5 life lessons we can all learn from The Bold Type

Millennials need to stop being entitled. They really ought to stop being lazy and put in more work to advance their careers. Aaah, and don’t forget the one where they have to stop buying avocados so they can afford diamonds instead. This last one really makes Kenyans laugh, guys – I mean, we buy avocados at 10 shillings (that’s 10 cents, or five if you have a petty bargaining power). Karibu Kenya, perhaps?

O ye of little faith in millennials, step inside the world of The Bold Type and meet the empowered 20-something trio of Kat, Jane and Sutton, best friends and co-workers at Scarlet magazine.

At first glance, The Bold Type sounds like your standard dramedy set in New York, but this show is anything but ordinary.

It’s more than just a story of living, loving (or trying to love) and working in New York City, it’s a story about millennials and the female power they exude as they struggle with various societal issues like race/racism, sexuality, cyberbullying, sexual assault and cancer. In its quest to raise its voice through its young and empowered heroines, The Bold Type dares you to judge it for being so open-minded and free with its issues.

Dare to be bold: The Bold Type Seasons 1-3 are now streaming on Showmax! And yes, we are hungry and ready to borrow some life lessons from these millennials who rule New York City’s elite publishing world.

1. Keep slaying, no matter what

Even as it tackles serious issues, The Bold Type doesn’t compromise on fashion – it keeps slaying, from the moment we see our three heroines screaming at a moving train while wearing fabulous gowns, to their intimate closet moments that offer us a glimpse of the envious designer pieces we’d like to have in our own closets.

Then there is the Scarlet office dress code, which is somewhere between business casual and daring fashion statement that may be deemed as inappropriate in an uptight corporate world – think metallic printed blazers, embellished skirts, leather pants, kimono jackets, crop tops and sneakers.

2. Surround yourself with friends who support you

Kat, Jane and Sutton are such best-friend goals – they may have different personalities, and their views may clash sometimes but they always find a way to hold each other’s hands no matter what – even if that means screaming like delinquents in a subway (well, millennials are finding odd ways to cope).

Like Issa and Molly on Insecure (which is one of the realest depiction of female friendship on TV tbh), the trio of The Bold Type get what female friendship should be like – that moment Kat goes with Jane to an uncomfortable appointment with a sexologist to when Sutton and Kat help Jane stalk her ex.

Don’t even get me started on the closet scenes – such beautiful and unforgettable memories.

3. Don’t compromise, your career is important too

Kat is the kickass head of social media at Scarlet, Jane is learning to reclaim her power in her writing and Sutton is a low-level assistant whose eyes are set on fashion, so much so, she turns down a chance at true love just so she can chase her dreams.

And it does pay off but I am not one to spoil. Young as they may be, the heroines in The Bold Type are career-driven women who go after they want, even it means letting go of other things they hold dear.

4. We all succeed by uplifting others

Not all bosses can match up to the awesomeness of The Bold Type‘s Jacqueline Carlyle, the editor-in-chief of Scarlet. She is fierce (other than her sense of style always being on point) and caring, and she plays a major role in pushing and moulding Jane, Kat and Sutton to go after what they want. For instance, there is a scene where she turns down a call from Beyonce (!) to help Jane with her writing.

If you can’t find a mentor like Jacqueline, at least find inspiration in her wisdom: “I expect you to unleash holy hell on anybody who tries to hold you back, because you don’t just work for Scarlet. You are Scarlet.”

She is personally invested in helping these women be the best versions of themselves and to guide them as they climb the corporate ladder. The kind of woman who uplifts other women. We should all try that sometime.

5. Be bold to stand up for what is right

It’s not called The Bold Type for nothing; the women of The Bold Type don’t hesitate to stand up for what is right. Kat faces online backlash and trolling when she speaks up against gender inequality on Twitter. Jane and Jacqueline join a rape survivor in her protest of the justice system.

But it’s not just the characters. The Bold Type in its various storylines tackles  serious topical issues affecting the world we live in today, and doesn’t hide behind lazy or safe representation.

Remember to catch The Bold Type Seasons 1 to 3, now streaming only on Showmax.