Kristin Van Ogtrop Biography

Kristin van Ogtrop has been the Managing Editor of Real Simple since March 2003. Under her leadership, the magazine has achieved popular and critical acclaim. In addition to leading the magazine, van Ogtrop oversees all brand extensions, including digital, books, special issues, and products.

In August 2007, van Ogtrop launched Adventures in Chaos on realsimple.com. The personal blog provides frank, humorous insight into van Ogtrop’s life as a busy working mother and was nominated for a Media Industry Newsletter Best of the Web Award in 2010. The blog also led to van Ogtrop’s book, Just Let Me Lie Down: Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom, a book of phrases, terms, essays, lists, and more than a few embarrassing stories that illustrate the highs and lows of trying to combine work and family in the same life.

As a half-insane working mother and editor of one of America’s most intelligent magazines, van Ogtrop knows that “a good many working mothers could use some sort of organizing principle, a few labeled bins to hold the chaos.” In a voice that is witty, charming, and above all, honest, she brilliantly captures the tireless efforts of working moms everywhere, which resonates as much with readers at home as with the audiences at her events.

Just Let Me Lie Down received rave reviews, including Arianna Huffington’s observation that “Kristin van Ogtrop is a funny, sympathetic, and indispensable voice for a whole generation of working women who care less about shattering the glass ceiling than trying to squeeze in a nap.”

Van Ogtrop makes regular TV appearances on various shows including: NBC’s Today, ABC’s Good Morning America, Live with Regis and Kelly, and CNN. Speaking on a variety of topics. van Ogtrop is known for sharing smart, straightforward and relatable advice with women across the country.

Before joining Real Simple, van Ogtrop was Executive Editor of Glamour. Previously she held positions at Vogue, Travel & Leisure and Premiere. She has served as an instructor at Columbia University’s Publishing Course and has appeared on numerous panels for The American Society of Magazine Editors, among others. Her essays and articles have appeared in a variety of publications, including The New York Times bestseller, The Bitch in the House.

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