;ve got to do. I try to wind down at night as much as I can, whether it’s falling in front of the TV watching Netflix or going to the gym…I’ve learned to appreciate my time a lot more, play, and really enjoy the ride rather than panic the entire time. One thing I wish I knew when I was younger… Knowing how stressful things could get and learning how to manage it. I have quite a high propensity for stress and luckily have turned it into something positive. Going back to my younger days, when I first started Honey Birdette and was opening the first three, four, five stores, you’re operating on anxiety, both in a good and bad way. So it’s learning the tools to help me let that go. Sometimes you’ve got to slow down and smell the roses, and I was never really inclined to do that. The sector of retail I’m most interested in is… The female empowerment space, that’s really key for me. I love the idea of designing a female-only boutique hotel with a club attached to it. That’s the start of The Blonde Velvet Club. I also like what fashion does for women in terms of their confidence. The slogan for Honey Birdette used to be “we’re changing the world, one orgasm at a time”. Which meant that we didn’t need to conquer the world, we just needed to embrace and empower the women who walked through the door or shopped online.  The items in my toolbox that make me feel prepared are… A notepad and pencil. My mind will run off in so many different directions and I often forget these great ideas, so even putting that next to your bed at night is my biggest thing. A necklace I constantly wear, which my first boyfriend, whom I was with for 10 years and who was my high-school sweetheart, gave me. It’s probably worth $30 or something, but it’s my most treasured possession since he passed away. My dad’s ring, that was a 21st-birthday present from my mother. And business shirts and high heels are my biggest go-tos as well. This story first appeared in the December 2023 issue of Inside Retail US magazine.