Our stories start the same.

Kelly moved to New York at the age of 22 from a small town outside of Syracuse, without a specific purpose, simply because she knew the city was calling her.  She arrived without knowing a soul and with very few possessions, except for the beleaguered blessing from her father (which wasn’t easy to come by).

I moved to New York at the age of 22 from Halifax, Nova Scotia, without a specific purpose and without knowing a soul, because I too believed that this was the city where my dreams would come true. My parents were also very supportive, but with the cautionary “Alyson, New York is a lovely place to visit, but its really not a place to live.”

Soon–from our East Village apartments, we both discovered PR and that much of what we had been doing our whole lives–our skills and our passions–were perfectly suited for the business.

Fortunately, our similarities diverge here, and I was able to skip the decade of drug addiction, failed marriages and homelessness–although it does sound par for the course from what you hear about the East Village in the late 80s /early 90s.

Without judgment though, it was such a vicarious experience to read about Kelly’s trials and tribulations which have clearly led her to become the grounded, extremely successful, loving mother, and villain we absolutely love to hate on shows like MTV’s “The Hills,” “The City,” and Bravo’s “Kell on Earth.”

Her book is a true motivator for any female entrepreneur or business owner, outing that ‘little voice inside your head’ also known as ’self doubt,’ by identifying your ‘true voice,’ and when and where it’s time to listen to it.  She confirms that there are ups and downs in business, constant fear and excitement in career, and that it’s possible to be a woman and truly ‘have it all.’  I love that she admits she had no idea what she was doing at first–practice makes perfect.

Her attitude in business and in life is authentic.  Though our styles are completely different, I strive to follow her lead of authenticity and honesty, and I’m going to keep a “What would Kelly do?” approach in my back pocket the next time ‘times get tough.’

The book, which released in March 2010, is now on The New York Times Bestseller’s list, and with good reason.

Some favorite quotes from the book (via Styleit.com):

An explanation of the book’s purpose:

“…[T]his isn’t a book about how to be a smart businesswoman, because I’m not a smart businesswoman. Frankly, I’m not even that smart. What I am is fearless and intuitive. I’m attuned to the sound of my inner voice, and I’ve been following it blindly for most of my life, without any clear goals.”

On the name of her company:

“I named my company People’s Revolution not because I’m a Communist – a popular misconception – but because I happen to believe the world will change only when we change ourselves. And that starts with finding ourselves. And that starts with listening to ourselves…”

On the importance of hard work:

“It was becoming obvious that I needed more than witty small talk and the right look to survive in this town. [Y]ou can fake your way to the table, but ultimately you have to learn how to eat. Clothes do not make the woman (even if they do make her look good).”

On her work ethic:

“These days, I continue to call members of the media myself rather than outsourcing the work to my staffers, because you can never be too good for the things that first made you successful. I will always remember that at twenty-three years old, as an untrained and unknown publicity newbie from Syracuse, I tried my best to get the whole country talking about my message with no staff, no office, no assistant, no Blackberry, and no know-how, just with conviction, truth, and balls. And it worked.”

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

And Haven, which is definitely not in your typical “going-out” district, is agreeably ahead of the pack. It’s really cute! To quote from their press kit: “Haven is an enchanting oasis that serves a fantasy living room, complete with furnishings and trinkets from abroad, in a two-story villa like townhouse.” That really paints the picture and sums up the space. Also very cool, because it is 2.5 levels, it has this wrought-iron fire-escape like balcony across the front of the building on the 2nd level, where everyone at the party was hanging out. It felt like a true house party, yet not!

I ran into lots of fun, familiar faces at the event, which was hosted by Lizzie Grubman PR, including the venue’s new event-planner, and former Steak Frites Event Planner, and former, former Gallaghers Event Planner, and former, former, former Slate Event Planner: Sam Boudloche (Sam – I’m following you everywhere!).

In other exciting Haven news: Benji Madden (AKA: Paris Hilton’s new BF and Nicole Richie’s Bro-to-be-In-Law) will be spinning there on the official opening night, next week, September 24th.

***
RANDOM side story: On our commute from Venue #2 (The Zipper) to Venue #3 (Haven), we could NOT catch a cab for the life of us (as is only the case when you’re realllllly in a rush). Finally, up rolls a pedicab or “rickshaw” if you will (which tend to be a rip-off). Me, in my new found trip-winning glory, figured “hey – let’s seize the moment,” this will be a fun memory for me and my visiting Cali-girl: Sarah. Turns out it really was a great way to see the city from West 38th up to East 51st, while almost dying a few times along the way (of course).

Sarah to Random Pedicab Driver (AKA Rob): I know a girl who used to be a Pedicab driver in NYC.
Rob: Really, what was her name?
Sarah: Rachel
Rob: Wait, Rachel with the red hair, who just moved back to Oregon?
Sarah: Ummm, YES, oh my gosh, how do we know her!?
Rob: I know a few of the other drivers, here and there, its our own sub-culture. Rachel’s a great actress.
Sarah: YES!
Me: Utter Bewilderment.

…New York is so amazingly small… yet so global all at the same time… I love it!

*Sarah & I with wind-blown hair, cruising in the Pedicab.

(Alyson Campbell for Its All Very PR)

The evening’s book launch was celebrating the Top 10 New (and subsequently Best) Hotels in “The Americas”. Whether or not these are in any particular order, I’m not sure, but I’d be happy to win a 3 night stay (which they were raffling off, still waiting for the phone to ring…) at even just the NYC Location of Choice (the Lucky #7 pick and host of the evening’s soiree) for a luxurious quasi-escape from New York reality.

For all my travelers, here is the list:

1. La Purificadora (Puebla, Mexico)
2. Winvian (Litchfield Hills, CT, USA)
3. Fasano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
4. The Huntley Hotel (Santa Monica, CA, USA)
5. Remota (Puerto Natales, Chile)
6. Amanyara (Providenciales, Turks and Caicos)
7. The Bowery Hotel (New York, NY USA)
8. La Suite (Rio de Janerio, Brazil)
9. Chambers (Minneapolis, MN, USA)**
10. Awasi (San Pedro de Atacama, Chile)

**Speaking of Minneapolis: did you know it ranked as 3rd (out of 10) for “Best City for Singles”, beating out NYC as 8th!? Minneapolis has been popping up everywhere lately, apparently its the new “black”.

The rest of the evening was thoroughly enjoyable, especially the passed hors d’oeuvres, which involved your traditional fare, but more importantly the ultra-mini-melt-in-your-mouth chocolate-chip-&-creme-cookie-dessert-sandwiches that followed behind them. The networking was good, too, I met “John,” an entrepreneur, who is soon to launch a city-guide of sorts that will “cater to a more chic crowd” (much like this one) of which he tells me I’m not allowed to mention on my blog just yet…

The night closed out with a stellar Gift Bag (which was perfectly branded to fit this event, with not too much and not too little, I might add), including:

• Beautiful coffee table book (which they were releasing) of these Top 10 hotel destinations
• $50 gift card to John Varvatos
• CD by Sagatiba “The Spirit of Brasil” with “cool suggestions of jazz, undulating rhythms, sensual urban grooves, and dozens of genres in the mix. Enjoy your taste: www.sagatiba.com”
• Sagatiba “the Spirit of Brasil” martini shaker (Sagatiba was on Open Bar for the night; quite tasty)
• A boxed up present wrapped in “Huntley” ribbons (reflecting the branding of the Santa Monica Huntley Hotel which made the list) with their match box and aromatheraputic candle (smelling of hotel soap) enclosed.
• Leather HSBC luggage tag with enclosed address slip
• AND best of all: White Terry Cloth SLIPPERS with a B engraved, which I will assume stands for The Bowery Hotel.

…of which I immediately put on my feet upon entry into my apartment and exit out of my new black 3-inch pumps, and because they were just so deliciously comfy, I actually wore them to bed! A perfect end to a pleasant evening.

(Alyson Campbell for Its All Very PR)

By the end of her 4-year college career, Lauren had completed 18 internships (yes, 18 – you do the math, that’s MORE than 4 per year), including: MTV, NBC, Trans Continental (Lou Pearlman; holler!), Us Weekly, FOX, BWR Public Relations, Seventeen Magazine, and Showtime—just to name a few.

When I later got a call from LB telling me that (while still in college, mind you) she had been hired by a certain unmentionable weekly celeb tabloid to station herself in Baton Rouge, LA to stock Jessica Simpson’s every move during the filming of Dukes of Hazzard (and later infamously reported on Jessica saying to her assistant at the gym: “what happens on location, stays on location”), my initial assumption that this girl was destined for utter greatness was solidified.

Today, the Hollywood-based reigning Intern Queen has partnered with the website Quarterlife where she is offering up her consulting services; matching quality interns with quality internship experiences (including the AMP3 PR gig!), a very cool synergy for everyone involved.

Check her out on KTLA’s weekend edition, making her (unofficial) publicista (aka: me) v. proud. Brava, Lauren!

(Alyson Campbell for Its All Very PR)