Hard truths aren’t always easy to hear, but they are always valuable. That event marked the start of significant and positive growth in my career, a journey that I am still on today.
Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
My dad, Sandy Miller, an entrepreneur at heart, purchased Zell Manufacturing in 1964 and Miller Zell was born. Over the years, the company evolved from its initial screen-printing focus into a fully-integrated retail solutions company with 300 associates.
I began working full-time at Miller Zell after college, and it didn’t take long for me to share my dad’s passion for helping retailers become their best selves. One of my first projects was the introduction of new Infiniti dealerships throughout the US. Throughout my 29-plus years at the company, I’ve had the opportunity to work in many areas with many people and quite a few clients. It’s gratifying to help our large retail clients with their store design and customer communication. It has always excited me to see so much of our work in stores throughout the country.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
Just over three years ago, Miller Zell underwent a cultural transformation which has improved the quality of our work and led to better client satisfaction. At the time, we had fallen short of our own high standards and as a result lost a valuable client. This situation is meaningful not because we lost a client. It’s meaningful because it moved us to reevaluate the organization. We didn’t want this to happen again — ever — and we needed to clarify our organizational values.
We rewrote and reintroduced our mission, vision and values and now focus on them in every action and discussion we have at Miller Zell. We clearly communicate to all associates information about our business and every associate knows that their number one priority is to make and keep our clients happy. Our goal is for each client to truly understand that we value our relationship and view them as a partner for mutual success.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I learned very early in my career the value of humility and listening to more experienced people. The first day that I worked in the art department as a summer part-time employee, I cut my finger with an X-Acto blade exactly one minute after laughing that I was much too careful to cut myself. I learned to listen better and follow directions.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
The first thing that comes to mind is a conversation I had just last week. But it’s a common situation for us when meeting with clients and prospects. A marketing VP from a convenience store chain was visiting Miller Zell to discuss and review our capabilities for store design and, more specifically, how to revitalize their sales growth.
The discussion led to many ideas but also to the issue of execution and timing. On the fly, we brought in associates from engineering, graphic production and installation to discuss how the stores would be updated. The conversation allowed us to better inform the client about our expertise in all aspects of a store refresh, from design, to project management, procurement and print management, installation and support after the project is completed.
To say the least, the marketing VP was impressed with the depth and breadth of our offerings. He left Miller Zell with a better understanding of the entire project and how it will benefit his customers while also understanding it could be successfully completed on time and on budget. It never gets old witnessing a retail client fully realizing just how much we can and want to do for them.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
· Celebrate accomplishments. We too often focus on the missteps.
· Ensure all clients value the services you provide. We view our client relationships as partnerships, and we ask that they do the same.
· Have a corporate culture that allows for a work-life balance and live that culture daily.
· Take all of your allotted vacation. Taking a break from the day-to-day allows you to come back to the office with new ideas and a refreshed mindset.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Countless people have positively impacted me along the way, but what comes to mind here is some tough and honest feedback that I received from some of my Miller Zell teammates. About 10 years ago, I participated in a leadership training retreat. In preparation, five co-workers completed a survey about me. During the event, the group leader shared these survey results with everyone in the room. It was quickly evident to me that I was at the bottom of most rankings.
After the retreat, and the many emotions that surfaced the following week, I knew that I needed to make some changes in my life and the way I worked at Miller Zell. Hard truths aren’t always easy to hear, but they are always valuable. That event marked the start of significant and positive growth in my career, a journey that I am still on today. Because of my experience at that retreat, we’ve introduced transformative honesty as part of the Miller Zell culture.
Are you working on any exciting projects now?
Of course! That’s what gets me out of bed every morning. Here’s one. We’re implementing a large-scale store refresh to juice up the customer experience of a nationwide retailer. This project is being quickly implemented and creating a dramatically new look for 4,000-plus stores. What I like about this particular project is that it showcases our ability to produce and install quickly at scale, something I don’t believe anyone does better.
We also recently helped a bank in the Southeast reengineer a new branding design that was originally too expensive to implement. Our solution allowed them to roll out into more locations without losing the design intent.
And, we have helped a local convenience store chain update the look and feel of a brand that has existed for over 30 years. Our work included consumer research, environmental design and project execution, which we can do for 100 stores or 5,000!
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
We value a work-life balance at Miller Zell, and that includes not losing perspective. When a Miller Zell associate has interest, energy and even a personal stake around a charitable cause, the company will financially support the cause and encourage other associates to participate. Some of the causes we support include: Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research, Atlanta Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Special Olympics Georgia and the Lupus Foundation of America.
Can you share five examples of how retail companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to shop?
The retail market is always changing, and that’s because the consumer is constantly driving that change. So first, I would say retailers need to begin with the end in mind. Whether it’s a full store remodel or simply updating fixturing, retailers need to know what shoppers are demanding and remain attentive and nimble in their thinking. Which brings me to my next example — customer experience.
In real estate you often hear the phrase “location, location, location.” In retail, it’s “customer experience, customer experience, customer experience.” Shoppers need the purpose of their store trip to align with or exceed the expected experience. Change and excitement must be brought into stores. This can be done in a lot of different ways, from graphics to promotions to products to technology, but also with curated services and unexpected pleasures.
Third, shoppers are always looking at their phones. Retailers must find ways to align their customers’ online and in-store experiences so the change from digital to physical is seamless to the consumer.
Next, I would say that the Buy Online, Pickup in Store (BOPIS) trends will continue to grow. More and more shoppers are beginning to adopt this practice and are beginning to expect it from all retailers.
Finally, showroom or style shops and pop-ups will become even more prevalent. These types of shopping environments are proving to be big hits with consumers, and more and more retailers will be adopting these types of environments.
But note that these adjustments only matter if the customer is put first. Absent that, especially in the rapidly changing demands of the retail landscape, your brand is at risk if there’s a gap between your experience and customer expectations. Start with the customer, measure impact along the journey and constantly engage the customer to measure your relevance along the way.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
Anything good that we have is at risk when we do not have our health. There is not enough focus on being proactive instead of reactive with healthcare. We as a society focus too much on treating illnesses instead of preventing them. When we moved into our new building, a major focus of our layout planning was health and wellness. We included an on-site gym and extensive walking trails around the building. We also have included numerous health and wellness incentives in our benefit packages, with particular focus on making sure associates get complete physicals every year.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Twitter: @millerzell
Facebook: @millerzellATL
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/miller-zell/
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
