Yasmine Kearney

I attribute my success to God - he has brought me through everything and is my ultimate support system. I've been blessed to have a lot of wiser women around me who have helped me and guided me throughout my process in life altogether, but without God providing those people for me, I don't think I would be where I am today. Having the sisterhood to be able to lean and depend on others really matters. The support system of wise women that God has placed in my life has been instrumental in helping me get to where I am, and I'm grateful for that guidance and support throughout my journey.

Stay persistent. I've received a lot of good advice throughout my career, but when I really think about what stands out, it's the importance of staying persistent and not giving up. That advice has helped me push through challenges and keep moving forward in my career, even when things got difficult.

Be open-minded and be overly communicative with your supervisors and the people you're working with. When you're in the customer service field dealing with people, don't take the customer's demeanor or attitude personally. A lot of times when people are upset, it's because they're just trying to get something done, and nine times out of ten, it has nothing to do with you or the situation you're in with that customer at that time. You kind of just have to be patient and understanding, and realize that it's not about you. This mindset will help you succeed in customer service and retail.

The biggest challenge right now is converting the customer - turning that window shopper who's just wasting time in the mall into an actual buyer. Since the pandemic when everything closed and people stayed inside, everybody is still adjusting, and it's taking a long time to adjust back into regular shopping. We're trying to make more people come into the stores versus shopping online, and giving them an experience they're looking for, not just a regular shopping experience. I pride myself on sharing love and joy - that's just who I am. I'm a happy-go-lucky person for the most part, and I believe you never know what a simple smile can do for someone. But it's really difficult sometimes to make ends meet with the economy being the way it is. As a person who's struggling financially, I know that it's hard out here for single moms, single dads, two-parent homes, even three or four-income homes are struggling now. Times are hard, so giving that person an experience that makes them feel good enough to feel good about their purchase is the hardest thing in the industry right now. My job is to get people to spend their money, but I understand how difficult that is for families who are struggling.

Kindness, compassion, empathy, and honesty are the values most important to me. Communication is key in all situations - a closed mouth don't get fed, so if you don't communicate what you need, you won't be able to receive what you need or even get the information to get to where you need to be. Teamwork is essential because teamwork definitely makes the dream work. A happy, joyful work environment is crucial because it leads to better sales and happier employees. A lot of people are going through things in their personal lives, and we try to leave our personal lives outside of work, but emotionally it affects us. When you go to work and it's a good environment with people who are happy and smiling, those things you're dealing with personally kind of fade away at that time. It helps you succeed better and makes you actually want to come to work because you know when you get there, it's going to be a good day.