In this edition of our Employee Spotlight series on Together in Growth, we’re thrilled to shine the spotlight on Mone, a DTC Merchandiser Coordinator based in Tokyo. Mone’s career journey is a true testament to her commitment to growth—both personal and professional. Starting on our retail team, she embraced new challenges with the support of Deckers, successfully transitioning into a corporate role with expanded responsibilities.
In this exclusive Q&A, Mone reflects on her path, sharing valuable lessons she’s learned along the way and offering advice to anyone looking to advance their career at Deckers. Her story illustrates the diverse opportunities available within our company for those eager to grow and develop.
Can you share a bit about your journey from working part-time in the apparel industry to joining UGG and eventually becoming a DTC Merchandiser Coordinator in Tokyo?
I first started working in fashion retail while being enrolled in the evening courses at Bunka Fashion College after high school. It felt like the logical next step to continue working in sales after graduation.
I first joined Deckers to take on a full-time position as a Sales Associate at UGG Osaka in 2016. Studying abroad had always been a dream of mine, so after saving up for two years, I decided to move to Germany to learn a foreign language and explore the world for a bit. Upon returning to Japan, I resumed working in retail at UGG eventually becoming a Team Lead at UGG in Tokyo.
I had just started attending a correspondence university on evenings and weekends to learn new skills when I saw that the role “DTC Merchandising Coordinator” had been posted to the company’s internal job board. Wanting to acquire new skills and knowledge beyond retail, I decided to apply immediately.
What inspired your decision to transition from retail to a corporate role, and how did you navigate that change?
I’ve been in the fashion world for a few years now, both in school and part-time jobs. But working in a store, I felt like I was only seeing a small piece of the puzzle. I wanted to be involved in what happens before a product hits the shelves.
It’s been about a year since I made this move, and it feels like I got to peek behind the curtains of the fashion industry.
With a job transition this big, I would be lying If I said I was never nervous about whether I could really learn all the necessary skills and theories, but I’m trying my best and so far, it has been a most exciting journey.
I’m still learning every day and feel greatly inspired by the talented people I work with.
How do you think your background in retail has benefited you in your current corporate role?
Working in retail gave me a front-row seat to customer behavior and product trends.
While our work as Merchandising Coordinators consists mostly of analyzing and crunching numbers, I believe my hands-on experience provides me with a unique perspective on how to interpret that data.
What advice would you give to retail employees at Deckers who are considering making the transition to a corporate role? What resources or support systems helped you most in that process?
Moving from retail to working in an office is a huge change. It’s almost like starting a new job. The skills required and the working environment are completely different, so it’s totally natural to feel a bit nervous.
For me personally, learning the ins and outs of Excel was the greatest challenge. But with my colleagues helping me out whenever I got stuck and plenty of online courses available on Workday and YouTube, I managed to get up to speed in no time.
There are so many great tools out there helping you learn new skills, and once you start, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can pick things up.
And don’t forget, your team is here to help. Don’t worry too much about what you can or can’t do right now. Just take the leap and see where it takes you.
What are your future goals at Deckers, and how do you hope to continue contributing to the company’s success?
As I am still at the beginning of my career as a DTC Merchandising Coordinator, I cannot say with certainty that I have a specific goal yet. However, compared to a year ago, I have acquired new skills and gained significant confidence. Thanks to my supportive and motivating team, I am able to maintain a healthy work-life balance. I am grateful for this comfortable environment where I can continue to grow and look forward to a long career here. 1 person liked this63 ViewsSave for later
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