Shelly Kist

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

I'm helping to ensure that manufacturing supply chains around the world have the knowledge, skills and resources to operate ethically, responsibly and sustainably. I do this by helping to assess social and environmental management systems for opportunities, developing improvement programs and working with industry partners and coalitions to influence change.

How did you start building your network?

Early on in my career, I adopted a growth mindset and love of learning new things. I take as many opportunities as I can to pull people into my universe who are willing to teach and share. It's as simple as asking for contact information and sharing your desire to stay in touch. But I don't seek out contacts just for the sake of a contact. I look for what we can both bring and the mutual value in a relationship. I intentionally connect (both in person and digitally through social platforms) with those whose work and values I admire. I see everyone as a potential teacher - no matter what level they are at. Early in my career, my network was small but meaningful. Fast forward 30 years, I maintain a robust roster of network contacts from every job/experience I've ever had, and actively leverage a few people as formal mentors who I speak with quarterly to semi-annually.

How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?

I didn't exactly choose my career field, but rather, it chose me. I received my degree in marketing and business with a desire to get into the ad agency world. While I was waiting to crack into the super competitive world of advertising, I landed my first job for a company starting a new business venture. In that role, I had responsibility for everything from business development, assortment offering, product design and development plus marketing and advertising. That's where I learned that I loved the variety. I was only there 1 year when the new division was cut and I was laid off. Heartbroken and cash-strapped, I looked for the quickest jobs I could find which landed me in retail. What started as a short-term gig turned into a lifetime love when I realized that retail offered that energy and pace that the advertising world was often famous for, but also gave me the ability to get my hands into every aspect of business. I've been in retail now 27 years and have done everything from store management, buying, sourcing, technology and data delivery, operations, communication and project management, strategic planning, and now social and environmental compliance. Even taking global assignments to lead teams in India and Hong Kong. I'm 49 and still trying new things, stepping into a completely different role just months ago after repatriating from Hong Kong. I find the "winding career path" more interesting than the race to the top, and have found both personal and professional success at every step of the way. I consider myself very fortunate as I have found a career path that is equal parts challenging and allows me to soar with my strengths. No day is the same. And I genuinely get the opportunity to make an impact that has the potential to make the lives of others better.

What is it like when your job gets tough?

There are always going to be good days and tough days. For me, a tough day has looked different over the years depending on the role I've had. In stores, a tough day could mean I had to disappoint a customer because we didn't have what they needed, or someone had made a mistake. I've also had to fire a number of people and arrest several - those were never good days. Now that I work in the social and environmental side of things, a tough day could mean that you found out about an egregious social or environmental violation that have significant impacts on human lives. But in every case, I tried to approach every tough situation as an opportunity to learn. To build empathy and understanding. To dig into why the situation happened in the first place. To withhold judgement. And to remind myself of the positives and why I do the work in the first place.

What is the one piece of career advice you wish someone gave you when you were younger?

"Don't forget what gets you out of bed in the morning". One day in a mentor meeting, my mentor gave me this challenge. I had become all consumed with "getting promoted and getting to the next level". Grasping for every new job that came along and trying to constantly market myself in a hyper competitive company full of A-list talent. As he listened to me, he simple asked......."when you get that title, is that what will get you out of bed in the morning and get you excited about what's ahead"? I realized in that moment, I had been placing value on the title over the work and the meaning it brought me because I thought that's what the company culture wanted me to do. That's when I decided I had to be bold and confident enough to share what was important to me, rather than giving in to the pressure of company norms. As soon as I stopped chasing the title, roles that really allowed me to shine seemed to fall into place and along with that, the RIGHT promotion came too.