Jessica Abo - Unfiltered: How to Be as Happy as You Look on Social Media

Advance Praise for Unfiltered

RUN dont walk to buy Jessica Abos new book Unfiltered: How to Be as Happy as You Look on Social Media. This book is for everyone on social media including teens and tweens. If there is ONE book you need to read this fall, this is the one! #FabULyss, thoughtful, smart, and real, this book is a reminder of what is really important in life and will keep you focused on building the life that makes YOU happiest (not what your competitor or neighbor wants you to believe).

LYSS STERN, CEO OF DIVAMOMS.COM, BESTSELLING AUTHOR, AND MOM OF THREE

The best advice you can get is from someone who has been there and done that! Jessicas honest style and unplugged advice from real-life experiences will help you get past the messy middle and rise the ranks with grace and grit.

SHELLEY ZALIS, CEO OF THE FEMALE QUOTIENT

Unfiltered is just what we need to navigate through this over-tech world we live in. Whether youre about to start your first job, youre a CEO, or anything in between, this book is a must-read! Jessica gives you everything you need to take back control of your life and have fun doing it. I just love it!

RANDI SUBARSKY, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF THE NEVER SETTLE SHOW

From online dating to office bullying, Jessica Abo will help you get through it all. Unfiltered is a love letter to entrepreneurs who get caught in the Im-not-good-enough trap. Get out of your rut and start #winning at life with this book!

DR. JESS CARBINO, SOCIOLOGIST AND RELATIONSHIP EXPERT AT BUMBLE

Jessica Abo is the definition of what it means to be a changemaker. A rising leader in our country, Jessica thrives on building community wherever she goes and inspires others to do the same. If you want to make a positive impact on the world, start with reading Unfiltered. This book is relevant for everyoneno matter where you are in life!

BERI MERIC, COFOUNDER AND CEO OF IVY

The fabulous Jessica Abo provides a brilliant breakdown of the pursuit of happiness in todays ultra-competitive, tech-driven world. Unfiltered is your go-to guide for pick-me-ups, real talk, and proof that you and your biggest dreams are worth every fight.

LINDSEY POLLAK, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BECOMING THE BOSS

The rise of social media has led people to create their own narrative. In her new book, Unfiltered: How to Be as Happy as You Look on Social Media, Jessica does an amazing job at offering solutions to help bridge the gap between the happiness you portray and the happiness you want to have. Not only does Jessica dive deep into the need people have to curate this perfect universe, she also shares tool after tool to help you make your social life consistent with your real one.

MIKE INDURSKY, CEO OF AUDACIOUS BEAUTY, FORMER PRESIDENT OF BLISS

Entrepreneur Press, Publisher

Cover Design: Andrew Welyczko

Production and Composition: Eliot House Productions

2018 by Entrepreneur Media, Inc.

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ebook ISBN: 978-1-61308-392-5

To my grandparents, who paved the way for me.

I miss you every day.

Table of Contents

Contents

Mom, Actress, Activist, Philanthropist

@kellyrutherford

A s I write this foreword, Im on a plane. I just packed up my New York City apartment and am thrilled to be spending time with my kids before I move and start filming a new show called The Perfectionists. The title of my new show and this book, Unfiltered, have one thing in commonthey remind us of the overwhelming pressure so many people face to showcase a picture-perfect life.

I know that burden all too well. As a kid, my family moved around a lot. I was often an outsider at school, observing different cliques, trying to figure out where I belonged. I spent my 20s, figuring out who I was and how I was different from my parents. I also started the journey of accepting myself, and my body. Its a journey Im still on to this day.

My 30s were really about work, love, and becoming a mother, the greatest gift of all.

My 40s have shown me to be thankful for my health and well-being, and to be grateful for everything I have. As I approach 50, I can tell you, Ive loved; Ive lost; Ive learned; and, Ive grown. Ive been blessed with a career many actors dream of, but I have to tell you, some days were hard.

If you follow me on my social media, you know I dont shy away from posting on those hard days and try to use my platforms to lift up other people. I do it because you may be a having a #FML day while everyone else seems to be having a #YOLO day and I want you to know youre not alone. Life is a beautiful, imperfect messand thats OK. My only wish is that more people would embrace their real lives.

That real lifethe one beyond the filters we use on our pictures before we post themthats the good stuff. Your life is your own authentic experience, and you should be proud of your storyno matter what everyone else is posting today. Thats why I love this book and Jessicas message.

I first met Jessica when she interviewed me in New York City for NY1 News about my handbag line. We ran into each other at New York Fashion Week and then again on the set of Gossip Girl when she played a TV reporter on the show. I really got to know Jessica when she asked me to host a black-tie event she was organizing for people who need a bone marrow transplant. As you will learn in this book, Jessica was so passionate about her Marrow Match Gala that she visited me while I was filming Gossip Girl, so I could get swabbed and join the international bone marrow registry.

The Jessica I met many years ago is the same one youre about to meet hereshe embraces life in all its messy, complicated glory because she tries to live her life in an authentic way. In these pages, Jessica gets into the nitty-gritty of how you can get out of your rut. If youre frustrated with your career path or lack of community activism, she will help you find a new path. Her funny stories, personal reflections and spot-on tips are the perfect match for anyone who is newly single, on the romantic circuit or trying to move past their last relationship. Simply putthis book reminds us all that its okay to not be OK and is designed to help you stop wishing your life away. After reading Unfiltered you will have new tools to help you and be inspired to create more love and joy in the world. I wish you the best of luck on your journey.

Sending you all so much love and enjoy this wonderful book!

Kelly

W hile I was writing this book, whenever anyone asked me what I did for a living, I skipped past my journalism career and simply said, Im writing a book called Unfiltered: How to Be as Happy as You Look on Social Media.