Today we’d like to introduce you to Symphony Knight.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in Boston, MA, and attended the University of Massachusetts -Amherst and majored in Communications. I have an identical twin sister and younger sister. I always knew I loved fashion and merchandising, and I secured my first internship with American Eagle Outfitters in their Store Management training program my first year of college. There, I learned more about retail, and I met an executive on a store visit that told me more about TJX Companie’s (TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Home goods) buyer training program. He told me this was the best program in the states, and they make the best buyers. I will never forget that day because he explained that it is someone’s full-time profession to “get paid to shop.” The textbook definition of a buyer is “Retail Buyers are responsible for planning, managing, selecting and purchasing goods and merchandise that is sold in retail stores.”
My world got turned upside down that day, and I was determined to get into that competitive program. So, after my store management internship wrapped, I went back to school and strategically bumped into a recruiter who was on-campus recruiting in the cafeteria. I told her about myself, and she explained that I too young for both the full-time program and internship. I did not let that stop me, and I asked if I could send my resume and cover letter. About three months later, beating out over a thousand applicants, I would then be accepted into the internship program as one of the youngest interns in the program and two persons of color in my training class. There I was able to learn and grow through the program to a full-time position. Along the way, I learned more about the cost of goods and the off-price business. From there, I would later coin the phrase “Never Pay Full Price for Fabulous.” Essentially that’s what TJX buyers were getting paid to do. Fast forward after moving to Texas and getting both fine jewelry and fashion accessories buying experience at a southern department store then at Amazon Inc. in Dallas, #SymsGems was born. I utilize my Instagram to give people tips and tricks to educate them that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to look fabulous!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I would say my journey was not smooth; however, whenever someone asks me how I got where I am today, I can only reply, “My Mom.” My mom helped secure my first internship and helped me with my cover letter, which would later catapult me to work at both the largest off-price retailer globally (TJX Inc.) and the biggest eCommerce retailer (Amazon). She also made sure that I was exposed to so much growing up and worked very hard to put my sisters and me in the best situations to find success. When the TJX recruiter told me that I had missed the deadline for the internship and that I was on the younger side of the program, she said, “So what go for it anyway!”. And her persistent push taught me to take risks, step out on faith, and go for it!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am currently a strategic delivery partnership manager at 7-Eleven in their digital department. I manage vendor partnerships with over 100 consumer package good vendors/brands from Frito-Lay to Anheuser Busch. I foster these relationships to strategically accelerate the growth of 7-Eleven’s delivery app called 7NOW and on multiple last-mile marketplaces (i.e. Door Dash, Uber Eats, Postmates, etc.) What I am most proud of is what I have been able to accomplish in two years. I have taken an app that did not actively work or engage with these vendor partners or brands to have consistently grown our partnership and drive significant sales over the year.
What sets me apart is my bubbly personality and “can-do attitude.” I have been able to be me while gaining the trust of multiple fortune 500 companies to participate and see a vision in a delivery experience that did not exist prior. I would also say I am most proud of going for it and building something out of nothing. When I interviewed at my current job (for another position -my role did not exist then), my now leadership met me and saw my previous experience and personality and created a role for me. I have had many wins in my career but to be able to have the largest C- store in-world digital team take my skill set and build a role around it was incredible!
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
In the next 5-10 years, I see the delivery business continuing to grow. After COVID and the desire for convivence fast, I believe the world of delivery will continue to accelerate. The increased consumer choices created by on-demand providers (Uber Eats, Grub Hub, etc.) have negatively impacted in-store traffic growth. So a large number of brands are countering in-store traffic deceleration by entering delivery marketplaces. I anticipate that all retail grocery stores or restaurants will have implemented some delivery program in the next year. This shift will lead to more jobs in the digital and eCommerce space.
Contact Info:
- Email: symphony.knight@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/symphonyyyy/
