Dubbed the “Cinderella of Tech” by the New York Times, Sophia Amoruso is a person worth knowing. With the hashtag #GIRLBOSS, she clearly wants to tell millennial yuppies to create their own opportunities.
When I was studying Marketing in college, only a few female classmates actually opened a business book for leisure and knowledge-seeking purposes. But when #GIRLBOSS came around early this summer, it sold out quickly in local bookstores. Some online shops even doubled the price from P1,135 to anywhere from P2,000-P3,000.
In 2006, the then 22-year-old was afflicted with hernia; the only way she could have it removed was to get a job that offered free medical insurance. Meanwhile, she noticed how girls were inviting her to check their online vintage stores.
After her surgery, she decided to start up her vintage online shop in the basement of her mom’s house. She is now close to earning $100 million plus
from her Nasty Gal online business.
Fastest growing
According to BusinessofFashion.com, NastyGal.com’s sales rose 10,360 percent from 2008-2011. It has established itself as one of the fastest-growing retail companies.
In the book’s foreword, Amoruso bluntly says that it isn’t a “feminist manifesto nor a memoir.”
She starts her chapters with inspirational, if clipped quotes. For example: “Life is short. Don’t be lazy.”
Aside from promoting women empowerment, she also profiles women who are on top of their game like Leandra Medine of Manrepeller.com and Christene Barberich, editor of Refinery29.com. Other topics include ways to get hired successfully and humanely firing an employee. She also discusses issues on professional boundaries, being creative 24/7 and being financially stable.
For Filipino women who are clueless about how to start their own businesses, #GIRLBOSS is a practical read. Amoruso’s no-nonsense approach will make you read her from cover to cover.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF PENGUIN PORTFOLIO
