What It Means To Be A #GirlBoss, And Other Lessons From Nasty Gal Founder Sophia Amoruso

This week only: 50% of all Curtsy orders will be donated to the #Girlboss Foundation.

If you've been reading this blog for a while you know we love the term Girlboss. But do you know where it came from? Sophia Amoruso, founder of Nasty Gal, came up with it, and if you don't know her, you should. After dropping out of school and moving to San Francisco at 22, Sophia started selling vintage clothing on Ebay while bored at her job checking ID's in the lobby of an art school. Today, the company does $250 million a year in sales and is growing fast. What makes someone a Girlboss? According to Sophia, A Girlboss is...

Someone who is in charge of her own life. She gets what she wants because she works for it. As a #GIRLBOSS, you take control and accept responsibility. You're a fighter—you know when to throw punches and when to roll with them...

Sometimes you break the rules, sometimes you follow them, but alway so on your own terms. You know where you're going, but can't do it without having some fun along the way. You value honesty over perfection. You ask questions. You take your life seriously, but you don't take yourself too seriously. You're going to take over the world, and change it in the process. You're a badass.

Well said, Sophia. Here are a few other lessons we learned from reading #GIRLBOSS. 

1. It's cool to be weird.

“It’s not about being popular, or waking up with a pizza spinning on the turntable like an ‘80’s teen movie. Being mean won’t make you cool, being rich won’t make you cool, and having the right clothes, while it may help, won’t make you cool. It’s cool to be kind. It’s cool to be weird. It’s cool to be honest and secure with yourself."

Cool is the girl at a party who strikes up a conversation with you when she notices you don’t seem to know many people there.

Photo by Stevie Dance

2. Everything is creative.

"If, when you make a smoothie, you try to make the best smoothie the world has ever tasted, it’s a creative act… I was always looking for ways to make my job creative. At Subway I loved the giant spray nozzle that hung above the dishwashing sink. Blasting mayo off of the spatula was uniquely satisfying."

None of the jobs at Nasty Gal are shitty to me, and I know because at some point I've done almost all of them. Whether it was styling, directing models, steaming clothing, or shipping an order—they were all creative.

The Bromley Group

3. Know when to quit

"Some things are worth fighting for—don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely a fighter—but I really think that what is right should be easy.

My dad’s always said that the definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, and it’s so true.

4. Confidence is feeling good in what you wear

"We’ve all seen girls who constantly tug at the hem of their dress, readjust straps, and mess with their hair. If you’re not confident, no dress, no matter how smoking hot it is, will solve that problem for you... This means wearing what you like and what makes you feel good. And it means getting dressed for yourself--not your boyfriend, not your friends, not your parents."

Here’s the one thing the fashion industry probably won’t tell you: Confidence is more attractive than anything you could put on your body.

5. You get what you focus on.

“Naturally, every boyfriend comes with an ex-girlfriend, and every business comes with competitors. It’s entirely up to you to decide how much time you spend thinking about them…

Focus on the positive things in your life and you’ll be shocked at how many more positive things start happening.

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6. You don't get what you don't ask for.

"A friend and I once stuck our thumbs out in a half-serious attempt to hitchhike on a Greyhound bus. Lo and behold, the bus stopped, the door opened, and we climbed on. Wet with rain, we were met with faces of equal disbelief among our fellow passengers. You don't get what you don't ask for."  

xoxo,

Team Curtsy

This week only: 50% of Curtsy orders will be donated to the #GirlBoss Foundation.

In the past year, the #Girlboss Foundation has donated over $75,000 to young women entrepreneurs and creatives. If you are a Girlboss working on something cool, be sure to apply!

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