So the title reads true for me, my mother never told me to go outside if I have to cry.  It sounds harsh, but it’s probably some good advice for any woman in the business world.  I was pleasantly surprised by Kelly’s book.  When I bought it, I was expecting 200 pages on how smart and awesome she is and basically a love letter to herself but what was actually published is an honest and real tale of  how she basically hit rock bottom (with some scary drug habits) before she started People’s Revolution and ended up at the top.

When I read the first reference she made to cocaine and crystal meth, I was so shocked that I actually read the sentence twice.  I thought “my GOD, she owns a business, she really wants to put that out there?” but that’s just Kelly Cutrone for you.  She’s real.  And smart.  And I’m the first to admit that I actually like and respect the woman, especially when she goes into how she tried to convince her daughter, Ava, that she shouldn’t buy into the whole Disney princess thing. “From Snow White to Belle, every woman is damaged until some guy shows up and makes everything okay.”

She failed, but it was a valient effort.

I’ve had many bosses in my PR career…some were smart, some weren’t so smart.  Some were nice, some were mean bitches.  The thing about PR that has always bothered me is the lying and “spinning” of the truth.  And, according to Kelly, “why shouldn’t a publicist tell the truth?”  I  too have a real issue with lying and being dishonest, which is why a smile actually came to my face when I read a quote from Kelly’s 4th chapter :

“Speaking the truth has made me some enemies.  But it has also gotten me much further than I would have otherwise progressed in life.  Let’s face it: being nice does not always remove obstacles, and in fact sometimes it creates them.  That’s why, the next time you hug someone you secretly despise and say ‘it’s great to see you,’ I want you to bite your lip.  You don’t have to say anything you do not mean, and I urge you not to.”