BY JACKIE EMERSON

I’m Jackie. I am an actress, I am a singer, I am a student, I am a creator, I am a businesswoman, and I am carving my own path. I wear Gryffindor socks. I like funny hats. I am on my school’s improv team (which means I embarrass myself almost constantly). I dance wildly in cars. I sing everywhere I go. And I want to change the world.

I also get extremely insecure. I’ve overcome terrible stage fright. I’ve battled disordered eating, and I still grapple with my body image. I used to worry my friends were talking about me behind my back. At a university that attracts brilliant students from all over the world, I often feel like I might not be smart enough. I sometimes get exceedingly lonely.

Over time, I’ve realized that these things that are supposed weaknesses, imperfections, and vulnerabilities actually make me stronger, because they make me who I am, and I have finally come to a place where I am not afraid of that—most of the time. There are some days when I feel much more comfortable with myself than others, but I also recognize that ups and downs are a part of the journey.

I didn’t realize I had disordered eating until I was onstage in front of 300 people, talking about what it means to have a healthy body image. I was using buzzwords like “self-confidence” and “empowerment” when an audience member asked me a question about my own daily practices in self-love, and I was painfully hit with the realization that I didn’t actually love myself—at least not physically.

I began to open up to these strangers about my own experience, my own journey with my body and food and family and media. I started crying. Then, to my surprise, a girl from the audience stood up and began sharing her story. Then another, and another. This panel on healthy body image became a group therapy session of sorts. And I have never felt as much love and support and togetherness as I felt in that room.

After that experience, I began to do this talk in many different places, at conventions and schools. I started an online web series called “Let’s Get Real”: a forum to openly discuss some of the most difficult issues we deal with, including mental health, body image, sexual orientation, cyberbullying, and anything else participants wanted to discuss. Though it may not be my most-viewed work by commercial standards, it’s one of the things I’m proudest of creating. If we can come together and support each other in meaningful ways, each one of us becomes stronger and more likely to thrive and succeed.

People of every color, people of every identity, people with every experience, should grow up in a world where they are encouraged to open any door and step right in, be it the computer science lab, the CEO’s office, or the director’s seat. We must dare to dream of new possibilities, new ideas and innovations, and we must believe we can do anything we set our minds to. And we deserve to have the resources and support that we need to pursue those dreams in a tangible way.

Today women have many more opportunities than they used to have. We should be proud of that legacy, and proud of the women who fought for those rights and blazed new trails ahead of us. Nonetheless, we have so much further to go, and so much more to fight for.

Taking a risk is scary. Following dreams can often put you in a very vulnerable position. But you do it because you can’t imagine not doing it, whether you are starting a business or forming a band or launching a nonprofit or painting or cooking or running for office. You do it because it is in your breath and blood and bones and soul, and you know that if you don’t take a chance, you’ll never turn your dreams into reality.

This is what it means to be a boss—to do that scary thing, regardless of the challenges and despite the risks. By working to bring something new to this world, you are guaranteed to change it in some small way. And maybe even in a big way.

If you have an idea for something you want to see on this planet, though, chances are you don’t have the knowledge and skills yet to transform your vision into action. And that’s okay—some things, especially in the business world, simply have to be learned. Young women specifically sometimes need a boost in that arena, because a lot of the information out there about pursuing success or starting a business isn’t aimed toward us.

That’s where She’s So Boss comes in.

This book contains stories and tools that will help you find your inner boss and encourage the confidence and leadership potential that already exist in you. Your inner boss encompasses not just the uniquely wonderful skills you possess but also the flaws that make you who you are. Insecurities and vulnerabilities may actually be your greatest form of strength. Own them. Take them on your journey.

I believe in many things, but above all, I believe in the power of a girl who believes in herself.

So no matter what anyone tries to tell you along the way, always remember this: You are boss.