Nordstrom’s Beauty Director Autumne West Has a Virgo-Approved Inbox Strategy
In ELLE.com’s series Office Hours, we ask people in powerful positions to take us through their first jobs, worst jobs, and everything in between. This month, we spoke to Autumne West, national beauty director at Nordstrom. West has worked at the retailer for over 20 years, and now she directs its beauty vision, connecting the brand’s merchandise to customers. To do so, she travels often to stores nationwide (still, she swears that she never uses a hotel shampoo). Ahead, West on the best advice she’s learned as a leader at a “people first” company, the saying from her mentor that has never left her mind, and how she got over imposter syndrome.
My first job
I was a cashier at a grocery store in Omaha, Nebraska. I was a teenager in high school and thought it was so grown up. But really, I needed a job, because I wanted to maintain getting my nails done—specifically my SWV[-inspired] nail look. I was probably too young to be doing it, but I saw [the extra-long nails] on MTV and was like, I must have it. My mom said, “I’m not paying for that.”
But I also created jobs for myself. I traveled a lot as a kid. I was born in Washington, D.C., but then we immediately moved to Spain. Then I lived in Scotland, Florida, Italy, Nebraska, and L.A. There was a summer when we lived in Italy that I was a babysitter. I remember creating my own “summer camp” and being really into it, where I would plan meals, snacks, and activities.
My first beauty memory
I was in the fourth grade. A friend’s sister had mascara, and after putting it on, I came home, and my mom said, “Are you wearing makeup?” I was like, No, no, absolutely not. I was so determined to be mature. I was crying, and as I did, the mascara was literally running down my face. My mom grounded me. But I remember that I wanted to wear makeup so badly.
My favorite job
When I got the opportunity to be a department manager. I oversaw the whole beauty floor at a Nordstrom location called South Center, which is south of Seattle. I remember being so excited. I worked so hard to make it to that level and loved my manager at the time. It was one of my most fun experiences, and it felt so good to get a team to want to believe in you. But prior to my current job, I could have happily retired being a [beauty] buyer [for Nordstrom]. I loved it so much. I was like, You’re gonna have to kick me out of this job.
How I started at Nordstrom
I was a beauty advisor at the Nordstrom MAC counter. I worked at a store called Alderwood, and I still shop there on my days off, because it is close to where I live. I started there on the floor, in my mid 20s. My friend was doing makeup, and she said, “I think you’ll like it, try it out.” I figured, Oh, this will be a pit stop, but it has now evolved into an amazing career. At one point, I thought that I was going to be a MAC Global Artist and the person doing a model’s makeup backstage. But I’ve found so much enjoyment in being a people leader, and so I went that route instead.
My worst job
I’m not sure I’ve had one. But I was the most terrified when I was on the Nordstrom sales force. I was there for seven years, doing different things. I went from a department manager at our Seattle flagship into the buying office and then to a more financial job. Imagine going from customer-facing to being at a desk with Excel spreadsheets and looking at ordering systems.
I was working as a system replenishment buyer [who manages inventory] and couldn’t believe they trusted me to spend the company’s money. I was so stressed out. I kept thinking, If I’m bad at this job, I’m not going to make it or get to the next step. I had a major case of imposter syndrome. I genuinely thought they had made a mistake. It worked out in the long run, but it was a lot.
The trick to getting over imposter syndrome
We all have natural insecurities. I had a great mentor at the time. She was the general merchandising manager at Nordstrom. I just reminded myself that she believed in me, so I needed to believe in myself. I paused and remembered that I was there for a reason.
The worst thing you can do in any job, big or small, is to not ask questions. If you are in a job for a while and don’t admit that you don’t know something early on, there will be a time when someone will be like, “You didn’t know that?” And yes, that’s right, because you didn’t say anything for six months.
On dealing with different personalities
Even though we have a “people first” philosophy at Nordstrom, that doesn’t mean everyone’s a people person. That’s the reality. My first mentor used to say, “People work for people.” I translate that as: Yes, we are here to do a job. Yes, we need to make the numbers and the goals. Yes, in order to do that, the paycheck should be the incentive. But people are human.
The simple act of kindness—saying please, thank you—and appreciation can go such a long way. Sometimes you have to take the job out of it and be like, How am I supporting this person so that they can better support me, and we can get the job done together? I find a lot of value in that.
How I cope with an overflowing inbox
I am not an “inbox zero” person. But I am a Virgo, so I do have a routine. On Mondays, I have to write my to-do list for the week. I always start my week by looking at my calendar and writing out the list. If I don’t prioritize that, I’ll get sucked into replying to emails and reacting.
For my email, I am very comfortable with an email that’s not so important. I do not feel the urgency to reply. And then, when I do take the time to look at an email, there needs to be an action. I either have to file, delete, or action it. I like to run my inbox that way.
Why I love hearing feedback
People will leave product reviews. We still have a customer service line that people can call, you can also email our chat, and we get feedback from all angles. I’ve even gotten feedback from a customer on LinkedIn. They found me, and they told me something they didn’t like. And I was like, You know what? Thank you for that feedback.
My hopes for the future of beauty
I wish I had endless money to be an investor. I wish things were easier for indie brands. I hope it continues to get better. I also think customers have too much access to information, because sometimes it’s wrong or bad information. But I enjoy that the consumer is asking questions. It means that we have to pay attention as an industry, and that can hold brands accountable. I do want to continue to see more diversity and women at those big seats at the table. There is still so much room to grow in that space.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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