Marie Acompora

I attribute my success to the guidance and belief of my manager Sandy Crane, who was the Operations Manager at Saks. She was the most wonderful person. I looked up to, and she ran the storesnd olways ran the yearly inventory which I ran with her and in those days it was “ Handwriiten & Organized my Inventiry Books at the End of the Night “ fantastically. When I doubted myself, like when she wanted me to take on both the customer service manager and loss prevention manager roles simultaneously, she told me, 'You can do both. Don't worry about it. I have faith in you.' She made me always feel strong and changed my opinion of myself. It made me grow, it made me stronger, it made me better. She was definitely my mentor and guided me through the whole thing. Having someone I respected so deeply believe in me really changed everything. She was my model from my early 20s when I was just a kid, and she influenced all my judgments going forward. Even after she retired, her impact stayed with me. I also give myself credit for not letting fear hold me back. When Sandy said she believed I could do both jobs, I said, 'Okay, if you say so then I'll do it,' and I did it fine. I did a good job. As long as I had her, I felt strong.

The best career advice I received came from my manager Sandy Crane. When I doubted myself and asked, 'Sandy, you sure I can do these both these jobs?' referring to taking on both customer service manager and loss prevention manager simultaneously, she told me, 'I'm telling you, you can do both these jobs. Don't think for a minute I wouldn't put you there if I didn't think you could do it.' That confidence she had in me, her belief that I was capable of more than I thought, gave me the strength to say yes and take on challenges I wasn't sure I could handle. Her words changed my opinion of myself and made me grow stronger.

I would say, listen, always listen. Ask the questions. Don't be afraid. There's no such thing as a dumb question. Ask it, because people want to answer questions, they just don't get asked enough. And always know that you can do it. You can get to the highest goal, always, no matter what, no matter where you started from. I mean, I was just a regular sales girl on the selling floor, selling clothes. You start off as a gopher, however you start off, but it's up to you to move, to make the changes, to get noticed, to be the person who they can depend on. It's all up to you to be that. I also think it's a good idea to find someone that you feel is intelligent, watch how they move in a company and how they do things, pick them and follow them, emulate them. It's helpful. Women can be catty, they can be a lot of things, but if you find someone you respect, that can make all the difference. And pay attention. You can't just let anything go by. Watch, keep your eyes open, look around you, see who's making the moves, look at your managers, see how they're dealing with it. All very important. You have to always take the opportunity you have and learn from it. Learn from the moment. That's the important part.

One of the biggest challenges in high-end retail, including stores like Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, is adapting to the rapid shift toward digital shopping while maintaining a personalized, luxury in-store experience. At the same time, this shift presents an opportunity to elevate client engagement through data-driven insights and highly curated services. The key is balancing innovation with the exclusivity, service, and human connection that define luxury retail.

She values mutual respect, honesty, and integrity as the foundation of both her work and personal life. Commitment and curiosity drive her to grow and continuously improve. She believes strongly in the power of collaboration to achieve meaningful results. Community is also central to her, guiding how she connects with and supports others.