Bethany Wyttenback

I attribute my success to being able to understand people and being there for them. To me, how I am as a leader is just how a good, kind person should be. I'll have team members come to me and make comments about how they can't believe I'm willing to do certain things, like give them two days off for a big college event or rework their schedule for a class, and I'm like, well, any boss you have should be willing to do that. It's just logical, it's just second nature that you take care of those people. I buy my team snacks on a regular basis so my break room always has something for them, especially because we live in a world where some people maybe don't know where their next meal's coming from. I also give my team members little resin creatures when they need a pick-me-up or when they've done something really awesome. It's things like that where you just see that smile - they know that they're appreciated, they know that they're doing a good job, and you're thinking about them. I had a cashier who had to tell me about how she set up her shelf at home so she could have all of her little critters sitting on the shelf. It's just a good feeling both ways, that you can make their day a little bit better and they know that you're there for them. I truly believe I get better results from that, and I think it's the way everybody should be. I don't think it should be a necessary skill, I think it should just be second nature.

To lead by example and focus on building a strong team foundation rather than relying on temporary solutions. Bethany believes investing in people creates stronger businesses and more meaningful workplace experiences.

It's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be physically and emotionally draining. But if you're with the right company, and you create the right team, and you have the right customer base, it's all worth it. You can make a very good career out of retail, and you can make a career where you get to be involved in so many people's lives. And you can make a difference. I know that sounds a little crazy for retail, but I have literally been told by people I'm a lifesaver because I was able to find them what they needed, sometimes for a wedding or a funeral or a kid's project that they didn't tell them about till 8 o'clock that night. Those moments are what makes it worth all the hard work and all of the time and exhaustion. When I started my career in retail management, just being a woman was a challenge. Especially at OfficeMax, I quite often had older businessmen who, when I'd say I was the manager, they'd ask for the other manager. A couple times they were just blunt, asking where's the real manager, where's the male manager. It's tough, it hurts. But it's also given me motivation to rise above that, and my gender doesn't matter when my numbers are where they are.

One of the biggest challenges is that retail is ever-changing, and with what's going on in our world right now with tariffs and everything else, we don't know what's gonna happen day to day as far as our resources or what we're able to do to fill ourselves or take care of our customers. I think just keeping on track of that, being able to communicate it to my team members and customers, and make sure that I know what's going on and why it's happening, and figuring out solutions to fix the problem as much as we can. When I started my career in retail management, just being a woman was a challenge - I quite often had older businessmen ask for the male manager, and a couple times they were blunt about it. It's tough and it hurts, but it's given me motivation to rise above that. On the opportunity side, our world is always changing. I love when I start seeing people come in for the same item and being able to talk with them and find out what the trends are and support them for that, and just seeing all of the creative ideas that are out there. I love that it's not always the same thing over and over again, that I get to see different crafts, different hobbies, different things represented. I also think companies are really taking a stand one way or another in how they support their team, and I feel like now you really can know the company you're working for, and I appreciate that. That's why I'm at where I'm at.

Trust and honesty are most important to me, especially in work life - hopefully it's a given in home life. If I can't depend on my team to be there for me, and vice versa, we're not gonna get anywhere. You can be a really good boss and be nice and kind, but you also have to keep them accountable for what they're responsible for, and that's where that trust and honesty comes into place. I am very, very about diversity and inclusion. It's one of the things I love about my current company. I believe everybody should have the right to be who they are. That's a huge part of my life and my family's life. And going green when we can. It's a little bit difficult in the retail world, but I certainly love to support anything I can to help Mother Earth when I can at our workplace and in my home life.