I still remember very clearly back in 2012, when I walked inside Eddie Bauer, nervously dropping off my resume with the assistant manager, expressing my interest, and finally getting an in-person interview for a retail associate role. I remember getting the job and thinking to myself if I would be a good retail associate. What came out of that experience was this: I was able to connect with the people walking in, in ways I didn't think was possible. I was able to help them during times when shopping simply felt daunting and burdensome. Taking this experience and my passion for the retail world, I wanted to take a dive into what it may mean to be a retail associate of the future.