#GIRLBOSS (18 page)

Thank you to my mother, for putting up with the years of heartbreak that I wreaked upon her. To my dad, for teaching me to negotiate like a mobster and for creating in me the self-critic who keeps me honest. To Christina Ferrucci, my sister from another mister. To Yia Yia, for buying me books with titles such as
Odd Jobs for Kids
and
Liking Myself
. To Gary Mancillas, for knowing me; to Kate Stewart, for letting me crash; and to Joel Jarek DeGraff, for putting up with the war room that made this book possible. And to Donna Summer, the poodle that continues to teach me that there is a God.

Also, a big thank-you to Kerri Kolen and Maria Gagliano, my amazing editors at Putnam and Portfolio, who pulled the depth from my depths. To Andy McNicol, for knowing I “had a book in me” from day one, and to “Scary” Gary Stiffelman, for having my back. To Kelly Bush, for taking a chance on me. And to Kate Williams, for being my Ritalin throughout the writing of this
book.