Aspire with Emma Grede On Negativity, Ambition, and Building a Serious Business (Tory Burch)
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Apr 28, 2026 
Tory Burch, American fashion designer and founder of the Tory Burch brand and foundation. She talks about starting her business from a single NYC shop and early direct-to-consumer risks. She recounts navigating a public divorce and lawsuit, protecting ownership, and how stepping back from CEO rekindled her creativity. Ambition, scaling without losing identity, and building purpose into business are central themes.
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Tune Out Negativity And Don't React Emotionally
- Tune out negativity and treat it as noise so it doesn't derail decisions or morale.
- Tory learned to listen but not take criticism personally and avoid emotional reactions in board meetings.
Ecommerce And PR Replaced Traditional Ads For Growth
- Tory was an early e-commerce adopter to reach customers resourcefully because the brand lacked big ad budgets.
- She used PR and social media instead of traditional advertising to build demand from a cheap Elizabeth Street shop.
Oprah Moment Drove Massive Early Traffic
- Oprah featured the brand in year one, driving 8 million hits and huge traction; Tory prepared the site so it didn't crash.
- The TV exposure accelerated traffic and sales immediately after the show.