VARSITY READER: issue #35

<$150 summer work dresses, creatine, & how everyone on LinkedIn sounds the same

Hi! Happy Friday. It’s summer, which means it’s officially froyo-for-dinner season. On the rare days when it’s too hot to even stomach a salad, there’s nothing better than a froyo laden with toppings.

This is from Butterfield Market on the UES. Not my absolute favorite in the city, but definitely scratches the itch. It’s tart and chocolate froyo topped with mango, blueberries, and Oreos. The sign of a top-notch froyo place, though, is when they nest the toppings within the froyo vs. simply sprinkle on top.

Another (healthier) summer pleasure has been taking a morning power walk with my weighted vest and sipping on my creatine & electrolyte potion. The Internet has been abuzz about creatine recently. I’m not a doctor, so I learned a ton from these write-ups about creatine in peer-reviewed medical journals.

TLDR: I have seen a difference in my muscle tone and energy as a result of creatine, but consistency is key. Creatine won’t work if you don’t take it every day! I swear by these single-serve packets to keep myself honest. I mix the creatine packets with these electrolytes—I’ve tried SO many electrolytes (including many of the influencer favorites), and this brand tops the list. The lemon-lime and iced tea & lemonade flavors are my personal favorite…plus, you can use the code JULIA15 for 15% off.

Perhaps most critical to the potion are my beloved glass water bottles. Making sure the electrolytes & creatine perfectly mix together takes a few shakes, so the glass water bottles are the perfect container. Way chicer than a Stanley! I love these water bottles so much that I included them in my bachelorette gift bag.

P.S. If you’re new around here, welcome! I’m Julia, a personal brand & career strategist and content creator based in NYC. You can find me on Instagram and TikTok @smarterinasec, learn more about me on my website, and of course, follow along right here on Substack.

Let’s dive in!

This week’s media diet

1. I don’t know anything about golf (Jim Nantz’s voice instantly puts me to sleep!), but I will be watching STICK with Owen Wilson. A new AppleTV+ release about an ex-golfer who mentors a teenage phenom.

2. I haven’t made it all the way through OVERCOMPENSATING yet, but it’s one of my favorite shows as of late! I’ve followed Benito Skinner for years on social media and love his snarky wit. If you liked SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS, you’ll like this show—the same flavor of humor.

3. A very interesting read about how much podcasters make. Unlike the content creation space (and the prevalence of affiliate links, which I discuss here), podcasting is a bit more of a black box—so I really appreciated this deep dive!

4. A fun one. STEP BROTHERS created the Catalina Wine Mixer (a completely made-for-Hollywood event!) So this random island capitalized on the buzz and made it a reality (and has made a ton of $ along the way).

The career corner

I love that people are waking up to the power of their personal brand and realizing that visibility = currency.

However, has anyone else been bombarded by the volume of AI-generated posts on LinkedIn? They're all super formulaic and start with a grand statement—“B2B sales is broken”—followed by general insights and emojis that say nothing at all.

Your personal brand is just that…your personal brand. I believe in putting content out there before you’re ready—that’s how you learn! But at the same time, creating unpolished content with an undercurrent of authenticity will always outweigh something that’s more polished…yet robotic.

Tools like Claude and ChatGPT are great as an idea generator and thought starter. But their output still requires a human touch to drive impact (and engagement!) If you are leveraging AI to write public-facing content, great—just make sure to refine it so that it 1. sounds authentic to your voice and 2. is delivering real value add vs. adding to the cacophony.

Three damn good buys

When it’s too hot to think, getting dressed becomes ever-more challenging. And as someone with a larger chest, I’d love to be flitting around the West Village in a strappy silk slip dress—but I need more coverage than that.

If you’re also in this camp, here are a few breezy summer dresses that caught my eye recently…and also don’t leave you feeling exposed.

1. A $111 dress at a retailer you probably haven’t thought about in years

Not going to name drop this brand publicly but…they’re a little irrelevant. So I was pleasantly surprised when Nicole sent me this dress and suggested I buy it. A well-structured white shirtdress that’s very well-priced. Looks way more expensive than the price tag!

2. The $109 mini shirtdress that’s on the casual side of business casual

You can definitely wear the $111 dress to work, but this one? Really depends. If you work at a creative agency, definitely—if you’re in finance, probably not. Either way, this pick is a staple you’ll be wearing all summer. Comes in navy and white, and would look equally good with flats as raffia wedges. Mine just arrived and I love it!

3. The $148 work dress that doesn’t feel too stuffy

So many work dresses are blah…garments that are purely functional and have no flair. This one is different. With a puff sleeve and a pleated waistline, it’s more elevated than your go-to. It still has a bit of a corporate look, so you probably won’t be reaching for it on the weekend, but still a must to have in your closet.

And a few fun summer bags I’m eyeing (or have purchased!):

1. The stunning silver oyster clutch (even though I don’t like oysters)

I’ve been thinking about this bag for a while and finally purchased over Memorial Day Weekend. What triggered the buy was a bit of a traumatic event…I had a silver clutch that I loved and somehow misplaced (I believe it slipped out of my bag on a plane). I’ve waited almost a year for it to turn up, and as it hasn’t, I went for this one. Sculptural and different in the best way—I’ve gotten compliments on it the two times I’ve worn it so far. Under $500 and on sale now.

Also comes in gold! The merchandising for this bag is all wrong IMO—most retailers show it with the attached chain (which I don’t love).

2. The silver shell clutch

I’m pretty meh on most designer bags. Unless it’s something truly unique (like the galaxy Chanel bag I got in Japan for a major deal), I’m not into looking cookie-cutter. So when looking for unique bags, Etsy is a great source!

Saw this bag and loved it. The silver frame makes it easy to pair with metallic, and it would also be a great bridal option (while being something you can wear far beyond the bridal stage of life!)

3. The woven raffia clutch

Also a gorgeous Etsy find! Looks like it could be an Aerin clutch and sold for $$$. Handmade and a great neutral.

In case you missed it…

• Beauty products & procedures that seem ridiculous…but are worth your $$$

• The affiliate link industrial complex

• Wedding shower look

• Eldest daughters can do anything

• DITL of an entrepreneur with a portfolio career…that was a little weird

• Propaganda I won’t be falling for

• Splurges that seem ridiculous…but are worth the $$$

• Wedding dress shopping

• Ten career lessons ten years after college graduation

• Low-effort, high-reward work hacks

• Funky business casual

❤️ If you enjoyed this post, please engage via the heart button at the bottom. It helps others discover my content!