I'm a buyer for a major department store, which means that I select the assortment that's in any of the department stores across the country, internationally, etc.
I love it because it’s both creative and it’s business, a lot of people have the conception that being a buyer is, like, glamorous, you go to fashion shows… and that’s not really what my job is. It’s a part of what I do, but mostly, it’s business. I have to make a profit. There’s a lot of numbers, there’s a lot of financials, there’s a lot of strategy. And, um, when you work for a big department store, like the one I work for, you have a lot of power. You have the ability to put businesses… out of business, y’know, put them out on the street. It’s a tough thing to do.
Having a commanding sense of respect, a position of authority, does come easily to me. I was a competitive swimmer, I swam in college, I was the captain of my High School team. I definitely… I laid down the law, I mean, I laid the law. I’m very… I have high expectations, and I expect people to deliver.
I like to think that I’m good as a business person. I think I’m difficult to work for, I’ve been accused of being difficult to work for, because I am demanding. I am very impatient, and I expect a lot. And if you don’t deliver, it’s a problem. It can be difficult to work for me, but I’ve been told that if there’s a problem person, they’re kinda put through my office to see if I can fix them, and to see if I can get them on the right path.
I feel like, y’know, the people who have worked for me have stayed in touch with me, because I’ve been able to mentor them somehow, or get them better in their job.
I always thought I’d end up in New York, I love the city, the hustle, the bustle. I mean, I thrive off of that. Living in New York, is kind of like being in a big competition. It’s whoever networks the fastest, it’s whoever can hustle the fastest, those are the people that win, the people that are thinking five steps out ahead. And that’s kinda how I’m approaching Survivor in a sense, people who plot out their next moves, that’s how the winners kinda separate themselves from the losers.
This year has been kind of a turning point for my life, um, I decided to get a divorce. I had been with my ex-husband, we’d been married for two years, been together for eight years. You know, he was my first boyfriend, first person I dated, and the guy I ended up marrying. I turned 30. And when I turned 30, I realized that I wasn’t where I wanted to be in my life. And, ultimately, I decided to get a divorce. Which is… not an easy–definitely, by far, the hardest thing I’ve had to go through. To tell someone, who I very much love and is still an amazing person, to tell them that this isn’t the life you want takes a lot of courage, and I’ve definitely grown a lot from it. Like, you know, I turned 30, which is always a hard thing to do for a woman. You know, to turn 30 and be single is… scary. I live in New York City, it’s not easy to meet guys.
And, I also resigned from my job to pursue Survivor, to be here. And to do what I’ve always wanted to do. To me, I have a lot on the line. I have a lot more on stake. Anyone who knows me, were shocked that I resigned from my job because I’ve been a careerist my entire life. Um, for anyone to think that I would ever give up my job to do something like this, they would never believe you. I have a lot to prove, and I’m here to win.
I think my biggest competition, is really gonna be me.
