Martha Stewart wants you back in the office 💼

Happy Tuesday! It’s the little things in life—the first sip of coffee, hitting every green light on your way home, or an unexpected sale at your favorite store. But I’d argue nothing is quite as great as when you upload your résumé and it doesn’t ask you to enter your info manually. Now that’s what I call a true miracle. ✨

 1   Martha Stewart wants you back in the office 📉

In a recent interview with Footwear News, famed home cook and lifestyle icon Martha Stewart said she was on a “rampage” to get people off their couches and back into the office.

Although Stewart said she’s a firm believer that people “can’t possibly get everything done working three days a week in the office and two days remotely,” the stats aren’t on her side:

WFH doesn’t just boost productivity—it makes working accessible to millions of people, including working mothers and those with disabilities. For now, Martha’s return-to-office wishes don’t seem to be happening.

 2   The strikes aren’t slowing down 🪧

There’s a flurry of strikes happening around the U.S., from hotels to fast-food chains to UPS—but here are two making major headlines:

The Writers’ Strike: The Writers Guild of America is entering its seventh week of striking and protests show no signs of slowing down—showrunners, directors, and Hollywood actors (hi, Pete Davidson 👋) have joined the picket line.

The Gannett Strike: Hundreds of journalists at Gannett, the country’s largest newspaper chain, walked off the job last Monday to fight for fair compensation. One of the demands for their new contract? A base salary of $60,000 annually.

These strikes follow a busy 2022, when strikes were up 50% (c/o a tight labor market empowering workers and inflation raising the cost of living).

 3   Gen Z investors are built different 🤑

Gen Z isn’t sitting on the financial sidelines. According to a recent survey from the CFA Institute, 82% of Gen Z in the U.S. started investing before they even hit the legal drinking age.

Why? Well, the bar to start investing has never been lower—there’s a ton of financial information available on social media and an explosion of investing apps and cryptocurrencies.

Gen Z is also motivated by fear. The CFA found that 41% of these Gen Z investors cited FOMO as a reason to invest. While it’s true that watching someone get rich from Dogecoin is a…unique feeling, Gen Z is also investing as a way to get ahead: 68% said inflation and the rising cost of living were their biggest challenges to meeting their financial goals.

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It’s time to meet your neighbors in the Windy City! 💨

Fun fact: Chicago isn’t the windiest city in America (it doesn’t even crack the top five). It only got the nickname because Lake Michigan’s winds pass through. But Chicago still has plenty going for it: It’s the 3rd largest city in the U.S. and has over 200 neighborhoods.

We hit the streets of Chicago to learn more about its citizens, how much they’re earning, and if they’re satisfied with their salaries. On the agenda: A data scientist earning $100K annually, a union ironworker making $25.50 an hour, and a rotational analyst with a $75K salary.

You can watch the rest right here!

• LinkedIn should be straightforward: It’s where you go to network. So why is it so weird?

• To quit or not to quit? Matt Yao’s ‘How to Quit Your Job’ guide will help you navigate this tough decision. 🤝

• Here’s a list of the equipment you should ask for when accepting a new WFH job.

• Finding out a co-worker earns more than you is one of the worst feelings. Here’s how to deal.

• Marcus Gram turned vending machine side hustle into a $300,000-a-year business—watch his incredible story!

Thanks for reading! Before we part ways, this is your reminder to be wary of any jobs with titles that include words such as “ninja,” “guru,” “rockstar,” and “wizard”—it might be code for underpaid and overworked, as this Reddit thread will warn you. 👀

See you next Tuesday!