Melanie Lee
Retail Masters was a great opportunity for me to step back and look at my business - to reflect on my personal leadership skills. With business being tough over the past few years, I've been placing most of my focus on the day to day operations but not the development of our leaders and myself. The first week in Retail Masters reminded me that we have to take time to have fun, be inspired, and detox. Over the next few sessions, I came to the realization that the most important contribution I can make to my business is to create the future leaders for our organization and our community. These were all things I had heard before, but I think the light bulb finally went off when Tom helped me realize that I'll always be too busy, but in order to grow both my business and myself I have to make the time to develop and grow leaders within our organization. In addition to all the personal development, Retail Masters was also a great tool for me to gain knowledge about our state government and the impact our businesses and our voices can make on the decisions being made in Tallahassee. The experiences and the friendships developed over the past 6 months have definitely helped me develop both personally and professionally. I look forward to continuing both my new friendships and our legacy project in the coming months.
Vincent P. Foderingham
For me the Retail Masters program gave me a great appreciation of how retail is important to the Florida economy. From the small sole proprietor shop to big box stores, retail is a significant driver to the state. Personally, the relationships built with other Retail Masters were invaluable. I'll have friends to network with, and share best practices, as we all continue in our careers. The field trips during our monthly sessions gave me a great appreciation of how retail strategies, when put into place, help strengthen our communities, particularly in South Florida where Publix Sabor has proven to be successful. The leadership development training provided me with additional skills sets to assist my professional growth. In all, Retail Masters was a rewarding experience that I will recommended to other upcoming leaders within my organization.
2010 Class of Florida Retail Masters Graduates
Florida Retail Executives Complete Leadership Program & Raise Over $20k
Catch Your Limit & Florida Retail Federation are proud to announce the graduation of Florida Retail Masters Class VI.
The exclusive group of Florida retail leaders who applied and then were chosen to participate in the six month leadership program graduated in Orlando on June 23rd. "Participating in Florida Retail Masters is an unprecedented opportunity in the retail industry. Graduates are poised to take their companies to the top – not only in retailing, but also in Florida's increasingly demanding economy," said Rick McAllister, President/CEO of Florida Retail Federation.
