Follow Your Passion

It’s often said that when you love what you do for a living, you’ll never work a day in your life. I have always believed in this bit of advice and have been lucky enough to turn my love of writing into a journalism career.

When I recently accepted the opportunity to lead this forward-looking (and historic) magazine into the future, I had no idea just how true this adage would prove to be. You see, after one day on the job, I jumped on a plane to New York to attend the Retail Design Collective, a weeklong showroom tour of some of the industry’s most innovative products. For some, this would amount to trial by fire. For me, it opened my eyes to just how exciting it is to work and live at the intersection where retail meets design.

As a student of retail and consumer brands for the past 10 years, I have a good understanding of what it takes to connect with and engage consumers. Today’s shopper is more demanding than ever. She is inundated by visual communications from every direction, the din of which threatens to overwhelm her. She is looking for more than a place to make her purchases and head for home. Instead, she demands – and responds to – a truly memorable in-store experience.

There’s no doubt that price, convenience and myriad other factors influence her choice to visit one retailer over another. But what is the tipping point? What is it that earns her loyalty? What makes her an ambassador for your brand who will tell friends and acquaintances that your establishment is a “must see”? I would argue it’s the same feeling that makes us wake up for “work” each day brimming with fresh ideas and boundless creativity – that feeling is passion.

I learned from my visit to New York that this is a vibrant industry with big ideas and even bigger personalities. What I love already is that it is driven by both men and women who are clearly passionate about and believe strongly in their work. Undoubtedly, there are long days (and nights) that make possible the types of transformations regularly seen in this space. And if you look carefully, underneath all of that effort is the passion to connect, communicate and inspire those who are influenced by your work.