With a new Squarespace campaign launch timed to the publication on Tuesday of her second book, it will seem like Sophia Amoruso is everywhere and the earth is actually a parallel universe called the “Nasty Galaxy,” which is the title of the tome.
“It’s crazy, but it’s fun,” the “#Girlboss” author and Nasty Gal founder said on Friday. Amoruso revealed that on Tuesday Girlboss.com will be relaunched with a new design via Squarespace. “It’s a template anyone can use,” she said.
Amoruso in January stepped down as chief executive officer of Nasty Gal, the fashion retailer she founded in 2006. Sheree Waterson assumed the ceo role while Amoruso remained executive chairman. The company’s sales leveled off in 2014 and 10 percent of the staff was laid off. In early September, there were reports that Nasty Gal was aggressively seeking capital and that the process could lead to a sale.
“The sale was speculated,” Amoruso said. “I’m not sure where that came from. It’s nothing we’ve reported or confirmed.”
In a new 60-second commercial, Amoruso recounts how different her life was when she was 18. “I knew it was up to me to change myself. You never know when your life will collide with opportunity. Make sure people see the value and beauty in what you’re selling. You’ve got to dream big, figure out what you love doing and don’t suck at, and make a living doing just that. Don’t become a bore, don’t be scared, don’t ever grow up.”
Then, she lobs the pitch: “When you’re ready to take control, get started with a professional e-mail from Google and a beautiful web site from Squarespace,” she said.
Amoruso’s partnership with Squarespace started a year ago when she launched a #Girlboss podcast, which became “one of the top- performing podcasts on the platform. “It’s a really elegant platform and easy to use,” she said. “It was a powerful tool to help get Girlboss.com up and running, and it’s the hub for the book and the Girlboss Foundation. It was a natural fit.”
The Girlboss said she had banked several weeks of podcasts, knowing that she’ll be on a book tour with stops in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and Austin, Texas. “I have some really great guests for the podcast coming up,” she said. “I had to go from being interviewed to learning how to interview. It’s nice to learn new skills and share other women’s stories. There’s no way that my story is so special and that other women can’t be as inspiring. We all have a start and it’s really important to trace it.”
There’s also, “#Girlboss,” a Netflix series produced by Charlize Theron and written by Kay Cannon of “Pitch Perfect.” “Britt Robertson plays me,” said Amoruso, who serves as consulting executive producer for the show, which will begin to air next year. “It’s set in San Francisco, and it’s really beautiful and funny. It’s my story, which is partially fictionalized.”
The show has sparked her interest in writing fiction. “I’m a glutton for punishment,” Amoruso said. “I like a good challenge. Film is a whole new industry. I expect to find myself executive producing other things. I live in L.A. so [writing] would be cool.”
Right now, Amoruso can’t see far beyond the book tour, which will culminate on Oct. 20 at the Brooklyn Museum and the series “Thursday Nights Hosted by Squarespace.” “I’ve never been to the Brooklyn Museum, so I’m excited,” she said. “I’ll be there with my book.”
Amoruso said she’s turned her attention to helping other women become successful through The #Girlboss Foundation, which funds women who pursue creative endeavors across a number of different industries. “The foundation has given over $90,000 in grants,” she said.