I went from a Big Tech job to folding clothes at a retail store. My new role gave me confidence and joy when I needed it the most.

Criss Cross; Alyssa Powell/BI

• Hady Mendez worked as head of equality at a major tech company before being laid off.
• She said it’s been one of the most difficult times in her professional career.
• Mendez said she’s happier with the flexibility since starting her own business and a part-time job.

“I should totally go work there. I spend half my paycheck there anyway.”

This was the conversation between me and my friend, Jannet. It’s what I refer to as my famous last words before I applied for a retail job at a clothing store after working in corporate for 25 years.

It was the Fall of 2023. About nine months earlier, I had experienced a layoff from my job as head of equality for a major tech company where I worked remotely while serving as an advisor to our seven Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), a liaison to the office of equality, and a program manager. Almost immediately, I launched my business, Boldly Speaking, leaning on my speaker skills and years of experience with ERGs.

I was having a solid first year in my business, both from a client acquisition and revenue perspective, but I knew things were about to slow down due to the holiday season.

Enter my brilliant idea: Take on a “bridge job,” a job that would give me the time and money I needed as I worked toward building my business or moving to my next big opportunity. The income would allow me to keep more of my savings intact. It would also allow me to buy coffee and treat myself to those gluten-free, vegan sweets I’d come to enjoy so much without feeling guilty.

I ended up working at an Athleta store in NYC, and I’m glad I decided to join that team. What sticks with me most is the confidence and joy I’ve found during a time filled with so much doubt and uncertainty.

Imagine what it was like to land a brand associate role in one of my favorite stores

Now is probably a good time to share that I love the Gap Inc. brand. About 90% of my clothes come from Athleta and Gap. I wear their clothes to business meetings, to hang out on the weekends, and to go for long walks. I’m quite literally a walking advertisement for this brand.

I landed a seasonal brand associate role and felt like a kid in a candy store. I’ve done everything from helping customers find clothing items, sweeping and mopping the floor, folding clothes, cleaning mirrors and windows, shipping items from the store, and ringing up customers.

I wanted to buy everything in my first few weeks on the job. Even as I was enjoying the experience of being around my favorite brand several days a week, I was learning a lot about the clothes, our customers, and the role every associate plays.

There were some funny aspects to my transition. I like to get to places early, and I found out quickly there was no need to be more than five minutes early for my shift. Also, while I always made it a point to take a lunch break during my corporate days, now I’m actually legally mandated to take a 15-minute break during my shift (sometimes more if the shift is longer). I’ve learned to look forward to these breaks as an opportunity to reset and come back to the floor even stronger.

One thing that’s really different from corporate is that we have daily goals for the store. Each day, we focus on a different sales target or objective.

What started as “seasonal work” has now become a part-time gig for me

Much like my tech and financial services jobs, my favorite part of working at the clothing store is interacting with customers.

I love to hear about what they’re looking for, where they’ll be wearing the items they purchase, and how they want to feel. What I love even more is the look on their face when they find an item that not only feels good but looks great too.

Surprisingly I’ve discovered I’m actually kind of good at this brand associate work. When I was younger, I worked for my father at his shoe store, and I remember being a lousy salesperson because I always wanted to be behind the register. But somehow, I inherited some of that great customer service “mojo” from my dad because customers enjoy working with me.

Part of me wants to go back to corporate life and a stable, predictable routine

Finding a full-time job in this market has been incredibly challenging while starting a business from scratch has presented its own unique set of challenges. It’s definitely been a time of transition for me.

If I’m honest, it has been one of the most difficult times in my professional career. I’ve experienced a broad set of emotions since my tech layoff: shock, anger, fear, anxiety, worry, and even profound sadness.

What I miss most about corporate life is working on a major project or customer deliverable as a team. I pride myself in adding a lot of value in those types of scenarios — always finding ways to lean into my critical thinking superpowers to over-deliver and exceed customer expectations.

Another part of me really loves the flexibility and independence I experience as an entrepreneur

I have to say the flexibility I have as an entrepreneur is unmatched. I can take off whenever I want, be creative, and explore new projects, and am very much aligned with what I believe to be my purpose. Admittedly, I’m a bit spoiled by my current situation and know it will take a great company and role to bring me back to corporate.

Everything in life has a season. And I believe this has been my season to enjoy entrepreneurship with all of its ebbs and flows. I don’t plan to leave my job at Athleta any time soon. The longer I work there, the more I realize I’m where I belong — for right now.

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