From Cream Puff to Shoe Expert

Some time ago, after a break-up 💔 I decided to take on a part-time job...to fill my time so I wouldn't be thinking of "him." I didn't need the job or the money - I just wanted to keep myself busy and try something different than my day job. I was offered a position at Lord & Taylor in the shoe department. A match made in heaven! I'm NOT a sales person and had never sold a shoe in my life...

At the time, I was an AVP at Merrill Lynch - and it was a pretty big job. I dressed for work - which meant I was wearing heels. There were two full-time folks finishing up their shifts when I arrived my first night at L&T, one man, one woman. The woman actually laughed in my face when she saw me. She didn't think I'd make it through my shift and was certain I wouldn't be back the next day. She implied that I didn't have what it took - I was a "cream puff" - not gonna lie - I love a good cream puff...and a challenge. Game On BIATCH!

However, when I walked into the backroom of the department, where all the shoes are stacked and lined up...my first thought was "Bloody Hell! How am I ever going to find anything in here?" I was INSTANTLY intimidated. When someone wants to see a shoe in a size 7...you go in the back and you see something similar to what is pictured below...where do you even start? How was I even going to find the shoe - let alone in her size - before my shift ended...let alone before she gave up and went to Macys instead?!

Well, long story short - we got back together ❤️ and I only worked at L&T for 3 months...but during that time - I was scheduled for 30 hours each week (PART-TIME?!) because I was the best they had (their words) - They begged me to stay. I sold more than their full-timers. Because it was one of the few commissioned departments in the store - I would have almost made as much as my full-time job, but...it was L&T and the shoe department - so I didn't actually bring home any cash - but I had A LOT of really nice shoes when I left 😍

The point I'm trying to make is on my first night - I didn't know where ONE shoe was - a very short 3 months later, when someone on the showroom asked if I had a shoe in a particular size - I could tell them - before I even went in back...whether I had the shoe in their size...if I had it in their size in another color - or if I had another shoe similar to the one they were looking at.

Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. Learning anything new can seem overwhelming until you get to know the concepts and the lingo. Be open to learning new things and watch the world open up before you...

(p.s) - my feet KILLED me every night - but I would NOT give my co-worker the satisfaction of seeing me wear flats...every time I went into the backroom - I would kick my heels off and walk barefoot until I found what I was looking for...and then put my shoes and my smile on when I went back on the floor.

#learn#gohappyyourself