���������ƽ��

MICHAEL: Hey team, this is Michael Fiddelke and welcome to 5 with Fiddelke, a podcast where I ask team members five questions about their work, their careers, and what makes them tick. And they get to ask me a question too. So settle in and let's get started. 

MICHAEL: Welcome back team. We've had some exciting moments at ���������ƽ�� so far this year. One that's especially memorable was the Kate Spade at ���������ƽ�� partnership. And so I'm excited today to spend some time with Gigi Guerra, who leads the team that helps bring fashion design partnerships and other things like that to life for ���������ƽ��.

MICHAEL: So with that, let's dive in. Gigi, great to have you here today. 

GIGI: Thanks for the time and letting me be here. 

MICHAEL: So often we'll start with a bit of your career journey, but I understand for you that journey goes back even farther than your ���������ƽ�� days to some of what led you to the path that you've picked now. Want to give the team a little bit about that background? 

GIGI: Yeah, so I like to think that everything I've done leads to where I am today. And it was a very--I have a very unconventional career path, I've been told. I had a really nomadic childhood. I grew up all across the US. We moved every single year. My father inspected nuclear power plants. 

MICHAEL: Oh my. 

GIGI: Oh yeah. He was the guy that would put on the crazy suit, like in the movie Chernobyl, and go in and check out the reactor and make sure that everything was operating perfectly and safe. So that's a guy you really want to have in your corner. So as a result, we moved every single year because he would get reassigned. So I've lived all across the US in very small towns pretty much everywhere. And I went to college in New York City. I was like, I need to try something completely different and study design. And I also, interestingly, my grandfather was a visual merchandiser for Boston's largest department store way back in the day, and he was the guy that hand-lettered all the signs and merchandised everything. So I like to say retail is in my background, in my blood. And the other really interesting tidbit is in college, Isaac Mizrahi was my senior advisor, so it was a little bit of foreshadowing before I made it to ���������ƽ��. So when I started at ���������ƽ��, I was like, this is Isaac's big collaboration partner. So in a very circuitous way, I think I was meant to be here. 

MICHAEL: Very cool. I'm not going to count this as one of the five questions. Did you have a favorite of all of those places you lived growing up?

GIGI: Oh, that's a good question. I like Texas a whole lot. Not when I first moved there. But by the time I left, I was really--I loved it so. 

MICHAEL: All right. So a huge shout out to our store teams in Texas. 

GIGI: Yes. Hi, Texas. 

MICHAEL: So, it sounds like some of that background led you to find your purpose. If you were talking to a team member who was early in their career, what advice would you give them? 

GIGI: So, this is something playing back to my childhood. Just be really resilient and persevere. Like persevere. Don't give up if you encounter a roadblock. Have your purpose and lead with your vision and go after something you really feel like is in your heart and soul, and also find out people who can help you and help you see your blind spots. That's super important because sometimes you may not always know what's getting in your way if you keep coming up against roadblocks. So ask questions. Be insatiably curious and realize your potential. 

MICHAEL: Well, you know I'm a sucker for curiosity, but I think that's good advice for all of us, Gigi. So let's go back to Kate Spade. Obviously, an incredibly successful partnership. A great moment for the team and for our guests. What goes into bringing together moments like that? Can you take us behind the scenes a little bit? 

GIGI: I can lift the curtain. Yes, I can do that. And this is a question I get a lot. Like, how do these actually happen? How do you choose your partners? So I like to say our collaborations are a blend of art and science, because it's constantly keeping our finger on the cultural pulse about what's going on. But we have to be incredibly predictive, really looking ahead almost two years because it can take up to two years from when we start talking to a partner to when the collection launches. So that seems like an interminably long time, which it is. We are very much with our partners through thick and thin over the course of a year to two years. And so it's really looking and listening to what's going on in culture, staying in touch with guest insights, listening to what the guest is looking for. What we think the guest might want in a couple of years, and then also what's going on in the world of style and design, and then also what are the business priorities, what are category opportunities. So for example, it's not Kate Spade but when we did the Cuddle Collab last year, we're like, oh, there's an opportunity with pets. What could we be doing with pets? Pet influencers, like actual animal influences, were happening in the zeitgeist. And so we're like, wild idea. Let's take pets and like, have them be the designers of the collection. So I think it's like, what's a fun way we can bring something to market that nobody else could do because no one else has the design chops that ���������ƽ�� has. No one else has our vision and our inventiveness and our sourcing capability and the incredible teams to bring these dreams to life. 

MICHAEL: We do have a ton of incredible advantages, the team being a first one and bringing all of that to life. That also means if I'm hearing you right, there's two years of future cool stuff that I can't ask you about that you can't answer today. 

GIGI: There's so much cool stuff coming and we always speak in code names. So fun fact, the code name for Kate Spade was Project Ace, so there's usually a little bit of a nod to what the collaboration partner is somehow hidden in the code name. So Kate Spade, Project Ace, you know, the deck of cards.

MICHAEL: Very cool. All right. You get a question for me.

GIGI: Oh, OK. OK, Can I have, like, 1.5 questions. 

MICHAEL: You have a microphone. You can do whatever you want, Gigi. 

GIGI: So, first question is, how many pairs of red sneakers do you have?

MICHAEL: So the store teams have some pretty good sneaker games. So I have been adding to my sneaker collection for sure since I stepped into the COO job a little over a year ago. If I'm being honest, I think eight red sneakers currently sit in my closet. I'm guessing that's the 0.5 question. 

GIGI: That's the 0.5 question because I knew it was going to be a quick answer.

MICHAEL: I'll let you have another. 

GIGI: That's a lot. OK, eight. Wow. I mean that's like--that is no joke. 

MICHAEL: It's a source of conflict in my marriage. The amount of closet space that's now going to red shoes. 

GIGI: You're having to take more space for those shoes. OK, are you building, continuing to build the collection? 

MICHAEL: Unfortunately, yes. 

GIGI: All right. That sounds good. I support. I support. Other question is, I know you grew up in a small town in Iowa. I'm curious, like your childhood upbringing, how does that inform where you are today and how you lead today? 

MICHAEL: That's a great question. So I am from a small town in Northeast Iowa, Manchester, Iowa, a town of about 5,000 people. The thing that probably I take most from that time was, and this isn't just a small town thing, but it was certainly true on the farm I grew up on and in the town I grew up on, learning the value of hard work at a super early age. I mean, we got up early and did chores every day before school. Kind of the way of it was for my dad, like after you did school, then you did work in the evening and the weekends, the work had to get done first before you could have fun. And so learning some of those lessons at a really young age, I think have been things that have stuck with me over time. And so maybe less of a small town thing and maybe a good set of parents that built a work ethic in me early on. 

GIGI: Yeah, a really strong work ethic. 

MICHAEL: I'd like to think so. I mean, and finding the balance there is important too. And so really value family. That was an important part of growing up too. 

GIGI: And personal accountability, right? Like having to have the responsibility for contributing towards running something. 

MICHAEL: Totally. All right. So your team is also charged with bringing that experience to life in a whole bunch of places, in social, but also our stores. Tell me what a great experiential strategy entails. 

GIGI: Oh, experiential strategy. So that's a good question. I would say it's about making sure you're really delivering on a memorable event for people and a really exciting moment in time, something that people are going to want to post on their social feeds, talk about and remember long after the fact. And one example is our Wonderland Activation, which we do every year. You can come as a mother, a grandparent, a parent, a child, friend, anyone, and you can experience this world together. And for us, it's one of these immersive environments that we're allowing you to walk into where you're really experiencing the Tar-Jay magic in real life. It's something that's like jumping off of the outside the stores and off of the screens and like, we're bringing that joy to you, IRL. 

MICHAEL: Yeah, I could not agree more. I mean, we know our guests tell us that in many cases ���������ƽ��’s a place for them. And so when we're bringing that experience to life, from their first glimpse of it, maybe on their phone, to what it feels like when you get to experience it in store, that's super cool. You can see the planfulness in that and what your team has helped deliver. Kate Spade being obviously just a great example. 

GIGI: Yeah, yeah. Well, thanks. The team, I mean the teams, they're also these fun projects. We're constantly moving on to new partners all the time, and everyone is this really bespoke never-before-done collaboration. I think it's the excitement and chance to really try something new and do innovation through these collaborations too. We hear that from the teams again and again, just how much fun it is too. We've never done this before, so… 

MICHAEL: Our store teams feel the same way. Everyone brings a new sense of excitement.

GIGI: And it's so great walking into the stores and seeing that gateway and like the inventiveness that the stores bring to it, whether it's through the merchandising, the styling, it's just so exciting to see the energy in the stores and stand in stores on opening day and watch people come in and just their absolute delight discovering something and a brand, whether they're a true fan, like with Kate Spade to people that are just discovering it for the first time and the store is being that enabler of the magic is just so awesome to stand there and watch on mornings when we launch these collaborations. 

MICHAEL: Very well said. All right, my last question. Why ���������ƽ��? What keeps you here? 

GIGI: So for me, OK, that's a great question. It's a combination of a lot of things. It's the chance to work with an incredible team day in and day out. The experts at ���������ƽ�� and the passion from everyone that I get to work with is incredible. From the teams that are orchestrating and designing these, to the teams on the site that are helping, making them come to life. The team members in stores that are actualizing these and interacting with the guests day in and day out, it's just I feel super lucky to be a part of this and to be part of something bigger that really impacts anyone that touches it. And going back to my childhood, for me, ���������ƽ�� was oftentimes one of the only outlets in the towns we lived in where I could really feel seen and heard, and I could go in and discover, even at a young age, and to think of the power of that and the markets that we have across the country, and to really bring this great design to everyone and have it be affordable and dynamic and exciting, and just seeing how people talk about us on social and like, ���������ƽ�� gets me. ���������ƽ�� understands me and just the power of that. And to be a part of that power and magic is an awesome thing. 

MICHAEL: I could not agree more. That's super well said. What we're able to do to impact so many consumers across the US, given our scale, when we're at our best, it's pretty incredible. 

GIGI: Yeah. 

MICHAEL: Thanks, Gigi, for taking the time for the conversation today and for everything your team does to bring to life such incredible experiences for our guests. Team, I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did. Until next time, stay curious. 

MICHAEL: Hey, Team, this is Michael Fiddelke and welcome to 5 with Fiddelke, a podcast where I ask team members five questions about their work, their careers, and what makes them tick. And they get to ask me a question too. So settle in and let's get started.

MICHAEL: Hey, team, thanks for joining today. I think you're going to enjoy today's conversation, because we're going to pull back the curtain on how some of the magic gets made in our store experience with the help of our marketing team.

MICHAEL: Mary Beth George, who's Vice President of retail brand experience, is joining today. And I think it'd be best to get right into the conversation. Mary Beth, thanks so much for joining.

MARY BETH: Thank you. Thanks for having me.

MICHAEL: As I understand it, a couple of decades at ���������ƽ��, different jobs across marketing, and today you lead the team that does so much of the design that creates that in-store magic.

MICHAEL: You want to share a little bit about what your team does and your path to get there?

MARY BETH: Yeah, I'm going to go all the way back to like, childhood. I grew up in the Minneapolis area, and I have such fond memories of going to Dayton's, right, which is our heritage brand.

MICHAEL: I wear my Dayton's t-shirt sometimes.

MARY BETH: Yeah, I mean, it's a big part of our story and our legacy. And I would get all dressed up with my mom. It was a big occasion. It was an event that we looked forward to. And my favorite part was the seasonal storytelling that happened on the eighth floor. So the holiday, the flower shows that happened. And that I think really sparked my love for retail and the magic that could take place in an experience like that. So fast forward to college. I studied marketing and then worked for a retailer in town. I got the call from ���������ƽ�� one day and I knew instantly, like, yes, A. because of the love that I had for the brand, the story that I took you through, but also because ���������ƽ�� is a purpose driven retailer, and I knew that I could go somewhere and make an impact, and I was going somewhere where we're not just selling stuff, but creating experiences. So I've been in marketing the whole 19 years that I've been here, but I really have found that I have this deep love for the in-store experience, for curating storytelling, and for like, thinking about the operational ease that really needs to be well considered in order for that storytelling to come through in the right way.

MICHAEL: I think you've used the word storytelling three times, and I love that, Mary Beth, because I think it is so core to who we are.

MARY BETH: It is.

MICHAEL: When we're design led, but we storytell in those moments digitally and in store, I think that's a big part of what makes ���������ƽ�� so special.

MARY BETH: It's so true.

MICHAEL: So you've seen a lot of creative work throughout the years. What defines a great creative vision to you?

MARY BETH: Yeah, I actually believe that starting with constraint breeds creativity, and we have a lot of constraints that we have to work through in the store environment. You think about 2,000 stores, 300,000 team members that bring the signage and the experience to life and just the complexity of it all. We recently did an audit and realized we have over 4,000 unique signing elements in our store experience. And so our whole strategy has been we need to simplify in order to amplify. That kind of constraint has then enabled the right seasonal storytelling and that magic to come through. So we are moving those unique elements down to a set of about 50 standard that will just be so much easier for our store team members to set, but then also for guests to take in the totality of the experience. And that enables the summer seasonal storytelling that we have going on now, where it's immersive, we're really able to provide an escape for guests from their everyday lives. And that's the magic. That's where the creativity comes in.

MICHAEL: I love the way the summer set looks right now in stores, and I think I could hear the cheers from all those store team members listening to this around the simplification. You're so right. Like we can dream up a bunch of good stuff. If we don't make it simple so we can execute it flawlessly, it doesn't work.

MARY BETH: That's right.

MICHAEL: So that maybe gets to my next question. We're always trying different things, changing stuff, evolving with the seasons, storytelling in different ways. I assume that means your team has to stay on top of what's working and what's not.

MICHAEL: Tell me how that feedback loop works.

MARY BETH: Yeah, it's kind of a year out process where we set an experience and we get into the stores and hear directly from those store team members who are setting it. What worked, what didn't, what was easy, what took longer than we expected, as well as engaging with our guest insights teams and hearing directly from guests about what's working, what's not. It's also about getting out in the competition, understanding what others are doing at that same time. But really, nothing replaces being in the store. There's a recent example that we've been working on where it was me being out with some of our store operations leaders, Adrian, in the store with store team members and us looking at the complexity of all the hardware that holds our promo signage, which is really critical signage to running the business. And we have so much complexity in the hardware, can't find it, it breaks, it doesn't set well all the time. And we all looked around and asked each other like, what if this was just an adhesive. Something we could stick on to the experience, something that we knew we could always rely on and that breeds the innovation that is now a signing system that we're moving forward with thanks to our ���������ƽ�� printing services team and so many others.

MICHAEL: Well, I know that feedback loop is so important to get right. And I would say I mean, on behalf of the stores team that works so closely with you and your team on so much of that, just how much they value your leadership and the way your team leans in to how can we make it better at every turn. It does not go unnoticed, Mary Beth.

MARY BETH: Thank you.

MICHAEL: All right.

MARY BETH: It's critical.

MICHAEL: So now you get to ask me one.

MARY BETH: OK, so I mentioned I came to ���������ƽ�� because it's a purpose led organization. I believe in personal purpose. What would you say is the legacy you want to leave at ���������ƽ��? And how do you ensure you're living out your purpose every day?

MICHAEL: It's a deeper question than I've been asked before, Mary Beth.

MARY BETH: Yeah.

MICHAEL: So as I think about my personal purpose or what a legacy would look like, where my head goes first honestly is straight to team. I think the team is the heartbeat of what makes ���������ƽ�� ���������ƽ��. When I started 20 years ago, one of the reasons I came was I got to meet and work and learn from so many talented people, and I actually get as much energy from some of the stories of our team, how they've charted their careers, how they've grown in some cases, how generations have worked at ���������ƽ�� over time. And so, my hope is that my time at ���������ƽ�� will leave a positive impact on some of that team, because it'll be that team that carries things forward long after I'm done.

MARY BETH: I love that.

MICHAEL: OK, so next question. Trying to stay on top of how are we going to bring that magic next. How do we foster that innovation? How does your team stay on top of what we might try to do next when it comes to storytelling or in store experience?

MARY BETH: Yeah, a few different ways. And really, there's inspiration all around us, and it's really about staying curious and ensuring that as a team, we're spending time getting out. So first, being in stores, as I said earlier, being in competitive stores as well as our own environment, getting out to other markets too, right. We see one expression here in the Minneapolis area, but there's so many other perspectives that we need to consider. Second is environments that you may not think of. So art museums, even airports, how are other environments navigating guests? How are they storytelling? How are they bringing hospitality forward? All of those are different environments that we make sure we're spending time in. And then third, and this is probably most important right now is to deliver relevancy is spending time on social. Seeing what other retailers are putting out there with pop up shops. And actually, that inspired a lot of the summer events and activations that are going to be happening this summer. So I brought you… Customization and personalization is a big trend that our team has been seeing out in the market via social, and we wanted to create our own, like how could we create giveaways. And that same kind of personalization magic that's happening in retail in all of our stores every weekend with our store team members as brand ambassadors. And so the team got after that, and we've created a series of events this summer that are going to be happening every weekend throughout the month of June, and we're going to be giving away our own ways to allow guests to personalize their beach bag or whatever item they want. We're giving away these carabiners with little red tags and different keychains, little tchotchkes that they again can use to personalize for their own summer beach bag. This one's for you.

MICHAEL: Thank you so much, Mary Beth. Much appreciated.

MARY BETH: You're welcome.

MICHAEL: This is great. I will definitely be in every weekend and then some.

MARY BETH: Great

MICHAEL: All right, so final question. And you probably know what it is. Why ���������ƽ��? What keeps you at the bullseye?

MARY BETH: Yeah two things I keep coming back to purpose, but purpose retailer. And I've been able to live out my own purpose here at ���������ƽ��. I've been able to find a really fulfilling career where I'm able to grow. And as you said, learn from my team as well as ensure I'm providing an environment for my team to reach their goals. So, purpose. Second is change, actually. ���������ƽ�� is a really dynamic place and it's constantly changing. Retail is constantly changing and with change comes challenge and with challenge comes growth. I don't take any of it for granted. I've had a really fulfilling career here and I appreciate all the experiences that I've had. 

MICHAEL: I love that. When change comes challenge, with challenge comes growth. I think that is. Those are great words, Mary Beth.

MARY BETH: Thank you. 

MICHAEL: Thank you so much for carving out some time today. It was great having this conversation.

MARY BETH: Thank you.

MICHAEL: To the balance of the team, I hope you enjoyed getting a little bit of a peek behind the curtain of how marketing contributes to an incredible in-store experience. And actually, I'll steal Mary Beth's words from a couple questions ago with one final “Stay curious.”

00:00:00:12 00:00:02:10

Hey, Team,

this is Michael Fiddelke,

00:00:02:11 00:00:03:21

and welcome to

"Five with Fiddelke,"

00:00:03:22 00:00:05:22

a podcast where

I ask team members

00:00:05:23 00:00:08:04

five questions about

their work, their careers,

00:00:08:05 00:00:09:11

and what makes them tick.

00:00:09:12 00:00:11:11

And they get to ask me

a question too.

00:00:11:12 00:00:13:20

So let's settle in

and get started.

00:00:13:21 00:00:16:06

[mellow music]

00:00:16:07 00:00:19:06

I'm excited for you to get

to meet our guests today.

00:00:19:07 00:00:21:21

I'm excited for this

conversation myself.

00:00:21:22 00:00:23:21

Eager to introduce

John Favilla,

00:00:23:22 00:00:25:05

who's joining me today.

00:00:25:06 00:00:29:08

John started at ���������ƽ�� in 1983

as a receiving manager

00:00:29:09 00:00:32:25

and so has had

over 40 years with ���������ƽ��.

00:00:32:26 00:00:35:22

And he's built an awesome reputation

00:00:35:23 00:00:39:13

as a great developer of talent,

running exceptional stores

00:00:39:14 00:00:43:23

as a district senior director

in his hometown of Los Angeles.

00:00:43:24 00:00:45:18

I've had the pleasure of

getting to know John a bit

00:00:45:19 00:00:46:29

over the years.

00:00:47:00 00:00:49:04

And I also know he embodies

the culture

00:00:49:05 00:00:50:28

that we love to build

as a company.

00:00:50:29 00:00:53:20

And so thanks for

joining me today, John.

00:00:53:21 00:00:54:22

- Thanks for having me.

00:00:54:23 00:00:55:29

- All right, John.

00:00:56:00 00:00:57:20

So then let's maybe start

at the beginning.

00:00:57:21 00:00:58:29

And if you could

give the team just

00:00:59:00 00:01:01:29

a quick rewind of your career.

00:01:02:00 00:01:04:21

I believe we were opening

some of our very first stores

00:01:04:22 00:01:06:07

in California.

00:01:06:08 00:01:08:09

And there was an elementary

school involved at some point.

00:01:08:10 00:01:09:15

- [laughs]

- Is that accurate?

00:01:09:16 00:01:11:00

- That's accurate.

00:01:11:01 00:01:15:05

Way back in 1983, I was working

for a smaller retail company

00:01:15:06 00:01:17:16

and got a call from

a recruiter asking me

00:01:17:17 00:01:19:17

if I wanted to join ���������ƽ��.

00:01:19:18 00:01:22:20

And at that time,

I had never heard of ���������ƽ��.

00:01:22:21 00:01:24:10

But I was young.

I said, what the heck?

00:01:24:11 00:01:26:12

You know, I'm up for it.

00:01:26:13 00:01:29:14

And so I interviewed for it,

and they hired me in 1983

00:01:29:15 00:01:32:17

as a receiving manager

for Pacoima 183

00:01:32:18 00:01:34:16

in Los Angeles.

00:01:34:17 00:01:36:16

And our training

involved us going

00:01:36:17 00:01:39:03

to an elementary school

in El Segundo

00:01:39:04 00:01:41:20

that the company,

I believe, purchased.

00:01:41:21 00:01:43:17

And we were there for

about six to eight weeks

00:01:43:18 00:01:45:22

being trained by a lot

of headquarter people

00:01:45:23 00:01:48:03

on what our jobs

would look like.

00:01:48:04 00:01:51:12

And so, after that,

we went into our pre-opening

00:01:51:13 00:01:54:03

at store 183,

and I walked into that building

00:01:54:04 00:01:57:00

for the first time, first time

I've ever seen a ���������ƽ�� store.

00:01:57:01 00:01:58:10

And I was blown away.

00:01:58:11 00:02:01:08

I mean, it was just this

huge building, all red.

00:02:01:09 00:02:02:22

I mean, completely red.

00:02:02:23 00:02:04:11

That's what we

painted it back then.

00:02:04:12 00:02:07:08

And I did the receiving manager

job for that store.

00:02:07:09 00:02:09:11

And then from that point,

I kind of went on

00:02:09:12 00:02:12:11

a series of opening up new

stores and different positions.

00:02:12:12 00:02:15:29

I was selected to go be

a trainer for the region.

00:02:16:00 00:02:18:07

We had acquired a company

called Gemco,

00:02:18:08 00:02:21:03

which was about 60 stores

that we're going to be adding

00:02:21:04 00:02:23:10

to our California and Arizona.

00:02:23:11 00:02:25:06

So they pulled me out

and they had me train

00:02:25:07 00:02:28:08

all the new executives that

were joining the organization.

00:02:28:09 00:02:30:29

Kind of took me back because

now I was in the schoolroom

00:02:31:00 00:02:34:12

and I was the teacher

teaching new ETLs.

00:02:34:13 00:02:36:19

And from that point,

got my first store,

00:02:36:20 00:02:39:06

288 in Woodland Hills,

and opened that store.

00:02:39:07 00:02:41:19

And then I kind of

went on a red store tour

00:02:41:20 00:02:43:24

and helping out in

fixing some red stores.

00:02:43:25 00:02:48:07

Ended up in 321 in the Bay area,

up in San Francisco.

00:02:48:08 00:02:51:12

And after that, I was assigned

a field merchandiser job.

00:02:51:13 00:02:53:02

It was basically

a job that I had

00:02:53:03 00:02:55:19

apparel for all of

northern California,

00:02:55:20 00:02:58:09

the liaison between

headquarters and the stores.

00:02:58:10 00:02:59:27

I really enjoyed that job.

00:02:59:28 00:03:01:22

Taught me a little bit

about multi-stores.

00:03:01:23 00:03:05:04

And then I got my first assignment

in Fresno, California as a DSD,

00:03:05:05 00:03:06:28

DTL back then.

00:03:06:29 00:03:09:15

And I did Fresno and Las Vegas.

00:03:09:16 00:03:11:18

And then I ended up going

back to the Bay Area

00:03:11:19 00:03:14:07

to run district 210

for a few years,

00:03:14:08 00:03:16:19

and then back to Los Angeles,

my hometown,

00:03:16:20 00:03:17:26

where I've been since.

00:03:17:27 00:03:19:02

- That's awesome.

00:03:19:03 00:03:21:01

I like the student

becomes the teacher

00:03:21:02 00:03:22:27

path there in your story.

00:03:22:28 00:03:25:18

And it's fun getting

to walk some of those

00:03:25:19 00:03:27:17

used to be Gemco boxes.

00:03:27:18 00:03:30:10

Some of those are

super productive stores.

00:03:30:11 00:03:32:19

- Yeah, and very unique.

All of them very different.

00:03:32:20 00:03:35:06

But yeah, the big difference

in the training was

00:03:35:07 00:03:37:14

I walked in the first time,

the very first day

00:03:37:15 00:03:40:03

of its opening,

my students, my ETLs,

00:03:40:04 00:03:43:06

actually got time to practice

at other existing stores.

00:03:43:07 00:03:46:09

So it was a lot better fit,

a lot less anxiety

00:03:46:10 00:03:47:19

walking into their

first assignment.

00:03:47:20 00:03:50:09

- I can't imagine walking in cold

that first time,

00:03:50:10 00:03:52:19

having just had

the in-classroom training.

00:03:52:20 00:03:55:08

- My eyes were like--

really, I think they exploded.

00:03:55:09 00:03:57:25

[laughter]

It was huge.

00:03:57:26 00:03:59:14

I mean, it was so big.

00:03:59:15 00:04:02:22

And for me, I didn't have

a lot of experience in leading,

00:04:02:23 00:04:05:13

but I was incredibly

excited about it.

00:04:05:14 00:04:08:06

And ended up here,

which is just amazing to me.

00:04:08:07 00:04:10:01

- Well, let's talk

about leadership.

00:04:10:02 00:04:12:25

I know for a fact that your

leadership has had the chance

00:04:12:26 00:04:14:29

to touch so many of our team.

00:04:15:00 00:04:18:04

I run across leaders

all the time that tell the,

00:04:18:05 00:04:20:08

"I learned this from John" story.

00:04:20:09 00:04:21:29

So as you think

about leadership,

00:04:22:00 00:04:23:21

as you think about

team development,

00:04:23:22 00:04:25:23

what would you leave us with?

00:04:25:24 00:04:27:19

- Well, I think, you know,

it's probably

00:04:27:20 00:04:29:29

the most important thing

that we do, is our team.

00:04:30:00 00:04:31:28

And we can't really be

successful in anything

00:04:31:29 00:04:33:23

that we do without

a great team.

00:04:33:24 00:04:35:20

And I kind of learned

a valuable lesson

00:04:35:21 00:04:38:17

in the beginning,

as a receiving manager.

00:04:38:18 00:04:40:06

I had a roommate

at the time that

00:04:40:07 00:04:42:09

was doing the same

exact job that I was doing

00:04:42:10 00:04:44:10

in a different store.

00:04:44:11 00:04:46:25

And for whatever reason,

he was home every afternoon

00:04:46:26 00:04:48:24

by about 3:00

in the afternoon,

00:04:48:25 00:04:50:21

feet up on the desk,

having a beer.

00:04:50:22 00:04:53:02

And I'd come straggling in

about 8:00, 9:00,

00:04:53:03 00:04:56:10

10:00 o'clock at night,

after a 17 or 18-hour day,

00:04:56:11 00:04:58:17

just struggling,

and, you know,

00:04:58:18 00:05:01:07

just felt horrible,

felt like a failure.

00:05:01:08 00:05:04:02

And so I was making up

all the excuses, everything you do,

00:05:04:03 00:05:05:17

why you're not

being successful.

00:05:05:18 00:05:07:20

And I finally

swallowed my pride.

00:05:07:21 00:05:10:00

And I went to his store

with him

00:05:10:01 00:05:12:05

and walked through

his operation.

00:05:12:06 00:05:13:29

And I kind of

right from the get go,

00:05:14:00 00:05:15:27

right when I walked

into his space,

00:05:15:28 00:05:18:00

I realized what

the difference was.

00:05:18:01 00:05:20:13

In pre-opening,

he spent all of his time

00:05:20:14 00:05:22:01

teaching and training his team.

00:05:22:02 00:05:24:17

All of it.

His team was ready.

00:05:24:18 00:05:27:21

His teams were trained.

They were empowered.

00:05:27:22 00:05:30:27

And I think in my place, I was

doing too much of it on my own.

00:05:30:28 00:05:34:08

I didn't learn that skill yet.

I wasn't really doing that.

00:05:34:09 00:05:36:22

And so it really just

kind of taught me that

00:05:36:23 00:05:38:08

you have to have

a great team

00:05:38:09 00:05:40:14

and you have to spend

the time and the energy

00:05:40:15 00:05:44:26

with that team in order

to empower and trust

00:05:44:27 00:05:47:08

in their ability to

succeed and perform.

00:05:47:09 00:05:48:23

- I love that, John.

00:05:48:24 00:05:52:09

And I can actually see maybe

some of that show up today.

00:05:52:10 00:05:55:22

When we walk a store together,

if you walk a store with John,

00:05:55:23 00:05:57:06

you're pretty quiet, John.

00:05:57:07 00:05:59:13

And I know that you spend

a lot of time with your team

00:05:59:14 00:06:01:06

in between those visits.

00:06:01:07 00:06:03:23

But if you're walking a store with

one of John's store directors,

00:06:03:24 00:06:06:14

he doesn't have to say much

because the team is on it.

00:06:06:15 00:06:08:25

- I love those visits because

you get to stand back

00:06:08:26 00:06:11:11

and you just get to watch

with so much pride

00:06:11:12 00:06:13:08

your store directors

and your ETLs

00:06:13:09 00:06:14:29

and just how they

walk their business,

00:06:15:00 00:06:16:14

they know their business,

00:06:16:15 00:06:18:02

the pride they have in

their stores and their teams.

00:06:18:03 00:06:19:23

So it's always a lot of fun.

00:06:19:24 00:06:21:11

- That's cool.

All right.

00:06:21:12 00:06:24:08

So you actually mentioned

this earlier a bit.

00:06:24:09 00:06:25:24

You talk about red stores.

00:06:25:25 00:06:29:01

And for the team, a store

that needs a little bit of help,

00:06:29:02 00:06:30:12

might be struggling

a little bit,

00:06:30:13 00:06:32:24

the shorthand we might have

for those is red stores.

00:06:32:25 00:06:34:23

And the goal with

a red store is to turn it into

00:06:34:24 00:06:36:11

a not red store.

00:06:36:12 00:06:38:12

And you've built a reputation

as someone who can

00:06:38:13 00:06:40:10

turn around those red stores.

00:06:40:11 00:06:42:12

So how do you do it, John?

00:06:42:13 00:06:44:08

What advice would you have

to others who might be

00:06:44:09 00:06:45:23

tackling the same challenge?

00:06:45:24 00:06:47:24

- Yeah, I would say,

first of all,

00:06:47:25 00:06:49:22

it's probably one of the

most rewarding experiences

00:06:49:23 00:06:51:11

you can have,

if you can be successful,

00:06:51:12 00:06:52:29

of course, in doing it.

00:06:53:00 00:06:55:09

But for me, you know,

everybody always shared,

00:06:55:10 00:06:57:10

or usually my boss or

somebody said that, man,

00:06:57:11 00:06:59:13

you're going to have to go in there

and make a lot of changes

00:06:59:14 00:07:01:25

with the leadership team, a lot

of people probably need to go,

00:07:01:26 00:07:03:10

and so on.

00:07:03:11 00:07:05:22

And in all the cases that I had

the opportunity to do that,

00:07:05:23 00:07:07:07

that never happened.

00:07:07:08 00:07:10:10

It was really teams, most teams

I believe, want to do well.

00:07:10:11 00:07:11:20

They want to succeed.

00:07:11:21 00:07:13:03

They want to do a good job,

00:07:13:04 00:07:15:01

but they want a place

that's not chaotic.

00:07:15:02 00:07:16:22

They want consistency.

00:07:16:23 00:07:19:14

And so the first thing that I

kind of go into is like, you know,

00:07:19:15 00:07:22:02

obviously, getting to know

the teams and things like that,

00:07:22:03 00:07:25:19

but keeping a calm,

simple message.

00:07:25:20 00:07:28:04

And setting the teams up

for success

00:07:28:05 00:07:30:16

to win early on is important.

00:07:30:17 00:07:32:08

And once you can start

winning on some things--

00:07:32:09 00:07:35:08

and start small, a lot of people

want to move super fast.

00:07:35:09 00:07:38:15

Things don't necessarily get

fixed fast, especially culture.

00:07:38:16 00:07:40:14

And so you start small

in small things

00:07:40:15 00:07:42:08

and you celebrate the wins.

00:07:42:09 00:07:44:11

You recognize,

you prop them up.

00:07:44:12 00:07:46:20

And I think once a team

gets confident,

00:07:46:21 00:07:48:04

you can't hold them down.

00:07:48:05 00:07:49:14

They're just going to go.

00:07:49:15 00:07:50:18

- That's awesome.

00:07:50:19 00:07:53:12

And the power of simplicity,

the power of building some momentum.

00:07:53:13 00:07:54:21

That's great to hear, John.

00:07:54:22 00:07:56:07

All right. So fair is only fair.

00:07:56:08 00:07:57:17

I don't get to ask

all the questions.

00:07:57:18 00:07:59:06

You get one for me.

What do you got?

00:07:59:07 00:08:02:02

- OK, well, we just heard

a little bit about my strategy

00:08:02:03 00:08:03:20

around some stores.

00:08:03:21 00:08:08:21

So how do you run

a $100 billion company

00:08:08:22 00:08:11:23

and keep everybody focused

on the right things?

00:08:11:24 00:08:14:21

And how do you know

when to stay the course

00:08:14:22 00:08:17:13

or course correct?

00:08:17:14 00:08:19:19

- That's a great question,

John.

00:08:19:20 00:08:22:28

I think some of it,

it's the same stuff

00:08:22:29 00:08:26:14

that we've started

this conversation about,

00:08:26:15 00:08:28:26

assessing what's working

and what's not,

00:08:28:27 00:08:30:22

and being focused and simple,

00:08:30:23 00:08:32:22

and like, all right,

if we're all aligned

00:08:32:23 00:08:34:18

on what we want to do,

you said it.

00:08:34:19 00:08:36:14

The team wants to win.

00:08:36:15 00:08:38:14

So let's define

what winning looks like.

00:08:38:15 00:08:40:21

Let's make sure that

that definition of success

00:08:40:22 00:08:42:05

is one that we're

all aligned to,

00:08:42:06 00:08:44:14

whether that's within the team,

or in many cases

00:08:44:15 00:08:46:09

when it comes to the

hundred billion dollar company,

00:08:46:10 00:08:47:27

across the team.

00:08:47:28 00:08:51:01

And once everyone's

aligned on a goal--

00:08:51:02 00:08:52:17

the team at ���������ƽ��

is incredible.

00:08:52:18 00:08:55:10

And so if you can turn them

loose on that, then it's just,

00:08:55:11 00:08:58:03

are we making the progress that

we wanted to against that goal,

00:08:58:04 00:08:59:09

or are we not?

00:08:59:10 00:09:01:15

And if we're not,

let's talk about it.

00:09:01:16 00:09:04:10

Let's be candid about

where we need to make pivots.

00:09:04:11 00:09:06:25

And if you start with

simple alignment to the goal

00:09:06:26 00:09:08:22

and you make sure you've got

the team kind of organized

00:09:08:23 00:09:11:15

around that, I think that's

a lot of the ingredients there,

00:09:11:16 00:09:14:28

but no different than what

it takes to run a great store

00:09:14:29 00:09:16:25

or turn around a red store.

00:09:16:26 00:09:19:11

It's all the same stuff.

It's just a different scale.

00:09:19:12 00:09:21:26

- That's awesome.

Great to hear.

00:09:21:27 00:09:23:11

- All right, John.

00:09:23:12 00:09:25:05

So another thing I know is

a hallmark of your leadership

00:09:25:06 00:09:28:00

is helping teams navigate

through adversity.

00:09:28:01 00:09:30:24

And Los Angeles has seen

its share of that this year,

00:09:30:25 00:09:33:00

you know,

with the wildfires for starters.

00:09:33:01 00:09:34:17

What have you learned,

what have you gained

00:09:34:18 00:09:36:13

from that experience?

00:09:36:14 00:09:39:06

- Yeah, I would say that it's

been a rough start to the year.

00:09:39:07 00:09:42:21

So we kind of celebrated

February 1 versus January 1

00:09:42:22 00:09:44:12

being the new year.

00:09:44:13 00:09:47:03

But I think, you know,

what I've learned over time,

00:09:47:04 00:09:50:24

through dealing with quite a few

of these things in my career,

00:09:50:25 00:09:52:08

it's always people first.

00:09:52:09 00:09:55:03

It's always the safety of

the team and making sure

00:09:55:04 00:09:57:29

that they're in a place

where they feel comfortable,

00:09:58:00 00:09:59:25

and I'll use

the word again safe.

00:09:59:26 00:10:02:01

And then it's about

kind of a coordinated,

00:10:02:02 00:10:04:18

you know,

divide and conquer kind of strategy.

00:10:04:19 00:10:07:13

We have so many

great people on our teams.

00:10:07:14 00:10:10:11

And we have HR, and we have AP,

and we have PMs.

00:10:10:12 00:10:12:00

We have group leadership teams.

00:10:12:01 00:10:14:12

And that coordinated effort

from all the--

00:10:14:13 00:10:18:22

those caring team members

to help wherever we can.

00:10:18:23 00:10:21:13

And so whether a team member has

been evacuated from their house,

00:10:21:14 00:10:24:13

whether they got

evacuated from ���������ƽ��,

00:10:24:14 00:10:27:00

whether their families

lost their home in the fire

00:10:27:01 00:10:29:04

or they lost their home

in the fire,

00:10:29:05 00:10:33:02

we all played a big role in that

to make sure that people

00:10:33:03 00:10:34:22

knew that they can come to us.

00:10:34:23 00:10:37:09

We had the resources,

the support necessary

00:10:37:10 00:10:39:02

to help them where we could.

00:10:39:03 00:10:40:18

But keeping this team safe,

00:10:40:19 00:10:42:13

and it's just a lot of

being in the presence.

00:10:42:14 00:10:44:19

You have to be there,

whether it's on the phone

00:10:44:20 00:10:47:18

and whether it's in person,

people have to know

00:10:47:19 00:10:49:24

that you're there

to help and support.

00:10:49:25 00:10:51:01

- That's great.

00:10:51:02 00:10:53:01

I mean, there's so much about

what you're describing, John.

00:10:53:02 00:10:55:19

I got to see a bit of that

on display firsthand,

00:10:55:20 00:10:58:12

getting to visit the market

on the heels of the fires.

00:10:58:13 00:11:02:05

And you could see the culture

that you and the team

00:11:02:06 00:11:05:25

out in Southern California

have built just come through

00:11:05:26 00:11:08:01

with the pride the team had

and how they were

00:11:08:02 00:11:09:16

able to care for each other.

00:11:09:17 00:11:11:09

And everything we do

doesn't matter if we can't

00:11:11:10 00:11:12:22

keep the team safe first.

00:11:12:23 00:11:14:03

And so I love that

as mission one.

00:11:14:04 00:11:15:15

- Yeah, you think

about the people

00:11:15:16 00:11:17:13

and how scary that event is.

00:11:17:14 00:11:19:28

And, you know, these fires were

kind of just popping up everywhere.

00:11:19:29 00:11:21:22

And we didn't know if people

were starting them,

00:11:21:23 00:11:23:09

but they were just

going everywhere.

00:11:23:10 00:11:25:20

And so people were really,

truly in a big market,

00:11:25:21 00:11:27:04

really scared.

00:11:27:05 00:11:30:00

And, you know,

being there and knowing

00:11:30:01 00:11:32:13

that they had the support

of ���������ƽ�� and the company

00:11:32:14 00:11:34:12

means the world,

I think, to people.

00:11:34:13 00:11:37:06

- It was moving for me to see

our culture, care, and action

00:11:37:07 00:11:39:01

so much in that visit.

00:11:39:02 00:11:40:20

All right, so my last question.

00:11:40:21 00:11:42:21

Feels like it's an

especially important one

00:11:42:22 00:11:46:01

to be asking someone with more

than four decades at ���������ƽ��.

00:11:46:02 00:11:49:06

What's kept you at ���������ƽ��?

00:11:49:07 00:11:52:01

- You know, a lot of people ask me

that question, and I think about it.

00:11:52:02 00:11:55:11

You don't see too many

42-year DSDs.

00:11:55:12 00:11:59:04

But, you know, for me,

I think from the very beginning,

00:11:59:05 00:12:02:00

���������ƽ�� told me a lot of things

about what ���������ƽ��

00:12:02:01 00:12:04:19

was going to offer,

and they had a vision,

00:12:04:20 00:12:07:05

and what that vision was.

00:12:07:06 00:12:11:04

And they delivered on

almost everything

00:12:11:05 00:12:12:26

that they said they would do.

00:12:12:27 00:12:15:21

So that just built up

a lot of confidence and faith

00:12:15:22 00:12:17:26

in the organization,

a lot of trust.

00:12:17:27 00:12:19:17

And I still feel

that way today.

00:12:19:18 00:12:21:19

I love the values

of the company.

00:12:21:20 00:12:23:28

I trust the leadership

of the company.

00:12:23:29 00:12:26:23

And so I know that

I'm in a good organization.

00:12:26:24 00:12:29:11

And then from that point,

then it's all about the team.

00:12:29:12 00:12:31:19

It's all about the people

that you work with.

00:12:31:20 00:12:34:07

You know, I take personal

responsibility to make sure

00:12:34:08 00:12:36:09

that everybody has a good

environment at my team.

00:12:36:10 00:12:39:06

I have career-tenured people

on my teams.

00:12:39:07 00:12:41:16

I have people that want to grow

and continue to grow.

00:12:41:17 00:12:42:27

They all have a place,

00:12:42:28 00:12:45:09

and I want them to know

how important they are.

00:12:45:10 00:12:48:24

And I take responsibility,

families, and homes,

00:12:48:25 00:12:51:27

and lifestyles out of ���������ƽ��,

or a lifetime out of ���������ƽ��,

00:12:51:28 00:12:53:17

you know, it's just

super important to me.

00:12:53:18 00:12:55:24

That keeps me going.

It keeps me inspired.

00:12:55:25 00:12:57:16

- John, I can't thank you

enough for taking the time

00:12:57:17 00:12:59:08

to have this

conversation today.

00:12:59:09 00:13:00:26

It meant a ton to me.

00:13:00:27 00:13:02:19

And so, I'm sure

it meant a ton to the team

00:13:02:20 00:13:04:03

that got to hear

some of your thoughts.

00:13:04:04 00:13:05:25

- I appreciate it, Michael.

Thank you.

00:13:05:26 00:13:07:25

- All right, Team,

this was a fun one.

00:13:07:26 00:13:09:26

I hope you enjoyed this

conversation with John

00:13:09:27 00:13:11:03

as much as I did.

00:13:11:04 00:13:14:02

Until next time, stay curious.

00:13:14:03 00:13:17:03

[mellow music]