Fun. Fearless. Female.
That is the motto of Cosmopolitan magazine and I believe that one of their former editor-in-chiefs might just embody that better than anyone else. Kate White is an inspiration to women, especially to those of us who are about to start or just starting our careers. She is passionate, smart, and knows how to get the job done. I mean, she got the job of being the editor-in-chief of Cosmo without even applying, and if that doesn't show how amazing she is, I don't know what will. Of course, White has done more than just build the brand of Cosmo, she is also an amazing author. Carly Heitlinger, the blogger behind The College Prepster, raved about White's book, I Shouldn't Be Telling You This, a while ago and I knew I would have to read it.
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Now, we know she is great, but what about this book caused me to declare her an inspiration and virtual mentor? White's book does more than just shine a light on women's success or failures in the working world, she actually gives some amazing advice on how to get out in the working world and absolutely kick butt. I am not going to sit here and list out what she says because y'all have to read her book, but I will tell you that she has helped me to reevaluate my life and my success. I actually bought the book in the fall, but didn't have the chance to finish it until the plane down to Tampa, primarily because I hadn't had the time I wanted to dedicate to reading the book over the last few months.
Every time I got the chance to read her book, I felt like she was not only telling me how to approach situations in the working world, but how to absolutely dominate them. She doesn't inundate you with repetitive, common knowledge information. If she was just telling me that I have to go out there and dress well and be engaging in an interview, this book wouldn't be worth my time. Instead of those run-of-the-mill ideas, it seems that White cracks open a vault of those secrets CEOs use to get to the top without ever sharing. Of course, there are some chapters that focus on skills I already have or don't apply to me, but overall, I feel like I learned how to better myself through this book.
One my favorite pieces of advice she gives is identifying the importance of and growing your own brand. Admittedly, I can more directly relate to this because I have a blog and that is a brand within itself, but to think of the effort I put into my blog and life as reflecting on my own personal brand gives it some tangible worth. How you present yourself will dictate where you get in the personal and professional worlds.
The coupling of advice and anecdotes prevented it from reading like either a memoir or a self-help book. I would say it reads more like a long coffee date than anything else. On that note, I think having coffee with Kate White would be amazing, just to have the chance to chat with her about all the experiences she has had and what she has learned. Since that is a bit of a stretch, I will settle for getting my advice from her book. And why not take the advice of an incredibly successful, poised, and inspirational woman? There is no need to reinvent the wheel and, if you read her book, you will be steps ahead of the competition out there in the real world.
Now, some of you may be wondering how this compares to Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In, and I have read both. While I enjoyed Sandberg's book, I felt like White was more helpful for where I am in my life. White gives more advice on how to succeed, while Sandberg brings to light how hard it has been to get women to speak up and earn the same respect as men in the working world. That being said, I would recommend both, just being aware that you will get a different message out of each of them, which is actually a good thing!
I reviewed White's book and others on GoodReads and if any of y'all are on there, I would love to connect. I am such a book worm and am always looking for new recommendations. Have you read Kate White's books? What is your favorite piece of advice from reading them?
xoxo,
SSP
