Kelsey Peters: The Other Side Of Ageism In The Workplace When A Woman Is Deemed To Be Too Young To Be Taken Seriously – And How Liza Helped Her Overcome This Crisis Throughout Their Friendship

I couldn’t relate to being judged for being too old for an opportunity. Too experienced – yes. Too old – never. Or at least not that I know. The previous blog entry was all about society’s problematic take on women getting older. It’s scary how it works. Women are made to be afraid of it, and therefore, held back from achieving their best work and everything they dream of doing. It’s like…a woman can’t ever just be happy; her best self. She’s always conditioned. Women are treated as though it’s some type of crime to start their lives over when they feel unfulfilled with what they have. God forbid if they want more.

I’m not yet in my 40’s, and yet, I feel some type of way about starting my life over and doing such a thing as go back to school because I feel unfulfilled in my life. I keep asking myself, ‘Am I too old?’ I’m so tired of feeling unhappy. This feeling makes me stressed, anxious; even angry. Society has told women like me to just be comfortable. But comfort doesn’t make me happy. I want to be challenged. I want to continue learning and growing as a person; no matter how old I get.

While my previous blog entry put an emphasis on how older, and by older I mean aged 35 and up, women face ageism in the workplace, it’s important not to assume they younger women are being held back from advancing in their careers due to ageism – reversed ageism. Caroline Fairchild, editor in chief and VP of education at Lean In, said of the matter at hand, ‘Young women are saying that [ageism] is leading to missed opportunities—whether it’s promotions, raises, or other career-advancing opportunities. They feel like because of the way that they present or the way they look or just their age in general, they’re having a harder time being taken seriously.’

Ageism against young women, or “youngism,” involves dismissing their competence, authority, or experience due to their age, often forcing them to work harder to prove their worth. Research indicates that 49% of women under 30 experience ageism, more than older women, often leading to them being excluded from leadership or referred to by diminutive, infantilizing terms. To break it down more thoroughly:

Key Aspects of Ageism for Younger Women

• Workplace Dismissal: Young women are frequently perceived as too inexperienced or not serious enough, leading to “broken rungs” in career advancement where they struggle to move into management.

• “Too Young” Bias: Contrary to the belief that only older people face ageism, women in their 20s and 30s are highly susceptible to being denied leadership opportunities because it is seen as “not their turn”.

• Double Standards: While young men are often promoted based on potential, young women are often required to prove their worth through extensive, demonstrated accomplishment.

• Infantilizing Language: Young women in positions of power report being called “kiddo” or “young lady,” which undermines their authority.

• Forced Age Projection: Some young women feel compelled to dress more conservatively, change their hair, or constantly highlight their experience to appear older and more credible. 

Impact on Professional Growth

• High Incidence: According to a 2024 McKinsey report, 49% of women under 30 report ageism, compared to 38% of women over 60.

• Lower Promotion Rates: For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 81 women are promoted, a gap that is even wider for women of color, partly due to this bias.

• Performance Pressure: Young women report having to work harder to overcome stereotypes, leading to higher stress and lower self-confidence. 

Combatting Youngism

• Advocate for Self: Clearly communicate achievements and value to counter assumptions based on tenure.

• Mentorship and Sponsorship: Seeking leaders who recognize potential over years of experience.

• Feedback Culture: Organizations should create environments where contributions are recognized regardless of age.

While we heavily spoke of Liza’s arc as she navigated through age discrimination in the workforce in Younger, we only mentioned the ageism younger women face in their 20s. In the case of Kelsey Peters, played by Hilary Duff, that was exactly what had happened. Throughout the show’s 7 seasons, she was often dismissed or undervalued due to being in her 20s despite her talent as a publisher. While Liza masks her true age to overcome age-based hiring discrimination, Kelsey faces skepticism regarding her maturity, experience, and professionalism from older colleagues. To break it down more thoroughly:

Key Aspects of Ageism Affecting Kelsey:

• The “Young” Stereotype: Kelsey is often viewed as too young and inexperienced to be a boss, with her impulsive decisions—such as a detrimental drunken social media post—used to validate this bias.

• Generational Gatekeeping: The show highlighted how older, established industry figures use cultural references and slang as a form of “ageist gatekeeping” against millennials like Kelsey.

• “Reverse” Ageism: While Liza faced discrimination for being too old, Kelsey deals with being dismissed for being too young, illustrating that ageism in the workplace works in both directions.

• Internalized Immaturity: The narrative often framed Kelsey’s professional struggles as a result of her being a “27-year-old kid,” which some viewers argue highlighted her immaturity, while others see it as the show’s writers reinforcing a, perhaps, unfair, stereotype.

• The “Carrie Bradshaw” Comparison: As a stylish, ambitious woman in a creative field, Kelsey was portrayed as a millennial counterpart to older characters, sometimes judged for her “messy” personal life. 

Despite her obvious talent and success in launching the Millennial imprint, Kelsey was constantly forced to prove herself, dealing with the presumption that her age equated to lack of capability. Often times, Kelsey seemed immature and unprofessional; even behaving like a sloppy teenager. This childish attitude coming from her was very much understandable. I mean, how would you have acted if you were a woman in your mid-20’s trying to get ahead and just never given a chance because everyone around is underestimating you?

Kelsey wasn’t stupid. She wasn’t just a “dumb blonde” that others saw in her. Perhaps the one person who saw the real Kelsey behind the mask and her truest potential was Liza and that was why they became such true friends. Kelsey’s reaction to Liza’s real age in the season 3 finale marked a shift in their relationship. Her reaction was a mix of shock and understanding as they grappled with societal expectations surrounding age and ambition, with Kelsey being viewed as too young and Liza as too old. Seeing the entire conflict between them unfold was a blend of humor and heartfelt sincerity that made Younger resonate so well with its audience.

Both Liza and Kelsey were finding themselves and where they fit in the world as society judged them both differently. Together as a team, they helped each other embrace their authentic selves. They became each other’s biggest allies in a workplace that was so against them. In hindsight, they were the real love story of the series. Their relationship evolved from a workplace rivalry into a deep, “ride-or-die” friendship that acts as the show’s core love story. Despite initial tensions when Kelsey discovers 40-year-old Liza’s age secret, they become indispensable allies, navigating publishing, professional, and personal drama, often prioritizing their bond over romantic, and sometimes even professional, pursuits. To break it down more thoroughly:

Evolution of the Relationship:

• Mentor/Mentee to Best Friends: Initially, 40-year-old Liza poses as a 26-year-old and works under the younger, ambitious editor Kelsey Peters. They soon form a close partnership, with Liza acting as a calming influence on the younger woman.

• The Big Secret Reveal: In the season 3 finale, after seasons of lying, Liza confessed her true age to a shocked and initially furious Kelsey. This creates a massive rift, but Kelsey eventually forgives her, becoming her strongest ally in keeping the secret.

• Professional Partnership: Their bond is solidified through shared career goals, culminating in them forming their own publishing venture (Inkubator).

• Toxic or True Love? While framed as a core love story, the relationship is sometimes seen as unbalanced, with Kelsey frequently making mistakes that Liza must manage, creating friction, particularly regarding their boss (and later, Liza’s lover) Charles. 

Ultimately, the series showed that despite their ups and downs and professional separations, Liza and Kelsey remained fundamental to each other’s lives and career, proving their bond to be more lasting than many of their romantic relationships. 

The ending of Younger was actually NOT a happy ending. Kelsey received an offer to run Inkubator through a company co-owned by Reese Witherspoon. This meant that she’d be moving to Los Angeles. I was somewhat disappointed. Throughout the entirety of the 7th season, I was rooting for Liza and Kelsey leaving their respective roles at Charles’ firm to start their own firm. I didn’t care for Liza’s relationship with Charles. I was actually glad they didn’t end up together. Liza deserved more than he could offer her as a life partner. I didn’t care for her and Josh ending up together either. Their ending was more of an open ending for their arc; a mirrored reflection of how they met years prior, which was somewhat confusing because they barely interacted with one another in that season completely. Kelsey ended her arc without a man by her side which was honestly SO good. I just wish she and Liza still had each other.

Like Charles’ ex-wife Pauline told Liza when she tried to encourage her to get back together with Charles, ‘I can tell you what’s happening with that story and it needs a rewrite.’ Perhaps the season finale needed a rewrite, with the exception of Charles and Liza not ending up together. If Liza was just going to end up back where she was seven years prior, meeting Josh at a bar, then what was even the point of the entire show? The entire 7th season was aiming to tell us that Liza and Kelsey weren’t happy in their positions at Charles’ firm and with him being their new boss, with him constantly undermining them. Kelsey and Liza made plans to open their own firm. That was until Kelsey’s shitty boyfriend tried to use his influence to get her to sell the literary app she and Liza had been developing to a certain venture capitalist firm so he would get a finders fee. Kelsey seemed defeated and confused by the mere prospect of it all up to the very end. Having Reese Witherspoon invest in her and move to Los Angeles made her look somewhat foolish.

Maybe this move that the writers chose for Kelsey had to do with the planned spinoff series surrounding Kelsey that never saw the green light. Most of the characters ended up at an approximation of where fans wanted them to be, with Liza and Kelsey focusing on their careers, Charles out of the picture, Team Josh with an advantage. The storytelling, especially in the end by the series finale was the most uninspired, lazy way to punish us for being so invested in their journeys.

Kelsey went through a lot of growth and self-preservation throughout the series’ run. She evolved and became a much better person than when we were first introduced to one another. She went from working as a junior editor to a, at times, overwhelmed editor-in-chief and entrepreneur. Throughout the series, she acts as a mentor to Liza Miller while dealing with, often turbulent, romantic relationships and the pressure of running her own imprint, Millennial Print. She had an eye for everything; quickly identifying trends and signs fresh talent, such as in the case of Anto.

Through and through, she relied on her friendship with Liza to cope with her mental health and demanding job. She dealt with crises, including anxiety attacks over the demands of her career. In turn, Kelsey was very instrumental in helping Liza adjust to the publishing world, with their friendship being a core part of the show. However, their professional relationship faced challenges when their business goals sometimes became conflicting. Together, they were headed to bring an app to life which would aim to help new writers find their voice in a world that barely listens to them or cares what they have to say.

As a young woman, Kelsey was dominating a career path in a male-dominated industry. She was constantly dismissed and being told “no” simply because she was a woman and in her 20s. Nevertheless, she was always ambitious and never stopped trying to be the best version of herself. By the end of the series’ run, she finally chose her own path, without any man being in her way – both in a professional manner, as well as personal. She found someone who believed in her visionary spirit and invested in her. She made a decision to move to California, which scared her but also liberated her. She was scared to leave her old life behind but was excited for the future. Maybe that was the whole point of the ending to her story. I just wish Liza went with her. That would’ve been the perfect ending for both – then leaving their pasts behind to brave the inevitable future ahead of them to make room for better things as they navigated through hardships trying to fit in a world that was against them.

Kelsey was seen being scared to turn 30. She told Liza, ‘Millennials, we’re not the young kids on the block anymore. I’m not sure what defines me now.’ To which Liza said, ‘Look: we’re all mash-ups. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that age is irrelevant.’ And she was absolutely right about that. Liza and Kelsey’s respective journeys were one and the same. They were both seen as less than in the workforce. Liza for being too old; Kelsey for being too young. Liza had to lie her way around stereotypes to fit the publishing landscape. Kelsey had to work 10 times harder just to prove she was worthy; and even then it wasn’t enough. She had to leave her position and start her own vision in order to do so. Together as a team, they became a small circle of ambitious people jockeying for power, enduring mergers and triumphs and setbacks. 

Kelsey wasn’t the type of woman that needed to be fed workplace stories with a baby spoon, but those around her felt like she did and treated her as such. Liza was the only exception. That was exactly what made them so perfectly balanced and in sync with one another. They understood each other like no other. Both faced age discrimination in different ways. In the world of womanhood, Liza was deemed too old, whereas Kelsey was deemed too young. In a world that didn’t make sense for the two women to be united as a team, they became even more. They were more than just “work besties”. They were soulmates. They fought for each other’s success and freedom. They fought for each other’s ambitions to be more and do more than what they were told they were capable of doing.

We, as people, all make assumptions based on perceived age, whether we intend to or not, and these assumptions can quickly turn into discrimination. This assumptions almost comes naturally without us even realizing we’re making it. Rather than treating age as a value based on experience, we need to recognize it for what it is: a number, nothing more. Both Liza and Kelsey represented exactly that. Together they fought a generational divide, challenging industry norms, and fostering a mentorship-driven partnership that proves competence is not defined by age. To break it down more thoroughly:

Liza’s Fight Against Ageism (The “Older” Perspective)

• Subverting Ageist Hiring: At 40, after failing to find work, Liza lies about her age to pass as a 26-year-old, highlighting how the industry “ages out” experienced women.

• Challenging “Relevant” Trends: Liza proves that her maturity, experience, and work ethic are more valuable than just understanding youthful slang or social media trends, ultimately becoming an indispensable editor.

• Redefining “Age-Queer”: In later seasons, Liza embraces her true age and identity, refusing to be defined by a number, even coining herself “age-queer” to challenge the industry’s obsession with youth. 

Kelsey’s Fight Against Ageism (The “Younger” Perspective)

• Mentorship Across Generations: Despite being younger, Kelsey takes 40-year-old Liza under her wing, promoting a collaborative environment rather than a competitive one based on seniority.

• Defying “Inexperienced” Stereotypes: As a 20-something, Kelsey fights for her spot as a respected publisher, proving that younger women can hold high-powered positions and be leaders in their field.

• Validating Experience over Youth: Kelsey learns to value the seasoned, nuanced perspective that Liza brings to publishing, helping to break down the barrier that Millennials and Gen-Xers cannot work together effectively. 

Together in the Workplace

• Creating “Millennial Print”: They form a partnership that blends experience (Liza) with modern, fresh ideas (Kelsey), showing that the best work comes from intergenerational collaboration.

• Standing Up to Age-Based Assumptions: They jointly fight against the notion that people must fit into a box based on their age, with Kelsey ultimately accepting and defending Liza despite the initial deception about her age.

If there’s one thing I can take away from Liza and Kelsey is the power of female friendships. Not only that, but the power of age-gap female friendships and all the good it can bring. Their bond greatly highlighted that trust and support can overcome significant obstacles. No matter the age, status, stage in life, or other, there’s really something so beautiful in such a relationship.

1. True Friendship Transcends Age and Status

• Mentorship is Two-Way: Despite the age gap, they learn from each other. Kelsey taught Liza about navigating the fast-paced, digital, and trendy millennial workplace, while Liza brought maturity, stability, and “motherly” advice to Kelsey’s, sometimes volatile,, career and personal life.

• Vulnerability Creates Bonds: While initially built on a lie, their friendship deepened through shared, high-stakes, professional, and personal struggles, proving that authentic connection can be formed at any stage of life. 

2. The Power of Forgiveness and Empathy

• Forgiveness is a Process: When Kelsey discovered Liza’s secret, she feels betrayed. However, the show illustrated that forgiving someone wasn’t a quick fix; it’s a difficult, sometimes messy, but ultimately rewarding, process that strengthens a relationship.

• Empathy Over Anger: When Kelsey finally understood why Liza lied—to secure a job, and because of her genuine, protective nature (especially during moments where Liza acts as a “mother figure” to her)—she chose to understand rather than to condemn. 

3. Professional Synergy and Support

• A “Powerhouse” Team: They are at their best when they act as a team, sharing a common vision for their work at Millennial.

• Lifting Each Other Up: In a frequently competitive work environment, they often chose to support each other. When one is down or overwhelmed, the other steps in to help pick up the pieces, showing that collaboration beats competition. 

4. Setting Boundaries and Honesty

• Consequences Matter: The show made it clear that while they loved each other, the betrayal of trust had real consequences. Kelsey needed to process her anger, and Liza needed to take responsibility for her actions.

• Honesty is Essential for Long-Term Success: Ultimately, the strength of their bond relied on them being able to confront difficult truths and move forward with greater honesty. 

5. Prioritizing Female Friendship

• Friendship First: Despite romantic entanglements and intense professional pressure, Liza and Kelsey often prioritized their bond over other, more temporary relationships.

• Support Over Judgement: They showed that a best friend is someone who supports you even when they don’t agree with your choices, offering a safe space to be vulnerable and, sometimes, to fail. 

In summary, Liza and Kelsey’s relationship highlights that with empathy, forgiveness, and mutual support, friendship can overcome, almost any obstacle, including a 14-year age difference and a massive, foundational lie. 

Society teaches us women to be in competition with one another; to be angry at each other and put each other down. Liza and Kelsey did the very opposite. They lifted each other up. They both wanted the other to succeed just as much as they themselves wanted to succeed, if not more. They saw the best in each other when no one else did. They rooted for each other. They strengthened their friendship by being their authentic selves…always. Through and through no matter what happened in her life, Liza had always made her relationship with Kelsey her main priority.

Like Liza, Kelsey made many mistakes, but no matter what, Liza was always someone she could lean on. They were an incredible team. They made each other better. No matter what happened at Empirical, they had each other’s backs. They were each other’s source of support. No matter the situation or bump in the road, their friendship would always remain strong. No matter the triumph, it was always about an acknowledgment of pain, vulnerability, and ultimately love between them.