#GIRLBOSS Summary
5 min read ⌚
Sophia Amoruso reveals how much it costs to become a #GIRLBOSS
Do you know that adage: “do not judge the book by its cover”? I invite you to do exactly the opposite.
Take a look at this book’s covers and try to make a judgmental statement. Which will be?
“A feminist book about how a girl can win a power position in a corporation”
Or maybe…
“Just another book about nowadays women’s careers”
PATTERN FREE/ #GIRLBOSS
Daring. Failing. Breaking the rules. And building new ones.
“#GIRLBOSS PDF Summary”
Yes: “girl” may sound fragile. And yes: “boss” may sound intimidating.
Mixing those two words may lead you, at least in the first place, to a confusing feeling. And this feeling may follow you all the time while you are reading this book.
We are all born under the same shining stars. Half of us are dealing with the tumultuous part of life and seems to attract adventure at every step.
And there is also the “waiting” half. The other half that already chose to stay aside and live a rapid life.
Daring. Failing. Breaking the rules. And building new ones. This would be in short the story of Sophia Amoruso.
She has drawn her own path to success by proving that failures are usually just another way to achieve your dreams and get what you want.
Hitchhiking, committing petty theft, and dumpster diving. Can you imagine the fancy-original woman – founder, CEO, and creative director of Nasty Gal – having a past like this? Defying any expectation Sophia Amoruso seems to live her life by spoiling herself with the luxury of being herself.
This crazy, loopy universe that we live in is pretty entertaining, and we’re only here for a short amount of time.
So, let’s dive together in the story of this book and have a journey through the chapters.
First station – first question: DO YOU WANNA BE A #GIRLBOSS?
There is no better answer than YES. So, take a look at some lessons:
- Daring from BECOMING to BEING: It’s not enough to get on the wire, you also have to know how to keep your balance.
It takes a lot of hard work to get there, and then once you arrive, it takes even more hard work to stay there.
- SCAN the world but LAUGH in the mirror. Take your life seriously, but not take yourself too seriously.
You know where you’re going, but can’t do it without having some fun along the way. You value honesty over perfection.
- Be your own IDOL. So, don’t spend time wondering about others life. Focus on your own goals, your own dreams. Become your own idol.
- Unchain yourself of insignificant things. Don’t let little things hold you back. Design your way and keep moving on it.
- Step aside. Hiding in the shadows will make you one with them. Don’t ask to be heard, looked at, understood, respected. Because…
You don’t get taken seriously by asking someone to take you seriously. You’ve got to show up and own it.
Three more stations and you’re invited to a journey through Sophia Amoruso’s life story: How I become a #GIRLBOSS, Shitty jobs saved my life, Shoplifting (and Hitchhiking) saved my life.
Be prepared to deal with an unusual one. Do you need a clue? Let’s take a look at how this story starts:
If I’m being totally honest here […] Nasty Gal started because I had a hernia. I was living in San Francisco, jobless, when I suddenly discovered that I had a hernia in my groin.
And if you think this is an awkward style, get used to it. Sophia Amoruso keeps the same tone even if she’s writing about the story of her life or about money.
And when it comes about money, she puts in the front line your worst enemies:
Stupid decisions
The worst decisions you can make are related to letting yourself stuck in jobs, places, or relationships that you hate. Usually, you try to justify this by the fact that you can’t afford to go elsewhere.
Being in a good spot financially can open up so many doors. Being in a bad spot can slam them in your face. And being broke gets old, so start making smart decisions now to avoid paying for stupid ones later.
Spending rush
First thought when you don’t have money is to get some. First thought when you dream about the time you’ll have money is which will be the first things you’ll buy. And, finally, your first thought after you make some money maybe – let’s spend it all. Wise or childish?
Saving instead of spending seems to be Sophia Amoruso ’s advice:
When your time spent making money is significantly greater than your time spent spending money, you will be amazed at how much you can save without even really thinking about it.
Talking too much – asking for too little
Money doesn’t talk. But we developed the habit of talking too often about it. Complaining. Hoping. Anticipating failures. But never asking for more. Acting for more.
You can’t expect the world to read your mind. You have to put it out there, and sometimes putting it out there is as simple as just saying, ‘Hey, can I have that?
Wearing gold shoe holes in the soles
I totally agree with the statement from the nugget above. We are used to dreaming of luxury and too often we are trying to live like we can afford it.
Stretching yourself more than your quilt, even if we’re talking about a business or personal finances, may not only be risky. It’s more than that: stupid.
And with this topic, we are a half trip. From now on, six more stations – six more chapters – are waiting to be discovered:
Hocus-pocus: the power of magical thinking
I am the antifashion
On hiring, staying employed, and firing
Taking care of (your) business
Creativity is everything
The chances
But I’ve already had this journey before and it will be unfair to spoil the magic of this book.
“#GIRLBOSS Quotes”
No matter where you are in life, you'll save a lot of time by not worrying too much about what other people think about you. The earlier in your life that you can learn that, the easier the rest of it will be. Click To Tweet There are secret opportunities hidden inside every failure. Click To Tweet It’s cool to be kind. It’s cool to be weird. It’s cool to be honest and to be secure with yourself. Click To Tweet Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle. Click To Tweet You have to kick people out of your head as forcefully as you'd kick someone out of your house. Click To Tweet
Our Critical Review
So, I leave you the chance to buy your own full ticket and discover the entire book by yourself.
But, hey, don’t be a stranger!
Return on this page soon – after you read it – and share some impressions with us.
Until then, let’s take a look at one more nugget that I love:
Look up and look around, and if you’re not finding something inspiring, then you’re probably not looking hard enough.
Like this summary? We’d like to invite you to download our free 12 min app for more amazing summaries and audiobooks.
Emir is the Head of Marketing at 12min. In his spare time, he loves to meditate and play soccer.
