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Blowing my way to the top : how to break the rules, find your purpose, and create the life and career you deserve
2020
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Library Journal Review
Celebrity hairstylist (think: the Kardashians) Atkin shows that building an empire worth $80 million isn't as easy as she made it look; she had to break away from the remote, conservative religious community in which she was raised. With a 100,000-copy first printing.
Publishers Weekly Review
Celebrity hairstylist Atkin debuts with a winning blend of memoir and business advice. Raised as the middle daughter in a strict Mormon household in St. George, Utah, Atkin and best friend Lindsay moved to Salt Lake City after graduating high school in 1999. Following a chance encounter with musician Dave Matthews, Atkin and Lindsay headed to Los Angeles, where Atkin became the manager of an upscale salon, and later started her career as stylist to celebrities and launched a hair-care line. She then spun up the website Mane Addicts and the learning platform Mane University as a way to share knowledge with fledgling stylists. Atkin is generous when crediting the many people who helped, especially the Kardashian/Jenner family, who have worked with Atkin and promoted her brand since 2011. Her sensible advice on topics such as how to be confident (concentrate on "being someone worth believing in") or establish boundaries with friends and family will help anyone looking to build a career. Atkin's gratefulness for her many successes and determination to extend a helping hand to those on the way up are refreshing and inspiring. This spirited account will nudge any reader of self-help toward following their dreams. (Dec.)
Booklist Review
Atkin, an influencer and hair stylist, delivers solid advice on how to make it to the top. Atkin was adopted by a conservative Mormon family, but bucked all expectations and set out for Los Angeles to make her dreams a reality. She is now a stylist for A-list celebrities including Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and Hailey Bieber. As Atkin unfolds her narrative of how she gained footing in the celebrity styling world, and then built her personal brand, both in person and through social media, she shares tips like work hard, don't gossip, and build a strong personal network. Additionally, she shares mistakes and the lessons she learned from them as she developed her hair care brand, OUAI. Atkin gives insights on running a business like a feminist, managing competition, and creating socially conscious products. This book will appeal to young women, notably budding influencers or those who want to build their own personal brand or business. All readers will be able to grab practical advice on building a successful career, especially those who work in niche fields.
Summary


"An inspiring guide for how to go from dreamer to do-er, from someone who's been there, done that and wrote the book on it." --Chrissy Teigen, New York Times bestselling author of Cravings and Cravings: Hungry for More

"If you want to start a successful business, and do it in style, get this book and learn from its wise and empowering lessons." --Mindy Kaling, New York Times bestselling author of Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me and Why Not Me



From entrepreneur and celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin comes a smart and spirited guide to finding your voice and creating the life and career you deserve--along with a behind-the-scenes look into Jen's own wild and wonderful road to success.



Hailed by the New York Times as "the most influential hair stylist in the world," Jen Atkin is a celebrated businesswoman, influencer, and stylist and friend to A-list celebrities like the Kardashian-Jenners and Chrissy Teigen. But Jen's success didn't arrive overnight. Her glamorous, jet-setting lifestyle came from years of hard work, humility, and hustle. In Blowing My Way to the Top, Jen shatters the illusion of effortless, instant success that permeates social media to reveal the sweat, dedication, and drive it really takes to make it.

In this inspiring, insightful, and laugh-out-loud funny book, Jen chronicles her remarkable journey and shares what she's learned along the way. From growing up in a conservative Mormon community where girls were discouraged from pursuing their ambitions, to striking out on her own and finding success on the celebrity style circuit, to building the cult-status brand OUAI--Jen reveals with refreshing candor the lessons, mistakes, and memorable moments that have paved her road to success.

Jen also offers insight into the values that have allowed her to thrive in the modern, digital landscape, including the importance of creating authentic content, investing in community, and building social conscious into the ethos of a business. And as a trailblazer in a male-dominated industry, Jen speaks frankly about the challenges she's faced and provides crucial advice for other women, from the importance of running your business like a feminist to building camaraderie amid the competition to learning to navigate the work and life issues that impact women most.

At the end of the day, Jen has one simple message: If I can do it, you can too. Blowing My Way to the Top is destined to become the must-read career guide for a new generation, empowering readers everywhere with the permission to dream big--and the tools to make those dreams a reality.

Table of Contents
Introductionp. 1
Chapter 1Feeling Good as Hellp. 15
Chapter 2Keep It Classyp. 41
Chapter 3Don't Let the Internet Rush Youp. 57
Chapter 4It's Not About You. No, Really, It's Not About You.p. 87
Chapter 5Finding My OUAIp. 109
Chapter 6Setting Intentions ... and Changing Your Mindp. 123
Chapter 7All the Ladiesp. 143
Chapter 8Balance Is Bullshit (But You Can Still Try)p. 165
Chapter 9I Love You, Suze Ormanp. 203
Chapter 10Movin' On Upp. 225
Acknowledgmentsp. 239
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