VARSITY READER: issue #20

five great reads, Olympics talk, and the comfiest & cutest shoes for wedding guests

Hi! Happy (very rainy) Friday!

I’m headed to Boston this weekend for a wedding, so any coffee shop / food recs are very welcome. The welcome party is tonight at Fenway Park. Hoping the weather holds out for the bride and groom!!!

New snack fixation—these milk chocolate covered gummy bears at Trader Joe’s. Outstanding and taste just like the ones at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Who else has been GLUED to the Olympics? You won’t ever catch me watching sports (besides the occasional tennis match). For me, it’s not about the sports—it’s about the storytelling. Yes, the feats of athletic greatness are impressive—but I’m much more intrigued by how the athletes train, what sacrifices they’ve made over the years, and why they’ve chosen such a path.

And of course, the wacky storylines. Like the Olympian triathlete who used, erm, questionable methods to protect himself from the diseases lurking in the Siene.

This also explains why I like watching the NBA draft. Lots of similar storytelling threads!

P.S. If you’re new around here, welcome! I’m Julia, a brand strategist and content creator based in NYC. I partner with clients to tell standout stories—whether they’re an executive changing careers or a CPG brand looking to reach a new audience across platforms. You can find me on Instagram and TikTok @smarterinasec, learn more about me / my services on my website, and of course, right here on Substack.

Let’s dive in!

My favorite articles of the week (not shared anywhere else!)

As a varsity reader, I run through articles like athletes run marathons. There’s no way I’d be able to share every article I read (and adore!) on social media each day. In the spirit of the Olympics, all articles are Olympics-themed. Five articles, hand-picked just for you:

1. Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez seven months pregnant while competing at Paris 2024 Olympics (Olympics): What a feat!!!

2. 2024 Paris Olympics have fully entered their influencer era (ESPN): A look at how Olympians from lesser-known sports (like Ilona Maher, rugby sevens) are using social media to build multi-million dollar personal brands. If you’re an Olympian from an obscure sport, you’re often paying $100K+ in training costs out of your own pocket. So if you can make a few TikToks and offset these wild costs…so be it!!!

3. Olympians' surprising day jobs, from birthday party clown to engineer (NBC): If you want to feel inspired, read this.

4. Meet 11-year-old skateboarder Zheng Haohao, the youngest Olympian competing in Paris (USA Today): Imagine going back to sixth grade after being in the Olympics?!

5. Laura Kraut becomes oldest U.S. Olympic medalist in 72 years, inspiring a generation at Paris 2024 Olympics (Olympics): Kraut won silver in the team show jumping competition. She’s 58! This was her third Olympic medal.

   1. On that note, a roundup of nine women who prove it’s never too late to try something new.

Career tip of the week

Staying in touch with former colleagues and bosses is often harder than it seems. They throw you a nice goodbye lunch, you part ways, and then poof! Three years have passed, and you need a reference / want to apply for a job at their new organization.

If you’ve developed a natural friendship with your former colleagues / bosses, that’s a different story. But sometimes, someone is more colleague than friend—and you want to keep them in your orbit.

Three failproof ways to remain in touch:

1. Share relevant articles. Industry news is an excellent way to keep in touch. It’s a super low-effort, high-touch way to show your value (and that you’re always thinking about the future of your industry). If you find an article of interest, shoot it to your contact with a four-sentence note about the key points and what might be relevant for their day-to-day. For extra credit (and to make it easier on yourself), set a Google alert on your industry.

2. Ask for advice. People love nothing more than being asked for advice—and in fact, it’s psychologically proven that they’ll like you more when you do. So, stroke that ego and engage your contacts when you’re facing a challenge at work (or you’re at a professional crossroads). When used sparingly, asking for advice is an easy way to rebuild relationships. Often upon outreach, a contact will say “great to hear from you…in fact, I’ve been thinking of running this by you too…”—so it quickly shifts to an even value exchange.

3. Offer introductions. Your network is everything. In your career, it’s about what you know…and equally about *who* you know. Keeping your contacts top of mind when meeting new people is critical—and is an immediate value add. Two rules of thumb when introducing two people in your network:

   1. Always ask before making an introduction. If you meet someone of interest, send a quick e-mail to your contact with a brief summary about their background, a link to their LinkedIn profile, and why they might be interested in connecting with them. It’s a networking sin to introduce two people without asking first. Your contact may not be interested in connecting with them—or may not have the bandwidth to do so.

   2. Think about the value add of the introduction to your contact. The people you introduce to your contacts are a direct reflection of you. I always introduce with the lens of leveling up my contacts’ professional lives. An executive-level hire for a startup? The expert consultant a contact of mine has been pining after? And while I love helping contacts of mine jumpstart their careers, I’d never introduce intern after intern to a key contact. These strategic introductions have cemented my place in my network as a “connector” (which is how Jill Zarin described herself on RHONY 😉), and people now approach me directly for introductions to trusted service providers, potential employees, and more.

Three damn good buys

I’m someone who loves basics—with a little something extra. Life is too short to wear boring clothes. So this black dress perfectly fits the bill. I picked it up for the wedding I have this weekend, and love the lacy overlay and crochet strap detail. $278 and has quickly become a closet staple.

The theme of the welcome party is summer smart casual. We were instructed to “leave our jerseys in the locker room” and show our Red Sox spirit in other ways. I didn’t have anything perfectly fire engine red, so shoutout to my friend, who is generously lending me this bag!

As a professional wedding guest (went to eleven weddings last year), comfortable footwear is critical. At the end of the day, it’s someone else’s wedding…not yours.

So even though I always want to feel confident in what I’m wearing, I’d way rather invest in a comfy pair of shoes than a fancy dress I’ll wear once.

These low-heeled mules hit the sweet spot. They’re very well-priced ($118) and incredibly comfortable. Come in silver and gold. I have the silver pair, and am tempted to pick up the gold pair as well!

And finally, something to send off summer. I found this tee via

Bought Obsessed

and immediately snapped it up. $35 and perfect. Because shouldn’t we all aspire to retire?

In case you missed it

• Even more proven life hacks I learned from social media

• The seven best life hacks I’ve learned from social media

• A motivational quote that will fire up your day

• Nine more juicy articles I can’t get out of my head

• Eight career tips for new grads that should be in every commencement speech

• The hidden way I unwind after a long day

• The nine wildest articles I’ve ever read

• An ode to eldest daughters

• My grandma—the anti-Harrison Butker—who is going mega viral

• Six podcasts that are must-listens

• What I wore to my family engagement party

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