Get Inspired With These Shows + Movies

Craving some inspiration and strong, motivational female energy? I’ve got all my favs and recommendations to fire you up!

Over the weekend, I was scrolling the ‘gram for a minute and one of the actors I follow shared that a show they starred in is now available to watch on Netflix. I saw it and immediately thought, “That is such a great show, I should re-watch it.” Which made me think of other shows that I love with the same type of energy.

You know the kind. The ones with characters who have a cool job, land a promotion, launch their own business, work hard/play hard, have an awesome wardrobe, live an interesting life, and kind of make you wish you could be best friends with them…if only they were real.

Or maybe you don’t know what I’m talking about and you’re thinking, “What shows are you watching because I want to watch those too.”

These are shows + movies that leave me feeling inspired to keep working towards my goals and dreams. Motivate me to be a total badass for work, new projects, and life in general. And I think we could all use that kind of energy on a cold Monday in the middle of January.

Consider this your Monday Motivation for some high energy this week. For funsies, I compiled a list of my favorites that always leave me feeling inspired to do something awesome, motivated to keep working hard or, at the very least, provide some entertainment and a quick break from the weekly grind.

I don’t exactly remember how I stumbled onto this show, but when I learned that Hilary Duff is one of the main characters, I was on board from episode one. Based on a book, the show follows Liza (Sutton Foster), a mom who ends up lying about her age to land a job in publishing in New York after a brutal divorce and being a stay-at-home-mom for the past 18 years to her daughter. She meets Kelsey Peters (Hilary Duff) at the company she lands the job at, who ends up showing her the ropes and they become friends, all while Liza hides the fact that she isn’t 26, but actually 40 years old. There’s humor, romance, tattoos, books, some crazy plot twists…but one of the best 25 minute shows I’ve seen in a very long time that is not a sitcom.

Whenever I watch this show, it leaves me feeling like I can figure out whatever I need to through some hard work and creativity.

Follows the lives of three best friends who meet while working for the same magazine in New York City. One a writer, one an assistant, and one in social media marketing, three totally different personalities come together to navigate some big social issues, romance, leaving an impact, friendship, and working towards their dreams. Funny, relatable at times, and highly entertaining. The only bummer part is that it was cut short during Covid so the last season feels a little rushed. Still love it, still recommend it.

I am a millennial after all and not including this movie feels sacrilege and dishonorable. There has never once been a time I watched this movie and didn’t feel totally inspired and ready to take on a new wildly outlandish project or to challenge the norm and think outside the box…because Elle Woods does all of that and she does it in heels and cute outfits. On the strange off-chance you’ve never seen this iconic movie, Elle Woods is a sorority president at CU-LA and after her dreamboat boyfriends dumps her, she decides to go to law school at Harvard to win him back. The plot sounds absolutely ridiculous. But the very fact that she sets her mind to doing something really hard, and succeeds at it unbelievably well after she stops focusing on trying to win back her dumb ex, it becomes a really inspiring movie that happens to have a great soundtrack as well.

My all-time favorite show, it’s impossible not to feel at least a little inspired and motivated after watching a couple of episodes of this show. Mother daughter duo, Lorelei and Rory, are always up to something fun, have hilarious quick wit, and of course bring the drama and emotional baggage to the plot. Not only that, but Lorelei runs and then later owns her own Inn in Connecticut and Rory is an aspiring journalist working to get into Harvard, and (spoiler alert) eventually does, but with a plot twist. Watching them reach for their dreams while having fun and being unapologetically themselves is the perfect dose of motivation and laughter you need. Their struggles along the way also make you feel more normal. Especially the family dynamic part.

Based on a true story, this show was inspired by Sophia Amoruso’s multi-million dollar fashion empire, Nasty Gal. The show starts exactly where Sophia did–at the bottom, struggling to make rent, not sure if she can afford groceries for the next week while also just trying to enjoy her twenties. I was drawn in by this show because it reminds us that all of us start at zero, but with some hard work and creativity, anything is possible. Sure there will be mistakes–some massive ones–but everything is figureoutable as long as you’ve got some guts and grit. My favorite part is how she never takes no for an answer, just as a delay of game.

You truly can’t be more inspired by a successful woman than a show about Madam C.J. Walker, the first female self-made millionaire. One of the reasons I love this show is how she so shamelessly markets her brand amidst all the harsh judgement and criticism she faces. Honestly one of the most courageous, inspiring, determined, hard-working women EVER. She also was the BEST at not only her own entrepreneurial journey, but encouraging other women to also pursue theirs. So moving and inspiring.

Another based on a true story inspiration, Erin Brockovich started her career in borderline poverty as a single mom raising three kids. After talking her way into a job at a law firm, having no background in law whatsoever, she ends up taking down Pacific Gas & Electric, a huge company in California that was found guilty of poisoning local residents and lying to them about it. I love this movie so much, not only because it stars Julia Roberts, but also because she is the ultimate boundary pusher, rule bender (and sometimes breaker), get-the-job-done-whatever-it-takes badass female. She works against all the odds and trusts her gut every step of the way. Truly an inspiration and the type of woman I think we all aspire to be on some level.

Adapted from the wildly popular novel by Lauren Weisberger, this movie has a stellar cast on top of being hilarious, full of drama, big female energy, and also just fun to watch as Andrea (Andy) Sachs lands an assistant job to Miranda Priestly, editor-in-chief of the top fashion magazine in the world. Set in New York, the outfits and clothes alone are fun to watch throughout the movie (I love a good transformation) but also the tenacious work ethic displayed by so many of the characters that feels contagious and makes you want to also look good while you’re working. This movie also kind of makes you question your own personal ethics as far as work and how far you’ll go before you feel like you don’t recognize yourself anymore and whether or not that’s a good or bad thing.

Oh how I love an 80’s movie, and this one is a classic. Released the year I was born (1988), Working Girl stars Melanie Griffith, Sigourney Weaver, and Harrison Ford. Melanie Griffith’s character plays a secretary for boss B, Sigourney Weaver, who ends up stealing her idea and claiming as her own. Melanie Griffith’s character then seizes an opportunity to steal it back and make a name for herself. It’s very 80’s. Very big hair. Very feminine and hard not to love despite the cheesy romance and humongous shoulder pads.

Obsessed is the word I used to describe it to one of my best friends after I watched this on Netflix recently. Told in her own words about her own life and empire, Martha Stewart is a serious queen. She has gone on record saying that she thought the last half of the documentary was “lazy” and “flat” and some other criticisms toward the director, but when I tell you you’ll spend half of the documentary with your mouth half open in shock, awe, and utterly inspired…I mean it. Her comeback alone is unbelievably impressive. You won’t be sorry you watched this almost 2 hour documentary.

There you have it. If you’re feeling flat or uninspired, watching one of these will surely boost your spirits and drive some motivation from these strong female leads and boss energy. As much as I don’t love the phrase “girl boss,” I do love big energy, hard work, excitement about big dreams, and crushing goals and expectations–all of which these shows + movies offer up.

Do you have any favorites you would add to the list? Which shows or movies light you up and make you want to break glass ceilings? I’d love to hear if you have any recommendations! Find me on Instagram or send me an email.

Happy Monday and let’s bring big energy to the rest of the week! You’ve got plenty of inspiration now.