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

Hi SAYDA, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

The risk I took was taking time off from work to heal trauma from Sexual assault and sexual abuse. Fashion and luxury can be very demanding and difficult, especially as a leader with a large team. I was having panic and anxiety attacks that led me to get professional help. When faced with the reality of being an SA victim in my childhood and teens, it was even more difficult to remain in a chaotic environment. I quit without having another position and focused on my healing. It was even harder than expected to deal with PTSD from the horrible experiences I had hidden in dark corners of my mind. With psychological help and family support, I have come out of that trauma after almost two years.

SAYDA, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve worked in luxury and fashion for 25 years in leadership positions for brands like Tumi, Gucci and Hermes. My specialty is client development and relations and mentoring high performers. In 2017, I was diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety (before discovering the trauma). This led me to become an herbalist and aromatherapist to help myself and others with natural remedies.
As I move forward, I want to use my leadership and wellness experience to be an example of how to live a life of integrity, authenticity and balance, especially to the Gen z demographic of high achievers.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

You must meet clients where they are and become curious about how they live their lives outside of your business. Who do they spend time with? What do they read? Where do they vacation?
The more you know about your clients, the better you can serve their interests, surprise and delight them with well thought out proposals.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Get to know your team as individuals. What do they aspire to be in their current positions? What are their life goals? What are their strengths?
Your team is made up of multi dimensional people who want to contribute to the business, but they need to be acknowledged as such and feel valued for their strengths.

Contact Info:

• Linkedin: Sayda Desroses
• Twitter: @sayda
• Youtube: saydamae1

Image Credits

Sayda Desroses