This new decade has given us a lot to contend with. Most recently, our busy, normal lives have been suddenly and irrevocably changed by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Now is a time of real adversity, with most people in self-isolation. Therefore, we should steady our nerves and re-focus on the positive that we can create...
Lunya is a luxury sleepwear company for the modern woman that Ashley Merrill, CEO and founder, created when she came to the realization that even though we spend over one-third of our lives in bed, sleepwear tends to be the most undervalued part of your wardrobe. We sat down to talk to Merrill about the...
Last week in this spot, after I discussed my feelings around the murder of George Floyd and explained how the Women in Retail Leadership Circle will always stand against racism of any kind, I asked all of you for some ideas on how we can work together to end racial injustice and become better allies. And,...
Like virtually every business out there today, my company’s leads and sales took a drastic downturn in late March, when the coronavirus forced many businesses to shutter. Our sales dropped 58 percent over the next five weeks compared to the first 11 weeks of the year. I freaked out, I won’t lie. I probably wasn’t...
It was impossible for retailers to be completely prepared for a crisis like the coronavirus pandemic considering something to its magnitude has never happened before. No business had all the right answers for how to navigate the crisis. However, seeing how your peers are handling similar issues can help — or at least make you...
Over the past few days, I, like many of you, have been following the news around the murder of George Floyd, and I’m still trying to process it all. The senseless violence, the broken communities, the growing list of black Americans whose lives have been taken from them in brutal and tragic ways. Simply put,...
I remember that Wednesday morning in March when I first heard our company was going to suspend in-office work and require 100 percent remote working. I didn’t overthink it as we already worked two days a week from home as part of our company culture, and we were well equipped to handle moving everything to...
COVID-19 has triggered a paradigm shift in the fashion industry. This was a key finding from a recent report published by Martens & Heads! Executive Consultancy titled, Beyond 2020: Reflections On the Next Chapter. The report compiles responses from a questionnaire Martens & Heads sent to its retail- and fashion-based clients and members of its...
Managing the financial health of their businesses, marketing and selling their products/services without seeming insensitive or tone deaf, and work-life balance are the key challenges our readers and members are currently facing as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. This data comes courtesy of a recent Women in Retail Leadership Circle survey sent to our...
Being a leader during a crisis is hard, especially when the crisis is a worldwide pandemic. It’s difficult to balance supporting your employees and empathizing with the different struggles they’re going through, while also making sure the team stays on track and delivers results. Here are six tips for leading with empathy during a crisis,...
