104. Christiane Pendarvis, Challenges and Responsibilities in Retail Merchandising

Show Notes:

Christiane Pendarvis found her career passion in retail and retail merchandising in Neiman Marcus department stores in Dallas, Texas. She started working in a high-end department store, and  after working in the retail industry, she went back to business school and earned an MBA. 

Experience as a Team Lead and Mentor

After business school, Christiane worked at Procter & Gamble in their brand management arena, but she missed retail and has been there ever since. Throughout her career, she has worked for various large brands and has  moved across the country, including Dallas, North Carolina, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Columbus, Ohio; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; New York City and finally L.A. She worked at various companies and gained exposure to different mentalities which gave her valuable experience  in both life and work and she explains how her personal growth impacted her professional growth. Her desire today,  as a senior executive, anchors on impact and exposure, showcasing the possibilities for other women. She feels blessed to have gone through these moves, cities, and companies, and has been able to impact and expose a wide group of people. She shares a story of how she helped team members grow professionally when working for a direct to consumer retailer in New York City, overseeing websites and a third-party marketplace business. Christiane aims to guide and develop people by considering both the company's needs and individual needs, leveraging their strengths to drive business performance while escalating learning, growth, and confidence.

Working as CO President and Chief Merchant at Savage 

As CO president and chief merchant at Savage X Fenty lingerie by Rihanna, Christiane talks about  her experience in merchandising roles. She describes the role as similar to a buying role, where it involves sourcing product, pricing, inventory. However, at Savage X Fenty, Christiane oversaw all functions related to product creation, including designers, fabric suppliers, technical designers, production teams, and inventory management. The role involves working on various products at different stages of development, such as holiday assortments, samples, and inventory management. Each season is at a different stage, making it challenging to balance the development of different products while also managing the business. Christiane enjoys this dynamic role as it allows him to be inspired but also tactical in solving problems.In addition to overseeing the merchandising team, she also manages e-commerce and direct to consumer sales. 

The Pandemic - A Rocket Year

Christiane shares her experiences at Savages during the pandemic. The  business started in May 2018 just before the pandemic. The business tripled its size in 2020 due to the pandemic, which was a surprise blessing for the business, as it was a direct-to-consumer business that relied on social media to attract customers. In 2021, the business almost doubled from the previous year, with a total employee base of 225 people. This growth was not only financial but also a success as a leader and executive. The company also opened retail stores, with hundreds of additional employees. Managing supply chain challenges during the pandemic was challenging, but the overall impact on the business and the cultural relevance of Savage was also a proud moment for Christiane. 

The Apparel Industry Culture

Christiane talks about the misconceptions people may have about the apparel industry. She explains it is not all as glamorous as many people think. It is a hyper-competitive, business-oriented industry with sustainability challenges. The best people and retailers are run well, like any other business. Victoria's Secret, for example, has a $7 billion revenue business. When it comes to business, it's not just about glamor; it's about strategic product selection, consumer appeal, positioning in the marketplace, and competitiveness. People sometimes underestimate the importance of retail, thinking it's a great place to be if you're a business. However, the industry is not just about fashion, it has challenges surrounding sustainability, and responsible growth.

Staying  in Tune with the Market

Christiane shares what she has learned about merchandising and her approach to staying in tune with the market, the importance of testing and learning, and hiring the right people for the right roles. She acknowledges that she is not a trend-setter and that she may not be able to keep up with all the latest trends. She believes that having the right people in the right roles is essential for a company to succeed. She explains how she manages her employees to help them improve their performance, enjoy their work, and remain loyal to the company. While she may not be in the loop with general trends, she does keep up with product trends. She enjoys spending time in stores and trying new beauty products, but culturally, she may not be the best person to stay updated on the latest trends. She also explains how she hires talent and ensures a cultural fit.

Personal and Professional Growth

Christiane shares her journey of self-acceptance and the unexpected opportunities she has encountered. She admits to never having considered becoming the CEO of a company, and has learned now to feel more comfortable not knowing and reaching out for help. She acknowledges that the false narrative of having to have it all together and expose herself to others' perspectives is a false narrative. Her openness towards uncertainty and seeking help has helped build success in her career. She has developed a long-term career plan based on exploration and curiosity, focusing on opportunities that have opened doors she couldn't have predicted. 

Influential Professors and Courses at Harvard

Christiane highlights her involvement in various activities and courses. She started a basketball cheerleaders group, which provided her with broader exposure and allowed her to meet interesting people from different circles within the community. She also enjoyed supporting the sports team and was a member of Kuumba, a group that provided a platform for her to sing and perform and build a strong network of friends. She was treasurer of the organization that helped fund a Kuumba tour. 

Christiane believes that the tight network she formed at Harvard has remained strong even 35 years later, with deeper friendships formed due to the shared experience and respect within the class. 

Timestamps:

01:53: Career journey, impact on people, and self-acceptance

07:38: Leadership and development of employees in a retail setting

12:25: Product development and inventory management in the lingerie industry

17:21: Business growth and celebrity involvement

22:41: Misconceptions about the fashion industry, merchandising, and consumer understanding

28:38: Talent selection and cultural fit in leadership roles

34:14: Career journey, self-acceptance, and personal growth

40:35: Shared experiences and bonds formed at Harvard University 35 years after graduation

Links: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianependarvis

Featured Non-profit

The featured non-profit of this episode is the Global Medical Research Institute, recommended by  Candy Gunther Brown who reports: 

“Hi, I'm Candy Gunther Brown, class of 1992. The featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is the Global Medical Research Institute, or GMRI. Gmri supports evidence-based research on Christian healing prayer by publishing randomized, controlled trials and case reports in peer reviewed medical journals. Spiritual healing practices like mindfulness and yoga are better studied, though, Christian healing prayer is more common. Doctors and patients and skeptics and believers all have a stake in knowing whether Christian healing prayer helps or harms and which approaches are most clinically beneficial. I'm privileged to have co-founded and served on the GMRI Board for the past 13 years. You can learn more about their work at global mri.org that's G, l, O, B, A, L, M, R, I, dot O, R, G, and now here is Will Bachman with this week's episode.

 

To learn more about their work visit: https://www.globalmri.org/