Martine

"The biggest piece about my training is that every single day, even still, I learn something new and different."

What do you like best about your work environment?

The people are amazing. I started out at Macy's, Inc. in 1982 - almost 20 years ago - and I ended up staying at the company for as long as I have because the people are fabulous. They are like my family. This is my second family.

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

I think Macy's, Inc. is going to continue to be a leader in the department store category, and in shopping categories in general - whether it's in-store, whether it's online, or whether it's through catalogs. I think we haven't even seen yet what the beginning of the online piece of it can do for us as well as for the consumer. And when you think about it today, if you were a young person just getting out of school, Macy's, Inc. is definitely the company you would want to be with just because of its advanced technology, and its innovation, and its ability to attract the best creative talent across the country. I only see that continuing and getting stronger.

Why did you join Macy's, Inc. and why have you stayed?

When I was in college I lived next door to the PR director from a Macy's, Inc. division, and I was looking for a summer job. She said they could use some freelance help, and offered for me to work there part-time. So I started working their part-time while I was still in school. And as I was graduating, though I had never had any intention of being part of retail, I got bitten by the retail bug as the old cliché goes. I loved what I did and I loved the people. And what I loved more than anything else was the creativity behind the job - that each day was very different. It wasn't the same old routine. You had the opportunity to learn lots of things. You had the opportunity to meet different groups of people - whether they were merchants, store-line people, financial people or technology people. You have that ability to step into all of those arenas. Once I saw all the different opportunities there were, I knew that this was someplace I could stay for quite a long time.

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

If I really have to narrow it to one, I think it was when I was promoted to the job I am doing today. You start out and you don't really know what you want to do with the rest of your life. You know you want to get a good job. You know you want it to be fun. You know you want to meet good people, but at that age you don't really decide where you are going to be for the rest of your life. For me though, after working for the first two years out of school, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to run the marketing division of a retail department store. But I thought, well the people who have had these jobs over the years have had tons of experience, and my chances of getting that job are going to be really tough. But I was determined, and I worked so hard and so long to get to where I was that the day I reached it I felt like my life was complete. I had reached my dream.

How has the training you've received since joining the company benefited you?

The most benefit I've gotten is the exposure to different worlds. Although I run the marketing department, I've learned so much about the merchandising end of the business, about the financial side, about how to run a business. I have learned so much because the people here are so willing to sit and explain something to you. The biggest piece about my training is that every single day, even still, I learn something new and different. I think it's the culture that's inbred here. We are teachers by nature. We just want to automatically reach out and help and share our knowledge with other people and other departments.

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

I think what I enjoy most is when you sit for months and months and plan something, and then you actually see that event take place - to actually see the results of your work. It's those instances when I run a sales promotion trying to drive a lot of traffic into the stores, and the next day I check the system and realize that we beat the plan by 10 percent. Those moments are what make it really so special and so satisfying because you put a lot of your life into this place. So when you actually see your rewards for putting so much energy into something and that they've come out so positive. There's nothing better.

What contribution do you make to your division and how do you feel you make a difference?

I think it's my creativity ... my drive to be number one and to make this division number one. I think it's also through the responsibility I take on when business goes bad. I'm the first one to pick up a phone and call the merchants and say 'O.K. how can we rally around this, what can we do to turn the business around?' I think if you asked most people about me they would say I was tough, but extremely fair -- that I was a partner to them and that we are all in it together.

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 extremely important and our people really do a lot. Many of our mega-events are put on by the employees in this company, and it really is their free time that's used to do this because they still have to do their own job. That's how much people and the community are so much a part of this organization. When Partners in Time reaches out and does a Bag Hunger drive, a huge campaign for the United Way, a Coats for Kids program, I make it a very important part of my division here - and to the best of my ability we get our staff to participate. Part of my goals for my PR department is that they need to be out there. They need to be involved in giving back to the community. People look at us as a big company that makes a lot of money, and they want to know what our contribution is to the community. Partners in Time is a piece of it, and then the other piece of it is what my people do to create programs for other local charities.

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

I'd be lying if I told you I had a very balanced life, but it is much more so now. My family is extremely important to me. I don't have children myself, but I have four siblings that live nearby - and they are truly how I get my balance. I have four goddaughters and three godsons, and they are all very much a part of my life. I enjoy working out. I try and get out of here as much as I can on Tuesday and Thursday evenings so that I can get to my exercise class because that is important to me. I love to watch sports. I love the theatre, and I try to do that as much as I possibly can. The balance piece of it - I'll be honest - hasn't been that strong over the years, but in the last year or so it has been starting to play a more important role in my life.

It's all about planning, and it's all about surrounding yourself with really good people. I am extremely fortunate to have an incredible support staff here. So if I wanted to take off on a Friday afternoon, I know I can do that because I have a good group of people here. You need to know what your priorities are, you need to know what's ahead. And as long as you know that, you can plan around it.

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

I think they have to be focused. They can't always be thinking about when they are going to get to the next level. When I started out, although I did have a vision about where I wanted to go, each job I was in, I tried not to think about tomorrow. I tried to think just about what was going to focus me enough to the do the best possible job I could and give myself 110% to that job. I think sometimes people think that things are handed to them, and they forget that hard work needs to be a part of the equation. They have to do more than just show up everyday. They have to be motivated and they have to feel passion for what they're doing.