Breakfast with the Boss: Dana Manciagli, Global Career Expert & Job Search Coach

Dana Manciagli has spent the majority of her life working on the hiring side of business; she’s become quite an expert on job search and recruiting processes. She had a plethora of amazing tips to share during her presentation with our scholars.

Dana began her professional career working at IBM in sales. She later worked with a number of global companies that gave her the opportunity to travel internationally and experience the business world in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. After coming back to the United States to work at Kodak and Microsoft, Dana decided it was time to branch out on her own and begin life as an entrepreneur. She started her own business as an executive and job search coach, author, and speaker.

Dana poured a great deal of her expertise into her book, Cut the Crap™, Get a Job! A New Job Search Process for a New Era, which she accompanied with an in-depth digital guide to job search. During her event with the YMA, Dana walked our scholars through her program and gave them advice on how to optimize their job search processes. “On a scale of one to ten,” Dana asked, “how do you all feel about the idea of looking for a job?” Many scholars admitted that they were rather apprehensive about the procedure, and weren’t quite sure where to begin. “It is okay to be nervous. By the end of this session, we’re going to raise your confidence and your ability to look for a job,” Manciagli encouraged.

“When job searching, I believe there are two kinds of ‘crap,’” Dana explained. “The first is excuses. Don’t let the idea that you are not qualified enough or too inexperienced prevent you from applying for jobs,” she said. “The second is mistakes. There are a number of popular mistakes that hold people back from getting the job of their choice. With a few simple changes, you can avoid making those.”

Dana went on to explain that because the job process has changed in the past few years, there are many more people applying to the same jobs. This means that recruiters don’t have time for errors like typos on résumés or candidates arriving late to interviews. Avoiding mistakes such as these can go a long way toward helping you further your career.

“There are five struggles that job seekers commonly face,” Dana stated. “First, many people apply to a number of jobs through online job boards without doing any research beforehand.” Dana told our scholars that when looking for jobs, they need to first figure out what they want from their careers, and then research the job roles available that fit their desired goals. To validate how realistic their dream job is, Dana encouraged our scholars to try to find ten jobs online that fit the description they created. “If you can’t find ten jobs that match you desired description, you’re looking for a unicorn,” she shared. Armed with this knowledge about your career path options, you can then make your way to the job search preparation phase.

“Often people don’t take the process of looking for jobs as seriously as they take their current job projects or their school work,” Manciagli went on. “Why are most job-seekers very organized when it comes to school or work, but use yellow sticky notes to track their job applications? You need to stay organized and focused when it comes to planning for your future career, and take it as seriously as you would take any other professional engagement.”

“Additionally,” Dana went on, “You need to tailor your approach to the company you’re applying to. They are the buyer and you are the product. You have to fit their needs if you want to work there. The last two most common mistakes are ones that are easily avoidable – being unprepared for interviews, and being a poor networker. Do your research ahead of time and arrive prepared.”

Dana then led the scholars through the three major phases of searching for a job – setting your goal, doing your research, and applying and interviewing. When setting your goal, she stressed having specific details in mind. “You need to figure out what you’re looking for. Don’t be vague – define the functional area, industry, company type, company size, and location you are interested in,” she said. “Hiring managers want to hire people who are passionate about their jobs. When searching for positions to apply to, it’s okay to keep your options open. However, when approached by a recruiter for a specific company position, you need to show your relevance and passion for that exact position. You can present two paths you are interested in if needed, but it’s important to show confidence in the direction in which you want to head.”

Dana then delivered some tips about résumé formatting, going over the standard resume layouts our scholars should be using, and optimum organization of the content. We then moved into LinkedIn etiquette. “When you connect with others on LinkedIn, be sure to do so on your computer, not on your phone. This way you are able to send a personalized message to each person you connect with,” she urged. “Doing so significantly raises the chances of your connection request being accepted.”

Equipped with Dana’s advice, our scholars left feeling a lot better about the job search process than they did before the workshop. When it comes to looking for a job, you need to do your research, and properly prepare. If you give the job search process the attention and dedication it requires, you’re bound to see results.

Dana’s Words of Wisdom:

You need to take the job search process as seriously as you take your current employment or schoolwork. There are no shortcuts.

Don’t let inexperience stop you from going after jobs.

Hiring managers want to hire people who are passionate about their jobs.

Breakfast with the Boss: Ilse Metchek, The California Fashion Association

Ilse Metchek, founder of the California Fashion Association, has been a part of the fashion industry for all of her professional career. She began her journey as a fitting model, showroom salesperson, and designer, working her way up to own the company she worked for. She then became president of White Stag Inc., a women’s clothing brand owned by Warnaco. Subsequently, she became the executive director of the California Mart (now the California Market Center) where she established the California Fashion Association as a non-profit business-to-business organization to provide information for expansion and growth to the apparel and textile industry of California. Given her extensive experience in the industry, Ilse was able to provide our scholars with an amazingly in-depth overview of the industry. 

“Fashion functions differently from other businesses, so you need to approach it differently,” Isle said. It is the intersection of business and creativity. It takes great creativity, but it demands analytical and administrative skills as well. Ilse began her outline of the industry by discussing distribution. “In the United States,” Ilse explained, “There is no single way to get your product into stores and homes. There are a multitude of different channels that you need to understand.” Today, purchases for retail goods can be made through television infomercials, mobile sites, pop-up shops, catalogs, and much more - all in addition to traditional brick and mortar retail stores. This multi-channel approach has a strong impact on the overall functionality of the retail industry.
“Fashion doesn’t start in big department store chains,” Ilse stated,  “It starts in the mom and pop shops, and with the cool kids – where people will attempt new styles and trends without fear of failure. When trends take off in the small stores, then they will make it into the big chains and head towards mass production.” Metchek went on to say that in today’s technologically dominated world, it is clear that sales for fashion apparel in traditional department stores are in decline. The new retail cash cow, however, is off price retailing. Saks Off Fifth, Nordstrom Rack, and Macy’s Backstage are brick and mortar locations that have the potential to succeed because of the treasure-hunt experience they give consumers. With the recent surge in e-commerce, consumers need to feel a reason to come in to physical stores. Off price retailers provide them with the needed motivation.

 Metchek went on to discuss sourcing, another crucial part of the retail process. “Why do so many companies use global sourcing?” Ilse asked. “They do so because of the difference in production costs and regulations abroad.” She explained that while producing goods domestically provides you with higher margins, more control over the process, and a quicker turnaround, it is a much more expensive process. Polls show that while many American consumers say that they are interested in “made-in-USA” apparel, they are not willing to pay a substantially higher price for domestically produced goods. Ilse explained that for this reason, the majority of major companies choose to engage in production overseas. International production used to be predominantly concentrated in China, but over the last decade or so we’ve seen some dispersal into other countries and regions. Metchek emphasized that because of this, it is imperative that you understand geography when working in this industry. “Which country is best for manufacturing swimsuits?” Ilse said. “How much are customs and duties there? How many factories do they have available? This is all information you need.”

“One of the biggest issues in retail is intellectual property,” Ilse stated.  She went on to explain some of the legalities involved with the issue. “While trademarks are necessary in this industry, patents are rare.” Trademarks refer to logos, phrases, and symbols, while patents refer to designs and technology. Copyrights are used to protect artwork, and are one of the more complicated parts of retail. Trade Dress refers to images that are recognized as associated with a certain brand, without the need for a logo or brand names. This refers to things like the blue box and white ribbon associated with Tiffany’s, and the classic red bottom of Louboutin shoes. While there are no obvious logos on these items, it is very clear that they belong to a certain company. Ilse went on to speak about the current discussion about the legality of ‘knock-offs’ and how the recent technological boom has led to a rise in counterfeiting. With regard to ‘copying’, she quoted Marc Jacobs as stating, “Nothing is truly original anymore; when you’re talking about fashion, lose the word ‘original’.” Coco Chanel is quoted as saying “Being copied is the ransom of success.’”

With retail’s rapidly changing landscape, major companies are making big changes in attempts to keep up. “What do you think of Wal-Mart buying Modcloth and Bonobos?” one scholar asked. “I think Wal-Mart woke up!” Ilse responded. “But still, they are going to have to compete with Amazon and the brands that Amazon is launching. In the past when stores like Wal-Mart bought brands, they became the manufacturer and, in some cases, reduced the quality drastically. Now the trend is for the retailers to let the brands they buy continue to manufacture the product as long as they fit the correct price point. This allows for quality control.”
 

Environmentalism has also been a recent trend on the rise, not just in retail, but also in a large array of industries. “How do you feel about sustainability in retail?” another student inquired. “It’s hard to say,” replied Metchek honestly. “What really is sustainability? It means different things depending on the angle from which you approach it. The use of different varieties of products has an assortment of benefits and drawbacks depending on your perspective.” She explained that, on the whole, there is no one sustainable method of production for retail. We can do our best to not be wasteful, but a cure-all has yet to be found.
 

When it comes to succeeding in the retail world, you really need to ground yourself in a deep knowledge of the industry. One scholar asked Ilse, “Where do you look to gather research on the retail world?” She responded, “In general, look to history, celebrities, and visuals. The way fashion happens is through creativity, but the reason it happens can be traced to economics and a historical perspective.”

Ilse Metchek’s Words of Wisdom

“Fashion doesn’t start in big department store chains, it starts in the mom and pop shops, and with the cool kids – where people will attempt new styles and trends without fear of failure.”

“As Marc Jacobs said, ‘When you’re talking about fashion, lose the word “original” - and Coco Chanel said, “Being copied is the ransom of success.’”

“Retail is where business meets creativity. We need both to succeed.”

“The way fashion happened is through creativity, but the reason it happen can be traced to economics and a historical perspective.”

Breakfast with the Boss: Dean Norman, President & COO of Hot Sox

President and COO of Hot Sox, Dean Norman gleaned his southern charm from growing up in North Carolina. While Dean has been incredibly successful in the retail industry, retail wasn’t always exactly where he imagined he’d end up when he was growing up. Dean Norman went to North Carolina State University as a pre-veterinary student and received a degree in animal science. However, when it came time to go off to veterinary school, he quickly learned that was not exactly the direction he was intended to head in. “Where you think you’re going to end up,” Dean said, “and where you actually end up, are often very different.” North Carolina had a massive textile industry, thriving with hundreds of textile mills across the state. In fact, Norman’s father was an executive for Burlington Industries, historically one of the largest textile companies in the world. Dean knew he needed a fresh start, and with some connections in textiles, he chose to venture out into retail.

Once he made his choice, Dean decided to go to New York City – or as he likes to call it, “the center of the universe.” “If it is really your goal, you have to get to New York. Just move here,” he said. “There are places around the world that have opportunities for fashion, sure, but NYC is the place to be.” He began his career working at a German textile company selling yarn. He moved rather quickly through jobs, which was not quite as acceptable as a trend then as it is now. “I went through about five jobs in ten years,” Dean recalled. However, as time passed and Norman gained more experience, he made the decision to begin his own company centered around socks. He needed to challenge himself, and beginning a new business was just the way to do it. 

Dean eventually decided to further his technical business skills and learn more about the world of finance by receiving an MBA from Wake Forest University. “You have to be aggressive with your own career,” he said. This meant actively reaching for that higher position at your company, going out of your way to further educate yourself on the industry you are in – doing what it takes to get to where you want to be. He took these skills with him into his future business endeavors, first at Gold Toe, and then Hot Sox, where he currently holds the President and COO title.
Hot Sox has become one of the most successful sock companies in the world, with licensing deals with Ralph Lauren and getting to work with other notorious brands such as Vera Bradley and New Balance. Owned by the parent company Renfro, Hot Sox sells to every major department store in the world.
 

“How do you spend most of your time in your position?” one scholar asked Dean.  “I have six or seven director reports,” Norman responded. “A lot of my time is spent talking to them. I try to give each department the attention they deserve on a given day. I talk about big picture topics like how to meet our sales goals and how to adjust our approach if needed to meet those goals. We discuss our numbers for the month, quarter, and year every single week. We need to make sure we are staying on track and making sure we are taking the correct steps to meet our target.”

 “What is the biggest lesson you learned from working at Gold Toe that you brought to Hot Sox?” another scholar asked.  “When I worked at Gold Toe, we had a 50% market share of the socks market, which is huge” Dean said. “At the time, socks were a very basic item, not as stylized as they are now. They were simply a replenishment item that you could buy anywhere. From that job I learned how to build a strong replenishable model. When I started my career, socks were 90% replenishment and 10% fashion. Today, fashion is close to 30%. Socks are one of the hottest accessories in the market. People still need socks and they are still a replenishable item; however, ‘the sizzle sells the bacon.’”

“You experienced some major career path changes on your way to your current role,” one scholar noted. “In the retail industry specifically, if you start by doing one thing, like finance for instance, can you move into something like design?” Having some personal experience with this question, Dean responded quite emphatically. “Yes! In fact, I recommend it. At Hot Sox we really encourage people to explore and keep learning. Like in my own career story, we have people in our company moving from department to department internally all the time. Good talent is good talent. If I have dedicated, talented employees who want to try something new within my company, I want to keep them, and give them a chance to explore.”

“Going off of that, what advice do you have to help make rising talent more attractive to companies?” another asked.  “We hire a lot of entry-level people at this company because we really want to promote them,” Dean said. “Resumes are hard to judge by, so interviews make a huge impact. You need to do your research and know what you’re talking about. It’s flattering to hear someone say that they know about your work. The way you present yourself is so important. You have to have an answer to questions like ‘where do you see yourself in 5 years?’ Have a sense of direction and show some ambition. Work on your interpersonal skills and put them to use. When you work for a company, you are ALWAYS representing that company. Additionally, it is so important to dress the part. This is a visual industry – dress like it. I mean, you can wear anything you want. However, think of it this way: if we have a meeting with our largest account, which for us is Ralph Lauren, would you feel comfortable the way you are dressed? Show a little savvy in how you present yourself. I would always rather be overdressed than under dressed.”

Dean went on to offer some wisdom on how young talent like our scholars should approach their newfound career path. “Don’t take a job because it’s the highest paying or the highest profile,” he urged, “Take a job because you’re going to learn the most. You have to aggressively manage your career. You need to be asking ‘What more can I do?’ Keep asking, “How you need to get to the next level?” The cream rises to the top. It really does.” Norman went on to encourage the scholars to be able to define their career path. If you don’t know what your career path is at a company, or if there is no upward mobility, he suggested they find a new place of work. “There is nobody waking up in the morning thinking about you and your career besides you,” Dean stated honestly. “Your degree only opens the first door for you. After that, it’s really up to you to manage your career and get where you want to be.”

Dean chose to carve out a space in the sock industry over working in something like finance because he felt that he could make a real impact in that sector. He was hungry to learn and grow, and for him, retail allowed him to do so. In his own company, Hot Sox, Dean strives to give his employees the same opportunity for growth that he searched for a young man. “I know what each employee in my company does and I tell them that if they left right now,” Dean said, “It would have a huge affect. You all make an impact.” Dean Norman has learned and grown immensely during his time in retail, and is really grateful for the experiences he’s gained. While he loves New York City, he still has a soft spot for his southern roots. After building his company up to the level it is today, Dean made the choice to come full circle and split his time between New York City – the center of the universe – and his home, North Carolina. 

Dean’s Words of Wisdom:

“Where you think you’re going to end up, and where you actually end up, are often very different.”

“Don’t take a job because it’s the highest paying or the highest profile. Take a job because you’re going to learn the most.”

“Getting a job should be all about gaining experience.”

“If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.”

“Expectation and perception are everything.”

“The sizzle sells the bacon.”

Breakfast with the Boss: Durand Guion, Fashion Director at Macy’s

Durand went on to explain that as the Fashion Director of Macy’s, you are handed a number of responsibilities. One of the main tasks is trend forecasting. This involves discovering what colors, silhouettes, patterns, and more are going to be instrumental in the coming seasons, and then using that information to help direct your buyers as to what they should purchase. “As a Fashion Director,” Durand explained, “your mind has to be on four seasons at once; prepping for the coming spring and fall collections in the next year, handling the incoming inventory for the current season, and reflecting on the lessons learned from the previous season. You need to be present, yet forward looking.” Guion also stressed that trend forecasting can be a tricky task to master. “You never want to be too early or too late to a trend, as that can be detrimental to your sales. With the recent rise of social media, the trend cycle has become even faster.” Anyone can log on to Instagram or Snapchat and view the most recent looks from New York Fashion Week quite literally as they are walked down the runway. As a Fashion Director, you need to be able keep up.

 “How do you personally predict trends?” a scholar asked. “Part of it is research, and part of it is gut instinct,” Durand said honestly. “You really have to live it. You need to look at things like what other stores are doing and what celebrities are wearing.” Durand went on to mention that because of the variability in trends, it can be hard to convince your company’s buyers that the trends you predicted are really what the consumers are going to want to purchase. “Influencing buyers to make purchases on items they are not quite ready for yet can be difficult,” Durand said. When you are purchasing products for 500 department stores around the country, it is a huge financial investment. If your trend predictors are really off, it can mean a big loss in revenue. “As a Fashion Director,” Guion said, “you need buyers to trust you.”

With so many different aesthetics, managing trends can be difficult. “Sometimes many different trends can rise at once,” one scholar noted. “How do you balance all the different trends within Macy’s?” Durand responding saying that, “We run things through what we call the ‘trend curve.’ The curve starts with incoming trends at the base, then moving to pre-peak, peak, and then down with post-peak, and out going trends,” he explained. “You need to time your purchase of trend items accurately. Sometimes trends can last quite a long time. When trends sit at peak for a long time, as a Fashion Director you need to find ways to evolve it, and keep it fresh. But at the same time, what is a lasting trend in the west coast stores may not be what is popular in the east coast stores. You need to be able to manage trends regionally as well.”

“As we’ve seen become more and more popular in recent years, men get extremely excited about purchasing items like sneakers and shoes,” a scholar noted. “It seems like men’s fashion has begun to evolve. How do you channel the excitement men get from shoe shopping into shopping for clothes?” she asked. “Men’s fashion has definitely begun to evolve, which I love,” expressed Guion. “For men, you need to make fashion feel really accessible. I took a risk this year and convinced my buyers to purchase khaki suits for the spring 2017 season. They were very apprehensive at first.” Durand went on to explain that the typical Macy’s consumer wouldn’t really want to make a huge investment in a seasonal suit; they would prefer to purchase a classic navy or black. Making a sale on a seasonal suit has historically been rather difficult for them. “What I did to make the khaki suit more accessible however, is show its versatility. I did a whole spread about five ways to wear your khaki suit – cuff the trousers and wear it with a patterned shirt, wear the jacket with a pair of jeans, and so on. When the suits hit the stores accompanied by that campaign, it was amazing. The khaki suits were a huge success.”

“With the age of the internet, e-commerce has really taken off,” a scholar mentioned. “How does Macy’s plan to handle the recent surge in e-commerce?” they asked.  “While e-commerce is certainly a huge deal right now,” Durand said, “it is important to remember that it is only 10-15% of all worldwide sales. While retail is certainly evolving, brick and mortar is not dead.” He went on to say, “However, the retail experience needs to change. People need to feel good when they enter a physical store. The way people shop has changed. One of the reasons for this is that we don’t have different wardrobes for every occasion anymore. You can wear whatever you want whenever you want. People are spending less on buying clothes and more on traveling and eating. We need to make retail an experience consumers want to invest in.”

The scholars closed out the session by asking Durand what his personal aspirations were in his role. “You’ve been at Macy’s for such a long time now, and I’m sure have evolved a great deal in your role,” said one scholar. “What are your own goals for growth?” she asked. “I’m a doer,” said Durand, “but with time I’ve learned that I can’t do everything. What I need to learn to do, and what I strive to do, is to teach, encourage, and motivate those around me.”

Breakfast with the Boss: Debra Malbin, President of Debra Malbin Associates

Whether we’re design or business oriented, whether we have a passion for marketing, product development or buying, all of us share one common goal: Finding a job! After our breakfast with Debra Malbin, President of the fashion industry executive search firm Debra Malbin Associates, the daunting task of landing a job began to feel a little bit more approachable. In addition to her unparalleled talent for industry recruiting, Debra has played an extremely instrumental role in the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund—she has remained on the Board for over 25 years, currently serving as Co-Chair after being Co-President last year. Having watched the organization grow for many years, Debra has a unique perspective that has been beyond valuable in developing the internship, mentorship, ambassador and alumni programs. She coached the scholars on careers within the fashion industry, as well as the ins and outs of interviews, resumes and job offers, providing each scholar with a packet of information and advice to take home. Our one-on-one mentoring experience with Debra was informative, engaging and above all an immense opportunity for personal development.  

The Boss' Journey: Steps to Success
Born and raised in New York, Debra graduated from the University of Florida with a business degree in marketing. As she explained, “I really had no clue what I wanted to do in those days,” a feeling that resonates with many of the scholars. Debra entered the fashion industry as a menswear buyer at Bloomingdale’s, where she remained for eight years, learning from the best. After leaving Bloomingdale’s, Debra was recruited to Oxford Industries, Inc., where she switched over to the sales and manufacturing side and eventually came to manage several different fashion divisions within Oxford as Group President. She launched Jhane Barnes, a men’s designer brand, as well as R.E.N.N.Y., a women’s private label sweater and knit division. Thirteen years later, armed with twenty years of retail and wholesale experience, Debra began her own executive search firm. For nineteen years, Debra has been placing talented individuals in jobs within the industry through DMA, a talent cultivated and strengthened throughout her experience in the retail and wholesale industries. 

About DMA
Debra Malbin Associates is a creative executive search firm that services the needs of both the wholesale and retail industries. The DMA recruitment team, lead by Debra, carefully interviews potential candidates in order to a comprehensive understanding of individual talents, strengths and weaknesses and how they can best be applied as assets to specific companies. Having worked in both the retail and wholesale levels of the industry, Debra and her team have placed candidates on a spectrum of professional levels in the sales, product development, design, merchandising, licensing, sourcing and marketing sectors. DMA primarily offers mid- to senior-level opportunities. Additionally, the firm offers career counseling in person and by phone, preparing candidates for their job search process with resume critiques, interview tips and a lot of other professional advice that we had the wonderful opportunity of hearing firsthand.  

Words of Wisdom
Careers in the Fashion Industry:
To start off, Debra provided us with a chart detailing job positions within the fashion industry. She explained the tasks each position entails, taking note of the specific skill sets, interests and characteristics of a potential candidate that best fit each role. For instance, Debra highlighted product development as an area well suited for a detail-oriented individual who likes the bridge between merchandising and design, whereas someone with a passion for travel would likely best find a home in sourcing and production. For a student who has strong left-brain and right-brain capability, merchandising, which involves both numbers and creative skills, might be a good option.
 
Debra’s “Do’s and Don'ts” 
Next, Debra went through a list of resume, interview and networking advice—words that she has lived by and coached many students on over the years. Here’s just a portion of the critical advice she offered! 

• First Impressions Count. “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” 
  • Have a firm handshake. “Nothing is worse than a weak, clammy handshake.” 
  • Dress appropriately, and dress for the company. 
  • Look directly into the eyes of your interviewer—be sharp. 
  • No fidgeting. Sit straight up, have confidence. 
  • If given the choice to, sit in the center. “The most confident people I’ve seen, the best interviewers, take that middle seat.” 
• Resume and Cover Letter.
  • Know your resume. Be prepared to explain, justify and expand on everything on it. Be excited about your accomplishments! 
  • No spelling errors! 
  • Bring multiple copies of your resume. “You never know how many people you are going to meet. Don’t expect them to make the copies!” 
  • Give your cover letter a special flair. “Why should they respond to you vs. someone else?” 
• Do your Research. “Go to stores to see product, visit their website, read blogs and industry trade publications. Follow the company on Twitter and Facebook to gain insight into their social initiatives, target audience and positioning on current events.” 
  • Be prepared. Let the interviewer speak and lead the discussion, but have your list of questions. 
  • Answer the question being asked! Listen to what the interviewer is really asking. 
  • If it’s a phone interview, aim to sound perky and engaged. Let the interviewer lead the conversation to avoid speaking over one another, and be concise in your answers. 
• Just Go For It. “Go for it all the away around—from the beginning with how you show your experience on a resume, to how you write your cover letter, to how you present yourself in the interview, to how you write the follow up thank-you note, and finally, how you accept your job offer…this all represents you. You want them to really think, ‘I have a winner here.’”

Q&A
Q: Oliver Selby (Savannah College of Art & Design)- “I am currently in the job search process--I recently met with a small womenswear design company and they offered me an internship. Do you think I should take that internship while looking for a job, or should I wait for a job?”
 
A: “If that internship is in the realm of your interest, I think it’s good experience. If you’re interning, tell them that you will do it, but if you have a job interview you’ll need time out. I’d continue with it—why not? In the design world, a lot of times, to get a full time job, you have to intern. You may not get a job at that company, but I’d stay with them until you find something else and get your job search really geared up. That being said…while a small company is advantageous from the standpoint of seeing many different areas, the advantage of a big company as your first job is that it has a big appeal when people see it on your resume. Also, if you’re trained in a big company, people know you’ll be well trained—at a smaller company, people don’t know what skills you’ve necessarily picked up. It may not be the product category that you really want to do, but [starting in a larger company] wouldn’t be a bad thing if you can land an opportunity. Once you get going in the design world, things will happen for you. It’s getting that first job, that first start, that’s the hard part.”
 
Q: Daniela Gallo-McCausland (Washington University in St. Louis)- “I’m currently working in planning, but I find that I’m missing the creative side a bit. I’ve been looking at merchandising…do you think there’s a part in the analytical side of merchandising that overlaps with planning?”
 
A: “Absolutely. Many small companies really don’t have planning departments, so it’s the merchandisers that do the planning work. A smaller company would give you both sides of that more so than a larger company. But being a buyer in a retail establishment involves both numbers and creativity. These are questions to ask on an interview—what does this job entail?”
 
Q: Jenna Pace (Texas A&M University)- “I’m interviewing right now—I got through the first round of HR and I’m moving on to interview with the people on the team I would be working for. What questions do you think are especially important to ask at this stage in the process?
 
A: “Ask them a lot of questions about the specific job. What does the day look like? How will you actually spend your time? You want to understand the roles you’ll be taking on. You’ve already gone past one round of interviews, and now it’s time to make sure that YOU will be interested in the job, in addition to them being interested in you.”

Many thanks to Debra for your priceless knowledge, support, guidance and kindness throughout this exciting yet challenging process!

Rachel Feller

Breakfast with the Boss: Anthony Caputo, Senior Vice President of Design and Merchandising at DDK / Boston Traders

This morning the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund scholars were lucky enough to be invited back to DDK / Boston Traders, where Anthony Caputo, SVP of Design and Merchandising, approached us from the creative side of the business. After a robust question and answer session, Anthony showed us the design process from conception to shipment, inspiring us with larger ideas and concepts (beach sunsets, surfing, volleyball, sailing) that are later channeled into the product categories, prints and fabrications of the overall brand. Take a look! 

About DDK / Boston Traders
DDK is a leading manufacturer and global distributor of men’s outerwear, sportswear and swimwear. The company distributes under licensed brands and private label, with ownership of the Boston Traders intellectual property and design. Boston Traders, a New England-inspired modern yet traditional line of men’s sportswear, is known for outdoor lifestyle comfort, function, value and of course fashion. Additionally, DDK exclusively distributes private label for Saks Fifth Avenue’s modern collection, a path that the company hopes to expand upon with other private labels. As SVP of Design and Merchandising, Anthony is responsible for DDK’s overall design, serving as creative director for the Boston Traders brand as well as working on private labels and new brands. 

The Boss' Journey: Steps to Success
A designer at heart, Anthony graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in Menswear Design & Marketing. Anthony has a wide background of creative experience, coming to DDK from LF Americas, where he served as Vice President of Men’s Design. He started his career at Tommy Hilfiger, and then went on to serve as Design Director at Joseph Abboud and Calvin Klein. Additionally, Anthony served as Creative Director of his own collection for nearly five years, an experience he jokingly likens to “getting [his] Ph.D. in the fashion industry.” Anthony has now been with DDK / Boston Traders for around seven months, an experience somewhat different that requires the use of all of his experience from the past. “DDK has that entrepreneurial spirit which I love,” Anthony explained. 

Words of Wisdom

• Diversify. “When starting out, get as much exposure as possible to different areas of the industry, including various brand aesthetics and distribution channels, in order to help define where you want to go in the future.” Whether you’re on the design or business side of the industry, diversification is especially important. 
• Don’t stagnate. For maximum exposure and growth, “try not to get positioned in one distribution level or aesthetic throughout your career. On a daily basis, I work with product that is sold at many different price points and have an understanding and appreciation for all of them.” 
• Design with both sides of the brain. “I come from the creative side, but having said that, this industry requires more than that. If you’re on the creative side, really try to understand and integrate with the business / merchandising side of the process, and vice versa.” 
• Develop Relationships. “Networking goes beyond finding jobs and mentors—If you want to have your own business one day as a few of you have mentioned, it will help to build respectful relationships with retailers as well.” 

Q&A
Q: Dvorah Elster (University of Wisconsin-Madison)- “What do you take into account when designing for private label brands vs. your own brand?”
 
A: “Your own brand should have a very specific point-of-view from an aesthetic standpoint regardless of who you sell it to. A lot of it also depends on where the brand is in its life cycle. If you have some brand (selling) history, I think it’s a balance of further developing this core while determining how to evolve with new product that compliments the brand. [As for] private label, you’re going to think very specifically about that private label’s aesthetic and provide product accordingly.”
 
Q: Oliver Selby (Savannah College of Art & Design)-  “If someday I hope to start my own business, what direction would you recommend steering in terms of gaining job experience now?”

A: “If you’re looking to start a business, something on a smaller scale is probably going to help you best. The smaller the company, the more exposure you’ll get to the ‘business of design.’ That doesn’t mean you’ll be running the operation, but it does mean that you’ll be more hands-on. The amount of overlap between functions is far greater—as it must naturally be when you have five people running a company [vs. hundreds or thousands]. When everyone is speaking to each other, you can better understand the logistics of [each department]. I learned a ton of that when I had my own business, but I had worked for ten years before that. It doesn’t have to be ten, but get some years [of previous experience] in there before venturing on your own.”

Q: Katie Class (University of Missouri)- “What do you believed has helped you become a leader in this company, and in the industry as a whole?”
 
A: “I think that I learned at my first job, while working for Tommy Hilfiger, that he knew a lot about everything going on within the company, from business to design. Because of this I decided to choose a smaller company for my second career move that really took me into the trenches…I was in Hong Kong, China, India, Europe…that experience was invaluable. I left a growing company to join a smaller one because I felt it would help me gain exposure to more, ultimately helping me to understand the ‘business of design.’ While having the brand name experience is desirable, and something I ended up coming back to, getting that diversification was critical [to my growth and leadership].”
 
Q: Dvorah Elster (University of Wisconsin-Madison)- “Starting out working for someone else, how do you maintain your individual creativity / design aesthetic if the brand you’re working for has a more narrow customer or style?”
 
A: “The short answer is that you usually don’t—meaning that you have to, as a designer, say, ‘this is who I’m working for, I’m going to get my head into it and channel my creativity into this lane.’ As designers, we have to figure out how to get ourselves entrenched into the aesthetic of the brand we’re working for. I’m not saying give up your creativity—after all, brands hire you for the creativity they see in you. But being able to design product within the lane that resonates with the consumer and the brand you’re working for…keeping the integrity of the brand…this can be challenging but is necessary. I guess that’s why designers seek [to have] their own brand…but as a designer, there’s something valuable to be learned working for someone else. Try different levels and different brands…see where you feel best!”

Thank you to Anthony and DDK / Boston Traders for your continued generosity and words of advice!

Copyright © 2015 YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund, All rights reserved.

Rachel Feller

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Breakfast with the Boss: Hope Brick, Vice President of Design at Weissman Designs for Dance

“I truly believe that the future is now, and you are the future.” At our fourth and final “Breakfast with the Boss” of the week, Hope Brick, Vice President of Design at Weissman Designs for Dance, commended our scholars for their hard work and talent as the “future of fashion,” going on to inspire them with stories and tips from her own career journey. Like many of our esteemed “Bosses,” Hope’s career path has taken many pivots and turns, each step along her journey arming her with experience that she has carried with her to her current position. Here is just some of what Hope shared! 

About Weissman
Based in St. Louis, Weissman is a family-owned, private company that designs and merchandises innovative, affordable costume and dancewear designs for every age and dance genre. The company’s dancewear line, Dancewear Solutions, offers a wide range of apparel, accessories and dance shoes from both its own brands, Balera and Urban Groove, and a number of other brands including Capezio and Bloch. Its Recital and Competition line, Weissman Costumes, exclusively outfits dance studios and competition teams of all genres in dazzling colors, intricate patterns and beautiful embroidery. Today, Hope showed the scholars a Concept Presentation, laying out analytics and macro trends and how they evolve into colors, patterns and prints. It was fascinating to see how runway colors and trends of the season quickly developed into visions for leotards and costumes.

The Boss' Journey: Steps to Success
“Cream rises to the top, and strong performers are recognized.” Without a doubt the mantra of our morning, these words have come to hold immense value for Hope as she has embarked along her career journey. Hope started her career in Macy’s Executive Training Program as a buyer. Buying for many product categories and continuously proving herself as “cream of the crop,” she was rewarded with the title of Fashion Director, where she was accountable for using trend research and working with marketing, visual presentation and merchants to drive sales. From there, Hope went on to become VP Fashion Director at Foley’s, and later VP Design Director at May Merchandising Company. At each step along Hope’s career journey, she proved herself as a talented executive and continued seeking out new opportunities for personal growth. Next, she became VP Apparel Design at Wal-Mart, followed by Chief Merchandising Officer of Kellwood Company, SVP of Merchandising at Frederick’s, and VP of Product Development and Trend for Cacique and Lane Bryant Apparel.
 
With each opportunity, Hope has gained a new skill set, leading her far along from her initial position as an assistant buyer. As she relocated cities and companies, Hope enrolled her daughter Sadye in dance classes to keep her feeling grounded despite the moving. Thus, when it came time to interview with Weissman, Hope knew she would feel at home there, having been a customer of dance costumes for her daughter for many years. As Hope’s mantra dictates, her strong performance was recognized. Today, she leads Weissman’s design team as Vice President. 

Words of Wisdom

• Rise to the top—be a member of the “Cream.” The “cream” speaks with authority, substantiates predictions with facts and collaborates well with others. 
• It’s ok to explore your options. “It’s ok to be with a company for a few years, and then move on. You will gain many different experiences, bring what you’ve learned to other companies, and grow yourself personally, professionally and financially by moving around.” 
• Teamwork. “With each move and each opportunity, one of the many things I’ve learned is that none of it happens without partnerships, amazing collaborations and teamwork. The ability to work on a team, with a team, leading a team or being led by a leader of a team—and to do it sincerely—is absolutely critical. Trust your team. Communicate to them that you want them to do well, that you invest in their success.” 
• Keep the customer in mind. “Your whole reason for working together as a team is to serve that customer with compelling product that is innovate, that has integrity and that has value. That’s the main reason you are getting up to go to work each and every day. Over time, malaise in the industry has resulted from losing sight of that customer and that product.” 
• “Ignite and Delight.” “The retail environment is theater. Whether it’s dance product, T-shirts, denim or intimate apparel, when you’re crafting an assortment, you’re painting the canvas of the selling floor or the electronic screen. You want that customer to have a visual, painted with color, texture and fabrics. It’s the passion behind the product that [will] drive the sale.” 
• Find something to celebrate. “Even when it seems like nothing is going right, find something—whether it be a category selling, or a color that’s performing well—to celebrate.” Be the one to find that one thing for your team, and others will thank you.

Q&A
Q: Carlin Rhea (Texas A&M University)- “You talked a lot about how you’ve managed your career and worked for many different companies. How do you suggest going about personal evaluation, and what is your advice on [analyzing your potential] for growth within a company?”
 
A: “I think that your own personal career growth and development will show itself to you. A great company has metrics in place that evaluate you and how you’re doing every six months or so…this gives you the opportunity to conduct your own self-appraisal, and also allows your immediate superior to evaluate you, so that you know how you’re doing and can set a development plan. If your organization isn’t providing you with a development plan, I recommend making one of your own, keeping a journal, and measuring your own development goals. Also, use professional patience. Sometimes, we think we need to be growing faster than is realistic, and might believe we are suited for something higher than where we are. But not everything can be measured in financial metrics…it’s also about asking yourself, ‘How happy am I? Am I feeling gratified every day? Do I wake up in the morning feeling like I love what I’m doing?’ But give yourself time [at a company]…it’s a lot like dating! After a year or so, ask yourself if you are satisfied. Life is short!”
 
Q: Lizzy Schrantz (Oklahoma State University)- “Aside from being the ‘cream of the crop,’ what does Weissman’s Designs for Dance look for when hiring?”
 
A: “Our company has evolved quite a bit in a short period of time, and we now have some incredible legacy designers, along with an in-house factory that designs by hand. What we’re looking for now in addition to that creative person is someone with technical skills. Having those skills is important, and we’re really appreciative of the YMA [Fashion Scholarship Fund] partnership because we know they partner with elite schools and students to ensure that we are receiving candidates who are fully trained to handle the most technical design software. It’s important that we hire individuals who have the creative savvy, but who are also completely up to date on all technical design acumen. Additionally, being able to communicate is essential…Within dancewear there aren’t many factories that can manufacture this kind of product, so we often take capacity in small, unsophisticated factories in China and must provide them with very specific instructions.”
 
Q: Katie Class (University of Missouri)- “What do you do for personal development? How do you obtain feedback?”
 
A: “I personally work with a coach, and I invest in that myself. Many companies will also invest in that for [its employees]. There are also books on leadership and teamwork out there that are just as good and would be a great way to help you take a pulse check, step outside of the organization’s metrics and values and develop your personal values and goals. I would encourage you to constantly grow and develop your leadership style. It will help you not only professionally, but with your family, friends, and in life in general.
 
If there’s one piece of advice to take away from Hope’s presentation, it’s this: ‘cream rises to the top, and strong performers are recognized.’ Thank you to Hope for your inspiration and powerful words. 

Copyright © 2015 YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund, All rights reserved.

Rachel Feller

Breakfast with the Boss: Nancy McKay, CEO of NEST Fragrances

Scents of orange blossom, vanilla, bamboo and ginger wafted through the room this morning as our scholars took their seats at NEST Fragrances to hear from CEO Nancy McKay. A talented beauty industry executive, Nancy believes strongly in the development of young talent. Serving on our very own YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund Board of Governors, Nancy is excited to help foster the idea of bringing beauty companies into the YMA FSF mentoring and internship program and share her insights with the organization. Today, in addition to walking away with Nancy’s powerful advice, each of our scholars left with a lovely gift bag of NEST products to add some of the brand’s lovely fragrances to our homes. Read on to learn about Nancy’s career journey and the advice she shared! 

About NEST Fragrances
New York City-based NEST Fragrances is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury fragrances for the bath, body and home. Founded in 2005 by fragrance authority Laura Slatkin, today NEST Fragrances produces more than 20 home fragrance collections consisting of luxury scented candles in several sizes, reed diffusers, liquid soap and hand lotion. In 2012, the company launched the NEST Fine Fragrances Collection, which today consists of eight fragrances available in eau de parfum sprays and roller balls and luxury body cream. NEST Fragrances products are sold primarily in North America through a growing wholesale customer network of luxury specialty department stores, beauty product stores, boutique stores and spas, and the company’s online flagship store NESTFragrances.com.

The Boss' Journey: Steps to Success
“Don’t ever say never.” According to Nancy, no words better describe her career journey. Growing up in Washington D.C., studying Government and Organizational Communications at Florida State University and interning for congressmen, Nancy was positive she wanted to be a senator. “I did all those things you do when it’s very clear that you know what you want to be,” she laughed. But as she advanced towards graduation, Nancy realized that her long-lived dreams were no longer suiting her passions. As she explained, “After going through the long, two-year process of working with a majority leader to write an insurance policy bill, I felt that I’d be much more suited for business, where you start out with an idea, execute that idea, and identify clear measures of success.”
 
There stood Nancy with a degree in government and no clear path ahead of her. She moved to Atlanta, where she was hired by a prestigious telephone company to join their Management Training program and enjoyed working there for six years. However, when it came time to move up to a new position and move to New York, Nancy—who wanted to build a life in Atlanta—decided not to take the position. Having always been interested in cosmetics, even throughout her time preparing to be a senator, Nancy received a job offer as an Account Executive for Estee Lauder in Atlanta. She immediately fell in love with the industry and performed well, which led her to a promotion to join Estee Lauder’s Chicago office, where she met her husband. When she finally decided to pick up and move to New York to become Regional Vice President of Clinique, the mantra “don’t ever say never” rang truer than it ever had before. Early this year, after twenty years holding various executive positions within the Estee Lauder Companies, Nancy learned that NEST Fragrances was looking for a new President and CEO, and the rest was history. 

Q&A
Q: Alicia Underhill (University of Virginia)- “What do you think brought you to where you are today, as CEO of Nest?”
 
A: “What helped me get here from an experience standpoint is probably the ‘block and tackle’ work I had experience doing. I knew how to run a P&L, had strong experience marketing and selling a brand, and had strong relationships within the trade [from my prior jobs]. They were looking for [someone who had] experience within the field, along with having a great deal of leadership experience. Working at the flagship brand of Estee Lauder, I also gained a lot of experience working with founders—I understood the principles of a founder-based entrepreneurial company and the processes needed to grow it from quite small to large-scale. Essentially, over the years I developed strong knowledge and experience. That, paired with my love [of] fragrance…I was also very inspired by Laura’s philanthropic work with Autism Speaks...Philosophically, having done a lot of work with the Breast Cancer Foundation at Estee Lauder, I was a good fit for our founder, and my knowledge of the industry and broad range of experience would provide the leadership needed to strengthen the company.
 
Q: Ruby Ghastin (University of California-Berkeley)- “As you moved from job to job, were you always asked to be promoted, or did you have to seek out your promotions?
 
A: “That’s a great question. I’ve been really fortunate throughout my career [to be asked and recommended by mentors and friends], but that’s not so normal. I worked for the same company for a long time, so many of my jobs were within that company. What I will say is this: YOU are in control of your career. Do not expect someone to ask you if you want [a job]. When I’m interviewing you, I want to know you want the job, and why you want to come here. Ask for it—call back and ask for that job. Show you want it! If you are in a job that isn’t the right fit for you or you aren’t where you want to be, take control of that—figure out your next steps or your exit strategy. If you’re in a job you love but feel it’s time to move to the next level, try to come up with an action plan. Sometimes, I find that people think they should immediately be ready for that next job. To me, it isn’t necessarily about ‘paying your dues’ within your company, but it’s about gaining experience, and that only comes by showing up [each day] and gaining experience in your particular area. Putting in the time and showing your dedication—that will help you reach success.”

Words of Wisdom
“I’d like for you to write down how many jobs you think you will have in your career,” Nancy addressed the scholars. After hearing our answers, which ranged from 5 to 12 jobs, Nancy informed us of a statistic that shocked many of us: “most Millenials are predicted to have between 15 and 20 jobs over the course of their working lives, many of which are not even in existence yet.” In keeping with this idea, Nancy equipped the scholars with her “3 R’s” that will aid them in the workplace as they move from job to job. Additionally, Nancy felt it was important for us to hear from a current employee and former intern at NEST, Hannah Silver, a recent college graduate from F.I.T. who had some very relevant advice. Take a look!
 
Nancy’s 3 R’s:
“There are many things in your career you will not have control over,” Nancy explained, “but these three things you do.” 

1. Resume. A word we’ve all heard many times: the basic list of experiences you bring to the table that can add value to a company. As Nancy explained, the resume is about not only the jobs and skills in your job description that you list on paper, but also about the lessons you learn that help you grow along the way. 
2. Rolodex. Before the age of computers and smartphones, this was the method used to collect contacts and phone numbers (yes, Nancy provided a visual aid). “As you grow in your career, the relationships you build are critical.” Nancy suggests keeping in touch with contacts you meet along the way who will potentially help and guide you along your journey. 
3. Reputation. “Do what you say you’re going to do.” It may seem obvious, but people don’t always keep the commitments they make. Whether you have one job or twenty, your reputation will follow you. You WILL make mistakes along the way (and lots of them!), but it’s how you handle these mistakes that will determine your reputation and your success.

Hannah’s Advice:

• Make Mistakes. “Someone once told me this: ‘If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying.’ A work environment expecting perfection is unsustainable and unrealistic. Mistakes happen—as long as you own up to them, everything will be fine.” 
• Build a Squad. Having a team of people who help and support each other is key. “It’s very different than school in the fact that you might not know you’re doing something wrong until someone tells you.” 
• Positive Attitude and Good Vibes. “You don’t have to be smiling from ear to ear, but coming in each day with a positive attitude really affects the people around you. If you give off good energy, people will want to be around you, train you, teach you, and most of all employ you.” 

Many Thanks to Nancy and NEST Fragrances for such a compelling, informative breakfast focusing on a product category that was new and exciting to us.

Copyright © 2015 YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund, All rights reserved.

Rachel Feller

Breakfast with the Boss: Tom Kingsbury, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Burlington Stores, Inc.

Wednesday morning quickly turned intriguing as the scholars engaged with the fast-paced world of off-price retail at Burlington. Today we had the pleasure of speaking with Tom Kingsbury, CEO and President of Burlington Stores, Inc. In addition to learning about the company and Tom’s exciting career, we were lucky enough to hear relevant advice from Donna Norton, the Burlington’s Talent Acquisition Manager and Head of College Recruitment. Here’s the inside scoop! 

About Burlington
Burlington is a leading national retail chain that offers current, high quality, designer merchandise at up to 65% off of department store prices. Beginning as “Burlington Coat Factory,” a single outlet store in Burlington, New Jersey in 1972, Burlington has grown tremendously, now operating over 544 stores in 44 states and Puerto Rico. Aside from selling the largest selection of coats in the nation, Burlington offers men’s and women’s suits, sportswear, family footwear, handbags, children’s clothing, baby furniture and accessories (under BabyDepot) and home décor. The fast-paced world of off-price retail with constant turnover fuels the company’s entrepreneurial spirit and consumer loyalty, as “the customer feels very confident that they can buy something new every time, and that it won’t be later marked down.”
 
In addition to clothing America with affordable fashions, Burlington aligns its mission with that of the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund, focusing substantial resources and effort on developing future industry talent. As Tom explained, “The most important thing for the foundation of our company is talent. People know that, when they come into our company, we’re going to work very hard at setting them up for success.” At one of the best training programs in the industry, new recruits complete a three-month onboarding program to gain understanding of the industry and Burlington’s model before launching their careers at the company. Additionally, Burlington runs a 10-week internship program for college students, a tremendous pipeline for new talent and leadership—many interns later go on to thrive at the company full-time. After all, as Donna noted, “Once you get the off-price bug, you can’t go back.”

The Boss' Journey: Steps to Success
Tom graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a business degree in marketing. Although he initially saw himself wanting to work for a marketing company, he interviewed with a number of department stores and found himself intrigued by retail. Since then, he’s never looked back. “It’s hard to believe that next year will be my 40th year in the business,” Tom shared. As a former Kohl’s and May Company (Filene’s / Kauffman’s) executive with over thirty years of experience in marketing, business development, e-commerce and information technology, Tom entered Burlington 7 years ago out of desire for fast-paced, hands-on merchandising and has lead his team to incredible success.
 
As Tom explained, “I love off-price because it’s very entrepreneurial, and it’s the fastest growing channel in retail. What makes it really special is the fact that you’re always in the moment, constantly chasing product.” Whereas department stores rely on fashion trending intelligence to buy everything in advance of the season, Burlington delivers to its customer by buying only one-third of its product before a given season begins, leaving the remaining two-thirds to be purchased and brought into stores after viewing data about the current season’s sales. While Tom’s many roles as Chairman, CEO, and President of Burlington certainly keep him busy, he also spends quality time in the market hunting new product alongside buyers, merchants and interns, and even travels from store to store, “where the magic really happens.” Between Thanksgiving and Christmas alone, Tom visited over 60 stores, because “with 545 stores, you must have a clear understanding of the stores’ needs before you embark on creating change.”

Words of Wisdom

• Do your homework. Understand the culture and structure of the company you’re getting into. Every company is different, and it’s especially important to enter an interview with background information and relevant questions, making it clear that you have spent time in a company’s stores. “If someone puts that kind of work into the interview, that’s their work ethic, and we know when they enter our company they are going to work that hard at everything they do.” 
• Set yourself up for success. Make sure you enter a company where you feel you can thrive and grow. 
• Don’t move too quickly. Make sure a company is a place you will want to remain for at least 5 years. “As a CEO who hires a lot of people,” Tom explained, “seeing people who jump around a lot from company to company is a red flag. Remaining in one place shows commitment, and that you don’t give up easily.” 
• Set five-year benchmarks. “I’ve always looked at my career in terms of 5-year increments.” Tom feels that it helps to set goals for yourself in terms of a new position you can reach within the next five years”—for example, moving from GMM to SVP. After five years, you can set your next goal.

Q&A
Q: Dvorah Elster (University of Wisconsin-Madison)- “Given that you have worked for multiple companies, what are some different aspects to consider when looking for a job and assessing a company?”
 
A: “One of the things to really look at is the company’s growth. You really want to join a company that’s growing because the opportunity for personal and career growth is much greater in a company that is growing itself—you never want to feel restricted. You have to do some due diligence in terms of the health of the company overall. Additionally, when you visit a company, you can quickly ascertain how involved all layers of the organization are in terms of [recruiting new talent]. I think mentoring is incredibly important—try to enter a company where you know somebody will take you under their wing and help you grow. Part of the reason I go to stores and markets every week is because I get to interact with divisional buyers, merchandisers, [and many others] to get to know them, help them understand our company’s model, and to help develop them.”
 
Q: Donna Norton (Burlington Talent Acquisition Manager)- “Since you have come on board, how have you seen Burlington’s core customer change and evolve?”
 
A: “We’re attracting a different customer today than we were six years ago. One of the areas we’ve made progress with is the higher income consumer. We’ve seen our biggest growth in the company recently come from those customers that make over $75,000. We’ve recommitted to bringing in more brands, opening [new offices], cleaning our stores and making them easier to navigate, and developing better customer service. While we’re cultivating a new customer, I still think the [core customer demographic] we already have is very loyal…we never want to give up our core customer. We try to approach every change thoughtfully, patiently…reinventing the customer but at the appropriate pace.”

Q: Rachel Feller (YMA FSF Intern)- “Given that you focus so much on recruiting new talent, what do you look for in a candidate when you hire?”
 
A: “We look for people who have off-price experience, who have an entrepreneurial spirit and are comfortable without a lot of hierarchical structure. We look for those who get excited about doing something different every single day. Those who understand product to a certain degree, who are good with negotiating and developing vendor relations, but most importantly, we look for people who really want to learn our model. It’s such a fun model! We find that the most successful people are those who ask questions, make sure they are attentive and are eager to learn.”
 
Q: Anna LaPlaca (UCLA)- “What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of your job?”
 
“Making sure we’re constantly teaching, training and developing people…it’s not necessarily a challenge, but it’s something that has to be front and forward at all times. I have to make sure [developing talent] is a high priority in everything that I do, and I keep focused on it. Another challenge is making sure that people don’t begin to take for granted our good performance—we’re one of the fastest growing retailers in America, but if we don’t stay focused on [improving], we’re not going to do as well.”
 
At the end of our breakfast, we were greeted by Timothy Chan, a former YMA FSF Scholar from F.I.T. who has found his home full-time at Burlington. It was wonderful to see one of our very own thriving in the company’s culture. A huge “Thank you” to Tom and Donna for providing an engaging, inspiring morning!

Copyright © 2015 YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund, All rights reserved.

Rachel Feller

Breakfast with the Boss: Kim Sprague, Group Senior Vice President of Direct Imports at Ross Stores, Inc.

Throughout the 2015 “Breakfast with the Boss” series we’ve seen everything from swimwear to sportswear, scarves to ties, jeans to jackets. One niche our program has yet to cover? This morning the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund scholars were taken beyond the realm of attire and into the designs, textures, patterns and prints of the home. We were generously welcomed back to Ross Stores, Inc., where we had the incredible opportunity to hear from Kim Sprague, Group Senior Vice President of Direct Imports of the Home Store at Ross Stores, Inc. In addition to helping to build Ross’ home department, leading a growing product development team and embarking on brand development and licensing, Kim makes sure to stay hands-on with product as a buyer-at-heart, even if that means travelling to factories around the world.  

About Ross Stores, Inc.
Since 1982, Ross Stores, Inc. has delivered fashionable trends to the everyday consumer at a discounted price. Operating under the store name Ross Dress for Less®, the company offers the same name brands carried in department and specialty stores at a lower price level, adhering to its “no frills, big thrills” approach to retail. In addition to men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and shoes, Ross manages its Home division, which consists of Bed & Bath, Kitchen & Dining, and Furniture & Décor categories. The Ross Home division quickly reached success and now comprises a significant percentage of the company’s total volume. 

The Boss' Journey: Steps to Success
“It was never my dream to end up in retail,” Kim explained. “Retail found me, and I’ve never looked back.” A charismatic and articulate leader, Kim originally went to conservatory to study piano with a minor in musical theater, hoping to someday be on Broadway. However, in the best interest of his future career, he soon decided to change courses dramatically, entering Lord & Taylor’s executive training program. As Kim explained to our scholars, “The training program I went through really solidified my base in terms of the retail process, and in some cases how I still approach the business today. I would encourage any of you to find the best educational programs you can prior to your retail career, learn from them and ask as many questions as you can.”
 
About fifteen years into his career at Lord & Taylor, Kim was recruited to Ross. The company elected him with the vision of building a Home business. Quickly, the concept of a Home Accents department caught on, and turned into an incredible success for Ross. Kim spent a number of years in merchandising and soon moved his way up the ranks—as the home store grew, he became Group Vice President, responsible for all of decorative home, a position he labels “his first love.” Kim loved the fast pace of the business. When the company felt it wasn’t keeping up to the best of its ability with the customers’ desire for new, fresh product, Kim led his team overseas to select and develop product in their own factories for better profitability. He launched a hybrid product development team, in which his own Product Directors and merchants partnered together to develop product, a collaborative model that Kim has found to be “the best way to approach the business.” Today, that product development team has grown exponentially. As GSVP, Kim oversees executives who maintain the import process, packaging and branding, and source / develop new product categories from all over the world.

Words of Wisdom

• Look to the outside for help. “In my career,” Kim shared, “I’ve learned that when you don’t know how to do [something] yourself, go ask someone else. Some of the best advice that I’ve been given here, aside from my mentors, has been from using a consultant. Getting a pair of outside eyes to come and look at your business, tell you what’s wrong and how to best improve…it is incredibly valuable.” 
• Keep an open mind. “Every day I’m learning something new,” Kim explained. “When we started to do product development for the company I didn’t think we’d need brands to support our growth, but I soon realized that they are actually quite essential. We hired a marketing company that came in and helped us design new brand marks, three of which are being launched this year.” 
• Get your hands on product! “Originally, I just wanted to be a buyer. But the great thing about Ross is that even as an executive, I still get to [be around product]. I’ll spend days at factories all over the world with the team. After all, supporting the growth of our product is the main responsibility of the company and of my team…it’s the product that drives this business.” 
• Communicate. The one rule Kim holds his family to when they go out to dinner? No phones. Getting everyone to talk and listen to each other is “an old, fine art that needs to be recreated.” The ability to go out into the market, “schmooze,” ask great questions and engage another person, whether it’s about business or personal matters, is key. 
• Don’t be afraid to take a risk, whether in your career overall, in a buy you make, or in a decision you make. “But,” as Kim suggested, “temper that risk by having a partner to help you through it!” 

Q&A
Q: Katie Class (University of Missouri)- “What do you believe set you apart when moving up the organizational ladder within your company?”
 
A: “A couple of things, and these are also the things that I look for when I interview for my own team. I will always rank number one… my passion for product. I’m an instinctive merchant, and I think great merchants can instinctually drive a significant amount of business. That instinct must be balanced with an ability to be analytical…there is a fine balance between being an incredible negotiator with a great fashion sense and intuition for what products to pick, and having fiscal responsibility. While being a great merchant and having fingers for product is instinctual, the statistics and mechanics of retail can be taught. Both of those things in combination with a real ability to communicate—up, down, sideways, and outside the organization—are what make a great candidate.”
 
Q: Madeline Hanley (Indiana University)- “How do you balance your own brands at Ross with other private label brands such as Greg Norman Collection?”
 
“The positioning has taken a lot of work. We always have to look at what customer we’re targeting, and then once a brand starts to develop, we ask ourselves what the outside ‘hero’ brand is that we’re modeling our brand after. We look at the brands that our consumers love and look to fill our own niches against these competing brands. To do so requires a lot of checking our own brands, making sure the products and values look right.”
 
Q: Emma Gage (Marist College)- “Given all of the factories Ross works with overseas, how do you deal with issues of compliance?”
 
“It’s definitely tough. Our internal legal team has been tremendously supportive to us in terms of dealing with social compliance, and we also have global agents in most regions overseas. But our internal team handles the legal compliance…we complete careful inspections before we will ever do business with a factory, and [regularly engage in] independent audit processes with existing facilities to ensure there are no critical failures. It’s all much more visible and important than it was years ago. First and foremost in inspection is always child labor.”
 
Q: Celina Enriquez (Academy of Art)- “Is there something you think Ross can still expand upon or explore as a different product category for the future?”
 
A: “In our vision for 2020, we’re looking at the pockets of business we haven’t explored yet, or the product categories we’re in but haven’t done justice to yet. We are also looking to continue expanding our sourcing abroad.”
 
Thank you to Kim for taking us into the world of home goods! We greatly appreciate your valuable time and advice.

Copyright © 2015 YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund, All rights reserved.

Rachel Feller

Breakfast with the Bosses

Peter Sachse, Macy’s Chief Innovation Officer, Tim Baxter, Macy’s Chief Merchandising Officer, Ronny Wurtzburger, Peerless Clothing President, and Yehuda Shmidman, Sequential Brands Group CEO

What do you get when you bring together twenty of the YMA FSF’s top scholars with Macy’s Chief Innovation Officer, Peter Sachse, Macy’s Chief Merchandising Officer, Tim Baxter, Peerless Clothing President, Ronny Wurtzburger, and Sequential Brands Group CEO, Yehuda Shmidman?  A powerhouse Breakfast with the Bosses that bridges the gap between today’s most influential industry executives and tomorrow’s future leaders of fashion.  Receiving invaluable career advice and insights into the industry, FSF scholars were afforded the opportunity to sit down with the execs for a roundtable discussion, a little Q&A, and a beautiful tour of the Macy’s executive offices.

Behind The Little Red Star
One of the oldest department stores around, Macy’s opened in 1858 in New York City by a man named R.H. Macy.  A sailor out of Nantucket, R.H. Macy had failed at several businesses in New England and San Francisco before opening the store, “which goes to show a little bit about perseverance,” Sachse added.  As for the iconic red star that has been a symbol of the brand for over 157 years?  The story goes that, on one very foggy night, R.H. Macy was out sailing rough waters during a storm, trying to find his way back to shore.  Suddenly, he was guided by a brilliant red star that saved the ship and crew from the stormy seas.   From that point forward, Macy knew the star was a very important part of his life, and used it as the symbol for the brand ever since. Today, Macy’s operates more than 850 department stores in 45 states, and continues to be a leading force in the industry.

Tips from the Top

While seated around the table in the Macy’s conference room, Sachse, Wurtzburger, Baxter, and Shmidman shared valuable career advice with FSF scholars just starting out in the business.  From distinguishing themselves amongst their colleagues to making an impact in the industry, take a look here at some of our tips from the top:   

Ronny Wurtzburger, "Ronny 101"

1. Love what you do - “The world is your oyster right now, you can be anything you want.  If you don’t love what you do, change it, because in this industry, you [have to] love every single day of it.”
2. Have a strong handshake - “If you have a strong handshake, people look at you different[ly].”
3. Be the first one in, and the last one to leave - “No matter what job you start, no matter how talented you are, there are only two things you can do better than everyone in the office—you can get there before them, and you can be the last one to leave.  You [have] to get yourself noticed without being conspicuous. 
4. Don’t be a specialist, learn every aspect of the business - “Don’t settle for just one aspect of this industry.  If you want to be a major player in a company, you’ve got to know all aspects of it. Suck up everything you can see.”
5. Don’t be afraid to ask questions - “Everyone respects the person who says ‘I don't understand that, can you explain it to me.’”  

Tim Baxter
Noting both Sachse and Wurtzburger as his mentors during his 24 years at Macy’s, Baxter advised scholars to “define yourselves, and define your role, the way you believe it should be defined.”  He continued, “As you move though your career, you’re always writing your story…what are you going to do in this roll that’s going to define [you], and be a really interesting chapter in your story? How are you going to have an impact on the industry you’re in?”  Another piece of advice: “Soak up all the information, [and] ask as many questions as you can.  Curiosity, and maintaining curiosity through your entire career, will benefit you greatly.” 

Peter Sachse
Sharing one of his favorite expressions, Sachse encouraged scholars to “Bloom where you’re planted…Pick what you’re going to do, [and] do that very, very well.  Understand that if you bloom where you’re planted, everything else will take care of itself.”  

Yehuda Shmidman
On his involvement with the YMA FSF and the upcoming 2016 Gala, Shmidman underscored the incredible opportunity scholars have as part of this program.  “I cannot think of an event that gets such a vast group of influential executives into one room.  Competitors, executives, retailers, partners, licensers.  It is the most unique event in the industry, and what an opportunity for you.” 

Breakfast with the Boss: Sammy Aaron, Vice Chairman of G-III Apparel Group and CEO of Calvin Klein Divisions

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of fashion? Chances are, you didn’t think of analytics. But after an informational breakfast with Sammy Aaron, Vice Chairman of G-III Apparel Group and CEO of the Calvin Klein Divisions, the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund scholars gained some new insights into the facts and numbers that truly drive the business. We also had the opportunity to hear from Roni Seiderman, President of the Handbag Division of Calvin Klein. Sammy and Roni shared with us the ins and outs of what makes G-III’s business so successful, and also generously gave us a tour of the Calvin Klein showroom spanning multiple floors. Here’s a snapshot of what we learned! 

About G-III
G-III, a leading apparel company, manufactures and distributes outerwear, sportswear, dresses, women’s suits, handbags and luggage. The company distributes under licensed brands, including Calvin Klein, Sean John, Kenneth Cole, Cole Haan, Guess?, Vince Camuto, Jones New York, Nine West, Jessica Simpson, Tommy Hilfiger, Ellen Tracy, Kensie, Levi’s and Docker’s, as well as a number of its own brands. G-III announced its license agreement with Calvin Klein in December 2011. Today, Calvin Klein is an extremely profitable division at G-III, and we had the incredible opportunity to tour the highest performing floor in the industry.

Steps to Success
The key to G-III’s success?  The facts. A fast-paced company that changes its merchandise 12 times a year, G-III’s partnership with Calvin Klein is based on producing what will sell, or in other words, what the consumer truly wants. Roni explained that she chose G-III because of its entrepreneurial nature, always designing, sourcing and pricing products so that they fit the desires and tastes of the consumer. As Sammy noted, “This is not a business of throwing darts or guessing. It’s a business where creativity is undoubtedly important, but it’s about tempered creativity. We do business here to put wearable clothing on America’s backs, and to do that, there are a lot of analytics.” Sammy highlighted the importance of studying the industry, whether you work with merchandising, sales, design or production.
 
As we took a tour of the showroom, Sammy brought the concept of using analytics and logic to life through real-life example. When the company wasn’t sure if a new unit would sell, it ran a test assortment of the garment in different styles and colors to learn which SKU’s were winners before mass-producing. When peacoats took a backseat to down coats, the company tried merchandising the down-trending item with infinity scarves, taking note of how the pairing improved sales. Lastly, when a $149 garment wasn’t selling, it was marked down to $99 and sold out completely, teaching the team what would work for the following season. Sammy explained, “It’s important to take liability as an asset. You can take a bad experience and make it very good by learning from your mistakes and applying them towards the future.” Strategic testing, logic, numbers, ratios—these are the elements that will take even the most creative business far. 

Words of Wisdom

• It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. Get into the industry, no matter what it takes. Even if it means sweeping floors, do whatever you need to do to get your foot into the door. Offer to do any task, big or small—the more you ask to do and help other people with things, the more valuable you become. Once you get in, you have the ability to start to shine. 
• Don’t be afraid to change direction. “50% of you will change direction once you get into the industry, and that’s ok.” 
• Study your business. Roni has partnered with retailers to study the exact square footage of department store space needed for the brand to perform at its best. “Everything is analytics, from the square foot, to the dollar.” 
• Get retail background. “I encourage all of you to gain some retail background, even if you’re in design. Retail language is different, and to understand it will really serve you well in the future of your career.” 
• Listen. Although Sammy started out skeptical of a new Calvin Klein bra model, he listened to his co-worker who believed in its potential, and now over one million units are being produced and sold. You never know what you will learn from others.
• Surround yourself with great people—people who have the same enthusiasm for the industry as yourself. “My mother always used to tell me when I was growing up, ‘Tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are.’ The same thing continues to stay true as you start your career. There are people that will dive for the ball, and there are people that will watch the clock until it’s time to leave. Surround yourself with the divers—dive for that ball, and you’ll be something.”

Q&A
Q: Jameel Mohammed (University of Pennsylvania, Wharton)- “How do you go about managing a brand so that it presents a cohesive vision to the customer when you are working with so many different product lines and segments?”
 
A: “It’s always a matter of collaboration with our licensor. There should always be a common thread running from sportswear to performance wear to handbags—without a common thread, you’re going to lose. When we make non-Calvin-like product, it typically doesn’t sell—you have to stay on brand. Sometimes you must push the boundaries—right now, for instance, floral prints are very hot, so we try to push them in small ways without losing the Calvin Klein style. Ultimately, I have 10 different divisional presidents that report to me, and I have found collaboration to be crucial in maintaining a common thread. G-III has 28 other licenses, but the Calvin Klein model works incredibly well because they are great partners. It’s partners that make business happen.”
 
Q: Samantha Stern (Cornell University)- “Given how quickly your product line rotates, do you look to outside research [to inform your decisions], or is all of the information gathered in-house?”
 
A: “It’s important to know what you don’t know. We use a lot of outside sources for information—we grab intelligence wherever and whenever we can, which includes paying for surveys, color information…absolutely everything.”
 
Q: Madeline Hanley (Indiana University)- “How do you maintain brand integrity worldwide?”
 
A: “We have a license for performance worldwide…The same brand integrity that goes into building U.S. distribution goes into building international distribution. Calvin Klein runs a lot of its own businesses internationally, but our partners there make sure there is a common thread not only domestically, but abroad in places like Asia and South America. It’s a big job, but an important one. We watch our product running through production all the way until it gets to a port and comes to us…we never lose sight of it.”

Top Takeaways
Some of our scholars shared with us what they found most meaningful or memorable about Sammy's presentation. Take a look!

Alicia Underhill (University of Virginia)- “Sammy spoke a lot about the importance of analytics and really understanding the numbers. The fact that Roni knows the exact square footage of showroom she needs to meet her sales goals is pretty amazing.”
 
Amanda Bass (Washington University in St. Louis)- “I like what he said about tempered creativity. It’s not just sketching and design, but it has to do with working with a lot of different departments to get product out there.”
 
Grace Dusek (Texas A&M University)- “I learned a lot about the relationship between wholesalers and their retail partners, and also the relationships within wholesale. G-III has strong relationships not only with the brand that licenses its product to them, but also within design, product development, sales and planning teams.”

Thank you to Sammy for a wonderful morning!

Copyright © 2015 YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund, All rights reserved.

Rachel Feller

Breakfast with the Boss: Abbey Doneger, President and CEO of The Doneger Group

This morning the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund Scholars had the fantastic opportunity to meet with Abbey Doneger. As President and CEO of The Doneger Group, the leading source of global market trends and merchandising strategies to clients in the fashion and retail industry, Abbey’s advice and expertise were truly unique. We also had the pleasure of meeting Marla Rosen, Director of Marketing, and hearing some of her insights. Here are some of the highlights from our second “Breakfast with the Boss!”

About The Doneger Group
The Doneger Group is a family owned company, founded by Abbey’s father in 1946. It provides fashion design, trend and merchandising guidance to clients in the fashion and retail industry. The company is made up of four major divisions, which review the marketplace throughout all stages of the design, development and merchandising process. TOBE, the company’s inspirational “think tank,” predicts consumer behavior by examining individual stores, the overall market, and other factors (pop culture, media, health & wellness and travel) that influence the consumer. In addition, Doneger Creative Services, the company’s trend and color forecasting division, works with designers and product development teams to anticipate colors, fabrics and silhouettes 12-18 months in advance of the season. The Merchandising Division analyzes the wholesale and retail marketplace to deliver actionable insights on merchandising strategies, resource information and key item identification. Lastly, Price Point Buying matches sellers of off-price merchandise with companies interested in buying the merchandise, rounding out the retail process from start to finish. The Doneger Group works with domestic clients as well as international clients who are interested in retail, fashion, merchandising and trends from a U.S. marketplace perspective.

The Boss’ Journey: Steps to Success
Abbey graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1973. Shortly after graduation, he entered the family business under his father’s guidance and has not looked back since. Abbey was appointed President of the company in 1980 and to this day has continued to lead The Doneger Group to success. Abbey maintains a very well rounded presence in all facets of the company, generally spending one-third of his time on HR related matters, one-third of his time on financial, operational and strategic matters, and one-third of his time on client activity and business development. Additionally, and especially important to the company dynamic, Abbey makes himself extremely accessible and gets to know each of his employees on a personal level. Each member of the company has an opportunity to showcase his or her talents to Abbey, making it easy for him to identify individual talent, passion and growth in the business.
 
Abbey rightfully takes pride in the fact that The Doneger Group has “figured out how to navigate through the complexity of the industry, through the ups and downs of the economy, and through the significant contraction of retail.” Abbey has helped maintain the company’s integrity by carefully making strategic decisions and thinking consciously about long term outcomes. “Consistency is important,” Abbey explained. However, since the company ages back well over half a century, one of Abbey’s major roles is to make sure the company’s products and services are still considered “modern and relevant.” He has taken careful steps to invigorate the company with fresh ideas and global thinking. 

Scholars' Q&A
Q: Emma Gage (Marist College): What has kept the company intact for so long and helped navigate through contraction of the industry?
 
A: “We try to stick it out through rough patches. Not everything in the industry or in life is smooth sailing, and it’s so simple to take the easy way out, throw up your hands, say “this isn’t for me” and move on. Sometimes that is important to do. But I think it’s only important to [give up] when you’ve already exhausted the opportunity to try to fix things, or at least come up with solutions.…Being able to think clearly, react to crisis situations and deal with challenges that arise within business, the economy, and life overall has really served us well.”
 
Q: Alicia Underhill (University of Virginia): In terms of merchandising and retail, what is the process of determining what items are trending (or will be trending)?
 
A: “We have an experienced team who studies fashion. In retail, things are constantly evolving. In the past it was a lot easier [to trend forecast], because fashion historically was designer and runway driven. But today, it’s what’s happening on the streets, in grade schools and on college campuses that really drives consumer activity. Identifying trends isn’t as easy as it once was. We need to be out there in the field, be visible, capture as much information as we can, do our research, and examine many different areas in order to gain the perspective necessary to properly advise our clients…It’s not an exact science.”
 
Q: Madeline Hanley (Indiana University): When you’re looking to hire someone/promote someone, what stands out to you?
 
A: “Interpersonal skills are so important for our business. Some areas of the external industry require less interactivity, but there is always internal interactivity. Having a personality, being able to present yourself professionally and being comfortable are all really important. We all have different personalities and characteristics, but to the extent that you are comfortable, try to get out there and present yourself. It’s people who are outgoing, those who are aggressive and assertive in a professional way, who demonstrate a level of passion, commitment, energy and work ethic that stand out.”
 
Q: Madeline Hanley (Indiana University): How do you motivate people to work hard?
 
Abbey: “My father set an example for me when I was first starting out here. At the time he was always the first one in the office each morning and the last one at night, and he used to open up every piece of mail that arrived each day. He motivated me [to do the same] by example. In everyday work, I will never ask anyone to do something I wouldn’t do. When you’re in a leadership position, it’s important that the people you work with understand that you’re right in the trenches with them and that you work hard. If you work hard, you can expect them to work hard.”
 
Marla: “I see Abbey every day, and it makes me want to do my best to make him proud. He never says ‘get motivated,’ but he doesn’t have to. When you have somebody leading by example and watching someone that inspires you every day, you become self-motivated to do your best.”

One of Abbey’s favorite quotes is basketball star Michael Jordan’s motto: “Approach every game believing that there is at least one person in the stadium who has never seen you play before.” Abbey believes that if you approach your life and your career that way, never taking anything for granted and always putting your best self forward, you will succeed.

Abbey's “Words of Wisdom”
Despite being President and CEO of a renowned company, even Abbey doesn’t feel it is trivial to ask others to share their “words of wisdom” with him. In fact, his main advice to our scholars was that they “interact with people who have more experience” than they have. Abbey explained, “I love the opportunity to talk with others who I feel are more knowledgeable, and who have some level or experience or perspective that I don’t have.” Here are some of the other pieces of advice Abbey shared. 

• Learn from others. In any job, meet many different people and try to develop a few very significant relationships that will carry you far beyond one position. 
• Know who you are. Abbey recognizes that while he has the personality characteristics necessary to successfully run a family business, he may not have the qualities required to engage in a startup technology company, and that is perfectly okay. 
• Stick it out. Steady hands, a steady course and consistency are important in decision-making and steering a business ahead. 
• Go with your instincts. Abbey explained, “Your instincts will serve you well. In fact, I can think back to the decisions I’ve made where I got swayed or lazy and didn’t trust myself, and these were times I made some significant mistakes.” 
• First impressions matter. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Each time you meet someone new is an opportunity to learn and grow. 
• Use common sense. Today, with the amount of technology at our disposal, common sense is surprisingly uncommon. 
• Try big and small. There are incredible opportunities to learn and grow with large companies in terms of networking. But if you’re fortunate enough to work in a small company where you get to try more, that can be a very positive experience as well.
• Explore while you can. Don’t stress over your first job or first experience—your twenties are the time to make mistakes and try new things. You don’t have to have all the answers just yet or know what your career path will be. 
• Maintain your integrity. Handle your responsibilities. 
• SHINE! Showcase your talents and your passions. “It’s not only performing well in a specific area that matters, it’s also about participating, volunteering, giving back, using the opportunity in a job to elevate yourself and making an impression on the people you work with.”

Top Takeaways
Some of our scholars shared with us what they found most meaningful or memorable about Abbey’s presentation. Take a look!
 
Hannah Wheeler (Cornell University): “I liked what he said about how he really values talking to people with more experience than he has. That simple action could take someone really far.”
 
Daniela Gallo McCausland (Washington University in St. Louis): “I thought that he had such a refreshing point of view on managing such a large business. He explained how he always thinks about how a decision will affect the company in the long term, and that being able to think clearly as well as being able to react to crisis situations has helped that company succeed. I also liked that he said he loves talking to people that are more experienced or knowledgeable than him, because it reflects that even though he is the President of such an important company, he appreciates talent and understands that there is always room to learn from other people.”

Alicia Underhill (University of Virginia): “Finding a mentor. Making sure that wherever you are, you find one person you can look up to and learn from.”

A huge thank you to Abbey for taking the time to teach and inspire us all today!

Copyright © 2015 YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund, All rights reserved.

Rachel Feller