Alyssa Cordonnier
Alyssa Cordonnier is a dynamic retail leader with over a decade of management experience, most recently serving as a Store Manager at White House Black Market in Tampa, Florida. Known for her results-driven approach, she has consistently delivered strong sales performance, operational excellence, and elevated in-store experiences through strategic visual merchandising. Alyssa’s leadership style emphasizes building motivated, high-performing teams while fostering a positive and engaging work environment that drives both customer satisfaction and business success.
Throughout her career, Alyssa has demonstrated a strong ability to grow within organizations and lead across diverse retail settings. She progressed from Assistant Manager to Store Manager at White House Black Market, following impactful roles at Fabletics and EXPRESS, where she oversaw merchandising, talent development, and store operations in high-volume locations. Her ability to analyze performance metrics, implement effective sales strategies, and cultivate talent has earned her recognition as a top performer, including Store Manager of the Month honors. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services from St. Petersburg College and has further strengthened her leadership capabilities through certifications in emotional intelligence, coaching, and communication.
After more than 10 years in retail management, Alyssa made the intentional decision to transition away from the industry to pursue her true passions in creativity and design. She is currently writing a book while developing a fashion-focused brand centered on custom bedazzling and artistic expression, inspired by strong support from her personal network. As she works toward launching her brand and website, Alyssa is embracing the freedom to explore her creativity, drawing inspiration from her experiences in music, art, and culture. She has explored DJing, held a residency, and has long been immersed in the music scene, including participating in a study for SoundCloud and attending festivals for over 15 years. Her background as a competitive cheerleader and coach for more than 15 years has deeply shaped her resilience, leadership, and communication skills, allowing her to travel extensively and build a strong foundation of discipline and perseverance. Energetic, outgoing, and forward-thinking, Alyssa is excited to channel her creativity into meaningful ventures and build a future aligned with her passions.
• Leading with Emotional Intelligence
• Practicing Fairness as a Manager
• Giving and Receiving Feedback
• Coaching Skills for Leaders and Managers
• Communicating with Confidence
• Productivity Tips: Finding Your Rhythm
• Professional Networking
• Time Management Tips: Communication
• Coaching Employees through Difficult Situations
• Content Marketing: Social Media
• St. Petersburg College - BSBA
• Golden Hanger Award for Individual Excellence at Express
• Store Manager of the Month at White House Black Market (Nov 2022)
• Top Co-Manager at Express (Jun 2018)
• DJ for Ladies Club Breast Cancer Charity Event
What do you attribute your success to?
I think my success really comes from being surrounded by people that care about you. In cheerleading, being on a team and feeling uplifted by others while also doing that for them was huge. I also think that remembering everyone is different has been key, especially in a management role. You can't treat everyone the same because people operate differently. Being successful in management is understanding how people work and playing to what works best for them, because some people thrive in certain environments while others need something else to excel. In retail, you have people that work in the back room who don't want to be in customer service, so it's about playing to people's strengths in a team environment.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
She would like to highlight people who have really helped her thrive in her environment. She attributes her success to be surrounded by those caring people and those who understand the difference that she brings to the table in her own individual value and would like to emphasize how important it is to have that strength behind you with a successful and supportive group of people. Alyssa has worked within Fabletics in the White House Black Market and I had expressed over a decade diligently to grow her career and has had amazing opportunities to jump into the DJ realm truly exemplifying what it means Follow your passions.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say, whenever you feel pressure or defeated, that's the time to go harder. If you're pursuing anything that's going to be big, you have to push through those moments. I think the biggest problem I had when I started DJing was dealing with my shadow self and my ego. You have all these thoughts, and you're feeling judged and perceived, but that may not be what people are actually thinking. And if that is true, that may not be the environment to stay in, because sometimes it is true, but it's not always true. You have to understand the difference between self-doubt and external judgment. It's really important for us to break away from the doubt we place on ourselves and the imposter syndrome, and begin to pour into ourselves and invest in ourselves. There's a specific book that really helped me mentally break through all of this, because everyone has those feelings of self-doubt. It's called The Tools by Phil Stutz and Barry Michaels, and I feel like everyone should read it. Life is too short to do something that you don't enjoy. It's important to look within yourself and find out what you would like to pursue and where you feel that you are most needed and will be most happy and rewarded through the experience.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Alyssa We'll be jumping in to add more detail regarding what has inspired her to make this move in her career, what she looks forward to when her new business is launched and how she would like to connect with our readers as well as inspire others, how she would like to expand her network of other incredible women in the fashion and design industry, what brings her joy outside of work including music, her interests and hobbies, she will also add any details regarding those who have inspired her throughout the years and made an impact in her life including her family and professional connections, Had any other details that she would like to share with our readers in regard to her own accolades and achievements and what she's looking forward to in her future.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are my family, staying true to myself, and having the courage to pursue my dreams. I believe in listening to my intuition and embracing new opportunities that align with my passions and personal growth. As new adventures arise, I am driven by a desire to explore paths that are both fulfilling and meaningful. Throughout my career, I have remained committed to excellence and continuous improvement, which has been recognized through achievements such as being named Store Manager of the Month in November 2022 and Top Co-Manager in June 2018. These experiences reflect my dedication to growth, leadership, and living a purpose-driven life.