{"id":24918,"date":"2023-09-12T17:39:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-12T21:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.customink.com\/?page_id=24918"},"modified":"2023-10-19T10:19:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-19T14:19:00","slug":"finding-community-in-a-custom-ink-showroom-with-store-manager-skylar-fitzpatrick","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.customink.com\/blog\/finding-community-in-a-custom-ink-showroom-with-store-manager-skylar-fitzpatrick\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding Community in a Custom Ink Showroom With Store Manager Skylar Fitzpatrick"},"content":{"rendered":"

Visiting a retail showroom, especially when it comes to ordering custom gear, offers a unique and enriching experience. From touching and feeling different styles of apparel and accessories to chatting about design options and shipping solutions, an \u201canalog\u201d shopping trip provides a great way to connect with your community. We spoke with Skylar Fitzpatrick, a Custom Ink showroom manager based in Chicago. Skylar is also a proud member of the Women\u2019s Inker Diversity Council, an Employee Resource Group dedicated to elevating women in the workplace. Read on to learn more about what she loves about her role with Custom Ink and what makes our retail shopping experience so special.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Skylar<\/a>

Skylar Fitzpatrick in her Inker shirt<\/p><\/div>\n

CI: What drew you to Custom Ink?<\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b>SF: It was the fall of 2020, and like a lot of others, I was impacted by layoffs during the pandemic. I was really looking for something new, [so when] recruiting reached out to me via LinkedIn, I figured, \u201cWhy not take an interview?\u201d. The job honestly felt like a prank with how good the benefits were, and I wasn’t sure it was real until my laptop came in the mail for training.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CI: What is your favorite part of your role?<\/b><\/p>\n

SF: I love being able to support the community and attend fun events! We have hosted a few donation drives as a showroom, gone to events, and volunteered for some of our [customers]! I don’t know of many companies that encourage you to make an impact like that outside of your normal role.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CI: What sets Custom Ink showrooms apart from traditional retail?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

SF: This is such a funny way to compare it, but when I\u2019m talking to my friends and family, I always say, “We are like an H&R Block. We do a pretty specific thing, we can help a bunch of people, but you really don’t stop unless you know you need help.” We don’t get people killing time by browsing the showroom like a traditional retail position, but we get the chance to really know our customers. We have impressed our customers so much they\u2019ve invited us to their events\u2014it\u2019s awesome to get to support the community in such a\u00a0 unique way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Skylar<\/a>

At the 2022 Market Days<\/a> event<\/p><\/div>\n

CI: What was your initial reaction walking into a Custom Ink store for the first time?<\/b><\/p>\n

SF: My first time in the showroom was when we were still setting up. I don’t really remember what my reaction was, but I do remember spending all day steaming shirts to go on the racks!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CI: What\u2019s unique about your showroom\u2019s location?<\/b><\/p>\n

SF: We are across from a historical landmark building. It was built in 1913 and was the Ludlow Typograph Company, which made letterpress printing machines. They were one of the main companies that supplied newspaper companies across the world. It closed in 1974, and then it was taken over by Anixter, which began as an orphanage for children who lost their parents in the global pandemic of 1919. They then changed their focus to supporting people with disabilities, and when they took over the building, they offered medical care, housing, and job placement. The building was recently bought by developers [who plan] to bring back the original facade and turn it into luxury apartments. Their goal with the apartments is to have them look similar to the way they looked when they were building printing presses. It has been really cool to watch the building change. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CI: How do you manage your time? What does your average day look like?<\/b><\/p>\n

SF: When you\u2019re working in showrooms, there is no average day. You never know who is going to walk in and what they are looking for\u2014one day you’ll be working with a super cool local business, and then the next minute a student could walk in looking to have a silly picture of their friend put on a shirt!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CI: What tools\/programs do you primarily use for your work?<\/b><\/p>\n

SF: Salesforce is my best friend, next to everything Google-related! In stores, we\u2019re focused on building long-lasting relationships with our local community, so having a tool like Salesforce really helps us stay on track with who we need to support.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CI: What is a product you are most excited about?<\/b><\/p>\n

SF: If you have ever asked me what I would want in a product pack [a selection of products sent to team members to try out in order to provide customer feedback], it would be anything Carhartt\u2014but mostly the <\/span>Carhartt Firm Duck Insulated Bib Tall Overalls<\/span><\/a>! Living in the Midwest, it’s just in your blood to love Carhartt. It is awesome to see the selection we have as a showroom.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CI: Do you have any favorite memories from being with CI?<\/b><\/p>\n

SF: Of course! I have a few. There are a couple of favorite customer shirts that come to mind for me: one time, someone ordered a shirt that said, “I want to kiss all the bugs, but my lips are so big, and they are so small.” I laugh about that order pretty often. I think about creating a list of funny orders all the time to just look back on them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CI: Who inspires you?<\/b><\/p>\n

SF: This is going to sound so <\/span>clich\u00e9d<\/span>, but I try to find things every day to inspire me, no matter how big or small, person or thing. I am writing this on International Women’s Day, so right now I am super inspired by all of the other badass women in leadership sharing their wins today! <\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Ready to visit your local showroom and get started on your group\u2019s next design? <\/span><\/i>Find a store near you<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\"Skylar<\/a><\/p>\n

Interested in joining our team? Check out our available job opportunities\u00a0here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Visiting a retail showroom, especially when it comes to ordering custom gear, offers a unique and enriching experience. From touching and feeling different styles of apparel and accessories to chatting about design options and shipping solutions, an \u201canalog\u201d shopping trip provides a great way to connect with your community. We spoke with Skylar Fitzpatrick, a Custom Ink showroom manager based in Chicago. Skylar is also a proud member of the Women\u2019s Inker Diversity Council, an Employee Resource Group dedicated to elevating women in the workplace. Read on to learn more about what she loves about her role with Custom Ink […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":24921,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-24918","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nFinding Community in a Custom Ink Showroom With Store Manager Skylar Fitzpatrick - Custom Ink Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Custom Ink store manager Skylar Fitzpatrick shares highlights from the showroom, including her top product pick and a memorable design.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.customink.com\/blog\/finding-community-in-a-custom-ink-showroom-with-store-manager-skylar-fitzpatrick\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Finding Community in a Custom Ink Showroom With Store Manager Skylar Fitzpatrick - 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