We are always on the lookout for BOSS FOXES who are killing the game in art, business, relationships, and everything in between. Luckily, our sugar addiction is serious (as told by the dozens of boxes of Girl Scout Cookies that arrive on the daily), and has led us to the sweetest of all BOSS FOXES, Sugarfina Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Rosie O’ Neill. We were so excited to get to know the woman who (very successfully) filled the void for a beautifully branded grown up candy store. What’s not to love about this LA-exploring, Wes Anderson-obsessed, UCLA alum who can cater to the most demanding sweet tooth.
NAME / Rosie O’Neill
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND / Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Sugarfina; formerly Director of Marketing, Barbie (at Mattel)
HOMETOWN / Born in Kansas City, MO; grew up in Southern California
CURRENT LOCATION / Los Angeles
EDUCATION / UCLA, Communication Studies; MBA - UCLA Anderson School of Management (I like L.A.)
What is your life motto right now?
Think bigger
What about Sugarfina are you most proud of?
Our amazing team - we couldn’t do it without all the wonderful people who pour their heart and soul into their work every day. I love you guys!
What is your favorite gift to give?
Sugarfina candy of course! But my other go-to gift is a nice bottle of Champagne.
Favorite movie scene/quote?
The Royal Tenebaums, every scene, but particularly when Ben Stiller and Gene Hackman have a fight in the game closet. I’m always completely blown away at the level of detail that goes into set design on a Wes Anderson film. And Gene Hackman’s character is basically the person I would be if I didn’t have a societal filter.
What is your favorite city?
London. I pretty much just wander around London wanting to EAT all the houses and shops. The paint in London is different: the whites are the purest, most perfect white in the world, and the pastels look like ice cream. I briefly entertained the idea of buying paint in London and having it shipped to the U.S. to paint our Sugarfina stores, but that would be crazy, right?
Where is your happy place?
Driving on PCH overlooking the ocean.
What's the number one item on your bucket list?
I don’t have a bucket list, is that bad? I suppose I have an “anti bucket list,” which is a list of all the things I promise never to do. Things on that list include: running a marathon, singing in public, and eating a corn dog.
What inspires you?
Color and nature. I love going to the farmers market or the downtown flower market and just walking around taking it all in. I also am weirdly inspired by the 99 cent store, particularly the ones that stack five million boxes of laundry detergent perfectly organized by color in the front window. Someone at the 99 cent store has OCD, and I like it.
Who has influenced you the most to get where you are today?
My fiancé Josh. He has this amazing ability to ask for (and get) pretty much whatever he wants. He’s inspired me to think a lot bigger, shoot for the fences, and to always ask for what I want.
When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I went through a brief period where I really wanted to be a heart surgeon. Like, I went to the library and checked out a whole bunch of medical school books and tried to read them. I was a strange child.
I also remember telling my mom I wanted to be a socialite when I grow up. So there was a range.
