Though we’re still living in a world where women are making, on average, less than their male counterparts do in the workforce — women are still making waves in various industries. What is most important about memoirs written by successful women is not in their ability to tell their story, but in the opportunity to tell young women that they, too, can find success in their hard work. The following five memoirs illustrate the hardships these women have had to face while exemplifying the message that any hard-working, dedicated woman can find success in her pursuits. From the business empires represented by Sophia Amoruso and Khloe Kardashian, to the writer powerhouses that are Lena Dunham, Amy Poehler, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, these memoirs break down the traditional gender barriers and prove that a woman’s voice can be heard on a large scale.
As a young girl, I would read memoirs written by the badass girlbosses of my time and they would not only inspire but excite me for my future. Growing up in a time where women were just beginning to liberate themselves and venture into the business world, these women add a dose of refreshing positivity in what is otherwise a somewhat discouraging reality—there are less women out there than we think there are. Moreover, these perspectives challenge traditional views on what a girlboss is—a woman who knows what she wants or is in a position of power is not a bitch, she is doing her job.
Sophia Amoruso — #Girlboss
Founded originally as a vintage eBay store based out of San Francisco, Sophia Amoruso was the sole employee of NastyGal, the now multi-million dollar boutique clothing company for the first few years of its existence. As a young homeless art school dropout, Amoruso began her career as a hobby and knack for finding vintage gems in secondhand stores. Now, Nastygal earns millions in revenue online annually with two brick and mortar shops in Los Angeles and the company was named “The Fastest Growing Retailer” in 2012. In her book, Amoruso thoroughly discusses the beginning of her career, and how she relentlessly overcame the obstacles in her life for her business to come into fruition. Since the release of her book, Amoruso has founded the Girlboss foundation, a nonprofit that awards grants to women for their creative endeavors.
Lena Dunham — Not That Kind Of Girl
A collection of essays compiled in the form of something like an advice novel, Dunham’s Not That Kind Of Girl captivates the reader instantly with her wit and charm on subjects like growing up in New York, falling in love for the first time or just being a girl. Dunham speaks for a generation of women and demonstrates in both her book and her work on the HBO show, Girls, that we should challenge the concepts of beauty that mass industries are showing us. “Barbie’s disfigured. it’s OK to play with her just as long as you keep that in mind,” she writes in a book that is filled with the advices of a woman who feels like your older sister. Pair the novel with Dunhams extremely successful career in film and television, and she becomes a perfect example of how modern women are able to voice themselves and be heard on a larger scale.
Amy Poehler — YES PLEASE
“Let me take a minute to say I love bossy women. Some people hate the word, and I understand how ’bossy’ can seem like a shitty way to describe a woman with a determined point of view, but for me, a bossy woman is someone to search out and to celebrate,” Poehler writes in her memoir, YES PLEASE, which chronicles her life and lessons throughout her long career in comedy and television as well as how she juggles career and family. Poehler demonstrates themes of intersectionality throughout the book, discussing that not everything is for everyone, and that we need to learn to accept and embrace other people’s decisions. “Good for her, not for me,” she repeats throughout the book, such as when discussing stay at home moms vs. working moms. Poehler teaches us to embrace and accept that which we don’t know, while delivering a powerful message that good things come from hard work.
Khloe Kardashian — Strong Looks Better Naked
The beauty standards of today dictate that a beautiful woman is skinny, tall and blonde. It’s refreshing to see Khloe Kardashian use her outstanding fame to voice her own opinion on these beauty standards as she does in her new memoir Strong Looks Better Naked. First pointing out that a strong, healthy body will aid to a strong, healthy mind, Kardashian discusses her own personal journey to a healthy mind and body and manages to encourage the reader to do the same without making it sound like too much of a “You can do it too!” cheer (because lets be real, no one but her can afford a celebrity personal trainer). Additionally, Kardashian discusses her career life and how she balances her time between the stores she co-owns with her sisters and their various business endeavors. Finally, the book discusses matters of love and acceptance, as she talks about overcoming the loss of her father, accepting her stepfathers transition into a woman, and managing life after a divorce. In a world that discredits her and her family as simply being famous for being famous, Kardashian manages to write an inspiring tale of strength and bravery.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie — We Should All Be Feminists
“I am trying to unlearn many lessons of gender I internalized while growing up. But I sometimes still feel vulnerable in the face of gender expectations,” Ngozi Adichie says in the transcribed TED Talk, We Should All Be Feminists. In the talk, Ngozi Adichie brings up experiences she’s had throughout her life where she was treated a certain way just because she’s a woman. Though this isn’t exactly a memoir, Ngozi Adichie reflects on her professional life and these experiences to point out that, as a society, we focus far more on gender expectations than we think we do. The talk exemplifies that all of society benefits from intersectional feminism, because it breaks down the barriers that femininity and masculinity need to be held in small, isolated cages. Ngozi Adichie challenges traditional ideas on success in this transcribed talk by proving that no woman should let her gender hold her back in following her goals.
