The Disappointing Fate of Feminism, aka #GirlBoss

Unstable Leadership or Harsher Standards for Women?

CEO of the #Girlboss Sophia Amoruso stepped down in a public announcement on Instagram on June 22nd, 2020 (yesterday). This post is my personal opinion on why this is so disappointing for members of the Girlboss community and a tough punch for feminists, ambitious women, and all allies trying to break the glass ceiling.

In the end, are my thoughts on what could come next for all the amazing women on the Girlboss community.

Lack of Transparency.

When I first read the news on Fast Company, I was shocked. I have been a part of the Girlboss site (think LinkedIn for women) for 6+ months and login at least once a day. I logged to check if I had accidentally missed something, but no! Nada! Zero notice. But why?

I religiously re-read the newsletters the site sends, but there was never even a hint of a rumor!

I’ve read through emails about resumes, leadership, even #Girlboss merchandise. But somehow the powers that be, did not think the CEO resigning was important enough to mention on a platform they own, to fans who joined for the lady behind the brand!

I agree that Sophia has millions of followers on Instagram, and many on the actual Girlboss site likely also follow here there! Still, not putting a notice on the native website reeks of lack of transparency.

Bad Example of Leadership in Crisis.

It feels very weird that the CEO should be stepping down barely 6 months after selling the media company and brand to a media holding company.

But perhaps I should not be surprised — Sophia’s previous company #NastyGal which sold vintage clothing also filed for bankruptcy. #Girlboss was her comeback; the start of a movement that rallied women together from across the world.

I understand not everyone works well in a crisis. And the skills that make an entrepreneur wildly successful with a startup are not the same needed for a company looking to scale into billions! Maybe this inherent flaw was the reason that caused both companies to fail after it grew too big, too soon!

Maybe Sophia is just not a good leader during a crisis! Maybe the fault lies in an unstable, weak leadership that faltered once the going became tough!

Good leadership shines brighter during a crisis and unfortunately for women, this is not one of those moments. For folks who do want to better role models or step up in life, take a look at the article below:

Harsh Standards for Women Leaders.

The official reason for the resignation is touted to be the hit to revenues due to Covid19. This too feels very dubious.

The pandemic has decimated entire industries. How many airline CEOs have we seen stepping down? Only Kathryn Martinello, CEO of Hertz stepped down (in May) as the company hurtled towards potential bankruptcy due to travel restrictions, lockdowns, and people following stringent stay-at-home precautions.

Do women leaders just naturally feel (MORE) morally obligated to apologize or make grand self-sacrificing gestures when things go sour, irrespective of who is at fault? Or does society just hold women to higher and harsher standards? Are we expecting that once the female leader takes the blame and steps down, a shining (male) knight will swoop in to save the day?

Setback for Women’s Rights and Feminism

Terms like “Girlboss” and “Nasty Gal” created a movement to indicate that women could be beautiful and successful. We did not need to emulate men to get ahead, and just like Sophia, we might fall but we would get up, brush the dust off and rise to new heights. Women could choose to play “nice” or “naughty” or both.

With this second failure, I feel disillusioned about the role-models we are presenting to our younger generation. Even the “Lean In” movement, so famous a couple of years ago has fizzled out completely!

Why can’t we just be allowed with a few women trailblazers, without having to discover our idols have feet of clay?

Will women’s equality always remain a passing fad, spiking every now and then, without ever reaching any meaningful change?

Moments like these make me question the future of women’s rights — will we ever eliminate the glass ceiling or achieve true equality?

Lack of Innovation.

The news articles so far are only focused on the CEO’s tearful farewell and the tough financial decisions that precipitated matters.

Agree, the company makes most of its revenues from rallies and live events. I also agree that Covid-19 has decimated revenues for the company and possibly voided many brand partnership contracts. It has done so for many industries and companies, large and small.

But after 3 months of lockdown, if nobody came up with alternatives for a “media company” then it speaks volumes about the lack of innovation from management. With everyone going online, surely there are millions of more opportunities (NOT less) for sponsored posts, paid online events, and native advertising! The rallies could be broadcast via live stream. And who doesn’t think about monetizing via newsletters and podcasts that you already own? :(

There is a whole community of smart, ambitious, extraordinary women on the Girlboss.com website — one simple poll might have provided excellent insights into what we (your willing, captive audience) want to see/hear/read and pay for!

Given how the CEO and the #Girlboss brands are inter-linked, I feel like this lack of innovation reflects badly on all women.

If Sophia could not pivot her business, with all the access to capital and high-profile connections, what hope does the average woman on the site have?

But maybe being small helps the average Girlboss follower. Failure means losing everything! Perhaps this “drive” and a “vengeance to succeed” is that elusive mix that my brilliant entrepreneurial sisters have, that allows them to keep looking for new revenue streams, partnerships and continue fighting to stay afloat, pandemic or not!

What’s Next for the Vibrant Community?

Honestly, I don’t think anything will change for the website itself that hosts the Girlboss community. If anything, the UI looks even better in the past week or so. But then again, the CEO’s departure came with little notice, so I won’t be surprised if the site shuts down.

Until then, I do have to admit that I’ve loved my time on the site and the extraordinary women I met there. I’ve made new friends and forged useful collaborations with other members of the community.

Loved interacting with brilliant professionals, proactive students and innovative entrepreneurs. Met folks from a variety of domains on this site that I would never otherwise have had the opportunity to meet, like movies, music production, social media influencers, neurosurgeons, and celebrity stylists.

Just in case the site shuts down, I would like to thank and appreciate all of you! I am privileged to have met all of you!

If you’d like to connect via LinkedIn, then search me up under “anupamaprv” or https://www.linkedin.com/in/anupamaprv/

Until next time, Adieu!