Kelly Stickel
Retail Tech Guru. Disruptor. Women's Advocate.
I recently had an exciting conversation with Kelly Stickel, founder of Remodista, a social think tank that is disrupting the the retail landscape and integrating community, content and commerce. Kelly is a monthly contributor for BizWomen, and is focused both on collaborating with women’s leaders aiming for the ‘C-suite’ or executive and advisory board roles.
Phoebe Nygren (PN): Kelly – briefly explain your company, Remodista?
Kelly Stickel (KS): Over the past 6 years, I have built Remodista, a collaborative think tank to seamlessly uncover retail business solutions. We bring the outside into our sandbox, and through a combination of collaborative research, and community interaction through women leaders – we are quickly finding the solutions to global retail problems.
PN: How did you take the jump to starting your own business after working in the corporate world?
KS: I saw a problem and I wanted a shot at solving it. I saw the need for a female-infused style of collaboration. I started hosting educational events, and saw the need for communication between retail vendors. I knew that when mobile developers had the chance to connect with mobile developers, great things would happen. So, we created a platform for helping retailers examine the market through data analysis, community engagement, and global research.
PN: What were the road blocks in starting Remodista?
KS: I was lucky enough to have the freedom to 'play in my own sandbox.' Chris (my former CEO) gave me a shot, and I think it is so important for men to give us a shot, and they are figuring out that its better for the business bottom line too.
After getting my feet on the ground, one of the most difficult things was making bets on things that haven’t happened yet. My clients had to trust that what I was projecting would actually work. This meant I had to test small pieces of the business plan, go back to partners, and continue building out the business day by day.
PN: When did you realize the necessity to create a community of like-minded females?
KS: When I saw the lack of ‘women on stage’ at business conventions and events. That is when I knew I wanted to lead initiatives for bringing more women to the C-suite or towards a position as a CEO, president, or advisory board member. We decided to launch ‘Women to Watch in Retail Disruption,’ which is a group of 80 influential female thinkers and collaborators coming together to learn from each other and collaboratively work towards a president, CEO, or advisory board role.
PN: What questions would you suggest to female entrepreneurs starting a new venture?
KS: Re-architect to reflect. If things aren’t going one way, pivot another. Serve your market, yet try to proactively figure out what is coming next. Most importantly, build good will, educate those around you. If you build people up, everyone rises.
PN: What are some of your tips for young females trying to break into the tech industry?
KS: This advice is not constrained to just females, but young people in general.
- You should over achieve
- Be habitual in seeking out and meeting people
- Know your value by being knowledgeable in your specific market
- Be over prepared
PN: One of your goals is elevating women in the digital and social arenas. What are the top three suggestions you would give in terms of women’s professional development?
KS: I would suggest women to voraciously read, soak up content like a sponge, Google topics, and consume as much information as you can. Try to find the faces behind the content, dig a little deeper and don’t just repost and retweet – find the roots of the story or content.
PN: As CEO and Founder, what does a typical work week / day look like for you?
KS: I wear a lot of different hats, so being able to focus on one mode or hat at a time is key. Whether I am writing an article, trying to meet new strategic partners, socializing with new contacts, or working on mentorship programs, I approach each with a unique, carefully followed methodology. Then – I plow through it.
PN: How do you fuse together work, friends, family, and still have time for hobbies like painting and illustrating?
KS: Each woman carries a different work-life balance. Personally, I’ve found it essential to figure out your important ‘levers.’ Perfection doesn’t happen and isn’t realistic, there is not enough time for perfection, so learning to land in the middle of your levers is key.
