Is This the Most Brilliant Career Advice?

Hi! How’s your day going?

This week, we spoke with Otegha Uwagba, the writer of style newsletter Add to Wishlist and the author of We Need to Talk About Money. “I’m endlessly curious about people’s financial lives,” she told us. “Recently, at a party, I met someone working in London for an American company, and I immediately asked, ‘Do they have you on an American salary?’ I end up having very direct conversations, and I’ve realized many people find it gratifying. People want to talk about their finances.”

Here, Otegha, who is based in London, shares 12 favorite things, including the best career advice from her dad and a better way to make friends…

1. Styling tip: To make an outfit look more considered, I use a hair tie to knot my tee at the side.

2. Beauty: I don’t wear loads of makeup in the summer, but I’ve gotten into Victoria Beckham Beauty’s Posh Balm, a tinted lip balm that gives barely-there color. My favorite shade is fleur — a soft, cool pink that works on a range of skin tones.

3. Bedding: When I moved into my flat, I spent ages researching the comfiest mattress possible. Now when I travel, I’ll stay in a five-star hotel and still can’t wait to get home to my mattress. As for bedding, I love this linen throw that I drape over my bed once it’s made. It makes my room look put together, which I appreciate, since I do my best work in bed.

4. Realization: Many women — myself included — seem to dive headfirst into super intense friendships with other women. My mum used to caution me against this as a teenager, and I would get so annoyed (“you don’t understandddah!”). But as I’ve grown older, I’ve learned to pace myself when making a new friend. If you rush headlong, it can lead to disappointment and misaligned expectations. It’s better to exercise a bit of restraint and let friendships deepen over time.