Appetizers

Starting with some basics.

Fun Starters

Getting to know the human side.

 Main Course

A quick deep dive into the day-to-day job.

Tell us about yourself and your job.

I run a fashion accessories business that specializes in lightweight, hypoallergenic hoop earrings. I manage the production timeline in our Brazilian factory, ensure that warehouse logistics in the US are running smoothly, and act as head of sales at our US tradeshows. As a mid-size business, CEO still means chief everything officer.

How did you end up in your field? What do you like about it?

I grew up in this company, I was packing boxes in our living room at age 6.

I simply love my job, it has all the fun of a strategy game during the off-season, and I get to bring happiness to people all over the country during the on-season.

What does a typical morning look like on the job?

I wake up around 4 and work with the team in Brazil for about 2 hours making sure that R&D isn’t on fire and that the factory is producing the right SKUs. We have 7000 items, so it gets messy.

I’ll end that 2-hour period going over new designs with our designers. Then it’s back to bed until 9:00am. From bed, I get a call list from the office and from our representatives of customers who need attention. Since we sell primarily on the east coast, this needs to be done early. Usually, this is 3 or 4 calls.

Coffee + begging the dog to pee, then to the office by 10. I talk to our programmers in Uruguay for half an hour to go over what needs doing. Check in on the warehouse to see if they need anything, check in with our graphics department to make sure they have direction, then it’s lunchtime.

Cool, then what does a typical afternoon look like?

By 12 I’m pretty much worn down, so it’s the light part of the day. Around 2, I’m back in the office for a final 2-hour catch-all stint.

This often involves anything from determining our packaging needs to planning tradeshows booths. Then back home! This part of the day often extends out depending on the needs of the day, but usually, I’m out by 4.

What types of projects and meetings are you involved in?

Usually, it is just endless phone calls and rapid decision-making. Our project period is usually 60 days, so often I have 2 months of getting my butt kicked and then 1 month off.

Who do you collaborate with in meetings and projects? Cross-functional teams? What's it like?

Everyone in the company. We are not large enough for me to feel wise delegating our leadership roles yet.

This means constant fear of shifting from programming to accessory design to material science to process engineering.

 Dessert

Now for some juicy insights in the tea room.

What's the most challenging thing about your job?

My customers don’t care about money.

Boutiques are often social ventures, so price point and sales volume matter far less than making sure they feel well taken care of. While this has its perks, it also means there is no clear answer as to how to fix the problem whenever a problem arises.

What are some characteristics that can help someone succeed in your role?

F1 driver Mario Andretti said, “If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.”

That is the essence of this job. When everything is back under control, it’s because you aren’t growing fast enough. Growth brings chaos, being able to make your decision - right or wrong- be the right decision is the trick.

Any advice on how to stand out and get hired for those just starting off?

Let’s assume you start your own business- just remember that sales are king. Forget everything else.

Marketing is nice, product is nice, whatever. The thing that matters is getting the product into more hands. Find the angle you can use to sell your product, then build from there.

What's something that surprised you about your job?

The job is a surprise every day.

What do you see your next step being?

I want to build out 2 more fashion accessories lines and begin licensing our in-house CRM software.

Any last thoughts, advice, or recommendations for someone who wants to do what you do?

If you are in fashion, go to the tradeshows and spend your time talking to everyone you possibly can. As cutthroat as this business is, we help each other as best we can.

 Drinks

Chat more over coffee or tea?