Broadway - Chapter 4
My best friend, Jody, was a senior and worked at Broadway Department Store (now known as Macys). She was SO COOL! She worked in the makeup department with all the other cool girls from Estee Lauder.
When I quit Fiesta Restaurant she told me about a job opening in the shoe department at Broadway. I thought she was crazy because at that time you had to be 18 years old to work there (I was 15) – but she convinced me to try, and we thought it would be SO COOL if we worked together!
So, I turned in a job application and Jody let the Manager know that I was a friend of hers and “really good at sales.” I got a call for an interview the next day. I was so scared I would be found out!
I remember exactly how I was dressed: Hunter Green Blazer, black pencil skirt, black nylons and heels, and my hair in a French Twist Bun (remember – this was 1992 – so this was IN STYLE and a very mature outfit).
I summed up all my Jehovah’s Witness training and poise and walked in like I was supposed to be there! I never brought up my age. I told the Manager that I needed to work nights and weekends to accommodate my school schedule.
Him: That’s actually perfect – everyone hate’s those shifts. Where do you go to school?
Me: Ventura
Him: Oh great!
I didn’t tell him that I went to Ventura High School – not Ventura College!
I realized that he was in a hurry and he was being transferred to a new store the next week and needed to fill the position. He didn’t REALLY care who he filled it with, and I needed him to stop looking at my application so he wouldn’t realize how young I was!
Matt. I have a lot of experience in Sales, love shoes, and will work hard for you.
I got a call the next day, and was in training the next week. I had a GROWN UP job! I was making $2.00 more an hour, worked at the mall, got a discount on everything in the store, and automatically got a credit card with a $250 credit limit.
I was RICH!!!!
That was a great job. I worked with lots of adults who taught me a lot about life. I had never even had a boyfriend yet, but I would watch their relationships unfold… and refold…
I also learned how much grown-ups partied. They partied ALL THE TIME. They all slept with each other, and would drink all the time. I was so worried that they would see how naive I was – and then find out my real age. So I made all of these excuses that I had night classes, homework, etc.
It was all good until I got sloppy and left my science book on the back table, stamped with a Ventura High School sticker on it… and I got found out! They ran me out pretty quickly after that. Oh well… it was good while it lasted.
The biggest lesson I learned by working at Broadway was that I could FAKE IT TILL I MAKE IT! And BOY did I make it. No one knew my real age, except for my trusted friend, Johnathon, in the shoe room in the back.
He would play Bob Marley all day every day. He would dance all day long as if the shoe closet was the greatest club in the world. One time I asked him to teach me how to dance, because I was finally going to one of the girl’s birthday parties and I did not want to look like an idiot in front of everyone. I also did not know what to wear, casual wise, to look cool and not look like a Freshman – so he helped me pick out an outfit. It was the first time I wore a body suit and giant hoop earrings. (again.. 1992!) Before that I would ONLY wear dress clothes around everyone so I would not be found out.
Before I went to the party I watched an episode of In Living Color, and styled my hair in that tight bun and ringlets hanging down. It was probably Jennifer Lopez that I was styling myself after. But I felt like I looked good. I went to the party, held a beer I never took a sip of all night, and blended in.
And by the way… I am still great friends with many people who I worked with at that time. Johnathon is still one of my dearest friends to this day.
I made it there for over a year and learned a TON about selling, how the grown up world worked, the politics of moving up the ladder, and how to max out my credit card.
Side note: During that time, if you had a Department store credit card you could get credit cards at all the other stores – except for the Jewelry store. Why is that???
But yes – at the end of the year I had at least eight credit cards and had over $3,000 in credit card debt. But I paid the minimum every month right on time, because I was too scared to miss a payment. I thought that I would get arrested or something. But we’ll come back to this later.
FAKE IT TILL I MAKE IT. Greatest lesson I ever learned.
Sometimes you don’t know everything – but you know enough to get by, or to get started. If you are waiting to know everything – you’ll be waiting forever. It’s going to take more work than the next guy – you gotta HUSTLE! But you will get farther than the next guy if you are willing to do the work.