Blog #164  I talked about the tipping point for me. In this blog I want to talk about how Nordstrom Consolidations sealed the deal.

Nordstrom decides to take the consolidations a step further by having the San Francisco buyers buy for the Northern California region. I was a lead Buyer for the East Bay side at the time. This meant I helped coach the other buyers on direction. With this move I’d be a department manager instead. Am I going to have to take a pay cut I wondered.

My RMM shows up unannounced again. This was so rude. All my previous RMM’s always gave that courtesy so you could plan your day. This would always put things in a tailspin. He informs me of the move to department manager with a wry smile. I would stay at the same salary. Ok not that bad this time I thought.

Review

Too fast, he whips out a review and proceeds to tell me my “Opportunities.” Most were lies and totally not my character. This was a hit job basically but maybe I deserved it for being insubordinate. He put down in the review that reps complained about me often which was not true. I had great relationships with all my reps so I called him out on that one. In all my years I had stellar reviews from many different RMM’s. Never had more “opportunities” than “strengths”. He was out to get me.

“If you want me to quit, I’ll make it easy for you.” I told him. “Just be a man and say it to my face and I’ll give you my notice today” Wow it came out. He looked at me and said he wanted me to just work on the opportunities. “That’s what I thought” I said. This review is something you give someone that you want to force out. Again he said he wanted me to work on my opportunities. If they were real, I’d be able too.

I knew when he left I’d be calling the recruiter from Target to accept. Fuck him…11 years of good service wasn’t good enough. All the people I promoted, all the new brands I brought to Nordstrom…

Friendships

The other side of the coin was all the great relationships I developed over the years. Going to Target I wouldn’t be in contact with all my friends in the Shoe industry. We were having great success with some brands even though our business was tough.

• Dean with Wolff shoe company and our Sesto and Vaneli business was great in Valley Fair too.
• Doug Higgins and I developed a great Munro business.
• Our Cole Haan sales were through the roof thanks to Dan Butler and his attention to our store.
• Tom Faulk with Ferragamo helped improve our Salon business
• Terry Callahan and Nickels business was equally as hot.
• Sudini and Steve Reinhart came out with a new comfort sandal selection to grow their spring business so it wouldn’t be just boots.
• Steve Rutledge with Keds and I always had fun together
• Tom Austin and Clarks and his Double lattes and many, many more friends and reps.

Peers

I’d also miss my relationships with my peers too. Hearing Joe’s escapades and Marty’s stories. Claudia and Daryl and the Salon business. Doubt Target had a salon business lol. Kiyoko and Tim in Walnut Creek. 11 year’s worth of relationships would also change to some degree. Would I even maintain them I wondered going to Target. Blake Nordstrom and Jack Minuk visits, would also be oddly missed. Even though they would always be intense, I liked it. I had great respect for both of these guys and always learned something from them. I probably should have reached out to them and really don’t know why I didn’t. My mind was in a bad place at this point so I guess it was just that simple. I was so done…

Fact of the matter was, I didn’t know If the red shirt thing would work for me either. Not to be prudish but I liked dressing up. Before I called Target I wanted to make a few more calls. One was to Zappos the other the GMM for our region. I had a pretty good relationship with her.

I called her up and set up a time to meet with her. I’ll call Zappos too in the next few days.