I consider a merchant someone who has a certain intuition and instinct, and - very important - knows how to run a business, knows the numbers.

I like to prove things wrong.

I love to work. I have a passion for what I do.

I spot detail quickly.

I'm always looking over my shoulder, needing to stay ahead of the game.

I'm an agent of change all day long, and I want to meet other people like that.

People like consistency. Whether it's a store or a restaurant, they want to come in and see what you are famous for.

People put 'study abroad' on their resume. I actually like when they don't study abroad because that means they aren't entitled.

The first thing you see when you walk into a store is color.

What matters is hard work, and emotional intelligence.

A merchant is someone who figures out how to select, how to smell, how to identify, how to feel, how to time, how to buy, how to sell, and how to hopefully have two plus two equal six.

Creativity runs on automatic, no matter what's happening in other parts of my life. I can't help myself. It's been in me, and it evolves in me over the years. It's a condition in me.

I don't buy art. I'd rather buy a beautiful location or a beautiful site than buy art. A beautiful home is like owning a beautiful painting, except you can live in it.

I'm looking for best practices constantly. Apple has beautiful design, beautiful product, incredibly functional. But mostly it's about picking product, getting behind it, marketing it and introducing it to a customer. What they've done just inspires me.

If you don't get trained for your SATs in America today, you are at a disadvantage. Training is expensive and a lot of kids don't get trained, perhaps. So I also identify with the kid or the person who has grown up in environments like I've grown up in.