Soph's Digest #2 (11/05/24)

*TLDR (Too long, didn’t read)

• Really enjoyed an insightful coffee chat with Fashionista.com founder Faran Krentcil and started weekly mentorship with Natalie Friedl from Columbia’s Retail & Luxury Goods Club—exciting new perspectives for DBRS!

• Side hustling with Devils Uncovered (Duke shadow days venture) and remote work with C-Suite Quarterly.

• In the trenches with summer internship apps—Procter & Gamble puzzle test was a humbling “no.”

• Currently obsessed with Nobody Wants This on Netflix, planning study abroad in Sydney (send recs!), and DBRS welcome party with awesome Mane goody bags!

*Gratitude Shoutouts

• Insightful Coffee Chat Zoom with Faran Krentcil: After a hectic few weeks covering Fashion Week, I had the chance to connect with Duke alum Faran Krentcil, founder of Fashionista.com and a columnist for WSJ, BoF, ELLE, Vogue, etc. Faran shared some key insights:

  • Gen Z impact: DBRS can leverage Gen Z voices to create unique content and insights about retail and CPG trends that are invaluable to today’s market.

  • Standing out in fashion: When pitching yourself, highlight both what impresses you about the company and what you bring to the role (and, of course, never misspell a name!).

  • Skill development for editorial media: Emphasize data-driven journalism, infographics, and video production to build skills crucial in the next generation of fashion editors.

• Mentorship with Natalie Friedl: I’m thrilled to start weekly mentorship sessions with Natalie Friedl, President of the Retail & Luxury Goods Club at Columbia Business School. Connected through my cousin, Natalie has become an invaluable resource sharing best practices in leadership, goal setting, and strategic planning. As we both work to advance conversations on the business side of retail, Natalie’s straightforward advice is so appreciated and beyond inspiring.

*Asks

• Implementing feedback loops: What are the best ways to set up effective feedback loops in a group setting? I’m enjoying my leadership roles but need tools to give and receive feedback more effectively. Any advice?

• Engaging virtual events: For DBRS, hosting panels with high-profile names virtually is more feasible. Any tips for making Zoom events more engaging based on your experience?

• Cold emailing: I'm eager to set up coffee chats this semester to learn more about roles in retail and CPG—especially in branding, strategy, tech, and sustainability—to bring insights back to DBRS. What’s your best advice for crafting a cold email that gets a quick "yes" from busy professionals?

*Work/School

• Anthropology in the Workplace by Prof Makhulu: Took a last-minute dive into cultural anthropology with this course, where I’ve learned the power of ethnography in problem-solving. From immigration to workplace accessibility, the insights are eye-opening. A highlight was hearing Prof. Orin Starn recount his undercover experience at an Amazon warehouse. I also loved reading Sensemaking by Christian Madsbjerg in this class.

• Duke Business of Retail Society: It should be clear based on this newsletter that DBRS takes up 85% of my brain space, energy, and time. Leading DBRS has been the highlight of my Duke experience so far. Our team of 47 peers across 6 committees is already making waves—hosting Nike's CMO, planning events with Unilever and Dior, and collaborating with brands like Rent the Runway, Poppi, and Clarins. Stay tuned on LinkedIn for our latest updates! 

*Side Hustle Spotlight

• Anthos Consumer Lab: I was invited by an incoming Anthos Venture Capital analyst to join a college-aged cohort focused on Retail and CPG investment ideation. This student-driven focus group, featuring peers from Stanford, Brown, Yale, and NYU Stern, provides key cultural insights for Anthos’ investments.

• C-Suite Quarterly Internship: I’m enjoying my remote internship with LA-based business magazine C-Suite Quarterly, where I’ve contributed strategy ideas for their socials, listened in on interviews with top business leaders, and even drafted thought pieces. I’ll share any articles that get published (if they do) in my next Soph's Digest!

  
  

*Current Reads & Listens (+ how I’ve tangibly applied my learning)

• To expand my current events / business knowledge: Daily Brew Podcast, Acquired Podcast → Little bits of knowledge to draw from as a I begin my casing journey for consulting recruiting. I just listened to *6 hour long* (on 2x speed over the course of a week) Aquired podcast on the story of Meta. One word - Wow.

• For leadership knowledge and organizational management inspo: The Modern Manager podcast → I was inspired by this podcast to take each of the 19 newly recruited DBRS freshman ‘interns’ out to coffee so we can build a sense of psychological safety in our club. So worth putting in that extra effort. 

• To feel (ironically and unironically) inspired by the girl boss energy: Super Women by Rebecca Minkoff, The World’s First Podcast, and Working Hard, Hardly Working

• Reading: Still on my substack grind and I look forward to the Glossy Daily as a nice update on current happenings in the retail space.

*Fails + Wins  (new section because failure is a wonderful teacher and a crucial stepping stone to success)

• After being rejected during my first two semesters at Duke, I was finally accepted into Duke Business-Oriented Women (BOW) this fall. Third time’s a charm and really glad I decided to give it a final try. The consecutive rejections last year made me realize how badly I wanted this and that's an important thing to note with rejection- when to try again and when to give up.

• I launched Devils Uncovered in September, a Campus Enterprises venture offering shadow days and Q&A sessions for prospective Duke students. Despite updating the website/offering constantly and reaching out to 500+ high schools, we’ve only had one customer so far. I still believe in the business but the journey has been rough. Suggestions for boosting visibility are welcome! Devils-uncovered.com if you want to check it out too! 

• I’ve applied to numerous internships for next summer, facing quite a few rejections already—including failing an online puzzle test for Procter & Gamble, which was a humbling experience.

*Personal Updates

• Nobody Wants This on Netflix was made for me. Did anyone else watch and LOVE?

• I am applying to study abroad in Sydney, Australia for the fall 2025 semester… any Sydney recommendations or anecdotes from studying abroad in college?

• My family recently all met up in Miami to visit my brother who is a senior at Umiami and also watch the Duke vs. Umiami football game (painful watch to say the least). 

• See below the Duke Business of Retail Society welcome party celebrating 41 new leadership board members - and incredibly generous goody bags donated by Mane!  

And that’s a wrap! I love hearing from you all so please reach out if anything I mentioned speaks to you or if you have any advice regarding the topics shared. Thank you for tuning in to this quarter’s Soph’s Digest! Please let me know if you no longer want to be included on this list. 

Sincerely, 

Soph