I bought #Girlboss last year before we headed to Hawaii because it seemed as though everyone was loving this book! I had heard so many good things about it and felt like it would be fun to read. In Hawaii, I never got around to reading it, but I finally had a chance to read it in March. It was a quick and easy read, but it definitely doesn’t come into my list as a must read. The first reason I didn’t really care about the book was that Sophia Amoruso definitely has some more colorful language in this book. Now let me be clear, I did  not put the book down because of the language, because it only came up every now and then. I was genuinely hoping that I could find something great in the book. The second reason I didn’t love it was because I felt like she was constantly telling the readers how great she was. I think she has built an incredible business and she makes a lot of money, but I really felt like it was a lot of “I’m amazing.”

As I got about halfway through the book, I realized I didn’t have much of anything to share in the blog review, so in the next 120 pages of the book, I picked out 5 little paragraphs that I felt like were good lessons from the Sophia!

1. We define our own success and failure. We cannot look at others and say when my company is built and runs just like Sophia’s will I be successful. There is no set definition of what success and failure mean, only we can define that for ourselves! Try not to get caught up in “success” of others and push yourself forward!
2. Once you know what success looks like for you, set goals and dream for it! One of the biggest parts of reaching your success is who you surround yourself with. You will want to create a circle of people that support, encourage, and uplift you. They will make a huge difference in your business when you come to difficult times.
3. Being yourself is one of the greatest things you can do for your business. Just as we cannot define our own success based off another’s, we cannot try to mold ourselves into someone else. Your business will stand out and be something different as you allow yourself to just be you! You are your greatest “secret weapon” to a business. “When you don’t dress like everyone else, you don’t have to think like everyone else.” – Iris Apfel
4. When applying changes to your business, think of your favorite customers. What would they buy or what would they value to have in their lives? Are your clients people who follow trends or do they want something timeless and classic? Ask yourself those questions and it will help you market and promote your business to those clients!
5. Have confidence in yourself! One of the greatest things you can do for your business is to be confident! That does not mean that you are fearless and have everything pulled together, but when you appear confident, it seriously changes the game for you. That fake it til you make it quote has it right. As you begin to have confidence in what are doing, that confidence will grow and grow! Own your business and your style!

More book reviews

David & Goliath

Outliers

The One Thing