Katherine Heil - Sales & Marketing Coordinator, WearFirst Sportswear
Katherine is the sales and marketing coordinator at WearFirst Sportswear, a men’s apparel manufacturer providing functional and quality apparel. Over the past six months, she’s helped the company grow its eCommerce site into a six-figure business and established a sustainable brand image that translates well across all platforms. In addition to kicking ass in the fashion and retail biz, Katherine’s also working on completing her Master’s degree in Mass Communication. She’s specializing in digital strategy in order to take the next step in marketing and branding—while also expanding her knowledge outside of the fashion industry—like a true hustlin’ babe.
The Basics:
Hometown: Bradenton, FL
Current city: New York, New York
Alma mater: Fashion Institute of Technology
Degree: B.S., Fashion Merchandising Management
Very first job: Hostess
Hustle: Sales and Marketing Coordinator, WearFirst Sportswear
The Interests:
Babe you admire and why?
Kamala Harris! What a time to be alive and witness a woman of color lead this country. She said in an interview she eats ‘no’ for breakfast, and that’s the most relatable thing ever. She is a boss. And truthfully, I really admire everyday babes like you girls behind Babes Who Hustle and my girlfriends that never cease to amaze me with their strength and dedication to living the life of their dreams.
What’s your favorite way to start/end a weekend?
Start the weekend with wine and end the weekend with an early morning yoga class followed by meal prep and laundry. It’s all about balance, right?
What book(s) have you’ve gifted the most. Why?
I cannot recommend The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer enough. Reading this book is an out of body experience that you’ll go back to again and again. The book starts with an explanation of the voice inside your head and it is a game changer. Knowing how to separate our thoughts from feelings is something I wish I’d learned a lot sooner. Michael Singer puts everything into perspective and I guarantee whatever it is you’re struggling with, you’ll find answers in this book.
Favorite place you’ve traveled?
At the risk of sounding super basic—Florence, Italy. I studied abroad in my last year at FIT and it changed my relationship with food, fashion, and what a life of luxury really means. Italians live a life full of simple pleasures, which is something Americans usually take for granted. A close second is London.
What’s a ritual you do to psych yourself up before a big event, pitch, meeting, etc.?
Play Beyonce, put on an outfit that makes me feel good, and eat a good breakfast. I am all about setting the vibe. Feeling confident (and in control) before heading into any meeting is the best thing you can do.
The Hustle:
Tell us about your hustle.
I currently work for a men’s apparel manufacturer in both sales and marketing. The advantage of working for a small company is the ability to wear a lot of hats and gain experience in multiple areas of the business. I mainly split my time between managing the Costco account—where we manufacture goods exclusively made for their warehouses that are also distributed globally—and creating actionable plans for social media and eCommerce. My daily work depends on where we are in terms of production on the projects the senior account executives need help finalizing. Since joining the team a year ago, I’ve taken on the task of defining our brand and working to create a consistent brand image. There has recently been a push to create more content and marketing collateral with the growth of our eCommerce business. Right now, I’m planning photoshoots for product images and lifestyle imagery, coordinating all the moving pieces from booking, studio space and models to styling the shoots and planning the shot list. Pre-COVID, I was preparing for our next tradeshow working with the event company to stage our next booth and marketing installation. Outside of my full-time job, I’m working on completing a Master’s degree in Mass Communication specializing in Digital Strategy. I wanted to take the next step in marketing and branding but also expand my knowledge outside of the fashion industry. It’s been so insightful to learn about what other people are working on across industries.
Which came first: your passion for fashion or marketing? When did you decide to pursue marketing in the industry, and what steps did you take to establish yourself?
I think my desire to connect with people and think creatively came before I knew what I wanted to do. Fashion just seemed to fit that idea, and was something I felt naturally good at. After graduating with my Bachelor’s degree I felt really stuck in my role and unmotivated to level up—but I was lucky enough to get a glimpse of what the marketing teams did at the companies I worked for and knew that was a better fit. Fashion seems to be a blanket term that gets thrown around with most people not understanding how much work actually goes into running a retail business. I feel like I’m still establishing myself, but from the first day of my first internship I asked to be involved in whatever it was the marketing teams were doing. There’s a lot of cross-functional work between sales and marketing, so my desire to have a hand in both usually benefits both teams. My final step is completing my Master’s degree and working to create content of my own for my personal blog.
How much of your role includes creative skills vs. business skills? Which do you think are imperative for someone looking to make their own name in the marketing world?
My role is 50% creative thinking and 50% business strategy. Most people assume I went into fashion for design or styling, but in reality, the fashion and retail industry makes up a lot of the money circulating in the economy. For that to be possible, it relies on the people in roles like buying, planning, sourcing, and operations. To be successful in fashion/retail you have to know what products appeal to the majority of people and how to reach those consumers in an engaging way—all at the right place/price/time. The most imperative skills to have is a high level of attention to detail and the ability to think strategically. Time management, leadership, and communication skills are also extremely important.
How have your past professional and academic experiences and lessons prepared you for the work you do today? How have they not prepared you?
My past work experience has prepared me in the most unexpected ways. I’ve learned how to manage my time, deal with difficult customers (and bosses/coworkers), how to work on a team, and most importantly what it’s actually like to work in fashion. My academic experiences have been different from most since I went to a non-traditional college in the middle of NYC, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. FIT provides the opportunity to learn from industry veterans and engage with your peers in a professional manner from the very beginning. The main reason I wanted to attend FIT were the study abroad opportunities available that are unlike any other college or universities. The programs are degree-specific, with required courses that are inline with your major. My first trip was a three-week global merchandising course where we traveled to London, Paris and Florence and met with industry leaders at Topshop, Allsaints, and WGSN—to name a few. I attended international trade shows, toured corporate offices, and visited age-old factories where they made silk and leather goods for high-end designers like Fendi and Gucci. While I felt prepared to enter the workforce, I quickly realized nothing truly prepares you for your first job in corporate fashion. There are a lot more hangers, sweat, and tears than anyone would like to admit. But it’s worth it, eventually—I promise!
How has being a woman impacted your professional experiences? What can we collectively do to support and empower women in your industry today?
I learned how naive I was pretty early on when I noticed a lot of the people running these large fashion companies were men. This surprised me most because women always outnumbered the men in my classes at FIT—but that just goes to show how the world favors men in positions of power. It’s not always the case, and the industry is slowly changing (as is the rest of the world), but it does make young women feel discouraged. As a woman and as a young professional, I struggle with imposter syndrome from time to time, but the more experience I gain, the more confident I feel speaking up and adding to the conversation—because I know I have things to say. It may not always be well-received, but learning not to take it personally is one of those things you learn on the job. I would love to see more learning and networking opportunities for women in my industry that actually foster relationships across levels of experience. Finding a mentor is not the easiest, so the ability to have open conversations like this are a great place to start. The fashion/retail industry is very connected but there are so many opportunities and career paths that are not talked about that should be.
Specifically, how has being a WOC impacted your professional experience? What can we do to create more supportive and inclusive work environments inside and outside of your industry?
As a WOC, I find the way I look is always a topic of conversation. On more than one occasion I’ve been told I don’t “look like” what I sound like over the phone. For me, the first place to start being more supportive and inclusive is to stop commenting on the way I look or how I choose to wear my hair. I welcome you to acknowledge my differences—because they are what makes me unique—just don’t use that as a way to compare me to others. There’s also a lot of racial bias in the hiring and promotion process that is fed by a need for a company to be represented in a particular way. I would love to see more women that look like me in advertisements, positions of power, or sought-after roles I aspire to hold one day. Representation is the best way to support POC in any industry. If you look around the room and everyone looks like you, I would encourage you to ask yourself why that is and if you are accurately representing the world we live in. It may be unintentional, but this goes back to learning how to be more self-aware and knowing what your team needs to be as diverse and inclusive as possible. And just to clarify, it’s not all about the way someone looks. It is also about the experiences, education, and lifestyle someone has. To be supportive and inclusive you have to consciously work to build teams with varying backgrounds. We all should not look the same on paper just as we should not all look the same in person.
In the last year, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your career?
This year has been wild for everyone. If I learned anything, it’s that nothing is permanent and we all need to work at being more flexible with our plans. Being able to adapt and shift gears quickly is so important. I am also trying to build the habit of prioritizing my overall wellbeing, both mentally and physically. Taking a walk, calling a friend, and setting boundaries are necessary to living a happier, healthier life.
What’s one thing you’re proud to have accomplished in your career thus far?
I still feel like I have so much to accomplish, but so far, I’m really proud of never settling for less and always being willing to learn. In the last six months, I’ve helped my company grow our eCommerce site into a six-figure business and established a sustainable brand image that translates well across all platforms.
What is one of the biggest obstacles you’ve faced in your work? How’d you overcome it?
Bad bosses. Not everyone is meant to be a leader in my opinion, as it takes a certain level of empathy and trust some people just don’t have. Acknowledging that they are human and it is likely not personal is what I usually tell myself, but the best way to overcome this type of situation is to go straight to the source. Your voice may falter, but confronting the problem will give you clarity and hopefully some relief. You will either learn that they are simply just a bad boss with their own problems to work through, or that the way you have been working is actually working against you. Learning how your boss works and being one step ahead of them is the key to a happy work relationship. Also, it’s usually only a temporary situation, and if it’s not, you’re likely in a toxic work environment and you’re better off without them.
Who are some women in your field that you look to for inspiration?
I think Sara Blakely’s journey to success with SPANX is really inspiring. She believed in herself and her product and became a self-made millionaire.
What’s one dream on your vision board?
Be my own boss.
Career and/or life advice for other babes?
Never stop learning. Don’t settle for less than you deserve. Listen to your gut. Live life for you—because you’re the only one who has to live with yourself.
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