Rhonda Ritchie

I attribute my success to taking that leap of faith and being willing to step outside my comfort zone. When I was at Walmart for 6 years, I was really struggling to move up and they weren't seeing it. I had to make the decision to step outside the company even though it was scary. I took a chance and walked by faith, and then all the doors just kept opening. It took me leaving one place to get where I'm at right now, and I'm continuing to move up into bigger and better things. I also had to get past my own mental blocks. I only graduated high school and didn't go to college, and I would tell myself I can't apply for positions because they wanted degrees. But at the end of the day, I absolutely qualified. I had to get past all that to say I'm just as good as the next guy. I think we do that to ourselves. We block ourselves. Once I realized that and started believing in myself, everything changed. My focus on people has also been key. If you take care of your people, your people will take care of you, and everything else will fall into place.

I think the biggest thing is if you want it, go for it, but it's not going to be handed to you. You have to work for it. I have some young ladies who have worked for me, and one did what she needed to do, but I have another who just wants you to knock on her door and come get her and bring her to a new job. You have to do your part. You have to fight for it and work for it. Nothing's handed to you. You can't be scared to do the work, and you have to be willing to fight for it, even if nobody else is fighting with you. You have to fight for yourself and be willing to stand on your values. If there's something you're just not gonna do because that's against what you stand for, then that's not the right place for you. When you're picking where you're going to go next or what you're going to do next, do it based on what aligns with you and your values. If it doesn't align, then that's not the right place, and it's okay to hold out. You don't have to take every offer that comes your way. Sometimes we all jump and say I'm going to take it because it pays good, but then you get there and it's everything you're against. Then what do you do? Are you gonna do everything you're against or just be miserable fighting it? It's very big that you not just find the right position for you, but the right place that aligns with you.

I feel that leadership positions in retail are still male-dominated, especially in big companies like Walmart. It's still a man's world. Us women, we play a part, and it's getting better, don't get me wrong, but in the Supercenter stores, the big stores where all the money's at, there's more men. I think there's still that challenge. The world's getting better, but I think there's always gonna be a little bit of a challenge. We're gonna keep fighting it though. We're gonna keep kicking the door in. When I was at Walmart on the construction side of things and being a female, that's definitely a challenge. But you just get in there and show them it doesn't matter if you're male or female, I can do what you can do and maybe better. On the fashion side where I am now at Saks Off 5th, it is a little easier. There's more women in management, which is great. I think at places like Walmart, people have been in those positions for a long time, and that's why you still see men. But as they start to retire or move into other positions, I think you're gonna start seeing more women fill those positions.

The most important value to me is being people-focused. Everything I do in my business is people-focused. I'm not here to make them work for me. I'm here to work for them. I'm here to help them navigate whatever obstacle is in their way. My goal is not to come in and fire people or get rid of people because they're struggling. It's about how can I help them through the struggle. If they've got something going on, what can we do to help or what information can we give to guide them? I really think it's about the people, and if you take care of your people, your people will take care of you. I also value alignment and standing on your principles. When you're picking where you're going to go next or what you're going to do next, do it based on what aligns with you and your values. If it doesn't align, then that's not the right place. You have to be willing to stand on your values. If there's something you're just not gonna do because that's against what you stand for, then that's not the right place for you. I'm not about negativity anymore. I will walk away from negativity. I think you have to surround yourself with the right people and in the right places. If you're not with like-minded people, then you tend to either get stagnant or you have their negativity.