How I Get Paid To Eat Desserts For A Living
The millennial generation is known as the job-hopping generation, but who can blame us? We're either often underpaid, undervalued, or we get stuck at a company whose culture and values doesn't match ours - so we do what we need to do and peace out. However, hopping from one job to the next isn't always our ideal way to go. For many of us, we wish we can find that ideal job or position that will not only pay the bills (and more), but that'll also fulfill us, and actually make us want to go to work.
This type of energy and vibe is what I got after meeting Taylor Reed at a networking event earlier this year. As Taylor introduced herself to me she said, "I get paid to eat desserts all day and I love it.'' Funny thing is, I knew that she wasn't faking the flex, but she really felt that way. I don't know about you, but it's rare that I meet a millennial that's actually in love with their job and with what they do, so I was intrigued.
After talking to Taylor, I learned that her actual job title is an Associate Product Manager for 7-Eleven, and like many of us, she didn't always dream of being in the role that she's in now.
Taylor, a fashionista from the Chi, went to Dominican University and studied Fashion Design and Merchandising. She always dreamt of working in fashion and with products, but not in the food services space (previously she worked at Nordstrom and at the Art Institute of Chicago). However, instead of ignoring the career path that the universe had sent her way, she stayed the course. After graduating from college, Taylor was approached with an opportunity that would get her foot in the door of working with products, but not as she originally dreamed with fashion. This opportunity, while not ideal, taught her a lot and is what really helped her get to the happy career place that she's in now.
Keep reading to see how she got there and what you can learn from her experience.
*Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Sometimes the best opportunities are in disguise.
Courtesy of Taylor Reed
"My first big break was working for Sears in Chicago as an Assistant Buyer for vacuum cleaners. This was definitely far from what I imagined, but I knew I needed to be open to managing multiple products. At the end of the day, everything you do in my field is the same language, but just different products. You just need to know the fundamentals," Taylor shared. "The cool thing that I learned while in this role is that, for many companies, they have their own private label or brand, and honestly this industry is growing so much. At Sears, one of the products that I worked with was Kenmore and it's a private label brand. Working on this brand is really what sparked my interest in working with private labels. With private labels, you have a lot more room to negotiate and to create what you want to go in the store."
In less than a year at Sears, Taylor was promoted to an Associate Buyer and she learned more about the product development and management process. Her work ethic at Sears caught the attention of another retailer, Payless Shoes, and she started working with them in their Kansas office. While at Payless, Taylor worked as an Associate Buyer for accessories, and then eventually for kids shoes. In this role, it allowed her to work more in a more fashion-based role, and it taught her how kids and millennials felt about the products and their buying decision process.
Don’t just go to work and then go home - network!
"After Payless, I started working at 7-Eleven from a combo of networking and having an interest in product development. Before I left Payless, they had unfortunately filed for bankruptcy and went out of business, so I had to find a job. I was really pressed to find something in this short, unexpected period of time. During my search, I ended up getting two great offers, one at The Container Store and the other at JCPenney. I literally never imagined working in the food services industry, but things shifted."
Taylor continued, "While I was at Payless, there was someone in a senior role that had come from JCPenney. She was really smart and just amazing to know, so I made it a point to get to know her. After connecting with her really well, I learned that her best friend was working for 7-Eleven and was looking to hire someone to work underneath her as an Associate Product Development Manager. My friend at work told her friend at 7-Eleven about me, and really advocated for me. After a few interviews, I ended up getting the role at 7-Eleven as an Associate Product Development Manager, focusing on private labels with package bakery products and bread. In my current role, I'm accountable for everything from pound cakes, danishes, brownies, honey buns, and the Little Debbie-style products but private-label type of products, just to name a few."
Forget the unpopular opinion, ask to pick their brain.
Courtesy of Taylor Reed
"I always tell people, no matter what situation you're in or what education you have, go out and network, and meet people who are doing the work that you want to do. At both Sears and Payless, I took advantage of picking people's brains at work, and not being afraid to ask questions. For example, if you're currently wanting to get into product development and you have a product development department at your job, first try to connect with those people. If you don't have that type of team at your current job, go to networking events or even just go on LinkedIn and network. You'd be surprised at how many strangers I've reached out to for different types of roles and advice, and vice versa. You never know who's willing to actually offer advice and be of help," Taylor advised.
Greatness takes time and effort.
One of the biggest things that I learned from Taylor is that literally everything takes time, energy, and effort, no matter what the product is or what industry it's a part of. You cannot rush the process, or make anything great without proper planning or testing. For Taylor and her team at 7-Eleven, developing the product, taste testing, determining the price point, and signing off on it, can take as little as 8 weeks (which is rare) and as long as 24 weeks before it's ready to go in the store. "In my role, I'm responsible for pulling a report for my team to see how well our products did, and then from there, I'm meeting with different suppliers that make the honey buns, pound cakes, brownies, etc. and plan out when the product will hit the store and everything that's associated with how the customer will view and engage with the product," Taylor explained.
"With my team and with the suppliers, we discuss the trends that people are seeing in stores, and what's popular in pop culture. After that, the supplier will give me the product to view and taste, and I'll give them feedback. From there, I meet with the marketing team because they help me determine if the packaging of the product is in line with our goals and if it makes sense for the branding and image that we are going for. Sometimes, if I'm working on a product that I need a little help with, I'll take advantage of our test panel. At 7-Eleven, we have a test kitchen at our headquarters, and we can literally bring people from random departments to get their opinion on the product that we're working on."
The decisions you make today will either have you struggling or glowing up in the future.
Courtesy of Taylor Reed
For many of us, trying to figure out this thing called adulting is often stressful and confusing. We want to live our best lives, and having a fulfilling career is a part of that, but sometimes it's hard. Even when we do find a job and company that we love like Taylor, everyday isn't sunshine and rainbows. Because of this, it's important that we intentionally surround ourselves with positive energy, people, and vibes that take us higher instead of lower. For Taylor, that intentional living means budgeting well so that she can afford to travel the world and gain new experiences when she's not tasting desserts and developing new products at 7-Eleven.
Intentional living means not settling for less and always making it a point to network, learn, and perfect her craft so that she can continue to sustain a career that brings her joy. "When I need a pick-me-up and source of motivation, I also like to study this quote by William Blake that says, 'My business is to create or else become enslaved to another man's creation.'," Taylor revealed. "This quote motivates me because it shows me that if I slow down and don't do what I need to do to reach my goals, someone else will come and do exactly what I want to do."
For more of Taylor, follow her on Instagram.
Featured image courtesy of Taylor Reed
Brittani Hunter is a proud PVAMU alumni and the founder of The Mogul Millennial, a business and career platform for Black Millennials. Meet Brittani on Twitter and on the Gram at @BrittaniLHunter and @mogulmillennial.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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How To Tell If You're Disciplining Your Child Or Seeking Revenge
When discussing the topic of raising children, discipline is often the first thing that comes to mind. Children need discipline. Full stop. But what is discipline? And how do we draw the line between discipline and revenge?
The origin of the word "discipline" can be traced back to the Latin word "disciplina," which means "instruction" or "teaching." Over time, however, discipline has come to be synonymous with punishment, with parents relying on shame, fear, and/or physical pain to curb undesirable behavior.
Teaching takes time, so nipping it in the bud in whatever fashion parents deem necessary (within reason) has become the norm. But is this what’s best for children? And when does it become less about curbing undesirable behavior and more about getting our licks back for offenses we feel our children should know better to do?
In my work as a parenting coach, I’ve often heard parents say, “I asked him nicely three times before spanking him. He didn’t stop doing it until I did, so clearly talking doesn’t work.”
And the parent isn’t wrong. Talking often doesn’t work the first, the third, or the even the 10th time. And the reason is directly tied to brain development.
Children cannot and do not process information the way an adult can. Auditory processing is not fully developed until a child is 14 or 15 years old. And even then, if a child has auditory processing delays or Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), they may always struggle with processing auditory commands. According to Susie S. Loraine, MA, CCC-SLP, the term auditory processing refers to how the brain perceives and interprets sound information. Several skills determine auditory processing ability—or listening success. They develop in a general four-step hierarchy, but all work together and are essential for daily listening.
Without this understanding, discipline can easily become revenge because parents will then view their child’s misdeeds as a personal slight. Instead of teaching them to do better, parents now want to show them the consequences of not doing better. This is why it's imperative for parents to discern between discipline and revenge to maintain healthy relationships with their children.
5 WAYS TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN PARENTAL GUIDANCE AND RETALIATION:
Understanding The Intent
Discipline is rooted in love and concern for the child's well-being. It focuses on teaching lessons and helping children understand the consequences of their actions. Conversely, revenge-driven actions stem from a desire to inflict pain or punishment as payback for perceived slights or disobedience. Parents should reflect on their motives before taking disciplinary actions. Ask yourself whether your intention is to help your child learn or to make them suffer for upsetting you.
Example: If a child accidentally breaks a valuable item, a disciplinary response would involve discussing the importance of being careful and working with the child to come up with a way to replace or fix what they’ve broken. On the other hand, a vengeful reaction might involve yelling, harsh punishment, or bringing up past mistakes to intensify guilt.
Maintaining Emotional Regulation
Effective discipline requires parents to remain calm and composed, even in challenging situations. It's natural to feel upset or frustrated when children misbehave, but responding with anger or resentment can escalate the situation and blur the line between discipline and revenge. Before addressing the issue, take a moment to breathe and collect your thoughts.
Example: If a child cannot follow instructions, a disciplined response would involve calmly explaining why their cooperation is necessary in working with the child to accomplish the goal. Conversely, a retaliatory response might involve shouting, name-calling, or resorting to physical punishment out of anger.
Promoting Growth and Learning
Discipline should always aim to promote growth and learning. It involves guiding children toward making better choices and understanding the impact of their actions on themselves and others. Effective discipline strategies include positive reinforcement, setting clear expectations, and providing opportunities for reflection and growth.
Example: If a child repeatedly forgets to complete their chores, a disciplinary approach would involve discussing the importance of responsibility and finding solutions together, such as creating a chore chart or setting reminders with Siri or Alexa. In contrast, a revenge-driven response might involve imposing overly harsh punishments or belittling the child, which can undermine their self-esteem and hinder their ability to learn from their mistakes.
Momo Productions/Getty
Building Trust and Communication
Trust and open communication are essential components of a healthy parent-child relationship. Discipline should strengthen this bond by fostering trust and encouraging children to confide in their parents without fear of judgment or retaliation. When children feel safe and supported, they're more likely to accept discipline as a form of guidance rather than punishment.
Example: If a child admits to breaking a rule or making a mistake, a disciplined response would involve listening to their perspective, discussing the consequences of their actions, and working together to find a solution. Conversely, a retaliatory response might involve accusations, blame, or shutting down communication, which can erode trust and damage the parent-child relationship.
Seeking Professional Guidance
Parenting is a learning journey, and, disciplining children is a delicate balance between guiding them toward responsible behavior and nurturing their growth. By understanding the intent behind our actions, maintaining emotional regulation, promoting growth and learning, building trust and communication, and seeking professional guidance when needed, as parents we can help our children built on love, respect, and understanding.
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Featured image by Courtney Hale/Getty Images