Blowing My Way to the Top: How to Break the Rules, Find Your Purpose, and Create the Life and Career You Deserve

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.)