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5 Inspiring Women Who are the Definition of #GirlBoss

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois chapter.

If sometimes the world in general or just not having your life figured out has you in a slump, here are five inspiring women who will have you wanting to get back to being a GirlBoss in to time. 

1. Sheryl Sandberg 

After a random run-in with Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg was seen as the perfect fit for the position of Chief Operating Officer at the highly successful company. Previously working for the U.S. treasury, as well as in sales and advertising for Google, Sandberg took on the challenge to make Facebook a huge success. Along the way, she spearheaded the “Lean In” movement based off of a TED Talk she gave in 2010, eventually writing a book about her campaign encouraging females in the workplace to not hold back in their field, or ever. Her work strives to inspire women to “lean in” and join the conversation to pursue their career goals with confidence and determination.

2. Brené Brown 

Brené Brown, a research professor hailing from Texas, has studied human emotion, how shame and empathy are intertwined, and how vulnerability leads to courage. Through countless TED Talks and several books, Brown has continuously inspired many to keep going in the journey of life, ensuring that you have to go through the bad to reach the good on the other side. She is also an inspirational speaker striving to bring joy and to educate people about how life can be lived to its fullest potential. 

3. Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice 

The co-founders of the infamous fitness company SoulCycle, Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice, met in 2005. The two both had a vision to create a new alternative to working out that people would find enjoyable and inspiring. Both a physical and mental workout, SoulCycle quickly grew to become one of the most well-known workouts available. After opening the first location in Manhattan, the two co-founders went on to open over a dozen locations in the US, as well as several in Canada. Cutler and Rice have constantly striven for their company and workout alternative to better people’s mindsets and ensure that anyone can do it as long as they try. 

4. Sophia Amoruso 

Founder of Nasty Gal and the OG GirlBoss, Sophia Amoruso lived an unusual life throughout her young adult years. Making little to no money and holding highly unstable jobs, she turned to selling items she thrifted on an eBay store she created named “Nasty Gal Vintage.” After an issue with the website that ended in her being banned from eBay altogether, Amoruso started her own website, Nasty Gal, that immediately took off, making her one of the richest self-made women in the world, and her company one of the fastest-growing ever. She later told her story of struggle to success in her autobiography, #GirlBoss, which was adapted into a Netflix original show (which I highly recommend!).

5. Tori (Sterling) DiSimone  

After beginning her career on YouTube at the age of thirteen, Tori Sterling became well-known in the social media sphere for the makeup tutorials she posted during her teenage years. As a young adult, she slowly transitioned her channel into being centered around living a healthy lifestyle, working out, veganism, and her entrepreneurial endeavors. She constantly records days in her life, setting an example for how to be physically, mentally and emotionally healthy throughout each day. Since leaving college after one year, she found a new passion for spin cycling. At the age of 20, her and a friend opened up their own spin studio in Philadelphia, where she lives out and teaches her passion each and every day. 

 

These women have all started out low and come out doing insanely amazing things. Let them give you hope that us women are powerful and if we strive for success, it can be achieved! 

 

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Hi there! I'm Kendall and I'm a sophomore in advertising at the University of Illinois. Aside from staying busy writing at my internship and running around campus, you can find me adding to my monthly Spotify playlists, listening to true crime podcasts, running at the arc, or having cozy movie nights with friends!
Gloriann Lance

Illinois '19

Hi! My name is Gloriann Lance and I am a senior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I am one of the two Campus Correspondents for the 2018-2019 school year and I have been on Her Campus for 3 years.