Thursday, April 15th
Last Thursday night, over 500 women and men from across the globe logged in to their computers to participate in Two Ten WIFI’s event – Staying Connected, a virtual conversation with industry leaders. More than a year after putting the program on hold due to the pandemic, WIFI’s relaunch was truly one for the record books, shattering previous attendance records for any Two Ten WIFI event in its eleven-year history – virtual or in-person.
The event featured a lively discussion with some of the industry’s most influential and innovative executives and was moderated by Sandi Mines, VP & Publisher of Footwear News. Topics focused on the challenges of remote work, and how to navigate life and career during the pandemic.
Michelle Poole, Brand President at Crocs, described how leadership had to quickly pivot their teams from office life to working from home, “We had to be flexible and partner with our teams to make sure that we allowed for the messiness of life at the time.”
Working virtually has put a strain on many people’s work-life balance. Dealing with daily responsibilities, work tasks, home schooling, etc can be overwhelming. Tacey Powers, EVP GMM Footwear for Nordstrom shared, “We have to be the ones to help our teams find balance because if we don’t we won’t have the creativity that’s so important in our business.”
Carrie Guffey, SVP Softlines for Dick’s Sporting Goods offered sage advice for those struggling to make connections remotely, and looking to network, “Think about what you love. Think about it is what you want to do. Network within your own organization. Engage with smart leaders. Sometimes that isn’t emphasized enough.”
For full coverage of the event, check out Footwear News’ article.
Thank you to everyone who logged in and made this event such a stunning success! With your support we raised over $10,000 for footwear families in need. Very special thanks to Kathy Forstadt of Zappos and Stephanie Militello of Birkenstock for all of their amazing work organizing the event.
