Forget Kenya Moore's fan flipping antics, Real Housewives of Atlanta's Phaedra Parks practically has sweet tea oozing through her veins, as evidenced from her new book Secrets of the Southern Belle: How to Be Nice, Work Hard, Look Pretty, Have Fun, and Never Have an Off Moment. In an interview with Cupid's Pulse, Phaedra opens up on her life both on and off RHOA.
Of being an entertainment lawyer and a Bravolebrity, Phaedra says, “Now, I can say I’ve pretty much done everything when it comes to TV – from the licensing deals to being the on-air talent."
As evidenced by this week's episode, Phaedra is also great at dressing the part of her other new venture…funeral director. She shares, “Unfortunately, I got into this industry because I had a lot of great friends who passed. People would ask me to help with the funeral arrangements, and I actually became very intrigued by every aspect of the mortuary process – from picking out the makeup and dressing the body to the funeral service. I always paid a lot of attention to the preparation and all of the details.”
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Phaedra continues, “It’s a very multi-dimensional industry: You’ve got the business portion, you’ve got the counseling portion, and then you’ve got the preparation of the body portion.”
Her new book draws from her lifestyle, mixing her traditional morals, down home Southern manners, and her role as a career woman. Phaedra admits, “I think some of the books out there are too traditional, so I put a spin on it with texting, social networking, and other things like that.”
Defining a modern day Southern Belle, Phaedra says, “A Belle is anyone who’s charming and graceful, who exhibits poise, and who appropriately maneuvers social settings,” adding, “You can put on stylish clothes, but if you’re not wearing confidence, integrity, and class, then your outfit doesn’t really matter.”
Discussing professional etiquette, Phaedra explains, “Even if you feel very strongly about something, it may be best to revisit the conversation privately rather than publicly – you may be humiliating someone, which you never want to do. Being nice and killing people with kindness has definitely been my weapon of choice throughout my career.”
The RHOA star believes women need to make themselves a priority, revealing, “If you’re at your best self, then you’ll give your best. It’s easier said than done – trust me!”
Discussing her marriage to Apollo, Phaedra shares, “We can sort of anticipate what the other one is going to do, whether it’s good or bad, and we try to adjust our actions accordingly. Communicating, compromising, and negotiating keeps our marriage strong.”
Phaedra advises, “Remember what made you fall in love with that person and know that no marriage is going to be perfect everyday. You have to realize which battles are worth fighting, which ones need to be negotiated, and which ones you allow your partner to control.”
I'm sure Phaedra's book is filled with her sassy one-liners as well. I may just have to take a peek…
TELL US-WHAT DO YOU THINK OF PHAEDRA'S INTERVIEW? WILL YOU READ HER BOOK?
[Photo Credit: Twitter]
