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The 9-To-5 Baddies Who've Found Ways To Make The Most Of Their PTO Are Onto Something Great
We’ve all seen the “corporate baddies” holding court on TikTok and Instagram, sharing all the ins and outs—some credible, some not so much—of thriving at a 9-to-5. Much of the more positive and dominating themes in career content online are all about reclaiming our time, getting the salaries we deserve, and not letting companies take advantage of us. They’ve also been big on maximizing your PTO, and I’m here for it.
This is a vital subject to tackle on social because professionals are actually wasting their PTO: A recent report indicates that 46% of workers don’t even use the full time their companies give them for a much-needed break. If you’re giving a company your all, you need to take full advantage of the benefits they’ve offered you in your hiring package, so using that PTO is a must. Nobody loves burnout, and to be honest, the best version of yourself is one who is relaxed, balanced, and mentally well enough to take on all the big, ambitious boss moves you’ll be making in 2024.
So, how do you maximize your PTO? Here are a few hacks shared by our favorite career advice influencers on TikTok and Instagram:
@flynanced Unlimited PTO is one of the best benefits for 9-5 hotties who travel often #unlimitedPTO #travelwitha9to5 #9to5hottie
1. Negotiate for more (or even unlimited) PTO up front.
Cinneah E, founder of Flynanced, a financial literacy platform for 9-to-5ers, noted in an Instagram Reel and via TikTok that she has worked a fully remote job and enjoyed the benefits of unlimited PTO, including traveling on an 8-day vacation in Mexico. If you’re at the stage of negotiations for your current job (or are looking for other opportunities), talk about this early on in the interview process, ask what the company’s policies or limits might be when it comes to PTO, and once you’ve been given an offer, negotiate for either more PTO or unlimited.
2. Stop prioritizing overtime if it's not super-necessary.
Sometimes, taking extra hours is essential, such as when you have a savings goal, you're trying to pay off a debt, you’ve welcomed a new addition to your family, your partner has experienced a job loss, or you’re trying to make a large purchase in the future. However, if none of those apply to you and you want to maximize PTO in 2024, make the effort to decline the OT, even if it’s practicing saying no to an extra hour or two on that day somebody called out.
If you’re doing overtime and overextending yourself due to constantly embracing unhealthy financial habits (i.e., spending down to your last penny or living check to check), or you simply want to seem like the most reliable worker on the team, rethink how valuable your time and wellness is, how you’re using your PTO, and how your choices are contributing to living your best life or being your highest self.
Take a nod from Rhay, a travel influencer, and nurse, who recently posted about her personal policy on taking on overtime and how she sets boundaries to prioritize living her “best life.” She states that she likes to work “smarter not harder,” budgeting her lifestyle in order to “maximize my time off.”
3. Hack your PTO so you can strategically get more time off without losing pay.
Not every PTO opportunity is exclusive to vacations. You might want an extended self-care week, time off to strategize how to boost your side hustle, recover from a medical procedure, or the opportunity to be home to chill with your children or bae. Maybe you need that time for a special home DIY project or time to heal from grief or loss. Professionals have been doing this for years, but for the sake of social, it's a 'hack.'
So, let's say your company's office is closed on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, (which in 2024 falls on Monday, Jan. 15). That's a paid day off for you anyway. If you're a 9-to-5er who works the traditional 40-hour work week (Monday through Friday), with this hack, you will take off the Friday before MLK Day, have Saturday and Sunday off, enjoy MLK Day off---extending your time off to four days without losing pay. (If you really wanna flex, you could stretch this to an 8- or 9-day vacation by taking that same Friday off, enjoying the weekend and the holiday, and then taking the whole next week off.
However you use your PTO, it’s good to be able to stretch it when at all necessary or possible, so take a nod from Nikki Moore (above) and try it in a way that works for you, the nature of your job, and your company's policies.
PTO is a valuable benefit your company offers you, and it's something you shouldn't take lightly, so let's make 2024 the Year of PTO where we play as hard as we work, we show up as our best selves after much-needed breaks, and we create the work-life balance we want.
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This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
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Mariee Revere On Her History-Making Million-Dollar Sales And The Future Of MoonXCosmetics
If the name Mariee Revere sounds familiar, it's probably because you heard of her beauty and skincare brand, MoonXCosmetics, or you may have heard about her history-making achievement of making $1.8 million in less than eight minutes. But before starting her million-dollar brand, Mariee was just a teenager trying to cure her acne.
While she grew up in the skincare capital of the world, South Korea, Mariee didn't really experience breakouts until her senior year of high school. Like many people who get their first breakout, she didn't know what to do, and there weren't many products out there at that time. So she decided to experiment. What she didn't know was that what she came up with would ultimately be her ticket to success.
"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
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When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
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