Karissa Johnson
Retail Director of Sales
Jersey City,NJ
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Retail District Sales Manager
Music & Arts (A Guitar Center Company)
05.2021 - Current
- Oversee California, Utah, Nevada, and Alaska district, 16 stores, $8.7M in Sales and Services Revenue
- Drive all sales and service results including product sales, lessons, rental, and repairs
- Resulting in a 100% increase in active lesson students
- Review Profit & Loss Statements with store leaders to maximize and increase contributions
- Build District community by hiring a team of diverse leaders, developing, and supporting managers to recruit diverse associates and teachers creating a diverse and inclusive culture
- Build District talent by visiting stores and weekly touch bases via zoom consistently, emphasizing driving results through coaching, providing feedback, reviewing store standards, visual merchandising, reviewing statics to uncover opportunities for growth, reviewing P &L Statements to maximize contributions with store leaders
- Creating a culture of engaged store leaders during effective weekly leadership calls, emphasizing driving sales, role plays, peer training, open forum discussions, fostering relationship building in breakout rooms, development through LinkedIn Learning
- Develop and support store leaders through company initiatives such as onsite and offsite semi annual sales events, onsite lesson events, and on site physical inventories
- Fostering development through interim projects including supporting Arizona/ Colorado district for 4 months, supporting 3 interim managers for my district, training district manager for the Arizona, Colorado market
- Partnering with peers to develop business driving tools including District Manager Visit Tool, Store leader Business Workbook, District Manager Business Workbook
- Support remote acquisition in Alaska ensuring the success of the integration of the business, organizing teams of integration specialists to support training, merchandise specialists, to support product ingestion, working with regional manager and human resources to connect and support new team
- Presented in tools to enhance organization for district operations to my peers during regional district manager meeting
- Mentoring Peer District Manager in the Midwest including weekly Touchbases, Regular calls, as well as store visits
- Mentoring manager in the Houston market including weekly Touchbases
- Strategizes with store leader team during annual planning sessions, soliciting feedback on training opportunities and puts feedback into action
- Selected to pilot initiatives such as CRM Lite as well as the New Manager Training Program before released to the company providing feedback to assist in strengthening the processes for the field team
- Establish a culture change through communication, active listening, accountability, team engagement, and leading by example.
Retail District Sales Manager
Music & Arts (A Guitar Center Company)
11.2018 - 05.2021
- Oversee Long Island, New York, Gold Coast Connecticut District, 13 stores Opening 3 Organics and 1 Acquisition, $3.2M in Sales and Services Revenue
- Drive all sales and service results including product sales, lessons, rental, and repairs
- Resulting in a +14.7% increase in Net sales as well as +26% Comp performance in 2019
- Review Profit & Loss Statements with store leaders to maximize and increase contributions
- Build District community by hiring a team of diverse leaders, developing, and supporting managers to recruit diverse associates and teachers creating a diverse and inclusive culture
- Build District talent by visiting stores and weekly touch bases via zoom consistently, emphasizing driving results through coaching, providing feedback, reviewing store standards, visual merchandising, reviewing statics to uncover opportunities for growth, reviewing P &L Statements to maximize contributions with store leaders
- Creating a culture of engaged store leaders during effective weekly leadership calls, emphasizing driving sales, role plays, peer training, open forum discussions, fostering relationship building in breakout rooms, development through LinkedIn Learning
- Develop and support store leaders through company initiatives such as onsite and offsite semi annual sales events, onsite lesson events, and on site physical inventories
- Nominated and selected to participate in the Women Rise Leadership Cohort in 2019 with an emphasis in development for women leaders across the Guitar Center Enterprise, utilizing the knowledge I gained to develop store leaders in our local markets
- Nominated and selected to participate in the Rental Pillar project in 2021 focusing on the online rental portal for our customers
- Executed training and supported new district manager after acquisition within my first three months of the district manager role
- Interim District Manager for 10 additional stores, Overseeing a total of 20 stores in 2020
- Establish a culture change through communication, active listening, accountability, team engagement, and leading by example.
Retail Store Manager
Music & Arts (A Guitar Center Company)
03.2017 - 11.2018
- Opened organic location in Colorado Springs, CO, 3 Senior Sales Associates, 12 Teachers
- Interim Manager Support, building store community by recruiting and hiring a diverse team remotely consisting of 3 associates and 7 teachers from AZ
- Build store community by hiring a diverse team, developing, and supporting associates by training, counseling, coaching, competing with local stores to drive lesson and sales results
- Manage payroll to reduce cost and maximize profits by scheduling best sales associates during high traffic business hours
- Utilize financial data to target areas of opportunity to grow the business
- Drive awareness of new store and provided excellent customer service resulting in $100k in sales and 100 + students in less than a year
- Organized store Grand Opening Event soliciting the participation and donations from local businesses
- Drive awareness of new store by attending Chamber of Commerce Events
- Partnered with School Services team to increase awareness of the new store through events in school rental nights, instrument demonstrations in schools, community events like Briarfest as well as Colorado MEA show
- Established community engagement by hosting themed monthly Open Mic nights
- Responsible for a smooth transition for a new acquisition in California as an integration specialist
- Training acquired team on sales, lessons, systems, and operations
- Interim Manager Support, building store community by recruiting and hiring a diverse team remotely for teachers in Fort Collins
- Assisted in the new store build of Fort Collins location setting up, organizing, and merchandising the store
- Facilitated the development of two managers in the district remotely in Nevada and Denver
- Facilitated the development of multiple managers in the district in person in Colorado market.
Retail Store Manager
East Mesa Music & Arts (A Guitar Center Company)
12.2015 - 03.2017
- Managed the East Mesa, AZ location, 3 Senior Sales Associates, 2 Seasonal Associates, 15 Teachers
- Build store community by hiring a diverse team, developing, and supporting associates by training, counseling, coaching, competing with local stores to drive lesson and sales results
- Manage payroll to reduce cost and maximize profits by scheduling best sales associates during high traffic business hours
- Utilize financial data to target areas of opportunity to grow the business
- Partnered with School Services team to increase awareness of the new store through events in school rental nights, instrument demonstrations in schools, community events
- Established community engagement by hosting Open Mic nights
- Collaborated and piloted new performance management processes with Human Resources Representative.
Senior Sales Associate
Music & Arts (A Guitar Center Company)
07.2013 - 12.2015
- Held role as a Part Time and Full Time Associate, Results Driven
- Developed rapport with customers to drive sales and lesson sign up results
- Contributed to overall sales and lesson growth by regularly hitting and exceeded monthly goals
- Illustrated excellent customer service resulting in repeat customers and referrals
- Assisted in the development of associates by executing peer training
- Contributed to overall store appearance and operations through maintenance, inventory integrity, along with merchandising upkeep and displays.
Skills
- Sales Driver
- Organization
- Relationship Building
- Analytical Business Acumen
- Fluent with Processes
- Culture Building
- People- First, Motivating Leader
- Flexible with Change and Adaptable
Recognition
- Big Sister / Big Brother Big Sister, IE 2022 - Current
- Engagement Panelist / M& A Live 2023
- Hiring & Recruiting Panelist / Front Row 2023
- WOW Award Recipient / 2022
- WOW Award Recipient / 2021
- Secretary, VP of Membership / Brookhaven 8069 Toastmasters 2020 - 2022
- Best New Store 2018 / Best of the Springs - Colorado Springs
Activities
When I am not working as a people leader, I am enjoying my time reading books or listening to audiobooks. Over the last couple of years, it has been my mission to get my passport stamped while traveling to other countries. I have visited the United Kingdom, South Africa, Aruba as well as Mexico. This upcoming year I have plans to visit 8 countries in Europe with a tour group. I enjoy whale watching and being on or near bodies of water.
Timeline
Retail District Sales Manager
Music & Arts (A Guitar Center Company)
05.2021 - Current
Retail District Sales Manager
Music & Arts (A Guitar Center Company)
11.2018 - 05.2021
Retail Store Manager
Music & Arts (A Guitar Center Company)
03.2017 - 11.2018
Retail Store Manager
East Mesa Music & Arts (A Guitar Center Company)
12.2015 - 03.2017
Senior Sales Associate
Music & Arts (A Guitar Center Company)
07.2013 - 12.2015