Name: Lyndsey Young
Year: (Super) Senior
Major: Business Management with a concentration in Entrepreneurship
Hometown: Charlotte
Q: How did you first get involved with Gladiola Girls?
A: I got the job at Gladiola girls with the previous owner, Kristen Hall. It was actually really random. I just walked in, asked if they were hiring and got an interview on the spot. I remember Kristen later calling me and saying “so do you want to be a Glad Girl?” Looking back on it now it sounds pretty silly, but I was so excited I think I screamed. I was originally hired as just a sales associate.
Q: How did you gain your current position as buyer?
A: After working with Kristen for about 6 months, she sold the store to Renee Wood. I remember being really worried that Renee might not like me or that she would decide to change a lot of things and I wouldn’t like her, but it was the complete opposite. It turned out that Renee and I had a lot in common, one of them being we were both Chi Omegas, so we clicked right away. After a few months of Renee being there, she asked if I would go to market with her to give her a second opinion since I knew most of the customers. It was an eye opening experience and, in turn, I ended up changing my major from Speech Pathology to business entrepreneurship because I knew that owning my own boutique was what I wanted to do.
Q: What are some of your duties?
A: My daily duties consist of usually just helping customers, going over line sheets and entering bills , but about three times a year I travel to Atlanta or Las Vegas and attend trade shows. I look at hundreds of different lines and pieces and try to pick the best ones for our customers. Everything from denim to cocktail dresses, I usually have seen touched and tried on before we purchase them in bulk for our store.
Q: What is the hardest part of being a buyer?
A: Definitely trying to pick the best items for our customers. Most trade shows are 6 months in advance from when we get the items. So for instance, in July we travel to Atlanta and buy for January through March. Then in February we travel to Vegas to buy for late summer and fall. It’s hard to wrap my head around chunky sweaters and boots when I’m sweating in the 90 degree summer sun.
Q: What is your favorite part of the job?
A: I love when there’s something that I get really excited about at market, it comes to the store, and makes other women just as excited. As crazy as that sounds, I really do get so excited about silly things, like a pair of boots or a fabulous silk blouse. I also just love making women feel good in what they’re wearing. I want every woman to walk out of Gladiola Girls feeling good, even if they didn’t buy anything!
Q: As an entrepreneurship major, do you plan to open up your own boutique one day?
A: I would love to open my own boutique one day. I’ve seen a lot of change happen in the five years that I’ve worked at Gladiola Girls, and I’ve seen a lot of ups and downs. I want to be realistic, but I’m still optimistic that I will have a boutique one day!
Q: Any plans for after graduation?
A: After graduation I’m planning on moving back to Charlotte for a short time, and then eventually moving to San Juan, Puerto Rico to join my boyfriend who is stationed there with the Coast Guard. I’m not sure what I’ll be doing in Puerto Rico, but at least I have a few months to figure the details out!