#GIRLBOSS Read online

  I didn’t stick around high school long enough to be voted “Most Likely to” anything, especially since my Subway polo, Dickies, and I looked about as far away from Most Likely to Succeed as you could possibly get. Anyone looking for a sure bet, in business or in life, would never have put their money on me. But that didn’t dissuade me from betting on myself. In the end I beat the odds. Now, whenever I’m faced with improbable situations, I remind myself that if I really want something badly enough, I have it within myself to make it happen.

  My entire path is littered with my defying every piece of advice I’ve ever been given. I’m giving you carte blanche to pick and choose from the advice outlined in this book. Hell, ignore it all if you want. But don’t ignore this: You create the world, blink by blink. It is entirely yours to discover and yours to create.

  That’s the number one thing, perhaps even the only thing, you can absolutely count on. Regardless of what your dreams are, if you listen only to those around you, the chances of your dreams coming true are very small. The world loves to tell you how difficult things are, and the world’s not exaggerating. And that’s a real bummer. But, here’s the real shit: You can’t have it all, and nothing comes easy. You will make sacrifices and compromises, get let down and let other people down, fail and start over, break some hearts, take some names, and learn to pick up and continue when your own heart gets broken. But difficult doesn’t mean impossible, and out of the bajillions of things in this universe that you can’t control, what you can control is how hard you try, and if or when to pack it in.

  Paul recently reminded me of a Nasty Gal barbecue when, unprompted, he took the hose and began to spray me with water. I grabbed the nearest thing I could—a hamburger patty—and threw it square at his chest, knocking the wind out of him. He was wearing a white shirt, and it left a big meat stain right on the front. So when life hits you with something unexpected, you have to be prepared to hit right back—and leave your own smear in the process.

  In a now famous commencement speech at Stanford University, Steve Jobs urged the graduating class to “stay hungry. Stay foolish.” Never let go of your appetite to go after new ideas, new experiences, and new adventures. Compete with yourself, not with others. Judge yourself on what is your personal best and you’ll accomplish more than you could ever have imagined. Life stops for no one, so keep moving. Stay awake and stay alive. There’s no AutoCorrect in life—think before texting the universe. Breaking the rules just for fun is too easy—the real challenge lies in perfecting the art of knowing which rules to accept and which to rewrite. The more you experiment, take risks, and make mistakes, the better you’ll know yourself, the better you’ll know the world, and the more focused you’ll be.

  And once you’ve found success, don’t stop. It’s not about being insatiable; it’s about not resting on your laurels. This crazy, loopy universe that we live in is pretty entertaining, and we’re only here for a short amount of time. #GIRLBOSSes make it count. Look up and look around, and if you’re not finding something inspiring, then you’re probably not looking hard enough. Remember, I touched every piece of clothing in those thrift stores. You have to do that with your life.

  An advantage of being naïve is being able to believe in oneself when no one else will. I was dumb enough and stubborn enough to pour everything I had into a business called Nasty Gal and to tune out people who tried to tell me I was doing it wrong. Had I stopped at the first catty eBay seller who tried to crush my spirit, I’d probably still be peddling shoes that I’d never be able to afford to wear. If you start listening, you should find that your heart has known what’s up all along.

  This short life of mine thus far has been a pretty fantastic ride, there’s no doubt about that. I’m resolved to making sure that doesn’t change anytime soon. When I think about the future, I know that the most fantastic things are too awesome to even imagine today. Great entrepreneurs are like Indiana Jones: They take leaps before seeing the bridge because they know that if they don’t, someone else will get that holy grail. That holy grail is yours for the taking.

  Bad bitches are taking over the world. When I walk into the Nasty Gal offices, it’s clear: Busting your butt isn’t just for the wallflowers anymore. We’ve arrived, and we’re killing it.

  There’s a chance for you, #GIRLBOSS. So take it.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thank you to my mother, for putting up with the years of heartbreak that I wreaked upon her. To my dad, for teaching me to negotiate like a mobster and for creating in me the self-critic who keeps me honest. To Christina Ferrucci, my sister from another mister. To Yia Yia, for buying me books with titles such as Odd Jobs for Kids and Liking Myself. To Gary Mancillas, for knowing me; to Kate Stewart, for letting me crash; and to Joel Jarek DeGraff, for putting up with the war room that made this book possible. And to Donna Summer, the poodle that continues to teach me that there is a God.

  Also, a big thank-you to Kerri Kolen and Maria Gagliano, my amazing editors at Putnam and Portfolio, who pulled the depth from my depths. To Andy McNicol, for knowing I “had a book in me” from day one, and to “Scary” Gary Stiffelman, for having my back. To Kelly Bush, for taking a chance on me. And to Kate Williams, for being my Ritalin throughout the writing of this book.