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Crushing It: How I Crushed Diet Culture, Addiction & the Patriarchy
At 15, Kortney Olson had everything in front of her. The associated student body president, drumming in a Christian rock band, a leader on the Youth City Council and prospects of a full ride scholarship to Stanford. But all of that was thrown away the day she discovered methamphetamines. In her author debut, Kortney Olson takes you on a hold-on-to-your-seat drive through her rise to lead a global clothing revolution from the deepest, darkest points a human can experience. Join Kortney on her journey from the depths of alcohol and narcotics addictions and rape, to global entrepreneurship and self love. Through an addiction fueled childhood of stolen self love, surviving rape, to building a billion-dollar brand, Kortney has done the dirty work and learned things the hard way. SO now she’s sharing what she learned so you can not only beat your trauma, but f*cking thrive. Crushing It is a masterpiece memoir showing you how to take back your power and learn to love yourself no matter the odds. No more excuses. Kortney’s not only owning it, she’s wearing it and sharing it with pride. She has been there. She has suffered. She has triumphed. And now so can you.
517 pages, Paperback
First published January 10, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 20, 2021
Kortney came into my life the same way she did for thousands of others - crushing watermelons and shouting radical self love from the rooftops. She’s taken me on a deep, long, and meaningful self love journey and I’m so thrilled other people are going to experience the joy of the human she is with this book. Don’t get it wrong, this book does not contain all the magical answers. This book is a phenomenal insight into how Kortney became The MFCEO
she was always meant to be.
Crushing It is a wonderfully written book that is part biography, part funny stories, part tale about the way our brains can betray us - but most of all it’s about the absolute significance of putting yourself first and knowing your worth.. Because you’re worth it all, always.
This book isn’t just for addicts, or people in recovery who need to remember how bad it got. This book is for every single person who’s felt the sting of trauma, the pain of looking in the mirror and hating what you see, the depth of an unhealthy relationship with food, and it’s absolutely for the people who’ve felt the never ending pressure of the mainstream media’s bullshit idea of beauty.
In our army - we have something called The Grrrl Pledge. You’ll find it online (and at the end of the book) and I think it really sums up this deeply honest and meaningful story in the best way possible.
I see you Kortney Kay, and I’ll never find the right way to thank you for this brilliant, hopeful book.
she was always meant to be.
Crushing It is a wonderfully written book that is part biography, part funny stories, part tale about the way our brains can betray us - but most of all it’s about the absolute significance of putting yourself first and knowing your worth.. Because you’re worth it all, always.
This book isn’t just for addicts, or people in recovery who need to remember how bad it got. This book is for every single person who’s felt the sting of trauma, the pain of looking in the mirror and hating what you see, the depth of an unhealthy relationship with food, and it’s absolutely for the people who’ve felt the never ending pressure of the mainstream media’s bullshit idea of beauty.
In our army - we have something called The Grrrl Pledge. You’ll find it online (and at the end of the book) and I think it really sums up this deeply honest and meaningful story in the best way possible.
I see you Kortney Kay, and I’ll never find the right way to thank you for this brilliant, hopeful book.
January 19, 2021
Crushing It is a painfully raw and vulnerable journey through self-reflection, with author Kortney Olson stripping her life bare for all to see. It’s equal parts gut wrenching and hideously hilarious, as Kortney shares her red hot ride through addiction, body shaming and mysogyny—a woman determined to conquer the world, and herself.
March 22, 2021
Kortney Olson did an incredible job with this book! I have been a fan of Kortney and her company “GRRRL” ever since I saw UFC Champ Rose Namajunas sporting their gear. I saw Rose advertising it, checked out the company and knew I would 100% support GRRRL. I have followed Kortney on social media and read her posts, watched some videos, etc but didn’t know a lot about her. This book was a true inside look to her life and how she got to where she is today.
I loved the way it was written. Like having a conversation with a friend. Kortney is authentic and has quite a way with words! lol This book was very powerful. I felt happiness, I felt heartbreak, anger, and hope. Kortney has had a really interesting life thus far and has been through her fair share of hardship. She has a lot of wisdom and experience and I have a lot of respect for her.
What she is doing with her company and all she has done for women is truly empowering. Although I couldn’t relate to the addiction part of her journey, I 100% found myself on the pages when she was talking about diet culture, and picking our appearances apart and obsessing over how we look. The story of her in the fitting room trying on the bongo jeans, to Peyton’s story. These parts made me emotional because it was so relatable. I actually cried when I watched Peyton’s video. There are so many girls out there like Peyton that need positive influences in their life. I also got emotional when watching the “Kyle” video. Kortney couldn’t have said her message better. So empowering!
I loved how this book was so interactive with the QR codes. I scanned and watched every single video throughout the book. I thought that was a really cool feature! The work at the end of each lesson was very thought provoking and brought out a lot of thinking and honesty with myself.
I love who Kortney is as a person and all she stands for. She has so much wisdom to share and I’m glad she put it in book form to share with the world!
The pledge is powerful and I am happy to take it and be part of the #GrrrlArmy!
“I solemnly swear, to the best of my ability, to refrain from talking negatively about myself, as well as other grrrls.
I am equal amongst my peers, and see myself as neither better than, nor less than.
Through this pledge of non-judgement, I understand, and embrace, that I am having a positive impact on the world, and furthering the global revolution of body acceptance.
I take this pledge.”
🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉
I loved the way it was written. Like having a conversation with a friend. Kortney is authentic and has quite a way with words! lol This book was very powerful. I felt happiness, I felt heartbreak, anger, and hope. Kortney has had a really interesting life thus far and has been through her fair share of hardship. She has a lot of wisdom and experience and I have a lot of respect for her.
What she is doing with her company and all she has done for women is truly empowering. Although I couldn’t relate to the addiction part of her journey, I 100% found myself on the pages when she was talking about diet culture, and picking our appearances apart and obsessing over how we look. The story of her in the fitting room trying on the bongo jeans, to Peyton’s story. These parts made me emotional because it was so relatable. I actually cried when I watched Peyton’s video. There are so many girls out there like Peyton that need positive influences in their life. I also got emotional when watching the “Kyle” video. Kortney couldn’t have said her message better. So empowering!
I loved how this book was so interactive with the QR codes. I scanned and watched every single video throughout the book. I thought that was a really cool feature! The work at the end of each lesson was very thought provoking and brought out a lot of thinking and honesty with myself.
I love who Kortney is as a person and all she stands for. She has so much wisdom to share and I’m glad she put it in book form to share with the world!
The pledge is powerful and I am happy to take it and be part of the #GrrrlArmy!
“I solemnly swear, to the best of my ability, to refrain from talking negatively about myself, as well as other grrrls.
I am equal amongst my peers, and see myself as neither better than, nor less than.
Through this pledge of non-judgement, I understand, and embrace, that I am having a positive impact on the world, and furthering the global revolution of body acceptance.
I take this pledge.”
🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉
January 22, 2021
This book should've been written by Stephen King.
No jokes, I mean it. I know who Kortney Olson is, and like a lot of other people, I know who she used to be. So I already knew what kind of a story it would be - the same way you know it is going to be a mindbender as you walk into a Christopher Nolan movie. And 30 minutes later I was three chapters into the book, and I thought — this is some Stephen King psychological horror shit.
You know how those stories go — slow descent into the maelstrom, inescapable trap of benumbing horror, and finally, escape and emergence into freedom, with a pale shred of the shadow still lingering in the sun. I'm still in the Slow Descent phase of Kortney's story, but I know what kind of things happen next.
I knew I had to read this book when I heard about it for the first time. The author is one of the most interesting people on the planet right now — and already having read the first few chapters, I'd say one of the most inspiring people too. In an ideal world, this book would be adapted into a Netflix series. I don't know if that will happen, but for now, let the world deal with the book itself.
A word of caution to the amateur reader. This book reads like a conversation with the author. If you are expecting some Charles Dickens or Paulo Coelho in here, you are looking in the wrong place. For the literary types: this is more along the line of Henry Miller or Chuck Palahniuk. This is an autobiography (and among the most honest ones ever penned) and if you have no interest in people or humanity, this isn't for you.
Kortney herself announces loudly in the book — she is not a guru. She is just one person who has swum through a sea of sewage, and is still swimming. This book is meant to be a raft for herself and other people. The book uses plain narration, interactive DIY activities, excerpts from old letters and journals, photographs and QR codes — everything that such a book should have. It can be used as an interesting read, and also as a reference book in psychology projects. You can also use it to do bicep curls (it looks big in size; I wouldn't know, I bought the ebook) and get in Kortney's arm programs.
Don't judge the book by my taking off a star in the rating — I've given 4-star to the likes of Jane Austen and Jack London. If you are looking for something different that's also going to be one of the most significant books this year, this is the book for you.
No jokes, I mean it. I know who Kortney Olson is, and like a lot of other people, I know who she used to be. So I already knew what kind of a story it would be - the same way you know it is going to be a mindbender as you walk into a Christopher Nolan movie. And 30 minutes later I was three chapters into the book, and I thought — this is some Stephen King psychological horror shit.
You know how those stories go — slow descent into the maelstrom, inescapable trap of benumbing horror, and finally, escape and emergence into freedom, with a pale shred of the shadow still lingering in the sun. I'm still in the Slow Descent phase of Kortney's story, but I know what kind of things happen next.
I knew I had to read this book when I heard about it for the first time. The author is one of the most interesting people on the planet right now — and already having read the first few chapters, I'd say one of the most inspiring people too. In an ideal world, this book would be adapted into a Netflix series. I don't know if that will happen, but for now, let the world deal with the book itself.
A word of caution to the amateur reader. This book reads like a conversation with the author. If you are expecting some Charles Dickens or Paulo Coelho in here, you are looking in the wrong place. For the literary types: this is more along the line of Henry Miller or Chuck Palahniuk. This is an autobiography (and among the most honest ones ever penned) and if you have no interest in people or humanity, this isn't for you.
Kortney herself announces loudly in the book — she is not a guru. She is just one person who has swum through a sea of sewage, and is still swimming. This book is meant to be a raft for herself and other people. The book uses plain narration, interactive DIY activities, excerpts from old letters and journals, photographs and QR codes — everything that such a book should have. It can be used as an interesting read, and also as a reference book in psychology projects. You can also use it to do bicep curls (it looks big in size; I wouldn't know, I bought the ebook) and get in Kortney's arm programs.
Don't judge the book by my taking off a star in the rating — I've given 4-star to the likes of Jane Austen and Jack London. If you are looking for something different that's also going to be one of the most significant books this year, this is the book for you.
February 14, 2021
Struggling with food, alcohol or drugs? Read this book!!
Great job Kortney! I related to the eating disorder, alcoholism and drug addiction that ruled my life. Embracing recovery, AA, God, service and the women in the program, has been life changing. Thank you for sharing your powerful story. I’m honored to know you and have taken the Grrrl Pledge!
Great job Kortney! I related to the eating disorder, alcoholism and drug addiction that ruled my life. Embracing recovery, AA, God, service and the women in the program, has been life changing. Thank you for sharing your powerful story. I’m honored to know you and have taken the Grrrl Pledge!
February 12, 2021
(Please note that due to the recent glitch in GR, I can't actually see how many stars I'm giving this. It should be 4 - I really like it - and I'll delete this little disclaimer once they fix the bug.)
Kortney Olson's book is a wonderful read. It reads like a conversation with a good friend who has been through some s**t and is still standing. The work at the end of each lesson will make you do some thinking, and the videos that accompany the book via QR codes are excellent.
Kortney, like all of us, is a work in progress. The progress that she has made is remarkable, as is her message. She shows that a person can have a rough past and that it doesn't have to define them for the rest of their life. It's inspiring, to say the least.
I highly recommend this book. In fact, I'm already hoping that she'll write another one. I'd love to hear about where life takes her and what lessons she learns along the way.
Kortney Olson's book is a wonderful read. It reads like a conversation with a good friend who has been through some s**t and is still standing. The work at the end of each lesson will make you do some thinking, and the videos that accompany the book via QR codes are excellent.
Kortney, like all of us, is a work in progress. The progress that she has made is remarkable, as is her message. She shows that a person can have a rough past and that it doesn't have to define them for the rest of their life. It's inspiring, to say the least.
I highly recommend this book. In fact, I'm already hoping that she'll write another one. I'd love to hear about where life takes her and what lessons she learns along the way.
June 30, 2023
Written by a former drug addict and apparently not edited. The book made little sense. There were many grammatical errors and there was no flow. I wanted to like it because a friend gave it to me but it was terrible. Chapters ended with "do the f-ing work" which was ironic because she was actively talking about her BDD and eating issues. I made it about 80% through then was just DONE. Save yourself the time. Probably a decently kind, well meaning person, but Olson is not a writer.
February 5, 2022
I am honestly not certain how I discovered Kortney Olsen, but I know I was following her on Insta long before I joined the GRRRL Army. It might have been back when I got into powerlifting and was learning about all the strong AF women out there. Well, her thighs are AMAZING! I had no clue what her story was, but I can relate to it- so yeah the book likely contains trigger warnings.
March 17, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews