On the last page of my contract, my position was printed clearly: Brand Operations Director.
On my third day at Calder, I visited the Westvale flagship store for the first time.
The store manager didn't start by showing me to a private office. Instead, he handed me the stockroom key and the reports from the previous quarter.
"Ms. Hartley, don't rush to overhaul the displays or sales strategy. Read these first."
I spent the entire day in the store. At noon, customers asking about bespoke orders formed a line. At 2 p.m., more than half the fitting rooms were empty. At 7 p.m., the sample room and alterations area were packed and running nonstop. Yet when we took inventory at 10 p.m., an unopened crate of expensive imported lace was still sitting in the materials area beside the climate-co
