Fashioning Reality: A New Generation of Entrepreneurship.

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

This book is a lot things: memoir, brag book, how-to business manual, and insider’s appraisal of the fashion industry. While still in grade school, Barry started a business in order to help a friend find work as a model. He maintained this entrepreneurial enterprise during his high school and university years, building a successful modelling agency. While he grew his business inside the fashion industry, he also grew ever more adamant that the industry was a negative influence on society and needed to change. He decided to be the initiator of that change, advocating for the use of non-traditional models: people of all sizes, ages, and races. His agency was based on the principle that we are all beautiful in our own way and exclusive use of the traditional model—tall, thin, young, and white—was a disservice not only to fashion- and beauty-industry manufacturers, but also to society. If they can relate to the models, people become happier, bigger-spending customers. Using ultra-thin models, in contrast, leads to a culture of poor body image, lack of self-esteem and an epidemic of eating disorders.

Barry believes that young entrepreneurs are in a strong position to promote positive social change and that doing so does not preclude making a profit. “Doing well by doing good” is feasible, as consumers are attracted to brands that connect with their “lives, values, and identities.” Barry presents a profit-driven yet socially responsible entrepreneurial model, making a case for why young people are especially well suited for success in such businesses. He shares his strategies for keeping ahead of the competition, ways to build and grow a business on a shoestring, and maintaining a process of self-assessment.

Barry has a unique personal story to tell. That alone would be interesting reading, but he moves beyond simple memoir by incorporating business basics and a motivational message. At times the self-congratulatory tone can be a bit thick, but overall it is a quick, easy read with lots of fresh ideas on how to blend profitability with effective social activism.