About Me

I am the founder and publisher of two national trade magazines and two trade shows. Specialty Retail Report, the voice of the specialty retail industry (carts, kiosks and temporary in-line stores) has a readership of more than 75,000 and GIFT SHOP, the magazine for independent gift shop owners, has a readership of more than 60,000. I have also served as consultant to small independent retailers across the country.

At age 15, I launched my first publication, Tampa Bay Sports. At age 17, I became the youngest store manager in the history of the clothing retailer, Casual Corner. While still in college, I worked at family-owned carts and kiosks. I also got a peek at the mall management side of things by managing and leasing cart programs. After substantial experience managing cart programs throughout the Northeast and observing the growth of the specialty retail industry, I decided the time was ripe for a magazine that catered to this profitable industry. I launched Specialty Retail Report at age 22. And just a few years later, we set up SPREE, our national trade show which brings together thousands of professionals in the specialty retail industry.

After publishing SRR for more than 10 years, I noticed the gift industry needed a magazine whose focus would be a fresh, new approach—both in content and design—so in 2006, I launched GIFT SHOP Magazine. Both magazines have enjoyed tremendous success and for this, I could not be more grateful.

My husband, Adrian Clapp, joined our family business full-time two years ago, and our four-year old daughter can't wait to come and work with us, which would make her a third generation publisher.