Why H E L L O there!

Here I am at 2am writing my first blog post! If you told me six months ago, this is where I would be I would have said HECK NO, you're crazy. We will get into that significance in a bit. So to start, I've always been the "go-getter" type, never left a job without having another lined up and didn't quit one just because it wasn't working for me, you get the picture. My first job was at the age of 15 working in a salon in my hometown, started out sweeping floors, shampooing clients, appointment scheduling, I was going to high school studying Cosmetology so it seemed like the great first job! From there, I went on to work as an assistant on Newbury street, another upscale salon in Winchester, Supercuts, blow-dry bars, you name it, I tried every possible aspect of the hairdressing world to know for sure, it wasn't something I saw myself doing in the long run. And TRUST ME it was not! I loved the customer interaction part of the job but, could not get into touching peoples hair forever. Fast forward, getting out of the industry, my {now} husband and I were just moving into our first apartment at 20 years old {ya, crazy I know, that would take a whole other blog post to share LOL} and the area we where in had a TON of retailers around. I had seen a post for a merchandising manager position at Victoria's Secret and figured what the heck can't be too hard right? I love Victoria's Secret and their merchandise so I took a shot and applied, what do ya know, I was hired, and this my friends is where my retail career began! I did love the aspect of being a manager, being in charge of something or someone rather. It was a great first job into retail and I will always be grateful that my boss gave me a chance, even with having absolutely no retail experience! I was at that store for about a year until a new opportunity was presented to me at Charming Charlie. That store let me tell you took ALL of my money haha. If you don't know what Charming Charlie is, it was always meant to be, that you could just walk into the store and pinpoint the exact color you were looking for regardless of the item. All of the product was merchandised based on color versus the style. So as you could imagine, it was merchandised perfectly, where the color just caught your eye and B O O M your money was gone. I worked my way up the retail ladder to becoming a Co-Manger there until I was unfortunately laid off. That, let me tell ya, crushed me for a few reasons. The first being shocked, I had just had a conversation with my {previous} manager about potentially taking over a new store, so naturally I was excited, and second my husband and I were living on our own so there goes my income! Mind you this all happened on one of my days off, like you couldn't just wait ONE more day until I was at least at work.... things like that don't sit well with me, I've never been the type to just wait for things to happen {I can thank my dad for that, he always raised me to be smart and ready for whatever may come my way} so what do you think I was doing after that conversation ended? Hopped right on LinkedIn and started finding myself a job. On a side note, LinkedIn is such a great way to stay connected with other people in your industry, so if you aren't on it, get moving girl. I had been in contact with a district manager from Carter's who previously reached out to me but, at the time of course I wasn't looking. This is why you burn no bridge {unless under certain circumstances of course!} because you just never know what the days will bring. I was told I was being laid off by January 31st and February 3rd I started my retail journey with Carter's! Waste no time babe! I started out as an assistant store manager, then to acting store manager to eventually getting my own store! I was sooooo happy when I was offered that damn store six months ago, let me tell ya! Finally, I would be able to manage exactly how I wanted to and do things my way and have my freedom. Not to mention all the hard work I put in to get to that exact moment. Now if you had told me six months ago that my retail career would be ending I actually would have thought you were lying and I would have never taken the new position. But, do you know where that would have left me? In a miserable place, because retail is not an easy job and anyone telling you it is would be lying or they are just lazy! I found myself saying the same thing I did with hairdressing, "you have to get your own store, you need to know whether this is for you or isn't, don't quit yet, something will come up for you," and the store did come, 6 months actually to this date is when I first stepped into that store and here I am exactly 6 months later leaving, starting a new journey. This one I know for sure is where I am meant to be.

Until next time babe! xo