In Conversation with Erica Guider

Tell us about your background:

Growing up, my family owned a children’s clothing boutique, so I always knew my path would be in fashion or retail. I LOVED going on buying trips with my mom and seeing the product come to life in the store. I was constantly re-merchandising based on our inventory and working with her on effective pricing strategies. Ultimately, that business closed and after a few other retail and management roles, I moved to NYC to study at Parsons. I then went on to work for brands like Tory Burch, 7 for all Mankind, and SMCP. After 10+ years in field visual merchandising, with territories spanning across the US and Latin America, the creative (and travel) burnout kicked in. Since I specialized in commercial visual merchandising; creating environments that were not only beautiful and interesting but also served to drive the overall business, I decided to focus on the business analysis piece.

During the pandemic, I, like many, was on furlough and decided it was time to evaluate my next move. Through the encouragement of Kristy on a Clubhouse chat, I reached out to others that were working in or had made the transition into, the retail tech space. Through another Co-lab member, I heard about 42 Technologies, a retail analysis BI tool, and applied to be a Customer Success Manager on a whim. I had no idea what I was doing, but I was confident in my retail industry knowledge and experience, and they brought me in as their very first CSM.

Now a year and a half into my role, I get to work with retail brands, helping them get the most out of their data! Transitioning into a completely new role was incredibly intimidating but also exciting, and I am so happy I did it. When the burnout hit, I was so afraid to leave the industry, but I was able to find a way to marry the industry I love, with a skill I had grown over the years. My network has been my biggest asset in this transition, and I am supremely grateful to be where I am today.

What do you wish you’d known when you started out?

Relationships, experience, and work ethic are far more valuable than what field your degree is in.

Best career advice you've ever received?

Be proactive and ask questions. When starting out, it can feel like a sign of weakness to ask a lot of questions, but it's better to learn something the correct way than figure out that you've done it wrong later. There are no stupid questions!

What leadership qualities are important to you?

Empathy and collaboration. It's so important to give everyone a voice.

What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far? 

Transitioning from being the expert in my field, and being able to have solutions come easily to me, to a completely new world was very challenging. I had to start from the ground up, humbling myself, making mistakes, and not being afraid to fail.

And for fun, what is your favorite wardrobe staple?

A great pair of jeans. Currently obsessed with Re/Done--their fits are AMAZING.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/eguider