I got the book #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso during Christmas time in 2015. I don't actually remember where I'd first heard of it, but I must've since I bought it right away (and I have this thing where if anything is over $5, I freak out, so I must have really wanted this book).
#GIRLBOSS is a book about the creator of the fashion company, Nasty Gal, and how she got where she is today. Now, I know of Nasty Gal and have seen their clothes, but everything I ever liked was never in my size, so I dismissed it as a company. I love fashion (even though from looking at me, it doesn't seem like it.) (Combat boots go with everything, okay!?) And from doing some research nowadays, it seems like SOME clothing comes in XL, but I will bet you $100 dollars that it will be a slim fit that shows unwanted body rolls.
After that researching part of Nasty Gal, I can definitely appreciate the time and dedication and celebrity endorsements (not to mention the new Kylie and Kendall collection adorning the front page of Nasty Gal.) (WHICH I AM VERY MUCH INTO BUT THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE MY SIZE IN SHOES!!!)
The CEO and creator of Nasty Gal started off this company by selling vintage items via eBay. #GIRLBOSS depicts her life struggles along with work struggles and tips along the way such as "a thumbnail on an item online is everything." It was fascinating to read about the life of Sophia when she was younger, too. She wrote things like how she used to work at subway, but it always turned out to be an interesting read. She is a natural born storyteller/writer as well as a smart business woman.
During the reading of this book, I realized that I needed to start highlighting passages. I had dreams when I was younger that I was going to start my own business. I didn't know what it was going to be, but I knew it was going to be a creative business. In the last year, I started creating shirts. I then realized that I wanted to start a business with these handmade shirts because people actually LIKED them. Now, my interest has faded recently, but I still wanted to bask in the knowledge that was #GIRLBOSS.
I highlighted everything that stuck out to me. Even the simplest of lines:
*"You can't like you've arrived when you're only just receiving the invitation."
*"Save more than you spend"
*"You should save 10 percent at the bare minimum of your income"
*"The more you know what you want, the less you're willing to put up with what you don't"
Sophia also had quotes and excerpts from other people and my favorite one was from a guy named Tony Hsieh, who said:
"Businesses often forget about the culture, and ultimately, they suffer for it because you can't deliver good service from unhappy employees."
Which I think about so much. I have quit jobs because they treat their employees miserably. Unfortunately, those businesses that treated me bad are still running, but I'd like to iterate what Tony said, "YOU CAN'T DELIVER GOOD SERVICE FROM UNHAPPY EMPLOYEES"
Anyway, there were some things like what to say to investors that I didn't really need in the book. I understood it was all about Sophia's journey, but it got a little boring during parts like that. She also gave insight on things like what not say at an interview and I was honestly shocked that some people go into interviews, telling their opinions on things like how to fix the business they're applying for! Sophia then said something that is so true, "If you're nervous, just don't say anything at all."
She ends the book very positively. She tells the statics of her journey of business happening to you: about 1 in 4 trillion. But hey! YOU CAN BE THAT 1! It was a great, positive closing. All in all, I would give this book a 7 out 10. I thought it was intriguing and made me love Nasty Gal even more (even if they don't cater to people my size...). I keep recommending it to girls because you know what? Now I want to be a #GIRLBOSS, too.