Channel Your Inner #GirlBoss
A few weeks ago when talking about my long term future business plans with a close friend, she brought up #GirlBoss by Sophia Amoruso. I had briefly heard her name before but since it came highly recommended I got on Amazon about an hour after our talk and went to make my purchase. Oddly enough, I found out that day I had won a $25.00 gift card to Amazon so the book would only cost me about 63 cents! Well, that 63 cents has already gone a long way into sparking more ideas and propelling me to keep working hard on my goals. I just knew it was meant to be. I just finished this book yesterday, spending my entire day off reading about three quarters of it. I just couldn’t seem to put the book down! Every sentence led me to a new idea, confirmed some present ideas, and made me make some new insights. Today I will share with you a review of #GirlBoss.
Summary:
To give some background, Sophia Amoruso is the founder and CEO of Nasty Gal a $100 million dollar clothing empire which she started by selling vintage clothes on eBay. In 7 years she has built one of the fastest growing companies, and she did it all despite dropping out of school and never pursuing post-secondary education. This book is NOT for those wanting to become the next fashion mogul but for those females to become empowered to work hard to achieve their dreams. The book is split up into 11 chapters each playing through a different time of Sophia’s life or a particular topic she provides insight on from her own experiences. She was very real, sharing many stories with her readers, helping us to better understand her story and what it took for her to get to where she is.
Lessons Learned:
Below are just a few lessons I am taking away from this book. The rest, well, you will just have to pick up the book for yourself and find out!
- Our dream job will not just magically fall into our laps. Graduates often enter the work force unimpressed with their entry level jobs. But that is why it is entry level! We must work our way up, grinding it out at the bottom before we can take that jump into the next role with bigger responsibilities. Everyone must learn the ins and outs of the business from the most hands on angle and then learn what it takes to manage and oversee others. Every job we have, regardless if you can see it at the time, will help shape the future manager, director, or CEO you aspire to be. So, do each job with care and appreciate the power of having responsibility.
- Focus on you. Sophia shared a personal story about a competitor in the business saying she became too focused on how to make her counterpart fail. Instead she suggests focusing on you and what will make you and your business succeed so that no matter how great the competitor is, you will be the best. Being in the fitness industry, this is something that I can definitely take away because every day there is someone new walking in with the latest exercise, latest workout look, or shoe and I just have to remain focused on my goals. If you always stay one step ahead, those competitors can never catch you.
- Focus on your strengths. Sophia admits school wasn’t her thing. However, she preaches to stay in school and get educated if that is something you excel at and learn as much as you can. For those who may not be in their element in the classroom, find what makes you excited to wake up every morning and focus on that.
What I Liked:
Sophia was honest and vulnerable, telling us some things that I can imagine others would leave out when telling their own stories. She admitted her short comings and reminded readers to always focus on your strengths but still understand where your weaknesses lie. She never once said it was easy and constantly reminded readers that in order to be successful you have got to invest a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into making it happen. Her chapter topics were very relatable for anyone looking to make it big in whatever their industry might be. She made the ideas discussed transferable to life and other places outside of the fashion world. I loved that I could take anything she discussed and was somewhat able to apply it to a situation I have personally experienced or perhaps something I see occurring in the future. A feature of the book I enjoyed was “Portrait of a #GirlBoss” where various women shared their stories on what it meant to be a #GirlBoss to them and how they have achieved success. It was inspiring to hear different people’s stories on how they were able to achieve their goals.
What I Didn’t Like:
Sophia was real which I loved. At the same time, she hitch-hiked, shop lifted, and dumpster dived in her late teens to make ends meet and of course that is something not many people would agree with. Of course those actions are not something I would encourage and no one has to be there in order to rise above it all. However, (now this is something I liked), she was able to admit that what she did taught her a lot along the way and shaped who she is today. She stopped because she realized that at some point in time you need to make money through a job.
Recommended:
I would highly recommend this book to anyone aspiring to do great things and to those who maybe are looking for some more inspiration. I could not put this book down and had to finish it! I was ready and eager to learn more each time I flipped the page and I already had ideas flowing once I turned the final page. It is a light read and can be split up into short chapters if you are short on time. Each chapter gives you a new focus and a different aspect of being a #GirlBoss.
Now get out there and channel your inner #GirlBoss!
Be fierce. Be strong. Be vibrant.
Rachel
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