Q: Zane, thanks for stepping away from the sales floor to chat with us. Let’s start with the elephant in the room: a Wall Street hotshot, Christopher Steward, bought your store, and he aims to make it more corporate. What went through your head when he gave his big presentation?
Zane: (Laughs, leaning back in his leather jacket) Honestly? My first thought was that the man’s tie was tied way too tight. Christopher came in with his sleek charcoal suits, his color-coded pie charts, and a lecture about “liquidating underperforming assets.” He thought retail was just numbers on a grid. He had zero idea what actually goes into keeping a shop like this warm, welcoming, and fun for people during the holidays. So I stood up and called his bluff. If he wants to sit in an office and decide our fate, he can spend a week working the floor with us first.
Q: And he actually accepted?
Zane: He’s got a massive ego wrapped in bespoke Italian wool. Of course he accepted. He thought he’d prove me wrong in two days. Instead, he ended up unboxing stocking stuffers, dealing with frantic holiday shoppers, and trying to handle Safeword.
Q: Ah, yes. Safeword! Tell us about the shop cat.
Zane: Safeword is the real store manager around here; I’m just the guy who opens the cans of food. He took an immediate shine to Christopher—mostly by sitting directly on his expensive leather briefcase or judging his folding technique from the top shelf. Watching a former Wall Street shark negotiate with an opinionated orange tabby has been worth every second of this audit.
Q: The cover art shows a pretty unique tree decoration in the background… What’s the story behind the store’s holiday decor?
Zane: (Grins wolfishly) Let’s just say traditional tinsel doesn’t quite fit the aesthetic of The Naughty Shop. If Christopher wanted to experience true retail management, that included helping me deck the halls. Watching him try to maintain his stern corporate dignity while hanging… unconventional silicone ornaments on a fake fir tree is something I’ll cherish forever.
Q: Speaking of keeping things under control—or letting go—there are rumors around Burlington about your after-hours activities.
Zane: Rumors, huh? Look, running a shop takes precision, but in my personal life, I know how to create a safe space where people can drop their guard and give up control. Christopher spends every waking second carrying the weight of the world, fixing every problem, and holding tight to the reins. Someone like that… eventually, they get tired of carrying it all. Sometimes the person who thinks they need to control everything is the one who craves letting go the most.
Q: What happened when that massive Vermont blizzard hit and trapped the two of you inside the shop overnight?
Zane: You’ll have to read the book to get all the details on that one. But when the lights went out and the snow piled up outside the glass… the spreadsheets definitely got put away.
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