by the welcoming nature of the Florentines I met. From the start, I was getting approached by locals in bars, overjoyed to speak with an American.

One day for lunch, I was sitting solo, and the waiter invited me for a ride on his Vespa during his break. He showed me the most beautiful outlooks of the city. It was one of the best spontaneous moments of my time there.

The generosity and excitement from strangers to show me their city is what made living there so special.

I even became part of an Italian family. After six hours of learning how to make pasta, my teacher invited me to meet his wonderful wife and son the following night at their home.

They made me feel so welcome, it was as if no barrier existed between us, despite their being Italian and my being American. I went to their home for many dinners throughout my time in Italy.

My experience in London was very different

After having such a positive experience in Italy, I was confident about going to another city to meet people. However, I was surprised to find the people I met a bit more reluctant than I had imagined.

When I went out for a night, I would sit at the bar and actively strike up a conversation with someone. Most of the time, the people I met didn't want to be bothered, and I ended up talking to the bartender all night.

Upon my entering stores, it was common for associates to greet me with "You alright?" While this greeting may be natural for locals, the question always felt jarring to me, and I found myself keeping my guard up far more often than in Italy.

For most of the two months I spent in England, I felt alone due to the interactions I had when trying to make friends. To me, the city felt like a city of cliques, with groups of people from Uni or work that had no intention of expanding their circle. This feeling isn't unique to London, but of bigger cities in general.

As an American, I felt welcome and seen in Italy. In England, I felt isolated and guarded.

Going from sun to consistent cloudy skies

Besides the culture shock, the March weather in England was also a harsh adjustment. After the first week, the lack of sun overshadowed my sparkly view of this bustling city.

I was used to the sunny days in Florence, where it was encouraged to take time to enjoy your morning cappuccino, followed by a two-hour Aperitivo, and finally a four-hour dinner that lasted well into the night.

London's fast pace was also a shock. Being from Chicago, I thought I would also ease right into the Tube and large crowds. However, I had gotten so used to the lightness of Italy that I had a hard time adapting.

For example, it took me a month to understand the London layout and how vast it really was. I took countless trains going the wrong direction and waited for buses that never came.

By contrast, it only took me about two weeks to get my bearings in Florence. I hardly ever took public transportation and found its accessibility to be one of its best parts. I could easily walk three to five miles from one neighborhood to the next.

I could give it another try

This isn't to say that there aren't wonderful things about London. I was able to find a slower lifestyle, more akin to Florence, by the southern coast and in the Somerset countryside.

All in all, the contrast between Italian and English cultures was too drastic. I wasn't able to adapt in a way that made me feel comfortable in London. In fact, I ended up going back to Italy for four months after my time in England.

However, that's not to say that I wouldn't enjoy England if I lived there at a different time. I am currently living in New York City and think the similarities would actually help me enjoy London the next time around. Both cities have a flourishing cultural scene and many unique neighborhoods worth exploring.

I did myself a disservice by trying to compare Italy and England while I was visiting. In reality, there is no comparison to Italy. In my experience, its slowness and warm embrace are truly unmatched.

• This post originally appeared in the BI Today newsletter.
• You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here.

Welcome back! Apparently, there's a hot new summer cocktail, and it's called the Hugo Spritz. Find out why everyone is jumping on this bubbly's bandwagon.

On the agenda:

• Frequent-flying elites told BI their tips to overcome jet lag.
• Wall Street's biggest summer status symbol isn't a house in the Hamptons. It's a golf shirt.
• BI's Kim Schewitz took a class to boost her VO2 max — and finally made cardio fun.
• Avoid making these mistakes if you find yourself staying in a five-star hotel.

But first: Let's talk about matters of the heart.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Business Insider's app here.

This week's dispatch

And the (heart)beat goes on…

We know supplements can reduce inflammation, boost strength training, and strengthen your immune system. But did you also know that the right stack can also protect you from heart failure?

Dr. Dmitry Yaranov, the director of the advanced heart failure program at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, told BI senior reporter Julia Pugachevsky that he takes three supplements to reduce his risk.

Here's what's in his medicine cabinet:

1. Omega-3: Yaranov said he takes this supplement because he's "not getting enough fresh, fatty fish in my diet." Pugachevsky notes that taking omega-3 "helps to support healthy blood cells, reducing the risk of blood clots" and can reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks.
2. Magnesium: Pugachevsky said that this supplement, typically found in black beans and spinach, "supports heart, bone, brain, and muscle health" and helps with controlling blood pressure.
3. Vitamin D: Yaranov said he spends "a long time indoors," which contributes to his lower levels of this essential vitamin, so he started supplementing it. Research shows that Vitamin D is also associated with a lower risk of heart disease in adults over the age of 60.

Skip the jet lag

Jet lag, which can cause brain fog, fatigue, and digestive issues, could derail your entire travel experience. It happens when your local time zone is misaligned with your internal clocks.

People who fly regularly — from pro athletes to CEOs — told BI how they beat jet lag, including the supplements they take and the adjustments they make before traveling.

From diet changes to light therapy.

The ultimate finance bro flex

In the realm of posh sports, not much ranks higher than golf, and its elitist nature often manifests in fashion. Donning a logoed golf polo from the course you play has become a subtle status symbol among Wall Street golf bros.

Many men described the logoed gear to BI's Emily Stewart as a "head nod," but there's a hierarchy associated with it, too. Just don't get caught wearing a golf polo from a course you've never played.

If you know, you know.

Also read:

• Gen Z is storming the links

A class dedicated to boosting your VO2 max

VO2 max has become the latest fitness craze that measures cardiovascular fitness among runners, fitness competition bros, and more. People are obsessed with the metric because it's said to be a strong predictor of longevity. A high VO2 max is also linked to a longer life and a reduced risk of certain health conditions.

So when London's GymBox came out with a new VO2:MAXED cardio class, BI's Kim Schewitz, who said she doesn't do cardio, tried it out. She found out her VO2 score was low.

But it made cardio fun for her.

Five-star faux pas

BI's travel reporter Joey Hadden has stayed at 10 five-star hotels across the Americas and Europe. She shared six mistakes she's made during these swanky stays, so you won't have to.

For instance, Hadden learned you should always pack a swimsuit, but you won't need to bring toiletries. Plus, turndown service is a must — you never know what treats you'll get.

She recommends booking more than one night.

What we're watching this weekend

• "Miley Cyrus: Something Beautiful": The chart-topping artist turned her 2025 album of the same name into a stunning visual companion that's now available on Disney+ and Hulu.
• "The Amateur": Now on Hulu, this thriller stars Rami Malek as a CIA decoder who is out for vengeance after the death of his wife. Rachel Brosnahan, Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Bernthal also star.
• "Billy Joel: And So It Goes": This two-part documentary on HBO Max looks at the legendary life and career of The Piano Man, Billy Joel.

What to shop

• TV on wheels: This touchscreen on wheels is like a smart‑TV‑tablet hybrid that lets you stream or scroll wherever you roll it. Its portable convenience makes it a delightful, lifestyle‑first gadget that editor Sam Crozier loves for her small Brooklyn apartment.
• A shirt to do it all: Public Rec's Go‑To Polo is crafted with a cooling, stretchy cotton‑blend that is so comfortable our men's style editor, Amir Ismael, swears you can work out in it. Here's why we recommend it for your closet.
• A heated hand massager: Social media fiends, rock climbers, and desk jockeys with carpal tunnel all have one thing in common: they need a hand massage. This handy device isn't a cure-all, but its gentle heat and snug fit make it a great self-care accessory that senior associate editor Gabrielle Chase swears by.

More of this week's top reads:

• A doctor who studies how a healthy gut can prevent colon cancer does three simple things to lower his risk.
• Interior designers share the nine trends they wish they saw more of in homes.
• Six purses to buy if you don't want to carry the same luxury bag everyone else has.
• I opened a mobile coffee bar for $10,000. My schedule is flexible and I can make thousands working 30-hour weeks.
• NFL quarterback Josh Allen says he's cutting out these two foods — and his diet is 'probably the best it's ever been.'
• I booked basic economy flights with Delta and Alaska Airlines. One was clearly better for coach passengers.
• A Microsoft engineer turned health tech CEO spends $24,000 a year on his health, including $15,000 on a solo Bali trip.
• I moved to Denver to be with my husband. We're still together, but I'm returning to New York City alone.
• Fitness Money Diaries: How a Microsoft engineer turned health tech CEO spends $24,000 a year on wellness.

The BI Today team: Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Akin Oyedele, deputy editor, in New York. Grace Lett, editor, in New York. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York.

• ChatGPT saved me hours of research when planning a trip to Door County, Wisconsin.
• Whereas I normally do a lot of background research before planning a trip, AI could do it for me.
• I found it was really good at giving a comprehensive overview of a destination.

Before I plan a trip, I have a straightforward goal: Learn everything there is to know about the place I'm visiting.

I know, I know. That sounds time-consuming. And truthfully, for me it is.

But for ChatGPT?

I stumbled upon this AI use case when starting to plan a relatively uncomplicated trip to Door County, Wisconsin, for later this summer. Rather than doing the hours of background reading that I usually do to get the lay of the land in a new destination, I let OpenAI's chatbot do it for me.

For context, I travel frequently in my personal life and cover travel for Business Insider, but until now, I'd yet to find a use case for AI that I felt really made my trip planning process more efficient.

I'd experimented with AI-powered trip planning tools but had never found them particularly useful. I'd also tried using ChatGPT as a glorified Google, describing to it vaguely what my interests were and asking it to recommend restaurants or attractions. The results were less than promising. From what I could tell, our individual tastes are still too personalized — and chatbot answers too universal — for specific recommendations to be helpful.

But for replacing all my pre-planning background reading? It was great.

AI does all my background reading for me

Let me give you a sense of my usual process.

Once I know I am visiting a place, I will Google the most generic things a tourist could think to ask: Top attractions. Must-do activities. Neighborhood guide. Best restaurants. One-day itinerary. Three-day itinerary. Weeklong itinerary.

I will do all of these searches, open more tabs than any browser should be reasonably expected to host, and then, I read.

I read the top 10 or so results for every search. Then I do more niche searches like best neighborhoods to live in or best vintage shopping, and do the process all over again, this time also rifling through countless Reddit threads where locals discuss the goings-on in their own neighborhoods.

Next, I move to social media — often TikTok — to scroll all the videos I can find about the destination to get some visual context and, most importantly, to learn which restaurants or attractions are viral so that I can avoid them.

It takes hours, and it's arguably more information than a tourist technically ever needs. But by the time I am done, I feel I have a shockingly full understanding of a place, as both a tourist destination and even as a place where real people live. I feel I could recommend to my friends which neighborhood would be uniquely right for them, which highly-rated restaurants are overrated, and which niche museum is actually a lot cooler than the one ranked first on TripAdvisor.

The process is excessive, but it gives me confidence that when I get to the hard planning stage — selecting a neighborhood, narrowing down hotels or Airbnbs, booking restaurant reservations — that my hard-earned PTO is being put to its best possible use.

Luckily for me, it turns out ChatGPT is pretty good at doing this.

ChatGPT helped me plan my trip to Door County, Wisconsin

I was recently planning a trip to Door County, which is a small peninsula in northeast Wisconsin situated between Lake Michigan and Green Bay that's known for being one of the prettier natural places in this part of the Midwest. I wanted to book a house on the water for a busy travel weekend, so I knew I needed to do it quickly.

So, instead of embarking on my usual trip planning odyssey, I did something that I had previously been very skeptical about: I turned to AI.

The kind of comprehensive overview that I get from reading all the top Google results, ChatGPT was able to give me with just a few prompts. I asked which popular attractions are frequently called overrated and which ones people say are worth weathering the crowds. I asked it to include any tips or tricks on the best times to visit certain places, and to provide several sample itineraries that were varied so I could get a complete picture of my options.

I even described my vague travel preferences — good food, good drinks, nature, away from crowds, vintage shops, where locals actually go — and asked it what town I should stay in. It gave me a quick summary of what each of the towns were best known for and which were most likely up my alley.

I also asked follow-up questions and played devil's advocate, as AI can tend to repeat marketing-speak or be overly optimistic.

In about half an hour I felt like I understood visiting Door County almost as much as I would've if I had spent those hours consuming everything myself. It's able to summarize the 90% of recommendations that pop up on every list and then also include the more unique ones.

The responses were not perfect. It recommended at least two restaurants that closed several years ago. And to be clear, I doubt that I know Door County as well as I would if I had done all that reading myself.

But I felt like I knew it enough to be confident in my choices while planning — enough so to book a rental home that same night, a decision that would generally take me a lot more time.

And yeah, I'm still going to do a bit of excessive reading for the hidden gems. What can I say? Old habits die hard.

• I went on board two Concordes, including the first prototype, at Paris's air and space museum.
• Concorde, retired in 2003 due to costs and a crash, flew at more than twice the speed of sound.
• Boom Supersonic aims to carry passengers by 2029, reviving interest in supersonic travel.

Commercial flights faster than the speed of sound are one of the few historic innovations that have fallen out of favor, but that might not stay the case for long.

Concorde revolutionized air travel. It could fly up to Mach 2.04 — more than twice the speed of sound, or around 1,350 mph at its cruising altitude of 60,000 feet.

However, huge operating costs and a fatal crash led to the Anglo-French airliner being retired in 2003.

When I attended the Paris Air Show last month, I had the chance to go on board two Concordes: the first prototype and one of the last to be built.

Both are displayed by France's national air and space museum, and the jets felt like precious exhibits, with much of the interior behind glass.

Nonetheless, it was fascinating to get up close to the seats, see the cockpit, and experience what it was like to walk down the aisle of a Concorde.

While Concorde won't fly again, it made me more excited for the potential of Boom Supersonic. Its prototype went supersonic in January, and its Overture airliner is expected to start carrying passengers in 2029.

At the 2025 Paris Air Show, I came across a conference hall with a plane in the middle of it.

This hall is actually part of the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace, which is part of Paris's Le Bourget Airport and can be visited year-round.

After a bit of walking around, I found the line to tour a Concorde.

As a journalist, I was able to get a ticket for free. Usually, a "boarding pass" ticket for the museum costs between 6 euros and 17 euros ($7 to $20), depending on your age.

I was amazed to find out this was actually the very first Concorde.

Concorde 001, with the tail number F-WTSS, was the first prototype built and made its first flight in 1969.

It was retired to the museum four years later.

It was a bit disappointing that the interior had been stripped, but there was still a lot to learn.

Information boards shared more about the history of this momentous airplane. For example, it was used to carry out scientific experiments during a 1973 eclipse, with cameras and windows installed in the roof.

There were several flight instruments behind glass, and a chance to glimpse the historic flight deck.

Concorde was the first airliner to use fly-by-wire controls, which means electronic signals are sent to a computer that processes the pilots' inputs.

It was previously only used on military aircraft, but is commonplace today. The technology helped the A320 become Airbus's first major success.

Concorde's cockpit also included a third seat for a flight engineer, and controls for the "droopsnoot" — a lengthy, pointed nose. Used to add aerodynamic efficiency, the nose could be drooped 10° for more visibility during takeoff and landing.

Leaving the first Concorde, it was great to see the original colorful livery with the names of the manufacturers.

The British Aviation Corporation and France's Sud Aviation jointly built and developed Concorde. (Mergers and acquisitions over the years saw the former become part of BAE Systems, and the latter part of Airbus.)

Concorde was a symbol not just of national pride for the UK and France but also of international cooperation between them. Indeed, the jet's name comes from the French for "agreement" or "union."

Meanwhile, work on the Boeing 2707, a larger and faster supersonic airliner, was scrapped in 1971.

The Soviet Union's Tupolev Tu-144 made its maiden flight just two months before Concorde.

I crossed a bridge onto Concorde 213, the 17th one to be built.

Just three more Concordes were made after this one. It flew from 1978 to 2003.

Even though Concorde is a relic of the past, I liked how the differing logos showed how it lasted for decades, from the meticulous font of the 1960s to the bold and minimalist Air France logo of the early noughties.

This plane was actually once painted in a Pepsi livery for an advertising campaign.

Pepsi spent $500 million on a huge rebranding effort in 1996, adopting its blue color scheme.

Sierra Delta, as it is known for the last two letters of its registration, was painted blue for two weeks in April of that year. The wings were kept white due to concerns over the fuel temperature.

Air France needed special permission because the Concorde was only certified to be painted white, as darker colors tend to retain more heat.

This time, there were plenty of seats on board to have a look at.

They were behind glass, so I couldn't sit down and test one out. I already knew Concorde was relatively small inside, with its four-abreast layout, but I was still surprised that these seats wouldn't look out of place on one of today's regional airliners.

Concorde could carry between 92 and 128 passengers, depending on the layout.

Details like the exit signs and bathrooms were still visible as well.

Walking through, I was again slightly taken aback by the low ceiling. Concorde's cabin height was just 6 feet 5 inches — an inch shorter than an Embraer E175 and 10 inches shorter than a Boeing 737.

British Airways and Air France made up for the small cabin with top service.

Caviar, lobster, and Champagne weren't uncommon.

Seeing the full rows of seats, glassed off under dim lighting, felt eerie and almost somber.

It was another reminder that Concorde is a vestige of a past "golden era" of luxury flying.

There was only one fatal accident involving Concorde, but it was hugely damaging.

In July 2000, a Concorde crashed shortly after takeoff when it ran over debris on the runway, and tyre fragments ruptured a fuel tank. All 109 people on board were killed, as well as four people in the hotel it crashed into.

As the investigation went on, all Concordes were grounded until November 2001.

Concorde was ungrounded, but the plane's economics remained a concern.

Concorde only stayed in service for another two years, with British Airways retiring its final one in October 2003.

While the crash damaged the plane's image, Concorde's ultimate undoing was its huge operating costs.

Its four engines burned huge amounts of fuel. Plus, its routes were limited by opposition to noisy sonic booms.

The economics have since become notorious in the aviation industry.

For example, after postponing its plans for a hydrogen-powered plane, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said in April that it wouldn't be competitive enough with other jets and hence risked becoming "a Concorde of hydrogen."

However, supersonic airliners are on their way back.

Denver-based Boom Supersonic has been developing a new supersonic jet called Overture. It's smaller than Concorde, expected to carry between 60 and 80 passengers, and would fly slightly slower at Mach 1.7.

China's state-owned planemaker, Comac, is also developing a supersonic airliner called the C949, although few details are available.

Boom's XB-1 prototype went supersonic for the first time in January — and made another major breakthrough.

Boom announced in February that the flight didn't produce a sonic boom that was audible from the ground.

It dubbed this "Boomless Cruise" and is thanks to a physics term called Mach cutoff. Esssentially, if the sound barrier is broken at a high enough altitude, the sound waves can essentially U-turn in the atmosphere before reaching the ground.

Then, in June, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the Federal Aviation Administration to repeal a 52-year-old law that limited flight speeds over land, so long as there's no sonic boom audible from the ground.

Overture has received 130 orders and pre-orders from customers like United Airlines, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines.

Boom says Overture could connect New York to London in just three hours and 45 minutes — almost twice as fast as current airliners.

It hopes to start carrying passengers in 2029.

• Pfizer's Sally Susman said that you must be a strong writer to succeed as a communications leader.
• She spoke with Business Insider about how to leverage AI and strong interpersonal relationships.
• Susman recently announced she'd be leaving her job at the end of 2025, after 18 years at Pfizer.

Do you aspire to be the guardian of a high-profile company's reputation?

Pfizer' Communications and Policy Chief Sally Susman has made a name for herself doing just that, such as by helping the pharmaceutical giant launch its COVID-19 vaccine at the height of the pandemic.

Susman, who recently announced plans to leave Pfizer later this year after an 18-year-run, previously held similar roles at Estée Lauder and American Express. In an interview with Business Insider, she described her field as one in which there's never an average day and said that it can sometimes be as dramatic as a Hollywood blockbuster.

"This work of corporate affairs, communications, public affairs, government affairs is completely so exciting," she said. "I wake up and look at the news across the globe and I think, 'OK, now my agenda is set.' "

The profession is also important, as it can make a significant impact on a company's trajectory, according to Susman, who has advised nine CEOs over the course of her career. But she thinks the field sometimes gets misunderstood.

"It's a mistake to consider communications a soft skill," she said. "The leaders and people who want to make change, who I've seen embrace and prioritize their communications, and who know it to be a rock-hard competency, are the game changers."

Succeeding in the field requires being a strong writer, Susman said. Comms pros are tasked with storytelling, internal messaging, crafting statements for media outlets and more.

"There's no substitute for picking up the pen, parsing the arguments, drafting yourself," she said.

Still, that doesn't mean you should avoid using AI tools like ChatGPT, she added. In fact, Susman recommends taking advantage of the technology for conducting research and outlining ideas.

"I know many people are apprehensive about AI, but it is an important tool," she said. "Just like photography didn't decimate painting, AI is not going to ruin communications."

Talking regularly to executives, politicians, and other leaders can also help with writing by providing knowledge and context, Susman added. Conversations she's had with such individuals over the years informed her thinking, she said, which is why "relationships matter so much."

Another piece of advice from Susman for aspiring comms pros is to dive into geopolitics. Always keep up with major events happening around the world and ask yourself what these mean for companies and their employees.

"The opportunities around what I call 'global policy and diplomacy topics' are unlimited right now," she said.

Also, don't punish yourself for making mistakes. Susman said she's made countless gaffes over the course of her career and has no regrets.

"There were times when I failed to do enough due diligence, times my ego got the better of me," she said. "It's just human nature. It's humanity. It's what we do when we're out there trying to make a difference."

Having mentored interns and junior employees at Pfizer and companies where she previously worked, Susman said she's noticed that many young people seem to suffer from anxiety. She's seen them do things like rewrite their résumés over and over and stress about what they said or didn't say in meetings — none of which is healthy, she said.

"We are judged over long, vast, savannahs of time," she said. "We are not judged in a moment."

• Tesla has been testing its robotaxi service in Austin with a limited number of invitees.
• Business Insider joined one of them for a series of trips and documented the experience.
• The rides were mostly smooth, but BI encountered three human interventions during the rides.

This week, I flew to Austin to do what only a few have been able to: ride in Tesla's Robotaxis.

I took five trips that my rider companion and I found mostly smooth, but there were some bumps. We encountered three issues, including one in which the Robotaxi began to drive the wrong way onto an empty one-way street clearly marked with "Do Not Enter" signs.

Since the end of June, Tesla has been testing Robotaxi, the company's autonomous ride-hailing service. Musk has said that Robotaxi is part of Tesla's road map to becoming a full-fledged AI and robotics company.

The service is still in its early stages. A limited number of autonomous Model Ys navigate Austin roads, and a safety operator sits in on every ride. A small group of people has been given early access to the service, including Vu Kong, an Austin resident who manages a dental group and invests in Tesla on the side.

Kong seems to be one of the few Robotaxi invitees who aren't Tesla or EV influencers with a large social media presence. He told me he got access about a week after the Robotaxi launch by signing up on the company website.

"I was pretty impressed about how consistent the rides were," Kong said after seven trips. "They were all pretty smooth, and I felt safe in all of them. By the third time, I just forgot I was in an autonomous car. I was doing meetings in the car, taking phone calls, and doing Zoom calls."

I took two half-hour rides and three shorter rides with Kong.

Pick-up times weren't always consistent, and the app had a few glitchy moments. In Downtown Austin, Tesla will be going up against pick-up times of less than 10 minutes and relatively low prices from Uber, which manages Alphabet's Waymo fleet.

A spokesperson for Tesla and a few employees on Tesla's Robotaxi team BI reached out to did not respond to a request for comment.

Here's what I saw.

A confident Tesla

First, the new 2025 Tesla Model Y feels great.

I always appreciate how spacious Teslas feel, thanks to the glass roof that allows light to enter the cabin.

The seats are comfortable enough, but I wondered why Tesla would go with bright white seats for cars that will presumably be taking on a lot of passengers. The seats are leather, so maybe they'll be easy to maintain.

Throughout the rides, I saw an autonomous driving system that can be safe and confident in its maneuvers. Tesla's Robotaxi, unlike its competitors, relies only on external cameras and neural networks to navigate its environment.

Our car maintained a safe distance with a cyclist, recognized construction zones that are rampant in Austin, and could judge when to make turns while there was oncoming traffic.

Human interventions

Despite the mostly smooth experience, I encountered a few disengagements — moments when the safety operator inside the car or a remote support agent had to intervene.

Two of the Robotaxi disengagements occurred on the very first route, which we began at around 7 a.m. on Wednesday at Summer Moon Coffee, an Austin-based café chain.

At the start, when the Robotaxi was attempting to pull out of the parking lot, a message appeared on the console screen: "Our team has identified an issue and is working to resolve it."

A remote "support agent" connected with us: "It looks like the vehicle isn't making any progress. Is everything OK?"

In-car safety operators hired by Tesla largely avoid interacting with riders.

When the remote agent asked us the question, the operator quietly turned to us and nodded his head, nudging us to talk.

It was unclear what caused the Robotaxi to be stuck. There were no oncoming cars and the roads were quiet.

After the support agent said they would help, the steering wheel came back to life and made a jerky movement. The Robotaxi inched forward and slammed on the brakes.

It's unclear how much control Tesla's remote team had over the vehicle. The Robotaxi pulled out of the parking lot and began its route.

The second disengagement came 20 minutes into the ride, when Kong changed the route to return to his office.

The safety operator inside the car touched the screen to pause the ride. While I was talking, I hadn't noticed the Robotaxi begin to head the wrong way down an empty, one-way road marked with two signs that said "Do Not Enter."

The safety operator did not talk to us. When Kong pressed "Resume Ride," the operator immediately stopped the car again.

That's when we realized we were supposed to wait for another remote support agent, who quickly helped us. The Robotaxi made a three-point turn to get back in the right direction.

The last disengagement came during my fourth Robotaxi ride on a late Thursday morning.

Kong and I wanted to go to the very tip of the phallic-shaped service area Tesla unveiled earlier this week.

The Robotaxi app allowed us to put in a destination that was just outside of the service area — a Summer Moon Coffee location in North Austin. The app indicated that the vehicle would drop us off close to the destination, requiring a 10-minute walk the rest of the way.

As we approached our destination, Kong changed the route to another location that was within the geofence.

The Robotaxi put us on a route that would take the vehicle just outside of the service area for a brief moment in order to head to our new destination.

The vehicle soon pulled over, and another remote support agent got in touch with us.

"I just wanted to let you know it was routing a little bit outside of our range, so we just changed the route so that it wouldn't go outside our fence," the agent said.

At no point did I feel the Tesla Robotaxi put us in danger. It was interesting to see the system's limits.

Other Robotaxi limits

Pick-up times for the most part were under 10 minutes.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Robotaxi app gave us a nearly 30-minute pick-up time for a 20-minute ride.

The app showed that a Robotaxi was picking us up from the northern part of the new service area. It was the same Robotaxi we had for the first ride that morning, based on the matching license plate.

Kong attempted to find another car with a shorter pick-up time to no avail.

It also appears that Tesla's Robotaxis are avoiding the highway.

During our fourth ride to North Austin in the upper part of the service area, Kong, who has lived in the city for five years, said the Robotaxi was taking a longer route to a destination that should be about an 18-minute trip.

"Normally we'd take the highway to get there," he said.

Musk has long pitched an autonomous car that is generalizable — meaning the vehicle could handle any environment, including highways, with few operational limits and without the need to map a region before deployment. The AI driver is trained on large amounts of data, so, in theory, it should be able to drive the same way a human driver can go through unfamiliar areas.

It's unclear why the Tesla Robotaxi avoided the highway. Tesla's FSD (Supervised) handled San Francisco's highway flawlessly in BI's last test.

Kong added that the drop-off location could be improved so that the Robotaxi is closer to the actual destination.

In terms of the app experience, Kong told me that it can be a bit buggy.

We saw one moment when the app showed that a car was arriving in 29 minutes, even though we had just ended our ride and did not order another Robotaxi.

A work in progress

My colleagues and I at BI have closely reported on the robotaxi race, the efforts Tesla has made to push out an autonomous driver system, and the bold promises Musk has made around self-driving cars and artificial intelligence.

I've also compared Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised), the EV company's advanced driver-assistance system, to Waymo with my colleague Alistair Barr. I walked away impressed that FSD could navigate San Francisco roads and highways using only cameras, but saw a critical error after the Tesla ran a red light.

My expectations for the Tesla Robotaxi were high — I expected quiet, uneventful rides — but I also suspected that it would probably not be perfect.

The company has indicated that the Austin service is a "pilot launch." Safety operators are inside the vehicle, access is limited to invitees, and the company is charging a flat fee of $6.90 per ride.

Waymo began testing its own robotaxi service with an early-access program in California in 2021. That year, the company reported 300 disengagements to the California Department of Motor Vehicles. In 2024, when Waymo opened up to the San Francisco public, the company reported about 245 disengagements in the state. Waymo also says it's now providing over 250,000 paid rides a week.

Tesla could get there. It just needs to start by conquering Austin.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at [email protected] or Signal at lloydlee.07. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• Tiger Management has broadened its investing scope since founder Julian Robertson's death in 2022.
• A source said Tiger is managing risk differently, as it's overseeing funds for the family and foundation.
• The firm is still seeding stockpicking funds, though, including Charlie Penner's Ananym Capital.

Tiger Management is not changing its stripes, but it is hunting in new territory.

The legendary money manager founded by late billionaire Julian Robertson has undergone several iterations in its 45-year history. Now, close to three years after Robertson's death, it's firmly in its Tiger 3.0 era.

The New York-based firm, known for decades for investing in long-short equity hedge funds, is expanding its remit to wherever talented investors are landing. That's taken the firm to bets on co-investments in public and private positions alongside managers already in Tiger's portfolio as well as long-only funds, private equity offerings, activism firms, and continuation vehicles, according to a person with direct knowledge of the firm's operations.

This person is not allowed to speak publicly about the firm. Tiger declined to comment.

The change was driven, in part, by Tiger's focus on talent. Internally, the firm looks for people with "winner DNA" who are naturally competitive and operate with integrity, the individual close to the firm said.

But the shift in the firm's investment focus is also driven by a change in risk appetite. Tiger 2.0 was one of the industry's most prolific seeders in long-short hedge funds after Robertson returned capital from outside investors in 2000. Dozens of managers got their start thanks to capital from Tiger.

The manager, which has billions in capital, has shifted to a more traditional, diversified portfolio because it is running the funds for the Robertson family foundation as well as the multi-generational family's wealth. While Julian Robertson was willing to be more heavily weighted to long-short equity funds when he was managing his wealth, the current team running the book has spread the assets across a more traditional multi-asset mix.

Talented people and the Tiger Cub network have been a hallmark of the firm. The first iteration of Tiger Management was a long-short hedge fund that amassed about $22 billion in the late 1990s on the back of strong annual returns averaging 31.5%. It hired young analysts who went on to found some of the most notable firms in the industry, including Coatue, Lone Pine, Viking Global, Blue Ridge, Maverick, and more.

The team running the portfolio today has deep Tiger ties. Robertson's son Alex and onetime Tiger and Tiger Global employee Jon Locker lead the firm. They're supported on the investing side by former Tiger Global analyst and Circle Road partner Michael Rosenberg, who previously worked with Locker, and former Fidelity International and ICONIQ investor Mark Hu.

Still, Tiger will back young stockpicking funds if the team believes in the people running them. The firm has invested in two young firms of this ilk: Former Engine No. 1 partner Charlie Penner's Ananym Capital and onetime Cadian Capital partner Gor Ter-Grigoryan's Sellaronda Global.

• Several new polls suggest that Elon Musk is repelling potential third-party voters.
• While many Americans are open to a third party, far fewer are interested in one created by Musk.
• The polling also found that Musk's party would draw more support from the GOP than the Democrats.

People have complained about America's two-party system for decades, and many voters say they would consider supporting a third party — as long as Elon Musk wasn't involved.

New polling suggests that potential third-party voters aren't interested in what Musk's "America Party" may be offering, and the Tesla CEO might be the problem.

Three polls released this week found the same general pattern.

According to YouGov, 45% of Americans believe a third party is necessary, but just 11% would consider joining a Musk-founded party.

Per Quinnipiac University, 49% of Americans say they would consider joining a third party, while just 17% say they're interested in one created by Musk.

A CNN poll found that 63% of Americans would favor a third party, a figure that drops to just 25% when Musk is involved.

All three polls included more than 1,000 respondents and were conducted in early to mid-July.

The aversion to Musk-led party may be driven in part by independent voters, according to Quinnipiac. 75% of independents say they would consider joining a third party, a figure that drops to just 22% when the question is about a Musk-formed party.

It's also driven by Democratic-leaning voters' distaste for Musk, whose past political alliance with President Donald Trump and creation of DOGE sharply polarized the left against him.

According to Quinnipac, 39% of registered Democrats say they would consider joining a third party, while just 6% are interested in Musk's hypothetical party.

That also indicates that a Musk-created party would draw more from the right than the left. YouGov found a similar pattern to Quinnipiac, with 15% of Republicans saying they'd consider supporting a Musk-founded third party while just 6% of Democrats said the same.

The world's richest man first floated the idea of forming a third party as Republicans in Congress worked to pass the "Big Beautiful Bill," a sprawling piece of legislation at the center of Trump's domestic agenda. Musk objected to the bill's impact on the deficit, as well as the scaling back of renewable energy subsidies and tax credits.

Weeks after his relationship with Trump exploded in an epic feud and after the bill made it to Trump's desk, Musk declared that he would move forward with forming the party.

It's been about two weeks since then, and Musk has yet to take more formal steps to actually establish a new political party.

It also remains unclear exactly what the party's platform would be, though deficit reduction would likely be a key focus.

• Earlier this year, my car was totaled, and shortly after, I lost my full-time contract role.
• I asked my brother if I could move in with his family in New Jersey while job-hunting.
• He agreed, and living with them is allowing me to rebuild my finances and start over.

In February, a driver sideswiped me on a snowy Northern Colorado road, totaling my car. Four weeks later, my employer ended my full-time contract without notice.

The double blow not only wiped out my salary but, without a car, I also couldn't continue my side gig delivering for Instacart. With no savings to pay rent — or anything else — I gave my apartment complex a 30-day notice to avoid eviction.

This is how I ended up back in New Jersey, the state where I lived for the first third of my life, living with family yet again.

I knew I'd need help to get back on my feet

When I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2020 at 51, I had to force myself to understand two important facts. First, emotional and economic stability are crucial to maintaining a healthy mental state for myself. Second, I couldn't force control over my life. I had to let circumstances unfold while I did my best to move forward.

I decided to ask my younger brother if I could stay with him, his wife, and his tween daughter in their three-bedroom home in New Jersey, 2,000 miles away, to restart my life from scratch. Fortunately, he was able to prepare a space for me.

I started a GoFundMe to help get myself across the country

The move began with a leap of faith: I started a GoFundMe campaign. The $1,000 I raised covered a $400 Airbnb in Colorado when my lease ended, the first month of a storage unit, and a one-way flight to JFK Airport. This left $340 for transportation from Queens, New York, to New Jersey and another rented room while my brother readied his house.

Knowing the struggles I'd had with money after my diagnosis, my brother told me I could stay with him as long as I actively looked for jobs and freelance opportunities. He wanted me to pay down my debts, raise my credit score, and build up savings with funds to spare.

Moving in with my brother and his family lifted an enormous financial burden off of me. Before living with them, my expenses were $4,000 each month, including $1,600 for rent. Now, after groceries, small business expenses, and public transportation fees, I'm spending about $350 each month, and I have slashed my expenses by roughly 90%.

Thanks to this reduction, I could focus on the job hunt full-time.

I'm working hard to get where I want to be

Even before I moved in, I built a daily routine of meditation, exercise, and reading. I invested in a ChatGPT subscription that costs me $20 each month to sharpen my résumé and help me master budgeting. Additionally, I purchased a Canva plan for $15 each month to help me design print-on-demand material. While I haven't made money on the latter yet, I'm in a good place with several designs.

Mentally, I've learned how to live with family again while finding private moments and spaces to decompress. I've also worked on my patience. Whenever I feel like the entire world is ghosting me, I remind myself that it takes time to build a presence online and to build connections with people in person.

If dread about money creeps in, I focus on what I can control. For example, in those moments, instead of letting it get to me, I pitch article ideas, submit stories and poems, or focus my energies on creating new print-on-demand designs. I also work with AI to find legitimate surveys and microtask sites to earn income.

I also put energy into creating a master financial plan, and even when I have extra money, I keep my discretionary expenses to a minimum.

I've learned that it's OK to start over at any age

In the first week of July, I began a full-time technical writer role for a Northeastern bank where the pay matches my nearly three decades of experience. It's a position I probably wouldn't have secured if I'd stayed in Colorado.

I don't plan to move into a place of my own until the end of the year. I have to straighten out my finances first and establish a savings account before I consider looking for an apartment or a rented room. My brother is happy I've found a position, but knows it's going to take time to knock out my debts to turn things around.

This unexpected route proved to me that the most practical fixes appear when you swallow pride, stay calm, and act on what you can control. The turnaround isn't instant, but the results are worth the wait.

• Billionaire superyachts have made their way to the Mediterranean for the summer holiday.
• Moguls like Jeff Bezos and David Geffen are among those cruising the high seas.
• These are the hot spots where the ultrawealthy are vacationing this summer.

Floating among the sardines and seabass of the Mediterranean is a more rare breed of marine species: the superyacht.

With the summer in full swing, billionaires and their nine-figure ships have anchored throughout the European seas — and if their social media posts are any indication, it's good to be very wealthy and on a very large boat.

In the 12 months ending in 2025, the Mediterranean remained the No. 1 destination for superyachts — roughly defined as yachts over 30 meters long — according to the annual Douglas Elliman and Knight Frank wealth report.

Despite some emerging destinations further East, most of the action is still along the French Riviera, the Amalfi Coast, Sardinia, and the Balearic Islands in Spain, per SuperYacht Times' annual State of Yachting report.

"Corsica and Sardinia are particularly popular destinations," Anders Kurtén, the CEO of Fraser Yachts, told Business Insider. "We are also receiving, as ever, a huge amount of interest in Greece."

Whisper, the superyacht Eric Schmidt purchased from Shahid Khan last year, stopped in Monaco earlier this month before making her way to St. Tropez. Magic Johnson, the billionaire NBA player, chartered the yacht, posting videos from the outdoor gym and photos of a toga party on board. (A seasoned superyacht charterer, Johnson also posted a photo of a run-in with billionaire LVMH heiress and Dior CEO Delphine Arnault and said he used to rent her family's Amadeus yacht.)

Nearby, Larry Ellison's Musashi stopped at La Spezia, an Italian city known for its yacht builders. Sergey Brin's new Dragonfly (his second superyacht of the name is bigger, at 142 meters long, than the first) visited Sardinia.

Further east, the Aegean and Adriatic Seas, known for their relative quiet and cultural destinations, are continuing to grow in popularity, according to SuperYacht Times.

Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg traveled the Turkish coast and landed in Greece on their yacht Eos after attending the Bezos-Sánchez wedding in Venice and before flying stateside for the Sun Valley Conference. Von Furstenberg documented their travels, posting about a visit to a ceramic studio in Turkey, snapshots of various thousand-year-old statues in Kos, and a photo of her well-travelled dog on the white cobblestone streets of a Greek island.

Mark Zuckerberg's Launchpad, in its second season on the high seas, was nearby. Launchpad has been off the coast of Corfu, a Greek Island known for its beaches, since the middle of June, around the time his jet landed in the nearby island of Cephalonia.

One of the most talked-about yachts of the last few years, Jeff Bezos' Koru, spent the first part of the summer in the Adriatic Sea, off the coast of Croatia. Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos have visited the country — which has more relaxed rules about the number of guests allowed aboard a yacht — before, in the summer of 2023, when they were photographed walking the streets of Dubrovnik and visiting nearby islands with famous friends like Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, and Usher.

The Adriatic's proximity to Venice, the site of the couple's wedding, was likely appealing. The yacht served as the venue for a pre-wedding foam party to celebrate the birthday of one of Sánchez Bezos' sons before it sailed around Italy.

Some of Bezos and Sánchez Bezos' wedding guests went west following the nuptials to Spain's Balearic Sea, which David Geffen's Rising Sun has been cruising since June. A favorite hangout of the A-list set, the yacht played host to Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Kris Jenner, and Scooter Braun. Best friends Winfrey and King disembarked on the Spanish island of Mallorca —a hot spot this year, where Jennifer Aniston and Hailey Bieber were also recently photographed — for a coastal hike.

There are still a couple of months left of summer, and yachts will likely remain floating along the Southern European coastline before they make their way back across the Atlantic in time for New Year's in St. Barths.

• Uber's driverless car partnership with Lucid and Nuro isn't scaring gig workers.
• Ride-hailing drivers said that Uber will need to address the technology's limitations and costs.
• Uber is aiming to have autonomous vehicles in a US city in 2026.

Uber drivers are waiting to see the company's future driverless cars successfully dodge potholes before they start looking for new jobs.

On Thursday, Uber said it would invest $300 million in electric vehicle maker Lucid as part of a deal to put robotaxis on the roads of a major US city in 2026. Uber is also partnering with startup Nuro on the autonomous driving technology.

The deal comes as competitors already have driverless cars on the streets. Waymo is ferrying riders around cities like Phoenix and San Francisco without a human behind the wheel. And Tesla launched its robotaxi service to a small group of users in Austin last month.

Drivers who spoke to Business Insider on Thursday said that, despite the deal, the company likely faces big obstacles as it introduces self-driving cars, which should keep their jobs safe for now.

One Uber driver in South Carolina told BI that he expects it to take several years before autonomous vehicles become common.

"They're still going to use people," the driver said.

CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said as much earlier this year. He said that Uber will likely use both human drivers and autonomous vehicles alongside each other over the next decade.

On a Reddit forum for Uber drivers, some posters pointed to situations in which they believe the company will likely still need a human at the wheel, such as on bad roads or during inclement weather.

"First thought is thank God self driving can't handle snow and potholles yet," one Reddit user wrote in the comments of a post about Uber's partnership with Lucid.

Robotaxis could create new headaches for Uber

A driver for Lyft and Uber in Texas pointed to another potential issue for the coming robotaxi rollout: Uber would likely need to manage the costs of owning and maintaining cars.

Right now, drivers themselves bear many of those expenses, from monthly car lease payments to tune-ups, the Texas driver said.

"I can see that's the future, but is that something that they're going to make as much money with as they think?" the driver said.

Uber said in Thursday's release that the autonomous vehicles from Lucid "will be owned and operated by Uber or its third-party fleet partners." A company spokesperson declined to provide more details about how Uber will handle the costs of operating autonomous vehicles.

The company said it plans to have at least 20,000 driverless vehicles within six years.

While Uber will likely invest in the first vehicles, others could step in as its fleet expands, analysts at Bank of America wrote in a note on Thursday. They expect "third-party fleet managers and/or financial partners to own the cars," as the deal "meets financial milestones."

Uber will use its autonomous vehicles for ride-hailing trips and not food deliveries, a spokesperson told BI.

Last year, Uber said that it would work with another startup, Avride, to test making deliveries in some US cities using small, wheeled robots that can travel on sidewalks.

In California, one driver told BI that he plans to make more deliveries for Uber Eats if self-driving cars take over Uber's ride-hailing service in the future. The driver said he divides his time on the app between delivering food through Uber Eats and picking up passengers for rides.

His delivery gigs sometimes involve communicating with restaurant workers when the kitchen is running behind on orders or going up an elevator to leave food at a customer's apartment door.

"A machine cannot do that," he said.

Do you have a story to share about gig work? Contact this reporter at [email protected] or 808-854-4501.

• Telecoms consultant James McQuillan was on the fifth series of the BBC's The Apprentice.
• He never put the show on his résumé or LinkedIn, in case it might put him at a disadvantage.
• McQuillian said the show didn't boost his career as he'd expected, but it didn't derail it either.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with James McQuillan, a telecoms consultant who appeared on the UK version of The Apprentice in 2009. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

A few years after I appeared on "The Apprentice" in 2009, I was in a procurement meeting. One of the guys recognized me from the show. Then, another guy at the table looked at me and said, "Oh, you're not one of those, are you?"

This cemented in my head that I probably shouldn't advertise that I was on "The Apprentice."

I'd gone on the show hoping it would give me a leg up in my career. But I realized that if people had only heard of the show — not actually watched it — they were more likely to assume I was some narcissistic jerk.

I was nervous because I wanted a leg up, not the opposite of one.

Why I signed up

I hadn't set out to be on reality TV.

I studied economics at university and didn't do particularly well. I moved back to London and started looking for a job.

I was lucky to get into telecoms at the turn of the millennium — it gave me a solid education in the industry.

Later, while working at TalkTalk, my boss asked if I'd ever watched "The Apprentice." He encouraged me to apply.

I saw it as an opportunity to supercharge my career opportunities. It could be good exposure to potential employers, and perhaps I'd get spotted for sales-type roles.

I didn't expect Bill Gates to make me head of sales, but I thought it was a chance to demonstrate my rapport-building and sales skills.

By the time I got to the interviews, I had a sense of what they were looking for.

They lined you up and said, "Number one, step forward." The candidate would say their credentials — MBAs from Harvard, property portfolios, Cambridge degrees, and whatever else.

I didn't have anything half as impressive to say, but I was watching the interview panel's reactions. That's when the penny dropped: they weren't looking for business acumen or academic brilliance. They were casting characters for a TV show.

I was sent through the door, and the rest were sent home. They were looking for someone with some business acumen, but more importantly, somebody the audience could engage with.

I went into it knowing it was heavily produced and all about the entertainment.

I came across as a bit goofy

If "The Apprentice" had been a straight business show — where people collaborated, had good ideas, and everything went smoothly — viewers would switch off. They needed stories and characters.

I found it uncomfortable to play along — it wasn't sincere. But I was mindful this was a TV show, and if I didn't perform, I'd be out.

On a personal level, I was shy going into filming. When I had to give a speech at my wedding, I'd been nervous for months beforehand. Part of me thought "The Apprentice" might help me get over that, which it did.

In the first couple of episodes, I came across as a bit goofy. I worried I'd damaged my career instead of accelerating it, and my wife was genuinely concerned I'd come across as unemployable.

Luckily, I turned it around and ended up getting quite far in the competition.

At work, I was getting kudos. My colleagues were supportive, and clients who normally didn't answer were suddenly responding to my phone calls.

Strangers didn't start reaching out until after the show aired.

It was mostly people asking me to invest in their businesses, which caught me off guard. At the time, I needed money as much as they did.

Recruiters did get in touch, too, but I think they mostly just wanted to chat about the show.

I thought it would leapfrog my career

Going on "The Apprentice" didn't derail my career, but it didn't accelerate in the way I'd expected.

I think I've followed the same path I would have if I hadn't done the show. I work in consulting. My previous role was as a managing director of Lycamobile for the UK and Ireland — a senior telecoms position, the kind of job people usually reach in their mid-40s.

When I applied for "The Apprentice," I thought it would take me beyond that, but it never did. I thought it would get my earnings up very quickly, and that never manifested.

I didn't advertise having been on "The Apprentice," and never put it on my CV or LinkedIn. I wasn't ashamed, but I didn't bring it up during job applications in case it served as a disadvantage.

I don't regret signing up for the show

I don't regret doing the show. It catapulted me into new emotions, relationships, and experiences I never would've had otherwise.

I thought it was going to be this wonderful peak for my business career, but it just wasn't. If someone wanted to apply, I'd say go for it — you'll get something out of it.

Just don't expect it to make you the CEO of Facebook.

Do you have a story to share about hiding something from your past on your résumé? Contact this reporter at [email protected].

• Cody Apolinar, 24, landed a full-time DevOps analyst job after his tech internship.
• He acknowledges the Gen Z stare, and said he did the opposite to advance in his career.
• Apolinar said his curiosity has been the most crucial asset for career growth and opportunities.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Cody Apolinar, a 24-year-old DevOps analyst in Walnut, California. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I've been working as a DevOps analyst at AAA Auto Club Enterprises for about a year. Before that, I interned with the company for three months, then transitioned into a four-month part-time role while finishing my last semester at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

I studied computer science, but what helped me most in getting hired wasn't my degree; it was something I call my superpower: genuine curiosity. That trait helped me move quickly from intern to full-time employee, and it's what sets me apart from the stereotype of Gen Z's "stare."

You've probably seen the stare before. It's a blank expression, accompanied by silence. Now, it's become a meme, but I've witnessed it in real life, too.

My younger Gen Z peers have done the stare at work

In my previous job, I worked with many younger Gen Z coworkers at a fast-casual restaurant, and I noticed how often they would just stare. Especially with older customers, they didn't know how to respond. They weren't being rude necessarily; they simply lacked experience interacting face-to-face.

I think a mix of the pandemic and generational shifts created it. For me, the pandemic hit halfway through college. I already had years of in-person interaction under my belt. But I've noticed that even people just a couple of years younger than me seemed to interact differently.

My younger peers mainly lived online and only had to engage when spoken to. That disconnect carries over into the workplace and real life.

Soft skills are harder to grasp than technical ones

In my tech role, I recognized that technical skills can be learned. What might be more challenging to grasp is the skill of effective communication, which involves asking questions, offering genuine responses, and building meaningful relationships. This kind of connection leads to better learning, stronger mentorship, and more opportunities.

During my internship, I was one of around 25 people selected. Most of the interns were Gen Z college graduates with little to no work experience. Some of them only lasted the summer. A few fell into the "stare" category; they didn't speak up, ask for help, or engage much. That extra bit of curiosity they were lacking matters.

I've never considered myself the most intelligent person in the room, but I've always made an effort to ask: "Can you teach me this? How does this work? What else should I be learning?"

I was surprised to learn that not everyone does that. Many Gen-Zers do the bare minimum: complete assigned tasks and clock out. What helped me stand out was my drive to delve deeper and gain a deeper understanding.

Asking questions made me more aware of my potential

Initially, I planned to start applying elsewhere after graduation, but I was lucky. Just before my last semester ended, AAA offered me a full-time role. It felt like everything was aligning.

Now I'm working primarily in cloud infrastructure, even though that wasn't my original focus in college. I didn't know much about this area going in, but I've enjoyed learning new skills every day. If I hadn't been asking questions, I probably would've stayed stuck in my lane, unaware of my potential.

Speaking up and showing genuine interest matter

I've also had strong mentorship here, which has made an enormous difference. Not everyone gets that. That's where speaking up and showing genuine interest really matters.

If I could give any advice to other Gen Zers entering the workforce, it would be this: Take the time to learn about the people around you. Ask questions. Be curious — genuinely.

It might not sound like much, but it can make all the difference.

Do you have a story to share about a tactic that helped you advance in your career? Contact this editor, Manseen Logan, at [email protected].

• The biggest names in tech don't agree on what AI means for white-collar jobs.
• Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei sparked fears when he said that AI could wipe out 50% of entry-level office jobs.
• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman doesn't see such a risk. He's not alone.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei issued a warning in May that AI is going to wipe out entry-level white-collar jobs

He said other AI companies and the government are "sugarcoating" the risks of breakthrough technologies within the next five years.

Other CEOs and business leaders have disagreed or framed the change with more optimism. "And the hard part about this is, I think it will happen faster than previous technological changes. But I think the new jobs will be better, and people will have better stuff," OpenAI CEO said in June.

Here's what some of the biggest names in tech and business are saying about the future of jobs.

Dario Amodei

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei kicked off the conversation by warning about how quickly large language models are advancing.

"We, as the producers of this technology, have a duty and an obligation to be honest about what is coming," Amodei told Axios. "I don't think this is on people's radar."

Amodei said it can seem weird that the AI companies would warn about their own technology.

"Well, what if they're right?" Amodei said.

Sam Altman

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said some jobs will go away, but society will adapt.

"And the hard part about this is, I think it will happen faster than previous technological changes. But I think the new jobs will be better, and people will have better stuff," Altman said during a live episode of The New York Times' "Hard Fork" podcast in June.

Altman said that even if it were true that such a large number of jobs were about to be wiped out, "the inertia of society" wouldn't allow for it.

"And the take that half the jobs are going to be gone in a year or two years or five years or whatever — I think that's just — I think that's not how society really works," he said. "Even if the technology weren't ready for that, the inertia of society, which will be helpful in this case, is like — there's a lot of mass there."

Jensen Huang

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang didn't mince words.

"I pretty much disagree with almost everything he says," Huang told reporters of Amoedi's views at VivaTech 2025 in Paris. "He thinks AI is so scary, but only they should do it."

Huang said that he's much more optimistic.

"If you want things to be done safely and responsibly, you should do it in the open," Huang said, likening AI development to medical research, where transparency and peer review are essential. "I believe AI is not that expensive. Do I think AI will change jobs? It will change everyone's — it's changed mine."

Marc Benioff

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said he's seeing no evidence of such a near-immediate upheaval.

"That isn't how I see AI," Benioff said during a recent onstage interview at the 2025 AI for Good Global Summit. "Maybe they have AI, I don't have. But in the AI I have, it's not going to be some huge mass layoff of white-collar workers, it is a radical augmentation of the workforce."

Benioff encouraged people to "shed their fear" about AI.

"When I'm talking to our customers, I'm not hearing them say, "Oh, now I'm laying off these people because this A,B,C technology increase because of AI.' So, I think we need to somehow shed the fear of what that all means."

Jim Farley

Ford CEO Jim Farley said he sees problems ahead.

"Artificial intelligence is going to replace literally half of all white-collar workers in the US," Farley said during an appearance at the Aspen Ideas Festival.

Farley said he's concerned that too much of the American education system is focused on four-year degrees instead of trades.

Mark Cuban

Mark Cuban said the situation will be the opposite of Amodei's warning.

"Someone needs to remind the CEO that at one point there were more than 2m secretaries. There were also separate employees to do in office dictation. They were the original white collar displacements," Cuban wrote on in a post on Bluesky.

"New companies with new jobs will come from AI and increase TOTAL employment," he continued.

Brad Lightcap

Like Altman, OpenAI's COO Brad Lightcap doesn't see the sky falling.

"We have no evidence of this," Lightcap said during the "Hard Fork" podcast taping. "And Dario is a scientist. And I would hope he takes an evidence-based approach to these types of things."

Lightcap said that every technology changes the job market.

"I think every time you get a platform shift, you get a change in the job market," he said." I mean, in 1900, 40 percent of people worked in agriculture. It's 2 percent today. Microsoft Excel has probably been the greatest job displacer of the 20th century."

Andy Jassy

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said that AI is already changing workflows. He said it will soon lead to a reduction in some jobs.

"As we roll out more Generative AI and agents, it should change the way our work is done," Jassy said in a memo posted to the Amazon website. "We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs."

Sebastian Siemiatkowski

Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski said AI may cause a recession due to the sheer number of job cuts.

"I don't want to be one of them," Siemiatkowski said of CEOs who downplay the changes AI will bring. "I want to be honest, I want to be fair, and I want to tell what I see so that society can start taking preparations."