On Negativity, Ambition, and Building a Serious Business (Tory Burch)

Tory Burch started her company in 2004 with a single store on Elizabeth Street in New York City, a friends and family round of funding, and a belief that purpose and business belong in the same sentence.

Twenty two years later, she has 400 stores in 70 countries. And she still hasn't had lunch.

In this conversation, Tory sits down with Emma to talk about what it really took to build one of the most recognizable names in American fashion — navigating criticism, surviving a lawsuit that threatened everything she'd built, and rediscovering the creative spirit that reinvigorated the brand.

Tory shares:

• Why ambition is still a complicated word for women  and why she refuses to shy away from it

• How she maintained ownership and control of her company through a very public divorce and lawsuit

• What she learned about scaling a brand without losing its identity

• How stepping back from the CEO role unlocked her most creative chapter yet

What would you build if you stopped letting other people define your ambition? Drop it in the comments — we're reading. And subscribe to Aspire with Emma Grede so you don't miss what's next.