Katie Whyde is the director, visual merchandising, for Evereve, a contemporary fashion and styling company for women. She also has been a Women in Retail Leadership Circle member for almost one year. We asked Katie some rapid-fire questions so you can get to know her better!

  1. What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
    “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone” by Lori Gottlieb
  2. What’s a tip you have for productively leading a team while working from home? 
    We use team and individual Zoom calls to stay connected. Also, giving the team clear direction, space to create, and the autonomy to manage their schedules how they need.
  3. What’s a mistake you made early on in your career?  
    I lead a visual design/development project that needed to be built and in stores for a product launch. As the date got closer and we were going to potentially miss the deadline for this to hit all stores, our vendor offered overnight shipping to the last group of stores to make the date. Instead of asking questions like, “What’s the incremental cost? Who would pay for this? Are there other options?” I was so focused on the launch date I said “YES.” This cost both our company and the vendor a huge amount of money and could have been solved by asking questions and being open with cross-functional leadership about our options.
  4. What’s the toughest part of being in charge? 
    Leading and doing.
  5. What’s the best way you motivate team members? 
    Getting into the work with them, being vulnerable and having fun. Laughter is ever present on my team.
  6. What woman inspires you right now and why?
    My best friend, Kathleen. She’s living with ALS, a horrific terminal illness, and reminds me every day what’s really important. She reminds me that people, connection, communication and heart need to be the center of everything we do.
  7. What are you looking forward to the most for the retail industry in 2021? 
    I’m looking forward to how retail will change AND how it will stay the same. Plus, seeing what trends are here to stay and which are just temporary.
  8. What’s one thing you look for when interviewing a potential candidate? 
    Tenacity
  9. What’s something that you learned about yourself in 2020?
    I need to travel to feel whole.
  10. What’s your favorite podcast? 
    The Goop Podcast
  11. What values are most important to you as a leader? 
    Empathy, authenticity and tenacity.
  12. What’s the most important thing people should know about you? 
    I’m extremely honest, sometimes to a fault, and I’m not afraid to speak up, even when it’s difficult or not popular.
  13. What’s one habit you adopted while WFH that you’d like to keep with you as you return to the office? 
    Taking breaks and walks to recharge in between meetings.
  14. How would you describe yourself in a single sentence? 
    I love to create, have fun and work hard.
  15. What’s your favorite app? 
    Spotify
  16. What do you do to recharge? 
    Face masks and red wine!
  17. What’s your biggest accomplishment? 
    The relationships I’ve built.
  18. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders? 
    Be curious, ask questions, and build relationships across the entire organization and industry.
  19. What gets you up in the morning? 
    Knowing I will make a difference, whether that’s for someone on my team or the larger organization.
  20. How would you describe your leadership style? 
    I try to be a servant leader and a pacesetter. I believe in letting people shine and building a diverse team with unique talent. People come first.