Chief executive, Cult Beauty

What was your first job in retailing?

At Cult Beauty as managing director. In at the deep end.

Which retail company do you admire most and why?

Urban Group, the parent company of Urban Outfitters, Free People and Anthropologie, among others. They are constantly redefining cool and covetable.

What is the trait you least like in yourself and why?

I tend to let my stress levels sky-rocket when work gets busy.

Who have you learnt most from in your retail career?

Meg Hayne, the president of Free People. When our brand was still very new my business partner Alexia Inge and I had the opportunity to spend a day picking her brain. It was game changing.

What advice would you give to someone starting out?

Know your customer and solve their problem. Cult Beauty was founded because I couldn’t penetrate the pseudo-science and hard-sell tactics of traditional beauty retailing.

What keeps you awake at night?

There’s too much to do – we’re growing so quickly, we can’t hire fast enough.

What’s the most satisfying part of your job?

I love my job so much; it is really difficult to pick one part as the most satisfying or fulfilling. Our team is full of rock stars, everyone is passionate about building our vision to become the most trusted beauty website in the world.

What’s your proudest achievement?

Founding a brand that has resonated so well with women.

What job would you have done if you hadn’t become a retailer?

My job is so varied it feels like having four careers already. I love the database design challenges of the website.

What is your favourite shop and why?

Net-a-Porter.com – its merchandising is unsurpassed.

What was your last purchase?

A grey silk dress from Anthropologie.

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