“I gag when people crack their knuckles. It makes it very uncomfortable in meetings.”
— Meg Roberts, CEO, The Lash Lounge
In her monthly "Grab Bag" column, Editor in Chief Laura Michaels asks the tough questions—What superhero power would you most like to have? What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?—to show a side of franchising execs you don’t normally see. To suggest a subject, email [email protected].
Who would play you in the biopic about your life?
Sally Field. I think she’s one of America’s best actresses. I think she’s really accessible. She’s played so many great roles and I think she’d bring a great sense of humor to playing me in my life. ‘Steel Magnolias’ is my favorite movie—I can quote every line. I’ve probably seen it 300 times.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
People cracking their knuckles. I have a physical, visceral reaction. I gag when people crack their knuckles. It makes it very uncomfortable in meetings. It makes me sick just talking about it.
What fictional character do you think would be most interesting to meet in real life?
Wonder Woman comes to mind—she’s just such a badass. But my favorite fictional character is Celie from ‘The Color Purple.’ She’s played by Whoopi Goldberg in the movie. Celie is so representative of perseverance and strength and just really living an incredible life despite all the hardships. It’s my favorite book of all time.
What’s something you would seriously stockpile if you found out it wasn’t going to be sold anymore?
Bonne Bell Dr. Pepper Chapstick. It’s actually not being made anymore and I am trying to stockpile it from Amazon. It’s been around since the ‘70s, you used to get it on a necklace at the skating rink. I probably have two to three years of stock … but access is waning. They should not discontinue it.
Who do you find most interesting to follow on social media?
My favorite to follow is Openly Gay Animals. It’s just a funny, funny site; it has nothing to do with gay animals, if that’s even a thing. It’s just hysterical, random stuff and it just makes you laugh.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Well, a weird thing I’ll never eat is mashed potatoes—ew. But the weirdest thing I have eaten is a type of sushi—sea urchin—that numbs your throat. It tastes like toothpaste. I was at a business meeting and it was like a dare. I would never eat that again.
What’s one trend you wish would disappear?
I wish everyone would stop decorating their houses with tin stars. I’ve seen too much of it—they’re everywhere. And I’m tired of wood plaques with quotes or trite sayings. I’m also over the fanny packs. They came out in the ‘80s and people are being tricked into it again, except now you wear it over your shoulder like a seatbelt.
What’s the most useless talent you have?
An incredible ability to come up with analogies that make people laugh but have no benefit to the world. Or I’m super good at organizing junk drawers—but now that’s a profession. Or I’m super good at packing the car.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
This is embarrassing. It’s 19 years long now. I’ve never missed a season of ‘The Bachelor’ or ‘The Bachelorette.’ I love the crazy-ass characters.
Who or what did you have posters of on your bedroom wall as a teenager?
The Detroit Tigers, the 1984 World Series Champions. Lance Parrish, the catcher, he was on my wall. No Ralph Macchio; I was into the athletes.
Which time period in history would you want to visit?
I absolutely would love to be in the early 1970s. The whole disco thing was amazing and just that age of feminism. Also the clothes and music were totally out of sight. My boyfriend’s name would have been Rick and he’d be a stone-cold fox. And I’d drive a Trans Am.