Going from working as a lifeguard to being the president of one of the largest clothing companies in the world isn’t a small feat.
When I was interviewing for my first position at Levi Strauss &Co., someone mentioned that I had done a very good job managing my career. This always catches me off guard because it’s never felt “managed.” I’ve simply followed my entrepreneurial passion and interests, closed chapters when the time was right and enjoyed opening new ones.
So how did I get to living in Europe and working for Levi Strauss? My story started in California as a lifeguard and bartender—two exciting jobs for a 20-year-old. But I was without a clue as to what my “real job” would be. My uncle owned a surf company called Off Shore Sportswear, which competed with brands like Ocean Pacific, Hang Ten and Sundek (yes, I’m that old). When he suggested I come to work for him, it seemed like an interesting idea. I thought: why not work for a surf company?
I started at the bottom. I packed and tagged orders in the warehouse, made deliveries, built swatch cards, worked the cutting table, planned production, learned merchandising and spent time in independent sales. And from there, I followed my own path from merchandising to general management, enterprise level and two European expat assignments. I’ve somehow managed to work in many different segments of the apparel industry along the way: private, public and private equity-backed; small to large, start-up to global matrixed; men’s, women’s and kids; surf/skate/snow, sports, contemporary and denim; wholesale, retail and online. I spent three years as the President of Hurley and seven as the VP Design and Merchandising for Quiksilver. I even worked for Gotcha for a year back in the mid-80s.
On the surface, this resume may look like a bit of a mess. But an executive coach helped me put it into perspective: I was simply following character traits and principles. Each move added new experiences and knowledge to my professional toolbox. There are five big buckets that have served me well in the unlikely journey from lifeguard to corporate executive.
1. Stay curious. Curiosity is something you don’t want to grow out of. It’s drawn me to start-ups and successful global brands alike. Wherever there is something new to learn, I am drawn to it. This has given me the opportunity to learn many important lessons, for example: everything should start and end with the consumer; serve your customers and know what’s happening on their floors better than they do; innovate, integrate marketing and edit to amplify; the importance of combining a strategic roadmap with an intense hunger to compete and execute every single day. It’s nice to know that, whether you’re working for a small action sports company or a large global denim brand, there are some things that stay the same—and curiosity helped me discover that.
2. Follow your passions. I consider myself a very passionate person who gravitates towards other passionate people. I try to bring as much energy to everything I do, but I’m equally fueled by all of the talented and passionate people I get to work with. I learn from them, and I hope they learn from me. Of course, sometimes passion gets the better of our relationship and we vehemently disagree—but passion keeps us fully engaged, helps us build successes, work through challenges, and maybe even overcome failures.
3. It’s all about the team. I now start new assignments with a “Super Bowl Speech” (aka the “Premiership Speech” in Europe). The story goes: “I’m hired to win the Super Bowl in 3 years’ time—not to make the playoffs each year. And if we don’t win the Super Bowl, I expect to be replaced as coach. Not everyone can play for a Super Bowl team. It requires teamwork, clearly understanding your role and assignments, constant training to upgrade your skills, serving the greater good, etc.” Every great team finds a way to win, even if it’s not according to plan. I’ve been blessed to lead – and be a part of—some truly great teams during my career. I know what high-performing teams should and shouldn’t feel like. And the truth is, I’m a lot smarter when I surround myself with a diverse team of smart people. I learn things from every single member of the team, even when I’m the coach.
4. Create your very own ‘business school’ of effective mentors. I look at the list of great leaders I’ve worked for over the years and it’s as if I somehow constructed a personal Stanford Business School, studying under some of the best professors in the industry. Each of these leaders taught me something new: Bob McKnight (Quiksilver) and Bob Hurley (Hurley) for empathy and an intense focus on youth culture; Linda Wachner (Warnaco) for an over-the-top sense of urgency and driving financial performance; George and Oscar Feldenkreis (Perry Ellis) for retail planning and sales excellence; Nike leaders Denson, Van Paasschen, Dr. Clark, Parker, Grossman, Gomez and Olivet for brand building, innovation, strategy and great global leadership skills; and currently Chip Bergh for brand turn-around, transformation courage, global marketing and leadership. I look at this list and come away thinking that I’m one very lucky—and well-educated—guy.
5. Enjoy the ride. Early in my career, I would have traded places with my college roommate. He was a very successful attorney and, at the time, I was working in the warehouse, barely making it paycheck to paycheck (ok, full disclosure: I was actually bouncing checks). Today, I wouldn’t trade places with him for a minute. Whether it’s been curiosity, passion, desire to work with great teams and brands, or to learn from great mentors, I’ve realized that my path has been the right one for me. My path makes perfect sense from my vantage point. I took the road I needed to and my experiences have helped me develop the skills necessary to get to where I am today. The takeaway? It’s easy to second-guess, overthink and underestimate your career. Own it, explore it, and enjoy the ride.
