With her youthful spirit, quirky humour and amazing fashion sense in tow, Sophia Amoruso and self-proclaimed #GIRLBOSS held a girl talk event in the Algonquin Commons Theatre on Nov.14.
The talk was held in hopes of inspiring the next generation of young women trying to make it in the world of business.
“Fake it until you make it,” Amoruso advised to the sold-out excited crowd. “I never thought I’d be the type of person who’d be okay with public speaking; it still freaks me the f*** out, but here I am.”
Just over a decade ago Amoruso was shoplifting, hitchhiking, dumpster diving and was borderline homeless. Now she is the CEO of her fashion brand Nasty Gal, an author of three successful autobiographies and an executive producer for her biographical Netflix series fittingly titled, #GIRLBOSS.
Amoruso shared many personal stories and experiences on topics relating to young women including, love, mental-illness, identity, fashion and of course career advice.
“I wasn’t always confident, and I’m still not confident all the time, and that’s okay,” she expressed to the crowd. Amoruso briefly touched on her own experience with depression and anxiety and how she handles constant pressure.
“Just show up, even when you’re scared and you feel like you’re not enough,” she said. “Just show up, and you’re already half way there.”
“Life is going to throw things at you whether you like it or not,” she said. “Even though I tried not getting divorced, and I tried not to get bankrupt, it keeps happening, and that’s life.”
As for the business side of her life, Amoruso is on fire. She mentioned that she is currently working on building a marketing company and she made Forbes list of the richest self-made women in 2016, with a net worth of approximately $280 million.
It’s safe to say her advice was valued when women in the crowd took turns asking her business related questions during the Q&A portion of the event.
“Assume you’re a beginner no matter what stage you’re in in your career or field, the world is always changing” she said to a young Algonquin student, asking about how to make it in the business world. “Never stop learning, if you stop learning you’re going to go extinct.”
Amoruso proved herself as a champion for inspiring young people wanting to succeed. The crowd was on their feet and lively throughout the event but quiet and intrigued when she spoke.
Her sheer honesty and ability to connect and relate to the audience throughout the event was what helped make it such a special experience for those who attended.
She ended it off with a quote from her book, “If you’re not taking risks you’re not going to do anything great.”