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62 | GRAVITAS MAGAZINE GravitasMag.com Eight months later, I was promoted to department manager in Intimate Apparel, which is where I learned the business side. is is when I learned how to take some risks in my career. We had a k nockoff version of the Donna Karan top that was $110. We recieved si x that all sold in one day. I went to my boss and said we needed more. She asked me to figure how many we could sell. I really had to take a calculated risk deciding how many we could order and sizes. It was a success and a great learning experience. Why did you leave Neiman Marcus to relocate to Tampa to work for Saks Fifth Avenue? I had been at the New port Beach store for nine years. I felt like I had reached the top of the management level. en, I received a cold call from Saks Fih Avenue to open a new store as the assistant general manager in San Diego. I started as the assistant general manager and within a year was promoted to general manager. It was an opportunity to move from middle management to executive level. Unfortunately, Saks started closing several stores, including San Diego, and transferred me to the Tampa store in 2010. at was the first time my family had been to Florida. Who were your mentors at Neiman Marcus? A riela Shani was my merchandise manager years ago; she recently retired from the company. She was an incredibly strong leader, ver y physically tall and she was such a presence in the store. She was the one that gave me a lot of confidence and told me I was onto something. I think more than any thing , her trust in me, even as a ver y young person, meant a lot. She also took an interest in my life outside of work and the things that I did. Jeff Byron, who was the general manager at Saks, who hired me, taught me the people side of the business. He was just a charming man with a great sense of humor, always on the floor, which is where I like to be. Describe your management style. I think if you ask my team, they would tell you that my management style is ver y hands on and out there. ey always k now when I'm here, since I have a ver y loud laugh; I believe that's the thing that people comment on the most. My team likes to see me on the floor. I love to interact with customers, help the associates, and hear their success stories. Is there a particular image that you try to impart to the customers, buyers and designers about the Tampa store? I really want people to k now that the Tampa store is fun with a caring and k ind staff. It has always bothered me that there's a perception of Neiman Marcus being snobby because I couldn't work with a nicer group of people. It always makes me feel good when someone new comes into the store and they say to me "you guys are so nice, so amazing at what you do. I never thought to come here before." We really look at our business as transforming the experience of luxur y into a modern and relevant one for today's customers. What is your perspective on the fashion industry and its impact on women? As a company, we are ver y aware of how we represent women in our advertising , especially in our recent campaign. It's really about focusing on women who make a difference in their community and have an impact. It's about focusing in on real women. What fashion advice would you give our readers? You gain confidence when you're dressed appropriately and well for yourself. When I really k now that I have an outfit that looks good on me, I always feel more confident. As a business, that's what we really strive for, to make women feel even beer. I k now when I look in my closet, I have ever y thing from a 2 to a 10. I don't even look at sizes anymore and ABOVE: Kennedy Space. MIDDLE: With our dog, Taquito. RIGHT: Before a Rays game during the Stanley Cup playoffs. OPPOSITE PAGE: Elizabeth, Christine, James and Kim at Christine's graduation from UCI.

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