Talent Spotlight - Meet Shellie Cohen

Meet Shellie Cohen – a product development, sourcing, and manufacturing executive who has done it all! With her background in consumer products with Disney, Hasbro, Beachwood Custom, and others, she has excelled by being the conduit between the creative and manufacturing teams. As a global leader, Shellie prides herself in cross-cultural communication and the ability to work with diverse teams.

What is next for Shellie? She wants to join a collaborative and creative team where she can produce innovative products. She is looking for a company that is doing social good, where their values or products give back in some way, she wants to be part of something much larger. What’s Shellie’s added value? She creates innovative manufacturing solutions that adds profitability to the product and creates long-lasting relationships with manufacturers. She jokes, “I design with a champagne taste on a beer budget.”

If you’re looking for a visionary leader who specializes in manufacturing and sourcing solutions, then Shellie is the candidate for you. Connect with Shellie here or contact Emerging Blue.

Want to be the next #TalentTuesday spotlight? Email your information to info@emergingblue.com.

Join Christina on Tuesday, May 5 for a Talent Talk

Have you been laid-off or thinking about making a change in this current environment? What can you do to stand out from the mass of candidates flooding the market? Should you just play it safe and stay put?

We invite you to an interactive live conversation to answer: What's happening in the job market today? How you can survive, if not thrive, job searching right now.

Join Christina Jones, along with Laura Leach, and other seasoned recruiters on Tuesday, May 5th at 1:30 PST. Register here to the #FREE live event: https://bit.ly/2Wc6wqC

Resume Tips and Ideas

If you’re in the market for a new job and sprucing up your resume, check out some awesome tips from the EB Crew.

Images below are zoomed in for a closer look.

If you are looking for more resume tips you can:

• Reach out to us for one-on-one resume assistance @ Info@emergingblue.com

• Check out our previous resume writing blogs: Top 5 Resume Tips from a Recruiter, Resumes, It’s the Little Things

Talent Spotlight - Meet Felix Eduardo

Meet Felix Eduardo, a SF Bay Area senior art director who specializes in bringing process, strategy, and foresight to each brand he works with. From leading #art and #creative teams at Benefit Cosmetics, Rodan + Fields and Kendo Brands, Inc., Felix has propelled each brand through creative storytelling, compelling 360 campaigns, and digital expertise. He loves working on creative strategy, leading and collaborating on teams, and delivering high quality work.

What’s next for Felix? He would love to join an agency or consumer brand who has an insatiable craving for rich storytelling and big ideas, no matter whether they are in tech, beauty, or somewhere in between, because no extraordinary brand should ever be bland!

Interested in Felix leading your creative strategy and art direction? Connect with him here or reach out to us!

Want to be the next #TalentTuesday spotlight? Email your information to info@emergingblue.com.

Spring Cleaning Your Network

Set yourself up for success and keep your network warm so during rainy days, you will be able to reach out for support.  From current and past colleagues, to individuals in associations, you have a ton of people in your network, you may just not have thought about them until you needed to. We can find ourselves in situations we never imagined, so building and organizing your network will have positive benefits allowing you to leverage a sea of warm and cool connections to potentially lead to new, exciting opportunities.

{ LinkedIn + Facebook }

Since we cannot attend networking events in-person with the current social distancing guidelines, then social platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook are useful tools for you to use to build and maintain your networks. When on LinkedIn, you can click “My Network” to view people you may know from the companies you listed you worked for, the schools you attended, places you volunteered, as well as people in your same industry and similar roles. You can also create a group and add people to it that share similar interests and roles. This is a great way to keep your networks engaged and organized.

{ Warm + Cool Connections }

Another opportunity for organizing your network is to list connections as warm or cool prospects by looking at the strength of each connection in order to determine which they are. This is a great way to see who your low-hanging fruit is, and then continue strengthening those relationships. It also gives insight as to who you need to a build a stronger connection with depending on your needs and wants at the time.  By organizing your network, you may begin to see a lack of needed associates that you can then focus on building strong and collaborative connections, so set solid goals for what you wish to attain.

{ Consolidate + Label }

We have an umpteen amount of contacts stored in our phone, email (many of us have multiple email addresses), Rolodex of business cards, and all the social platforms we’re connected with. It is super helpful to consolidate all your contacts into one document and organize them into categories in the document for when you need to do some outreach to your network. You will know who the best is to contact for what if things are labeled correctly. It’s time consuming and unproductive to search through all your tools to find someone’s contact information, when you can save time and have everything stored safely and neatly in one place. And lastly, save as you go! Set yourself up to achieve and turn on “auto-save” so that you never lose any work, or even better, connect it to your Cloud so you can access the information from anywhere and on any device that has Internet capabilities.

National Denim Day

Happy National Denim Day to all our denim friends @ Paige, J Brand, NY&Co, Levi’s, Gap, Good American, Lucky Brands, Frame, and Revtown.

Recruiters to the Rescue

At Emerging Blue, we are donating our LinkedIn job slots to any hospital, nursing home or PPP manufacturer, that is looking to hire front-line workers.

We’ll post your job for free and will funnel all candidates directly to you.

Anyone interested can contact us at info@emergingblue.com

Happy Earth Day!

Talent Spotlight - Meet Jess!

Meet Jess Brown, a creative force with a unique blend of both product design and marketing expertise.  As an industry leader, Jess brings her innovative style and marketing experience, and pairs it with her surface design and product design skills. Does she love to build things? Yes. Does she design print and digital campaigns? Definitely. Team leader, decision-maker, and creative mastermind? All of the above! 

Jess is a rare gem with a stellar hybrid background.  As part of the Nike design team, Jess led the consumer goods category with creating product for the Men’s World Cup and the Olympic Games. As a designer at Columbia, Jess created both the seasonal marketing collateral as well as surface designs for apparel. Having collaborated with over 60 labels, it’s no secret Jess is fantastic! What’s next for her? Jess loves action sports and performancewear and would love to bring her design and leadership skills to a leading company where she can solve problems and create amazing things, either as a creative director or a product design director.

Interested in Jess Brown joining your team? Reach out to Jess here or by contacting Emerging Blue.

How to Maintain Culture While #WFH

{ Promote the Remote }

As we work virtually, it is the technological tools that enable us to promote a positive work culture. Video-conferencing platforms allow us not to lose sight of culture, but further foster it by continued engagement to steer culture towards a collaborative and comforting direction. Utilize LinkedIn as well, so you’re not only connected with your teammates and other key people in your company, but also so you are building collaborative networks. Transitioning virtually doesn’t mean you lose a sense of your work culture, but more so an opportunity to further develop and influence it.

{ Empower Leadership }

This is a great time to continue motivating your team and identifying those partners whose solid vision aligns with business needs. This will build trust and productivity, and gives you the perfect gateway to ensure expectations are clearly defined.  Understanding that while working remote our teams are wearing many hats, so to strengthen your team, continue communicating in both short-term and long-term orientation.  Remember to stress taking a digital detox weekly, and not be ‘on-call’ digitally 24 hours a day.

{ Cultivate Transparency }

Being honest and candid during uncertain times, or anytime for that matter, is critical to a supportive and positive work culture. Scott, Founder of Emerging Blue, leads by this example every day by continually sharing information along with weekly and monthly goals with the team.  This builds trust and leads to a team working at greater efficiency while keeping the vision, and continuing to identify new opportunities. No one likes to be left in the dark, so be the leader that brings your team a flashlight!

{ Uphold Company Values }

If you have a website that lists out your “isms” or company values, or perhaps they are placed in your employee manual and written all over the walls of your office space, it’s key to live out and be those values. Discuss these values in your remote meetings and showcase them with commitment by promoting an esteemed culture.  And by all means, share those kid photos, pet photos, and virtual happy hours!

Go Forth Into The Weekend!

Talent Spotlight - Meet Keryn!

Meet Keryn Francisco, a Digital Transformation Consultant based in San Francisco. With over 25 years’ experience in design leadership and continuous process improvement, she has lead teams in global creative direction, product innovation, and digital business acumen. This unique combination of both product and digital experience, makes for one top-notch leader. As a megabrand and digital expert, Keryn has a track record of success at Levi Strauss, Nike, Lucy Activewear and The North Face. With a focus on guiding companies through a digital transformation, she brings her experiences together with the launch of KÜLHAUS, a consulting powerhouse under her direction.

Keryn has a spirit of experimentation & innovation, while partnering to empower teams through an effective renewal. What is Keryn looking for in her next consulting role? She looks to help brands that are passionate about their digital transformation and digital product creation.

If you’re looking to build a digital transformation strategy including technological workflow, Keryn is the expert you need to make it happen.

#WFH Tips from Remote Talent Matchmakers

{ GET DRESSED }

Get up, get ready, and get going in the morning!  Eric, one of our talent matchmakers, knows that getting ready for work in the morning makes a huge positive impact on the workday.  For Eric, building in a morning routine as though he’s going into the office really helps train his brain to switch into work mode versus ‘lounge-at-home’ mode. He still loves his athleisure clothing but tries to save it for after work to help him maintain the work-life headspace. But, be comfortable so you are still confident and yourself, because when you feel confident, you then do amazing things!  

{ DESIGNATE A WORK AREA }

Another #WFH tip that is super important is to have a designated work area. Christina, our VP, finds it productive to have a specific work location in her home for the work week. Whether it is her kitchen table, home office, or out on her gorgeous Charleston patio, it is key to have a space set up that encourages work, as well as making sure you have your tools and resources accessible. Christina suggests having not just your laptop or desktop computer, but also file folders, organizational tools, highlighters, sticky notes, and access to a printer, as major tools and resources to have while working from home.

{ CREATE A DAILY AGENDA }

Move the peg forward a little every day, and having a daily agenda really helps keep us moving forward and staying committed. Additionally, during these times when schools and daycares are closed and babysitters aren’t able to step in and support, it is helpful to create schedules and to stick to them; create a schedule that works for each person so not only can they support their families but also productively work from home. Lindsay, another of our talent matchmakers, knows it’s intrinsically rewarding to check things off your list and feel accomplished at the end of the workday.

{ EMBRACE YOUR WORK AND HOME LIVES }

Separating work and home lives can be a challenge due to the current crisis, with many of us sharing spaces with multiple people within our homes. We want to shift the idea of separating work and home lives to the idea of embracing the two. If we adjust our perception of this new normal to embrace the many daily distractions, then we will, in turn, be happier and less burdened. It may take a few distractions, such as your adorable child walking in while you’re on a ZOOM call with a client, or your dog barking, for us to cherish being able to work at home and be with our families and loved ones.

{ COMMUNICATE OFTEN WITH YOUR TEAM } 

We all agreed that this tip was one of the most important while working from home. Our team often works remotely, and one thing that keeps us successful is our level of communication. We use virtual platforms and various tools to openly and genuinely communicate. Scott, our Founder, builds in consistent communication into our culture daily by using different channels. We not only communicate to ensure that we are sharing information with each other to achieve business needs but also use it as a time to create deeper relationships and a stronger crew.

{ TAKE BREAKS }

We cannot stress this enough when working from home… take breaks! They don’t need to be long, but they can be a simple 10-15 minute walk around the block (even better if you have a dog and take them with you) or a 10-15 minute at-home yoga or meditation session; these small breaks throughout the day will help you trailblaze through your tasks. This is especially true for Sally, our Chicago-based director, who loves to step away after hours of building relationships with candidates and clients to go for a bike ride around her neighborhood. It helps reset her brain, and of course, is social distancing.    

{ PLAY MUSIC }

Music is in all of us! You may be stressed or feeling anxious during these times, and a great remedy is to listen to your favorite music. Just remember to mute the music before taking a work call or joining a virtual meeting. Once the call or virtual meeting is over, turn that music back up and use that energy it gives you to slay the rest of the workday.  Follow us on Instagram @emergingblue to see some of our favorite #WFH playlists!  Share your playlists with colleagues or clients to spread the joy!

{ REWARD YOURSELF! }

We are firm believers that when you work hard, you get to play hard! Rewards are great motivators to encourage you to do great work. One of Eric’s favorite rewards for himself is a glass of the infamous TikTok Dalgona coffee while he listens to podcasts on The Bachelor. Some people reward themselves with purchasing things or divulging in treats; whatever way you like to reward yourself to celebrate your accomplishments, make sure you do it!  We recommend no happy hour drinks until 5 p.m. (your time zone), unless you’re a mixologist influencer on YouTube, then, by all means, shake up the cocktail!

Talent Spotlight - Meet Alex Goldberg!

Meet Alex Goldberg. #TalentSpotlight

Alex is a brand focused Merchant with a keen eye for driving sales through curating innovative product assortments that hit the mark. As a merchandising leader, he has the skills to bring a team to the next level. Product development? Check. Brand Positioning? Check. Strategic inventory planning? Check. Analytical, a leader, and mentor? Check, check, check!

Alex has been on product teams at J. Crew & Best Made Co. His biggest achievements at J.Crew were around 3rd party sneaker collaborations and launches. At Best Made Co., he led the men’s team assortment strategy to transition Best Made Co. from a seasonal gifting destination into a men’s lifestyle brand to drive customer frequency and lifetime value. As you can see, Alex has it all! What’s next for him? Great question! Alex is looking for an innovative, growing brand that has a collaborative and clear company mission.

Reach out to us if you’re interested in Alex being a part of your team!

Want to be our next #TalentTuesday feature? Email us at info@emergingblue.com

We can be your {HR} essential crew!

While companies are reducing their workforce due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many are left without integral members or even entire teams. That’s where we can help! We are a crew of strategic human resources pros with a proven track record of supporting companies within all facets of HR.

• Understanding state and federal HR laws

• Strengthening COVID-19 emergency plans

• Payroll processing

• Organizational structure changes

• Setting up electronic and virtual onboarding for new hires

• Creating employee assistance programs

• Administering employee benefits

• Strategizing and implementing a recruitment process

We are here to help! Our talent, and HR expertise, are your strengths.

About Emerging Blue:

Emerging Blue is a brand focused talent resource partner that represents freelance, temp-to-perm, and full-time talent in Fashion, Home and Beauty. We fill jobs from San Francisco to New York, and everywhere in-between. We represent top candidates, the hottest brands and innovative companies of all shapes and sizes. If you need recruitment and hiring support, we would love to partner with you. Our talent is your strength. Get in touch with us at info@emergingblue.com.

Laid Off? Take a Deep Breath and Then Take Action

· Acknowledge the emotions! It’s totally fine to go through the emotional stages. Whether you’re angry, sad, fearful, shocked, happy… feel it. These emotions will inevitably help you move forward.

· Check unemployment benefits. Reach out to your local state employment agency to see if you’re eligible for unemployment benefits. Click here for more information on filing for unemployment.

· Talk it through. This is a great opportunity to reach out to past friends, colleagues, collegemates, and whoever else is in your network.

· Make a list of companies who are hiring, and then narrow it down to the ones that you’re interested in and passionate about.

· LinkedIn should be your new best friend. If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile set up, then this is the time to make one. If you already have one, update it.

· Network like it’s your job. After you’ve embraced the emotions that follow from being laid-off and have created a road map of companies you’re interested in and where you want to go, next up is to network with people outside of your current network. Don’t forget to add a personalized message when adding new people on LinkedIn.

· Connect with a recruitment agency. Recruitment agencies are fantastic resources to help job seekers as well as they have tons of connections with companies, and even better, they know who’s hiring. Here at Emerging Blue, we love supporting job seekers.

About Emerging Blue:

Emerging Blue is a brand focused talent resource partner that represents freelance, temp-to-perm, and full-time talent in Fashion, Home and Beauty. We fill jobs from San Francisco to New York, and everywhere in-between. We represent top candidates, the hottest brands and innovative companies of all shapes and sizes. If you need recruitment and hiring support, we would love to partner with you. Our talent is your strength. Get in touch with us at info@emergingblue.com.