Coworking with Stephanie Turner

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After spending 4+ years at arts-and-crafts retailer Michaels, Stephanie Turner  joined fashion accessories brand Fossil, where she’s director of CRM Marketing, North America, this year. Now, she’s focused on acquiring and engaging shoppers through email, text, and direct mail for the retailer.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? When people ask me what I do at Fossil, I usually say, “Anytime you read an email or text, or maybe get a holiday catalog in the mail, that’s my team.”

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? My guilty reading pleasure is web comics, specifically on the platform Webtoon. I’m currently reading 10 series simultaneously in my bed at night after I put my kid to sleep.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? Rebranding at Michaels. Throwing all biases out the window to design a new customer brand experience was the toughest challenge I’d had to that point, and then we launched at the beginning of the pandemic (April 2020). It tested me in ways I didn’t fully understand, and I’m grateful for that opportunity.

Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about this year, and why? VR integration into shopping experiences.

What’s your go-to coffee order? Venti iced vanilla coffee with half-and-half, year round (I live in Texas. It’s always hot outside.)

Worst piece of advice you’ve received? “Don’t be the first to speak in a meeting. It makes you look too assertive.”

What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? Then: my brand new flip phone. Now: my growing collection of Fossil accessories.