MARY PORTAS: My Mother Di*d, My Father Disappeared & I Was Left Homeless At 19

Video Description

Mary Portas is a retail expert who has built her career on instinct, creativity and a drive to do things differently. She redefined Britain’s shopping culture in the 1990s, transforming Harvey Nichols from a tired department store into the ultimate shopping destination and later, became a household name through her hit TV series, Mary, Queen of Shops. I first met Mary a few months ago and she completely blew me away. What I didn’t know then were the circumstances that pushed her into retail in the first place. By 19, Mary had lost both her parents and found herself homeless, suddenly responsible for supporting herself and her younger brother. What began as a search for a ‘proper’ job turned into the beginning of an extraordinary career. We cover: - Losing both her parents by the age of 19 - Becoming homeless and finding her unexpected start in retail - Her game-changing years at Harvey Nichols and the magic behind her iconic shop windows - How her brother, Lawrence, became the biological father of her son - The significant loves of Mary’s life In this conversation, Mary reminded me that identity isn’t inherited, it’s created. And sometimes it’s only after losing everything that you learn how to build a life that feels like home. If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/greatcompanypodcast/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@greatcompanypodcast And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: [email protected] Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 01:30 Do people slide into Mary’s DMs? 02:15 Mary on concealing her lesbian relationship early on in her TV career 07:00 Mary opens up about her past relationships 11:55 Mary’s brother is the biological father of her son 15:15 Mary’s biggest superpower in business 16:49The change in our shopping habits 17:40 Jamie and Mary on the increase in community 23:50 “My one shareholder in business is Mother Earth” 28:40 What inspired Mary’s new book? 31:00 Mary opens up about losing her place in the world after losing both her parents 32:30 Mary on why she turned down a place at RADA 34:40 Jamie and Mary on losing parental guidance 38:35 What was Mary’s mum like? 40:20 Mary’s advice to Jamie on becoming a parent 42:07 Becoming a parent later in life 44:48 The power of the divine feminine 48:25 Starting at Harvey Nichols in the 1990s 51:25 Shop windows vs social media 53:00 Mary’s most iconic shop windows 56:55 How to take risks 1:00:30 Final 8 questions