Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Zora Valentine. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Zora, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?

Great question! At Dirty Little Store, many of our products center around intimacy, which is such a vital part of relationships. Unfortunately, Corporate America often views intimacy in a negative light. Yet, a majority of separated couples point to a lack of intimacy as one of the main reasons for their split. Imagine if there were fewer restrictions and stigmas surrounding intimacy—maybe we’d see a shift toward stronger, more connected relationships.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hi, I’m Zora Valentine, the founder of Dirty Little Store! My husband, Chris Valentine, and I launched this brand in December 2022 with a mission to help couples strengthen their communication and connection. Dirty Little Store has quickly become one of the fastest-growing e-commerce brands, and we’re proud to be one of the few couple-founded businesses in this space.

We’re best known for our card games and exceptional customer service. Every product is designed and assembled in-house, meaning you won’t find them anywhere else.

What I’m most proud of, though, is the impact we’re making. Nearly every week, we receive reviews from customers sharing how our card games have positively transformed their relationships. Knowing we’ve helped bring couples closer makes everything we do so rewarding.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to let go of the idea of perfection. In school, I was obsessed with getting A’s because it meant I had done things “right.” But in business, there’s rarely a single “right” way to do anything. Most of the time, there are hundreds of paths that can lead to the same result. The key is to do your best, stay flexible, and be ready to pivot when needed.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

Dirty Little Store is available on Etsy, Shopify, and now Amazon. I’m a big believer in diversification. For an e-commerce business to thrive, it needs multiple lifelines. If one sales channel runs into an issue, you’ve got others to lean on. It’s about staying afloat and always swimming—never drowning.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ourdirtylittlestore.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourdirtylittlestore/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoravalentine/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/itszoravalentine/

Image Credits

Photos were taken by Benny Renee Studios