profile

Susan Lee

better work is a personal development newsletter that helps high-performing women find out who they really are, what they actually want, and how to find work that finally aligns with their values - without the self-help bullshit.

Newsletter cover with "better work newsletter" in light blue at top, "doors" in large cream text in center, and "issue #34” in light blue at bottom, all on a deep purple background
Featured Post

My life was perfect. So I threw it all away [better work #34]

better work newsletter #34 Imagine how your life would look 6 months from now if you had clear directions for the next phase of your career. Not a vision board. Not journal prompts. A concrete direction that's aligned with your life, your priorities, and what actually energizes you. That's what's inside our upcoming group program. ➡️ Join the waitlist here. I should have walked through the goddamn door. My junior year of college had just wrapped. I'm standing in front of the door at the Study...

Newsletter cover with "better work newsletter" in light blue at top, "second best" in large cream text in center, and "issue #33” in light blue at bottom, all on a deep purple background

better work newsletter #33 📣 You're done letting life happen to you. Whatever happens next will be decided by you. Make your next career move intentional without risking your financial stability through our new program, launching this summer! ➡️ Join the waitlist here. My friend had a six-month-old waking for 3 A.M. feeds, a two-year-old demanding attention all his waking hours, and a full-time job. 😫 I’m tired just typing that. During one of our sidewalk chats, she wistfully said she wished...

Newsletter cover with "better work newsletter" in light blue at top, "coaching" in large cream text in center, and "issue 32” in light blue at bottom, all on a deep purple background.

better work newsletter #32 📣 Calling all impact-driven women who want to find work that feels meaningful and aligns with their values without losing financial stability or blowing up their lives ➡️ I'm designing a program for you. Join the waitlist here to be the first to know everything. “Why would I ever pay for coaching services when I get them for free through my company?” This question came directly from a senior director at a Fortune 500 company after I told her about my career coaching...

Newsletter cover with "better work newsletter" in light blue at top, "sustainability" in large cream text in center, and "issue 31” in light blue at bottom, all on a deep purple background

better work newsletter #31 📣 I'm designing a career transition program for mid-career women who want to figure out what's next for their careers that fits into their ideal lifestyle. To keep up with the program’s development and be the first to know when the pilot launches, click here. I'm not a gambling woman, but I'd bet you’re a planner.The type (A) to design an airtight plan. Your plans feel like a warm security blanket when what you guessed would happen does (proactivity for the win!)....

Newsletter cover with "better work newsletter" in light blue at top, "reframe" in large cream text in center, and "issue 30” in light blue at bottom, all on a deep purple background

better work newsletter #30 ⏩ Join our mission to help impact-driven professionals lead more purposeful lives. Share better work with a friend here. Running is in my nature. My Chinese horoscope is the rabbit - “the luckiest of all signs”. Rabbits are built for sprints and quick reactions. For most of my life, I could say the same for me. I zipped through many of life’s major milestones by 25.✅ Bachelor’s degree. ✅ Bought a house. ✅ Award-winning career. ✅ Master’s degree. ✅ Paid off student...

Newsletter cover with "better work newsletter" in light blue at top, "armor" in large cream text in center, and "issue 29" in light blue at bottom, all on a deep purple background.

better work issue #29 ⏩ Forwarding is the best compliment. Tell a friend to sign up for better work here. ↓ Imagine this: you had a bestseller, made millions, married your soulmate, and found inner peace. Then you smash the nuclear button and blow your life up. That's what happened to Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the memoir-turned-movie, Eat Pray Love. Quick refresher: After a painful divorce, Gilbert takes a year to travel, heal, and rediscover herself. She achieved it all and more. Look how...

Newsletter cover with "better work newsletter" in light blue at top, "compression" in large cream text in center, and "issue 28” in light blue at bottom, all on a deep purple background.

better work issue #28 You are camera-on at 10 am, caffeinated and nodding at all the right things. You give the kind of insights you were hired for.The executive says, “This is exactly what we’re missing…” and you glance at the clock. You’re 3 minutes late for your 1:1 with your mentee. Shit. On slow days, you feel like you’re biding your time. For what? Who knows. (Seriously, can someone plot out your life for you? You’re so good at following directions.) On the busiest days, you can't wait...

Newsletter cover with "better work newsletter" in light blue at top, "excellence" in large cream text in center, and "issue 27” in light blue at bottom, all on a deep purple background

better work issue #27 The first time I was unemployed, it was my choice. The second time, it wasn’t. I had to leave my job because I moved to another state (remote work wasn't a thing yet).I wasn't worried. I already had promising job interviews lined up in my new town. I had a stellar resume that perfectly fit the job descriptions. I had never experienced long-term difficulty in the job market, so why would I now? I showed up for the final interviews...then got rejected. Over and over again....

Newsletter cover with "better work newsletter" in light blue at top, "belonging" in large cream text in center, and "issue 26” in light blue at bottom, all on a deep purple background.

better work issue #26 “SAMSUNG PHONE VERY GOOD!” Rewind five minutes before this remark, the towering British man and I had had a normal conversation. That changed the moment I shared that I was ethnically Korean. “Why are you yelling?” I kept my cool. But if I’m being honest, this is how I really wanted to respond. It must’ve been my hundredth “But where are you really from?” conversation on my trip. Locals asking this didn’t get under my skin (they knew I was a tourist.) But I was done with...

Newsletter cover with "better work newsletter" in light blue at top, "hunger" in large cream text in center, and "issue 25” in light blue at bottom, all on a deep purple background

better work issue #25 It’s easy to think of creative hunger as a desire for more. You’re missing that one key insight. That masterclass. That strategist to pave the way. But 2025 taught me one thing for certain:A full plate can leave you starving. I learned this the hard way last summer. My calendar was packed for my trans-Pacific move. Client work was humming along. I’d been studying newsletters and writing for months. My goals were on track. I was halfway through my promise: to publish this...