Today we’d like to introduce you to Darlene Mitchell.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve always been drawn to retail. Well, it started when I was put on “timeout” in my room and to keep busy, I set up a store in my room. I had pulled things from my room and priced and arranged them. When I went to college, I majored in business something more practical but found fashion merchandising and it was all over. I was hooked. I loved the combination of numbers and merchandise. I began my career as an Assistant Buyer in a very old school department store, where as an Assistant Buyer, you did everything including financial planning, merchandise buying, visual merchandising, sales, vendor negotiations and marketing. I was an Assistant Buyer in Women’s casual shoes, so yes I know how to pull shoes in the stockroom. I stayed in the buying side for a while, buying apparel, shoes, home and electronics.
Eventually, buying was broken out into other functional areas and I went into merchandise planning. Merchandise planners develop the sales, inventory and margin plans with their buying partners. I was in heaven, I was doing exactly what I loved – working with numbers and merchandise. Over the last 20+ years, I’ve held leadership positions at Gap, Old Navy, Torrid, Chico’s, PacSun and PaylessShoesource. In between all of this, I opened my own boutique in Northern California. I’ve worked with amazing teams and have seen the awesome, good, bad and ugly of retail.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I started in retail, a brown-skinned female salaried employee working in headquarter was a rarity. Shonda Rhimes has coined an acronym, F.O.D – First Only Different.
I think in general, the last seven years in big corporate retail has been a challenging. But indie retailers have been on the rise. I have a “heart” for small retailers after owning my own boutique. So, am glad to be back working with indie retailers.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I specialize in financial strategy, inventory management and cash flow planning for small/med-sized indie retailers. My title is a consultant, but I do a lot more because I become a part of their business.
Inventory is the largest investment in a retailer’s business so having the right amount at the right time in the right amount is important. Also important is managing the cash in their business which determines if they can manage through uncertain times. This is where I come in to support.
I work with my clients monthly (if not weekly) to review business and adjust sales, inventory, expenses and marketing to maintain/increase their cash flow.
I love that I can free up my client’s time to allow them to do more of what they love with who they love.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
When I look back, what am most proud of in my career is the teams and people I have mentored and developed.
I have mentees at many companies and in different aspects of retail that are doing so well. It makes me very happy and proud to know that I was a part of their journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.darleneymitchell.com/
- Phone: 510-381-2400
- Email: darlene@darleneymitchell.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darlene_y_mitchell/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarleneYMitchell/
- Twitter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darleneymitchell/
Image Credit:
Perisianne Shannae
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