Sophia Amoruso is not your average entrepreneur. Yes, she had a brilliant idea filled with passion and, like many entrepreneurs, disrupted a seemingly saturated market. However, this 21 year old started her business without a plan, without investments, without debt and without any clue how to become a millionaire in less than five years. With a satirical tongue and down to earth attitude, Sophia lays out her life and the lessons she learned along the way to the future “GIRLBOSSes. Excerpts from the book include profiles of other successful #GIRLBOSSes, inspirational quotes, words to live by and the ever sassy style of a girl who refuses to take no for an answer. Laugh your way through this one and come out the bada** #GIRLBOSS you know you are.
Be yourself, stop caring what others think. Believe in yourself.
Don’t take no for an answer!
#GIRLBOSSes work harder than everyone else. Role up your sleeves and get the job done
ALWAYS follow up - always write a thank you note
Through twenty-three years of servitude in this world, I retained a plethora of life experiences which guided me on the path towards who I am today and who I will grow to be tomorrow. I did not start life as the same person I am now. Painfully shy, angry, self-conscious and dependent are words that once described me as a child. Outgoing, happy, confident and independent is the person I turned into along the way, but not without challenges. The five takeaways from #GIRLBOSS are a compilation of lessons I learned over the years and advice I still need to incorporate into my life.
#1: Be Yourself and Believe in yourself.
This is Belvoir Terrace, a performing arts camp for girls in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. The four summers I spent here changed my life. I broke out of the shell I hid in as a timid child and learned how to speak to the world. I performed leading roles in plays, created art, played sports and made some of my closest friends. I learned independence, and that being me is the most important thing in the world. #GIRLBOSS teaches readers to, “show your worth…it’s that attitude and behavior that will get you ahead” (p. 231). Belvoir Terrace was my first #GIRLBOSS experience.
#2: Don’t take NO for an answer!
One of the many lessons I need to work on is sticking to my gut and fighting for the things I want to happen. Though my mother does not work, she is the most dignified #GIRLBOSS I know. She gets what she wants when she asks for it and never gives up. #GIRLBOSS firmly believes that life is about learning how to create your own opportunities and by never accepting “no” as an answer, the opportunities are endless.
#3: A #GIRLBOSS works harder than everyone else:
Life is a set of ladders, once you’ve worked your way to the top of one, you find yourself at the bottom of another. As a #GIRLBOSS, you have to earn your keep. “Fortune favors the bold who get shit done,” as #GIRLBOSS so elegantly puts it (p.172). Throughout life, I worked my hardest to get into the college I wanted. From there, I buckled down and did everything to make the grades to get into Newhouse. When that didn't happen the first time, I worked harder to ensure it would happen the next (working hard while also not taking no for an answer!). Now, I continue to work every day building my resume, perfecting cover letters, and finishing projects so that one day I end up with the job I want and worked incredibly hard for.
“Cool” is not about how elusive or edgy or rich you are. #GIRLBOSS recognizes that cool is kind, weird, honest, secure and willing to reach out to someone who needs a friend. This little boy is not cool because he has the biggest box of crayons, he is cool because he shares them with everyone. I am not perfect, but I pride myself on having a kind heart and the ability to make friends with anyone.
To mention my #GIRLBOSS mother again, she is the one who taught me the importance of Thank You notes. After every interview I have, every gift I’m given or favor that is done for me, I write a thank you note. People want to feel appreciated and though simple, a short thank you note makes a huge impact. Thank you #GIRLBOSS for reminding me of that.
Communications defines how I live my life. Everywhere we go, people connect by way of communication whether that is physical or verbal. As a public relations major and a Entrepreneurship minor, communications is everything. But there is more to it than simply getting a point across. The field I am in requires communication to be executed with effectiveness, originality, creativity and innovation. Coinciding with the five takeaways I outlined from #GIRLBOSS, Sophia Amoruso also speaks of the importance of her customers, being the best, and most importantly, having fun.
The Nasty Gal philosophy states, “Nasty Gal Obsessed: We keep the customer at the center of everything we do. Without customers, we have nothing” (p.264). Whether my future career requires me to come up with a clever PR campaign or I am at the center of a growing startup, the customers are who I need to communicate to and with for anything to be successful. Even the best ideas in the world fail when they are not communicated properly to its key customers. When customer wants and needs are ignored, products, ideas and services are ignored. “Customer service was my number one priority…if you genuinely care about what you’re doing, they will respond,” (p.254).
In a profile of #GIRLBOSS Alexi Wasser, founder of IMBOYCRAZY.COM, she expresses the importance of being the best. She asks that all #GIRLBOSSes, “have something original and special to offer that makes people’s lives better,” (p.140). In all of my previous EEE courses, I learned that entrepreneurial endeavors are all about passion and value. If you come up with a product or service that lacks significant value and you lack passion for your idea, there is no reason to pursue that business. Similarly, in PR, the “something original that makes people’s lives better” can simply be yourself. If I bring to the table valuable ideas, incredible work ethic and good spirits, I have something that will ultimately make people’s lives better.
Throughout Sophia’s story of how she become a #GIRLBOSS, she remains serious, but light-hearted, professional, but funny and above all, weird. Many studies show the impact humor, play and having fun has on allowing workers to tap into their most creative states of mind and be more productive in their workspace. A #GIRLBOSS knows that there is a long journey ahead of her to become successful, but she is going to have a great time making it happen. Sophia tells #GIRLBOSSes to, “Race balls-out toward the extraordinary life that you've always dreamed of, or still haven't had the time to dream up. And prepare to have a hell of a lot of fun along the way,” (p.22). Life is all about working hard so you can play harder. PR professionals and entrepreneurs have a round-the-clock job, but it is worth the hard work if you remember to have fun while doing it.
Why Would I Recommend This Book?
If you want that ultimate ego/confidence-boosting, inspirational and motivational pep talk you always dreamed of, read #GIRLBOSS. If you want a good laugh from a satirical, rebellious twenty-something year old, read #GIRLBOSS. If you actually want to enjoy a book and learn how to become a millionaire in less than five years, read #GIRLBOSS! I have read many books with similar goals and messages directed toward readers, but none captured my attention like this. No others made me want to read the book all over again as soon as I finished it. Even for men, #GIRLBOSS is not just a “how to” on becoming a successful entrepreneur but it is also insight on how to live your everyday life in this competitive world. But mostly to my female friends out there, if you want to be a bada** #GIRLBOSS, you cannot afford to miss this book.
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