Meet Shannel Parker

At the Bay Plaza store in the Bronx, New York, Shannel works as a Store Manager and is a proud member of the Black Retail Action Group (BRAG). While talking about shoes is totally our thing, in honor of the DSW Foundation’s new ongoing partnership, we sat down with Shannel to discuss her involvement with BRAG and the importance of building community and fostering accessibility within the footwear space. Read our convo below!

Q: You’re a member of BRAG; can you tell us a little bit about that?

I learned about BRAG when I was a junior in college and looking for an internship. I went to Syracuse University and a man named J.J. Thomas, who is still well known in BRAG and so influential, was there talking about the Black Retail Action Group. After a conversation with him, he encouraged me to apply. I got in! Every year they do a summer internship program where students of color work with different retail organizations to really start to create that pipeline. It's really a great program because you're learning about the industry, you're learning about yourself, and you're learning about these different organizations.

They really do a lot to stay active and relevant. They're always doing outreach. Like I mentioned, they have an internship program. They also host a gala which is how they fundraise. They have also started to branch out into other things like panel discussions, keeping members up to date on what’s going on in the industry as well as having a career board. In an ever-changing industry, BRAG makes sure that there's still a pipeline to underrepresented communities that are still part of the decision making.

Q: How would you say being a part of BRAG has impacted where you are now?

When I walk into every space, I'm very confident about who I am, what I've done in my life, and the successes and the failures that I've learned from. I take that into consideration when I'm coaching people. I think it's important, especially for underrepresented communities, that we feel seen. I really try to coach with empathy, leading with love, and making sure people feel seen, heard, and celebrated which is something that I learned from BRAG and from my mentor, J.J. Thomas.

Mr. Thomas was so influential in my career. At the time, he was also a vice president at Bloomingdale's. I'd never seen a Black person in the C-suite. While I was at Bloomingdale’s, he helped me rise through the ranks of buyer. I started doing retail math classes through BRAG because I had a knack for the numbers.

When I needed career advice or someone to talk to about a new trajectory I wanted to take, I could always find a BRAG member to connect with and to talk to. In retail especially, it's important to be able to talk to people who are in the industry that get it.

I'm now working in a store managing and sometimes molding and guiding young people from underrepresented communities. For some people this is their first job, but I’m able to help prepare them for what they are going to experience as they go out into the world. Which is why I really admire this organization. They've been around for a while and even though they're not huge, they continue to stay in the fight and stay relevant.

Q: What would you say is the most challenging part of being a person of color in the retail space and how has BRAG helped?

I think there's unconscious bias. I'm someone who enunciates all my syllables. I don't know if it's a New York thing or if it's just me, but it can come off sharp to other people. What I like about BRAG is that they work with their young adults to recognize those kinds of things. I remember one time sitting down with my mentor, and at the end of the conversation, he told to me I had said “um” 15 times, something I didn’t even think of. Overall, for underrepresented communities, it's about being seen, being heard, and knowing our value. Our culture is so intertwined into what happens in fashion and how it translates into stores. I think BRAG is sensitive to that.

They have such a great reputation with so many retailers that if they put their stamp on someone, you know that person is pretty much golden. I used to shop my resume around and look to see if people were a part of BRAG. Being a part of this community goes a long way. It's as important as where I went to college in this industry which I like and respect. I'm happy to represent them, to talk to them, and talk to other students in any way I can about how important it is.

It's funny. I put no one on auto pay. But BRAG is on auto pay every year. I'm willing to not only do the work but also put the money up for the organization.

Q: The DSW Foundation is starting a long-term partnership with BRAG. How important is it for a partnership like this to exist?

While it's called BRAG, the Black Retail Action Group, they do absolutely advocate for those who cannot make their voices heard. Whether it be teachings or learnings, you're going to find that it's not just focused on underrepresented communities. At the end of the day, we all have the same goal. We all want to move up. We all want to be better. I want to be better than the person I was before. I'm still learning after 20-some-odd years in this industry. I think about a lot of the conversations that we continue to have in my region about people not being ready, not having the talent, or being developed. This is an organization that specifically pinpoints talent. They help to build a pipeline. This partnership could expand the reach for BRAG as well as expand the learnings and talent pool for DSW. BRAG should be able to help us identify talent within an organization or help us really level up the talent that we have. There's always room for a different perspective, particularly from people who are constantly working in retail.

Q. Do you have any advice for the current or next generation of retail professionals?

Every business is different and I certainly had to learn the DSW way. I didn't start at DSW, but everything I did before has benefited me here. I don't think I would have become a store manager in the amount of time I did if I didn't have the skills. So, everywhere you go you can learn something. I know sometimes as underrepresented communities, we try to figure the things out in our head because we don't want people to think that we don't know. But that silence is deafening, and it can speak loudly in a way that you probably don't want it to. If you don't understand something, speak up. If you're trying to figure something out, growing your partnerships and mentorships is important too, so start making those connections.