L.A.-based writer and podcaster, Jennifer Romolini, is a reformed workaholic who spent greater than 20 years in high-profile positions at ladies’s magazines and life-style web sites. Her 2024 memoir, “Ambition Monster,” chronicles how, after a “harrowing and violent childhood,” she used skilled achievement — and the exterior validation that got here with it — as a salve of kinds, a technique to cover from her ache and from herself.
She purged these demons — however wasn’t carried out having conversations about them. Her new podcast, “Extended Scenes,” is about “redefining ambition and success in the second half of life.” It additionally delves into no matter is haunting Romolini, personally, be it parenting a teen, engaged on a brand new novel or her getting older 52-year-old physique.
She nonetheless works arduous, however her ambition is now pushed by readability and function. “I’m not chasing anything anymore,” she says. “This podcast, I’m making it for me. I’m so right with why I’m doing things.”
Having a really intentional strategy to self-care additionally helps preserve Romolini, at the moment senior magnificence editor at Yahoo, centered at a time when the world feels particularly chaotic. On this interview, edited for readability and size, Romolini shares her favourite Los Angeles escapes to search out peace of thoughts, little-known magnificence provide retailers that rival Sephora and the place to discover a game-changing chocolate thunderbolt smoothie.
What does wellness imply to you? Each time I take into consideration wellness, I take into consideration the way it’s been commodified, and the way white it’s, and the way a lot it’s about shopping for [stuff]. However when it comes to what’s actual, private success for me at this level, it’s being able to know your self nicely sufficient to remain regulated. Permitting your self to be seen and seeing others. And loving and caring for your self. One of many hardest issues is totally permitting your self to be seen. I feel we spend a variety of time working from ourselves. We run from ourselves in methods the place we’re in search of success, the place we’re in search of cash. However even in self-care, which has change into nearly aggressive and performative, it’s arduous to search out the place it actually matches into your life.
So what does self-care appear to be for you in L.A.? As you become older, sleep is so essential — your physique turns into a science experiment, particularly as your hormones are altering. So sleep, for positive; some type of motion. However actually, what I’m looking for, is emotional regulation. I’ve arrange my life the place I’ve areas the place I can really feel emotionally protected and simply keep calm and current — that’s the final wellness for me. As a result of let’s be sincere, being a human being is ridiculous proper now, it’s so overwhelming. So self-care is about defending my peace.
What are a few of these areas? I stay in Silver Lake. And I really feel like neighborhood is all the pieces proper now. I’ve been going to my neighborhood park, Bellevue Recreation Heart. There’s just a little piece of woods there the place you may sit and meditate. The Philosophical Analysis Society in Los Feliz — wonderful vibes. The bookstore, the campus — I attempt to attend occasions there every time I can. It’s simply probably the most peaceable place. There’s additionally a tremendous smoothie place in my neighborhood, which isn’t one of many stylish locations. It’s the old-timey Naturewell and has been round for many years — it simply appears like the true, crunchy deal. They’ve a chocolate thunderbolt smoothie. Typically I’ll choose one up if I want a break.
Additionally, I began enjoying playing cards with buddies. I’m making an attempt to see individuals in individual extra typically. So the again backyard at Tales Books & Cafe. Simply spending time — and house — with different individuals and never simply being alone. And when all else fails, there’s at all times soiled martinis and fries at Taix.
What’s your train routine? I raise weights at house. However I additionally go to the All people gymnasium — I like it a lot. It’s probably the most chill and fantastic and welcoming gymnasium I’ve ever been to. It’s in Cypress Park. It’s only a actually inclusive and beautiful and low-key gymnasium. I get on the machines and I additionally take yoga lessons there. Lifting weights, I’m simply making an attempt to maintain this previous husk limber and I wanna be capable to have a wholesome getting older. I wish to be bodily in a position, if I could be. I wish to be mentally in a position. That’s my objective.
You’ve already written a memoir about ambition and success. Why launch a podcast on the identical subject? My ebook, “Ambition Monster,” was all about coming to phrases with what I chased for the primary half of my life. The type of skilled success that’s nonstop and compulsive, the exterior validation I used to be in search of. I wasn’t completed having these conversations. I’m making an attempt to determine a technique to reframe success and speak to individuals about how they really feel about success at this second in time, in a crumbling world, when all the pieces type of feels pointless, and when it’s actually arduous to dream. And in addition within the second half of life when dreaming feels more durable, if you’re up towards ageism, or getting in your personal means. These are conversations I’m not seeing had loads.
There’s an important wool retailer on Vermont Avenue, the Little Knittery, that I like going into. I purchase a bunch of wool in several colours and styles and sizes; then I draw a diagram of what the weaving will appear to be. I don’t know what I’m doing, that is all YouTube taught. The loom is pretty sizable: three toes by two toes. And I make these tapestries — we don’t even put them up. I simply take pleasure in doing it. It shuts me down as a result of it’s so tactile and so repetitive. It’s simply enjoyable.
You’re the senior magnificence editor at Yahoo, the place you write about magnificence and getting older for girls over 40. Any native, little-known haunts we must always take a look at? I don’t imagine you could spend some huge cash on skincare in any means. It’s about on the lookout for particular elements. There’s a very good skincare retailer on Sundown, Credo Magnificence, the place I’m going to check a variety of issues as a result of they’ve such an array of manufacturers, and so they’re principally all clear manufacturers. It’s a type of issues the place it’s like, I didn’t even know this was right here on this neighborhood! I feel it rivals Sephora. And it’s proper subsequent to Pizzana, the pizza place! One other one which has a ton of wonderful make-up and perfume manufacturers is Le Pink & Co. on Sundown. I attempt to deal with Los Angeles like New York — the place I lived for a very long time — so I stroll round loads and check out to not get in my automobile except I’ve to.
The place does meals match into all of this for you — what sort of eater are you? Perimenopause modified the best way I eat loads. I’ve celiac illness, and I’ve had it since earlier than being gluten-free was stylish. My mom has it, my sister has it. So I don’t eat gluten. However I’ve seen that the best way my physique processes meals is totally different now — my digestion is slower than it was once. I attempt to keep away from sugar, it doesn’t work for me. I eat sugar and my entire mind clouds up. It’s actual unhappy and actual boring. You end up out of the blue selecting up a ebook known as “Nom Nom Paleo” and it’s like nicely, right here’s the place we’re at.
I really like Botanica, a restaurant in Silver Lake. I store at regular locations. I’m going to Lassens loads — I’m a Lassens over Erewhon individual, although they each in all probability have horrible politics.
What age do you are feeling inside? I really feel 52 and I’m very pleased with being 52. I announce it on a regular basis. I write about it on a regular basis. I simply suppose we have to normalize it extra. Normalize getting previous and being cool. It’s advantageous.
