#GIRLBOSS Lessons from Chapter 1

Introduction to #GIRLBOSS 

Because I am interested in fashion, I quickly picked up Sophia Amoruso's book #GIRLBOSS when it came out in the early summer.  For those who don't know, Amoruso is the founder/creative director/CEO of the online fashion retailer Nasty Gal--- a site where I have shopped a lot.  I definitely dig Nasty Gal's vibe which encourages its customers to show some attitude, be themselves, and take risks.  It is sort of a more curated, more punk, more sexy, less cutesy ModCloth.

In #GIRLBOSS, Amoruso tells us her life story and how she came to be where she is in her business and career, while at the same time encouraging her readers to become #GIRLBOSSes themselves and giving her advice as to how to do this.

I read #GIRLBOSS rather hastily and uncritically while flying from Philadelphia to LA and back.  When I got to the end of the book my impression of it was that (1) it was an easy read, (2) a lot of it was the sort of fun, positive, inspirational guff that one usually finds in such books, and (3) there were a bunch of points and practical, straight-talking suggestions that she made that I thought were really great . . . only I couldn't 100% remember what they were.

So over the next few weeks, I am going to quickly re-read the book, chapter by chapter (11 chapters total), to rediscover the pearls of wisdom Amoruso has to offer, and share them with you.

Chapter 1: So You Want to Be a #GIRLBOSS?

On Role Models:

"Not too long ago, someone told me that I had an obligation to take Nasty Gal as far as I could because I'm a role model for girls who want to do cool stuff with their own lives.  I'm still not sure how to feel about that, because for most of my life I didn't even believe in the concept of role models.  I don't want to be put on a pedestal.  Anyway, I'm way to ADD to stay up there: I'd rather be making messes, and making history while I'm at it.  I don't want you to look up, #GIRLBOSS, because all that looking up can keep you down.  There energy you'll expend focusing on someone else's life is better spent working on your own." (13) emphasis is mine

The idea of role models has fascinated me since I was a teenager.  I love to find people I admire and emulate and obsess over their lives.  I think being able to find great role models and understand why you want them as models for your life is really important, integral to development, and natural for the social animals we are.  Much social science research exists on the subject;  much of the debate around getting more female characters and more diverse female characters into our television, films, books, etc. revolves around the idea of role models.  If she can see it, she can be it, right?

Lean In: A Mini Review

Since TwoEsforMee started us off with Sheryl Sandberg and her Lean In campaign, and I just finished the Lean In audiobook, I thought I'd use my first post as a mini book review/commentary.

Final verdict: Important message but flawed vehicle. 

Lean In: Women, Work,and the Will to Lead

by Sheryl Sandberg

Published: 2013

Audiobook read by Eliza Donovan

As the author describes early in her book, there are two broad approaches to the women in the workplace issue.  I will call them the institutional perspective and the leadership perspective.  The institutional perspective tends to highlight the systemic barriers facing women: sexism, inadequate childcare and/or maternity leave, inflexible scheduling, etc.  For a recent paper from this perspective, see Anne-Marie Slaughter's "Why Women Still Can't Have It All" in the July/August 2012 issue of The Atlantic magazine.

Sandberg acknowledges this approach but focuses on the leadership perspective.  Based on her personal experience she writes from the perspective that little will change unless women are in positions to make those changes.  While our society and institutions don't support us yet, we shouldn't just give up.  With this in mind, she offers strategies to work through difficulties and reach leadership positions in our careers. 

Here are some of the main points:

• There are many behaviors women employ that can sabotage their journeys: keeping a low profile (sit at the table), avoiding risk (what would you do if you weren't afraid), passing on opportunities based on very long-term plans (don't leave before you leave).
• There are communication strategies that can help navigate the sometimes-hostile professional world.
• Life partners can and should be life partners, especially with housework, childcare, etc.
• We have unrealistic expectations for motherhood, housekeeping, and career perfection.
• We should be able to talk about women's issues.

While these points are valuable, I will admit to being disappointed with the work.  Part of this comes from the my own bias and the audio version probably offered a different experience than reading the book myself.  For example, the reader they chose for the audiobook sounded very cutesy, so I had a hard time taking the content seriously (sexism 1, feminism 0).  I also reacted badly to a women sounding pushy and touting herself, which was one of her points about society's reaction to women in leadership . . . embarrassing but lesson learned.

Despite these problems on my part, I still think the book has flaws.  It offers an introduction to many of the issues facing women in the workplace, but the book's organization is haphazard and its content thin in many respects.  Too many anecdotes and not enough research for my taste.   The author would have done better to condense her material into a strong article or to collect more research to strengthen the book's content.  Sandberg's message-- you can do it, don't give up -- is very important (I was quite depressed after reading Anne-Marie Slaughter's article) but her book is a bit of a mess.

Looking forward to your hate mail, I mean your thoughtful discussion . . .

Morghan