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.