The recent spate of boycotts against major U.S. retailers is giving brands cause for concern

Ever since President Donald Trump announced plans to gut federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs within a mere couple of days of taking office, corporate America has been plunged into a state of chaos and uncertainty.

The Subsequent Phase

The subsequent phase has seen a level of grassroots organization led by consumer activist group the People’s Union which called for a spending freeze on major retailers on February 28. Though the organization’s grievances stretch beyond a pure protest against the burgeoning DEI backlash and include serious concerns about the nation’s engulfment by rampant consumerism underpinned by what it views as cynical and aggressive corporate marketing campaigns, there is no doubt that the movement has been turbocharged by the DEI backlash. The same is true of an affiliate 40-day protest directed against Target that was organized by black faith leaders and activists who accuse the company of making a shameless volte-face on DEI, having been one of the first to vociferously uphold its principles in the wake of the slaying of George Floyd almost 5 years ago. This past month has seen individual week-long boycotts of Amazon and Nestle, with a further boycott of Walmart planned for April 7 through to April 13.

A Confusing Picture

Yet, the quandaries facing major U.S. brands today go beyond just being able to accurately read consumer attitudes. There is a somewhat murky legal dimension too.

Beyond Borders

Amidst the clamor of what is ultimately a highly U.S.-centric debate, there is another key dimension at play too. Many large corporations, whether they are resiling from or redoubling on DEI, tend to be multinational corporations. Simply transposing the Trumpian view of DEI across multiple jurisdictions may not wash in practice.

Conclusion

With that in mind, it might just be that, rather than peering too far ahead and second guessing a medium to long term future that seems volatile and full of uncertainty, perhaps the best thing responsible brands can do is to work out precisely what calm and reflective strategizing looks like in the here and now.

FAQs

Q: What is the People’s Union?
A: The People’s Union is a consumer activist group that has been leading the charge against major U.S. retailers.

Q: What is the purpose of the boycotts?
A: The boycotts are intended to protest against the growing trend of DEI backtracking by major U.S. retailers.

Q: What is the legal situation surrounding DEI?
A: The legal situation surrounding DEI is complex and evolving, with various states and the Department of Justice taking different stances on the issue.

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White Lotus Star, Leslie Bibb -Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

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In Season 3 of HBO Max’s cultural phenomenon The White Lotus, three women appear to embody the ideal of “having it all”—a married celebrity television star, a perfect housewife and an ambitious corporate lawyer. But as the story unfolds, the illusion quickly shatters, revealing a deeper truth as they each search for more: success, as it’s been sold to women for decades, often feels like an exhausting, impossible pursuit. The White Lotus also exposes another trap: women judging each other’s choices while feeling stifled by their own.

Perhaps it’s time for “work-life balance” and “having it all” to officially join the ranks of retired three-word phrases—because they don’t actually work. For anyone.

Instead of striving for an impossible equilibrium, shifting toward work-life rhythm—one that adapts to different seasons of life—might be a more realistic path that restores meaningful well-being for driven women.

The Reality: Work-Life Balance Fails Working Women

The data can’t be ignored. Despite research showing that women are burning out at higher rates than men, the myth of work-life balance persists in the collective consciousness. The dictionary definition assumes professional ambition, personal well-being and caregiving can be neatly divided into equal parts, as if life magically operates on a perfect scale. In reality, women typically shoulder a disproportionate share of caregiving responsibilities, and in the workplace, they’re also 48% more likely to volunteer for non-promotable tasks—work crucial to an organization’s success but rarely helpful for climbing the corporate ladder. Rather than achieving balance, managing these competing demands often results in women feeling overextended both personally and professionally.

Vintage illustration of a housewife (Photo by GraphicaArtis/Getty Images)

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As Lybra Clemons, a C-suite tech executive, explains in a Zoom interview, previous generations were sold an externally validated definition of success. “Generation X grew up thinking…you had to be in constant motion—you have the busy job, you’re meeting your friends, it’s the Sex and the City life…It was just a tornado of external things validating who I thought I was supposed to be. In order to feel wildly successful, everything had to be chaotic and unattainable. If not, it didn’t feel like there was a risk worth having.”

Clemons’ story underscores a larger problem: work-life balance is both unrealistic and outdated. It also fails to consider how longevity is reshaping the equation for careerspan. In a separate Zoom interview, Susan Alexander, retired CHRO of Sotheby’s notes that, “Young people today will easily live to 100. Instead of cramming everything into a 30- or 40-year career, what does ‘having it all’ look like over a 100-year lifetime?”

A New Framework: Work-Life Rhythm

In contrast to work-life balance, work-life rhythm offers an adaptable framework that acknowledges the inevitability of priority shifts across different life stages.

In an email, Alicia Hare, CEO of Tournesol, outlines the importance of self-definition. “What does ‘having it all’ look like for me right now? No company is going to define that for us—it’s deeply personal,” she explains.

Companies also have an opportunity to rethink structures to best support productivity. Despite contributing an estimated $600 billion in unpaid care work annually across the workforce as of 2021, caregivers, who are typically women, often find organizational policies misaligned with their needs.

Alexander recalls asking young women navigating the seesaw of work and parenthood how the company could better support them. “I expected big-picture ideas like childcare support. Instead, every single person had created their own ‘crazy quilt’ of services that worked uniquely for them,” she says. “They didn’t need broad, one-size-fits-all solutions—they needed flexibility.” This might include dedicated caregiving assistance rather than just paid leave, or offering sabbatical opportunities.

The key is designing your work-life rhythm to align with the season you’re immersed in, rather than forcing an artificial balance that doesn’t truly exist. As Hare suggests, “Women have to say, ‘This is what I need,’ and sometimes the company needs to say, ‘This is what we need.’” Each party must assess what works best overall.

Making It Work

Life is a series of shifting priorities—here are practical ways to create fulfillment at every stage.

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Start by being intentional about building community. Social connection is critical for life satisfaction. The right community doesn’t just support you—it challenges you to ask the right questions. As Hare says, “Women need spaces to share real stories, not through the lens of ‘what society expects’ but through ‘how are you making it work?’ There are a million ways to have it all.”

To build meaningful connections that evolve with different life stages, consider cultivating peer network groups to connect with women navigating similar challenges, and stay engaged with community-based networks, such as alumni and affinity groups, that offer long-term, intergenerational contacts beyond the workplace.

Redefine Success: Feel It, Don’t Just Measure

The old definition of success involved titles, milestones, and accolades. The new definition? A deep sense of alignment. Clemons is passionate about intentionally redefining success for herself. “Now, it means creating an environment where I feel at peace, where I have choices,” she explains. Success is about having what matters most to you at any given moment.

At different life stages, those priorities shift. Early in a career, success might mean saying yes to every opportunity, capitalizing on momentum or chasing a promotion. Later, it could mean prioritizing family—recognizing that getting home for bath time matters more than networking at a client dinner. And sometimes, it’s about personal well-being, like stepping back to focus on health or mental clarity. An accountant likely isn’t striving for balance in April, just as a new parent might not be optimizing for career growth in the newborn phase. Instead of asking, “Can I have it all?” ask, “What do I need most right now?”

Prioritize Health: It’s Your Most Lasting Asset

We’ve all heard the axiom “health is wealth.” If your body doesn’t hold up, neither will your ambitions. Health isn’t just about feeling good today—it’s about protecting your ability to engage fully with each season of life.

“In my generation, we didn’t think about health in our 20s or 30s,” says Alexander. “But if I want to play with my grandkids or lift my suitcase into the overhead bin at 80, what am I doing now to make sure I can?”

Whether it’s turning a call into a walking meeting or pausing for mindful breathing, small actions add up. In addition, truly harness flexible benefits that may be available at your organization. These may include corporate wellness platforms like WellHub that offer a suite of well-being activities, actually using reimbursement dollars if provided or taking full advantage of EAPs that offer caregiving and mental health services. These resources aren’t just perks—they’re investments in long-term well-being.

Takeaway: Embracing Your Rhythm

Just as the White Lotus characters discover the illusion of “having it all,” we must also recognize and reject the myth of work-life balance. True fulfillment isn’t about having everything at once, but about taking a long-term approach—defining success in personally meaningful ways and adapting to life’s seasons and shifting priorities. The key is embracing our own rhythms.

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NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – MARCH 06: People walk past Target Store in Midtown Manhattan on March 06, 2025 in New York City, United States. (Photo by Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Boycotts: A Tool for Change or a Symbolic Gesture?

In recent months, there’s been no shortage of calls for boycotts for brands that have chosen to rollback their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Amazon, Target, Wal-Mart, and Nestle are the latest companies organizers are urging consumers to stay away from for a time period.

Mixed Results

Thus far, results have been mixed. While Tesla stock is down, and website and foot traffic are down at Target in comparison to the prior year, Amazon seems to be unscathed thus far.

The Power of Consumers

Boycotts are a go-to tool consumers use to make their voices heard and to exercise their power. One study showed that three quarters of consumers have parted ways with a brand due to a conflict in values. That same study showed that 39% of shoppers said they’d permanently boycott their favorite brand as a result of a conflict in values.

The Challenges of Large-Scale Boycotts

However, it’s the larger scale boycotts, like the ones being called for now that are feeling the impact of challenges that did not exist at the same levels back in the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. that saw mass boycotts making a big impact. Here are a few reasons why.

Consumers Aren’t United in the Same Way

As I’ve watched different leaders and consumers talk about the boycotts, one of the things that has become more clear is that there are plenty of people who’ve heard about the boycotts, but are choosing not to participate.

The Problem with Performative Boycotts

Dr. Anastasia Kārkliņa Gabriel is a culture expert and author of Cultural Intelligence for Marketers. She explains if not approached the right way, boycotts are often merely performative. "For boycotts to be effective, people must be willing to move beyond symbolic platitudes and step into disciplined, long-term organizing. Without structure and strategy, most calls for boycotts remain performative rather than transformative. The outrage just fizzles out before the potential for real economic pressure is ever fully achieved."

Everyone Doesn’t Have the Privilege Needed to Engage in Economic Boycotts

During the Civil Rights Movement, the fight for civil rights was a core need. If you plotted civil rights on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, it would likely fall in the base part of the hierarchy, between physiological and safety needs.

The Hierarchy of Needs

The fight for basic rights were a priority for people, and something that was easier for people to get behind. Today’s boycotts, in response to companies’ stance on diversity and inclusion, for many feels like it is higher up on the Hierarchy of Needs, more in the realm of love and belonging and esteem. Those differences, impact consumers’ decision and ability to boycott.

Consumers Don’t Want to Beg Brands to Be Good to Them

The organizers for the boycott against retailer Target, have four demands of the brand, including reinstating its $2 billion dollar pledge to Black businesses, and to restore and expand the diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that were dismantled.

A New Approach to Boycotts

Many consumers are choosing instead to buy from brands who are already demonstrating that they do care about them, and their communities. Dr. Gabriel agrees with this approach. Her advice to consumers to make an impact is to, "Boycott, but don’t stop there. As consumers, we ought to support businesses that have chosen not to succumb to fear-mongering and far-right extremism and have instead deliberately stood by their commitments."

Conclusion

Boycotts can be a powerful tool for change, but it’s clear that the approach is not one-size-fits-all. As consumers, we must be mindful of the challenges that come with large-scale boycotts and consider the impact it may have on different communities. By supporting businesses that share our values and values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, we can create a more just and equitable society.

FAQs

• What is the purpose of a boycott?
  A boycott is a form of protest where consumers refuse to purchase a product or service in order to bring about change.
• What are the challenges of large-scale boycotts?
  Large-scale boycotts can be challenging due to the lack of unity among consumers and the difficulty in mobilizing a large-scale movement.
• What is the alternative to boycotting?
  One alternative to boycotting is to support businesses that share our values and values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This can be done by making conscious purchasing decisions and supporting brands that are committed to creating a more just and equitable society.