Jill Frantz is the vice president of Signet Jewelers’ customer connection center and has been with Signet for 32 years. She’s also a Women in Retail Leadership Circle (WIRLC) member and part of the Signet Jewelers corporate partnership with Women in Retail. In this member spotlight, we asked Frantz a series of questions about both her professional role and personal life, including the woman that inspires her, her leadership style, her advice for the next generation of female leaders, and much more, so that you can get to know her better.

  1. What’s the best book you’ve read recently?  
    “No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality” by Michael J. Fox. I really admire him for how he has overcome adversity and served others along the way.
  2. What is a tip you have for productively leading a WFH or hybrid team?  
    Create consistent opportunities for team member connection and communication. I have been doing roundtables of 10-15 team members at all levels once a month. The attendees talk about both their successes and frustrations. As a result of these meetings, I have collected feedback and ideas that have made a positive difference for both our customers and our team members. I also send a “Thought for Day” to my entire leadership team each day, sometimes a short article, sometimes just an inspirational quote or song lyric. These two small actions have really made a big impact this last year.
  3. What’s a mistake you made early on in your career?  
    Absorbing too much negativity, thinking I needed to change who I was to succeed in certain arenas versus building on my strengths.
  4. What’s the toughest part of being in charge? 
    Never feeling that I can fully disconnect from work.
  5. What’s the best way you motivate team members?
    Listening to how I can clear obstacles and make their jobs easier, then following through and communicating outcomes.
  6. What woman inspires you right now and why?
    Dolly Parton. She is supremely talented and could now be resting on her laurels after a long successful career. Instead, she is always trying something new. She puts her time, money and influence to its best use in helping others. While doing all this, she maintains her humor, her positivity and is never less than fully authentic.
  7. What are you looking forward to the most for the industry over the next year?
    Seeing how advances in technology can improve the experiences of employees and customers to achieve desired outcomes.
  8. What is one thing you look for when interviewing a potential candidate?  
    Learning agility.
  9. What’s something that you learned about yourself in the past year?  
    I still can do things I have been putting off. It is never too late.
  10. What’s your favorite podcast? 
    All It Takes is a Goal with Jon Acuff and Suze Orman’s Women & Money Podcast
  11. What values are most important to you as a leader?
    Service, learning, empathy and generosity.
  12. What’s the most important thing people should know about you?
    Although my family is small, and I don’t have a husband or children of my own, family is still the most important thing to me. I lost my Dad suddenly when he was 54 and I was 27. It has taught me to not take a moment for granted with those you love.
  13. What practices or boundaries have you implemented in your personal life to create more work/life balance?  
    When I am at home, I do not carry around my phone. I am not tied to electronics during my personal time.
  14. How would you describe yourself in a single sentence? 
    I am hard working and generous, experiencing the most joy from focusing on others.
  15. What’s your favorite app? 
    I enjoy my Bitmoji app. My sister created my digital look alike, and everyone says it is the spitting image of me. I can be a bit serious at times, and it adds a touch of fun when I communicate with others.
  16. What do you do to recharge?
    I enjoy cooking and entertaining. I make Sunday dinner for my extended family every week, and am known for my annual Fourth of July picnic, which always has a theme. I have done everything from the Statue of Liberty to the history of our national parks. The food, games, favors and décor always match the theme.
  17. What is your biggest accomplishment?
    I am a stage 3C breast cancer survivor. I was promoted to vice president a couple of months after my diagnosis. I went through surgery and 14 months of chemotherapy and radiation, while successfully doing my new job. I have been cancer free for almost 10 years.
  18. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?  
    Be a lifelong learner and endlessly curious. Never stop absorbing new information, new approaches, new ideas.
  19. What gets you up in the morning?
    I love to plan, organize and accomplish things that solve problems.
  20. What do you like most about being a member of Women in Retail? 
    I am a new member, but I look forward to connecting with others to learn from them.

Interested in connecting with women like Jill? Apply today to become a Women in Retail Leadership Circle member!