kristin cavallari, ‘let’s be honest’

I’m wrapping up my inadvertent summer series, The Power of Authenticity: An Exploration, with Kristin Cavallari. This is my third post on podcasts where the central theme is authenticity. And how visibility, voice, and commerce collide when someone chooses to be themselves.

Earlier this summer, I wrote about Gwyneth Paltrow and her advice for authenticity in business. Then I wrote about Steve Madden and how he charmed us all by being himself. And now we end with Kristin Cavallari, who represents something in between.

Kristin Cavallari has made honesty synonymous with her brand. Iconic. From Laguna Beach to Let’s Be Honest to Honestly Cavallari, Kristin has built an ecosystem where candidness is the through-line. Every time we hit play, we can rely on what we’re gonna get.

I did not expect to binge Let’s Be Honest this summer, but once I started, I kept listening. Kristin is plainspoken about ✨tea✨, yes, but she’s plainspoken about her own growth, too.  She says what she thinks, and then admits when she’s wrong. That pattern of naming belief, testing it, and revising is a quality I value in friends. It’s credibility in action.

To me, she’s the most enduring star of Laguna Beach. She’s steady and carries herself in a way that feels like she isn’t optimizing for likability. Kristin’s superpower is that she isn’t trying to be relatable, which ofc, makes her more relatable than ever. And in 2025, that is a strategic advantage.

In watching how visibility is earned and spent, it converts attention —> loyalty.

Kristin’s arc shows us that consistency of voice and discipline to honest narration is a practical business model. There’s power in owning your story as it grows. While it’s still messy, and not just when it’s shiny or complete. Authenticity isn’t a fixed trait, it’s a practice. It’s showing up as yourself, even when the definition of “yourself” keeps changing.

Saying what you think, owning when you change your mind, and doing that repeatedly builds a form of authority that no algorithm can manufacture. And dear readers, that authority is the long game.

Until next time. 🤍

p.s. shoutout to her son Camden. Thanks to him and Kristin’s podcast, I can adjust red-light settings on my phone. Three clicks, and endless scrolling means my eternal youth has finally arrived! 💫