I just got back from the Women in Retail Leadership Summit in Miami, and I must say, I’m blown away.
Yes, I may seem like a braggart (after all, the event we put together was spectacular), but what I’m referring to is the energy that was in the air for the entire three days — and that was all because of the great group of women who were in attendance.

I had such wonderful, heartfelt discussions with so many talented women! I left equal parts inspired, enriched and fulfilled.

Thanks to all of you who were able to attend. For those of you who weren’t there, here are my three top takeaways:

1. It’s OK to take time to find your path. Many of the women I met at the conference were at their current positions after working at different companies or even in totally different industries. Shelley Broader was no exception. In her keynote presentation, Shelley discussed how she pivoted from different industries — including broadcasting, investment banking and a variety of retail verticals — until she landed her current role as president, CEO and board member of Chico’s. In her engaging style, Shelley discussed that while there were some bumps along the road, including facing the fact that some of the industries she wanted to be in were just not a fit for her, each experience was important. The journey helped her find her path.

2. Women are creative problem solvers. In each presentation and conversation, it became clear to me that us women are real problem solvers. Federica Marchionni, CEO of Lands’ End, discussed that when she was faced with having to grow her company’s customer base while also keeping its loyal patrons at the forefront, she created a new brand, Canvas, which beautifully bridges the gap. And when Christine Buscarino, vice president of e-commerce marketing and omnichannel at Office Depot, learned that she needed to create more cohesion among disparate IT and marketing groups at her company, she built a marketing technology group comprised of a group of marketers who also had IT experience.

3. Women are expert work-life balancers. Over and over again I heard how all of the women in the room were yes, powerful at work, but also have rich family and social lives, as well as their own hobbies. From salsa dancing lessons to Bar Method to regular family vacations, these women DO have it all.
All in all, it was a great event and I’m so lucky to be a part of it!
We’ll be covering much more of the lessons learned from this year’s Summit in the weeks ahead. So stay tuned! And, stay tuned for a special “Women in Retail Summit” edition of The Inner Circle on Friday!

Melissa
P.S. You ladies know how to dress! Each year I’m amazed at the gorgeous fashions I see at these events. And this year was no different. I saw such fabulous fashion, trends, styles and shoes! The shoes! We may even have a “shoe cam” next year!