Today we will talk about a book named Girlboss, written by Sophia Amoruso.
Sophia who is the owner of the popular brand Nasty Gal. She tells the story of how she became a Girlboss and teaches us how to learn from our mistakes and those of others. It helps you realize when you need to give up and when you need more. Encourages you to ask questions and when to follow the rules or rewrite them. This is a guide on how to become a Boss from a woman's point of view, which is very important in a male dominated society (Girlboss).
So You Want To Be A Girlboss
Sophia explains that the “Girlboss” who runs her business is much more than that. She is the master of her own life and gets what she wants. But not because of her luck because she is hardworking, even fights if needed. A Girlboss is capable of taking responsibilities and takes control when necessary (Girlboss).
Girlboss is someone who knows when to follow the rules and when to break them. Honesty is more valuable than perfection. And Girlboss knows when it's important to be serious, but she doesn't take herself too seriously. You are going to take over the world and change yourself in the process. You are bad.
3 tips to become a girlboss:
- Asking questions about everything.
- Letting go of any things or habits in life that hold you back.
- Create your own opportunities.
Girlboss is someone who runs her own life. She gets what she wants because she works for it.
Bad jobs
We all have done such a job at least once in our life that we are ashamed of doing, whether it is to run away to deliver papers, night shift in McDonald's or washing dishes in a restaurant. It's not great, but it got you your first check. And that's what matters. Such a job makes a good job more meaningful.
The chances of you getting the perfect job or making a successful carrer in the very first go are very less. When we reach that point in our life, you appreciate it more than the jobs you were ashamed to do in the first place. Without the experience you may not have realized how good you've got it.
Perhaps from each job you were ashamed to do, you must have learned something useful that you carried into the new job, whether it was a new way of thinking or a better understanding. Or that you can get the job done no matter what the job is. You have the guts to get down to business and get it done when the need arises.
Schooling – It is believed that we go to school till the age of 5-18, in which we are fit, do homework, and get some good qualification. Sophia explains that schools tend to fit all kids one size fits all, while some kids just don't do well in the school system. And if that's you, you'll feel like maybe something is wrong with you. The truth is that the school system is average, and it is not necessary that everyone will do better than that.
So Girlboss, if you are stuck in school, don't kill your spirit. This does not mean that you cannot be successful in anything. It just means that your talent is somewhere else, find the opportunity in which you are good and enhance yourself in that.
Are rules necessary?
Rules are everywhere, you can't escape them. It is impossible to stick to the rules no matter how hard you try. Some rules are made for a reason and must be followed: for example, buying things with money rather than stealing. While some rules are made by the society, without knowing any reason, everyone follows them blindly. And Sophia recommends that it's fun to break these same rules.
That work-life balance
Everyone always looks for that magical work-life balance. Such a magical thing where both your work life and personal life are very good and there is harmony in both. The emphasis should be on finding your own work life balance, especially as a freelancer, without any structure or a normal 9-5, you may find that your work becomes bigger than your personal life and vice versa.
In this case, we should make a schedule, which tells you what time to work, what time to eat, what time to meet friends or exercise. To maintain a good lifestyle, you need to make sure that you are getting to do all this.
Money Money money
It is better to keep money in the bank instead of keeping it with you. Understanding and controlling your finances is an art. You have to be a master in this, if you want to live the lifestyle you want. Or you'll end up in dead end jobs that you hate, but can't seem to quit.
The key to any kind of freedom is getting your finances right. No one likes to have no money. Learn how to be smarter with money than ever before and take advantage of it.
Bills cannot be avoided and they will not stop coming. You have to pay the bills by the deadline, it is very important, it is not an optional expense. Sophia's top saving tip is to treat your savings account as a second billing account.
Just like paying electricity and phone bills every month in your savings account. Never leave it. Even better is to set up an automatic payment, whenever you get paid, some part of it will automatically go into your savings account. If you never see him, you will never know that you are missing him.
Power of thought
Every day we create a magic of luck for ourselves. And it's not magic at all. It is just a fact that we control our thoughts and our thoughts control our lives. Although it is a simple idea that we control our thoughts, but it is more difficult to understand. Universe works in a funny way and what you give to the universe is what you get. So why don't we be positive. Visualizing your dreams and goals gets you closer to where you want to be. Do as you wish, this universe will give back to you in the same way.
For some people, visualization is a useless thing, which cannot be considered true. But Sophia truly believes in the power of visualization and its ability to guide us on the right path.
Create Momentum - It is necessary to create Momentum. Taking one good decision at a time helps in taking many good decisions. Every time you do something that benefits your long term goals, like doing and showing up at your best, you are building momentum to grow and accomplish your goals. You can't forget the little things. And she promises that if you work hard now, you can make your future brighter (Girlboss).
Focus on the positive things in your life and you will be surprised how many positive things start happening. But before you start thinking remember that you are lucky, it is magic and you have made it yourself (Girlboss).
Introvert vs extrovert
It's easy to make the assumption that one needs to be an extrovert to be successful in the world, whether it's school or work, but it's simply not true. Although being an introvert makes you feel that you will hide behind the shadows and people will ignore you, it is not directly related to your success anywhere. Just because your voice isn't loud in the room doesn't mean your voice doesn't have any value (Girlboss).
While networking is often discussed in business, Sophia believes that it has been given too much importance in relation to work. Just because you are not in a group of many strangers does not mean that you cannot be successful. Introverts are those who sit back in the meeting and do not speak anything, that's why the colleagues who work with them do not see them as leaders. Introverts are more empathetic and make better leaders.
Some such introvert traits that will benefit you in business work:
1- Introverts do not take risky decisions related to money.
2- Introverts work hard with problems and remain persistent.
3- They can be very creative.
Many great artists, thinkers, and business people in the world were also introverts, such as: Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, and JK Rowling. So, being an introvert will never make your life dark (Girlboss).
World of Jobs: Applying, Hiring and Firing
First Rule of Hiring: There is a tough competition when you apply for a job. Job market is a rough playing field. If you want a job, you have to stand out and impress. The best way is to apply for a job that you really want and have a passion for. And you still don't know what job you're passionate about, so it's all fake until you find it (Girlboss).
Cover letter - Writing a cover letter is a difficult task. It is the first impression on the boss. They get to experience firsthand who you are and what you can do for the job (Girlboss).
Sophia gives some tips for writing the letter:
- This should not happen in what you want from the job. A good cover letter expresses what you can do for the job and what you can do for your future boss.
- Describe what you do before that will help you in this new position, and where your new job will take you.
- Check spelling. Try to impress because this is the first impression. Spelling should be easy.
Resumes: Resume is a place in which you can tell good things. Tell us what you did in the past and why you were successful. You tell future employers what you can do. Don't be too polite (Girlboss).
Interviews: So now you have come to the interview stage, it is a bit scary. No 2 interviewers are ever the same and it is difficult to know what they are looking for. It's a good idea to do a little research on the company and position you're applying for, try to explain why you're a good fit for the job (Girlboss).
If you didn't get the job, it is not necessarily because you didn't give a good interview or you didn't give a good impression. Sometimes it means that you find them a little less fit for the job and there is someone else who is a little better fit for the job. It is not necessary that you will get the job for which you are applying for the first time. That's totally fine, go ahead, you'll only get better in the process (Girlboss).
So you got the job, make sure you stick with it. If you thought that getting a job was the difficult part, then you are wrong. Now you have to keep the job with you. And its the right way what you can do above your defined job. Although you know the definition of the job, it does not mean that you will not do any work outside that job definition. Everyone should have the same goal in mind to help grow the company and you (Girlboss) are there to make sure that happens.
There is a reason for making boundaries. Your boss is not your friend and if you are a boss then your employees are not your friends (Girlboss).
Firing - Being a boss is hard, the hardest thing you can do is to fire someone. Sophia has some tips for facing a difficult task:
- Do not try to make the person whom you are firing understand that it is very difficult for you. It is even more difficult for her (Girlboss).
- Don't try to explain too much (Girlboss).
- Avoid apologizing.
- Don't make it too personal.
- Do it quickly. There is no point in digging your and their pain.
- Before you begin, put yourself in the position of the employee (Girlboss) and consider their feelings.
If you get fired, you'll have a wake up call, a push in the right direction, or a way out. But even if we don't know the specifics of the situation, it's up to you how much you learn from it. Learn from your mistakes (Girlboss).
Business
“Starting a business requires a lot of personal sacrifices. If you start a business, then consider that you may be hard, that is, cashless for a long time. If you are not cashless, consider yourself cashless. There are 2 different breeds of entrepreneurs. Those who are educated and decide to start business on their own, and those who do not see any other interest (Girlboss).
Many people spend a lot of time and effort in making a business plan and take time to complete it or wait for some change in ideas. And sometimes, it will never end, or you won't even realize it's over.
Sophia believes this is the best way to proceed, a business plan is only a guide, it is not a law. And if you are truly an entrepreneur, then you will be able to adjust and change things while moving forward. Don't get bogged down in the little details (Girlboss).
Sophia appreciates how risky starting your own business can be. The risk and stress are compounded where money is involved, whether yours or that of investors, who wait for a return. To start a business, you may have to make a lot of sacrifices. All you need is to dream big. That's what this whole book is about. But know that your first step towards your dreams may be a small one.
What are the possibilities?
In her final chapter, Sophia poses a question; How many chances are there? Chances are not very good. But it doesn't matter which way you look, you'll never know if you don't try. Maybe you are in that 20% (Girlboss).
No matter what your dreams are, if you listen to the voices of those around you, you reduce the chance of those dreams coming true. The bottom line is that you can't have everything and nothing comes easily. You have to make sacrifices and make compromises. But hard doesn't mean impossible, and you can control how hard you try and when to stop (Girlboss).
Learn important
Being a Girlboss means being in charge of your own life, making things happen, not letting things happen (Girlboss).
The job that you did during school or college may seem small to you, but it will help you in the long run. When you land your dream job, you will be thankful for the small jobs and hard working days.
If you feel like you are not fitting in at school, don't worry, it is not for everyone. That doesn't mean you won't be successful (Girlboss).
Some rules should be followed like paying the bill, but the rules which the society wants you to follow, are sometimes broken. Stretch the Boundaries (Girlboss).
It is important that you find a work life balance that can work for you.
You also have to know and understand about your finance. Where did the money come from and where did the money go. Work with what you have.
It's okay to be an introvert. Those who are introverts also become good leaders.
The job market can be tough, get a grip on your cover letter and CV from the start and practice your interview skills (Girlboss).