Andrew Pizzo, President and Owner of Collection 18, took time out of his busy morning to speak with several YMA FSF Scholars about his work at Collection 18 and offer useful career advice. Drew, who graduated from Long Island University, started out working at IBM, and joined the fashion industry in 1985 as a salesman in his Father’s company. Later, Drew and his wife started their own business, buying t-shirts and hats which they had friends create art and designs for to sell at street fairs around Manhattan. Their business received a large order from JCPenney, and they turned to the owners of Collection 18 for help. Drew ended up buying out one of the partners and he and the remaining owner, Elaine Gold, and built the company from there by working hard and hiring good people.

Words of Wisdom

Have passion for what you’re doing. “What you learn when you start your own business is that it’s lots of work, but you’re doing it for yourself and it’s a passion so it’s easy to put all those hours in.”

On success. “You’ve probably heard a lot of things about success. From my experience personally, it still depends on a commitment to really hard work, you just have be that kind of person who focuses on what they’re doing and get it done. By 30, if you know what concentration you want to be in, you’re good to go. Success will come with your 30s and 40s and 50s, when you can really cultivate where you want to be.”

Use your youth to your advantage. “Never let go of that drive to experience and live life. The idea that you’re “a millennial” and not committed to a company isn’t necessarily true, it’s almost that your company doesn't have a commitment to you. In creating value, you’re up against the competition, and technology. Technology creates a lot of value for a company and makes processes easier. If you create value, you will have a place for a long time. Today I'm seeing it’s not necessarily one path to success. A lot of young women are working here, blogging at night, selling things on Etsy, getting multiple streams of income - you’re the generation of choice.”

Be goal oriented. “Are you goal oriented? Do you actually write those goals down? A goal is a statement of something you will accomplish by a certain date, without that date it’s really a wish. One of the reasons we don't write goals down is because we have many expectations placed upon us - from ourselves, siblings, parents, teachers - all walks of life looking at you with expectations, and that can be a burden. I think sometimes we don't write goals down because we don't want to add any more burdens. When you write down something, you magnify your subconscious to that place you want to be. When you have a goal, you know where you've been, what you’re doing and where you’re going. At Collection 18, we ask you to have a personal goal and 1-3 professional goals that align with the company goals. Goal setting is really important.”

Know what you’re exceptional at. “When you’re exceptional at something, you first create value. When you’re in a competitive landscape, creating value for yourself or your coworkers is really important. You discover value creation is really the key to success, and you’ll discover what you’re exceptional at.”

Interview the company you're being interviewed to work for. “Maybe not in the beginning of your career, you have limited choices starting out, but at some point along the way once you can create value for those companies.”

Referability habits.

1. Show up on time - “This doesn't mean exactly what you think it does. Most of what we do here is objective-driven. Showing up on time means you’re meeting those deadlines.”

2. Do what you say - “In life, you want to build trust. If you want to build trust with the people you work with or work for, develop a reputation for doing what you say.”

3. Finish what you start - “I find a lot of people wear the label ‘multi-tasker’ as a badge, and in today’s society, that’s almost expected of us. But keep a focus on finishing what you start.”

4. Say please and thank you - “Good manners, kindness, respect - these are certain values that never go out of style.”

On a successful interview. “It’s about persistence, being creative and standing out. Have you ever heard the phrase, content is king? Your content has to be exceptional. Today it’s really about packaging and delivery - How do you package yourself?”

Customers and product are key. “I was with a man in Italy, his name was Mr. Bing. His company was 123 years old and he made hats. I took a walk around the gardens of this beautiful property in Italy, and he starts quoting the boy (Karl Lagerfeld) and said ‘I've seen great designers, great designs, great companies come and go. And I've only seen two things that matter: customers and product. If you have a great product, go find the customer and sell it to them. If you have the customer, create a product and sell it.’ The big challenge around tech today is identifying consumers and how you connect with them, that is, how you package your product.”

Ask. “What’s the most important 3 letter word? ASK. You won’t initiate a conversation unless you ask. You won’t initiate ideas or capabilities if you don't ask. It often takes 5 asks before a deal is closed. You can’t ask the same way every time but you adapt and evolve with your customer.” Drew also suggested to scholars “Ask for a project.”

Beware of experts. “Experts believe in why things can’t work.”

What Collection 18 looks for in an employee. “Today it’s a competition. Even if you have a referral to someone, the first glimpse of who you are is your resume. When reviewing your resume Collection 18 looks at the school you went to, how you did, what your major is, and your activities - we want to know who you are and what you’re doing.”

Q&A

Q: “Is your forecasting a separate department or is that combined with design?” - Maiya Carmichael, Florida State University

A: “Our senior designers and creative directors are responsible for an aspect of the business, particularly classification of product. They get together and have a trend meeting to establish what our direction is going to be in the season. It’s handled internally by the designers themselves.”

Q: “How much of your portfolio should be your own personal style vs catering to the company and their style?” - Dvorah Estler, University of Wisconsin-Madison/FIT

A: “I think the first thing you have to show is who you are, your own personal style. After that, showing a capability for flexibility and adaptability to do almost anything is really important.”

Q: “A few of my teachers and various people I've worked with in career counseling have alluded to the fact you should bring a portfolio and a process journal during the interview, is that the case?” - Caitlin Wagner, University of Wisconsin-Madison/FIT

A: “I think process journals are a really great idea. They speak to how you conceive, organize and ultimately execute a project.”

Q: “How do you determine who you work with?” - Maiya Carmichael, Florida State University

“In the beginning you work with everybody, but then you realize your only resource as a company is the people and their time. As a company you want to be clear what your objectives are. First, we look at top 25 accounts in terms of profitability. We like to work with companies that are very specific, for a niche customer. We also ask, is it a passion project for us? For example, we’re working with DVF, she's a legend in the industry. When we can combine our capability with their need, it means something.”

Thanks to Drew Pizzo for sharing his advice and showing us around Collection 18!

Katherine Manson, 2016 YMA FSF Scholar