Aerie Changed My Life

My store manager at aerie recently turned in her two weeks' notice. Even the thought of her absence at the store brought me to tears, because Lauren is the heart and soul of aerie. She is aerie 24/7. For a while now I've been thinking about writing how aerie has impacted my life, but the more I thought about it, especially in light of recent events, I realize that it hasn't been a company that has changed my life. Companies are merely things--nebulous groups. But those groups consist of people. And while aerie did change my life, the truth is that it happened through Lauren.

I started working at aerie about a year and a half ago, and more than my wardrobe has changed since then. I have had a wide range of work experiences, and have found that generally a company is either action oriented or people oriented--never both. I found that seeming contradiction of both at aerie. I still remember immediately evaluating the company as goal oriented, because "at the end of the day, the numbers tell the story." And I was right in that evaluation. But what I found to be more and more true was that the story behind the numbers is people. Relationships are crucial, because people are loyal to people, but through that relationship, you find the way to the numbers. One is not more important than the other--they go hand-in-hand. The reason aerie is so successful, the reason aerie creates brand-loyal customers is that people are loyal to people, and at aerie we believe in fostering relationships.

Aerie girls are able to invest in customers because time is invested in us. Lauren was not a leader who merely corrected our actions--she also corrected our attitudes and thoughts. She taught us how to work hard no matter what we were doing--from running trash and stealing random carts to selling bras. She didn't hesitate to correct us, and she was always liberal with praise.

I learned to love who I am. I learned that it's ok if I am a nerd or if I love Hannah Montana or if I love to dance but really suck at it. I learned to take risks to ensure my happiness. I learned that it really is ok to make mistakes and to learn from them. It's even ok to repeat the same mistakes--it's not the end of the world. I learned that we eat salads so we can eat pounds of chocolate. I learned that I can love my job, and I should love my job. Sometimes I won't love my job, but no matter what, I should have a job that I am passionate about and believe in.

I hope aerie doesn't lose that focus. I hope it doesn't become more of a goal-oriented workplace and less like a family, because that will be the day that they lose half their focus. But no matter what happens, what I've learned and how I've changed is irreversible.

Thank you, Lauren, for the impact you've had on my life. For making me realize who I am and embrace that, just by being yourself and living in front of us. By making mistakes and admitting them and by believing in yourself but trusting in things bigger than yourself. I've grown in ways I can't even explain, and a big part of that has been because of you.