Well, it’s the third and final day of the Women in Retail Leadership Summit and we’re feeling the love! It has been a great few days here in sunny Miami. We’ve had the opportunity to listen to insightful content, do fabulous shopping at the assorted pop-up shops here at the event and, of course, make great connections that will lead to long-term relationships long after the Summit! Here are selected highlights from some of great speakers that took the stage this week at the Summit:

  • Jamie Kern Lima, founder of IT Cosmetics, brought the audience of 450 senior-level women retail executives to their feet as she shared her story of how she turned her years of “nos” into a wildly successful brand, thanks to a long-term partnership with QVC.
  • Indra Nooyi, the former chairman and CEO of PepsiCo and author of “My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future,” told the story of how a freelance graphic designer working on Gatorade’s product packaging encouraged Indra to update her style and wardrobe. He took her to Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City, the first visit to that store for Indra, and showcased several outfits that were outside of Indra’s comfort zone. She purchased several outfits and to this day is thankful to that employee for speaking up.
  • Suzy Batiz, CEO and founder of ~Pourri, makers of Poo-Pourri, spoke about her very challenging upbringing and how despite the many setbacks she faced, she trusted her gut and in the end built a successful business that led to her becoming one of the richest self-made women in America.

There will be many more highlights by the time the Summit is over this afternoon. We will be sharing them with you all in the weeks ahead via this e-newsletter and our Women in Retail Leadership Circle website. Stay tuned!