Maria

"I believe that people need to work hard and play hard. Balance is critical to excel in personal achievements."

What do you like best about your work environment?

There are actually two parts about my job that I like best. The one part I love is working with others to achieve common goals. The other aspect I love is the constant challenge to strive for perfection, which allows me to be as creative as possible.

What do you see in the future for Macy's, Inc.?

Macy's, Inc. is a corporation that is becoming better and better at respecting and welcoming diversity. I see a very rooted corporation that will support itself through difficult economic times. We are the employer of choice, possessing a strong foundation with long-term career growth and opportunities.

What has been your most memorable moment since joining the company?

The most memorable moment for me has been seeing how the store has united in many successful Partners in Time activities. For example, we have participated in United Way, Bag Hunger, and making Easter baskets for the Shriners Children's Hospital. We also have done a fundraiser called the Loving Fund where we created a piggybank to raise money for employees in our store who are going through challenging times.

What do you enjoy most about what you do and what are your overall job responsibilities?

I really enjoy recruiting, training, and developing talent to the fullest capacity. My overall responsibilities are to lead the store, to create the best work environment for these very talented associates, and to ultimately drive the best shopping experience for customers. All of that leads to maximizing profitability through sales, service, and credit performance.

Is community involvement important to you? Have you been involved in any projects in your division, and was this considered when joining the company?

Community involvement is very important to me because I have experienced some personal tragedy in my own life. In our business, we sell clothes, shoes, and jewelry and make people look and feel good, but we don't always touch people's basic needs of living. Through Partners in Time activities, I think that we can feel good about our contributions to the community. We can look back in 20 or 30 years and smile because what we did really made a difference.

What personal interests/hobbies do you have and how do you balance them with your work?

I have two children, a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old, so my interests are making quality time to do things together as a family. I believe that people need to work hard and play hard. Balance is critical to excel in personal achievements.

What advice would you give to a new associate joining the company? What helped you establish yourself and move ahead with your career goals?

Listen, communicate, and ask a lot of questions. If you are passionate about what you are doing, you will be more successful. Always strive to achieve higher marks and to grow and learn to make things better. Don't underestimate your own capabilities. My constant persistence and drive to overcome challenges has helped me establish myself and move ahead with my career goals. By not allowing frustrations to become my obstacles, I am constantly finding out how to work through difficult situations and am focusing on how to achieve the end result.