Three Lessons a Girlfriend Can Learn from Tim Gunn

September is a special month around Girlfriendology – it’s International Women’s Friendship Month (aka: #FriendshipMonth) and we’re celebrating with 30 great guest blogs filled with fabulous girlfriend advice and wisdom. Today we hear from one of our favorite girlfriends, best-selling author SUSAN MALLERY.

Susan has written over a hundred books that women LOVE! She’s been on a BlogTalkRadio show twice before and is our special guest this Friday, September 9th, 2-2:30pm ET. (JOIN US! And if you miss it then, you can always listen anytime on Girlfriendology/Podcasts/BlogTalkRadio.)

And, before we get into her great guest blog on girlfriend advice from Tim Gunn, check out this contest she and Girlfriendology are running Sept. 7-14 to win a ‘Girlfriends’ Day Out’ – shopping spree! Go for it girlfriend!

Now on to the wit and wisdom of our friend, Susan Mallery (and Project Runway fanatic!) and …

Three Lessons a Girlfriend Can Learn from Tim Gunn

1. Be proactively complimentary. Each week on Project Runway, Tim Gunn moves from designer to designer and comments on each design. When he loves a design, he tells the designer in detail exactly what he loves about it.

Go out of your way to tell your girlfriend what you love about her. We all enjoy compliments about our looks, but go deeper than that. Look for moments when you can tell her how much you admire her sense of humor even when she’s under stress. Tell her that you like how kind she is to your waitress at lunch. Tell her that she’s your go-to person for advice because she always manages to look at a situation rationally and compassionately. Tell her that she is the funniest person you know.

Celebrating her successes goes along with this. When she achieves something great, let her know how happy you are for her. Make a point of talking about this success to someone else in your girlfriend’s presence so she can bask in the glow of your approval.

2. Be honest but kind. Tim Gunn’s critiques aren’t always praise-fests. When he thinks a designer is going down the wrong path, he lets them know … but he does it in a way that shows his deep concern for the designer. He shares his cautionary thoughts because he truly wants them to succeed.

Your girlfriend relies on you for honest, unflinching advice, but that advice must come from a place of supportiveness rather than judgment. When we ask a man, “Does this make my butt look fat?” he probably should say no as a matter of personal safety. But when we ask a girlfriend the same question in a dressing room at Nordstrom’s, we want the unvarnished truth.

As a writer, I’m in a career where my closest friends are also my professional competition, particularly when we both release a book on the same day. But when I hit a snag in my story, when my characters are backed into an emotional corner and I can’t quite figure out how to save them, I turn to my writer friends for advice. They could try to sabotage their competition by giving me bad advice, but they never do. We truly do root for each other and try to help each other in whatever way we can.

3. Hug her when she leaves. Every week, a designer is kicked off the show by the long, long legs of Heidi Klum. Backstage, it’s Tim Gunn’s job to tell the designer when it’s time to pack up the workroom and head out the door. He always adds that he’ll miss the designer and that he wishes him or her success – and he always seems sincere. I’m convinced that he is. As a final act of kindness, Tim Gunn gives the designer a warm and comforting hug.

Hug your girlfriend every time you part company. A hug is a physical reminder of our emotional bond, and it will leave each of you feeling a renewal of your friendship.

So, girlfriends, go out there and become Tim Gunn!

New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery has entertained millions of readers with her witty and emotional stories about women and the relationships that move them. Publisher’s Weekly calls Susan’s prose “luscious and provocative,” and Booklist says, “Novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance, humor and superb storytelling.” While Susan appreciates the critical praise, she is most honored by the enthusiastic readers who write to tell her that her books made them laugh, made them cry, and made the world a happier place to live. Susan lives in Seattle with her husband and her tiny but intrepid toy poodle. She’s there for the coffee, not the weather.

JOIN US Friday, September 9th, 2-2:30pm ET (on BlogTalkRadio.com/Girlfriendology) as we chat with bestselling author Susan Mallery about friendship, Project Runway, life as a busy author and the FAB Girlfriends’ Day Out CONTEST we’re co-hosting Sept. 7-14th on Facebook.com/SusanMallery. (More info on the link above.)

And, by the way, we LOVE guest blogs here at Girlfriendology. Have a great girlfriend story to tell? Want to celebrate your fabulous female friends? SHARE! (And, we also have Girlfriend Gurus – check that out to be featured on Girlfriendology!)

Note: It’s September – International Women’s Friendship Month and we’re celebrating all month long! From this interview and guest blog by Miss America, to a month of women’s wisdom and 30 guest blogs, to our Newsletter Sign-up Contest and Facebook fun, and more! Don’t miss out on any of it! SIGN UP for our Newsletter and ‘Like’ us on Facebook to stay up to date with all the fun friendship festivities and more!

Our September Friendship Month Guest Blogs so far …

• Sept 1 – MISS AMERICA, Teresa Scanlan – The Importance of Friendship
• Sept 2 – Shasta Nelson, GirlfriendCircles – Friendship in Stages – Advice for more Meaningful Friendships
• Sept 3 - Kimberly Anderson, Kim’s Closet TV – Giving back to your community with a Friend
• Sept 4 – Lynn Gasior, Cabin Chicks – Girlfriend Memories and Traditions
• Sept 5 – Rachel Awes, Artist – The Art of Girlfriends
• Sept 6 – Flo Schell, Joyful Aging – Heartfelt Advice on Friendships
• Sept 7 – Cherie Burbach, author, About.com editor – How to Understand Your Girlfriend’s Health Problems
• Sept 8 – Susan Mallery, best-selling author – Three Lessons a Girlfriend Can Learn from Tim Gunn

Tags: Author, blogtalkradio, Facebook, friendship month, girlfriend contest, project runway, susan mallery, tim gunn, twitter

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 8th, 2011 at 6:39 am and is filed under Be a Better FRIEND, GF Contests, Podcasts/BlogTalkRadio Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.