DISTINGUISH YOURSELF FROM THE PACK
Find an industry champion who believes in you!
I often discuss this topic on my social channels and in my book, Embracing The Calm In the Chaos. In Chapter 3, Distinguish Yourself from the Pack, I emphasize: "By distinguishing yourself from the pack, people will notice you, and progress will ensue."
I was fortunate to have an industry champion who believed in me from out of the box. This industry champion has been an intrapreneur while I have been an entrepreneur.
If you missed this post and live with Tracy Margolis check it out here.
I first learned the term “intrapreneur” during a panel at the Cause Marketing Summit last year, where I had the privilege of speaking alongside incredible women. Sheena Wilde, who has worked with Kendra Scott for nearly as long as I’ve been building my own business, shared how deeply she believed in the company she worked for, treating it as if it were her own. I’ve been fortunate to have employees like Sheena who brought that same dedication and care to my brand, and for that, I am forever grateful.
An "intrapreneur" is an employee within a company who acts like an entrepreneur, taking the initiative to develop innovative ideas and projects within the existing organization, essentially using entrepreneurial skills and mindset while working inside a company rather than starting their own business; they often have access to the company's resources to bring their ideas to life without taking on the full risk of starting a new venture.
In Chapter 10 of my book called_STAY CURRENT
"My friend Tracy Margolies, who first discovered me at the Workshop NY trade show in 2001 and is now the chief merchandising officer for Saks Fifth Avenue, is a firm believer that communicating with confidence is essential for business owners. She said: “When you’re spearheading a team and working with internal and external partners, how you handle yourself and inspire those around you is a very important piece of who you are as a leader. I’d suggest taking classes in public speaking early on in your career.”
Below is an image from my book on page 35. This was in 2001 when Tracy Margolies first discovered me and my brand.
SPECIAL EXCERPT from my book to you all today, pages 34-37 from ETCITC, “By the time the end of October rolled around, I was armed with this initial experience, and the Workshop NY trade show was ready to launch. As a result of the events of 9/11, there was an incredible spirit in New York. People were ready to be out and about and to support designers. Buyers were excited to have merchandise in their stores, so people could shop. The energy was alive, and the feeling was, No one is going to take us down! That was incredibly inspiring to me and motivated me to work even harder to set myself apart. I was really proud to be a designer in that moment, at such an important show. I recruited a few students from FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology, part of the State University of New York) to work with me, and I even had a model from FIT as well, which was unique, because athleisure/streetwear designers didn’t usually showcase T-shirts and sweatpants on models at a trade show—it was more of a high fashion move back then. There were sixty buyers from all over the world, from Canada to Japan. I was prepared with my samples, everything was displayed, and my mom also flew in to act as a sales rep with me. That was our team. We may not have been seasoned or perfectly polished, but we were passionate, motivated, and equipped to take on whatever came our way. What happened next is my mom’s favorite story. And this is how she tells it:
Stacy had gone to the ladies’ room, and there were three young women who wanted to see her line after noticing a mannequin and model at the front of her booth with her T-shirts on. They had not shown me their badges yet, but I was excited, so I invited them into the booth knowing that Stacy would be back soon. The women said they only had a few minutes, but ended up staying for an hour! Not knowing who they were, I asked the head gal, Tracy, where she was from. When she whispered, “Bergdorf Goodman,” my heart skipped a beat! Then Stacy returned to the booth and asked me, “Are they from a good store?” I said, “Honey, that’s Mommy’s favorite store in the world!” And the rest is history! They loved Stacy’s line and bought all the colorways of the cinch and BOY MEETS GIRL® T-shirt collection. I was so very proud of how Stacy sold to them with such expertise of the garment. I’ll never forget her laying out the entire line on the floor of the tiny booth and talking them through everything while they listened intently. I knew then and there that this was Stacy’s path in life. She was meant to be a fashionista and show the world what it’s like to have the knowledge and creativity to get people to understand what she does every day. Hard work, yes, but it was her passion, and she loved every minute of it. Of course, while all this was going on, my mom kept repeating, in a singsong whisper to me: “Oh my God!! It’s Bergdorf Goodman. Oh my God!! It’s Bergdorf Goodman. . . .” I was so embarrassed. I was like, “Calm down, play it cool, and let me continue selling here.” But for my mom, who had lived in New York City before she moved to Chicago, Bergdorf was her temple, because it’s the ultimate, iconic, luxury department storeof all time, and it’s been around since 1899. She was so excited, she literally couldn’t contain her emotions. For me, coming out of college and being a scouter of vintage clothing, Bergdorf was not my typical shopping destination. Even though I knew it was awesome, it didn’t mean as much to me as it did to her . . . at least, not yet. The important piece of this story is that the “head gal,” Tracy Margolies (her official title was buyer, contemporary sportswear), truly believed in what I was doing. She saw something in me and was willing to invest in me, for which I will be forever grateful. I really credit her with putting me on the map as a fashion designer.
Recalling this moment, Tracy, who’s now the chief merchandising officer at Saks Fifth Avenue, said: “It’s important to support and encourage young designers, or entrepreneurs in any industry, who are just starting out and who like to take chances. If you have the ability to make an impact on someone’s career, you should do whatever you can to help them.” I’ll never forget sitting in my bedroom that night, totaling my orders from that show, and thinking, Oh my God, I’m in business! As with the trade show in Chicago—once I’d shipped the goods and been paid—I donated a portion of the net proceeds from those orders to the American Red Cross, specifically to the victims of 9/11 and their families, which was the beginning of BOY MEETS GIRL® as an impact brand. From the day I launched after 9/11, I made a promise to myself that, like Tracy, I would always help others by sharing stories and bringing awareness to topics, organizations, and current events that were happening around me.”
Below are images from my book on pages 44 & 45 in Chapter 4 from my launch at Bergdorf Goodman!
Life often comes full circle, sometimes in ways we don’t recognize until decades later. This week, Tracy Margolies was announced as the new President of Bergdorf Goodman—nearly 30 years after starting her career there as an intern. The announcement came as Saks Global finalized its $2.7 billion acquisition of Neiman Marcus Group, marking an exciting new chapter for the iconic retailer. Tracy’s journey is a testament to the power of dedication and growth, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to celebrate this milestone. Bravo Tracy!
Tracy’s insightful interview in my book can be found on pages 145–149 here, and you can also listen to it on the audiobook here. I’ll leave you with one of the thought-provoking questions from our conversation below.
In all my years of knowing you, I’ve never dived into how you started your career path. Was fashion always in the cards for you?
“I grew up around fashion and retail. My grandmother and my greataunt owned a dress store with an accessories boutique in Brooklyn. As a child, I would go in on the weekends and help my grandmother organize the handbags or I’d go with her to trade shows at the Javits Center. So, from an early age, I had a love for retail. I pursued a degree in psychology at the University of Maryland, because I always wanted to help people and that field always interested me. However, I eventually realized that I likely wouldn’t be able to separate my feelings from the job, and it wouldn’t be the best career path for me. Thinking about my love for retail, I realized my expertise in psychology would help me better understand how people shop and express themselves through their personal style. From then on, I decided that I wanted to pursue the business side of fashion. I took an internship at Bloomingdale’s when I was in college, under the premise of the psychology of retail, which taught me alot. After graduating, I took another internship at Bergdorf Goodman and spent the first ten years of my career on its buying team.I joined Saks as the vice president and divisional merchandise manager of women’s footwear and then went back to Bergdorf Goodman for several years as a senior vice president and general merchandise manager across multiple divisions. I ultimately returned to Saks as the chief merchant, where I led the merchandising strategy for the company. All in all, I knew that I wanted to be a buyer, because it requires both a creative and business mindset, and I could use both sides of my brain. The energy of fashion and retail combined was exactly what I was looking for in my career.”
In 2025, I’ll celebrate 24 years in business! My journey as an entrepreneur has been full of twists and turns, and I’ve seen many of my colleagues navigate similar paths. When those I’ve worked with or who have championed my journey achieve growth and success in their own worlds, it fills me with excitement. The path is never easy, and the work is always hard, whether you’re an entrepreneur or an intrapreneur.
So congrats to you Tracy. Thank you for believing in me at my first tradeshow.
Remember: Whether you're an entrepreneur or intrapreneur, believe in your goals and take intentional steps to achieve them. When you lead with focus and passion, others will notice and follow your example.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy and safe holiday and New Year!
See you in 2025!
XO,
Stacy