24 Hours With Girlboss CEO Sophia Amoruso

by Natasha Wolff | August 28, 2018 11:00 am

Is there really a better boss than the Girlboss[1] herself? As one of the most talked-about entrepreneurs of our generation, Sophia Amoruso[2] is a successful self-made boss, and has totally earned all of her accolades, including being dubbed the “richest self-made woman” in 2016 by Forbes[3]. So, what exactly is her recipe for success?

The 34-year-old CEO of Girlboss (and founder of storied e-commerce site Nasty Gal[4]) is without a doubt a marker of success when it comes to entrepreneurship. So much so that her first company’s bankruptcy[5] in 2016 only propelled her further and inspired future entrepreneurs and seasoned professionals alike that success can be sweet, but bouncing back from failure is all the more rewarding. Paired with a passion to inspire female entrepreneurs, Amoruso founded Girlboss in 2017—a platform dedicated to “Content, community, and experiences built to redefine success.” Since then, the voice of Girlboss has stolen the hearts of millennial women across the U.S. and the world.

Below, we speak with the author and businesswoman about her real day-to-day schedule, why she’s taking a break from being a public figure and what’s next for Girlboss before spending 24 hours with her.

How would you best describe the way your schedule fluctuates on a day-to-day basis—outside of this one day DuJour readers get to see? 

My schedule is constantly changing – what I wake up thinking I’m going to do can be radically reprioritized based on the company’s needs. I find myself waking up to things on my calendar that were scheduled weeks ago–when that meeting might have been relevant–then moving or canceling altogether in order to focus on the task at hand. As they say, “the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” It’s an endless shuffle, but keeps me at the top of my game. What I really try to focus on is our future, and on Girlboss.com as a whole.

How is your schedule impacted by your status as someone in the public eye?

I do my podcast, Girlboss Radio[6], once a week, which requires me to be extroverted—but I love it. I learn so much. I don’t really do much “public figure” stuff. I did it, it was fun, and maybe I’ll take another lap at some point, but I am so hellbent on focusing right now that anything for the sake of glamour or vanity is just not worth pursuing. I like to go home and be a private figure more than anything.

You speak about redefining success when it comes to learning from past mistakes and that feels like there could be a more approachable version of “hustle.” Should we be more forgiving of ourselves in our respective hustles?

This is something the Girlboss community is always coming to us about. “How do I turn my side hustle into a front hustle?” “How do I make it all work?” It really depends on who you are and what stage of your career you’re in. I hustled like a freak for the first 12 years of my career, starting at 22. Eventually, every night was a business dinner and every day 12 hours long. In my 20s, I had no idea what a personal life was. Today it’s as important as my work. The grind and hustle most people talk about is usually more possible at a point in your life when your rent is cheap, you have no kids, and can afford to work all hours of the day. I do believe in putting in your 10,000 hours, but not to the point of killing yourself. I have a lot less energy than I did in my early 20s when I was building Nasty Gal, so use it while you have it! Also, I think the word hustle is overused, no offense!

Where do you source your biggest business ideas when it comes to the future of Girlboss?

I’m most excited about continuing to grow and cater to the community I wish I had when I was building my first company. It’s so important, so fun, and so fulfilling. Our best ideas come from our amazing team at Girlboss, and from our community. They’re extremely vocal about what they want from us and how we can do better by them. In terms of what’s next, we’re building something digital that is an extension of the conferences we’ve done, which we call the Girlboss Rally[7]. It’s really truly special.

You’ve spoken about redefining success and learning from mistakes in business and though this seems like “common sense,” I doubt I’m the only woman who felt a sense of relief and gratitude by you stating this out loud. Why do you think that is?

Because no one’s celebrating failure. No one clinks champagne glasses or posts on Instagram their amazing “failure vacation.” Instead we keep it quiet, shrouded, and only show the best parts of our lives. It’s easy for me to share because it’s public whether I like it or not. And if my public failures and reflections on those failures pave the way for others to embrace the ride that is taking risks and living life, it’s all been worth it.

Click through the gallery above to spend 24 hours with Amoruso.

Main Image: Instagram.com[8]

Source URL: https://dujour.com/life/24-hours-with-girlboss-ceo-sophia-amoruso-interview/