Fangirling With Mel B At The Sugar Factory American Brasserie in Miami

As every ’90s kid knows, when Mel B comes to town, it’s time to slam your body down and wind it all around – and last Friday, Miami did just that. Taking over Sugar Factory American Brasserie, on Ocean Drive, hundreds of fans waited for hours to get a chance to meet the famed “Scary Spice” herself. And in between the selfies, fan-girling, Spice Girl look-a-likes and a special appearance by celebrity PR mogul Jonathan Cheban, who stopped by to Snapchat with his favorite British pop star, we took a moment to get to know everyone’s favorite Spice Girl.

From all things Spice and America’s Got Talent, to life, girl power, and the art of creating your own empire, here’s how Mel B is spicing up her life:

2016 marks the 20th anniversary of the Spice Girls. Looking back on your career, what accomplishment are you most proud of?
You know what? I’ve managed to have the best friendships with four of my friends for the last twenty years, and I’m so proud of that. What we actually stand for is girl power and we’re living proof that that still exists.

Tell us about the early Spice Girls days. Did you ever think it would lead to where you are today?
I don’t think you can ever predict anything like that. The timing has to be right, and you can never get it just right unless it happens organically. We all just happened to meet on the dance circuit and put ourselves together in a group.

How did you get the name Scary Spice?
It was a teeny-bopper magazine that named us all! The journalist at the time was really lazy and he didn’t remember our names, so he just name-tagged us quickly. I was scary – I still am! I had massive hair, and I would take your questions out of your hand and say ‘Interview me!’ I was kind of feisty. I still am. But I liked my name, so I wanted to keep it.

You’ve created an empire, and you started your career early. What advice do you have for young girls chasing their dreams today?
Well I have three young girls, and I say to them all the time: ‘Try and actually find something that you love doing, and then try and earn money from doing that.’ I think very few people, especially in this day and age, can say that they love what they do – and I’m all about loving what you do, because then it doesn’t seem like a job. And I know it seems like a fantasy world, but I literally love what I do. I love performing with my girls, I love America’s Got Talent. I love everything that I do, and I give it 100%.

You’ve been on Broadway, in movies and on TV, you’re a judge on America’s Got Talent, you’ve hosted TV shows, written a book and you can obviously sing. Which part of your career has been the most fun for you, and why?
All of it. I’m a Gemini, so I like to switch things up. I like to do a bit of everything, otherwise I get so bored. So literally, my career has gone all over the place. And I like that.

When you’re not working, what’s a day in the life of Mel B?
I get up and workout before anyone wakes up. I go and get my kids ready for school, I drop them off at school, and then I go about my day, whether it be meetings, e-mails, Skyping my other Spice Girls back in London – it’s a mixture of things.

Tell us about being a judge on America’s Got Talent. Why do you do it?
Well I’m a big fan of the show, and I watch it anyway. I’m the person that yells from the sofa, “You’re crap!” or “You’re awesome!” So once I got offered it, I was literally the person who has the best seat in the house. Why wouldn’t I do it? I watch the show anyway – it’s perfect.

Can we get excited for a Spice Girls reunion anytime soon?
I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, now won’t we?

What can the world expect from Melanie Brown in the future?
You know what? I don’t know yet. And I like to leave it like that.

Sugar Factory American Brasserie is located at the bottom of Hotel Victor, on 1144 Ocean Drive. Photo credit: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images.