By Debbie Hauss, Kim Zimmermann and Alicia Fiorletta
About a week ago I came across an email promoting International Women’s Day (IWD) (which is March 8), and I was inspired to share my thoughts on a woman in retail that has had a meaningful impact on the world (in my humble opinion). Then I was inspired to invite our two other female editors to share their thoughts on this topic. Below you’ll find some stories about a few women who have been personal inspirations to the three of us.
Advertisement
During this process I also learned a lot about IWD, which I was not aware of. Here’s a quick overview of the annual event:
International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. IWD has been observed since in the early 1900’s, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies.
IWD is now an official holiday in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia. The tradition sees men honoring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc. with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother’s Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.
Debbie Hauss’ Inspiration: Maxine Clark
I’ve been impressed with Maxine Clark since I took my daughter to Build-A-Bear for the first time. I was fortunate to have a 10-year-old daughter when the make-your-own-bear retailer opened its doors in 1997. Build-A-Bear was really a revelation for parents and kids, allowing them to select and outfit a new stuffed friend and eventually conduct the ritual of giving that new friend its own heart. I was especially thrilled to allow my kids to record messages to place inside bears as unique, personalized gifts for their grandparents, that always brought tears to their eyes.
Before founding Build-A-Bear, Clark had left the post as CEO at Payless ShoeSource in 1996 because, she said, “the spark was gone.” The following year she was inspired to launch Build-A-Bear while shopping with a friend’s 10-year-old daughter. Clark was so committed to the concept that she gave herself the title “Chief Executive Bear;” subsequently other company executives also touted “Bear” in their titles.
From my personal experience covering the retail industry, I’ve had the opportunity to interact with several Build-A-Bear executives over the years. They all are positive, motivated and happy to be Build-A-Bear employees. I think it really is a reflection on Clark as a phenomenal leader and overall decent human being.
Following her retirement in 2013, Clark has dedicated her “money, creativity and energy” to improving public education in the St. Louis, MO area – her hometown. (That hits home for me since I am a committed public school advocate.)
In an article in Forbes Magazine in 2012, Clark shared some advice for other executives:
- Take your employees seriously;
- Write the biggest business plan you can; and
- Understand the value of partnerships.
I think those three directives really sum it up for Clark as a shining star and an impressive person, executive and female role model.
Kim Zimmermann’s Inspiration: Vivian Stephenson
While Beth Jacob just resigned as CIO of Target in the wake of the retailer’s security breaches, it was Vivian Stephenson, the retailer’s first female CIO, who had a hand in paving the way for many women in retail technology.
I interviewed Stephenson on several occasions as a retail technology editor in the late 1990s, when everyone was convinced that the world’s computer systems were going to blow up when we hit the year 2000. At that time, she was the only female retail CIO that I was aware of, and certainly the only one to head the IT efforts of a major retailer.
Stephenson appreciated that she was in a role almost strictly relegated to men at that time. But in my conversations with her she never dwelled on it. I believe she wanted to be judged on her technological and leadership capabilities, not her gender. She always patiently and confidently explained to me how the retailer was going to tackle the “Y2K bug” as it was known.
Other CIOs — in and out of retail, almost all of them men — followed Stephenson’s handling of this “crisis” and many took their cues from her, although I don’t know how many would admit to it.
Stephenson went on to become the COO of Williams-Sonoma before retiring. To me that is a testament to her impact on retailing as a whole, not just retail technology.
Alicia Fiorletta’s Inspiration: Sara Blakely
I don’t consider SPANX Founder Sara Blakely my retail idol just because she single-handedly helped address my fashion woes. It’s the fact that despite her initial career hardships, she never gave up.
When Blakely first attempted to find a mill to manufacture the first collection of SPANX, many turned her down because they didn’t see the value in her idea. But she pressed on, writing her own patent for the product using a book she borrowed from Barnes & Noble. After finding a hosiery factory willing to make her product, she took the entire business under her wing, including product marketing, logistics and market positioning.
Now, she is the youngest self-made billionaire ever, and has not only turned SPANX into a household name, but a necessity for many women around the world. Along with establishing a strong presence in top department stores, SPANX also has made a foray into brick-and-mortar, opening its own branded stores throughout the U.S.
Despite her undeniably hectic schedule, Blakely has spent her free time extending her knowledge and support to women, encouraging them to believe and invest in their ideas. At the National Association of Professional Women’s conference, she shared valuable lessons she learned from her career so far. In 2006, she established the Sara Blakely Foundation, which was created to help women globally and locally through education and entrepreneurship. Most recently, Blakely joined the Giving Pledge and vowed to give at least half of her fortune to charity.
Blakely is a powerful example of “pay it forward.” While it would have been easy for her to continue to develop new products, finalize business deals and sell goods, she has extended a hand to help the very women who made her a billionaire.
She also has taught me that the most valuable thing about being a woman in retail today is the opportunity to help other women along the way. Rather than being competitors, and simply trying to tear each other down to succeed, it is more important than ever for women to stick together, build each other up and support each other. Blakely’s dedication to doing just that is what makes her my retail hero.
We hope you enjoyed our stories. Have you been inspired by a woman in retail? Please let us know!
Debbie, Kim and Alicia
