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The Gutsy Girl Handbook: Your Manifesto for Success

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Bestselling author, professional speaker, and former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan , Kate White shares the nine core principles gutsy women need to go bigger, bolder, and achieve the full level of success they desire.

Twenty-two years ago Kate White wrote the bestselling career bible Why Good Girls Don't Get Ahead but Gutsy Girls Do , and helped thousands of women push their success to the next level. Now a new generation of women, still eyeing the pay gap and glass ceiling, needs its own set of rules for today's modern workplace.

In The Gutsy Girl Handbook , White presents the nine core principles that have guided her career, offering dozens of straightforward, doable strategies for women in any field and at any stage in their professional lives. Drawing on original research, and sharing new success stories and never-before told examples from her time as the editor-in-chief of Cosmo , White inspires women to own their excellence, break the rules (or make their own), ask for the money and opportunities they deserve, and refuse to apologize for who they are and what they want.

The Gutsy Girl Handbook is a resource for women who want to build confidence, negotiate a great salary and perks, manage meetings, mansplaining, and interruptions, and create game-changing "notice me" ideas. This all-new, accessible handbook is a great gift for graduates, and a must-read for professional women of all levels.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published April 3, 2018

71 people are currently reading
1500 people want to read

About the author

Kate White

53 books2,821 followers
Kate White is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nineteen novels of suspense: eleven standalone psychological thrillers, including The Last Time She Saw Him (2024), and eight Bailey Weggins mysteries.

A former Glamour magazine Top Ten College Women Contest winner and cover girl, Kate had a long career in the media business, eventually running five national magazines. For fourteen years she was the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, which under her became the most successful magazine in single copy sales in the U.S. Though she loved her magazine career, she decided to leave eleven years ago to concentrate full-time on another passion: writing suspense fiction.

Kate’s first mystery, If Looks Could Kill, was a Kelly Ripa Book Club pick, a #1 bestseller on Amazon, and an instant New York Times bestseller. She has been nominated for an International Thriller Writers Award in the fiction category, and her books have been published in over 30 countries.

Kate is a frequent speaker at libraries, bookstores, and conferences, and has appeared on many television shows, including The Today Show, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, Morning Joe, and CNN’s Quest Means Business.

She is also the author of several bestselling career books, including I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This and the ground-breaking Wall Street Journal bestseller, Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead but Gutsy Girls Do.

Kate is an avid traveler and spends each winter with her husband at their home in Uruguay. She holds an honorary doctorate of letters from her alma mater, Union College, where she gave the 2022 commencement address.




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5 stars
70 (23%)
4 stars
109 (37%)
3 stars
85 (29%)
2 stars
23 (7%)
1 star
5 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
Profile Image for Charmin.
1,075 reviews139 followers
December 30, 2022
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Generate ideas by looking at the frustrations faced by your customer and our clients.

2. One helpful tool as you self-assess is to ask yourself what people compliment you on and what would they miss about your performance if you left your current job.

3. You should always try to forecast multiple strategies and when the other person makes their decision, you move swiftly from any of your vantage points.

4. Determine how your boss prefers to be communicated with, including his face-to-face factor and whether an email is preferred over phone calls or popping by his desk.

5. Remember that though you’re building your own professional brand, your actions must always advance the company goals and make your boss look like a rockstar. That’s how you end up being viewed as totally indispensable.

6. Have good relationships with your peers inside and outside your department.
- It inspires peers to become allies who can foster your success while you foster theirs.

7. You need to squash your fear of rocking the boat and be willing to ask for what you want.

8. As you move up in your career, becoming a member of a board is a terrific way to increase your visibility and stature, and gain expertise.

9. When you resist criticism, you shut down important communication with your boss, not only at that moment, but also perhaps in the long term.

10. Opportunities missed are options picked up by others.
- When it comes to promotion, new job, or major opportunity, start before you’re ready, or feel ready.
Profile Image for Lorri Steinbacher.
1,777 reviews54 followers
October 29, 2018
There are some really excellent tips in this book.
Recommended for women who want to be more confident in the workplace, regardless of your age.
Profile Image for Alexis (hookedtobooks).
1,287 reviews50 followers
October 2, 2018
I don’t normally read these kind of non fiction books, or the “self help” type books, but when @grandcentralpub reached out and sent me this review copy, I was really intrigued! And I actually really enjoyed it!
The book covers all kinds of things that are important for a working woman. Like how to negotiate a salary or a promotion. It talks about how women are less likely to ask for more money or a promotion, and how to handle such things in the work place. The author is a working professional who worked as the editor in chief for many great magazines, including Cosmopolitan. My favourite part of the book was when she was talking about how she became the editor for a financial type magazine for working women and she didn’t know what she was doing as she works for cosmopolitan, and her husband just told her she could do it because she was a working woman. This just goes to show that woman can do anything they set their mind on, and that we have the skills, even if we don’t think we do! The part I connected with was when she talked about getting out of your comfort zone and being willing to take risks and try new things, which is something I try to do as a teacher!
This is a gear short read that I encourage all women to read!
10 reviews
July 6, 2020
I enjoyed the first half far more than the second. White’s tips on personal/professional branding and pay negotiation were superb. After the pay negotiation tips, the book went downhill for me. The rest of the advice seemed rather trite and written for cisgender, heterosexual, upper-middle class white women. The “women” she spoke to did not seem to include those outside the most privileged echelons of women in American society. She also fell prey to the “do this, because that’s what a man would do” advice I have heard far too many times. Treating men’s workplace approaches as the standard for all people’s behavior reinforces inherent male superiority (i.e., patriarchy—something I would expect a book like this to counter). White also explained the differences between men and women in the workplace (note the gender dichotomy and lack of acknowledgment for trans/gender non-conforming folks) with biology, suggesting these inferior tendencies for women in the workplace are inspired by nature rather than social construction. In other words, White didn’t exactly seem inclined to intersectionality, and she missed the critical “why?” question when examining differences between presumably cis men and cis women.
Profile Image for Bruna Carvalho.
19 reviews
June 4, 2025
“Como Ser Uma Mulher de Garra”, de Kate White, é uma leitura leve, rápida e repleta de dicas práticas – não só estéticas, mas sobretudo comportamentais, o que achei bastante valioso.

É um livro que recomendo a todas as mulheres, especialmente a quem procura um reforço de confiança e atitude no seu percurso profissional e pessoal. A autora escreve de forma acessível e direta, gostei do facto de incluir exemplos adaptados a diferentes contextos profissionais, mesmo que o foco esteja mais voltado para o universo corporativo/empresarial.

Senti, por vezes, que o livro é mais direcionado para mulheres com alguma experiência de vida e já inseridas num ambiente de escritório ou cargos de responsabilidade, mas isso não me impediu de retirar vários ensinamentos úteis. Algumas dicas e afirmações marcaram-me tanto que pretendo imprimi-las!

Algo que me chamou a atenção também foi a perspetiva norte-americana da autora, que por vezes se distancia bastante da realidade portuguesa. Por exemplo, no capítulo sobre negociações salariais, percebi o quão distante está o mindset empresarial dos EUA em comparação com o de Portugal. Cá, negociar um salário pode ainda ser mal visto, mesmo quando feito com respeito e argumentos válidos – o que revela uma diferença cultural importante que o livro não consegue colmatar, mas que foi interessante observar.

Considero que foi uma leitura enriquecedora, ainda que com algumas limitações no contexto em que vivo. Daria 3,5 estrelas se pudesse – por isso, aqui ficam 3 com muito apreço!
Profile Image for Victoria Colotta.
Author 3 books327 followers
October 20, 2018
My Highly Caffeinated Thought: Honest and valuable insight into the way to grow within your career and reach the success you want.

THE GUTSY GIRL HANDBOOK is one of those books that hits the ground running with a hard-hitting course of action to achieving your goals. It is ideal for women looking to climb the corporate ladder and achieve success within a company.

While this book wouldn’t be my top recommendation for a small business owner or a solopreneur, White does have some useful tools in dealing with how women can present themselves. There were definitely elements and tips I will apply to my own journey.

Reviewer Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Highly Caffeinated Rating of… ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕

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Follow the Highly Caffeinated Victoria Colotta:
Website | Facebook | Twitter @vcolotta | Instagram | Goodreads
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Profile Image for Jess Macallan.
Author 3 books111 followers
May 2, 2018
THE GUTSY GIRL HANDBOOK is a smart, savvy book every woman in business needs to read. Kate White offers plenty of tips, tricks, and thoughtful advice for women who want to reach the next level of success and beyond. What I enjoyed most about this book is that the author challenges readers to step far outside their comfort zone and into their personal power. My favorite takeaway was the 4Bs--how could this be better, bigger, bolder, or more bada**? The sections on personal and professional branding will be helpful to new and experienced businesswomen.

The book did seem to be geared more toward women in corporate America as opposed to women entrepreneurs flying solo. However, the information presented is still helpful, especially the tips for smart, effective networking. This is one of the better books I've read for women in business, and I highly recommend it.

I received an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
1 review
January 21, 2019
This book handles the task of providing advice and reassurance without sounding patronizing perfectly. The delivery of the core message is succinct, brilliantly put, and actually quite entertaining. The examples of women who have "made it" in business don't seem name-droppy, which is good, because there are a lot of examples in this book.

Gutsy Girl Handbook reads more like your aunt telling you how to grab life by the balls than a schoolmarm drilling dos and don'ts into your head, which is refreshing. Though never gritty, Kate White certainly isn't afraid to tell readers how not to be a "good girl," as she calls them, and precisely why. It's this differentiation- the good girl and the gutsy girl- that drives the manifesto, and you'll find yourself asking "what would a gutsy girl do?" in your every day life once you begin to really put White's words to work.

The message of the handbook is short, (sometimes) sweet, and to the point, and best of all, totally doable. 5/5 stars.
Profile Image for Lindsey Barger.
273 reviews5 followers
June 8, 2024
You may know Kate White for her mystery releases like If Looks Could Kill and The Secrets You Keep, but she had a long career in publishing and magazines before taking on the fiction world. White pulls on that experience in the business world to give sage advice to women just getting their start in The Gutsy Girl Handbook. Packed with tales of her experiences both as a magazine editor and general business settings, White provides tips to guide women on being leaders, negotiating for their benefits, and dealing with difficult situations. This is a book of mentorship with nine core principles and many real-life examples to help apply these concepts to your world.

I give The Gutsy Girl Handbook 3 out of 5 stars. This book felt a bit like listening to a keynote address where blanket principles are used that don’t give as much specific advices or mentorship as I would like. It fell just short of feeling like a CEO throwing anecdotes and stories at you when you pass them in the hall. I respect what White has been able to accomplish, but felt like this almost soured her legacy for me. With that said, it could also be the point I am at in my career – the book felt as though White was writing for interns and first year employees, not really for those already in leadership or looking to advance to higher management positions.

If you are just starting out in business, this may be a great book to read, especially when considering salary and benefit negotiations. It felt similar to Laurie Ruettimann’s Betting on You in that aspect. I would also recommend this book to anyone in the publishing world – there are some specific situations and examples discussed that might be more applicable to your worklife.

I chose The Gutsy Girl Handbook as my TBR Stack pull for May. I have had this one for quite a while and was looking for a shorter book to read on a Wednesday/Thursday before being able to settle into a longer book for the weekend. I did find myself making a few notes here to share with someone I mentor at work, but this book, overall, did not feel like it applied to me. Have you read any leadership or business books lately you’d recommend?
Profile Image for Tempest.
28 reviews
December 1, 2022
This book definitely changed my mindset and helped me both professionally and personally. Before I finished reading the book, I felt more comfortably engaging in conversations during meetings and giving my opinions and insights.
It allowed me to see things from a different perspective and see what myself and my business were lacking. It gave me information that will not only help me connect with others through my professional journey, but also connect with others through everyday life.
There were a few things in there I couldn't relate to or I didnt agree with doing but that is typically the case with every "self help" book.
16 reviews
November 22, 2022
I probably would have given three stars to the book. However, while explaining not showing up to work as a hot mess even if you feel like it, she says to get a blowout, etc. I get the sentiment but a bit superficial. Yes, you don't want to come to work with greasy hair and etc, but I wish she worded it as keep up your appearances. Same with when she talks about a cosmo cover, I get the aesthetics are important, but the way it's worded sounds superficial. Her visual "maps" are also not easy to look at. There is good stuff in there but it's not a book I'd re-read.
Profile Image for Meghan.
2,469 reviews
January 11, 2018
After receiving this book as an ARC and having read Kate's last book I Shouldn't Be Telling You This: Success Secrets Every Gutsy Girl Should Know, I knew I was in for another inspiring "gutsy girl" read. Hearing from a successful business woman such as Kate and having her share all of her secrets and tips to not only be successful in your career but life in general was very uplifting. I will definitely look out for this book upon its release in April.
Profile Image for Sarah White.
215 reviews3 followers
February 21, 2019
I expected this to be more of a life book and less of a business book (I guess I should have read the back cover and not just the front, but I like to pick books at random from the library).

This would be a good book for a woman getting started at a company or looking to advance, or someone who just became a boss for the first time. Less helpful for someone who works independently and mostly for herself.
Profile Image for Jenn.
668 reviews
March 5, 2018
I won a copy of this book.

Perfect for that new graduate from high school and college, and focusing on women entering the workplace, this book would be a great addition for any beginning job seekers toolkit. White has tips and tricks for entering the workplace that range from common knowledge to really smart. It's a very well though out book.
Profile Image for Terry Pearson.
337 reviews
March 28, 2018
Thanks to Goodreads for this free giveaway copy.

I tell you what, this little handbook is an essential . It's everything a woman WANTS to say but doesn't. Stop being intimidated. You are intelligent and deserve to be paid your worth.

I recommend it to anyone who is new to job searching, new graduates, or in a job but looking for more. Hell, I read it and I'm retired!

Buy it.
Profile Image for Maxie Mccoy.
4 reviews7 followers
April 15, 2018
This is the perfect guide for any woman hoping to push the boundaries on her career, and see an incredible return because of it. Kate gives us lessons earned from an extraordinary career to help us all see the power of our own guts, and how to use it for incredible rewards in our career. This is a read that will help anyone be bold and audacious in her life!
23 reviews
June 27, 2018
I was glad to receive this book through a GoodReads promotion. Its tagline of "go bigger, bolder, and more badass at work" appealed to me, and the book did not disappoint. It's written in an easy-to-read, friendly, approachable way, and provides lots of advice and tips on being gutsy and successful at work. I liked the sections on asking for what you want, and taking smart risks.
Profile Image for John Mangan.
31 reviews2 followers
July 12, 2018
Has a lot of good points and reminders, but nothing was really new. I feel like I've heard all this before through many other self-help business books. Also, the author really seems to believe that the issues discussed are only encountered by women. That could not be further from the truth and that is also why I am giving this 3 stars.
Profile Image for Nia Ita.
86 reviews4 followers
November 23, 2018
A quick read outlining tips and best practice towards achieving success in leadership written specifically for girls and women who have been socialized not to go against the grain. I liked the list type outline and brevity of the points. A few suggestions felt a little outdated or not my style, but I still valued the information I got from this book. It’s worth checking out.
Profile Image for Sammie.
228 reviews23 followers
August 31, 2024
Excellent tips and advice, it makes you want to get off the couch and start implementing the advice! I work in the marketing field so this was a great book for personal growth and branding!

Kate White’s tone is authoritative, honest, and energetic. This is definitely a book to read if you have not already!
Profile Image for Beth .
44 reviews1 follower
July 5, 2018
Just Do it

Great advice from someone who has made the mistakes and is willing to allow you the benefit of her experience. Ask for more money and be willing to not be apologetic for going for what you want.
Profile Image for Christina.
9 reviews16 followers
September 13, 2018
A good read for a woman just entering their first salaried position. Gives insight on how to make waves and really make the most out of your career. Also covers tips to get paid what you are actually worth.
Profile Image for Kristen Albrecht.
16 reviews2 followers
July 11, 2019
This book is full of great advise with relevant examples of how both the author and other professionals have put these tips to practice. Definitely a good read for all women in the work world from entry level all the way to management.
Profile Image for Bethany.
162 reviews
February 12, 2021
I really liked this in theory but most of the advice only applies when you work at an office type job. Over all just wished it was more advice for day to day life instead of focusing so much business side.
Profile Image for MariWabiSabi.
568 reviews3 followers
October 25, 2021
A quick flip-through = there are some good snippets in here that would be useful to women in their early-careers. The book seems targeted to those graduating from undergrad in the next couple of years, though I would hope that they’d have learned the skills of self advocacy by that point…
Profile Image for Bethany Bell.
4 reviews2 followers
September 26, 2018
Succinct and helpful guide to make moves and increase confidence at work. Not overly wordy or contradictory.
Profile Image for Ashlee Ramirez .
3 reviews3 followers
January 31, 2019
Very good book! Love how it gives you a different way of thinking on how to just go for what you really want out of our career, life, and just being a great boss! I will be recommending this book!
176 reviews2 followers
February 10, 2020
Wonderful career advice for women who want to take charge of their career.
Profile Image for Monica.
822 reviews26 followers
March 3, 2021
White offers several good starts for any woman willing to take charge of her own career trajectory.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews

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