LinkedIn Top Voices 2019: Retail

Today we’re unveiling our 5th annual Top Voices list, highlighting professionals in a variety of industries and regions who are building communities and starting thoughtful conversations on LinkedIn. These are the people you should be following to get inspired and stay informed. 

You can learn more about how we compiled each list at the bottom of this article and can check out Top Voices around the world and across industries — from finance to education — here. 

I dug into the data to find standout voices in retail and kept an eye on in-store professionals who consistently engage on LinkedIn. What I noticed was a group of people who, combined, give a well-rounded look at what life is like working in the industry. This diverse selection of members includes store managers, HR personnel, a loss prevention specialist, a team leader, and an advisor to job seekers.

Here are this year’s 10 #LinkedInTopVoices in retail.

What he talks about: Footage of Home Depot employees remodeling a veteran’s home stands out among the content posted by Grant, who never ceases to provide a behind-the-scenes view of his work. He does so with the help of well-edited videos, which depict everything from visits to company headquarters to meetings with his staff. 

In his own words: After moving from Lowe’s to The Home Depot in September, Grant marked the occasion in typical fashion, with a LinkedIn post that celebrated how far he’d come. 

“I was recruited with a life changing opportunity to continue providing for my family and to lead our world class associates to success sharing! Thanks to all who helped share my videos and pics! Eight years ago I couldn't even pay my phone bill! Now I'm coming for market share!"

Follow Jay'are  

What he talks about: Among all the Top Voices nominees, Ville has the most unique and consistent theme for how he engages with his connections: “Since Best Buy eased its dress code policy I've started sharing my sneaker collection and the significance of each pair I wear and how it ties into what I feel,” he says. In one post, he notes the history of the first Air Jordan sneaker as a way to highlight the work of a fellow Best Buy team member.    

Best reaction to his content on LinkedIn: “Probably the CEO of Best Buy Corie Barry commenting on one of my posts, but better than that, the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Best Buy consistently either liking or commenting and showing his appreciation under my posts.”

Follow Matheny

What she talks about: Horton doesn’t just showcase her own experience on LinkedIn, she practically showcases a region of Old Navy stores. Her posts are like a scrapbook, with each successive photo highlighting a different team at a different store in the territory where she recruits. “I love to capture stories of hard work, resilience, and grit that showcase the spirit of great leaders. Posts centered around people is what I do.”

Her professional or productivity life hack: “White space is everything! Give yourself some time each day to collect your thoughts, destress and to engage in self-care.” 

Follow Chantal

What he talks about: Nearly everything Ferguson posts is about people, both those already working at his store location and those who he hopes to recruit onto the staff. “I share all the good things that Walmart has to offer for management and hourly associates, and that you can have a great time at work and still be focused,” he says. 

You have to see: This video, in which Ferguson plays the role of a disgruntled employee — “I was a maintenance associate angry about my schedule change” — to show how Walmart employees are trained to handle disputes between co-workers.

Follow Ishmael

What she talks about: Galindo is a prolific sharer of scenes from her Dallas-area Target store. The bulk of her posts relate to how she helps organize Target store no. 1775 while also showing appreciation for team members. 

A trend through Leslie’s eyes: Like many retail professionals who engage with their peers on LinkedIn, Galindo often shares photos that show how her store is “zoned” (or, in layman’s terms, how each department is arranged) and why those moves are important for business. “May not seem like a lot, but I am confident this step will drastically improve our sales, as our guests can now find the items in one spot instead of having to hunt for it,” Galindo wrote in a post sharing pictures of one department. 

Follow Leslie

What she talks about: Mancuso’s posts serve as a diary of sorts, chronicling her journey as a retail manager — whether it’s celebrating her first full fiscal year or expressing optimism after missing a monthly target. “I share my experiences as a store manager, the good, the bad and the ugly,” she says. "I love to share successes and opportunities for someone going through a similar situation as me to know they’re not alone.”

The best career advice she’s received: “Stay off of the ‘business rollercoaster.’ You cannot be happy and engaged when you’re up, and upset and disengaged when you’re down. Brick and mortar is tough. We have good and bad days. The more you stay positive through all the highs and lows, the better place you will be mentally and emotionally.” 

Follow Rachael

What he talks about: Howard’s work is dedicated to helping workers in retail find the jobs that they want, but that’s not all he posts about. He regularly uses posts to get other members talking about all things retail-related, including this conversation about the skills store managers develop at work which drew nearly 40 comments. 

Advice from Mike: In one post, Howard advises job seekers in retail how to use LinkedIn posts to accurately portray themselves. “Telling them that you're motivated, resourceful, and dynamic doesn't mean much — you could be an assistant manager at 7-Eleven and be all those things, or you could be a VP at Costco and be all those things,” he writes, offering an example. “Make it clear who you are, what you are looking for, and what you have to offer, and you will attract more attention” 

Follow Mike

What she talks about: Whether she’s showcasing team bonding events, a visit from a company exec, or job openings, Staska uses LinkedIn to update her connections on everything new at her store in Rosedale, Minn. Among those updates, her post celebrating the grand opening of that very location generated the response she’s most proud of. 

The best career advice she’s ever gotten: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. I believe you can master any skill you put your mind to if you work hard enough at it!”

Follow Stacia

What she talks about: Miller is the archetype of a highly engaged store manager on LinkedIn. She shares a well-rounded series of posts offering updates on her store’s performance, noting employees’ individual performance, showing off new floor sets and more, all from the most notable retail landmark in the country, The Mall of America.

Her key to success in retail: “Showing my employees appreciation. It is important to recognize others when they do something for you or others. Employees that feel appreciated will work harder for you, and keep working for you.” 

Follow Briana

What she talks about: Over time, following someone’s LinkedIn account can take you through a story. That’s what people who followed Golden throughout 2019 will have noticed, a story about the temporary shutdown of her Midtown Manhattan store — from “Today was bittersweet” to posts that show her team preparing for the re-opening, to finally the grand reopening itself. 

Supreme optimism: A trademark of Golden’s posts is constant reaffirmation that her team will succeed. This happens when she shares photos of colleagues — “I believe this team will crush Q4” — and while thanking colleagues who helped accomplish the reopening of Bath & Body Works’ midtown location.

Follow Sanni

You’ve read about the Top Voices in retail this year. Now, check out the #LinkedInTopVoices in entrepreneurship & small business, marketing & social media, sales and more.

How we compiled the Top Voices list

First, our editors partnered with the LinkedIn Data Science team to measure the actions a member is able to generate when they engage on the platform. Specifically, we looked at the volume of responses a person’s contributions sparked and the secondary spread of those responses. These signals are proxies for conversation and community development. That said, engagement metrics aren’t enough. Our next filter was qualitative. Editors refined the list by looking at the member’s body of work: Are the contributions insightful, conversational and timely? Do they seek to give and get help vs being self-promotional? Finally, does this list reflect the world we work in today? 

All sharing activity measured took place over a 12-month period, from September 2018 to September 2019. As with all LinkedIn Lists, we exclude LinkedIn and Microsoft employees from consideration.