• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
MPWBroadsheet

Momazonians, Glossier Play, Work Wives: Broadsheet March 5

By
Kristen Bellstrom
Kristen Bellstrom
and
Emma Hinchliffe
Emma Hinchliffe
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kristen Bellstrom
Kristen Bellstrom
and
Emma Hinchliffe
Emma Hinchliffe
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 5, 2019, 6:39 AM ET

Good morning, Broadsheet readers! The Royal Family hits the block button on sexist comments, Amazon employees campaign for backup childcare, and we examine what it means to have a “work wife.” Have a terrific Tuesday.

EVERYONE'S TALKING

Work wives. Do you have a “work wife?” If not, maybe you should.

This morning, Fortune published an excerpt from Work Wife: The Power of Female Friendship to Drive Successful Businesses, a new book from Erica Cerulo and Claire Mazur, the co-founders behind Of a Kind, an e-commerce startup that was acquired by Bed, Bath & Beyond in 2015.

In it, the pair talk about navigating the challenges that arise when you go into business with one of your best friends. (They first met as undergrads at University of Chicago.) And while they acknowledge the risks that come with such an endeavor—the constant discussion of money issues, the strain of startup hours, and all the other factors that have the potential to blow up a friendship—they found that being in it together brought not stress, but rather “immense, intense comfort.”

More from the co-founders:

"We also walked into this knowing we saw each other as equals; there was no power dynamic to contend with, and we trusted that would remain a constant. At some point, after enough soul-crushing investor meetings and awkward interviews with job candidates, the looming sense that we could walk out of this venture short a business and a bud faded away. Once we’d put enough hours, years, and life into Of a Kind, it was clear that if something didn’t work out with the business, our relationship would survive, just as it had plenty of other lows. We were in this together, even if ‘this’ ceased to exist."

The pair also note that female co-founders or other women who band together to help each other succeed at work are helping break down outdated stereotypes about “mean girls” and catty female co-workers who live to stab each other in the back.

Ultimately, they conclude: "'Work wife,' a term spawned from ‘office wife’— which itself dates back to the 1930s, when it was used by men to describe an especially high-functioning secretary—has more recently been co-opted to describe a combination of personal and professional bondedness and healthy, supportive closeness among women. It’s a dynamic that requires an in-this-together attitude and approach that’s viable in any business setting with right-minded people, and in our experience, it’s a game-changing one."

Readers, do you have a work wife—or maybe even work wives? I’d love to hear about those relationships and how they’ve impacted your careers. Drop me a note at Kristen.Bellstrom@fortune.com. (We may use your response in a future Broadsheet.) Fortune

ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

• Shelving the scoop. The New Yorker's Jane Mayer has a new investigative piece on the rise of the "Fox News White House" and the channel's switch from partisanship to propaganda. The story describes the details around how Fox News in 2016 had proof of President Trump's relationship with Stormy Daniels and the catch-and-kill deal with the National Enquirer, but quashed the story because "Rupert [Murdoch] wants Donald Trump to win," as an editor told reporter Diana Falzone. Falzone was demoted and has sued the network. The New Yorker

• Ukraine's Yulia. One European election to follow: the race for president of Ukraine. Yulia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister of Ukraine, has been imprisoned by political opponents and was the target of a campaign to discredit her by Paul Manafort. She's a divisive figure and a household name in Ukraine—and is currently trailing in third place in the presidential race. It's impossible to fully explain her complicated history and political stances here, but this article featuring a rare interview does it well. Reuters

• Rei(g)ning it in. The Royal Family is hitting the block button. Kensington Palace released new social media guidelines for users interacting with its accounts, and said it will report and block users who post sexist comments about Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton and racist comments about Meghan. CNN

• Momazonians on message. Over at Amazon, employees are making a case to Jeff Bezos to instate better benefits—specifically, backup childcare—for working parents. The "Momazonians" make the point that Amazon's big tech competitors already offer these daycare benefits and that Amazon is losing out on talent by failing to offer something similar. Bloomberg

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Kelly Skalicky was named CEO of Stearns Bank. KKR appointed Kate Richdale as member and head of strategy and business development in Asia Pacific.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

• What kind of pay gap? Google completed an analysis of its pay and came to a surprising conclusion: many male employees were technically being underpaid. The situation is complicated and involves women being hired into the company at a lower level than they should be based on their qualifications. These allegations are included in a class-action lawsuit against Google alleging pay inequities affecting women at the tech giant. Google moved to address the wage inequality it found by putting $9.7 million into salary increases, mostly for men. New York Times

• The big debut. After a long build-up, Emily Weiss's Glossier has unveiled its second brand, Glossier Play. Turns out, Glossier Play is a dialed-up, more colorful version of Glossier. "If Glossier is your everyday essentials, [Play] is your going-out makeup," Weiss tells Allure. Allure

• Mr. Clean-Up. Uber's chief legal officer, Tony West, is one of the executives tasked with cleaning up Uber and leading the charge on improving reporting around—and stopping—sexual assault committed during Uber rides. Fun fact from this New York Times profile as Uber gets ready to go public: he's also Kamala Harris's brother-in-law. New York Times

• An age-old question. The writer Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic has a new book coming out with the eye-catching title Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? The answer, this excerpt reveals, is that narcissists often become leaders—and men are more likely to be narcissists. Fast Company

Today's Broadsheet was produced by Emma Hinchliffe. Share it with a friend. Looking for previous Broadsheets? Click here.

ON MY RADAR

Be careful how you talk about the women running for president. Girls are listening Washington Post

The rise and fall of the man cave Vox

The CEO who realized olive oil could be Instagrammable The Cut

Virgin Atlantic drops mandatory makeup for female cabin crew The Guardian

QUOTE

Maybe the other women and me were too fast.
Nicole Hanselmann, a Swiss cyclist. A women's cycling event in Belgium was momentarily paused when she nearly caught up with male racers who'd set off 10 minutes earlier.
About the Authors
Kristen Bellstrom
By Kristen Bellstrom
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Emma Hinchliffe
By Emma HinchliffeMost Powerful Women Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Emma Hinchliffe is Fortune’s Most Powerful Women editor, overseeing editorial for the longstanding franchise. As a senior writer at Fortune, Emma has covered women in business and gender-lens news across business, politics, and culture. She is the lead author of the Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter (formerly the Broadsheet), Fortune’s daily missive for and about the women leading the business world.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in MPW

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in MPW

Aerie built a $2 billion brand by rejecting Victoria’s Secret’s old playbook. Now it wants to win the AI backlash
C-SuiteRetail
Aerie built a $2 billion brand by rejecting Victoria’s Secret’s old playbook. Now it wants to win the AI backlash
By Phil WahbaApril 30, 2026
3 days ago
Emma Grede, who helped found the $5 billion Skims empire, rejects ‘celebrity CEO’ label: ‘I’m a CEO who’s done so well you know my name’
SuccessEntrepreneurship
Emma Grede, who helped found the $5 billion Skims empire, rejects ‘celebrity CEO’ label: ‘I’m a CEO who’s done so well you know my name’
By Cheyann HarrisApril 29, 2026
4 days ago
She left Citigroup after 18 years as one of its top women. Why Ida Liu chose HSBC as her next move
NewslettersMPW Daily
She left Citigroup after 18 years as one of its top women. Why Ida Liu chose HSBC as her next move
By Nicholas GordonApril 27, 2026
6 days ago
Trek spent over $300,000 closing women’s cycling’s prize-money gap. Its CEO says the point is to make the checks obsolete
MPWSports
Trek spent over $300,000 closing women’s cycling’s prize-money gap. Its CEO says the point is to make the checks obsolete
By Catherina GioinoApril 26, 2026
7 days ago
Meet the founder who started over at 50 and worked 20-hour days to build a multimillion dollar cookie dough empire—and still won’t take a day off
EuropeFortune The Good Life
Meet the founder who started over at 50 and worked 20-hour days to build a multimillion dollar cookie dough empire—and still won’t take a day off
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 26, 2026
7 days ago
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power this week
C-SuiteFortune 500 Power Moves
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power this week
By Fortune EditorsApril 24, 2026
9 days ago

Most Popular

Scott Bessent on financial literacy: 'it drives me crazy' to see young men in blue-collar construction jobs playing the lottery
Personal Finance
Scott Bessent on financial literacy: 'it drives me crazy' to see young men in blue-collar construction jobs playing the lottery
By Fatima Hussein and The Associated PressMay 1, 2026
2 days ago
Gen Z is rebelling against the economy with ‘disillusionomics,’ tackling near 6-figure debt by turning life into a giant list of income streams
Economy
Gen Z is rebelling against the economy with ‘disillusionomics,’ tackling near 6-figure debt by turning life into a giant list of income streams
By Jacqueline MunisMay 2, 2026
22 hours ago
The American household just took an 81% margin cut. Wall Street hasn’t priced it in
Commentary
The American household just took an 81% margin cut. Wall Street hasn’t priced it in
By Katica RoyMay 2, 2026
1 day ago
Stop donating to Harvard and the Ivy League. There's a better option that MacKenzie Scott already figured out
Commentary
Stop donating to Harvard and the Ivy League. There's a better option that MacKenzie Scott already figured out
By Ed Smith-LewisMay 2, 2026
1 day ago
China dominates the world's lithium supply. The U.S. just found 328 years' worth in its own backyard
North America
China dominates the world's lithium supply. The U.S. just found 328 years' worth in its own backyard
By Jake AngeloApril 30, 2026
3 days ago
A Chick-fil-A worker got fired and then showed up behind the register to allegedly refund himself over $80,000 in mac and cheese
Law
A Chick-fil-A worker got fired and then showed up behind the register to allegedly refund himself over $80,000 in mac and cheese
By Catherina GioinoMay 1, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.