“A #GIRLBOSS is in charge of her own life. She gets what she wants because she works for it.”
The first thing Sophia Amoruso sold online wasn’t fashion—it was a stolen book. She spent her teens hitchhiking, committing petty theft, and dumpster diving. By twenty-two, she had resigned herself to employment, but was still broke, directionless, and working a mediocre day job she’d taken for the health insurance.
It was there that Sophia decided to start selling vintage clothes on eBay. Eight years later, she is the founder, CEO, and creative director of Nasty Gal, a $100 million plus online fashion retailer with more than 350 employees. Sophia’s never been a typical CEO, or a typical anything, and she’s written #GIRLBOSS for outsiders (and insiders) seeking a unique path to success, even when that path is winding as all hell and lined with naysayers.
The first thing Sophia Amoruso sold online wasn’t fashion—it was a stolen book. She spent her teens hitchhiking, committing petty theft, and dumpster diving. By twenty-two, she had resigned herself to employment, but was still broke, directionless, and working a mediocre day job she’d taken for the health insurance.
It was there that Sophia decided to start selling vintage clothes on eBay. Eight years later, she is the founder, CEO, and creative director of Nasty Gal, a $100 million plus online fashion retailer with more than 350 employees. Sophia’s never been a typical CEO, or a typical anything, and she’s written #GIRLBOSS for outsiders (and insiders) seeking a unique path to success, even when that path is winding as all hell and lined with naysayers.
#GIRLBOSS includes Sophia’s story, yet is infinitely bigger than Sophia. It’s deeply personal yet universal. Filled with brazen wake-up calls (“You are not a special snowflake”), cunning and frank observations (“Failure is your invention”), and behind-the-scenes stories from Nasty Gal’s meteoric rise, #GIRLBOSS covers a lot of ground. It proves that being successful isn’t about how popular you were in high school or where you went to college (if you went to college). Rather, success is about trusting your instincts and following your gut, knowing which rules to follow and which to break.
A #GIRLBOSS takes her life seriously without taking herself too seriously. She takes chances and takes responsibility on her own terms. . She knows when to throw punches and when to roll with them. When to button up and when to let her freak flag fly.
As Sophia writes, “I have three pieces of advice I want you to remember: Don’t ever grow up. Don’t become a bore. Don’t let The Man get to you. OK? Cool. Then let’s do this.”
Blurb taken from: Amazon
I started reading this book on a plane journey back from Cape Town in late and frosty July. It was a quick flight, hardly over an hour - which was barely enough time for me to enjoy the on-flight glass of wine! Devastating...
After the first page, having now happily ordered my chardonnay, I was hooked - even though that blasted hashtag included in the title really put me off getting this book.
To say that you literally cannot put a book down is quite a statement, but I have absolutely no problem in admitting it here.
I hated having to slip in a bookmark and press the pages together again as the flight started to descend and the lights on-board were switched off.
I was already over 50 pages in and doubt whether I have ever devoured a book so fast. This is also due to the large print though and mass amount of quotes, photographs and illustrations included, to be fair.
Once off the plane, I then had to endure a dreadful hour long drive back home, all the while yearning to read more of this incredible woman's story.
Much to my surprise, it is a book I would suggest to many businesses wanting to broaden their employees working mind-sets and horizons.
It is so fitting for the business environment.
This is a book that I WISH I'd had my hands on when I first entered the working world. It is so incredibly helpful for those who have just left school and who are now scouting for jobs, making cv's and writing cover letters. It is rife with wisdom - yet I will admit personally I felt that it was definitely aimed towards a younger audience. Girls just finishing high school and getting jobs etc would thoroughly enjoy this read. It's raw, real, entertaining and quirky with humor filling every page and the odd swear word chucked in here and there just because, hey, Sophia Amoruso is a bit of a bad-ass.
Sophia is also so easy to relate to. We all know what it's like to be barely scraping by each month, living pay-check to pay-check.
At the same time with all of this considered, I find this book to be professional in a refreshing and completely unique way.
It has fantastic tips and quotes to inspire you to save money:
(my manager and every other shoe addict in the world disagrees with this quote... but I love it!)
This book awakens you to want to work hard and do your best in everything you do. It is empowering, there is no better way to put it.
This book simply nailed it - like a boss.
