Melissa Parker, LPC
Melissa Parker serves as Asset Protection Manager at Earthbound Trading Company, where she has played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s retail loss prevention and asset protection initiatives. At Earthbound, departments focusing on retail loss prevention have fortified asset protection, enhanced store performance, and boosted team productivity. Melissa has contributed to strategies that promote sustainable growth, reflecting the company’s commitment to ethical practices and community engagement. Her expertise in leading teams has fostered a culture of innovation and inclusivity, and her hands-on experience in merchandising and sales has helped create a dynamic work environment that encourages creative solutions while supporting Earthbound’s overarching mission.
Melissa’s career in retail loss prevention spans over a decade, beginning at Victoria’s Secret, where she advanced from sales associate to store manager, cultivating a passion for loss prevention and team development. She later transitioned into leadership roles at Banfield Pet Hospital and Victoria’s Secret & Co., gaining deep experience in operational compliance, staff education, and risk management. At Earthbound, she founded and developed the company’s loss prevention department, implementing in-store training programs, OSHA compliance standards, and policies that safeguard employees and assets across the retailer’s 130 stores nationwide. She has also actively engaged in discussions on the evolving nature of retail crime, emphasizing organized retail crime prevention, staff education on emerging threats, and the continued importance of brick-and-mortar stores.
Outside of her corporate role, Melissa balances multiple commitments, including pursuing an MBA at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, serving as a School Board Vice President for Crystal City School District No. 47, and supporting her two children in their educational pursuits. She is passionate about empowering youth through practical education, entrepreneurship, and mentorship. Melissa’s leadership philosophy emphasizes open-mindedness, honesty, constructive guidance, kindness, and accountability. Her goal as a leader is to be remembered for the success of others, creating environments where teams and individuals thrive.
• Communicating with Executives
• University of Missouri-Saint Louis - MBA
• Mastodon Art Fair Board Member
• Crystal City School District No 47
What do you attribute your success to?
Going into every situation in life personally and professionally ready to learn from the people around me. Growth mindset and openness to learn and grow have helped me be aware and eager to be better and learn more.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Be agile and open to new experiences and prospectives. While doing this remember that setting boundaries within your personal and professional life that highlight your values is more important than always saying yes. Growth and success happen when you’re true to who you are as a leader/human first and foremost.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Make room for yourself by asking questions and pushing yourself into your uncomfortable. Build yourself a personal Board of Directors that advocates for your growth, development and keeps you honest and focused.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Understanding what is the new retail climate for customers, employees and suppliers. Everything is changing almost daily. Agility isn’t what we’ve know for the past decade, new ideas and fresh prospectives are needed to keep continued growth.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
People will always matter more than the bottom line. As my career has continued to grow and adapt, what I hold close to my personal values is: people, family, compassion, and understanding and leading thru true empathy is just as much about listening as being action oriented. True work life balance isn’t 50/50, it’s knowing when to dedicate your energy where, even if sometimes it’s 70/30 at work and others it’s 30/70. For me balance comes from awareness, agility and boundaries.