100 Inspiring Girl Boss Quotes for Unstoppable Confidence

Being a girl boss means unapologetically being a powerful, radiant, confident woman. I don’t care what anyone says – they can’t take this phrase away from us. If you’re an aspiring girl boss yourself and you could use a little confidence inspiration from those that have come before you—you’ve come to the right place.

Here, we’ve gathered 100 inspiring confidence girl boss quotes from girl bosses like Oprah Winfrey, Tina Fey, and Hillary Clinton for girl bosses like you and me.

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girl boss meaning

What is the meaning of “girl boss”? Being a girl boss means being a powerful woman who achieves great things and does it with style. The girl boss meaning may evolve over time, but it will never stop inspiring confidence in ambitious women like us.

“A girlboss is someone who has big dreams ans is willing to work hard for the. So being a girlboss is really about being the boss of your own life.” – Sophia Amoruso.

If you’re a girl boss or an aspiring girl boss, chances are you’re also a boss babe. Boss babe refers to ambitious women who are gracefully stepping into leadership roles and making waves in any industry. As a boss babe, you can hold your head high with confidence as you push forward and make history just like the women you’re about to read about. You’ve probably heard this term used for women like Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and Shonda Rhimes — self-made women who’ve created legacies.

is girl boss a compliment?

The term girl boss is absolutely a compliment. Sure, the company by Sophia Amaruso called Girlboss (and Amaruso herself) may have sparked some serious controversy. But the concept of being a girl boss is empowering and inspiring – something to aspire to and be proud of. If you get called a girl boss, take it as a compliment. You stand among other bada** girl bosses like Michelle Obama, Dolly Parton, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

How to become a girl boss

The good news is, you don’t have to be a CEO of a mega corporation, a start-up, or even a small team to be a girl boss – you just have to be the boss of yourself. Being a girl boss is all about knowing who you want to be and pursuing that goal relentlessly.

If you want to become a powerful girl boss, you need to:

1. Get clear on who you want to be
2. Write down clear goals for yourself
3. Be willing to learn how to get there
4. Work towards your goals relentlessly
5. Never stop moving in the direction of your goals
6. Always show up with confidence and grace

What is self-confidence?

Self-confidence is believing in your power to achieve your goals and believing that you are worthy of good things in your life.

We live in a time where we are constantly comparing ourselves to one another and measuring ourselves against impossible standards. Self-confidence is being able to rise above the noise and prove to yourself through hard work, discipline, and a strong sense of self that you can become the person you want to be.

Why is self-confidence important?

Self-confidence is important because it is what will allow you to learn and grow and get closer to your goals. When we lack self-confidence, it can be hard to show up and have the humility to make mistakes and keep going anyway. Confidence leads to resiliency and constant forward momentum.

It’s this momentum that allows us to become girl bosses who blow the competition out of the water and build empires.

Girl Boss Quotes To Inspire Confidence

Whether you’re starting your own business, on a mission to become your highest self, or just looking for the most effective way to pad your bank account, these motivational girl boss quotes from other real work boss babes can help inspire confidence in yourself.

Oprah Winfrey

As if we don’t’ all already know who Oprah is. Despite her incredibly difficult and painful childhood, Oprah Winfrey worked her way into becoming the host of the number one talk show in the country, owning a production company, being presented with a medal of freedom by Barack Obama, and accumulating a net worth of $2.8 billion. As the definition of a girl boss, Oprah Winfrey can teach us a thing or two about finding our inner strength and confidence.

1. “Step out of the history that is holding you back. Step into the new story you are willing to create.” – Oprah Winfrey

2. “Don’t let people talk you into what they think is you.” – Oprah Winfrey

3. “Self-esteem comes from being able to define the world in your own terms and refusing to abide by the judgment of others.” – Oprah Winfrey

4. “There’s nothing worse than betraying yourself.” – Oprah Winfrey

5. “Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” – Oprah Winfrey

Michelle Obama

6. “At 54, I am still in progress, and I hope that I always will be.” – Michelle Obama

7. “Whether you come from a council estate or a country estate, your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.” – Michelle Obama

Coco Chanel

8. “You were born an original. Don’t become a copy!” – Coco Chanel

9. “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.” – Coco Chanel

Maya Angelou

10. “Nothing will work unless you do.” Maya Angelou

11. “Success if liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” – Maya Angelou

12. “If you’re always trying to be normal, you’ll never know how amazing you are.” – Maya Angelou

Shonda Rhimes

Shonda Rhimes is one of the richest women in the US with a net worth of over $250 million. In 2021, she was named by the Times as one of the 100 most influential people of all time. Shonda Rhimes is a girl boss we can all aspire to emulate. I hope her words can spark your confidence.

13. “I am not lucky. You know what I am? I am smart, I am talented, I take advantage of the opportunities that come my way and I work really, really hard. Don’t call me lucky. Call me a badass.” – Shonda Rhimes

14. “If you want crappy things to stop happening to you, then stop accepting crap and demand something more.” – Shonda Rhimes

15. “The beauty of being a feminist is that you get to be whatever you want. And that’s the point.” – Shonda Rhimes

Marilyn Monroe

16. “A woman knows by intuition, or instinct, what is best for herself.” – Marilyn Monroe

17. “We are all of us stars and we deserve to twinkle.” – Marilyn Monroe

18. “A wise girl knows her limits, a smart girl knows that she has none.” – Marilyn Monroe
 

Serena Williams

Serena Williams is considered the world’s greatest tennis player of all time. Sure, she has a lot of natural talent, but she became the best through blood, sweat, tears, determinations, and confidence. Big boss babe energy right there. – Serena Williams

19. “I really think a champion is defined not by their wins, but by how they can recover when they fail.” – Serena Williams

20. “I don’t have regrets. I don’t live in the past. I live in the present and learn not to make the same mistakes in the future.” – Serena Williams

Eleanor Roosevelt

21. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

22. “Do one thing every day that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

23. “Do what you feel in your heart to be right—for you’ll be criticized anyway.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Hillary Clinton

24. “Fear is always with us, but we just don’t have time for it. Not now.” – Hillary Clinton

25. “I think that if you live long enough, you realize that so much of what happens in life is out of your control, but how you respond to it is in your control. That’s what I try to remember.” – Hillary Clinton

26. “You have just one life to live. It is yours. Own it, claim it, live it, do the best you can with it.” – Hillary Clinton

27. “Take criticism seriously but not personally.” – Hillary Clinton

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj is an undeniable girl boss, boss babe. With an estimated net worth of $100 million and a cult following behind her, she’s shown that being confidently herself is enough to make it big.

28. “I will not let anyone scare me out of my full potential.” – Nicki Minaj

29. “When I win and when I lose, I take ownership of it, because I really am in charge of what I do.” – Nicki Minaj

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton was raised in a poor family but she dreamed of being a singer and song writer when she grew up. Dolly succeeded beyond most people’s wildest dreams and on top of being an inspirational singer/song writer, she’s also a successful business woman and a kind-hearted, fun-loving character to boot. Dolly’s given us some of the best girl boss quotes in history.

30. “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” – Dolly Parton

31. “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” – Dolly Parton

32. “We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.” – Dolly Parton

Sophia Amoruso

Sophia Amoruso is the founder and CEO of Nasty Gal and the writer of the book Girlboss. Although the book and Sophia herself have become a bit of a topic of controversy, no one can deny that Sophia Amoruso put women on the map in a new way in the world of business.

33. “Opinions are like assholes. Everybody’s got one.” – Sophia Amoruso

34. “Compete with yourself, not with others.” – Sophia Amoruso

35. “You create the world, blink by blink. It is entirely yours to discover and yours to create.” – Sophia Amoruso

Martha Stewart

36. “There is no single recipe for success. But there is one essential ingredient: passion.” – Martha Stewart

37. “So the pie isn’t perfect? Cut it into wedges. Stay in control, and never panic.” – Martha Stewart

Indra Nooyi

38. “The challenge of a leader is looking around the corner and making the change before it’s too late to make the change.” – Indra Nooyi

39. “The more we can break the rules, the better off we’re going to be.” – Indra Nooyi

Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean and she did it during a time when women were barely allowed to fly and certainly not thought of as pioneers or trailblazers. This list is full of strong women who inspire confidence and Amelia Earhart is no exception.

40. “The woman who can create her own job is the woman who will create fame and fortune.” – Amelia Earhart

41. “Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.” – Amelia Earhart

Tory Burch

42. “If it doesn’t scare you, you’re probably not dreaming big enough.” – Tory Burch

43. “I like to be straightforward. We can deal with anything as long as it’s on the table.” – Tory Burch

Brené Brown

44. “Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” – Brené Brown

45. “Want to be happy? Stop trying to be perfect.” – Brené Brown

46. “Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” – Brené Brown

Michelle McHargue

47. “You won’t know until you try. Create without fear. If you mess up, who cares? You learn and move on.” – Michelle McHargue

Sara Blakely

Sara Blakely is an American businesswoman who created an empire out of an idea to make more utilitarian undies to boost girl boss confidence world-wide. Blakely created Spanx and become the world’s first self-made female billionaire.

48. Most of the reason we don’t do things is because we’re afraid to fail. I just made a decision one day that I was not going to do things in my life because of fear.” – Sara Blakely

Taylor Swift

49. “You are the only person who gets to decide what you will be remembered for.” – Taylor Swift

50. “Unique and different is the new generation of beauty. You don’t have to be like everyone else.” – Taylor Swift

51. “Be yourself, chase your dreams, and just never say never. That’s the best advice I could ever give someone.” – Taylor Swift

Jennifer Aniston

52. “Understand who you are. Educate yourself on the self.” – Jennifer Aniston

53. “If you’re not happy, you can become happy. Happiness is a choice.” – Jennifer Aniston

Elizabeth Taylor

54. “I don’t’ entirely approve of some of the things I have done, or am, or have been. But I’m me. God knows, I’m me.” – Elizabeth Taylor

55. “Success is a great deodorant. It takes away all your past smells.” – Elizabeth Taylor

Amy Poehler

56. “Ignore what other people think. Most people aren’t even paying attention to you.” – Amy Poehler

57. “Someday you will wake up feeling 51 percent happy and slowly, molecule by molecule, you will feel like yourself again.” – Amy Poehler

58. “If you can dance and be free and not be embarrassed, you can rule the world.” – Amy Poehler

Florence Nightingale

59. “I attribute my success to this – I never gave or took any excuse.” – Florence Nightingale

60. “I think one’s feelings waste themselves in words; they ought all to be distilled into actions which bring results.” – Florence Nightingale

Margaret Thatcher

61. “If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.” – Margaret Thatcher

62. “You might have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” – Margaret Thatcher

Tina Fey

Tina Fey was the first female head writer on Saturday Night Live and it took 25 years for a woman to appear on the scene. She’s also the writer of Mean Girls – an absolute staple of our generation that will be quoted until the end of time. “And none for Gretchen Weiners, bye!”

63. “Confidence is 10% hard work and 90% delusion.” – Tina Fey

64. “Perfect is boring.” – Tina Fey

Janna Cachola

65. “We weren’t born to create excuses, we were born to create excellence.” – Janna Cachola

66. “You have a right to be you. It is a privilege for others to be around you.” – Janna Cachola

Marie Forleo

67. “The most powerful words in the universe are the words you say to yourself.” – Maria Forleo

Beyoncé

68. “I don’t like to gamble. But if there’s one thing I’m willing to bet on, it’s myself.” – Beyoncé

69. “Don’t try to lessen yourself for the world. Let the world catch up to you.” – Beyoncé

Scarlett Johansson

70. “If you feel glamorous, you definitely look glamorous.” – Scarlett Johansson

Anastasia Soare (Anastasia Beverly Hills)

71. “I’m not saying I’m the best. There are many painters in the world. But there is only one Picasso.” – Anastasia Soare

Jane Fonda

72. “I have a confidence about my life that comes from standing tall on my own two feet.” – Jane Fonda

Toni Morrison

Tony Morrison is one of the most celebrated authors in the world. Her work with a focus on African American life and race relations continues to inspire people, artists, and writers. Toni Morrison, like Oprah, also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her influential work. Boss woman, boss babe, girl boss, bad a**? Yes, all of the above.

73. “Own yourself, woman.” – Toni Morrison

Katy Perry

74. “If you’re presenting yourself with confidence, you can pull of pretty much anything.” – Katy Perry

Sabrina Carpenter

75. “Confidence is the most beautiful thing one can possess.” – Sabrina Carpenter

Ginni Rometty

Ginni Rommety was the first female CEO of the company IBM and she helped acquire 65 new companies during her time there. She confidently entered into a man’s world and achieved positive results that blew those before her out of the water. If that’s not a girl boss, I don’t know what is.

76. “Be first and be lonely.” – Ginni Rometty

77. “Growth and comfort do not coexist” – Ginni Rometty

78. “Don’t let others define you. You define yourself.” – Ginni Rometty

Judy Garland

79. “Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” – Judy Garland

Kerry Washington

80. “Learn to embrace your own unique beauty, celebrate your unique gifts with confidence. Your imperfections are actually a gift.” – Kerry Washington

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

81. “Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

82. “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Jessica Valenti

Jessica Valenti is an American feminist writer and has been called one of the Top 100 Inspiring Women in the world. Her books include Purity Myth and Sex Object: A Memoir.

83. “You’re not too fat. You’re not too loud. You’re not too smart. You’re not unladylike. There is nothing wrong with you.” – Jessica Valenti

Mohadesa Najumi

84. “The woman who doesn’t require validation from anyone is the most feared individual on the planet.” – Mohadesa Najumi

Priyanka Chopra

85. “I taught myself confidence. When I’d walk into a room and feel scared to death, I’d tell myself, ‘I’m not afraid of anybody.’ And people believed me. You’ve got to teach yourself to take over the world.” – Priyanka Chopra

Gabby Douglas

Gabby Douglas was the first American to claim the gold medal in both the team and individual all-around at the Olympics and was also the first African American to win the all-around title. And at the age of just 16, she achieved these feats with grace and style.

86. “You just have to be yourself and go full with confidence and be courageous.” – Gabby Douglas

Lao Tzu

87. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu

Ellen Degeneres

88. “When you take risks, you learn that there will be times when you succeed, and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important.” – Ellen Degeneres

Mel Robbins

89. “Doubting yourself is normal. Letting it stop you is a choice.” – Mel Robbins

J.K. Rowling

90. “Anything is possible if you’ve got enough nerve.” – J.K. Rowling

Marie Curie

91. “We must believe that we are gifted for something, ad that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.” – Marie Curie

Madam C.J. Walker

As one of the first ever female entrepreneurs, Madam C.J. Walker knew she couldn’t wait for anyone else to save her – she’d have to be her own boss and create her own opportunities. And that’s exactly what she did by starting her own business and becoming the first reported self-made female millionaire in America.

92. “I had to make my own living and my own opportunity. But I made it. Don’t sit down and wait for opportunities to come. Get up and make them.” – Madam C.J. Walker

Princess Diana

93. “People thing at the end of the day that a man is an answer to fulfillment. Actually, a job is better for me.” – Princess Diana

The Queen of England (Queen Elizabeth II)

94. “It has been women who have breathed gentleness and care into the harsh progress of mankind.” – Queen Elizabeth II

95. “When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.” Queen Elizabeth II

Simone Biles

96. “I’d rather regret the risks that didn’t work out than the chances I didn’t take at all.” Simone Biles

Estee Lauder

97. “When I thought I couldn’t go on, I forced myself to keep going. My success is based on persistence, not luck. I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it.” – Estee Lauder

Jane Austen

98. “Laugh as much as you choose, but you will not laugh me out of my opinion.” – Jane Austen

99. “It isn’t what we say or think that defines us, but what we do.” – Jane Austen

100. “Self-knowledge is the first step to maturity.” – Jane Austen

If you’re on your way to becoming a girl boss, confidence is key. All the women named above – Coco Chanel, Maya Angelou, Oprah, Serena Williams – had to dig deep to find their inner strength and power. Being confident is all about believing in yourself and believing that you can overcome any obstacles that stand in your way. I hope these girl boss quotes about confidence inspire and motivate you to accomplish your wildest dreams! Get it, boss babe!

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