GIRLBOSS: What advises women CEO of the online store Nasty Gal
text: Anya Savina
The founder of the sensationally successful online store Nasty Gal Sophia Amoruso does not look like a good adviser for girls who want to achieve success in their careers - at first glance it seems that she was just lucky. She has no higher education, she was fired many times (even from Subway, where she worked behind the counter), she despised capitalism and from all cultural events she preferred to attend only anarchist literature fairs. This did not prevent her from writing the book "#GIRLBOSS", which was published in early May, caused no less enthusiasm than the main business of Sofia, and was no longer intended for left-wing book fairs. The commercial success of Nasty Gal made the girl reconcile with the modern economic system, and now she talks about her writing debut at TechCrunch Disrupt conference - the largest technology forum where it is easy to meet, for example, the CEO of Yahoo! Marissa Mayer.
"Do you say # each time?" - Asks the leading TechCrunch smart Amoruso, who always dresses like she is going to a party. No, she does not mention the hashtag in oral speech, but it is needed to promote the book in social networks. The ability to find a way for free marketing is one of the components of Nasty Gal’s success. In his book, Amoruso tells the story of his online store and accompanies the description with business tips. In addition to the recommendations of Amoruso herself, the book has success stories written by her friends (and, of course, bosses): Man Repeller blogger Leandra Medin, co-founder of fashion week for young designers MADE Fashion Week Jenn Lombardo, Refinery29 chief editor Christine Barberic and others. Most of the girls talk about how they followed their dreams, did not take seriously the criticism of others, and magically achieved success in the fashion industry.
Despite the fact that Amoruso accompanies all chapters of the book with pompous quotations (the statements of both Abraham Lincoln and Steve Jobs are used), her advice is much more practical than the advice of her friends. She tells why you don’t need to borrow to start a business, how to treat clients, how to hire and fire employees, communicate with investors, etc. However, the main advice that Amoruso gives (and which will be useful even if you don’t have your company), is to work hard and pay attention to details. Recalling the times when Nasty Gal was still an auction of vintage clothing on eBay, the girl tells how she self-packaged all the parcels and attached tags to them with the best wishes to customers, how she made up descriptions of goods, looked for them in all second-hand shops and bargained for each cent, she selected the models herself and conducted surveys, etc. Another secret of Amoruso’s success is the desire to delve into all, even the most complex, aspects of the company's work. When Nasty Gal quickly grew over several years, Amoruso had to grasp all the economic subtleties, and she did not hesitate to ask her subordinates stupid questions - her desire to succeed was much more fearful of appearing stupid.
Amoruso audience - those who move from one bad job to another and do not know how to turn a hobby into a business
Deciding to write a book, Amoruso thought to devote it to her style, but found this option too banal and decided to talk about how to succeed in business. However, it was not without fashion at all. In one of the chapters of the book, Amoruso enthusiastically tells how freak she was throughout her life, how she refused to buy things in large shopping centers and how, therefore, from a young age, she bought clothes in second-hand. In addition, she admits that she hates fashion weeks and generally considers herself an outcast in this industry. Of course, this statement should be followed by the advice to value their individuality and make a bet on it, and then praise Nasty Gal as an online store that allows young girls to express themselves and "dress them in the best years of their lives." Marketing is important, and Amoruso doesn't even try to hide it.
Excluding the chapter on fashion, "#GIRLBOSS" recalls the famous "Lean In" Cheryl Sandberg, which gives many similar tips. The name of the book Amoruso even echoes the campaign "Ban Bossy", which was initiated by the famous COO Facebook. However, the two women have not so much in common: Amoruso did not graduate from Harvard, she does not have an influential husband, and her audience is not girls from wealthy families who will definitely be fine, but those who move from one bad job to another to provide for himself, he buys clothes in second-hand (or orders cheap dresses at Nasty Gal) and does not know what he wants to do in life or how to turn a hobby into a business. Even if you do not recognize yourself in this description, some of the advice Amoruso should heed. It may not be a good idea to neglect higher education and always wear crop tops and microsuits that Nasty Gal sells, but willingness to work a lot and fearlessness in the face of difficulties will definitely make you #GIRLBOSS.