From anarchist to CEO, Sophia Amoruso can teach you a few things about business. She recently released her new book, #GIRLBOSS, in early May and I finally had the chance to read it. After about a month and a half of just waiting, my local library finally got the order in and I literally got dressed in two minutes to run and grab the book. NastyGal didn't start out the way most people thought it did, and Sophia can tell you all about it. This inspirational story can really teach you quite a bit, and here is a taste of what you might learn
1. "When your goal is to gain experience and knowledge, failure is no longer your possibility, failure is your invention." When you're learning, failure is a given. When you fail, you are learning what doesn't work and what does. Failure is crucial for growth.
2. "Crazy is doing the same thing and expecting different results." Apparently Sophia's father said this to her and I completely agree. Doing the same thing over and over again will never teach you anything new.
3. "Nothing is universally boring." You might not like finance, but that financial adviser would probably love to teach you how to manage money. Otherwise that person won't be doing what he/she is doing.
4. "There are secret opportunities in every failure." You might not see it then, but you learn something in everything you do, even your failures.
5. "When you think about people, you give them power." I found this to be particularly interesting because, although I never realized it before, it's very true. Whatever you are thinking of, you give your power too. Focus on yourself and you will surprised how much strength you'll gain.
6. The entirety of chapter 8. I did not know how else to put it, but if you're not really a reader, at least read chapter eight. From cover letters to interview tips, Sophia gives some crucial advice here. Just remember to double check your grammar, make your cover letter interesting and don't chew gum during the interview.
7. "Anything you do can be creative." If you're bored filling folders, try to see how many much you can organize in 30 seconds. You have probably played games like this before as a kid, so try hitting that creative juice again. Start thinking like a kid in that sense and you can make assignments much more fun to finish.
8. You can buy fashion, but you can't buy style. Sophia Amoruso, whether she was a CEO or dumpster diving, always had style. Fashion is what's trending, style is your attitude, and you can't buy individuality.
9. "Regardless of what your dreams are, if you listen only to those around you, the chances of your dreams coming true are very slim." I think I can oddly enough related to this. But the point of that message is to completely believe in yourself. Everyone else has their own opinions and perception of the world around them. There will be obstacles and trenches that will get in your way, but if you want something bad enough, do not just listen to others, look for your opportunities.
10. "You create the world, blink by blink.. count on it." When your teachers and parents tell you, you are the future, they are not kidding. Your choices and decisions impact people around you and most importantly, yourself. You create the world that you live in.
This definitely isn't your typical business success story, but so far #GIRLBOSS has become my favorite book and I look up to Sophia. #GIRLBOSS has been on the New York Times best selling non-fiction novel list for the last six weeks. The novel has been receiving great reviews since its release and I would recommend it to any curious youngster out there. So pick up the book next time you see it; I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.