Four Inane Questions with Cheeky Bird’s Stephanie Herbig

Photo Courtesy of Stephanie Herbig

If you’ve been struggling to figure out what you’d like to be when you grow up, you’ve found a spirit animal in Stephanie Herbig. After years in the corporate salon industry, Herbig discovered her passion was—as she puts it—”always trying to find out what I’m actually passionate about.” (We’ve all been there, yes?)

So, after a few years of staying at home and taking care of her kiddos, she leaped at the chance to run her own clothing store, Cheeky Bird, in Parkville. “Four years ago, the opportunity to own a boutique presented itself,” she says. “And the store is just the beginning.” 

Herbig says to expect the unexpected when shopping at the aptly named Cheeky Bird. “I want to be unique, interesting, and always look a little different from the visit before,” she tells us. “What I want to always be the same is the energy of the space.”

When it comes to her various clothing lines, you’ll find a bevy of contemporary, chic, and retro apparel on hand. There’s also a hodgepodge of furniture and costume jewelry that’s caught her eye. “You’ll be introduced to clothing and jewelry by creators across the globe,” she boasts on her website. “And you’ll find vintage pieces that add glam and style, rooted in a more classic approach to fashion.”

When Herbig isn’t being a fashion maven, she’s busy at home. “I love to annoy my kids by trying to be the best parent I possibly can to my daughter and son,” she says. “I’m always brainstorming ways to make money and avenge injustice, treasure hunting, or seeing live music.” 

We caught up with Herbig on a rare day off to blitz her with our bonkers questionnaire. We even got a nifty compliment on our vintage scarf. Bless. 

Photo Courtesy of Stephanie Herbig

The Pitch: What’s been your weirdest/oddest/strangest/most random celebrity encounter?

Stephanie Herbig: Just a couple of weeks ago, I was walking into Parkville Coffee and saw a dude on my right who looked sooooo familiar. We have a couple of television anchors that live in the neighborhood, so I filed it there for about five seconds.

And then—no way!—I realized it was Dustin Pari from Ghost Hunters! He had been to an event here, and his flight was delayed, so they were in Parkville for coffee. I lost my cool and took a bunch of pictures while I was wearing what could only be described as a don’t. He was so nice while I crossed all kinds of personal space boundaries. Then, he even tracked me down and gave me a copy of his book autographed to me. 

Oh, and I’ve also said hey to Flava Flav in DFW before. You could say I’ve had a very charmed life.

Photo Courtesy of Stephanie Herbig

You are forced to sing acapella. What pop song are you singing marginally well? 

I will sing anything, anywhere, at any time. I wake up with a song in my head every morning, and then sometimes will get earworms throughout the day that I can’t stop just randomly belting out. 

But, if pressed, “I Will Survive” by Miss Gloria Gaynor. We all know it—and 99.9 percent of us feel it. 

What foreign accent can you crush in a pinch? 

I believe I can knock out a word or two or a short phrase in almost anything. I tend to mimic it. But I can throw down a really solid English Cockney accent.  

Name something you’re hilariously bad at. 

Following directions. It’s not that I don’t want to do it right; It’s just that my mind convinces me that I know how to do it faster than I can read the instructions. 

Bonus 5th Question: What subject needs to be permanently banished in high school? 

Wow! What a question. I think it should start with what we should put back. Although, you could tone down on some of the math. I mean, people will need to know how to sew on a button way more than the difference in the three integers.

I didn’t even know there were three. I looked it up.