The Big Life

Embrace the Mess, Work Your Side Hustle, Find a Monumental Relationship, and Become the Badass Babe You Were Meant to Be

By: Ann Shoket

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Ann Shoket

Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Millennial women are changing what it means to be powerful and successful in the world - for everyone. Forever.

You want The Big Life - that delicious cocktail of passion, career, work, ambition, respect, money, and a monumental relationship. And you want it on your own terms. Forget climbing some corporate ladder; you want a career with twists and turns and adventure. For you, success matters only if it's meaningful.

Ann Shoket knows the evolving values of young women more than anyone. She's the voice behind the popular Badass Babes community, a sisterhood of young, hungry, ambitious women who are helping each other through the most complex issues around becoming who you're meant to be. As the trailblazing editor in chief of Seventeen for the better part of a decade, Shoket led provocative conversations that helped young women navigate the tricky terrain of adolescence and become smart, confident, self-assured young women. Now that they are adding muscle to the framework of their lives, she's continuing the conversation with The Big Life.

The Big Life is packed with actionable guidance combined with personal advice from high-profile millennial women who have already achieved tremendous success, plus intimate conversations with a cast of compelling characters and Shoket's own stories on her quest for The Big Life. You'll learn to tackle all of the issues on heavy rotation in your mind, such as:

• How to craft a career that's also a passion
• How to get respect from a boss who thinks you're a lazy, entitled, and self-obsessed millennial
• Why you need a squad of people who support you as you build your Big Life
• How a side hustle will make you smarter, hotter, and more in control of your destiny
• Why work/life balance is a sham and you need to embrace the mess
• How to find a partner whose eyes light up when you talk about your ambition

Written in Shoket's friendly and authoritative style, The Big Life will help you recognize your power, tap in to your ambition, and create your own version of The Big Life.

©2017 Ann Shoket (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Life lessons!!

Everytime I need a reminder of how big life can be- I come back to this book!

She really knows what we are thinking

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I will recommend this to every woman. There is something beautiful and rewording to know that you aren't alone. That we all have the same problems, even the people you think have the most amazing life. Yet with every story I was like " I know what your are feeling". Thank you. I need it to read this right now. By the way , I'm from Argentina , so It is for everybody.

Every ambitious woman needs to read this book!

Every ambitious woman needs to read this book! every person that is interested in a woman who is ambitious and powerful needs to read this book! I was already on the path to embracing my greatness however this gave me such peace with it. a great read, loved it, am going to start my own BABC!

Poorly narrated, OK subject material

Felt like the narrator was trying to tell me a secret. Low energy, hushed tones, almost monotone but not quite. Material was great at some points but at others was a little too gushy fangirl about things like Taylor Swift, which was a little alienating for someone who isn't invested in that part of millennial culture. Overall had some good takeaways and a positive message.

Just OK

I liked the book's message overall, but I don't think it was the right book for me personally. This would be great for someone fresh out of college or just starting in their career. I was hoping to hear a little more about crafting a side hustle.

LOVE!! Already listening to it again

What made the experience of listening to The Big Life the most enjoyable?

I absolutely loved this book. It's like she was inside my head, describing my life to a T. Great motivational words.

What did you like best about this story?

Her insight

Which scene was your favorite?

The third chapter as she was describing side hustles

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Mostly

Super Disappointed!

I saw Ann Shoket on a segment on GMA about being burned out and this new book of hers was mentioned. Based on the title and things she talked about during the segment, I got the impression she was speaking about those topics and how they apply to women in general, not a very select group of girls/women who are single and don't have children.

I wouldn't have wasted my money to purchase this book if it was stated anywhere that it was intended for girls/women who are single and without children. I'm a 34 year old who is married, has children, working on my career and trying to learn how to embrace the mess, but I didn't take away one single piece of advice relevant to me.

Don’t forget your side gig...

What I love most about this book is the idea that we can have a job that makes our money but also have a side gig that we are passionate about and can use our creative abilities to live life to the fullest and help others. This book shows many young women who have been successful in doing just that.