Don’t judge a book by its contour

I got called out recently for judging a woman based on her appearance.

And to be fair… it’s a valid critique.

Because I did see her post and immediately spiral into a full-blown comedy roast.

She looked like she woke up inside a soft-focus lens.

Perfectly curled hair. Lashes that defied physics. Skin so luminous it looked like it was lit from within by LED optimism.

And the caption?

“Helping sales leaders become layoff-proof—DM me to learn my secrets!”

My first thought?

Ma’am, you look like you manifested your entire LinkedIn presence with a ring light and three affirmations before breakfast.

Meanwhile, I’m over here raw-dogging capitalism in a hoodie that’s been emotionally supporting me since 2020.

But then someone commented:

“It’s not nice to judge a woman based on her appearance. She might have really good insight, but you’ll never know that.”

And listen… I had a moment.

Because they were right.

She could be a genius.

She might’ve single-handedly turned around the entire hospitality sector with nothing but spreadsheets, charisma, and cruelty-free lip gloss.

I don’t know her.

Maybe she earned that glow by surviving three market crashes and a toxic boss named Chad who thought “circling back” was a leadership style.

Maybe her lashes are fake but her experience is very real.

So I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. I clicked her link.

And that’s when I was greeted by:

“Want to be layoff-proof in 2025? Download my free eBook: Slay to Stay – The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Corporate Restructures in Heels.”

Chapter One: “If You Cry, Cry Pretty.”

Chapter Two: “Always Carry Lip Balm and Boundaries.”

Chapter Three: “Why Looking Busy Is More Important Than Being Busy.”

Okay, fine. She’s funny. I’ll give her that.

But by the time I got to the part about curating your “emotional brand” by color-coding your Slack status, I realized this was less about career survival… and more about selling a vibe. A very well-lit, highly-filtered vibe.

And suddenly I wasn’t mad anymore.

Because let’s be honest—we’re all out here trying to look stable while crumbling in a LinkedIn-optimized way.

Some of us do it with ring lights.

Some of us do it with snark.

Some of us do it with spreadsheets titled “Do Not Cry (Final FINAL Draft).xlsx.”

The truth is, she might actually have insight. And I might’ve missed it because I was too distracted by the flawless hair and the phrase “layoff-proof,” which, in this economy, is about as believable as “moisturizer that erases regrets.”

So lesson learned.

Don’t judge a book by its contour.

She might be the corporate fairy godmother we never knew we needed.

Or she might just be trying to survive the algorithm like the rest of us—with buzzwords, good lighting, and a Wi-Fi signal strong enough to hide the panic.

Either way, respect.

And if her next eBook is called “How to Look Emotionally Employed in 3 Easy Filters”—I’m downloading it.

For research. Obviously.