My first job out of high school was as a Sales Associate for Urban Outfitters. I worked my fanny off. And after my first year of employment, and working up through the ranks, I was offered the title of Visual Manager and was responsible for my own store. I was 20 years old and led the design and implementation of all display (interior and window). I managed the budget and visual team. What an awesome experience that was.
Above is the Evanston store. I worked on the initial build-out, and after opening, it was all mine. Shortly after that, I was asked to join the opening team for their Dallas location (below).
During both openings, a team of a dozen Visual Managers from all over the country worked tirelessly to oversee everything, from installation of the “cashwrap” island to placing merchandise to grabbing a circular saw and making a riser.