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The #GIRLBOSS is dead. And the final nail in the coffin came at the hands of a Love Island star.
Perhaps not quite the opener one might expect in an edition of Connect focused on celebrating female achievement, entrepreneurship and innovation, in the run-up to International Women’s Day (8 March), but allow me to explain…
Let’s wind the clock back 10 years, when the ‘girl boss’ was born.
2014 saw the publication of the seminal memoir of that very name by Sophia Amoruso, founder and Executive Chair of global fashion megabrand Nasty Gal, ushering in a new era of latte, laptop and winged eyeliner-infused motivational messaging, workshops and literature focused on building up ambitious Gen X and Millennial women.
Building on the Sheryl Sandberg school of thought, the ‘girl boss’ message was that you CAN do it – you only need push past the people pleasing, be determined and assert your way to the C-suite. All of a sudden, LinkedIn and later other feeds were seemingly suddenly flooded with stories of successful ‘SHE-EOs’ and ‘mompreneurs’, and so came the growth of dozens of aspirational accounts of women hoping to follow in those footsteps.
Did this messaging inspire a generation of women to advocate themselves? Absolutely. But, as with all meteoric rises, came a fall when, bit by bit, the realisation came that such a narrative not only set female business success apart from that of men, as something different, lesser even – and that it ignored the structural problems that may hold them back. What #GIRLBOSS messaging failed to account for was where factors of privilege came into the picture, whether money, race, disability, family circumstances or health status.
The realisation that following advice packaged in motivational Instagram squares may not lead to results for everyone was solidified in 2022 when reality start-turned-fast fashion creator Molly Mae was met with great backlash after claiming in an interview that “we all have the same 24 hours in a day”, so you can do it, if you want it enough.
The rise of the ‘girl boss’ didn’t signify a change in the system – this icon of hustle had instead found pathways to thrive within it.
Now, however, we’re moving to a space where it’s being recognised that not all journeys to ‘success’ look the same – it’s not all power suits and ‘having it all’ – nor does everyone have the same definition. And, as conversations around once-taboo topics like menopause, menstrual health and childcare become freer, we’re also realising that the pathway doesn’t have to be full of friction and pain either.
It’s not just women in business who will win from this: better childcare policies stand to benefit fathers, flexibility and accommodations for those with menstrual or menopause-linked conditions may equally help individuals with disabilities or long-term conditions.
So, in this month’s Connect, you won’t find girl boss gloss and glitter covering each story – in fact, there’s no need.
Our (UK’s top 100 female entrepreneur!) cover star gives an honest account of the gender stereotypes she battled in the early days of building her thoroughly impressive career (P4), and we also have a candid account of how even those in top roles must face a “juggle” on P50.
Founder of JARO Gallery Jasmine Noel is a beautiful case study in why ‘female’ qualities women were once upon a time told to ‘shun’ for success can be a blessing: she credits her ‘maternal’ instinct for helping to make diamonds from artists. And the results speak for themselves – she built local finance worker Bluntroller into a creator whose works now retail for more than £10k a piece (P60).
Far beyond ‘faux-tivational’ social media fluff, the brilliant team at Mourant also provide some real-life advice, and speak about the importance of mentorship.
Having female voices at the top isn’t only important from an equality perspective, global tech authority and Digital Jersey NED Dame Wendy Hall (Unplugged, P22) makes a compelling argument as to why it’s vital for our AI-powered future.
Enjoy Connect.
