First of all, I have a confession to make: I binge watch. I do it a lot. And since last Wednesday I’ve removed my wisdom tooth, I binge watched more than usually. Lucky me this was the weekend Netflix launched Girlboss! The show is based on the book Girlboss, written by Sophia Amoruso, the founder of the online retailer Nasty Gal. In the book, which I didn’t read, she narrates her journey on becoming an entrepreneur.
The show is nothing like others about Silicon Valley startups, as “the Social Network” or “Steve Jobs”. Although Nasty Gal was considered a startup in its beginning, the show resembles more the Devil Wears Prada, but worse. At least Devil Wears Prada has powerful women who know what they want. Girlboss, in another hand, doesn’t show the boss part. But a misfit who found a way of making money exercising her passion. Good for her!
What annoys me is that it is another story of a woman who is a hot mess. By chance, she discovers an almost non-attended market and explores it. Still, it takes her years to call it a business. The time when she learns about actually managing a company, she is not doing it for herself, but to convince her dad to cosign a rent contract. What I miss is the story of a woman entrepreneur who knew what she wanted and went for it, a story that tells that hard work pays off. Otherwise, the way I see, it’s another fairy tale story.
No, I don’t see any problems in fairy tale stories. They are nice and entertaining, but they are not achievable, they are often told as you can lay down and wait and things will happen for you. We have to be taught that setting a goal and working for it, are the way to go. If a little bit of luck helps along the way? Yes, it does. But it’s better not to count on it. That’s the role model I am looking for, the one that tells you to take action.
