Lenka Šancová
Training on textile materials and fashion is something I consider as a message and enlightenment.
Every position at VERMONT is unique, and Lenka Šancová knows it well. What was her career progression like, what is the nature of her role, and what does she value most? She didn't just tell us that in a pleasant interview.
WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO WORK FOR VERMONT?
The crisis. Not a personal crisis, but the global economic crisis in 2009. My husband and I had a retail business, and that year was financially tough for us. I had to find a job to ensure at least one steady income. I came across an advertisement for the opening of a GANT store in Liberec. It seemed absolutely crazy to me because at that time, many shops in the Liberec region were closing down. But because I love challenges and unconventional thinking, I sent in my CV. I also liked the company's focus on quality. When I was on training at the GANT branch in OC Zličín, I was amazed to see a world and customers untouched by the economic crisis. That was my first lesson from VERMONT – maintaining status and price.
WHAT POSITIONS HAVE YOU HELD WITHIN THE COMPANY?
My first position was Store Manager at the GANT store in Liberec. It was the opening of the store, and the biggest challenge was to withstand the pessimistic attitude around, summarized by one phrase: "You'll be closed within a year."
The key was to put together a quality team and build a loyal clientele. We implemented high-quality customer service to make customers feel exceptionally cared for, as experience and personal approach are crucial in service and commerce.
I also had to quickly absorb textile know-how because many customers liked the products but were discouraged by the high prices. Superficial sales and "chit-chat" in retail weren't enough. Customers wanted to see that the price was justified and that the product was a meaningful investment.
After about two years, when the Liberec branch was successfully established, I was offered the position of Store Supervisor. It wasn't an official position at the time, but we tried it as a pilot project. I was always sent to a store that didn't meet expected results and had about a month to figure out the problem and increase sales, ideally in the long term. The project was successful, and I was officially appointed to this position.
This experience taught me a lot. I had the opportunity to experience both small and large stores, both in the Czechia and Slovakia. The recurring problem in most branches was that our salespeople lacked sufficient textile knowledge and couldn't address customers' objections to the price. It was clear that we needed to work on this, universally.
And this brings us to my next position as a Product Trainer. I created the textile manual. I drew from my practice and experience. The goal of the manual was expertise, but also simplicity and impact, so it could be used effectively in sales. After its creation, I conducted product training for our colleagues, diving into the world of training.
WHAT POSITION DO YOU CURRENTLY WORK IN?
Currently, I work as the Manager of the Development Department. I oversee the department responsible for product training across all VERMONT brands and supervising store presentations. We prepare seasonal product materials, organize seasonal product training at stores, and at the headquarters in Bratislava.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORKDAY?
I don't have a typical workday, and I probably wouldn't enjoy having one. I have two seasonal periods – SS and FW.
First is the preparation of the season – I plan schedules for product training sessions – to give you an idea, about 500 people are trained each season, and since we also train at stores, that's approximately 53 sessions. With my colleagues, we prepare training materials tailored to our market and our stores.
Then comes the training season. I start with GANT product training, which lasts about 3 weeks in Bratislava, and then move on to store training, which lasts about a month.
Training, although it may not seem so, is very demanding, both mentally and physically. Before I started training, I had the naive idea that a trainer would just come, deliver the training, and then happily leave. I never realized how much time it takes just to prepare for training and training materials and how many other things you have to keep in mind during the training itself. Every new trainer goes through this shock. I would sum it up like this: The simpler the training looks, the more time and effort it takes behind the scenes.
Each season ends with GANT orders – meaning 14 days in Bratislava, where at headquarters, we prepare and subsequently present a sample GANT collection to store managers with my team. They select the products to order for the season. GANT orders are a massive undertaking involving several departments. It's a challenging period, but I enjoy it because we always make a great team, and I look forward to seeing how the new collection will turn out in the end.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB POSITION?
I absolutely love fashion. I enjoy digging through and trying out products, observing how they're made, coming up with styles, and devising sales strategies. What really tops it off is that at VERMONT, we have fantastic quality brands, so the products are incredibly well-made and packed with features. The brands complement each other; each one is unique, which makes it all the more fascinating.
Teaching about textile materials and fashion is something I see as a message and enlightenment. I firmly believe that basic textile knowledge should be part of general education and taught in schools.
Just think about how much money we spend on clothes. And yet, due to general ignorance, many customers don't even glance at the tags to see what they're spending on. Even numerous competing fashion e-commerce sites don't specify the textile materials used in their products. It's like buying milk without considering whether it's cow's milk, almond, or oat milk...
But then comes the textile product training, where you learn and experience firsthand that not all wool is the same. That sheep's merino wool doesn't itch and is much lighter and warmer than cotton. Then you try cashmere, and you never want to take it off because it feels like a cloud. And I could go on. A whole new world opens up to you; you start studying tags and smoothly transition to more expensive materials because there's no turning back.
And don't even get me started on styling. It's an indescribable feeling when you change someone's dressing style, whether it's a colleague, customer, or friend. And with that change, they gain confidence and more joy in life. That's what I love about my job—it makes sense, and I'm doing what I enjoy.
WHAT DO YOU VALUE MOST IN YOUR COLLEAGUES/TEAM?
I value the fact that many colleagues, including my team, live and breathe their work—they love it. You can see it in their eyes; they sparkle with unmistakable energy. It's a gift and a joy to work with such people and learn a lot from them.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU AT WORK?
Everything. I'm like a vacuum cleaner! Everything might come in handy someday.
WHAT MAKES WORKING AT VERMONT UNIQUE FOR YOU?
A sense of belonging. Once a Vermonter, always a Vermonter. We're like a community, including customers, connected by our interest in fashion. We can spend an hour discussing a sweater, its textile, cut, styling options, whether it's better than last season's, if a similar one is available from another brand, at what price, and whether we should have ordered it in burgundy too...
When you come to a VERMONT store, a colleague might say, "Don't even look around; it's a mess." A "normal" person looks around confusedly, searching for the mess. A Vermonter immediately sees, "Ah, piles slightly crooked by a centimeter."
WHAT DO YOU MOST VALUE ABOUT VERMONT?
At VERMONT, you get a chance to grow. Not just professionally, but personally too. Sure, it's nice to be promoted, but with a higher position come mistakes, uncertainties, and stumbling. I've been lucky at VERMONT to have had and still have my mentor who didn't let me flounder. On the other hand, you have to work hard and learn from your mistakes.
HOW IS YOUR WORK/LIFE BALANCE? WHAT HELPS YOU RELAX AND REGAIN BALANCE AFTER A DEMANDING DAY AT WORK?
I'm absolutely terrible at work/life balance. I'm one of those people who go all out in everything. And because my job involves long-term commitments, it's very difficult to maintain that balance. But I think I've figured it out. It's important to rest, simply REST. And only then, when you're rested, can you actively relax—I love cycling, traveling, cafes, and books. And of course, fashion!
