Book of the Week: If You Have to Cry, Go Outside

I was so excited to receive a copy of Kelly Cutrone's new book, If You Have to Cry, Go Outside and Other Things Your Mother Never Told You, to read and review.  I love Kelly from The Hills and The City (and now her own show Kell On Earth) and its always been obvious to me that this is a lady who demands respect and is a real breath of fresh air.  Sure, she can be tough and critical at times, but it seems to me that she wants the best for (and from) her employees and she wants the people she's training to succeed.  So Kelly doesn't have a lot of patience for idiots and incompetence, I don't think that's one of her faults.

Part memoir, part advice book, If You Have to Cry is Kelly speaking directly to young women trying to succeed in their personal and professional lives.  If you're looking for behind-the-scenes gossip about her reality shows this isn't the read for you.  Instead, this is Kelly discussing how to deal with insecurities and fears and trying to impart some of the wisdom she's gathered over the years to others who aspire to succeed as she has.

"You can't truly feel joy if you've never felt heartbreak.  You can't really know what its like to be filled unless you've been empty." [p 48]

I'm not one for self-help books, but this one doesn't come across this way.  Its just frank advice, make of it what you will.  Kelly counsels you to follow your dreams and find your "tribe" -- people who share your dreams and encourage them, "but beware, tribal relationships are a two-way street.  As you forge your own tribe, you'll become a member of other tribes and, ultimately, if you're lucky, a tribal elder yourself.  This means you'll be compelled to give and give, even when nothing's in it for you."  [p 24]

"Women should spend as much time look for a religion of their own as they do trying to find a hot guy..." [p 75]

This book never seemed preachy to me, probably because Cutrone lays down her own life experiences as examples and seems sincere in wanting to share the lessons she's learned during her struggles and successes.  Kelly takes you from her childhood in Syracuse to building her own thriving business (more than once) through to her drug addiction and the joys and struggles of single motherhood.  The book--like Kelly appears to be--is smart and funny and wonderfully blunt.

"If anyone really wanted to change the world they'd bring in the fashion bitches because no one gets things done faster.  If we went about saving the world like we go about producing fashion shows, well, let's just say New Orleans after Katrina would have been sorted." [p 83]

via Fashionologie

"You look at your child and you just know from the beginning she's going to break your heart...You know she's going to steal your credit card and your cell phone and lie to you...But you love her and you want for her anyway and its the most beautiful, selfless love; you instinctively know you'd do anything for her regardless of what she chooses to do to you." [p 114]

If you like click here to browse inside.  Has anyone else read this one?  I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

4/5

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