Lauren Devereux Burns has been a story-loving, memento-hunting, antique-fiend for as long as she can remember. At 9, she saved her pennies for a whole year so she could buy a little gold ring from her local antique store. At age 15, she got a job teaching kids how to make jewelry at a bead store, which allowed her to peruse the Sunday flea market on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with abandon.

Despite falling in love with her gold-smithing classes in college, she convinced herself that no one should be allowed to have this much fun for work. Thankfully, after a career in marketing, tech, and venture capital… she made her way back.