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 solution to conceal from her ache and from herself.
She purged these demons — however wasn’t performed 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 growing older 52-year-old physique.
She nonetheless works arduous, however her ambition is now pushed by readability and goal. “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 hold 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 seek out peace of thoughts, little-known magnificence provide outlets 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 by way of 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 believe we spend plenty of time working from ourselves. We run from ourselves in methods the place we’re searching for success, the place we’re searching for cash. However even in self-care, which has develop into nearly aggressive and performative, it’s arduous to seek out the place it actually suits into your life.
So what does self-care appear to be for you in L.A.? As you grow old, sleep is so vital — your physique turns into a science experiment, particularly as your hormones are altering. So sleep, for certain; some form of motion. However actually, what I’m trying to find, 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 dwell in Silver Lake. And I really feel like group is all the things proper now. I’ve been going to my group park, Bellevue Recreation Middle. There’s a bit piece of woods there the place you possibly can sit and meditate. The Philosophical Analysis Society in Los Feliz — superb 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 an incredible smoothie place in my neighborhood, which isn’t one of many fashionable locations. It’s the old-timey Naturewell and has been round for many years — it simply looks like the actual, crunchy deal. They’ve a chocolate thunderbolt smoothie. Typically I’ll decide one up if I want a break.
Additionally, I began enjoying playing cards with associates. I’m making an attempt to see folks in particular person extra typically. So the again backyard at Tales Books & Cafe. Simply spending time — and house — with different folks and never simply being alone. And when all else fails, there’s all the time soiled martinis and fries at Taix.
What’s your train routine? I elevate weights at dwelling. However I additionally go to the All people gymnasium — I adore 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 outdated husk limber and I wanna have the ability to have a wholesome growing older. I need to be bodily ready, if I might be. I need to be mentally ready. That’s my purpose.
You’ve already written a memoir about ambition and success. Why launch a podcast on the identical matter? My guide, “Ambition Monster,” was all about coming to phrases with what I chased for the primary half of my life. The form of skilled success that’s nonstop and compulsive, the exterior validation I used to be searching for. I wasn’t completed having these conversations. I’m making an attempt to determine a solution to reframe success and discuss to folks about how they really feel about success at this second in time, in a crumbling world, when all the things form of feels pointless, and when it’s actually arduous to dream. And likewise within the second half of life when dreaming feels tougher, once you’re up in opposition to ageism, or getting in your personal approach. These are conversations I’m not seeing had quite a bit.
There’s an awesome wool retailer on Vermont Avenue, the Little Knittery, that I like going into. I purchase a bunch of wool in numerous colours and sizes and styles; 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 ft by two ft. And I make these tapestries — we don’t even put them up. I simply get pleasure from 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 growing older for ladies over 40. Any native, little-known haunts we should always take a look at? I don’t consider you’ll want to spend some huge cash on skincare in any approach. It’s about on the lookout for particular elements. There’s a extremely good skincare retailer on Sundown, Credo Magnificence, the place I am going to check plenty of issues as a result of they’ve such an array of manufacturers, they usually’re principally all clear manufacturers. It’s a kind of issues the place it’s like, I didn’t even know this was right here on this neighborhood! I believe 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 quite a bit and check out to not get in my automotive until I’ve to.
The place does meals match into all of this for you — what sort of eater are you? Perimenopause modified the way in which I eat quite a bit. I’ve celiac illness, and I’ve had it since earlier than being gluten-free was fashionable. My mom has it, my sister has it. So I don’t eat gluten. However I’ve observed that the way in which my physique processes meals is completely 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 all of a sudden choosing up a guide referred to as “Nom Nom Paleo” and it’s like nicely, right here’s the place we’re at.
I like Botanica, a restaurant in Silver Lake. I store at regular locations. I am going to Lassens quite a bit — I’m a Lassens over Erewhon particular person, although they each in all probability have horrible politics.
What age do you’re 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 outdated and being cool. It’s wonderful.
