Book Review: Kelly Cutrone "If You Have to Cry, Go Outside"

Photo: courtesy of the LA Times.

"If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You" (HarperCollins, 197 pages, $22.99.), by Kelly Cutrone, with Meredith Bryan:

Kelly Cutrone is honest and as real as it gets. She opens herself up and provides an intriguing read into her life story in her first book "If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You." As I got further into the book, I realized that Ms. Cutrone is doing MUCH more than simply telling her story. She is a teacher, mentor and spiritual guide. The interesting thing about Kelly Cutrone is that no matter how much she is portrayed as a hardcore brutal boss; you come to understand that she is truly a very caring person. She is brutally honest and if that comes to telling someone on her staff or her interns that they suck, then she is doing them a favor. She states that to find out WHO you ARE, you must learn WHO YOU ARE NOT. She is extremely spiritual, which you learn is one of the things that guides her business and life decisions and keeps her sane in the superficial world of fashion, runway models and dramatic designers.

Kelly seeped into public consciousness by appearing on MTV reality shows such as "The Hills" and "The City" where she was portrayed as an uber-b***h boss, ordering pretty interns to work harder,faster, longer and fire fellow colleagues who weren't going to cut the mustard in the world of PR. She also has her own show now on the Bravo network; "Kell on Earth". It was through this show that I was introduced to the world of Kelly Cutrone and the Public Relations company that she founded; "People's Revolution".

I found Kelly's no nonsense management style to be breath of fresh air. Her no frills office space is clean, modern and edgy. She works daily with world's top designers in the fashion industry and is the real deal. She IS her own brand and markets herself well. She tells her readers that there is a reason she dresses in all black. Its her uniform. She likens her staff and her extended family an army; one that is fighting the good fight; that of honesty, integrity and damn good straight-up business sense.

Kelly's story is a compelling one, and extremely relatable. She encourages ALL women, no matter what industry they may be in or are pursing, to find their true voice, to listen to their instincts no matter how wacky they may seem, and make career choices for the right reasons; not by guided by voices from your parents, your friends, Hollywood or society in general. Kelly's book is an inspiration and should be read by all women who are interested in bettering themselves in their career and life in general.