#GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso | Review

#GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso

Published: May 6, 2014

Publisher: Portfolio

Pages: 256

Received: borrowed from library via Overdrive (audio book version)

Find Online: Goodreads

In the New York Times bestseller that the Washington Post called “Lean In for misfits,” Sophia Amoruso shares how she went from dumpster diving to founding one of the fastest-growing retailers in the world.

Amoruso spent her teens hitchhiking, committing petty theft, and scrounging in dumpsters for leftover bagels. By age twenty-two she had dropped out of school, and was 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 to today, and she’s the founder of Nasty Gal and the founder and CEO of Girlboss. Sophia was never a typical CEO, or a typical anything, and she’s written #GIRLBOSS for other 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.

#GIRLBOSS proves that being successful isn’t about where you went to college or how popular you were in high school. It’s about trusting your instincts and following your gut; knowing which rules to follow and which to break; when to button up and when to let your freak flag fly.

I read this in 2019 as I am starting to work on moving up the ladder at work. I figured that it would be good to start getting as much exposure to topics on being a boss, being a GIRL BOSS and being effective at the role. 

I've now read a few other books on topics including coaching, leadership and the like. And I really enjoyed this audio book. It was very engaging and Sophia as the narrator actually was a great choice because I feel that she emphasized the right parts of the books and have such inflection. 

There are so many quotable parts in this book that I would love to own a copy so that I can annotate it and reread it as needed. I want to be successful in my new career goals and I think this book just helped me see that anything is possible if you want it and work for it. That you are your own worst enemy if you keep standing in your own way. It's opened my eyes to what I can do and how I want to accomplish it. 

The only thing I wish it touched on more of is the leadership part of her life. I enjoyed her rags to riches story and her motivational writing style, but I think it honestly just needed more about the business side of things on a coaching and leadership level. 

Anyone have suggestions for books about leadership from a woman's POV? I'd love to read more!