Revae Embs is the human resources director for The Fresh Market. She’s also a Women in Retail Leadership Circle member! In this member spotlight, we asked Embs a series of questions about both her professional and personal lives, 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?
    I have a long commute and I travel often, so I always have an audiobook on the ready. “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” and “Talking to Strangers” are my most recent favorites.
  2. What’s a tip you have for productively leading a remote or hybrid team?
    Communicate often and ask for feedback on what can be done better. I’m thankful to have a great team and I try to make sure they have opportunities for both one-to-one dialogue as well as team meetings. Helping them to stay engaged is really important to me so I try to make sure we have a lot of different opportunities for them to engage with the business.
  3. What’s a mistake you made early on in your career?
    Oh gosh, there are lots! When I first got into HR it was hard not to take things personally. I was so invested that it ended up causing a lot of stress for me. Over the years, I’ve learned to let things go a bit more and it’s been really helpful.
  4. What’s the toughest part of being in charge?
    I try to focus on doing the right thing over doing the easy thing. Helping people to understand that is really difficult sometimes.
  5. What’s the best way you motivate team members?
    We have a lot of fun and don’t take things too seriously. I try to be really open and honest with my team and always encourage them to “take what they need.” They have the flexibility to do what they need to do and I think that really helps to keep everyone motivated.
  6. What woman inspires you right now and why?
    Coming off of the U.S. Open I would say Serena! She’s amazing.
  7. What are you looking forward to the most for the industry over the next year?
    I think our industry is going through a major transformation right now — the pandemic, environmental concerns, inflation. It’s not been easy. I think innovation is born in times like these and I’m excited to see what will come next!
  8. What’s one thing you look for when interviewing a job candidate?
    I look for the builders, the problem solvers, people who aren’t afraid to dig in. I find that people who are naturally curious do really well in our business.
  9. What’s something that you learned about yourself in the past year?
    That I really need a routine to feel grounded. I think I’ve known that about myself, but it became very evident this past year. Building a solid routine has been so helpful.
  10. What’s your favorite podcast?
    How I Built This. I love hearing these stories. I always feel so motivated after listening!
  11. What values are most important to you as a leader?
    Transparency, authenticity, humility
  12. What’s the most important thing people should know about you?
    My friends often come to me for advice because they know they’ll get the truth, even if they don’t want to hear it. I’m very loyal (Leo) and I’m very honest.
  13. What is one habit you adopted while working from home that you kept/would like to keep with you as you return to the office?
    My water consumption 😊
  14. How would you describe yourself in a single sentence?
    I once had someone describe me as “pleasantly persistent” and I thought that was pretty powerful. We’ll stick with that!
  15. What’s your favorite app?
    Duolingo. I’m learning Spanish and it’s been so fun!
  16. What do you do to recharge?
    I like to stay active and that really helps to build structure and balance in my life. I also love to cook — it’s my creative outlet and can really help me refuel when I’m feeling overwhelmed.
  17. What’s your biggest accomplishment?
    This is a really hard question! I’ve done a lot over the years that has pushed me out of my comfort zone, both personally and professionally. I’m always proud to look back on those moments as I think they have been the most impactful.
  18. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
    Don’t take things personally (this was always a hard one for me), choose your battles wisely, always have a point of view, and don’t be afraid to share it!
  19. What gets you up in the morning?
    I enjoy solving problems and making an impact. In HR, my job is never boring. There’s always a new problem to solve!
  20. What do you like most about being a member of Women in Retail Leadership Circle?
    As a new member, I’m looking forward to diving in a bit more, but I’ve already made some connections and that’s been really great. I appreciate all of the different connection points that we have in Women in Retail and love anything that brings women together. It’s so powerful!

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