Coworking with Nicole Bohorad

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Before landing her most recent gig as customer experience advisor, retail, at software company SAP, Nicole Bohorad held roles at Rite Aid, Under Armour, Capital One, NBA, and ESPN over the last 25+ years, focusing on areas like omnichannel commerce, customer engagement and feedback, and brand and performance marketing.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? I analyze and assess retailers’ end-user customer experience across entry, path to purchase, customer data and retention, and determine how to fix key gaps to create a seamless, frictionless experience that impacts business goals in the most efficient way possible.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? I am an official emoji creator, having launched the lacrosse emoji in 2018, and consult on new ones. You can see this on my profile, but you can't guess it from my job.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? Launching a retail Covid-19 testing and vaccines program as a new business in 2020. From scheduling, to marketing, customer experience, and customer insights, it was a complex and rewarding undertaking that took continuous iteration to improve.

Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about this year, and why? Personalization based on accurate customer data. It’s certainly being done, but there’s much room to improve. The more customers can trust brands with their data and consent for brands to use it, the more open customers are to receiving and responding to messaging that is relevant to them.

What’s your go-to coffee order? Jot concentrated iced coffee (subscription) with Silk creamer.

Worst piece of advice you’ve received? “It’s going to be too hard to...change careers, learn data visualization, etc.” I’ve created these opportunities by setting educational goals with a desire to always be learning new skills.

What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? Favorite product at 15 was my Walkman for running with cassette tapes! Now, it’s Spotify on my Libratone wireless speaker.