Who in your life gives you the best advice & why? What sage advice would you give your 18 year old self?: I'd tell my 18 year old self "Life gets real weird and you may doubt the career choices you've taken, but it'll all lead to where you are now. And always save room for dessert."
Do you have any pets? If yes, describe them in one sentence. : Yes, my rescue kitty, Miss Dahlia, who is the best second-shadow, co-pilot, snuggler I could ever ask for.
In three words, what were your goals in 2011? What are they currently for 2021? : 2011: Start A Business/ Open A Studio (Didn't happen for a reason!)
2021: Grow A Business!! (Now it happened!)
What was the last gift you gave someone and why’d you give it to them?: I wanted to send some mail surprises, so I gifted two of my friends tee shirts from my 8 year old nephew's clothing line, Penn Laine. He buys second hand clothing and gives it the rock and roll treatment with bleach. He describes his line as "stylish stuff for party people."
Oopsie! What’s the last mistake you learned from?: I'll tell you one thing, I used to freak out over the smallest mistakes. I am talking tiny tiny mistakes. But what I've learned since starting a business a few months ago is that mistakes will, without a doubt, happen. The sooner I acknowledge and accept the missteps and mistakes, the more sane I'll be!
What’s the one quarantine cancellation you missed the most last year?: I missed just being able to spontaneously go for a drink in LA with my best friend. Those were always memorable... waaaaay more memorable than when we planned our outings!
Describe the last time you felt completely relaxed? Where were you and what were you doing? : I am a pretty spiritual person, so to be completely honest it was last Spring and I was experimenting with Psilocybin blindfolded. My friend had recommended I read "How to Change Your Mind" by Michael Pollan which dives into the early studies, eventual suppression, and the current renaissance of psychedelics. I was fascinated by the studies of visual deprivation while taking mushrooms- the merging of psychedelics, meditation, and self-consciousness. I wanted to experience what happens when you take the most heightened sense, that of sight, completely away and have to go internal. Where does the mind go? All I can say is, read the book and let your curiosity lead you.
Do you have a favorite ritual?: Anyone who knows me would agree that my favorite ritual is waking up super early for a 6am workout. I've been like this for 20 years! It's so much of a ritual that I used to go out at night and STILL get up the next morning for a class I signed up for (now I'm older and wiser and work out later!) I have the most amazing group of friends that all met at the 6am SoulCycle class in West Hollywood. Initially they almost cancelled that class, but it grew to a waitlist to get in to because of us!
What specialty/area of expertise are you most proud of? : Telling a story and building a mood. I have always loved attention to details and giving a visual journey. I won a lot of writing contests in high school and college because of that. My first boss in the fashion industry used to tell me that my monthly business recaps were like novels, so I then had to learn to tone it back, lol. The thing I loved most about being a Director of Product was creating mood and trend boards for each different brand, and how could I make the same trend relevant for these very different customers. Now I get to tell my own visual brand story through photographs on my social media.
What is your favorite piece of jewelry? Describe its origins.: I have a piece of Pyrite that my most magical friend gave me as a gift. It has a little hole that you can loop a chain through to hang around your neck. All we had at the time was this navy silk cord. Five years later that pyrite is still hanging on that silk cord and is part of the reason it brings me luck.
