Book: More Than Enough
By: Elaine Welteroth
Reviewed by: Ashley Michael
The Premise: More Than Enough, authored by Elaine Welteroth, is a memoir of her life – starting from her childhood as a biracial young girl growing up in a predominantly white neighbourhood, to her climb up the ranks of media and fashion, culminating in her position as the youngest Editor-in-Chief ever at Teen Vogue in 2016. She unpacks lessons on race, identity, and success as she tells stories about friendships, relationships, and her career. Ultimately, as the title suggests, she learns that despite the messages that girls, women, and particularly Black women hear, she is enough, and so are you! She talks about the times she made mistakes – mostly when it came to giving away her power in relationships, and the times she pushed past fear and used her voice to make big changes in her career, and the magazine industry. This quote really spoke to me: “I realized that if we aren’t vigilant, we can move through our entire lives feeling smaller than we actually are – by playing it safe, by unconsciously giving away our power, by dimming our radiance, by not recognizing there is always so much more waiting for us on the other side of fear.”
The Bottomline: This book was inspirational in many ways. It was inspirational in the traditional “wow, she is a boss lady, I’m in awe of her drive and success!” sort of way, but also in a very relatable “I see myself in her and can use these lessons” way as well. The stories she tells about her struggles, the mistakes she made, and what she learned from them reminded me that we’re all human and no matter how successful someone is, they still have insecurities, they still second guess that thing they said, or that thing they didn’t say but wished they had. They don’t always do the “right” thing, and even when someone looks like they’ve got it all together, looks can be deceiving. I loved how she sprinkled in lessons she had learned from other prominent women in her life, most notably her mom. Her mom and dad even voiced their quotes in the book! It was vulnerable, honest, and covered many topics that all women can relate to, but really dove deep into the lessons she learned as a biracial woman in America. It also gave an interesting glimpse into the world of media, fashion, and what it takes to make it to the top before age 30.
Recommendation: I recommend this book for anyone looking for an inspiration boost – be that in your personal life or in your career. And if you are a minority, and/or love fashion you’re going to find even more relatable nuggets. This was a great read that got me thinking about my own life and the ways I can push to the other side of fear.
