FASHION
STEPPING INTO NEW
SHOES:
A Look Inside the Life of a Crocs Employee Contributions by Taylor Johnson Design by Sara Roach If you think shoes are just shoes, you have obviously never worn Crocs. From the sleek design, fun colors and the one-of-a-kind holes, Crocs provide everything you could want in a shoe plus more. A couple of representatives from Crocs, Inc. explain exactly what it takes to create these illustrious shoes and run a billion-dollar company. Michelle Poole, Executive Vice President and Chief Product & Merchandising Officer
1. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING FOR CROCS? This August it will be six years. 2. IS IT STRESSFUL COMPARED TO OTHER JOBS YOU’VE HAD? I think Crocs was really in a mess when I joined and you have to have the courage of your convictions. One of the things you have to do as a merchandiser is you have to have a crystal ball of where you want to go. You have to head there before it’s evident. It can take almost a year to get new products from start to finish in the stores. I joined Crocs because I felt I could make the clog cool. But when I joined, I had people telling me I was committing career suicide. I think the scary thing can be — I’ve always been a risk-taker. But every job I’ve
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ever accepted, every new brand I’ve gone to, I usually don’t sleep too much the night before I accept the role because to me the terror is also the sign you’re growing. 3. DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS/ADVICE FOR A COLLEGE STUDENT JOINGING THE WORKFORCE? Be persistent. Work harder than anyone else. I got a college internship and I worked so hard during my internship that the marketing manager [offered me] a job. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves. The people that I reward the most in terms of new opportunities and promotions are the people that are flexible and really care about their work. Reliability and hard work, it’s not sexy but it is absolutely such a critical ingredient. Those skills will never get old and they’ll always serve you well. 4. ‘SHARING A PAIR FOR HEALTHCARE’ HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. WHAT INSPIRED CROCS TO GIVE BACK TO FIRST RESPONDERS AND HEALTH CARE WORKERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC? There were really scary stories about nurses and doctors on the front lines unprotected and lacking personal protective
