Kendra Horne is the vice president of customer marketing at JCPenney. She’s also a Women in Retail Leadership Circle (WIRLC) member! In this member spotlight, we asked Horne 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.

  1. What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
    “Picasso’s War: How Modern art Came to America” by Hugh Eakin. Great read, a bit of inspiration prior to trip to Spain this summer with my family. Taught classic lessons of beauty being in the eye of the beholder, and the payoff opportunity associated with taking chances and going against the grain.
  2. What is a tip you have for productively leading a WFH or hybrid team?
    Find new ways to connect, both socially and professionally. Be OK with the fact that sometimes your connection points with your team will be 100 percent social and you will get nothing done. Finding the right balance between work and authentic connection is key.
  3. What’s a mistake you made early on in your career?
    Not trusting the process. If you love what you do and are genuinely passionate, work hard, find/lean into your mentors, and learn every day, your career will continue to grow. Early in my career, I cared too much about titles and put too much brain power into worrying about my career trajectory. I would advise women early in their careers to lean into the learning, don’t be afraid to make lateral moves to try something new, and the growth will come.
  4. What’s the toughest part of being in charge? 
    Making hard decisions, particularly when they involve people. In leadership roles, you’re sometimes asked to balance your head and your heart, and it takes experience, coaching from other seasoned leaders, and being authentic and truthful with yourself to get through those experiences.
  5. What’s the best way you motivate team members?
    I think my secret weapon to motivate my team is my personal passion for what I do, and my commitment to authenticity. I truly believe that if you love what you do it is contagious, and I have personally always been motivated by leaders who “keep it real” with themselves and their teams.
  6. What woman inspires you right now and why? 
    I am inspired by the women at my current company, JCPenney, who work passionately every day to deliver the best experiences for our customers. Our chief merchandising officer, Michelle Wlazlo, shows up every day and gives her all. She exudes passion, isn’t afraid to admit her mistakes, and celebrates her team and our customers.
  7. What are you looking forward to the most for the industry over the next year? 
    I’m looking forward to continuing to see how consumer preferences shift between consumables and the experience economy. Being in retail, keeping my pulse on our customers and the general tide of fashion and trends has always excited me.
  8. What is one thing you look for when interviewing a potential candidate? 
    Passion! I want to work with and for people who are passionate, and even in stressful and challenging times, will continue to find new ways to learn and find passion for themselves and their teams.
  9. What’s something that you learned about yourself in the past year? 
    I am working on being more proactive in asking for help from my leaders. Being in a new leadership role, I have had to shift from being a doer to being someone who moves roadblocks out of my team’s way to get things done. This often means asking for help from my leadership and peers, and this is something I’m actively working on.
  10. What’s your favorite podcast? 
    My guilty pleasure is reality television, and specifically anything Bravo! My current favorite is “Giggly Squad” by Paige DeSorbo and Hannah Berner. I find myself laughing out loud and wiping away tears to some of their matter of fact and sometimes inappropriate cultural observations.
  11. What values are most important to you as a leader? 
    Authenticity, passion, and transparency. These are three things I try and lead with every day.
  12. What’s the most important thing people should know about you? 
    I genuinely love what I do!
  13. What practices or boundaries have you implemented in your personal life to create more work/life balance? 
    I protect my time off and work actively to show my team that it’s OK to unplug and not be available 24/7. I’ve learned from mentors and previous leaders what works and what doesn’t, and one thing I know, I will not regret that two-week vacation when I look back on my career and key accomplishments.
  14. How would you describe yourself in a single sentence? 
    I am a passionate female leader who wants to make an impact and help others grow.
  15. What’s your favorite app? 
    I look on too many shopping apps daily to mention, but I would have to say I have two: Trip Advisor and Pinterest. When I’m having a hard day or facing a unique challenge at work that I need some space from to refresh, I like to unplug and plan my next international adventure. Next on the list for my family is Colombia, so this is what I’m currently researching.
  16. What do you do to recharge? 
    Read, travel, and spend time with my family. I think travelling is my true passion, so I like to plan trips, read about new places to explore, and introduce my kids to new experiences (even if at home) as much as possible.
  17. What is your biggest accomplishment? 
    At work, I would say my biggest accomplishment has been finding ways to put myself in positions of continual professional learning, it’s taken confidence to ask for or try new assignments that have driven this.
  18. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders? 
    Don’t think your path is already written. Where you start your career will not be where your career ends. Don’t be afraid to try new things, make lateral moves to expand your knowledge, and seek out new experiences. If you see an opportunity, raise your hand and volunteer to help solve it!
  19. What gets you up in the morning? 
    My six year old who hasn’t discovered the joy of sleeping in yet. But, more seriously, my lifelong love for fashion. I truly get to go to work everyday and do what my six-year-old self who was dressing up her Barbies was made to do!
  20. What do you like most about being a member of Women in Retail? 
    I attended my first Women in Retail Leadership Summit this past April, and I left feeling genuinely refreshed and recommitted to my career in a way other events and organizations haven’t given me. The connections, learning opportunities, and chance to interact with and experience new brands is unmatched for women in this industry. I’m counting down the days to next year!