The other day I was chatting with a Ped customer on the phone, and she was curious about my background. So I thought I’d write a little about myself and how Ped came to be.

I grew up in California, not far from Ped HQ. At an early age, I developed a passion for art and fashion, and my father, a savvy entrepreneur, gave me an appreciation for business. I majored in fine art at UC Berkeley and then studied merchandising at the San Francisco Fashion Institute. I went off to New York for a year, where I worked  for clothing designer J. Morgan Puett (and met lifelong friend Kimmy). In 1993  I moved to Seattle, Wa. and opened my own store, Ardour, a clothing boutique that specialized in up-and-coming independent designers.

Here I am at Ardour in 1993 with my dad—truly my mentor and business inspiration—and my step-mom, Angela, who also has taught me so many things! (Check out my '90s do!)

It offered an ideal way for me to combine all my interests! Ardour quickly gained a huge following, which encouraged me to open Ped as a companion shoe store across the street in 1998. Ardour and Ped became Seattle destinations for fashion-conscious women and were featured in Lucky Magazine, InStyle, and Harper’s Bazaar, among other places. Ped became so  popular that I eventually moved it into the Ardour space.

On the left, a holiday party at Ped in 2002, and on the right, Ella as a puppy atop Ped's jewelry display case, also in 2002.

In 2001, I launched www.pedshoes.com, with the help of a tech-guru. We watched as the Internet took off, carrying Ped right along with it. Because I wanted Ped to reach as many people as possible, I decided to pour our energy into the expanding online market, and in 2006, I closed the Seattle store, relocated to California, and went totally cyber!

As Ped fans know, I continue to take great pride in offering lesser-known independent designers, who emphasize hands-on craftsmanship and a commitment to social and environmental responsibility. I love discovering unusual and beautifully made things to add to Ped. Everything Ped carries is something I truly believe in and would wear myself—and, trust me, I am a stickler for detail!

But life isn’t all about work! I also enjoy great food (have I mentioned what an amazing chef my husband is?), good wine, traveling,

The hub and I having fun on a ski trip to Switzerland. (That's the Matterhorn behind us!)

gardening,

We're currently in the process of landscaping our backyard. It's coming along!

spending time with family and friends, and taking walks with Ella, our golden retriever, and Lulu, our mini dachshund.

Chief Canine Officer Lulu thinks I should step away from the desk and take her for a walk!

I also believe in giving back, so every year I donate a portion of Ped’s sales to non-profit animal welfare organizations, the American Cancer Society, the American Red Cross, and Vitamin Angels.

There you have it—me in a nutshell!