Yerin Kim

Like all the "hot girls" on TikTok, Bri Mahon thought she had irritable bowel syndrome. Since her early 20s, she had been battling a variety of gut inconsistencies: bloating, constipation, blood in her stool, thinning stool. But it wasn't until she was 31 that she realized her IBS could be something more serious. In September 2022, Mahon gave birth to her twin boys at only 23 weeks, landing them in the NICU. On top of her persistent stomach issues - plus brain fog and fatigue she associated with pregnancy - she was traumatized and stressed from their stay. Six months after her boys came home, she began noticing dark red blood in her stool. A colonoscopy soon after confirmed she had stage four colon cancer. "As shocking as it was to hear, it was also, honestly, like, thank God that they found something," she says. "I would say to my husband every day, 'Something weird is going on.' I just knew something was off for a very long time, and things started escalating and escalating." Mahon later learned from her doctor that based on the size and stage of her tumor, it had probably been growing for about 10 years - right around the time she first experienced IBS symptoms. Mahon with her twin boys, Banks and Brooks. Image Source: Courtesy of Bri Mahon Mahon's story is one of many growing cases of early-onset cancer, or cancers diagnosed in patients ages 18 to 49. Earlier this year, the American Cancer Society's 2024 report showed an uptick in new cases involving younger people - in fact, younger adults were the only age group with an increase in cancer cases between 1995 and 2020, though survival rates for this subset haven't changed significantly during this time. TikTok is full of 20- and 30-somethings sharing their shocking cancer diagnoses, and urging fellow young people to look out for specific symptoms and get checked. Recent stories about celebrities in their early 40s, like Kate Middleton and Olivia Munn, have also shed light on the rise in cancer among a younger group. Why is this happening? The short answer is, we don't know for sure. "It's multifactorial," says Nancy Borstelmann, PhD, MPH, LCSW, co-director of Yale Cancer Center's Early Onset Cancer Program. As she explains, there are links to cancer we have evidence of, like obesity, alcohol and tobacco use, and genetic factors. But there are also others that are still being researched, such as environmental exposures in chemicals and water, or behavioral and lifestyle exposures like antibiotic use, breastfeeding patterns, and IVF. In particular, colorectal and breast cancer have shown the greatest increase in young adults, says Veda Giri, MD, an oncologist and co-director of Yale Cancer Center's Early Onset Cancer Program. But, she adds, there's been a rise in cancers across the board among young folks, including pancreatic, thyroid, skin, and reproductive cancers. But research and three-minute TikTok videos only tell a piece of the story. The lived experiences of women like Mahon, who get diagnosed with cancer in their 20s and 30s, show there's more to the data. They're reframing their idea of what their families might look like. They're finding community on social media. They're learning to advocate for their health at every turn. And, most importantly, they're beautifully optimistic about the future. "Cancer Can Already Feel Very Isolating and Lonely" When Jennifer Lava learned she had stage four colon cancer at age 34, she actually laughed. "In no way did that make sense to me. It is so unheard of. I was just like, 'Of course if I was to get cancer, it would be a cancer that is [associated with] 50-plus men.' My brain couldn't compute it," she says. Though colon cancer is still most frequently diagnosed in people over 65, it's seen "the biggest increase" in the 20-29 age group, explains Robin Mendelsohn, MD, a gastroenterologist and co-director of Memorial Sloan Kettering's Center for Young Onset Colorectal and Gastrointestinal Cancers. Lava, pictured ahead of radiation therapy. Image Source: Courtesy of Jennifer Lava Unlike Mahon, Lava, now 39, didn't experience any of the typical colon cancer symptoms. Occasionally, she'd have sharp stomach pains, but nothing that alarmed her enough to seek medical attention. In April 2019, after battling what she thought was a stomach bug for five days, she finally went to urgent care, and then the emergency room, where the doctor discovered an eight-inch tumor in her right ovary. She went into surgery two months later, where she lost both of her ovaries, fallopian tubes, 21 lymph nodes, and a piece of her colon. Then came eight rounds of chemo. Her cancer came back in her abdominal cavity in April 2021, and she did an additional seven rounds of chemo and another surgery. In October 2023, cancer returned in her colon. In total, Lava has endured 26 rounds of chemo radiation and chemo pills. Now, she's waiting to hear if she needs another surgery and will have her uterus removed, or learn to live with her colon cancer, treating it as a chronic disease. Patients with early-onset cancer diagnoses are impacted differently, both mentally and physically, than those with average-onset, which is defined as cancer in ages 50 and up. "These younger patients have different needs than average onset patients," Dr. Mendelsohn says. With early-onset patients, there are considerations when it comes to sexual health, nutrition, psychiatry, fertility, more. For women in particular, fertility can be a huge differentiating factor. Because of the size of her tumor at the time she was diagnosed, Lava didn't have the option to freeze her eggs. But, given that she always wanted kids, she figured she'd do IVF after she finished chemo. Her doctors were confident her other ovary would be clear of cancer. But after several surgeries, she lost both her ovaries and learned she would not be a candidate for IVF in the future. "I feel very singular." "It just feels like a death," she says. "I haven't fully processed my ovaries being gone. I haven't met anyone who has gone through this. Cancer can already feel very isolating and lonely. And my case of it being colon cancer, and losing my fertility now, I feel very singular." It's hard to plan for the future because, as Lava puts it, "cancer affects every aspect of it." "I want to meet somebody and I want to have a family," she says. "Before the cancer, there were all kinds of pressure and fears, too, and they're just amplified now." When Amanda Quick was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at 29, she also had to make "really quick choices about fertility." Her doctors recommended she start treatment immediately, and forgo freezing her eggs. The 31-year-old is now in medically-induced menopause, and she won't be able to conceive biologically. Quick with her family. Image Source: Courtesy of Amanda Quick "When I first got diagnosed with cancer, so many friends and family were like, 'Let me introduce you to my mom, my aunt,' people who've been diagnosed, and I was so grateful for those introductions," she says. "But I think a lot of those women were between 50 and 70, and I was in such a different place in my life." When Quick thought about her own future, she was concerned about her career, dating, and fertility. "It was really hard for me to be like, 'How am I going to get back in the dating world? How would I explain this to someone?' Honestly, I'm still kind of working through that," she says. "With fertility, it's also changing my mindset around what a family looks like. I can still adopt; I can have a surrogate, but it was about being open to those different possibilities." "I Needed to Find People . . . Who Were Going Through This" Because cancer can often feel so lonely, patients and survivors emphasize the importance of community. That's why Taylor Bragg, who was diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at 26, started sharing her experience on TikTok. "When I first got diagnosed, I was afraid to look at anything online because I felt like everything about cancer was either so sensationalized, very medical, or kind of depressing," she says. "I wanted to give people a platform where they could talk in the comments or they could talk to me about what they were going through, and focus less on the diagnosis and more on getting through it every day." Bragg wearing a cold cap during chemotherapy. Image Source: Courtesy of Taylor Bragg Bragg says "the power of TikTok" led her to meet so many other young women with the same diagnosis, who in turn helped her understand her own diagnosis better. Quick, on the other hand, turned to support via organizations dedicated to raising breast cancer awareness, particularly among younger women, like 5 Under 40 and The Pink Agenda. "I could talk to my mom or my dad, my sister, my close friends about this, but I needed to find people who were on the same drugs, who were going through this, who'd also been diagnosed in their 20s," she says. Metastatic breast cancer may be a "lifetime diagnosis,' but on the outside, Quick doesn't look sick. "If you saw me walking down the street, you'd have no idea," she says. While she's currently on chemo drugs, she appears healthy. She still has her hair, she goes to work, and she travels. "I've always said I wanted to change the narrative around young people with cancer and that it is possible to still live a full life with breast cancer, though everyone's experience is different," she says. "When I was going through this, I still didn't see that many people that looked like me and people that I could go to that were in a similar situation." Ultimately, that's why she's dedicated to spreading awareness and educating other young women about how to prevent breast cancer. "Go In and Get It Checked Out" Given the data, cancer patients and doctors alike stress the importance of speaking up about your own health and seeking answers. When Mahon's colonoscopy confirmed she had stage three colon cancer, she was told if she had waited "any longer," her cancer could have been terminal. Even if it's really hard to hear about a diagnosis, it is just one step forward in the right direction of healing. "If something's off, as scary as it is, schedule that appointment, get a second opinion, or even just talk about what's going on," Mahon says. "I have never regretted getting on medication or going to get tested and getting answers. Even if it's really hard to hear about a diagnosis, it is just one step forward in the right direction of healing." Bragg also emphasizes this: "If something feels consistently off about your body, go in and get it checked out." In her case of lymphoma, she started feeling dizzy and sweating at night - symptoms she could have written off as nothing to worry about, as a healthy 26-year-old. And when she did experience more significant symptoms, like problems breathing and unexplained swelling in her face, she felt like she was "bounced around" by doctors and not taken seriously. "If you feel like you're being brushed off because you're young, keep pursuing that and don't stop arguing," she says. "If you need to ask for a new doctor, ask for a new doctor, because at the end of the day, they don't know what you're going through; they can only go off of the diagnosis on paper." Symptoms vary for different types of cancer, but a good rule of thumb is to bring "any new or persistent symptom" you have to a doctor, according to Dr. Giri. But more importantly, trust yourself, and feel empowered to voice any concerns or questions you might have. And not just to your doctor - talk about your health with your friends and family members. It's especially important to have a handle on your family's medical history to see if you need to seek earlier cancer screenings. Lava wants all young folks to get comfortable talking about their bodies and bodily functions. "All of a sudden, I started becoming the person people talk to about poops and I'm like, 'Great, I'm happy to do that with you,'" she says. "I don't have any information or research to help support me because there is no research on women under 40 with colon cancer. I am the research. So I know it's scary for people to put themselves out there, but I think that the more they do, the less scary it becomes." "Never a Doubt in My Mind That I Wouldn't Beat It" While receiving a cancer diagnosis and navigating subsequent treatments might make it difficult to maintain any sort of optimism, these women prove otherwise. "There was never a doubt in my mind that I wouldn't beat it," Mahon says. After watching her twin boys go from the NICU to being healthy, she thought, "If they fought so hard to be here, I am just going to do the same." After six, seven rounds of chemotherapy, Mahon's tumor decreased in size, and was able to be removed via surgery. There's no longer any cancer detected in her lymph nodes, but she's on her 10th round of chemo, with two more to go to decrease chances of recurrence. Eventually, she'll have to get an ileostomy reversal, a surgery to reattach her bowel after a temporary ileostomy. "I have had scary moments, of course, where I'm like, 'What if this comes back? What if it doesn't work? What if surgery goes bad? What if it grows back? What if?'" she says. "But I just really don't let myself live there." My cancer definitely tore me down to my lowest point. But then from there, it really built me up to the most fulfilled I've ever felt in my life. In fact, her cancer diagnosis has allowed her to introduce more fun, joy, connection, and groundedness. "I want to live my life and I want to love my life," she says, adding that "soft, gentle living" is her priority now. "I've always been someone that loves nature and loves being outside, but now I'm fully committed to farm life. We have chickens. I want to grow my own food. I want to be barefoot. I want to be a hippie farm girl." Plus, she adds, "I joke that I'll be potty training at the same time as my twins. We'll do it all together." When Quick graduated college, she envisioned what her life would look like at 30, 40 years old. "I was such a planner," she says. "But when you get this diagnosis, so many things are uncertain. Of course, I'm still working towards some of those longer term goals, but how do I now really enjoy this time just in the present?" Her diagnosis has shifted her focus to "living a great life with purpose and celebrating all the people" in her life. Bragg says she's experienced the same. "My cancer definitely tore me down to my lowest point," she says. "But then from there, it really built me up to the most fulfilled I've ever felt in my life." Prior to her diagnosis, she hadn't really thought about what "making a difference in life" looked like. "It made me realize the things that really matter, like the people that care about you, and what you do with your life and how you impact other people. That's why I started posting on social media in the first place." Laughter is an important part of all that positivity. That's why Lava named her tumor Carl. "People forget how important laughter and happiness is during the hardest parts," she says. "Even on the worst days I have, there's something to laugh or smile about. And if you're not doing that, then something is wrong. Because I'm still alive." Yerin Kim is the features editor at POPSUGAR, where she helps shape the vision for special features and packages across the network. A graduate of Syracuse University's Newhouse School, she has over five years of experience in the pop culture and women's lifestyle spaces. She's passionate about spreading cultural sensitivity through the lenses of lifestyle, entertainment, and style.

Where I'm From: Now and Gen features in-conversation pieces between generations - like a younger woman and her grandmother - discussing topics like beauty rituals, finances, or marriage. We chatted with Berna Anat, a self-proclaimed "financial hype woman" and author of "Money Out Loud," and her mom, Bema Anat, about money, independence, and financial education. Read their candid conversation below. Berna Anat began her journey as a financial educator when she noticed the personal finance world was - as she describes it - "hella male, hella pale, hella stale." As a first-generation Filipina American and "proud" daughter of immigrants, she understood quickly that financial education was made to be inaccessible for folks like her. Having never discussed finances growing up, reality hit when Berna moved to New York City in her 20s. "None of us were talking about money, but we were all secretly transferring money from our savings into our checking to buy the next round of margaritas," she says of her and her fellow 20-something friends. She cashed in old savings bonds and "scraped around" to make rent. After a few years, she got a job that would include a move to San Francisco, where she's originally from - and her first steady paycheck in years - and it was then she realized she needed to get serious about handling her $38,000 in student loan debt and $12,000 of credit card debt. "The material out there is written by people who do not live like us or look like us." "We did not talk about money growing up," she says. "We did not come from money. I didn't have a finance background, and no one in my family had a finance background, so I resorted to Google." But when she searched queries like "how to budget," "how to create my first savings fund," and "how to get rid of credit card debt," she found that the "material out there is written by people who do not live like us or look like us." That's when she started investigating and eventually DIY'd her own financial education for folks to confront their own finances, pay down their debt, and invest for their future. This drive came from her mom, Bema Anat, whose own immigrant journey taught her daughter to be fiercely independent. Ahead, the mother-daughter duo discuss the ways their upbringings affected their view of money, what true wealth looks like to them, and the life lessons they've taught each other. On How Their Upbringings Shaped Their Approach to Money Berna Anat: As a kid, my parents did a really good job at never making us feel like money was a burden. They didn't do a lot of discussing money in front of us, which I think had more to do with wanting to protect us. They both immigrated from the Philippines, and growing up, I understood that we don't have all the money in the world, but we always had enough. I know now, from doing this work in financial education and talking to lots of first-gen folks, that money is just not a thing that's talked about very much, in so many families, for so many reasons. I got to witness what money does in a family where we're nourished, we're fed, we have everything we need, but we're not talking about if things go badly with money. I learned way later on that's so deeply cultural. Bema Anat: As a parent, we're old school. I didn't want to burden our children with our financials as they're growing up. So we figured, these money problems, we hid it from them because they had enough problems going to school, keeping up with their grades, and we didn't want to put too much stress on them. We were the adults, we were going to figure out ourselves how we were gonna get out of it. That's why you guys never heard us talking about the financial problems. It was only [between] me and dad. I grew up poor in the Philippines. My mom was a single parent, and there were seven of us. From a young age, we had to figure out how to contribute to the family finance-wise. At age 7, I was always selling stuff already at the market. We were helping my mom, and we learned how to be responsible with the financial stuff. My brothers sold newspapers, cigarettes, peanuts, and gum at the bus stops. I think that's why, growing up, I learned how to manage my money and not put too much emphasis on high-end stuff. When we were growing up and buying clothes, I always looked for clearance. Berna: If there's something that she passed down generationally in terms of financial savvy, it was clearance rack always, sometimes clearance rack only. And it was never in a lens of shame or scarcity. It was just the smart thing to do. Bema: When I first moved here in the Bay Area, I couldn't really afford the nice stuff in the apartment, so I went to Goodwill. Why not? Berna:That's got to be why I'm such a secondhand queen. On Making Financial Education More Accessible For Immigrants Berna: Most of the books, podcasts, and recommendations I got at the beginning of my financial journey were from older white dudes. It's not that they were giving bad advice. It's that they were giving advice from their life experience, and largely, their life experience was, as older white men, people who walk through this society the easiest. These systems are built for older white men. There's not a lot of financial education that speaks to us specifically - people of color, children of immigrants, for whom the system is not built. It's more difficult for us to create wealth and to maintain wealth. When I was trying to DIY my own financial education, I was like, "Is there something wrong with me? Am I dumb? I'm not connecting with these people. I don't have a family accountant that we can go to. I can't ask my parents for generational wealth. So is financial education not for me?" I had to step through that and almost translate their advice for myself. Let me look at my own privileges. I'm a first-gen kid, yes, but I was raised speaking and writing in English. I love to read and write, and I'm very internet literate, and this is hard for me. Imagine how difficult it is for folks who first come to this country and English is not their first language, who don't have access to the internet or these resources. What's important to me is making this information that I believe everybody should know as accessible as possible because there's not a single one of us that doesn't deal with money. Bema: What she's doing came as a surprise to me. I'm very, very proud of her. When she was in high school, I used to get on her case because she always bounced the checks. For her to come to this point, I'm like, where did that come from? But I'm so proud of what she's become. I guess you learn something after all that yelling! Berna: That and watching you be like, if they figured it out, then I can do it. She was constantly telling us stories about how she basically - I don't want to say conned, but she kind of conned her way into becoming an accountant without an accounting background. She was just like, I'm an immigrant. I came here. They interviewed me. I saw people over there doing it with a computer. Who cons themselves into becoming a mid-level accountant? Bema: I always believed that if she can do it, I can do it better. I'd apply for a job and they'd say, "Did you get a degree?" And I'd say, "No, but I'm willing to learn. I'm a very fast worker. Give me a chance." On What Wealth Looks Like Berna: To me, wealth looks like freedom. When I think of wealth, I think of the abundance of time. Studying money for so long, we eventually come to understand that time is the one thing that you can't really buy. When I think of the wealthiest person in my mind, it's the person who has all of their needs covered very comfortably, they've chosen the lifestyle that they want, and they can afford it. They're very comfortable in their investments for the future and their retirement. For me, wealth is abundance of time, which then translates to abundance of love and expression. Bema: As a parent, our main wealth is having children that are healthy and educated, doing really great with their lives. We're able to share our money with our folks in the Philippines. We send them money twice a year that would feed up to 300 people. In December, which is my mom's death anniversary, we would give all of the children little gifts. She passed away about five, six years ago, but she loved children. So we continue that little legacy. That, to me, is wealth. I don't have a lot of money, but I'm able to share whatever I have. Me and my husband been together for 44 years, that's wealth. On the Life Lessons They've Learned From Each Other Berna: The biggest life lesson I've learned from my mom is fierce independence. I know everyone says this about their mom, and they're right, but I'm right-er. My mom is the strongest, most badass person on the planet. I think what's so wonderful is the older she gets and the more freedom I witness her experience, the more badass she becomes. When I think of her, I think of the words "fierce love." Something that my friends and other people have pointed out to me is that I go in for the people that I love, and that's what my mom does for me. I've told you this before, that if I end up one-fourth of how strong, smart, supportive, and loving you are, that's all I need in my life. She's all the good things in the world times 10, but more spice. Bema: I'm so strong because of my own mom. Growing up and watching her go through all the hurt in her life and she still stood up, was strong, that was instilled in me. As long as you're healthy and you're strong, you can do it. Don't let anybody stop you. Berna: Part of unpacking financial trauma and the things that we learned is realizing I adopted all of that from you. I learned to be so strong, almost to the point where I'm actively rejecting people who are trying to love and help me. You had to be that way because you went through so much. Being Lola's only daughter with six boys and so much pressure on you, you came to America and built a family as an immigrant, you had to be tough and spiky. While I love and appreciate the independence and energy she gave me, my goal with my own wealth is to witness her be softer. I wish that I could go back and make things easier for you. I wish I could go back and make it so that you didn't have to fight so hard and be so tough. I know that financial issues are part of what made you so tough, and you had to be, but now as a younger generation, because of all the space and privileges you've given us, I have more space to be softer with myself in the way my mom was not allowed to. Bema: Aw, thank you. You see, this is my wealth right here. This, I created. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Related: "Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó" Filmmaker Sean Wang and His Grandmas on the Joys of Unlikely Friendships Yerin Kim is the features editor at POPSUGAR, where she helps shape the vision for special features and packages across the network. A graduate of Syracuse University's Newhouse School, she has more than five years of experience in the pop culture and women's lifestyle spaces. She's passionate about spreading cultural sensitivity through the lenses of lifestyle, entertainment, and style.

I knew I was going to shed a tear or two at Olivia Rodrigo's "Guts" Tour. I'm just a girl, after all. On April 6, the three-time Grammy winner performed her second of four sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City. And for an hour and a half on Saturday night, Rodrigo reminded us of the good, bad, and ugly of girlhood. A bag adorned with ribbon bows slung over my shoulder, I screamed in anticipation with a crowd full of sequin miniskirts, glittery purple eyeshadow, and fishnet tights as Rodrigo ascended onto the stage for her opening number, "Bad Idea Right." To my surprise, the audience wasn't just young teens, kids, and their parents. An unexpected handful of 20- and 30-something adults like me were just as ready to jump and sing along to a mix of tunes from her sophomore album, "Guts," and her critically acclaimed debut album, "Sour." I imagine we loved the concert the same reason I enjoy her music so much - she made us feel like teens again. The internet is filled with think pieces and TikTok breakdowns that explain Rodrigo's popularity among women who are older than her: it's fueled by our nostalgia for girlhood and desire to revert back to our teenage years. Scream-singing along to her lyrics at the "Guts" Tour, I certainly felt that, and I saw it on the faces of fellow millennials in the crowd on Saturday night. She took us, her devoted fans, through angst, nostalgia, sadness, and of course, head-banging fun. A few months prior, I'd seen Rodrigo perform bigger hits like "Get Him Back!" and "Vampire" at Z100's Jingle Ball, so I was already aware of her performing prowess. At the "Guts" Tour, her vocals were raw, filled with a genuine passion and emotion, and her pop-punk energy was unmatched. But her more vulnerable ballads were especially moving to hear live. When Rodrigo sang about not feeling pretty enough with society's impossible beauty standards in "Pretty Isn't Pretty" and putting yourself out there for someone you love - who's so not worth it - in "Love Is Embarrassing," she brought me back to those exact feelings I'd experienced in high school and college, and even at times in my late twenties. In one particularly special moment introducing "Teenage Dream," she spoke about writing the song as an 18-year-old, being so afraid of growing up. But after recently turning 21 in late February, she realized getting older isn't so scary after all. I admittedly chuckled because, well, she is only 21, but it's also a sentiment I felt back then and still do now. She cycled between emotional ballads like these and fiery bangers that had everyone on their feet. During her performance of "All American Bitch," she encouraged the crowd to "think about someone or something that pisses you off" and scream at the top of your lungs. It was therapeutic. So, thank you to Rodrigo for taking me back to those messy, fun days, but also reminding me why I'm relieved to be past that phase in my life. My other takeaway after that last encore? Maybe it's OK to text your ex. Get him back! After two more nights at MSG, the "Guts" Tour is heading to the UK and Europe in May and June, and concludes in August in Los Angeles. Related: Olivia Rodrigo's Management Is Putting an End to Concert Contraception Yerin Kim is the features editor at POPSUGAR, where she helps shape the vision for special features and packages across the network. A graduate of Syracuse University's Newhouse School, she has over five years of experience in the pop culture and women's lifestyle spaces. She's passionate about spreading cultural sensitivity through the lenses of lifestyle, entertainment, and style.

The rules of the game for smart saving have changed. Enter: Money Moves, where we're tackling everything you need to know about personal finances. Talking about money in any setting isn't easy - whether that's sharing how you budget, any kind of debt you're in, or even your emotional spending habits. Discussing your salary - especially in the workplace - may be the most uncomfortable of all, but doing so is ultimately better for your own finances, your coworkers, and your company as a whole. "The only way you get comfortable talking about money is to talk about money." As Drew McCaskill, a LinkedIn career expert, tells PS, "The only way you get comfortable talking about money is to talk about money." "We're in one of the most competitive job markets that we've seen in a very long time," he says. "So you've got to look at your career as the business of you, because it is business." In order to build your career and the "business of you," you need the resources to take you to the next level. That's where talking about salary comes in. Ahead, we break down why you can and should discuss salaries with your coworkers, and how to approach those conversations. Is It Ok to Talk About Salary at Work? First things first: yes, it's completely legal for employees to talk about salaries at work. Under the National Labor Relations Act, which passed in 1935, employees have the right to discuss their wages and compensation with coworkers - whether that's in the office, on the phone, or in written messages. Should You Talk About Salary With Your Coworkers and Friends? Getting transparent about your salary with your fellow employees gives you confidence and information for you to build a strategy for making more money. "Information is power," McCaskill says. "You'll never get more money just by saying, 'Hey, I'd like to make more money.' You need to have a strategy in place, and you don't get to a viable strategy without really great information. Some of the best sources for that are people who are around you, working in the same place." While McCaskill acknowledges there can be "a lot of ego and shame" in talking about finances, "we cannot let that stop us from getting better information, better training, and better inputs." This is especially important for women and people of color - it's no secret these groups are paid inequitably amid persisting racial and gender wage gaps. "You cannot outwork the system, but you can out-strategize it. Part of how you out-strategize it is by getting better inputs and better information," he explains. As you have these conversations, keep in mind that your worth, both personal and professional, is not tied to your salary. Oftentimes, salary discussions can reveal that you're making way less money than a counterpart in the same role. McCaskill emphasizes that it's important to remember that while it can feel personal, "being underpaid is a reflection of poor management and can be corrected. It is not a reflection of you and your professional or human value." Ultimately, by sharing your salary, you're not only helping yourself, but also those around you - which can help bridge the wage gap longterm. Learning your compensation information may encourage others in your workplace to strategize for their own raises, or build their knowledge on salary expectations within the company and industry at large. Moreover, in the long run, employees discussing salaries benefits employers, too. "When you take that fear of 'Am I being paid fairly? Am I being paid equitably?' off the table, you open up the aperture for people to lean into the work that they're doing," McCaskill says. Knowing you're compensated fairly will likely boost respect for the work you do and the people you work for, leading to positive workplace culture overall. How to Ask Your Coworkers About Their Salaries Delivery is important, McCaskill says. Instead of abruptly asking someone exactly what they make, approach the conversation as polite information-gathering. Offer the context that you're hoping to negotiate your salary, ask for an idea of a salary range, and seek advice on how they might have made a case for a raise in the past. During these discussions, McCaskill also suggests keeping in mind that total compensation includes more than just annual salary. Ask your peers about their benefits, equity incentives, and specific time-off policies that might contribute to their overall compensation package. Who you ask is also just as important as what you ask, McCaskill says. He suggests starting with coworkers who you trust and have similar responsibilities as you. "That way, you can get apples to apples. If you're working at a small company, there might not be someone who does exactly what you do, so if you can't get to apples to apples, at least get in the same fruit family - go citrus to citrus." Other options are talking to someone who used to have your job, especially if they no longer work at your company, as well as folks who have progressed and grown in your workplace. "There may be someone at your company you feel comfortable talking to who used to have your job or a job like yours, but they have since been promoted," McCaskill says. "Great careers are not built solo; they're built with teams," he adds, which is why it's important to utilize your network and build a professional community of people who are "rooting for you to win." "Finding people in your circle that you can have these conversations with, it gives you so much more confidence, clarity, and context," he says. Related: Forget "Quiet Luxury" - 2024 Is All About "Loud Budgeting" Yerin Kim is the features editor at POPSUGAR, where she helps shape the vision for special features and packages across the network. A graduate of Syracuse University's Newhouse School, she has over five years of experience in the pop culture and women's lifestyle spaces. She's passionate about spreading cultural sensitivity through the lenses of lifestyle, entertainment, and style.

Since Kensington Palace announced Kate Middleton would temporarily pause her royal duties following a planned abdominal surgery in late January, rumors have been swirling about the Princess of Wales's whereabouts and health. The speculation only got worse when the family released a photo of Middleton with her children on March 10, which they have since confirmed was digitally altered. Conspiracy theorists and well-intentioned folks alike grew more curious about her medical condition. While the palace rightfully faces questions and concerns about its handling of the matter, frankly, Middleton's health is no one's business but hers and her family's. Middleton shouldn't be expected to open up about her health just because she's a public figure. Amid the speculation, there's been much demand for Middleton to make a public appearance or the palace to share details of her medical condition. Sure, it's fair for people to have questions - especially given the PR mystery surrounding the doctored photo - but Middleton shouldn't be expected to open up about her health just because she's a public figure. While celebrities like Christina Applegate and Selena Gomez have shown the value of sharing their medical journeys, particularly with rare or stigmatized diseases like multiple sclerosis and lupus, respectively, no one should feel compelled to disclose anything about their health. Perhaps Middleton will share more about hers at a later date - but she shouldn't have to. Moreover, in its original statement, the palace stated that the princess had a "successful" surgery and was expected to remain in the hospital for up to two weeks before returning home to continue her recovery. It added that she would be "unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter," which is on March 31. Since it's not yet Easter, and there have been no other medical updates from Middleton and the palace, speculating beyond what they're willing to share feels inappropriate. She's clearly asked for privacy during this time, and while many may argue that celebrities lose this right as public figures, they certainly deserve it when it comes to their health. The constant theories and conjecture even feel potentially harmful, considering the media's history with the women of the royal family. Meghan Markle has said she stepped away from royal duties because of Buckingham Palace's unwillingness to protect her, Prince Harry, and their children from negative and often racist press coverage. And Princess Diana's tragic death has long been linked to the paparazzi's relentless pursuit of the royal. In this case, it seems Kensington Palace is attempting to protect Middleton by controlling the narrative, but she still faces undeniable and outsized scrutiny from the media and the public. Let this be a reminder that we shouldn't gossip about anyone's health - even public figures. Let Middleton recover in peace. Related: The Trouble With Speculating About Celeb Pregnancies Yerin Kim is the features editor at POPSUGAR, where she helps shape the vision for special features and packages across the network. A graduate of Syracuse University's Newhouse School, she has over five years of experience in the pop culture and women's lifestyle spaces. She's passionate about spreading cultural sensitivity through the lenses of lifestyle, entertainment, and style.

Image Source: Getty / Alberto E. Rodriguez Where I'm From: Now and Gen features in-conversation pieces between generations - like a younger woman and her grandmother - discussing a topic like beauty rituals, finances, or marriage. We sat down with filmmaker Sean Wang and his grandmothers, Yi Yan Fuei and Chang Li Hua, the subjects of Wang's Oscar-nominated documentary short, "Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó." Read their heartwarming chat about friendship below. In 2021, in the wake of increased anti-Asian violence and the ongoing pandemic, filmmaker Sean Wang moved back home to San Francisco. There, he started observing - then filming - Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó, his 94-year-old paternal grandmother and 83-year-old maternal grandmother, respectively, who happen to be inseparable friends and roommates. As he captured the mundane moments and joys of their daily lives, he created "Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó," an Oscar-nominated documentary short that recently landed on Disney+. "As much as this movie is about my grandmothers and my relationship with them, it is about friendship, sisterhood, and the bonds that you maintain and water in old age." The Taiwanese American director - whose debut feature film, "Dìdi," recently premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival - essentially filmed a series of home videos, which he turned into a beautiful 17-minute "personal love letter" to his grandmothers. "As much as this movie is about my grandmothers and my relationship with them, it is about friendship, sisterhood, and the bonds that you maintain and water in old age," he tells POPSUGAR. "I'm not 86, 96 years old. But I think [their friendship] is a good north star - hopefully, the friendships I have now that I feel are deeply special in my life, the ones that I know will last, that I hope could be Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó in our old age, are still as silly and vibrant and fun." Ahead of the 2024 Oscars, Wang and his grandmothers discuss their decades-long bond, the power of friendship, and the life lessons they've taught one another. Related: TikTok Mom-Daughter Duo Gym Tan and Mya Miller Want to Redefine Aging On Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó's Unique Friendship Chang Li Hua (Wài Pó): Us being able to spend our days together and live together is also a form of fate and good fortune. Nǎi Nai is older than me by 10 years, so I have always seen her like my own big sister. I am younger than her by 10 years, so anytime I am able to help her and take care of her, I will do my best to do so. We have almost all the same hobbies. Reading the newspaper, exercising in the backyard, going out for walks. Every day, we go to our orchard together to check and see which tree has grown fruits. Every day, we eat fruits together, and we take the peels of fruits and vegetables to the backyard and make fertilizer. Yi Yan Fuei (Nǎi Nai): [Wài Pó and I] have the same attitude. We both love friends, we love to exercise, and we love to read the news, so we are able to be together harmoniously, just like sisters. Sean knows too. He became close with us, and I cherish the time we spent together every day. Sean Wang: They're my grandmothers. And as their sort of mischievous, young filmmaker grandson, I think our relationship is one of such joy, silliness, and this childlike, youthful energy. They mention it in the film that I bring it out of them, but they also bring it out of me. I think that results in some fun collaborations and these silly videos that we make. A lot of those were the seeds that became one half of "Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó." The silliness, the chaotic joy, I like to call it, that balances out of with the more poignant, deeply human grounded pains of their lives. Image Source: Disney+ On What They Learned About Each Other Throughout Filming Sean Wang: I think I knew all the broad strokes of their lives, but getting to really talk to them about their childhoods and their lives before they were my grandmothers was really enlightening. But cutting to present day - and maybe I always knew this - I learned just how much of these creative spirits they are. So much of this film was just a way to give them a platform that I think nobody had ever really considered them for. They dance, play, and allow their silliness to take center stage. And now that they're going to the Oscars and being enveloped in this world that is full of spectacle and fancy dresses, they're really loving it and getting to express a muscle that they so clearly have, that no one has ever allowed them to flex. Yi Yan Fuei (Nǎi Nai): Sean was very approachable with us old people. He didn't treat us as old people at all. He joked with us every day. He didn't even act like we were dozens of years older than him. We were very happy having fun together. Chang Li Hua (Wài Pó): I found that Sean was very talented - he has a great vision. Also, he was very patient with us when we were filming the movie. He would teach us how to pose. He's a kid who loves to teach his friends. He's able to hang out with old people, children, or friends of the same age. He's a young man with a lively personality, but also works very hard. On the Life Lessons They've Taught Each Other "The days we spend feeling joy and the days we spend feeling pain are the same days spent, so I'm going to choose joy." Sean Wang: There's a line in the movie that Nǎi Nai says that has really stuck with me. She says, "The days we spend feeling joy and the days we spend feeling pain are the same days spent, so I'm going to choose joy." I think that very simple decision is a powerful one: choosing joy. Especially for someone like her who's in the twilight years of her life, knowing that her days are more limited than mine. In our dumpster fire of a world at times, allowing yourself to choose joy and celebrate the people around you is a worthy decision. Yi Yan Fuei (Nǎi Nai): This young kid can get along so well with others. He doesn't treat us like old people; he still shouts like us young people in front of us every day. When he's here, we have a very happy life. We should be like him, whether he's young or old. He is our friend. Chang Li Hua (Wài Pó): He helped us learn we're not useless when we are old. We can still be useful people when we are old. We can still dance, make movies, and be actors. Old people should not underestimate themselves. The elderly are also capable of doing so many things. This interview has been translated, edited, and condensed for clarity. Yerin Kim is the features editor at POPSUGAR, where she helps shape the vision for special features and packages across the network. A graduate of Syracuse University's Newhouse School, she has over five years of experience in the pop culture and women's lifestyle spaces. She's passionate about spreading cultural sensitivity through the lenses of lifestyle, entertainment, and style.

Image Source: Getty / Emma McIntyre In season three of "The Morning Show," a race scandal rocks UBA, the broadcast network that serves as the show's backdrop. The storyline sees Karen Pittman's Mia and Greta Lee's Stella strikingly depict the realities of women of color in largely white, corporate spaces like network television. "That's me and Greta actually, in a real way," Pittman tells POPSUGAR after speaking at the 2024 Makers Conference on Feb. 28. Through characters like Mia and Nya on "And Just Like That...," Pittman brings incredible nuance to her portrayal of strong Black women who navigate their race in their respective environments, which she opened up about in conversation with "Succession" actor J. Smith-Cameron. The two spoke at the three-day summit hosted by Makers, a community-focused media brand owned by Yahoo that's focused on accelerating equity for women in the workplace. "I pride myself on having characters that don't resemble me as an actor." For Pittman, identity-driven storytelling is inherently intentional. "I think the storytellers and writers are always looking for ways to imbue your personal, authentic perspective, whatever you have been through in your life," she says. But for the actor and activist, that authenticity is less about sharing her lived experiences and more about bringing complex emotions to her characters. "I pride myself on having characters that don't resemble me as an actor," she explains. "I don't see any of myself in Mia, and I hope to never see any of myself." Related: Planned Parenthood's Alexis McGill Johnson on How You Can Fight For Reproductive Freedoms Image Source: Everett Collection Instead, she "influences the storytelling" by ensuring there's depth to her characters. "I remind [writers], 'Let's make sure we show the heart of this character instead of just showing she's a strong woman.' That can end up being a trope," she says. She likes to create characters through their "emotional landscape" in particular. "Knowing what the heart of that woman is and being able to convey that to the camera visually is really where I feel like the greatest influence I have as an actor in any story. That is what makes an audience connect." With a high-powered, independent TV producer like Mia, she's focused on channeling vulnerability, a quality not often associated with Black women on screen. "The writers of ['The Morning Show'] are always hoping to reflect back the strength and the nimbleness of African American women," she says. "Sometimes that can be one-sided, so I'm always trying to infuse moments of fragility, softness, tenderness, and suppleness of what it means to be a woman in that job, in the same ways that you might see a white woman in those jobs." Image Source: Max When it comes to Nya, Miranda's professor-turned-friend on "And Just Like That...," it was important to Pittman - and creator Michael Patrick King - that she wear her hair in braids. As she puts it, "I think it is important to reflect, especially on that platform, what it is to have an African American woman who completely accepts her naturalness, who isn't trying to change or look different, who is embodying this construct of Blackness completely, and has decided that she's going to live in a place of love and education - and to share that intelligence on the show." Pittman also understands that Nya's friendship with Miranda allows the opportunity to show viewers what it looks like for a woman of color to build a relationship with a white woman who may not know any other WOC. That's especially impactful in a series with so much fanfare and generational popularity. But while she's able to start conversations about her characters in some ways, she also acknowledges the challenges that come with being a Black woman in the acting world. In her conversation with Smith-Cameron, Pittman shed light on Hollywood's cultural reckoning in response to George Floyd's murder by police in 2020. While there was an initial shift in the industry, she believes it's since reverted back to the status quo. "My white colleagues don't have to have these conversations." "People are forgetful," she tells POPSUGAR. "People forget, and as an actor, you don't want to always have your finger on the pulse of culture trying to teach them or remind them, 'Hey, we need to pump some life into this.' My white colleagues don't have to have these conversations." As with women of color in any field, she'd like to solely focus on the job at hand: acting. "I would love to go into an experience where the only thing that I'm called to do is to bring the full breadth of my craft and not have to concern myself with anything else," she says. But, as she reminds us, this is the reality for any othered person in our society. As Pittman underscored in her conversation with Smith-Cameron, "the system is broken," and she knows it'll take time for the industry to progress. But what she can do is collaborate with allies to advocate for the stories and characters they feel are important. "I want to be a human that builds coalition, that keeps common ground," she tells POPSUGAR. "One of the reasons I love portraying these characters is because they have their hand out for connection; they are reflecting back to the culture. There is space for all of us. Certainly in my career, as a mother, as a human being, that is the way I am in the world." She's also hopeful for change. "If you're an actor or if you're an artist, you are an optimist and an activist," she says. "And if you're an activist or an optimist, you believe that humanity can do something different." Yerin Kim is the features editor at POPSUGAR, where she helps shape the vision for special features and packages across the network. A graduate of Syracuse University's Newhouse School, she has over five years of experience in the pop culture and women's lifestyle spaces. She's passionate about spreading cultural sensitivity through the lenses of lifestyle, entertainment, and style.

No one has made me laugh more than Charlotte York-Goldenblatt on the second season of "And Just Like That." Charlotte (Kristin Davis) has somehow become the funniest friend of the extended friend group. (And yes, that includes the actual comedian among the crew.) Between her quest to find condoms for Lily during a literal snowpocalypse to her drunken outburst after one too many cocktails with new coworkers, she's provoked countless laugh-out-loud moments over the course of the season. After watching her provide the majority of - if not the only - comic relief in one episode after another, I couldn't help but wonder . . . was Charlotte always this funny? Now, I've seen the original "Sex and the City" series several times over, and I don't quite recall Charlotte being particularly humorous. Sure, she had her moments, but Samantha usually provided the bold one-liners and sex jokes. Who would have thought the more traditional, sometimes judgmental one would evolve into the comedic star of the series? In season two of the reboot, Charlotte's friends deal with heavy situations and face big life decisions. Miranda has her ongoing tensions with exes Steve and Che, Carrie is stuck in a love bubble with Aidan, and Lisa Todd Wexley is overwhelmed with, well, everything. That leaves room for Charlotte to take on the fun, perhaps sillier, storylines that still further her character development. Charlotte shrieking, "Please! My daughter needs condoms!" into a pharmacy window has to be one of my favorite scenes of the show. For one, we see Charlotte's growth as a parent. Previously known for her modesty in the original series, she becomes sex-positive and creates a safe space for her kids to talk to her about sex. (Charlotte shrieking, "Please! My daughter needs condoms!" into a pharmacy window has to be one of my favorite scenes of the show.) The plot thickens as she and Miranda discover Lily and Brady may be having sex. The two parents are hilarious scene partners as they spy on their kids and decipher their body language to figure out their relationship status - until Charlotte finally decides to give her daughter space and let it go. Later in the season, Charlotte makes the exciting decision to return to work, and after a series of non-urgent asks and phone calls from her family members, she delivers a passionate monologue, declaring, "I was a person before all of you!" She tells Harry, Rock, and Lily that they need to "get it together" because she is more than just a wife and a mom. Of course, she says all of this after a handful of tequila shots, so the delivery is amusing, but that doesn't take away from the powerful way in which she draws important boundaries and finally prioritizes herself. Whether she's learning as a parent or sharing a silly exchange with Harry (never forget the kegels), there's humor baked into her moments, both big and small. Though fans have criticized Davis's exaggerated acting, viewing Charlotte's character as a caricature of sorts, I'd argue Davis's sometimes-amplified portrayal makes Charlotte who she is. Charlotte was always dramatic! She's a breath of fresh air this season, and simply put, it's just nice to see someone having fun on the show. Here's hoping we get to see more of her comedy in season three. Let's take a look back at some of Charlotte's funniest scenes in "AJLT" season two below. Related: Only Carrie Bradshaw Could Wear a Puffer-Coat Ballgown - and Look Amazing