A short video in which Jeannie Barsam, founder and CEO of Gifting Brands and board member of Women in Retail Leadership Circle, shares leadership insights for women in retail: prioritizing sustainability and social responsibility, avoiding burnout by setting boundaries and putting family first, the value of mentorship and philanthropy, remote/hybrid work practices, and peer support through women's boards and groups. She also offers personal anecdotes (sports injury, travel plans, makeup/habits) and recommends the podcast "How I Built This."
Chapters
Hi, my name is Jeannie Barsom and I am the founder and CEO of Gifting Brands and I'm also on the board of Women in Retail Leadership Circle. You know what I love about the retail industry is right now there is a movement for brands and companies to become more sustainable and socially responsible. It's really great to see leaders who want to make a social impact and do it not just for publicity, but because it's the right thing to do to help so many people in need. You know, in my younger days when I was a merchant, I tried to be superwoman and do it all. I worked a lot of late nights, I traveled a lot, I rarely took vacations. And I'm also a mom and I had two kids. And what I found was burnout is real. And I actually was less productive because I was tired all the time and trying to do it all. So I made the decision to set boundaries and hold myself accountable and put my family first. When you try to do that and you hold yourself accountable, you really can work smarter and more efficiently so you can enjoy your family and take more vacations. Actually, my favorite podcast is called How I Built this. It's a podcast by Guy Raz and he really dives into stories around some of the best known companies and their journey between innovators, entrepreneurs and the movements and changes they've made in the industry. Australia is a place that I've always wanted to go. Actually, when I was 17 years old, I had the opportunity to go there with the US Water ski team. But about a month before I was supposed to leave, I was practicing for a ski race going about 80 miles an hour and I broke my neck. So I didn't get to go, but I will get there. Planning on waiting until we don't have to wear masks on planes again. So Australia for sure. I am the kind of person that I can't walk out of the house without makeup. Light skin, fair eyes. My eyelashes are blonde, my eyebrows are blonde, so I have to wear makeup. I do my hair every day. So when I get on Zoom, I also prefer to be visible and not just show my picture. So it's all about putting on a nice blouse or top. I wear lounge bottoms every day to work. I no longer wear denim. I have yoga pants on right now so they don't match. I say I care deeply about serving and helping others, whether it's my family, my friends, my co workers, and really helping people as a mentor and through philanthropy and a lot of the volunteer things that I like to do. I would say dream big. Don't sell yourself short. Be curious, and always learning. The more well rounded you are, the more valuable you'll be to the company you're working for, and more opportunities will come your way. And always find ways to give back, whether that's at work and some of the philanthropic things that they're doing or volunteering outside, because it actually will bring you so much joy, like it has me. It's interesting. It's such an important topic right now, and we're all trying to figure out, how do we go back to work? What I'm finding is, as a leader, if the team knows how you're going to manage it, they follow you. For me, for example, I plan on working two to three days a week from home and a couple days in the office, and sometimes I might be 100% from home. Once they heard that, they feel like, okay, it's okay for me to work from home. But you're also gonna have to be 100% of meetings on Zoom because not everyone will be there. So getting used to that and having the technology to be able to do that is gonna be interesting over time as well. I love being a board member because of all the wonderful women that I've met. You know, it was interesting. During the pandemic, we actually got together a peer group that meant monthly. And we talked about how our teams are doing, you know, what are our company's biggest struggles. We talked a lot, helped each other through it. We shared technology, we shared ideas. And I just found that it's, you know, it's really invaluable to surround yourself with women who are in the same boat because you can help each other navigate through the craziness that's going on right now. And just having those people that you can talk to, whether it's personal or whether it's business, you know, we've become friends, and I can't wait for the event. So excited.
