With a full week of the new year behind us, I decided we would start 2016 off right with a little re-launch of one of my favorite mini series, Becoming a #GIRLBOSS. It wasn’t until the holiday season (and being stuck on plane for a few hours), that I began to write down a few more takeaways from Sophia Amoruso’s #GIRLBOSS. One thing that really stood out to me is that we should view everything (in this case business) as a work in progress. Sophia mentions to never assume you’ve done your best the first time around. There’s always room for improvement and we should constantly be challenging ourselves and tweaking what isn’t working. Sometimes you just have to jump into the pool without testing the water first. Sure it can be scary and the final outcome can be uncertain, but sometimes the risk is well worth it in the end!

As we move forward in my #GIRLBOSS series, I am SO happy to finally touch on a topic that really hits home. Finances. One of the things that has prevented me from freelancing full time is the money side of things. As we all know, business has it busy seasons and it has is lulls, that’s just how it goes. Things are great when you can barely keep your head above water because your workload is so full and you appreciate those downtimes when they come. But they can also be quite scary if you aren’t financially ready.

As I’ve mentioned before, Sophia paid close attention to every detail when it came to her business, because it really had bearing on how successful her company would be. As she stated in her book, Nasty Gal went from making $150,000 a year to $150,000 over lunch! It’s astonishing to read that Sophia built her company with zero debt. Credit cards, loans, and borrowing money can make you overwhelmed and buried in bills. So if you don’t have the money to spend on that new flat screen TV, then don’t. Taking the time to manage your money can really have a domino effect on how the rest of your life plays out. It’s important to not neglect the small things, because it may prevent bigger and better things from happening to you.

Although I may be a few years away from completely working for myself, this chapter has really helped me to see the importance of taking control of my finances in order to ensure a successful life. So far, what lesson best speaks to you and your creative life?

A few weeks ago I started this new mini-series as I made my way through Sophia Amoruso’s #GIRLBOSS book. I tried to nail down my major “take-aways” from the book and thought I would share with you my thoughts how we can become more successful creatives and entrepreneurs. If you missed my last post in this series, I talked about being a dream chaser and how a “you don’t get what you don’t ask for” disposition can really, sometimes, play in your favor. Today’s tip is a little simpler than that, and I’ve spoke on the idea many times, but this just really solidifies it even more. When Sophia first started selling clothes on eBay, she treated her customers like they were her friends. She made her MySpace a friendly place and always was on top of responding to the comments she received. This was where she was able to gain feedback and really listen to what her customers wanted, which helped pave the path she took with her business.

Let’s get a little discussion going! If you’ve been reading along (or have already read) please share some of your thoughts on the book in the comments below, I’d love to hear what tidbits are helping shape your creative journey!

Last week I started this new mini-series that I felt tied in well with my usual Wednesday freelance posts. As I (or we, for those who have decided to join me) make our way through Sophia Amoruso’s #GIRLBOSS book, I thought I would share with you my thoughts on how she built her company and what we can learn from it as creatives + aspiring entrepreneurs. Last week I discussed the the importance of the fine details in order to set yourself apart amongst your competitors and paying attention to how your process is working for you and your business. And today we move forward with a lesson on obtaining dream clients…

As part of Sophia’s process of giving the customer more of what they wanted, she attended her first trade show in Las Vegas. She approached Jeffery Campbell’s booth, someone she wanted to work with, and was turned down pretty quickly. Not taking no for an answer, she showed them Nasty Gal’s website, so they could see what she was all about. Sophia’s “you don’t get what you don’t ask for” mentality played very much in her favor and now is one of Jeffery Campbell’s biggest clients.

After posting the first part of this series last week and receiving many comments + tweets, I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the first part of my #GIRLBOSS series! Keep’em coming!

In spring of last year, one of the books I couldn’t stop hearing about was #GIRLBOSS written by Sophia Amoruso, the founder, CEO, and creative director of Nasty Gal. Over the holiday I finally got my hands on a copy and I haven’t been able to put it down! Sophia writes with such wit and really illustrates her story (which includes dumpster diving, minor theft, and run of the mill day jobs). As I dig deeper + deeper into this book, I am constantly inspired – it’s hard to believe that Nasty Gal started as a small eBay shop selling vintage clothing! I truly believe that no matter what your aspirations are, we can all take something away from this book. Although I am not quite finished yet, I thought I would make this into a mini-series (I’ve been vigorously taking notes while cozied up on the couch reading). I’ve decided to put a little freelancer spin on things and use what I’ve learned to better myself + my business, so here it goes…

One of the main things that really stuck out to me (and, was kind of a no-brainer) and that was to be completely thorough with your business. When Nasty Gal was a simple eBay shop, Sophia paid close attention to every detail – item descriptions, photography, and shipping just to name a few. It’s the minor details that will make your business stand out amongst the rest. Also, she was aware of what items sold, and what didn’t and made a conscious effort pursue what worked and let go what didn’t. If something turns out to be a flop, just keep moving forward.

If you have read, or are currently in the process of reading #GIRLBOSS, I’d love to hear your take-away’s + thoughts and maybe we can get a fun little discussion going in the comments!