Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kenny Nguyen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kenny, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

In regards to work, I’ve always been the type of person to let my work speak for itself so I hope part of my legacy is that. I have a very strong work ethic so I take pride in everything I do. That being said, a large part of why I love my jobs is also the people. I hope that I’ve had a lasting positive effect in some way, shape, or form, with the people I’ve worked with. In life, the same goes. I used to think that having a family of my own was my ultimate legacy, but that has since changed as I’ve gotten older. While it’s still one of the top priorities on my list, it’s only second to the top legacy I’d like to leave, and that’s just leaving this world having had a positive effect on anyone I’ve come in contact with. I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my life, but I hope the lessons I’ve learned show positively in the way I treat people.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Well, to start, I’ve been in retail my entire career. I started at Abercrombie & Fitch when I was 18 while attending college. I spent nearly 8 years there, and it was there that I discovered my love for doing visuals. Their idea of visuals was moreso an attention to detail than your typical merchandising. I didn’t learn about that aspect until I started at Zara in 2014 as the Men’s Visual Coordinator. From there, I did a few odd jobs before I entered the luxury retail world with Intermix in 2017, and I stayed there for 4 years, simultaneously doing sales and visuals for the boutique.

Apart from an eye for detail, I also was blessed with a good memory that sets me apart. Building relationships is essential in any job, and my ability to easily remember little details, like names, faces, past purchases, etc., has really helped me in excel in my client relationships. You’d be surprised how well people respond to something as simple as remembering a name, especially in such a business like luxury retail, where client relationships are essential.

I take my pride in my work, be it sales or visual merchandising, but I’m prouder of the relationships that I have maintained in spite of no longer being in a selling position. I still get asked for fashion and styling advice and when people want to come to me when they’re looking for something specific, it makes me feel good and that I’ve done something right. I am also happy to help with closet organization as I tend to keep my personal closet much like a boutique.

As far as my brand goes, I would say style is my brand, and fashion is my game. I like to always be put together, and I like to let that do the talking for me! I studied marketing in college, and I can say, without a doubt, when you present yourself well, you’re always going to sell! You are the product, and you’re constantly selling your brand by the way you market yourself!

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele is a good follow-up plan. While my memory has served me well in my jobs, it makes little difference if you’re not the client’s first thought when they need help. I was taught a very useful method at Intermix called 2-2-2 method, which stands for 2 days, 2 weeks, and 2 months. Each point is meant for you to reach out to the client so that you can reinforce the idea that you are their resource for that specific need. Once I developed a solid clientele as well as a good routine, the need for it became less and less, but it was always something I fell back on. especially when I had a good rapport with a new client! You can always add new clients to your book, and that method is quite efficient. Also, a little trick I use to help with remembering new clients is constantly using their name when addressing them. It helps to reinforce it within your own memory and also make that new connection feel more personal.

Any advice for managing a team?

I gained the most management experience during my time with Abercrombie, and what I can say about managing a team is at the end of the day, you have to remember that they’re all human beings with real lives. Ask your team questions about their daily life. Check in with them to see how they’re doing, Help them to lower that wall. A lot of times, managers don’t like to cross that boundary between leader and subordinate, but people will always respond well when you show them that you care. It benefits the whole team and greatly helps with morale because they’ll feel like they can come to you, and in the event of a conflict, it also helps to find resolution quickly.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: the_asian_gent

Image Credits
Personal photo by Ahmad Sweeney – @sweenshots