From retail floor to executive programs: what carried over

People sometimes ask how I went from retail, international nonprofit work, and tech sales to executive programs at The Conference Board—and toward diplomatic service. The titles changed; a few things didn’t.

Listen before you pitch. On a retail floor, you learn quickly that talking at someone loses the sale. With executives—and eventually with diplomatic counterparts—the principle holds: understand what they need before you propose what you think they want.

The floor is the experience. A messy fitting room or a long wait at checkout tells the customer how much you value them. A council meeting with scrambled logistics sends the same message—just with higher stakes.

Order protects people. At IJM, I drafted decision memos and supported processes that had to be right—because real lives were involved. In council work, the stakes are different, but the discipline is familiar: clear records, timely follow-up, no loose ends.

Teams make the work possible. National programs are never a solo act. Neither is public service.

Your path doesn’t have to look linear to be valid. What skill from an earlier chapter still shows up in your work today?