Free #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso

God, I hated taking out the trash. But if and when your hard work pays off, these things start to suck less. The first time I had enough savings to put my bills on auto pay it was like winning the lottery. Renting a house in Los Angeles with a backyard and my own washing machine was like being in a really happy musical (no, literally, I twirled and cried tears of joy when I moved in). Having someone to help keep my house clean makes me feel likeI’m living in a fairy tale. Suddenly, you may find yourself with yesterday’s underwear clean and folded and the noise of that squeaky hamster wheel fading into the background.
    There’s still a part of me that remains from my days of living beyond the law, and that’s my desire to just mess with things. Life is unwritten, like a great big experiment. Why not see how long the red string of my imaginary kite can get? And why not let it whisk me up into the sky with it when my dreams start to become reality? For that, I think it’s worth putting up with making some compromises, and even playing by (some of) the rules.

PORTRAIT OF A #GIRLBOSS:
    Alexi Wasser, IMBOYCRAZY.com (@imboycrazy)
    I started my blog,
I’m Boy Crazy,
in 2008. It’s a mix of funny self-help stuff and hyper-personal accounts of my love, life, sex, dating, and relationship experiences—all different things that convey the voice and plight of the modern single girl who wants a great life, thinks too much, and feels a lot of feelings. As a result of starting my site, I’ve sold several shows to Showtime, E!, and Amazon. I sell merchandise on my site, have a weekly call-in advice show, contribute to magazines, speak at schools, and basically serve as the big sis you’ve always wanted but never had.
    I had no idea I’d end up doing what I’m doing now. I always knew I loved writing and making people laugh. But I went from saying “I want to be a writer” to “I wanna be a model” (I’m not super-ugly and I’m very tall, I swear!) or “I wanna be an actress.” I did all those things, but writing continues to be what makes me happiest. Whether it’s a book, movie, blog entry, or TVshow, I have creative control and it’s way cooler to be a writer than to be an actor saying the writer’s words.
    I learned at a young age that people were happy when I asked them about themselves, and I listened and retained the things they told me. I found that by sharing my personal experiences, like through my blog, we’re not alone—that the most shameful, personal, specific things you’re going through are actually universal. You can laugh about it. I want to make a contribution that matters, and I want to be as vulnerable and raw as possible so other people feel less alone. I want to make people happy or make them laugh—even if it’s at my own expense.
    I’m still trying to figure out how to balance work and a personal life. When you’re freelance like I am, if you don’t build structure for yourself, you feel like you always have to be working and it’s exhausting. I think this is a constant struggle for every freelance career girl. Make a schedule for yourself that incorporates time for phone calls to catch up with your annoying family and friends, sex with your boyfriend, exercise, dinners, therapy, parties, texting, social networking, mani-pedis, shopping,
and
the work that’s gonna get you
paid
to maintain the lifestyle you so desire! Create boundaries and structure! You have to be your own parent!
    As for finding a guy who will support you on your #GIRLBOSS quest, I’ve accidentally dated variations of boneheads, such as the guy who appears secure and confident at the beginning of our relationship, but ends up being completely threatened by and uncomfortable with my personality, career, and how flirty or open my persona is. Another guy blatantly ignored what I do. He took no interest in it at all. I can only date a man I respect, am fascinated by, and consider interesting. If he can’t do the same