My family were always going in and out of health food shops when I was growing and when I went to University it was a keen interest. I was lucky enough to get a part time Sales Associate role in our Julian Graves store in Amersham. When I left university I was offered the full time Supervisor’s role in Aylesbury which I took then became Manager.
With the team we turned the store into one of the most successful on the company. Whilst I was a store manager, I was involved in various secondments and projects and I now have my own Area as an Area Sales Manager with GNC, which I’m thrilled about.
When I was a Store Manager it was all about the customer and driving my store team to be the best in the region. Now my role is more diverse as I have a large team to motivate and deliver the standards I would expect in my own store.
I work closely with all of the field support teams and our Support Centre functions such as Marketing and Buying to make sure I have the right product for my stores.
The most important aspect of my role is my team and now that I have become an Area Sales Manager I ensure that I give them the same support I had as a Store Manager to move on through the business.
When I was in store, the training centred around product and service. Since becoming an Area Sales Manager I have been mentored by my Regional Sales Manager on various projects to help me with skills such as time management. I also work closely with my Regional Training Officer to make sure my Area gets all the support it needs.
When I was a Store Manager I was proud of the reputation that my store had built up. I often used to get stopped in town by my regular customers thanking me and the team for the service they had received. I also had some great mystery shop results that my team are really proud of.
I am hugely competitive and always wanted to be top of the Area for Sales and Service. I also love the rapport with my team and my customers. Now that I’m an Area Sales Manager and part of the bigger NBTY family I’m determined to become Area Sales Manager of the year and for one of my Store Managers to become Store Manager of the year at our annual awards.
I am looking to establish myself as an Area Sales Manager for a while yet but who knows after that. I have come so far since I joined the Company already.
I’m proof that with hard work it is possible to join the business as a Sales Associate and then to progress to an Area Sales Manager. There are no barriers around which brand you work for. I’ve moved from Julian Graves to GNC and the challenge is fantastic.
I have always had a keen interest in health and nutrition whilst I was at university so getting a Part Time Sales Associate role in the Holland & Barrett store in Salford was a natural role for me.
When I came back to Birmingham, I was lucky enough to be transferred to the Holland & Barrett in the City Centre. This is when I started to think about NBTY as a career option and wanted to progress my career within the business.
I was soon promoted to Supervisor in the GNC in Birmingham City Centre which I was thrilled about. I'm really passionate about the brand and wanted to show that GNC could appeal to a large target audience.
I loved my time at GNC, but I am ambitious so I took a promotion to become Assistant Manager at Holland & Barrett Solihull.
I always felt that I would go back to GNC at some point and when I heard about an opportunity to join the brand as a Marketing Assistant I decided to apply for the role and was thrilled when it was offered to me.
My role is all about supporting my Marketing Manager in developing the Marketing Strategy for GNC. With my store experience I am able to offer a different perspective to my Manager which has proved to be useful. I also get to work closely with the GNC Operations team and help write the Sales and Operations Managers weekly blog.
I feel that I can influence the brand working with the whole GNC team. I can also express my creative side in a marketing role and I can fully utilise my university degree.
I'm really enjoying my current role but am looking to progress in the business. When I started out as a Part Time Sales Associate I didn't expect to be working in the Store Support Centre so as far as I'm concerned the sky's the limit.