Growing up, you eventually learn that diamonds are forever and that every kiss begins with Kay.
But when Zainab Shah was still a student, she took a class on gender, race, and sexuality in contemporary pop culture where she learned the truth about diamonds—how they’re not scarce, the backstory behind De Beers’ marketing campaign and how that campaign shifted with the rise of female purchasing power across the globe.

But girl boss culture should, Zainab argues, is a manifestation that we could all do away with. Yas queen.

Zainab is an immigrant to the U.S. who has spent the last decade living in Brooklyn, but it’s only in her last couple of years that she’s spent more trying to unlearn the expectations and pressures that come with that dynamic.

Please join me in wishing her a happy birthday, listening to this episode, and then telling her about it.