Kelly Cutrone

Kelly Cutrone – Life, Career, and Inspiring Wisdom

Kelly Cutrone (born November 13, 1965) is an American publicist, author, television personality, and entrepreneur. Best known for founding the PR firm People’s Revolution and writing candid motivational memoirs, her life story offers lessons in resilience, authenticity, and carving your own path.

Introduction

Kelly Cutrone is a figure who blends boldness, candor, and entrepreneurial grit. While many know her from her appearances on The Hills, The City, or America’s Next Top Model, her foundation lies in the world of fashion public relations and branding. More than a media personality, she is a mentor to many, a voice of tough love, and a storyteller who urges people to lean into their inner voice.

Early Life and Background

Kelly Cutrone (née Kelly Blanding) was born around November 13, 1965, in Camillus, New York. She attended Syracuse University, graduating in 1986.

After college, she relocated to New York City to begin her career in PR. She first worked for publicist Susan Blond for about a year, and then briefly served as director of communications at Spin magazine under Bob Guccione.

Soon after, she co-founded Cutrone & Weinberg with Jason Weinberg, taking on clients such as Eartha Kitt and Mark Ronson.

Career and Achievements

Founding People’s Revolution

In 1996, after selling her share in her first firm and experimenting briefly with tarot reading, Cutrone established People’s Revolution, her signature fashion PR and branding firm.

Her firm quickly rose in prominence, representing major fashion brands and orchestrating high-visibility campaigns. A notable milestone: on September 11, 2002, People’s Revolution produced a record number of fashion shows in a single day during New York Fashion Week—five shows in one day.

Television & Media Presence

Kelly’s personality and approach translated to television:

• She appeared on MTV’s The Hills, integrating her PR work and mentoring roles into the show’s narrative.

• She also featured on The City, serving as a guide and boss to the show’s participants.

• In 2010, she produced Kell on Earth, a Bravo reality show that followed the operations of People’s Revolution and the demands of fashion week.

• From 2011 onward, she was a judge on America’s Next Top Model (seasons 18–22).

Through her television work, she became a known face to audiences who might not otherwise be familiar with behind-the-scenes fashion PR work.

Authorship & Message

Cutrone has published at least two widely read books:

1. If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You (2010) — a memoir and advice book that became a New York Times bestseller.

2. Normal Gets You Nowhere (2011) — a follow-up work continuing her motivational, direct messaging.

Her books blend personal stories, industry insight, and life lessons—often delivered with blunt honesty.

Personality, Style, & Philosophy

Kelly Cutrone is known for being uncompromising, outspoken, and deeply committed to authenticity. She pushes people to find their own voice and resist settling for the expected path.

Her style often emphasizes:

• Tough love: She doesn't shy from saying hard truths.

• Self-belief and inner voice: She repeatedly emphasizes listening to one’s own instincts.

• Growth from failure: She frames mistakes and hardships as essential teachers.

• Reinvention: She has shifted roles and reinvented her career while staying true to her values.

She conveys a belief that success is not about mimicking others, but about cultivating and monetizing what is uniquely “you.”

Famous Quotes

Here are several memorable and characteristic quotes by Kelly Cutrone:

1. “This is an important lesson to remember when you’re having a bad day, a bad month, or a shitty year. Things will change: you won’t feel this way forever. And anyway, sometimes the hardest lessons to learn are the ones your soul needs most.”

2. “When you're following your inner voice, doors tend to eventually open for you, even if they mostly slam at first.”

3. “In breaking away from the familiar and the expected, you’ll be forced and privileged to face greater challenges, learn harder lessons, and really get to know yourself.”

4. “I advise you to stop sharing your dreams with people who try to hold you back, even if they’re your parents. Because … you will not get there by hanging around a bunch of people who tell you you’re not extraordinary.”

5. “After all, you can’t truly be happy if you’ve never known pain. You can’t truly feel joy if you’ve never felt heartbreak. You can’t know what it’s like to be filled unless you’ve been empty.”

6. “You find out who you are by figuring out who and what you’re not.”

These quotes together capture her core messages: growth through adversity, self-discovery, and the courage to break away from expectations.

Lessons & Takeaways

From Kelly Cutrone’s life and career, we can distill several guiding lessons:

• Embrace discomfort and risk
  Success often demands stepping off the safe path, enduring setbacks, and redefining yourself.

• Listen inward, don’t outsource identity
  Many of her admonitions center on trusting one’s own voice instead of conforming to others’ expectations.

• Failure is essential
  She frames mistakes and tough times as necessary catalysts for growth, not shameful detours.

• Reinvention is possible
  Her journey—from PR to TV to writing—shows that careers can evolve while staying connected to one’s core values.

• Speak truth, even when it’s hard
  Her direct style is a reminder that influence often comes from honesty, even if it initially offends or disrupts.