Acknowledgments

WRITING A BOOK IS A certain kind of madness. It’s a weirdly lonely process where you can spend months, years even, in your own head hoping that what you ultimately deliver is wickedly smart, hilariously entertaining, or somehow provocative enough to make it worthy of an NPR or Today show segment. To say that it takes a tribe to see you through the grueling book-writing odyssey is cliché, but truly without my squad of enthusiastic cheerleaders, it may not have happened.

I am forever indebted to the inspiring women who shared and trusted me with their personal stories, heartbreaking failures, wild successes, and astute wisdom. With women, I believe that the professional and personal are almost always intermingled. I took great care in presenting the women’s powerful stories, and I hope I did them the justice they deserve.

Big, heartfelt thank-yous go to Rachel Sklar, Glynnis MacNicol, and the awesome ladies from TheLi.st. Many of the stories in this book come from these exceptionally talented and generous women. Your collective enthusiasm, feedback, and advice have helped me through my book journey. From the title and cover to the offers to promote my book, your support has been immeasurable.

To my friend Jocelyn Fine, who still doesn’t quite believe me when I tell her that she sparked the fire in me to write the book proposal that became this book, an idea that had marinated in my head for three years. It was Jocelyn’s fierce spirit and positive energy as she fought her way through breast cancer that motivated me to stop thinking about this book and start writing it. An offhand remark that I would be miserable if someone else writes this book before me kicked me into action. She was right. Thank you, Jocelyn, for getting me going.

We are incredibly fortunate in life when a work friend becomes a true friend. Jo Flattery, my lovely and talented former colleague—thank you for sharing your thoughts on all things “sorry” and for reading nearly every chapter of my manuscript. Your laser-sharp advice was invaluable—as is your friendship. You win the award for most dedicated unpaid editor. Two days before this book was due and I was sweating over my final chapter, desperate for feedback, you texted me from the emergency room that your son Leo broke his leg at baseball—but not to worry—you would read my last chapter from your iPhone in the ER while you waited for the doctor. And two hours later you sent me terrific notes. Seriously, that was crazy and amazing, and I would name my first child after you if it weren’t too late.

To my dad, the prolific novelist Paul Levine, thank you for editing every word of my book. It’s a subject that couldn’t be further from your own interests or demographic and yet you found greatness in every chapter. And I am incredibly grateful that you connected me to the venerable and dapper literary agent Al Zuckerman of Writers House. Thank you, Al, for believing in this book, believing in me, and reminding me regularly how fiery and sparkly I am. Nothing makes a forty-four-year-old woman smile more than hearing that she still sparkles.

I would not have had any perspective on my book if it weren’t for my devoted readers: Nikki Kessler, Sharon Nevins, Jessica Spira, and my amazing sister Debra Feinberg. Thank you for your feedback, smarts, and unwavering support. A special shoutout to my bestie, my soul sister, my eternal “boast bitch” since seventh grade, Nikki Kessler, for always loving what I write and encouraging me in all I do. Thank you for dissecting my thesis and making sure what I wanted to say made sense. To Gayle Greenberger, whose story is not in this book but whose presence is greatly felt, your honesty and resilience is reflected in many of its themes. Thank you for twenty-five years of unconditional friendship. You are my judgment-free fly zone.

Meredith Sinclair, you make one of the mantras in this book, “I shine, when you shine,” truly come to life, and you make a life well-played, well, possible. Karen Wolf, Debbie Otner, and Katie Fleetwood, I truly appreciate your checking in on my fragile mental state over the course of writing this book and for the celebratory dinners, cocktails, and ample wine. Lyss Stern, thank you for always connecting me to just the right people at just the right time. Barbara Messing, my two-time college roomie, exceptionally smart and devoted friend, thank you for all of your enthusiastic support and love for nearly three decades. Among my more random, but awesome gigs, I was an on-camera “travel expert” because of you.

Having had so many jobs, I’m fortunate for the incredible and lasting connections I’ve made to so many. In different ways, you have all buoyed and encouraged me throughout my multiple career pivots. To my Dateline NBC family, my Dateline gig remains, hands down, the best and most stressful job I ever had. Neal Shapiro, Marc Rosenwasser, Jamie Bright, Carolyn Goldman, Brad Davis, Heather Vincent, Jocelyn Cordova, Travis Rundlet, Marianne Haggerty, Julie Cohen, Stacey Reiss—and the list goes on. Neal, we all still worship you. To DKC, the most creative and innovative media and PR shop around, I am proud to call myself a veteran. Thank you, Matt Traub, Sean Cassidy, Adam Schiff, Rachel Carr, Joe DePlasco, and, of course, Jo Flattery. Frieda Orange, Emily Mailaender, and Alexandra Ezra, you were my awesome lady bonobos at Rubenstein. To the unflappable and brilliant Sheila Marcelo, Care.com’s badass CEO and founder, you are an inspiration to all women.

I am grateful to my editors Ellen Kadin and Barry Richardson and the incredible team at AMACOM. Thank you for your enthusiasm for my book and for seeing all of its potential.

So much of what inspires my writing comes from my experience in motherhood. I am forever thankful to my delightful, spirited, and intuitive daughter Lexi for asking me daily how my writing was going and reminding me that I was her role model, especially when I needed to hear it the most. In many ways, I write this book for you. And to my ridiculously creative, strategic, and tech-savvy son Jonah, who always has an eye on monetizing my content. I’m grateful that someone is always thinking about the bottom line. Thank you, Jonah, for redesigning my website and making sure that my social feeds are getting close to what they should be.

This book would never have been written without the total encouragement and love from my husband Michael. Always my number-one fan, he has cheered me on every step of the way—supporting every career pivot, epic fail, and relaunch. You have my heart.

And a final thank-you to Julie Pauly and the Able Baker in Maplewood, New Jersey, where I spent endless hours over many months squatting at my corner table writing this book. Thank you to Able Baker’s barista Max Stone for the perfect lattes and to the morning coffee klatch who cheerfully asked me every day how the book was coming along. It’s finally done!