TAKE no prisoners Nasty Gal CEO Sophia Amoruso has taken a unique ride to the top. The femme phenom has a whopping net worth of $250 million, and according to Forbes her philosophy is simple: “sell things for more than you bought them.” Which doesn’t apply to her first online sale: “The first thing I ever sold online was stolen,” the #GIRLBOSS told Fast Company.
The owner of the massive online retailer Nasty Gal is not shy about sharing her history of dumpster diving and shoplifting, nor about how she decided to do things differently and pave her own way to business maven. Since sharing her story in her book #GIRLBOSS, Amoruso is starting a foundation to offer other driven badasses the help that she didn’t receive when she was starting out. The GIRLBOSS Foundation will offer financial grants to women taking the creative entrepreneur route in design, arts, music, and fashion. Ideally becoming their very own GIRLBOSS.
Applying for the grant is as simple as sending in your info, your current projects, and what you would do with a grant. (As long as you’re over 18 and a U.S. resident.) The reviewing team is totally open to presentation so you’re free to be as traditional or outrageous with your proposal as your heart desires. Sticking in line with Amoruso’s personal philosophy, a GIRLBOSS should not be afraid to bend the rules and take risks in the world. So maybe steer clear of traditional?
Grants will be awarded quarterly in amounts ranging from $500-15,000 to three to five women, and the chosen ones will also be granted exposure through Nasty Gal’s social media.
A considered proposal will:
Demonstrates creativity and innovation in the specific field (30%)
Demonstrates business acumen and forward planning (30%)
Demonstrates financial need (30%)
Proposed timing, work plan, and budget are clear, detailed, and achievable within the next 12 months (10%)
Here are some tips to potentially stand out from the crowd:
Are you kidding? Do your own thing. That’s what being a #GIRLBOSS is about. But remember that Sophia would encourage you to let your freak flag fly.
What’s interesting about Amoruso’s swift ascension, is that she did it without any business knowledge or initial investors. It was more like a snowballing after she started selling vintage pieces on eBay. As relayed to the Wall Street Journal:
“I built an entirely debt-free, profitable business on cash, and I didn’t know that was something that isn’t commonly done until investors came along and were like, ‘Where did you come from?’ My experience building that business is a very unconventional one, and I think it can give a lot of hope to the girls out there, the women out there and even the guys out there who don’t have a pedigreed background. I didn’t go to business school, I didn’t have the experience that people who end up in the CEO role—especially with hundreds of employees—typically have.”
So while it might be a little unrealistic for someone who never went to business school to be looking for a work plan, she’s not asking for a Power Point or even for you to own a power suit. Put your creativity to work and it just might land you a grant.
