Student Day in the Field

On October 28^th 2013 two GCC Business students participated in the Buffalo Niagara Sales and Marketing Executives’ (BNSME) Student day in the field program. Alec Engel—a major in professional golf management—and myself (Fashion Business major) had the chance to network and ask questions during the 3-part program. First we went to Kegworks’ location in Buffalo to see a presentation by their marketing team; Next we went to Millennium Hotel and were able to sit down in small groups and converse with business professionals about their day-to-day activities; and lastly, we were treated to a networking dinner followed by a presentation on modern marketing strategies by personnel from the Manzella Marketing Group.

Our first stop at Kegworks gave a very unique view on one company’s marketing and retailing strategy. Kegworks, which now employs over 50 people began as a man looking to make it easier to make repairs on commercial restaurant and bar supplies and equipment through a one-stop online retailer. In March 2013, the first Kegworks Store was opened in Buffalo, sealing the deal that Kegworks was one business which successfully formed in the reverse order of typical retailers.
One employee at Kegworks that I found very inspirational and relatable was content writer/journalist Caleb Houseknecht. Like the company, Houseknecht is atypical in his career with Kegworks; he began working for Kegworks as the main social media writer in March of 2012, months before his graduation in May of that year. Houseknecht shared with us some of the insight he has gained so far in his career: sometimes you really learn things as you go, so you should always be open to new experiences. After answering many questions about various marketing methods Kegworks has used to get an edge up on competitors, director of sales, Jeff Conrad, was able to really sum it all up for us, stating, “If you don’t change, you don’t grow.”

For the next portion we met up with the rest of the students (half of us went to Kegworks and the other half to Rich Products) to have mini question answer sessions with professionals form a conglomeration of different industries. Some vital tips offered include:

Meet customers’ objections with persistence and product knowledge
Don’t be shy
Be careful on Facebook (etc.)
As a professional, it is most important to preserve your integrity and reputation
If you want a job, keep sending your resume (every 3 months recommended) as a “gentle reminder” in case of openings
Answer messages by the next day whenever possible; be prompt

With these wise suggestions in our heads, we headed to the dinner, where Manzella Marketing would be presenting. Before dinner we had time to mingle with the business executives and fellow students; many calling cards and handshakes were exchanged.

Manzella Marketing’s presentation served as a definite example of best practices for presenting. They covered many topics we have been learning in Professional Sales class, and how to put them into use in the real world. The presentation was interactive and included a great display of visuals, along with video clips and marketing samples they have used. With the conclusion of the presentation, we all said our goodbyes and began the drive home, our pockets full of new calling cards from potential employers, mentors, and connections. DSCN2314

Show and Tell

Recently, the fashion students have begun a new and exciting class: Display and Visual Merchandising. Only a few classes into the course and the students have already created one of four displays. There are four teams (each with four or five members) who contribute their ideas and creativity to the display. The great thing about this class is the freedom that Professor Ehrart gives all of us. The only direction we are given is which display we will be using; whether it’s a full window display, shadow box, display case, or rolling rack. It’s up to us to use any and all ideas to create a theme and send a message to our viewer about the merchandise or business. Creating an interesting display that makes your eye wander around the entire space, while keeping with a theme and having a clear focal point was key in this task.

What do you think?

As a class, we walked to all displays and evaluated them on focal points, theme, message and use of props. Each team had the opportunity to show their display and tell the viewers their inspiration for it. We determined what we liked and some changes we would make to each display. Overall, the class did a great job with the first displays of the course. We agreed that this was one of the most fun and challenging classes in the program. What other class gives you the freedom to create any display your creativity allows?

Product of Opporunity

Product of Opportunity

By Vincent J. Coons

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 BUS 201 had a special guest speaker, Ryan Boland. Mr. Boland studied at Malone University where he obtained a MBA(Masters of Business Administration) degree, although a lot of his success he credits to being a product of opportunity. Mr. Boland is currently the Director of AVI foods at GCC. AVI foods ranks #8 in relation to the top food service management companies in the United States of America. Mr. Boland has been the director here at GCC for about six months. In fact you just may have run into him at the GCC cafeteria.

Mr. Boland spoke about the different personalities that people have. The four distinct personalities are, Dominant; Influential, Steady, and Conscientious (the personality in which I consider myself); which form the acronym DISC. In Professional Sales, Mr. Dudkowski has taught us that communication is the main ingredient to success. Mr. Boland stressed upon that idea and more so with the ideas of how to communicate with distinct personalities of salespeople or customers depending on their specific personality.

For example Mr. Boland stated that a person with a Dominant personality is someone who wants to take authority, so telling a person with a dominant personality what to do, isn’t always the greatest of ideas. Mr. Boland said the more effective way to talk business with a dominant personality is to get to the point, don’t ramble, or engage in small talk, keep it business oriented if you are conducting business with this person. Mr. Boland also gave an example of how to communicate with a conscientious person. Conscientious people like dominant ones, want to get to the point, they want the information straight forward, and will analyze the information and devise a plan accordingly, where as the dominant person would respond with an answer quickly and decisively. Mr. Boland utilizes the skills of analyzing people’s personalities, and communicating with them accordingly on a daily basis, whether it be with a student, an employee, or potential business partner selling products to him.

In Professional Sales, we’ve had a few guest speakers, ranging from salespeople, to marketing director, but this is the first time the class has gotten a glimpse into the side of the customer (from the side of business to business anyway). Mr. Boland deals with various companies including but not limited to; PepsiCo, Starbucks, and Tim Horton’s. Mr. Boland stated that these companies often come in and try to sell new products currently being promoted. It is his job to find out which promotional items can actually make him money or not. So conducting research on what the students at GCC really enjoy is an important element to his job. For those wondering (which for some, you may not need to wonder) the top selling item AVI foods sells at GCC are their chicken tenders (mmmmm chicken tenders *drool*).

Mr. Boland was a very informative, and kind guest speaker, whom really showed insight on how things are handled on the business side of our very own cafeteria. Mr. Boland reiterated many lessons already taught by Mr. Dudkowski, and taught some of his own. I appreciate Mr. Boland for his sacrifice of time to speak with the class and for the free goodies he brought with him to make our morning just a little more delightful, and thank him tremendously on behalf of myself and the whole class.

A Word From the Wise

This Friday–October 25, 2013—a very special guest speaker came into the Professional Sales class. Not only is this speaker a “Cornucopia” (in the spirit of Thanksgiving!) of sales knowledge, but Mr. Charlie Soles is also the grandfather of Karly Natalizia, a current student in BUS 201!

As soon as he began to speak, you could sense that Mr. Soles was an experienced salesperson; and indeed, 30 years in any profession is no small achievement. Soles was able to speak to us with ease about his past experiences; his secrets to success; and his motivation for us future salespeople.

The presentation began with the acknowledgement of the negative side to selling—the bad rep, the pressures of meeting quotas, and the potential for rejection. Like any respectable salesperson, Soles was not about to try to deny or conceal the shortcomings of a product—or, in this case, a career. To each of these negatives, however, Soles offered us a means of coping, and suggested to take all hardships as an “Opportunity or challenge to do better next time.”

Next, Soles addressed the more prevalent—and appealing—side of selling: the rewards. Essentially, selling to customers involves creating a relationship in which they allow you to help them in some way—or, as Soles put it, “If you position yourself as a helper, you will have the trust of others.” For Soles, being able to help people is one of the greatest rewards of selling. Beginning with a degree in agriculture, Soles’ journey lead him to eventually being one of the top salespeople of medical devices in the country. When asked how he came to such an unexpected career, Soles answered “If it’s right and you’ve decided you can do it, and you fill your mind with thoughts that you can accomplish it, you will.”

The big secret to success, according to Soles, is to never stop learning. From every sales call there is something to be taken away; one tip I thought could be very useful was to review yourself after a sale or meeting; learn from your strengths and weaknesses in order to constantly better your technique and hone your skills. If you hope to best persuade a prospect to buy, you need to ask questions, see your product from a customers’ point of view, and try to find common ground with the customer. As Soles advised us, “In order to be the best at something, you need to have the best knowledge.”

Today’s class was definitely a testament to what we’ve been covering in class. Not only was Mr. Soles very motivational to listen to, he was also affirmative of many of our previous lessons. Personally, it was refreshing to hear the same message reiterated by someone outside of GCG; today’s speaker has given me the confidence and drive I think I needed to take me through the last 8 weeks of semester one!

Mr. Soles with Karly

LIFE IN THE FASH LANE

What if your professor gave you a task that you originally thought would be as easy as walking in your seven inch heels every day to class? A few months ago Professor Dudkowski was sharing the necessity of hiring a guest speaker for our annual fashion seminar that takes place in the early part of the fall. The opportunity seemed very intriguing so I went ahead and took on the role of becoming project manager. My initial thoughts were that I just had to find a celebrity guest that was influential and well known in the fashion industry but yet still remained within our budget. This task was not as easy as I first anticipated it to be! After days of research, I still could not find a speaker who was right for the event. I wanted an individual who was empowering and someone that I admired. This was such a tough thing for me to do, and I will admit that the task did become a little intimidating,

One night as I was researching and I almost gave up because I was not receiving any responses from the celebrities that I previously contacted and I began to lose all hope. I decided to call it a night, in hopes that in the morning I would have the perfect celebrity in mind. When I woke up…I had it! As soon as Anya Ayoung-Chee, winner of Project Runway Season 9 came to my mind, I knew I had to close the deal and get her to speak at the fashion seminar.

I knew that Anya would be a great candidate for the event. She’s young, talented, and a very unique individual. Anya was often looked upon as the underdog on Project Runway because she did not know how to sew, but taught herself as each project progressed. She’s such an inspiration and an inventive achiever! When I finally received the approval from her representative, I was beyond excited to finally announce that she would be speaking to us.

Being the project manager, I had many responsibilities to deal with; booking the client was just the beginning. For the next month I would be working closely with the marketing executives at the school and college officials to make sure that the event was well promoted, and that we represented the affair to the highest of our capabilities. I created unique flyers presenting our guest speaker and the date in which the event would be held on. I had to create a detailed itinerary for the event to make sure that entirety of the day ran effortlessly. I also had to converse with Anya’s representative on a daily basis regarding the specs of the event to make sure that every detail was addressed.

This event began to consume my life, and I truly felt like I was living out my dream job! Colleagues began questioning me asking where I have been and why I would take so long to get back to them. I would simply reply and say that I was busy getting ready for my big event, and could not afford any interruptions.

Being a design student and trying to plan a big event is a lot of work. Taking 21 credit hours, working on campus, designing and consulting with my clients, and still try to balance my social life takes such an extensive amount of effort and energy, but I love every minute of it. Professor Earhart encourages students to eat healthy because she knows how much vitality goes into our busy lifestyles.

The morning of Wednesday October 23^rd, I received the notification that Anya was on her way! I called my assistant Arianna and from then on it was show time. I stuck to the proceedings that were planned for Anya such as exclusive meetings, a catered lunch with our Vice President, Dean of Students, Director of the Fashion program, and fashion professors Mr. Dudkowski and Mrs. Earheart. I also made sure she was at the media moment in the Roz Steiner Art Gallery that was conducted by Donna Rae Sutherland, where interviews were set up with the Daily News, Wingin’ It Buffalo, and the Batavian, and also scheduled photo ops with President Sunser.

What I originally thought would be a simple assignment turned into me producing a remarkable event here at Genesee Community College. There were countless positive reviews about the event and how much everyone enjoyed hearing from Anya. I could not have done it without the encouragement of my professors to take this event on with full confidence. I am so thankful for the opportunity that was given to me and I could not have wished for a better experience!

My name is Candace Cooper, and this is what my life is like in the FASH lane.

Up Close with Donna Rae Sutherland

Donna Rae Sutherland (Left) and Ellen (right)

On Wednesday October 30th, 2013 in the Profession Sales class taught by Mr. Dudkowski, we were introduced to our guest speaker Donna Rae Sutherland. You may have heard of her, because she produced ad campaigns for Genesee Community College here in Batavia, NY. She changed the whole dynamic of what Genesee Community College was about and brought it to the modern age.

Quick Facts about Donna Rae Sutherland:
• Graduated high school in 1978 and moved to San Francisco at the age of 17.
• Certified in Graphic Arts and went to Villa Maria College.
• Earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Syracuse University.
• She studied magazine journalism and had a minor in graphic arts as well.
• 30 years of experience in communications.
• She has never been unemployed.
• She has worked at Genesee Community College for 10 years.
• She is the Associate Director of Marketing at Genesee Community College (MarCom)
• She receives approximately 5 sales calls per day, making 25 calls per week totaling to 100 calls per month.

After she shared about herself and what she has accomplished she told the class great advice that can be taken by anyone in the world in the professional sales business. I made sure I wrote down key advice because it can become helpful in the future!

Helpful Tips from Donna Rae Sutherland:
• Do your homework. When going to a job interview always do your homework on the company, what the company is about etc.
• You’re going to have to sell yourself at an interview. Selling yourself at an interview means making sure you can persuade the person interviewing you why they should hire you. You should also discuss what you can contribute to the company etc.
• You have 10 seconds to make your first impression. It’s a true fact. You have 10 seconds to make a good first impression to a potential employer.
• Dress for success and to impress. Dress appropriately going to a job interview. Nothing showing too much skin, as well as nothing that may offend someone. Ex: Do not sag your pants; do not show cleavage, if you have tattoos it’s best to cover them up if you can cover them up. You want to present a clean respectful image.
• Connect with people. If you can connect with your potential employer do so. Take a look around their office if you see something that you two may have in common, mention it. But keep it short.
• Most important thing to keep in mind is “How can you help them?” When in an interview always keep an answer of the question how can you help them if you get the job. You can say you can help increase sales; you have good communication skills with people and so forth.
• Develop people skills. Develop skills on communicating with a customer, an employer etc. Learn to be confident when approaching someone and if you get rejected always be respectful and don’t give up.
• Patience Pays Off. Always be patient even in the most difficult situations.
• Build Repeat Business. Always make sure you build repeat business with a customer. Keep in contact with the customer.

• Be Relevant! Be Creative! Be Fun!

She also talked about the whole process of changing of the Genesee Community College logo. She also discussed what it took to get the advertising strategies. For example, the TV campaigns Genesee Community College produces, what the “GCC’s Many Faces Going Places” means, and what each program a current student is taking means to them. Donna Rae Sutherland works in the Marketing Communications Department also known as MarCom which comes up with the graphics, photography, marketing materials, and social media initiatives for Genesee Community College. It was a great opportunity to meet her and hear what she does for the school and her story. She was a delightful guest speaker who can make an impact on a business major, or someone who is working in the sales field. So thank you Donna Rae Sutherland for coming to the Professional Sales class and speaking to us.

Ellen presenting a gift of appreciation to Donna Rae Sutherland

Project Runway Winner Visits Genesee Community College

“I knew I wanted something else, something bigger,” explained Project Runway season nine winner Anya Ayoung Chee as she spoke with fashion students on campus Wednesday afternoon. Offering advice and sharing her journey in the fashion industry, Anya Ayoung Chee chose a more candid and relaxed approach to her presentation. While engaging students in conversation, Anya outlined her rise to fame from unknown to internationally acclaimed designer through the hit television program Project Runway.

Photo Credit: Howard Owens
Used with permission from The Batavian.

Growing up in Trinidad, Anya Ayoung Chee had limited career options and felt as though she was expected to pursue a traditional career by becoming a doctor or a lawyer. It wasn’t until Anya traveled to Tokyo, Japan with her family at the age of fifteen that she realized her true passion – design. Anya recounted how mesmerized she was by the technology and innovative designs illuminating the streets of Tokyo. It was this experience that influenced her in choosing to study graphic design at Parsons The New School for Design in New York City. Anya eventually left Parsons during her junior year and studied at the prestigious Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, England. Upon graduating, Anya worked a string of jobs ranging from film production studio assistant to luxury perfume packaging designer, until her life was suddenly rocked by tragedy. In 2007, Anya’s younger brother Pilar died in a tragic car accident at the age of eighteen. Following this tragedy, Anya embarked on a “soul searching” journey that eventually led her to the Miss Universe Pageant in 2008 where she represented her home country as Miss Trinidad and Tobago Universe. Representing Trinidad and Tobago provided a platform for Anya to begin designing clothing and promoting her own designs. In 2011, Anya Ayoung Chee auditioned for the ninth season of Project Runway and was chosen as a contestant in the final round of casting. Anya recounted the weeks leading up to Project Runway, describing her motivation to be a part of something bigger than herself and the encouragement she felt as “almost divine.” Anya did, however, suffer a lapse of faith when she received a call from Project Runway producers and initially turned down their offer for casting in season nine, fearing she would embarrass herself and her family and friends. Eventually Anya did accept the offer from producers and the rest is history.

Anya Ayoung Chee with fashion students and professors Mr. Dudkowski and Ms. Ehrhart.

Today, Anya Ayoung Chee is working on her eponymous line in addition to her street wear line PILAR, created in memorial of her brother. Anya’s Spring/Summer 2014 line showed at fashion weeks in South Africa, New York, and London. Anya also recently launched “The Canyaval Shop” showcasing her designs inspired by Carnival which feature strong Caribbean influences. Anya Ayoung Chee is still very involved with The Tallman Foundation, a charity that her family founded in memory of her late brother, Pilar.

Anya Ayoung Chee credits much of her success to her “light-hearted approach” to the industry and her mentor who taught her everything she knows about the technical side of design. Anya offered the same advice to fashion students during her presentation: find a mentor to foster and develop skills and take calculated risks. Anya enforced the ideals of self-respect, positivity, determination, and tenacity in setting out to achieve greatness. When asked to impart her best piece of advice for young designers and professionals trying to break into the industry, Anya left students with the following words of encouragement: “Celebrate yourself and risk being yourself fully. It’s never worth not knowing.”

Anya Ayoung Chee signs autographs for fashion students following her presentation at Genesee Community College on Wednesday.

Check out some of Anya Ayoung Chee’s designs here!

NYC: LIM and Tommy Hilfiger

Friday morning we woke up nice and early to get ready to head over to LIM, a business fashion college in Manhattan. On our “Saunter” over (as so called by Mr. D) we tried to take a good look at the 5th Avenue window displays. Our professors Mr. D and Ms. Ehrhart pointed out to us how the visual merchandisers used elements of design to best draw the attention of customers and move the eye through the entire display.

We arrived at LIM College and were greeted by the Assistant Director of Admissions–Mr. Anthony Urmey. Mr. Urmey gave us an overview of all that LIM has to offer us as a potential transfer college.

Ms. Amanda Hallay is a professor at LIM, and she was nice enough to take some time out of her day to speak with us about the Merchandising program. She was able to help paint a picture of what we would experience in classes if we chose to attend LIM. Ms. Hallay was definitely a shining example of the expertise we could expect from the faculty.

At this point a panel of LIM students–including 3 of GCC’s own alumni–answered any questions we had for them and told us about all of the ups and downs of classes and student life at LIM. At the end of the presentations our students were welcome to a tour of the campus. Who knows, some of us might end up choosing LIM after we graduate GCC!

In the late afternoon we were told to find a building on the west side of Manhattan. Luckily, we all made it to this location; some of us (myself included) had successfully hailed a taxi; others had bravely made the trek on foot! Whatever the mode of transportation, it was surely be worth our lightened wallets and worn-out feet; we were here to meet with representatives from Tommy Hilfiger.

When we arrived, we were directed to the Hilfiger lobby; from the crisp sofas, to the red patchwork carpet, the framed stars and stripes, and the Tommy Hilfiger promo videos playing on a flatscreen–this room itself exuded the Americana-prep that is Tommy Hilfiger.

From here, Ms. Catherine Welsh took us through the office areas, passed the showrooms, and into a meeting room where she filled us in on the history of Tommy Hilfiger (from man to brand-name).

Ms. Christina Caruso spoke with us about applying for summer internships–and offered some valuable advice for making living arrangements during internships in the city.

Ms. Anna Christensen and Ms. Amie Robinson from the Creative Projects Research and Development explained to us the process of taking the latest trends and creating a general concept for the designers to use as inspiration; this way Tommy Hilfiger captures the same aesthetic, even though there are numerous sects of design teams.

Next we got to learn about the system Tommy Hilfiger uses to create a uniform look in their visual merchandising store-wide. Personally, I was impressed to experience the infinite number of possibilities for employment within the fashion industry. As we students saw, fashion has truly become a specialized profession which demands hardworking individuals from an amazing number of backgrounds and areas of talent.

And so concluded our final field trip on this whirlwind city adventure. We broke back into small groups to try to squeeze in some final shopping, see last-minute sites, and maximize the mileage on our tired legs, before turning in for our last sleep in NYC.

Day one in the big city

Today was our first full day here in the big apple! Though it was a bit rainy in the morning, it turned out to be a fair–and action-packed–day!

I’m here in NYC with other Fashion students to learn more about design, fashion, and business from people that work in the industry in NYC.

Our first stop of the day was to the Gitman Bros showroom.

There we met with Mr. Chris Olberding; the Vice President of the company. Gitman primarily focuses on menswear, and is a top producer of fine shirting and suiting in the USA. Mr. Olberding exhibited his zeal for the industry and spoke with us about the production of classic, quality clothing. Olberding helped us see how much precision is involved in such an industry; though the basic design and cut of the shirts does not change rapidly, the fabric choices for each line must be chosen meticulously. Possible fabric choices include material that is already produced and ready to be used as-is; manipulated versions of prints or plaids; a print created using a design; and reproduced vintage prints.

Along with Mr. Olberding, we were also able to meet with the personnel from the merchandising, marketing, communications, and managing departments. We asked lots of questions and got a glimpse of Gitman’s business practices and some potential careers in menswear.

After a brief break for lunch and shopping, we got together again for a meeting with Ms. Diane Alexander, the PR Director of fashion powerhouse, Buffalo David Bitton. Ms. Alexander told us many stories–from the woes of interns with attitudes, to the high demands of some celebrities–she has seen it all. As Alexander spoke to us, we were surrounded by Buffalo David Bitton lines for Spring 2014 and–my personal favorite–Holiday 2013/14.

On this field trip, we really got first-hand proof that networking is an integral part of the fashion business. Alexander explained to us all of the ways in which celebrities, bloggers, and magazines can be used to promote a line or product. Alexander was very down-to-earth and not afraid to tell everything like it is; no sugar coating. I loved her no-nonsense nature and one particular bit she mentioned about her interns stood out to me–“I wouldn’t ask you to do something I wouldn’t do myself.” Even the smallest, most tedious and menial jobs must be completed.

And with that we were free to explore the city–for me, it was time to head down to the garment district in search of some new fabric to work with!

Fashion Students Learn About People with Disabilities

On Tuesday, October 7th, the Merchandise Planning and Control class was visited by a unique guest speaker. Shelley Falitico, the Director of Development from the Genesee Arc, came in to talk to the fashion students about people with disabilities. Ms. Falitico discussed how disabilities can be mental, physical, or developmental. She also stated that 10% of the people around us are disabled in some way.

During the workshop, students did activities to get a real idea of what it felt like to have a disability. Students experienced how it felt to be not have vision by wearing blindfolds throughout the hour long presentation. Other students were given masks to place over their mouths, because they lost their voices and could not talk. One student was asked to sit in a wheelchair, with her dominant arm tied down. She was told the lower half of her body was paralyzed, and she had no movement in her right arm, but she needed to complete a task of handing out papers to every student in the class with her disability. Another student had her legs tied together above the knees, and was asked to run to the back of the classroom. This was to demonstrate how someone with Cerebral Palsy might walk.

All of these exercises made the students realize how people with disabilities have to live their everyday lives. At the end of the class, the students could stand up, untie their legs, and take off their blindfolds, but someone with a real disability can not. Some people are born with a disability, others can be acquired over time. It is important for everyone to learn about disabilities and how to deal with people who have them because anyone at anytime could become disabled.

Candace experiences how it would feel if she could not see. Emma experiences the difficulty of being paralyzed.

Genesee Community College Blog

1st hand experiences from GCC students!

Academics

Student Day in the Field

Show and Tell

Product of Opporunity

A Word From the Wise

LIFE IN THE FASH LANE

Up Close with Donna Rae Sutherland

Project Runway Winner Visits Genesee Community College

NYC: LIM and Tommy Hilfiger

Day one in the big city

Fashion Students Learn About People with Disabilities

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