An Inspired Chat with heidi humes of Hamptons

We recently had the chance to connect with heidi humes and have shared our conversation below.

heidi, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Full gratitude. Living at the beach year round is a gift that never stops giving. I’m a big believer that how you start your day dictates the flow of what’s to come, so I start mine with thanks. Unless it’s super extreme weather, I get myself outside for a walk. It’s an instant reminder how lucky I am. I am an early riser and watching that sunrise over the ocean helps me keep both life’s challenges and blessings in perspective. Then it’s home for tea (and most likely a croissant) and I’m ready to tackle the world.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am the owner of Sunshine, a lifestyle shop located in the Hamptons, NY. My shop is a platform for both local and global craftsmanship and I’ve grown it with a dedication and passion for independent magic makers I’ve mostly discovered along my travels. I am more interested in things made exclusively for my shop than what’s on trend, and believe in retail as storytelling. If it’s on my shelves, I want to tell you how, why and by who it was made. Community is key to me and I host weekly seasonal events to promote a sense of connection and happiness in doing what I do.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Covid changed so much of how we looked at the world and more importantly, how we viewed each other. There was so much fear and separation, literal isolation happening. It was during this period that I realized the ONLY thing I wanted to do moving forward was use my decades of experience in retail to remind people we are ALL connected. I opened Sunshine in 2020 and began empowering women I knew around the world to start creating special items for my shop. I became known for supporting artisanal, one of a kind collections so your purchase carried purpose. I hosted a free food pantry that was filled by the community, for the community, and the impact and energy of helping one another started to snowball. Investing in beautifully crafted product and events fueled to bring people back together has allowed this invisible thread of connection to be formed and it’s the gift of a lifetime watching that happen.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Trying to succeed in the Hamptons as a small business, it’s a daily decision not to give up. You are competing with insane corporate money, landlords who have dollar signs for eyes, four to five months of no income and more recently, a changing retail climate that allows for a lot of bad behavior. On the flip side of that, however, is the absolute JOY I get in delighting my clientele. Developing new products over the winter, filling the shop with favorite things made by favorite people and then watching my Sunshine tribe return each summer for more is the best reason to get out of bed each day.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
The best part of this question is that the answer is LOVE. I really believe that everyone who knows me, even a little, knows that I have HUGE faith in the power of love, and the importance of us being kind to one another in this lifetime. A smile can change someone’s day around and that’s a powerful thing we all possess.
I hope with all my heart my shop reminds you of the connection we all share and how beautiful that really is.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
Sunshine is such a hub of happiness. I think once my doors close for good, people will miss the chance to just come get a welcome smile, a hug hello and a thank you for coming in. My gratitude has always been for the visit. The shopping was just the icing on the cake and I hope the genuine love I have for being here is always apparent.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @shopsunshineamagansett
• Linkedin: Heidi Humes