#Girlboss

by Sophia Amoruso

Paper Book, 2015

Status

Available

Call number

381.457 Am68

Publication

New York, New York : Portfolio/Penguin, 2015

Description

" "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. #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." "-- "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 age twenty-two, she had resigned herself to employment, but was still broke, directionless, and checking IDs in the lobby of an art school--a job she'd taken for the health insurance. It was in that lobby that Sophia decided to start selling vintage clothes on eBay. Flash forward eight years to today, and she's the Founder, CEO and Creative Director of Nasty Gal, a $100+ million online fashion retailer with over 350 employees. Sophia's never been a typical CEO, or a typical anything, and she's written #GIRLBOSS for girls like her: outsiders (and insiders) seeking a unique path to success, even when that path is windy as all hell and lined with naysayers. "--… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member 23points
A forgettable, fluffy book. As much as I want to support her- she is an against the odds successful CEO- the book really has little of substance. You could glean all the business insight from reading a few book reviews, and you'll save yourself a few hours.
LibraryThing member jbarr5
#GirlBoss
Liked this book because it's about how one girl was able to market her skills on ebay and open a store to earn a living.
Very detailed and descriptive about how to achieve success.
Real life experiences of what worked for her and what did not and why. Also sections on credit cards, cash,
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security, how to hire others to work for you.
To make creative resumes and have others actually read it, using networking social media sites to get ahead and what to do when you do get the job, how to keep it.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
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LibraryThing member cattylj
Intro - this is not feminism because [reasons that don't make sense]. *deep sigh* here we go.

But I actually read the whole thing. My aunt recommended it to me and I know she'll ask about it, so I want to have at least a few things to feign interest in. Amoruso is incredibly impressive for building
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what she's built. Major kudos to her for that. But this read like the self help book she so ardently claimed it was not. I wanted to know how SHE built this business, the details of her story. Not some vague, "do what you love, be bold, be your biggest fan, oh and magic!" blahblahblah. (I'd get so into some magic, but it wasn't even an interesting section)

She glossed over those early transitional years that would have been the most interesting. And every time the word #GIRLBOSS showed up (which it did, A LOT) I cringed, reading it with the inflection of "xoxo, Gossip Girl." And after a certain point, with all the brand name dropping (ok, you're badass and fashionable, you're cooler than me) and band name dropping (ok, you were into metal in the 90s, you're cooler than me), it just felt a little too gratuitous. Too self congratulatory. Which, whatever, celebrate yoself - you built a multimillion dollar business. But don't sell your dressed up pat-on-the-back as anything else. Or do...whatever, I wouldn't have even read this if I didn't have to, so I can't say I was sold on it beforehand only to be
deceived.

She's clearly a smart and savvy woman, I just wish the book reflected that and didn't read like a column in Teen Vogue.
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LibraryThing member aznstarlette
In college I was a big eBay fan. At that particular time, vintage clothing was a huge market, and I distinctly remember Nasty Gal being one of the most popular members. She offered unique pieces and styled them perfectly. In fact, I still own some dresses won from her auctions. A few years later, I
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came upon #GIRLBOSS, written by the founder and CEO of Nasty Gal. Imagine my surprise that the little vintage shop has since been parlayed into a $100 million plus online fashion retailer.

I enjoyed reading about Sophia Amoruso. She went from having absolutely no direction, not even a college education, to becoming the head of a hugely successful brand. I admire her sense of rebellion, for not accepting the status quo. #GIRLBOSS, as Amoruso states in the introduction, is neither a business guide nor a memoir. It is simply her story and inspiration behind building her business with practical advice thrown in. And the advice she dishes are nothing groundbreaking - work hard as hell, hire a good team, excellent customer service is everything, maintain your own unique spirit - but they reinforce what all successful businesses have in common.

Interspersed throughout the book are gratuitous quotes, silly anecdotes, and cheeky (often cheesy) one-liners. Amoruso's personality shines through, and I have to admit that there are sections that read like a teenager's blog. That, along with the hashtagged title, makes this book so quintessentially millenial, I had to take off my Warby Parker glasses to snap out of it.

# GIRLBOSS isn't a bad read. Good for someone who may be feeling a little lost or aimless. It certainly is motivating.
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LibraryThing member v_allery
#GIRLBOSS is truly an inspiring book that will make every girl believe that she can get what she wants if she asks for it and works for it. I found Sophia Amoruso's narration very no-nonsense and strong, her story very enticing. She is an incredible 29-year-old woman and a wonderful role model. And
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I do not mean her as a person, because, obviously, I do not know her, but as a businesswomen doing whatever needs to be done. So if anything seems to be standing in your way, remember - if something has to be done, just go on and do it.
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LibraryThing member tipsy_writer
Really, I loved this book. However, it's not for the reasons I thought I would.

I'm all for empowering females and I even like rags to riches stories. Overall, I thought this was one of the best books I've read in a while. I started it in the bookstore and had a hard time leaving it behind and
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eventually acquired it so that I could finally finish it.

I don't hate fashion and I don't hate stories about "don't steal!" but I wished this had more leadership based content. Not to say that I didn't love the other parts, I was just expecting a little more.

Don't get me wrong, I would highly recommend this to any woman who is looking for a great book to read!
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LibraryThing member ardvisoor
I read many reviews on Goodreads and noticed that many people criticize Sophia Amoruso is a self-absorbed person. I wouldn’t use this word, I prefer to say she’s completely proud of herself and I don’t see why she shouldn’t?
She doesn’t have official post high school education, she tried
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lots of useless, not honorable things (Shop lifting) and … finally she was able to build a carrier out of one thing she found she could do very good, selling Vintage clothing.
I think she should be really proud of herself. Think about it, You find something you’re good at it and start to do it, be creative and find new ways to promote your business and expand it, and you do all of it without a proper business education.
I cheer for her and say that her book was worth reading/listening to. It’s interesting to know how she became Founder, CEO, and Creative Director of Nasty Gal, a $100+ million e-trailer. She doesn’t give advice how to do this and do that. She tells her story and shows how everybody could look for a successful carrier by being the person they are and working hard on what they think they are good at.
Just maybe it was better if she didn’t explain how to shop lift in so much detail.
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LibraryThing member Madison_Fairbanks
#GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso
Part business memoir, part entertainment, this book had some practical, usable advice for entry level business workers, primarily female. It also included a lot of funny stories of her life on eBay and the internet. Mostly it stresses that you go your own way and be your
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own person.

Business books often put me to sleep. This book was entertaining with a positive attitude. I like that.
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LibraryThing member phoibee
#GIRLBOSS --the all caps make the title a little intimidating and loud, but the hashtag/pound makes it tacky (probably not tacky the time it was published). This book won an award here in Goodreads and its strong-looking cover made me want to read it. My friends looked at my book wishlist and gave
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me this for my birthday.

I have no idea what this book was all about so I didn't give any high expectations. At first, I was annoyed with the introductions and the first part of the book. "Is this a book or a company catalogue?" ran to my head. I hate how she relentlessly talks about her brand Nasty Gal. Nasty Gal this, Nasty Gal that. I haven't heard of it. I'm in a different continent, anyway. After some more pages, her words became inspiring. Her experiences became interesting. She gives a lot of advices and shares some experiences. This woman underwent to a lot of experiences. I suddenly understood her and kept up with her bragging rights. I think she deserves it.

This book is not about business. It is not about her whole life.
This book is a glimpse of her milestones in life. This book is like a pep talk or a friend chat. You didn't know you need it.
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LibraryThing member vonze
I received a free audiobook of this title from Ford Audiobook Club.

As student who’s always had a high interest in e-commerce, #GirlBoss was thought provoking. Sophia Amoruso went from modern day rags to riches via her clothing e-tailer Nasty Gal. Seemingly, the odds were not in
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future-GirlBoss-Sophia’s favor. She struggled with ADHD, depression, being an introvert (surprisingly cause I wouldn’t have guessed), and having no continuing education. However, despite her struggles, she turned a hobby means-to-an-end into a passion into a business success story.

That’s not to say that she didn’t sow some illegal wild oats (shoplifting merch to sell), drama, and mistakes along the way. At times she comes off as cutthroat. However, although she advises readers to “never grow up” it seems she grew up, changed for the better, and learned from her missteps.

The book is part autobiography, part instruction on how to be a #GirlBoss. In my opinion, some of the how-to should be taken with a grain of salt since Sophia is an unconventional, non-typical success, similar to the lucky few that make it as rockstars. The section on job interviews seemed particularly confusing, with do’s and don’ts that felt conflicting.

But, overall the book is motivational and empowering for women. I respect Sophia’s unfiltered honesty. Self-learning from mistakes, flexibility, and hard work have certainly paid off for her.
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LibraryThing member samanthamholt
“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.”

If I had a hardcopy of this book, I already know there are pages I’d be highlighting and writing notes in the margins in for
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future reference. Thats what kind of book this is.

Timely is an understatement when I think about this book. I’m currently in what I like to think is a transition but is more like a huge mess. Im not quite in the position Sophia was in before she started Nasty Gal. I didn’t do any dumpster diving, I’m not necessarily struggling to survive, and I’m definitely not committing petty theft. I am, however, at a point where I am not 100% sure what my endgame is but I know that I’m not actively working toward one. I, like Sophia, am “broke, directionless, and working a mediocre day job taken for the health insurance”. I am still trying to figure out what route I want to go or at least how to turn freelancing into a “full time” position so I can quit my day job and not dread waking up in the morning. Well, I work at night so I don’t dread waking up but you get what I mean.

I found this book to have a lot of quotes that inspired me not necessarily to change what I’m doing, but to focus more on doing more of what I want and for that I am grateful. To strip this book down to the basics, Sophia took something she knew and loved (thrifting and vintage clothing) and monetized her affection for it. She built something from practically nothing and wants to encourage anyone with a passion for it to do the same. However, there is nothing wrong with not doing this but then again, this book isn’t really meant for anyone that is perfectly happy with where they’re at in life. I’d say this book is geared toward you achieving happiness in life and with what you choose to do “for a living”.

If you’re thinking of checking out the Audiobook, go for it. It’s a quick listen and, although the narrator was not my favorite, she was easy to listen to and understand. The book is just as funny as it is inspirational which is always a good thing. I’ll come out and say that I personally do not shop on(at?) Nasty Gal but am familiar with it and its popularity. If you’re unfamiliar, you may find she mentions/humblebrags about the shop pretty frequently, but what can you really expect? This is as much an autobiography as it is an inspirational book and Nasty Gal is a major part of her life. Despite the name, this book does not seem that it is exactly directed toward women. This is not a “feminist” book by intention and I think anyone can get something out of it.
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LibraryThing member Shahnareads
I bought into the hype and went and picked this up a couple months back. A friend of mine read it and loved it and I wanted to see what all the hub-bub was about.

Turns out, it's actually pretty good. She's funny and blunt and it's all pretty interesting. She doesn't seem to hide much about her
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past and has lots of helpful tips and insights that can help others that want to follow a similar path.

It's definitely an inspirational book. I got caught up in it and felt the need to go out and accomplish something after I read it. It's an easy read and worth it if you feel stuck or frustrated.
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LibraryThing member reader1009
nonfiction/business memoir from self-starter and kickass businesswoman (california author--sacramento, bay area, los angeles--from ebay vendor to online retailer, with featured profiles of other smart and modern businesswomen)
LibraryThing member The_Literary_Jedi
At the time I read this, I was interested especially because of the mini-series I saw on Netflix [Girlboss; Britt Robertson; 13 eps, TV-MA;2017] and it interested me in the book. When I read the book, I found it interesting but not so much so as the mini-series was entertaining. This seems like the
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definition of "inspired by" rather than "based on" in adaptation language. The book offers a little more detail and some more tips on becoming successful than the mini-series does but overall, I wouldn't really say it made a difference in how I looked at business; and it didn't make me a Nasty Gal customer.
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LibraryThing member thinktink93
I chose to read this book as part of an assignment for my Leadership and Management Concepts class.

Focused on Sophia Amoruso's life and how she got to where she is now.

Although some of the advice and lessons are geared more towards aspiring entrepreneurs, this book also has good lessons and quotes
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for anyone who has to work to earn a living (whether that be in an office job sitting behind a desk or as a sandwich-maker at Subway).
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LibraryThing member AngelaLam
An inspirational book about the concept of turning your passion into your profession from a woman who went from homelessness to CEO of a multimillion dollar company.
LibraryThing member mandarella
Just OK. Part biography, part professional development on being a #GIRLBOSS and part fluff and a glimpse into running a business in the fashion industry. I wouldn't categorize this as a truly feminist book or a business advice book. There were some unique pieces of advice that I jotted down and
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took note of, but it's also not anything that I haven't learned on my own or read in another business related book.
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LibraryThing member smorton11
One of these days, I’m going to go back to teaching full time. I don’t think I’ll ever really leave the bookstore, or the book world, but unfortunately, short of opening my own bookstore (which I’m not completely ruling out), there is very little opportunity for growth, or new challenges.
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And my brain gets bored and stale if I don’t have new things to with it.

While most bookstores would shelve #Girlboss in business, it is really for anyone looking for a life/career change, not just for people looking to start their own business as Sophia did. What I really appreciate about #Girlboss is the fact that Sophia offers advice without sugar coating any of it. It is practical and useful – when she talks about everyday magic and putting positive thoughts out into the universe, she delves deeper than You Are a Badass and The Secret. While those two books focus just on happy thoughts, Sophia presents practical ways to follow through on those positive thoughts.

One thing that did concern me, prior to reading, was whether or not I would think differently of Sophia’s advice knowing that she left Nasty Gal and the lawsuits and bankruptcy that plagued the company over the last few years. The good news – I did not. Sophia never claims to be an expert, quite the opposite in fact, and approaches #Girlboss with an attitude of “this worked for me, it might work for you” which I greatly appreciated. And if you’ve seen the Netflix show of the same name, well, it’s an interesting television choice – turn a business book into a narrative show – but it’s not half bad.
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LibraryThing member mimo
Inspirational memoir for young creative types. Probably best received by women in their 20s, but lessons learned can apply to all walks of life if you're open-minded. Written by Sophia Amoruso, creator and CEO of Nasty Gal, a lifestyle and fashion shopping site. Her path was definitely
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non-traditional and therefore she has some interesting experiences and viewpoints. Yes, it is another book that reads like a blog (which I'm personally tired of). I would like to see something for people with longer attention spans. Book is also punctuated by first-person sidebars of other women who made their mark.
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Awards

Audie Award (Finalist — 2015)

Language

Original publication date

2014-05-06

Physical description

xv, 239 p.; 21 cm

ISBN

9781591847939

Barcode

1074
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