Sophia Amoruso has got being a #GIRLBOSS sussed. She is the founder, creative director and CEO of Nasty Gal, a multi-million dollar online fashion retailer, with over 350 employees, which started out as an eBay shop. Sophia’s path to success was by no means a straight route; she confesses to spending her teens hitchhiking, shoplifting and working a long list of disposable jobs. She describes Nasty Gal as the only job she has ever stuck with, and it’s just as well she did.
#GIRLBOSS is the story of Sophia’s unconventional route to business success but also a guide for aspiring girl bosses. It includes tips on everything from hiring and firing to attracting investors, all spelled out in Sophia’s straight-talking, quick-witted humour. To give you a taste of what you can expect from this book (and you really must read it) below are some of my favourite #GIRLBOSS quotes.
Sophia wants you to remember three things whilst reading the book:
Don’t ever grow up. Don’t become a bore. Don’t ever let the man get to you.
My favourite tip:
Life is short. Don’t be lazy.
On what is a #GIRLBOSS:
A #GIRLBOSS is someone who’s in charge of her own life. She gets what she wants because she works for it.
On self-belief:
If I, and this book, have anything to prove, it’s that when you believe in yourself, other people will believe in you, too.
On building an online business:
I responded to every single comment that anyone left on my page. It just seemed like the polite thing to do. Many companies were spending millions of dollars trying to nail social media, but I just went with my instincts and treated my customers like friends.
On ‘Shitty Jobs Saved My Life’:
What all of these jobs taught me is that you have to be willing to tolerate some shit you don’t like – at least for a while. This is what my parents’ generation would call ‘character building’ but I prefer to call it ‘#GIRLBOSS training.
On money (Sophia’s history meant she had a poor credit score and couldn’t loan a single cent):
As I had no financial cushion to support me while the business ramped up, I had to bust my ass and make it profitable from day one. In the end, this meant that I grew Nasty Gal to $28 million in revenue without borrowing a dime.
(Sophia has a great attitude to not spending money you don’t have. When the business was doing well enough she bought herself a Porsche outright in cash. *Virtual high-five to that*).
On the power of magical thinking:
I treat my internet passwords as modern-day sigils, embedding them with wishes or promises to me, or even financial goals for the company.
(Love this idea.)
These snippets are just a taste of the inspiration found in the #GIRLBOSS book. So go read it!
Have you read #GIRLBOSS? What were your top takeaways?
13 Comments
Emily Ray
October 3, 2014 at 8:25 amWow, this sounds like an inspirational read! I actually saw the quote ‘”A #GIRLBOSS is someone who’s in charge of her own life. She gets what she wants because she works for it.”‘ on your Facebook page as I was flicking through on my phone and rolled out of bed to get straight to work on my writing 😀 x
Jayne Gorman
October 3, 2014 at 8:35 amThat’s amazing! It had the same effect on me when I read it. A prompt that we have to make things happen 🙂 Good luck #Girlboss! x
Jen
October 3, 2014 at 10:03 amLove this! Off to buy it today! Just what I need right now. Thanks for all the fab quote sharing 🙂
Jayne Gorman
October 4, 2014 at 12:18 amYou’re welcome. They were so good I couldn’t help but share!
Amy Lynne Hayes
October 3, 2014 at 1:03 pmI haven’t read this yet, but it’s on my list! It sounds as if her personality just jumps off the pages – would be a highly entertaining, informative, and inspirational read. Might have to buy it for that long flight to NZ now! 🙂
Jayne Gorman
October 4, 2014 at 12:19 amDo. I raced through it in a few days. Very inspiring and digestible!
Elizabeth @ Awesome Wave
October 4, 2014 at 9:11 amI’ve seen so many people rave about this book, it’s about time I got around to buying it. I love the quotes you’ve shared and they really resonate with me at the moment as I start up a brand new blog and ramp up my business activities.
Thanks for sharing!
Jayne Gorman
October 6, 2014 at 3:12 amIt was definitely the kick up the butt I needed to get working on some new projects I had in mind. Enjoy the read and good luck with your new blog J
Valerie at Weekend Wonders
October 4, 2014 at 12:26 pmHeard so many great things about this book and I’m loving all the quotes you’ve picked. I think this is a sign this should be my next read! xx
Jayne Gorman
October 6, 2014 at 3:13 amDo. I hope you enjoy it 😉
Career Advice from a #GIRLBOSS - Caroline in the City Travel Blog
October 14, 2014 at 1:00 pm[…] eBay, which led to her multimillion dollar fashion empire. My friend Jayne shared her thoughts in this post. I’ve paraphrased some of my favorite lines and career […]
Lucy
December 2, 2014 at 5:00 pmAdded this one to my Christmas list – thank you Jayne!
Jayne Gorman
December 9, 2014 at 11:51 pmYou’re welcome! Hope you enjoy it!