Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenny Nguyen.
Hi Kenny, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve been in retail my entire career. I started working in college at Abercrombie & Fitch as a sales associate and worked my way up to Assistant Manager. I was there for the better part of 8 years, and it was there that I discovered my love for visual merchandising. From there, I moved on to Zara for 2 years as a Visual Coordinator for the Men’s department and then to Intermix as a Stylist with visual responsibility for another 4 years. I had always known that I wanted to work in the fashion industry, and I got my foot in the door at Intermix. I now work as a Visual Coordinator for a local high-end women’s department store called Tootsies here in Houston.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not. There were a few bumps in the road during my period with Abercrombie that included leaving for a brief moment and coming back as a manager. I learned that job growth was really important to me during that period; each time I moved on to another job, I knew I wanted to do something I hadn’t done before. After I left, I had to take a part-time job for a few months before I found my full-time job at Zara. if you know anything about Zara, you know that there’s never a dull moment there.
When I got promoted, I was absolutely terrified. I didn’t know if I would be able to handle it on my own, and when you’re young, it’s only natural to question yourself if you can do it. Abercrombie’s merchandising was much more detail-focused, so when I moved to Zara, I had never been in a position where I had to physically merchandise with very little directive. I had more creative reign than I’d possessed before, which made things a lot more interesting.
Going into Intermix was a completely different ballgame because it was heavily focused on clienteling. As an introvert, the struggle was definitely getting myself to approach clients and build those relationships. Working there taught me how to turn on my social skills, and thankfully, it came somewhat naturally to me. My passion for fashion made it easier to connect with clients, and I ended up building some really great and genuine relationships that I still have today.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a Visual Coordinator for a women’s luxury department store called Tootsies. I have merchandised the entire store; however, I specialize in their Designer and Contemporary departments. I’m a detail-oriented and organized person by nature so I’m really known for my attention to it. A lot of my associates, however, will tell you that I do everything. Thanks to my management experience, I know how to handle operational tasks on top of my visual tasks, allowing me to multitask quite often.
The thing that I’m proudest of is actually the fact that I’ve been able to overcome the challenges that allowed me to be able to handle such a large store. I know that seems like such a cookie-cutter answer, but like most people, it’s hard to understand just how much work goes into merchandising until you actually do it yourself, and in a 30,000+ sq. ft. store, it’s no easy feat. I think that’s what also sets me apart. I’m a stubborn and tenacious person so I refuse to do any work that is not according to my high standards, and I love a good challenge.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
That’s a tough one. Each job requires its own set of qualities, but I think the biggest quality to take anywhere is confidence. It’s perfectly normal to doubt your abilities from time to time, especially when you move into a new job or industry; however, once you gain that experience and truly build that confidence, it becomes more prominent wherever you go.
As I mentioned before, I like to go to jobs that involve a skill that I haven’t really experienced or cultivated. A big part of it is because I want to be more well-rounded as a person. It sounds counterintuitive, as the saying goes, “jack of all trades, but master of nothing.” However, every lesson and skill I’ve learned from each job has led me to be confident in my skills wherever I go, and moreover, I’m able to apply those skills to my specialty.
It’s made me not only confident in my ability but also as a person. I’ve learned to trust my instincts and work with integrity because of it. Tootsies is no exception; if you told me at the beginning of my career that I would work at a store as large as this one, I would’ve curled up in the fetal position, but when I started, even though I had no idea what I was getting myself into, I knew that I’d be able to handle whatever they threw at me thanks to what I’ve learned in my experiences. 2 years later, I’m still with Tootsies, and that says a lot.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/the_asian_gent
- Facebook: Facebook.com/knguyen516
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kenny-nguyen-95676298
Image Credits
Ahmad Sweeney
