Her Story
About Serena
I started working different jobs as a teenager, and the longest position I've held has been with the military for about 17 years. I'm so glad I was in the military because that's where I met my husband and had my children. In the military, I was an aviation structural mechanic working on airplanes, and I got up to the rank of E5 with a lot of qualifications. I've been working in retail since 2007, and I've been with The Flip Flop Shops for almost 6 years now, coming up this April. I'm currently the manager there, and we're under new ownership, so I'm helping the new owner get things in order since I've been there for so long. I handle everything from setting up merchandise to customer service, and I really bend over backwards for customers. I had a customer call me back recently about purchasing more shirts, and she couldn't believe I kept her information from 2023 because I really listen and work well with customers. Before the ownership changed, I was a shift lead and had to resolve problems between customers and employees, and train people. I don't take any BS, I shoot from the hip, and I don't tiptoe through tulips. That's why I was hired. That store in Duck, North Carolina may not be mine, but I take pride in it like it's my store. Anybody that has worked for me knows that store stays clean, and I have a certain window that I decorate that nobody else is allowed to touch. I'm also in the process of applying to be a corrections officer, so I'll be working two jobs soon.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Serena
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to going above and beyond what is required of me. A lot of my journey has been through the School of Hard Knocks, just taking a position and doing it better than the average person. I exceed myself and push beyond expectations. I don't just do what's asked, I take pride in everything I do. Whether it was in the military where I had to fight for qualifications like being a collateral duty inspector, or in retail where I treat the store like it's my own, I always give more than what's expected. I shoot from the hip, I don't take any BS, and I don't tiptoe through tulips. That's who I am and that's why I was hired.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say the military has many benefits, and a young lady needs to try different things to see what she is comfortable with. See what she likes and go forward from there, where she finds what she really likes. She will push herself to succeed in every way. Don't give up.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Within my field, the biggest challenge is getting tired because of my age. The challenge is also customers who come in with an attitude, and you have to kill them with kindness. What I like now is that I only have the store owner above me, not like Walmart where I had to go up the chain of command. It's just him and I. Before we changed ownership, I would call my boss and say I'm in trouble, and she would tell me don't worry about it. This is what I like about being at this store.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Family is very important to me. I also value how far I've achieved myself, especially with the military. When I was active duty, I was qualified to do many things, and one of them was a collateral duty inspector, and I had to fight for that when I went into the reserves. My achievement is just going above and beyond what is required of me. It's not just that store in Duck, North Carolina - he may own it, but that's my store. I take pride in it. Anybody that has worked for me knows that store stays clean. I have a certain window that I decorate, and nobody's allowed in. I take charge. I was hired because I don't take any BS. I shoot from the hip, I don't sugarcoat, and I don't tiptoe through tulips.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.