For many people, a new professional challenge is at the top of their list of New Year’s resolutions for 2024. CALIDA supports ambitious sales talents in their professional and personal development and offers internal advancement opportunities. An inspiring example of this is Isabelle Dietrich, who has developed from store manager to district manager within just a few years. In the article she not only talks about her career, but also provides an insight into her everyday work and the unbeatable team spirit at the well-known Swiss lingerie brand CALIDA.
Passion for Fashion: A career full of passion
Isabelle Dietrich has always been a fashion enthusiast and, thanks to her many years of experience in buying and selling lingerie, is now a true expert in textiles. Even before her employment in the summer of 2017, she had numerous points of contact with CALIDA and felt connected to the brand and its values. Her desire for change led her to the position of store manager in Baden-Baden, where she quickly increased the sales figures of her store with enthusiasm and determination.
Her efforts were worth it because within a short time Isabelle was promoted to District Manager, where she now has responsibility for several branches. All CALIDA stores in the Central Germany area are under their responsibility. She enjoys working with the different store teams. “In the last few years I have developed a passion and motivation for CALIDA and the people behind the companies, which I can now pass on to my teams,” she reports with beaming eyes.
Varied everyday work as a district manager
Isabelle’s enthusiasm for her current role as District Manager results primarily from the diversity of her everyday work. Half of this consists of on-site sales and half of visits to the stores in their area of responsibility. Together with her teams, she examines the product presentation on site and analyzes the frequency in the store.
“Every location is unique and has its own peculiarities and challenges,” explains Isabelle. As District Manager at CALIDA, she not only has a lot of contact with people, but also deals in detail with the analysis and interpretation of numbers for optimal location development. So For example, she was able to actively participate in the opening of her CALIDA store in Frankfurt on a busy shopping street.
Isabelle appreciates the generous scope for creativity in her work at CALIDA. This allows her to give free rein to her creativity to motivate and support her teams and achieve new goals together. The annual reviews show how much she values the collaboration and close exchange with her employees. These are always a “highlight” for her. Because in the annual discussions she learns how she was able to help in the past year and how she can provide even better support in the new year.
Teamwork makes the dream work
During her time as a store manager, Isabelle gained valuable experience in dealing with people and their different needs. In her current position, she needs a lot of empathy and empathy, be it to recommend the right CALIDA product to customers or to motivate her team to achieve new goals.
Isabelle also received significant support from the CALIDA family in her professional development. She describes the CALIDA family as “a really great community with lots of really great people” who support each other and where trust forms the basis of cooperation. The open and trusting communication as well as the family atmosphere are unique to them and make CALIDA stand out other companies. Her answer to the question of what new sales employees can look forward to at CALIDA was correspondingly clear: “The team, of course,” she says and laughs.
She also advises all ambitious sales talents who want to take their sales career to the next level this year to laugh. “A smile on your lips and an open ear always helps,” she reveals. Determination, organizational skills and self-management are also increasingly in demand in sales. Isabelle concludes the conversation with the advice: “There is a solution for every problem, you have to find it only find it. And we always do that at CALIDA because we stick together and pull together.”
About CALIDA
At CALIDA we strive to not just make clothes, but to create an attitude to life – a feeling of natural Swiss quality and timeless comfort that enriches every moment of life. That’s why each of our products is also a promise for the future. Quality that touches you from the first moment. Comfort that inspires timelessly. Sustainability that is more than fashion. Born in Switzerland. Made in Europe. For a noticeable difference on your skin and in the world.