Episode 2: Meet Sharonda Weatherspoon from Ralph Lauren

Welcome to this is how they did it, where I speak to fashion leaders from around the world. Some with decades of experience, some of the early stages. All have a story to tell, so sit back and keep listening. I promise you'll love it. Hello listeners and welcome to this is how they did it. I'm your host, Latisha Brown, and today we have someone that I am always in awe of when I get the chance to speak to her. She is passionate, strategic, a true leader in the fashion industry and always has a gem to share. So please help me in welcoming Charanda Weatherspoon. Senior Vice President of Luxury, Double RL, and Outlet Stores at Ralph Lauren. And she's also the co-chair for Diversity and Inclusion for North America. So welcome, Charanda. Thank you. I'm so excited to be here today. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you so much for joining me. So we go way back to Polo Jean's company wearing Polo's, cable mid sweaters, and Polo. And I've always admired you and also your work ethic and your ability to lead a team. Always such a great, just watching you has always been great. So once again, thank you for joining. And what I wanted you to do first before we jump into anything else is just talk to us about your journey. How did it all begin up until where you are today? Yeah, so I've had quite a journey when you think about fashion and business. I didn't go to school for either. I went to school for chemistry, which was way different if you really think about it. But as I started to get into it, the reality is that there were a lot of similarities. So Lombie Hala to went to school for chemistry, really wanted to be a pharmacist, had no interest in business or fashion for that matter. I mean, I always thought about myself as being fashionable, but didn't really follow the normal path of business administration. And interestingly enough, I actually was at a job working in my field and I hated it. I didn't get an opportunity to talk to people. I was just in a lab all day and I said, I'm going to do something different. And hence, I decided to take a job in retail and I started off working in the store very quickly. I want to say like two months in, I was actually promoted to an assistant manager. And then, hence, I started getting a lot of different promotions. And then now I've been at Ralph Lauren for about 20, this is actually going on my 21st year. And I've actually been really blessed to have a lot of different roles at Ralph Lauren. And one of the things when I think about just some of the commonalities, it's all been about leadership. So no matter what role I've been in, it's all been about leadership. So at Ralph Lauren, I started as a general manager. I then became a district manager from that role. I transitioned and did something totally different and became the director of human resources. I had no, I would say, experience directly in human resources in the traditional sense. But hence, I was actually able to make that leap and made it pretty successfully. From human resources, I then transitioned into an operations role because I felt like I wanted to be a lot more connected to the P&L and really the decision making and the finances of the organization. And then from that role, I became the head of stores and stores and store operations. And then now I'm in the role that I'm in today where I'm leading all of our stores for North America on our full price and our outlet side. But one of the things I will say when I think about how it all started, so for me, it started in a way where I was not necessarily someone who had gone to school for retail. But what I did go to school for was chemistry. And there were a lot of similarities. So when I think about the things that, in the skills that I use today, you know, when I think about math and science and some of the things that they teach you, the ability to be analytical to really be able to solve problems, to really think things through, to think about it in terms of process, those are all skills that I think are really important. And then when I think about things like leadership, I think all my life, I've been a leader to some degree. So whether it was in high school, whether it was in my drill team, in elementary school, like I always wanted to be the person that was in charge. And you know, when I think about retail and I think about a lot of the roles that I've been able to have, you know, I've been very blessed in a lot of ways to be able to do roles that's actually allowed me to allow my leadership to shine through. So when I think about making a transition from being, you know, a single unit leader running, you know, a few million dollars to now running several million dollars as a district director, you know, a lot of that was based on leadership and really thinking differently about how I influence people and how I influence processes to get things done. And then I also think about that jump from, you know, being in stores to now being the, you know, the director of human resources. That was probably one of the most challenging transitions that I had. But at the same time, when you're working in stores, you don't always realize all of the skills that you're really learning and you're developing as a leader. And a lot of what I had to do in human resources was put processes in place that impacted people. And you know, when you think about understanding people and understanding processes, you really can't go wrong. So that's awesome. Would you say that there were any, and when I say setbacks and asking this question, but really setbacks that would really prepare you for the wins, whether it was there anything like that that would happen because like you said, there was so many roles in these great opportunities, but being able to even transition into them. How did you approach that? Yeah. So I think when you think about, I think about myself as a risk taker and anyone who is willing to take risks, you're always going to have a significant amount of setbacks. And the reality is is that you're, you probably have more setbacks than you actually have wins at times. And there were a lot of times in my career where I felt like, you know, I felt either discouraged or I felt like things were going to be really challenged, really didn't feel like I may have been fully prepared. But then one of the things that I would say, you know, when I think about leadership and I think about what's really important, I think about things like, you know, the fact that you just have to figure out how to prepare yourself differently and how to really think differently and how to think about how you're going to operate, how you're going to regroup, how you're going to assert yourself and how you're going to step up. And when I think about a lot of these setbacks, one of the things that I've always been really good at doing is figuring out the problems and taking on the projects that no one wanted to take on. So when I think about the opportunities that I've been able to, you know, be given, a lot of it was because I raised my hand and said, you know what, I'm going to take on that. And I'm going to figure out how to be very valuable for in this role because I'm going to take on these, I'm going to take on these projects that really no one wants to do, but I'm saying a lot of value in it because I'm understanding the bigger picture in terms of really where we're going as an organization. So I think the biggest thing when I think about setbacks, they're going to come and you just really have to be able to be prepared and you have to really be constantly thinking about how you're evolving and how you're asserting yourself to be able to handle setbacks because that is going to be something that's definitely going to happen. And the more successful you become, the more you're going to have a lot more setbacks that you'll have. I mean, I think about the role that I'm in now and I think about times when I want it to be a general manager of a different location and I constantly was hearing no. And every single time somebody told me no, I got even more determined to really prove them wrong. So when I think about how I've handled setbacks, that's been a big part of how I've handled it. I've just really gotten even more determined. There's something about it that lights a fire in me every single time I would hear the word no. Or every single time I felt like I couldn't actually go into a role because I didn't always see someone that looked like me. And when I think about things like Dr. West, he said, "Fail better." And I think about those things because those are things that I really live by. Excellent. Now, you mentioned being a part of the Ralph Lauren world for 21 years coming up approaching that. So what has that been like? This is a heritage brand. Everyone knows this brand. Whenever I use examples in the classroom, I usually use Polo as an example because they're such a strong brand when we talk about expansion, recognizing logos and even the quality. So from your point of view, what has that been like? Yeah, I think it's been very exciting. But at the same time, I think that it has really come with, you know, some some challenges as well. I mean, I do think, you know, working for the most iconic American heritage brand is, you know, I mean, it's exciting within itself. When I tell people I work for Ralph Lauren, you know, people are automatically interested because it has such name recognition. But at the same time, I think that there's a lot of things that have that I've actually been able to do and I've actually been able to learn as a result of working for such an amazing, you know, organization. You know, and I think about the organization 21 years ago and I think about it now and it's definitely a much different place. I mean, I remember 21 years ago, I interviewed for the job and I actually turned the job down initially. And primarily because I didn't see anyone that looked like me. And not only did I not see anyone that looked like me, it was very hard for me to think about how I could aspire to greatness at this organization because people like me were not represented. We definitely had ads with Tyson and Naomi Campbell at that time. And that was really encouraging, but they were still far infusing between. So I turned the position down initially. And, you know, the great part about that was during that time period, it gave me an opportunity to have probably one of the best conversations that I've had with an HR professional in my entire career because he called me back and he said, just curious, you know, I felt like the day went really well. You met a lot of people. You got an opportunity to really be here and be, you know, in our world. What was it that created a situation where you made a decision to turn us down? And I had to be very honest with him and I said, you know, I'm concerned about the lack of diversity. I said every single person that I have actually been able to either speak with or interact with, they seem absolutely amazing. But I don't see anyone that looks like me. And it doesn't feel like there's an intentional approach around making sure that there are people like myself that are working here in other types of roles. So that opened up a whole different dialogue that I think even stunned him to some degree. And, you know, hence, I'm working here now and I'm here for 21 years. But it was probably the most honest conversation that I had had in my young career. And I decided to be courageous and have a courageous conversation because I wanted to make sure that, you know, if I was leaving one organization to go to another, I wanted to make sure that people really understood me and what I was all about. And while I think that there's a huge focus on assimilation, there also has to be a portion of really being able to just bring your whole entire self to work. And I wanted to make sure that if I had made that decision that I was going to be able to bring my whole entire self to work. I'm not an orthodox person. I think out of the box, I have unconventional ways. You know, when I even think about the Ralph Lauren experience, the Ralph Lauren experience wasn't my personal experience. I grew up, you know, I have, I come from very humble beginnings. I had not been horse riding. I did not own a boat. Those are not things that were part of my reality where I grew up in New Brunswick, New Jersey on Seaman Street. It was actually probably totally the opposite. You know, I grew up in a community where, you know, majority of the people were poor. And, you know, many people struggled just to do simple things like keep the lives on. So when I thought about, you know, somewhere that I wanted to be able to aspire to be great at, you know, I thought it was really important that we started off by having a really serious conversation about what my experience was and why that was so important to me. Wow, that that pretty much wraps everything up right there. But no, thank you. Thank you so much for being so courageous and sharing that with us because many times I think students or whoever is just trying to enter this industry or any industry, understanding that while you are interviewing for that company, you kind of want to make sure that this is going to work for you as well. And that you'll be able to succeed there also. So yeah, I think understanding the, you know, the company culture is important. And I don't think that you understand that just by talking to one person. And I think, you know, I was afforded the opportunity to talk to almost 13 people during that time period. And it definitely seemed like the culture that I would love, but it was really missing this one aspect. And, you know, like I said, I was really able to have some really great conversations that really, you know, landed me being there and I've been there for 21 years. And and not everything has been great. I mean, we've definitely had our share of working through things a lot differently and thinking about how we are thinking about things like representation. One of the other roles that I hold is the co-chair of our diversity and inclusion team for North America. And these are a lot of things that we really continue to really work through even now. Great. So kind of leading into the industry and it changing. What, what are you noticing about the industry? From your point of view, how is it changing? And perhaps some tips that you can add as well when people are looking to, perhaps enter the industry. Yeah. So a few things I think about, you know, the first is that one in four jobs are retail jobs. So when we think about just the power of that, you know, that's not my quote, that's the NRF. We'll tell you that. One in four jobs are retail jobs. So, you know, retail is still going to be around. I think that there has been tremendous change in the industry when you even think about, you know, how COVID has actually impacted, you know, stores, specifically brick and mortar. I think from a digital space, we were definitely already well on our way. People had definitely started to shop, you know, online. I don't think that brick and mortar is going to fully go away. But I think it has really forced everyone to take a pause and really say, how do you create a scenario where your experiences online and in stores are a lot more seamless? I think when I think about some things that have changed, I think you, you have to really, the lines are a lot more blurred, you know, before people would just focus on luxury. Now you see people buying, you know, the high end luxury and then they might, you know, pair it with something from Target. And that's, you know, how fashion works, you know, you go into a place like targeting, you see other brands that are really represented there and they are, you know, forward fashion. So I think those are a lot of ways that the retail industry has really changed. And when I think about what it's going to take to be successful, like I think about when I entered, you know, retail, it was okay for me to be a functional expert in one, in one area. Now when I think about it, it is so critical because we work in a highly collaborative environment that people are able to be what I would consider multi-lingual. So you can't just be a buyer. You have to understand buying, but you have to understand customer experience. You have to understand marketing and you probably also need to understand the finances. And you can be in meetings where all of those conversations are happening at one time. So your ability to really understand different aspects of the business, I think, are very, very important. The ability to have different experiences are important. I mean, I think about my own career where I went from front lines to literally working in multi-unit leadership or management roles to now going and doing something in human resources to operations. So the ability to really span all of those things become very, very critical is as you start to really think about how you're building not only your resume, but how you're continuing to really advance and learn different skills that are going to help you to really be more marketable in a world where many people have been just, I think, way too comfortable just doing one thing and not necessarily stepping outside of their comfort zone to try other areas. Okay, great. And you would say probably making sure that you're the best at this as well because there is not much competition out there. Yeah, I mean, every single day you're competing. And when I think about what it's going to take to be, you know, to continue to really aspire to be great, you know, no one remembers the person who is number two. I mean, it's just a reality. You think about the Olympics, no one remembers the person who came in second place. When you go to a doctor, you don't, you know, you don't go out and say, oh, I want to find a doctor who just skated by in school and made all Ds and S. You're looking for the person who was at the top of her or his class. And I think that that's important. Every single day, you're competing. Every single day, you know, I have a saying with my team, you know, we have to bring our A game every single day, you know, our B game is not good enough. It's all about your A game. How are you competing? How are you thinking differently? How are you solving a different problem? How are you taking the learnings from yesterday and applying them very quickly to now what we might need to do differently because everything that we do is about pivoting. You know, the things that we did two weeks ago, we can't continue to do those same things and still be successful. So you're constantly having to be in this place where you're thinking about doing things differently, being the best, thinking about how you pivot and then also coming up with new ideas. And that's really important. So I think this whole mindset about competition is important. People don't want the person who is mediocre. They really want the person who is aspiring to be the best. And when I think about being the best. It's also about being really well-rounded. When I think about people that are higher, I'm not just looking for someone who can do one thing. I'm looking at someone who has a really broad perspective and can really pull out themes really quickly and then really quickly get to action. So there's days where you might be working at 100,000 feet and then there's days that you might need to pivot and work at 10,000 feet very quickly. And I'm looking for people who can do that and do it very seamless. Excellent. Now, when we talk about networking or building relationships with people, you've been at Polo, like we said, over 20 years and you've met many different people, I'm sure along the way, are there some people that you've met that you keep in your toolbox of success and then kind of just talk to us about how you prepare to network with someone if that is a thing. Some people have it, just naturally it happens. And then there's also a strategy behind this as well. Yeah, I'm very intentional when it comes to networking. I believe that your network will ultimately equal your network. And when you think about those things and how strong that statement is, it is, it will be who all of us to make sure that we are thinking differently about the people that we meet. There's a word that I use, which is called intentional. I do think that you have to be intentional in terms of creating and developing and maintaining relationships. I mean, I think about something as simple as LinkedIn. I have over 5,600 people that I'm connected to. And then all of those people are connected to other people. But when I think about networking, there is definitely a skill. And this is something that I think a lot of students should really start to learn because I find that a lot of times people are not always, they're not always willing to go into a room and say and be intentional and say, you know what, I'm going to leave here. And I'm going to be very intentional. And I'm going to meet 15 people that I can add to my network whether I need to utilize them now or whether I'll be able to utilize them or call them up later. And when I think about some of the things that are really important, you know, the fact that you do have to remember people's names, you have to listen to their stories, you have to be able to very quickly, you know, understand what this person is about, what they might be able to help you with or what you might be able to help them with. And I think that that's very important. And I think the whole portion around maintaining, you know, your network, you know, something as simple as answering an email, answering, you know, a post on LinkedIn, all of those things are very important. Being fast about it, you know, if you meet someone today and then you email them, you know, two weeks later, more than likely, they're not going to remember you. And then even other simple skills, like have your elevator pitch ready. So someone, you know, contacts you or you're working, you know, the room and people are looking to meet you, you should be able to talk to them about what you do, who you are, what you're aspiring to be or what you might need help with. And those things should not be something that you're stumbling through. You should be able to, you know, in 30 seconds or less, be able to convey that to the person. And I think those things are really important, especially for students, but I would also say even for people who are in, you know, or have really settled in their careers, it's very, very important. And then I would say never count anyone else, you know, when I go into a room, I try to meet as many people as possible. So sometimes my conversations are not, you know, as long, but I'm really being very intentional around, you know, how am I talking to this person, what questions am I asking, how am I determining what I might be able to help her him with. And then I'm really meeting as many people as possible. And I think that is very, very key. And then not also, also not being afraid to ask other people to introduce you to people. I spend a significant amount of my time really what I would call connecting other people. It is one of the things that, you know, I'm very gifted at, you know, I'm listening to people and I'm like, oh, we should be, you should be talking to this person because they're working on X. So I spend a lot of my time doing those types of things. And, you know, I find it to be very gratifying, but networking is going to be really, I would say really, really important. Because normally when I think about even, you know, we talk about competing and we talk about, you know, the job market, a lot of times people are not just getting interviews because they are posting their resume. They're getting interviews because they have someone in their network that can make a phone call that can pick up the phone on their behalf from a trusted source that will help them to land an interview. So when you think about the importance of it, it's just very, very important. See, I told you all she drops gems. I hope everyone's taking note of this. Now, a little bit earlier, you mentioned being co-chair for a diversity and inclusion. So I wanted to give you some more time just to talk about this because I think it's so important and I'm so happy that you're at the head of this. Yeah, well, you know, I think I've been doing that this now for a few years and this is, you know, it's something that's just near and dear to my heart. I think when I think about all of the issues that we're currently faced with, so whether it is the murder of George Floyd that have really started, that really started, I would say something that has been very, very needed just overall and made us really take a step back and really start to understand the plight and the challenges that African-American or Black people or people of color were experiencing whether it was in the workplace or whether it was in society has become very important. When I think about things like women's rights and parity, those are also things that are really important. When I think about even in retail, you know, it is, we have a lot of women that are in retail roles but not always as CEOs are not at the top. I think about even in my own company where up until a few weeks ago, I was the only African-American senior vice president that was a black female. We just hired someone else into an SVP role, so there's two of us now. But when you think about those things and you think about, you know, all of the things that we're experiencing in the world, everything can be looked at from a diversity and inclusion standpoint. So our efforts here to really make this world a much better place in every single corporation doing their part to make sure that their rules and their policies are in alignment with treating people fairly and that we don't create scenarios whether intentional or not that are not equal, I think is really important. So in this role, I get an opportunity to really be able to work through a lot of those types of challenges. Most recently, we're working on some projects where we're looking at giving part-time benefits, benefits to our part timers, which I think is really important when you think about the makeup of our part-time population. It's really important. And, you know, just the fact that so many people still do not have healthcare is a major issue. So it gives me an opportunity to really blend a lot of things that I'm very passionate about anyway with a lot of the work that we're able to do as an organization. And the great part about it is that I just feel so inspired with all of the things that we've been really able to accomplish as an organization to do our part in making the world a much better place. Excellent. So what are you most excited about now and whether this is career-related, whatever it is, just kind of opening that up to you right now. What are you excited about? Or what's next for Shirana? Yeah, so I think that those are two different questions. So when I think about what I'm excited about, I'm excited about life. I'm excited about living. I'm excited about the possibilities. You know, I am definitely a glass half full type of person. So even during this pandemic, you know, I've actually been very excited about some of the things that I've been able to accomplish that, you know, before I probably said, oh, well, I didn't have enough time to do this. Or, I mean, there were reasons why I couldn't get it done. You know, this pandemic has been absolutely amazing for me because it's really forced me to think about other skills that I may not have beautifully utilized. I even ordered a clarinet and I said, I'm going to start playing a clarinet again. So I'm excited about taking those classes and really starting to really utilize another side, you know, that I don't always exercise my artistic side in that type of way. I'm all, I'm very musically inclined, but now to really be able to say, okay, I'm playing an instrument again is something that I'm very excited about. I'm excited about family. I'm excited about just, I'm excited about everything that that is going to be coming. And I'm not one of those people that wait until the new year to get excited. I'm excited right now. And then when I think about from a work standpoint, what's next? You know, ideally, I have a lot of you know, dreams and aspirations, you know, but right now I'm still really focusing on being the best that I can be. I just recently got promoted into another role, which is the role that I'm in right now. And you know, that's keeping me busy, you know, right now, but at the same time, you know, I am, I'm still competing and I'm still being very focused on being the best. I'm focused on how am I continuing to add impact. And while I work for an amazing brand, I actually think about myself as a brand. I think about my leadership as a brand, you know, while I am Shoranda, the employee for Ralph Lauren, I'm also Shoranda, the person. I'm also Shoranda that's on the board of directors for the New Brunswick Education Foundation. I'm Shoranda, that's a mentor, you know, there's so many other aspects and depths to the things that I'm doing. And I think the ability to really make sure that while, you know, what I do at work is absolutely amazing. But what I do in the community is just as amazing and being a very productive person and society is important to me. You know, I have the saying to who much is given much is required. And, you know, for the most part, I'm constantly thinking about, you know, what, what role am I playing to make the world a better place? What role am I playing to make my community a better place? How am I utilizing my skills and my gifts and my network to do some things that are much different? And, you know, it brings me back to a time, you know, the tissue you started off were really talking about, you know, us knowing each other almost like 21 years ago. I know. Well, jeans, when I ran that polo jeans store, it was the best experience of my life. That was probably my first time as a young professional that I realized the importance of influencing and really being able to give back to the team members that you really were in support of and that you were responsible for. That role gave me an opportunity to do some amazing things, you know, for many of you that may not know Elizabeth New Jersey is a population of primarily black and brown people. And in many ways, it's really a poverty stricken community. And I had some of the most amazing people that worked with me at that polo jeans store and, you know, one of the things that when I think about the things that I'm proud of stuff. You know, we had an opportunity to do something really unique. This is back when first union was a bank. And I was wondering why all of my employees were not able to work on a Friday. And it was primarily because, you know, they would have to come to work. They took the bus to work almost majority 90% of the people that worked with me took the bus to work. They would have to come in on the bus to get their paycheck. They would have to take the bus home to get their checks cash and all of them use the check cash in place. So that really gave me the opportunity to really say, you know what, I can do something about this. And I can actually help the people on my team to start thinking about, you know, things a little differently. So I called up first union. I talked to them. I got a few of the, you know, different people that I was actually able to talk to until I talked to the branch manager. And then I told the branch manager that I think it would be a great opportunity for first union bank to really come in and really do something different for an underserved population. And they came in. They were able to provide my team members with zero. Zero balance checking accounts, which made the world of a difference for them because now they didn't have to pay the 10 to 15% for the check cash in place. They were actually able to sign up for direct deposits. So they didn't have to take the bus to work just to get their paycheck. And those are the things when I think about, you know, your ability when I think about leadership, you know, leaders are constantly looking for ways to serve. Leaders are not just in positions just so that way people can serve them, but they are constantly thinking about the people that they're responsible for and accountable for and how do they really serve them and how do they create. You know, this world or this dream of a better life for them in in whatever way that might be. And for me, that was really saying, OK, you know what we're going to figure out. You know, how we can educate people on finances, how we can really make sure that they're not just thinking about spending all of their money that they work so hard for at the check cash in place. But they're able to start building wealth and they're starting to actually understand savings. So that way they can start to, you know, save their money and do other things. And those are things when I think about leadership. You know, it's about impacting others in a way that's going to be more positive, you know, I always believe that you should lead things better than when you came. And that was probably one of my best examples of really leaving somewhere better than better than when I came. Thank you so much. I think you on behalf of so many people. I think that right there was just such an example of being a leader outside of just the four walls, perhaps of that space that you're working in, but really taking that that extra step. So thank you. Now, if anyone would like to reach out to you, connect with you, how may they do that on social media. Yeah, so I'm definitely on LinkedIn. And it's just my first name and my last name, Shuronda, a weather spoon. You can definitely connect with me. If you do connect with me because you've heard about, you know, you've heard this talk. Make sure that you send me a private message and let me know where you heard it from. So that way I can make sure that we're connecting and we are ready starting to build our relationship. But I definitely would love to meet as many of you as possible. So feel free to, you know, to connect with me via LinkedIn. Thank you. So thank you once again. I wish you all the best. I want you to stay well, stay healthy, continue to do the great work that you do. And we will definitely keep in touch. Amazing. Thank you for this opportunity. And be safe, everyone. Wow. Wasn't Shuronda great? And she gave some really great advice on being your best. Remember to link up with her on LinkedIn, Shuronda, weather spoon. So that's it for this week's episode of This Is How They Did It. Be sure to sign up to our email list at latishabrown.com and subscribe in your favorite podcast app. So you don't miss out on our next episode. I'm latisha Brown. And remember, they did it. And so can you. So long.