I have read a lot of books in my life, but none have inspired me as much as “If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You” by Kelly Cutrone.
Kelly Cutrone is a fashion publicist and founder of the public relations firm People’s Revolution. You may have seen her on The Hills as Lauren Conrad’s boss or maybe you watched her on her own reality series Kell on Earth. I watched both of these shows and came to the conclusion that Kelly Cutrone was a typical PR Bitch. I honestly didn’t like her that much and thought she was rude and short tempered.
Last summer I was browsing the library stacks and saw her book on the shelf. I decided to check it out and see what it was all about because at the time everyone was talking about it.
It took me exactly one day to read the book. It was so good I couldn’t put it down. I even wrote down notes and quotes while reading it because I thought what she was saying was so important.
The book is about Cutrone’s career. She talks about the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of the PR industry. But the most important things I took away from the book came from her personal experiences. I learned that it takes a lot of determination to be successful and if you lose your way on life’s path it is never to late to start again.
Cutrone is obviously a very successful publicist, but her path to the top was very turbulent. She began her career working at a PR agency in NYC, then worked at a magazine, and finally started her first PR fim. She then sold her company, moved to California, became addicted to drugs, recovered, and started her life over again. She founded People’s Revolution in 1996 and the company has grown into one of the most powerful fashion PR companies in the world.
After reading her book I realized that Cutrone is a very spiritual person and I think that has helped her to become a strong businesswoman. I realized that those “PR Bitches” that everyone is inevitably scared of are actually not bitches at all, they are just business people. They want to get things done in the most efficient manner they can and sometimes that means getting straight to the point.
This book helped me realize that thick skin is essential in the business world and you can’t be offended if someone tells you your work stinks, you just have to re-do it and do it better. Crying won’t solve anything, but working hard will.
Another thing this book taught me is that believing in yourself and being comfortable with who you are contributes to your success. One of Cutrone’s mantras is “You are Divine.” This mantra is meant to remind you how important you are. When people are working towards success, they often forget how important they are.
This book taught me to never forget who I am and to take time to reflect on how I am doing as a person before I reflect on how successful I am. You have to remember that “you are divine” and no one can take that away from you.
If you are unsure of your life path and are looking for some inspiration, I would definitely recommend that you read this book. It really made me feel more comfortable with myself and the path I am taking.
Photo uploaded to Flickr Creative Commons.
