Lindsay Sharlow

Never give up. There were a few times, especially when I moved from apparel at Ross to Dollar Tree, I was told, do you really think that you can buy that? You've only ever bought apparel. I was adamant in my background and my strengths. I truly believe if you are a student of your business; know your customer, your competition, and analyze your data it doesn't matter if it's leggings , dresses, or ping pong tables you will be successful. You must stay true to your customer and the core values of delivering exceptional value, quality product, and being a student of your business. Those are the foundation, and wherever my career goes in the future, they will always be what drives my success.

The best advice I ever received was simple: ask why. A manager early on pushed me to never accept 'that's just how it's done' as a complete answer. Whenever I hit a wall — a process that seemed outdated, a goal that seemed impossible — the first question was always 'why does it work this way?' More often than not, there was no good reason, and that's where the opportunity was. It taught me that curiosity isn't just a trait, it's a tool.

The honest truth is that business — across all industries, not just retail — still operates with a significant gender dynamic that women have to navigate. Being heard, having your ideas land with the same authority, earning a seat at the table — these remain real challenges, and ones I personally faced for a long time.

My advice comes down to three things.

First, protect your passion. The intensity and drive that brought you to this field — don't let the friction of the environment extinguish it. That fire is your advantage, and it's what will separate you over the long run.

Second, learn to play the game — without losing yourself in it. That's a difficult balance and, frankly, an unfair one. But being aware of the dynamics at play early, and learning how to operate strategically within them, is a skill that will serve you more than almost anything else.

Third, seek out female mentors deliberately. Not just for inspiration, but for practical guidance — women who have navigated the same tensions and can help you find your footing faster than you would alone. That relationship can be the difference between surviving in an industry and truly thriving in it.

Having shifted to e-commerce, one of the greatest opportunities right now is speed — specifically, how quickly you can deliver quality products to the customer. Amazon has turned delivery into an hourly science, and Walmart is closing the gap rapidly through technology investment. The race to match that standard is very real.

But beyond logistics, I think the bigger opportunity lies in how effectively a company can leverage AI — not just as a novelty, but as a structural advantage. Anyone can open ChatGPT and generate an idea. The real differentiator is having the organizational foundation to actually operationalize AI — whether that's using it to generate leads, build smarter campaigns, surface new product opportunities, or get in front of the right customer at the right time.

The companies that will win in e-commerce and retail in every format aren't just the ones with access to these tools — everyone has access. It's the ones who build the systems and culture to use them with discipline and intention.

Integrity and accountability — without question. These aren't just professional values for me; they're the foundation of how I operate in every area of life. Without them, it's nearly impossible to build the kind of trust that makes people want to follow you, work alongside you, or bet on you.

But for me, those values only mean something when they show up in the small moments — not just the big ones. Follow-through is where integrity is actually tested. It's easy to talk about values in the abstract. What's harder — and what I've found matters most to the people around me — is simply doing what you said you were going to do, when you said you were going to do it.

I notice this constantly. At trade shows and conferences, I'll have a great conversation with someone and tell them I'll follow up. I do — quickly. And the response I get more often than I'd expect is genuine surprise. That tells me something. Follow-through has become so rare that it registers as exceptional. To me, it shouldn't be exceptional — it should just be the standard.

Holding yourself to that standard, consistently, is how you build a reputation that opens doors before you even walk through them.