13 - Reading Reflection No. 1

Coco Chanel by Lisa Chaney

1. The way she was raised and her background is what surprised me the most in this book, it was not what I had expected. She was born into a poor family and spent much of her childhood in a convent. Her mother died when she was 12 years old and her father did not support her, so he put her in an orphanage after her mother died. I admired how strong and independent she was, especially for the time in which she lived but I did not admire her drug habits. Gabrielle experienced adversity in her career because of her childhood and the fact that she grew up with no money. Her career also took several years to actually take off. 
2. Her main competency was that she was determined to bring her designs to life, she was very tenacious in the fact that she never gave up until she succeeded. Chanel was a very hard worker and also worked smart which was what ultimately let to her success in the fashion industry.
3. The only part of the reading that was confusing to me was the use of french words and places that were mentioned throughout the book.
4.  If I had the chance to ask two questions they would be, why did you choose to hide your past,  knowing her background allowed me to see how far she came. Also, What advice would you give to someone trying to start their own business? I chose these questions because they are the questions that were most prominent in my head when I was reading this biography.
5. I think Coco's opinion of hard work would be to never give up on your dreams. I believe she would think hard work is necessary to be happy with yourself and your career.