Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Executive Vice-President of Leasing at Dallas Market Center, Eva Walsh
118 Plays2 years ago
BONUS EPISODE - Tune In as Eva shares her experience working at big-name department stores like Gap and Macy’s, which helped land her career at the Dallas Market Center, where she has been for nearly two decades. She has thrived in diverse roles encompassing both temporary and permanent leasing for the apparel industry, contributing to retail relations and fostering business development. Listen to hear insider tips and tricks for navigating the Dallas Market Center, especially during the Western and English Sales Association (WESA) show.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to the Dallas Market Center
00:00:01
Speaker
You're listening to the Kick Your Boots Up podcast, where we swap stories of the West. Whether you're just waking up or getting in for the day, come on in and kick your boots up.
00:00:17
Speaker
Hi there and thanks for joining us for a special bonus episode of the Kick Your Fruits Up podcast. We are here in Dallas, Texas at the Dallas Market Center for the WISA show happening this year. It's the WISA and Equestrian Sales Association. Lots to talk about here, but this episode is dedicated to the Dallas Market Center and everything that they do to host the show while we're here.
Eva Walsh's Role and Career Background
00:00:36
Speaker
And who better to have on the podcast than none other than Eva Walsh, the executive vice president of leasing here at the Dallas Market Center. Eva, we're so, so honored for you to take the time out of your busy day to be here. And we're just so thankful for everything that you do. Well, thank you for having me. We love Lisa. We love the whole Western industry. And right now it's just in full swing. So we're really excited about it.
00:01:00
Speaker
It is in full swing and you wear many hats throughout this week. And I can't wait to talk a little bit more about that later on in the podcast. But before we do, we've got to set the stage a little bit. And people out there are genuinely curious. Tell us more about you and how you got started in this industry and how you got to where you are today. Well, I started in this industry obviously a long time ago, but I started out in retail. So I started in San Francisco working for The Gap and also Macy's and loved every minute of it. And so I eventually got on the wholesale side
00:01:29
Speaker
and started working with the Dallas Market Center. I've been here on and off for 20 years. I have a family of four kids, so sometimes I took a little bit of time off, but it's great, so I love it.
00:01:40
Speaker
And you've mentioned Gap and Macy's. That's particularly interesting. They're very big names, household names. What was it like getting your start there in really big corporations? It was interesting. So I helped launch Gap Kids in 1989, 88 when I was there. So it was a lot of fun. And people love retail. And either you love it or you hate it. And so I loved it. I loved this whole industry, both wholesale and retail. So it's a lot of fun.
00:02:08
Speaker
That is so inspiring and hearing that you were able to be a part of the original group that created Gap Kids, that's iconic. There's a lot to talk about there. It was right out of college so it was kind of a do whatever they needed done but we opened to those stores and it was really really exciting. Everybody wanted to be a part of the Gap so it was great and I was there when they bought Banana Republic and
00:02:30
Speaker
made all those changes and the Old Navy and it was a lot of fun. And I worked for Macy's also in San Francisco and that was a lot of fun too. So returned to my roots in Texas and started working for the Dallas Market Center. I'm so glad you ended up back in Texas. We were happier here, but I'm genuinely curious too. Tell us about your degree and how you got to originally get to be at GAP in
Retail Management Insights
00:02:52
Speaker
the first place.
00:02:52
Speaker
Well, I actually worked at the market center in a showroom when I was in college and loved it and thought that was really exciting and used that experience on my resume and got a job at the Gap and they were just launching a lot of new divisions and so that's how I got started.
00:03:11
Speaker
but a long time ago and a lot of fun. Oh yeah and there's a lot of people out there that especially in the western industry our industry that start at the bottom and work their way up and we're firm believers of that and I think it's so clear that you get that you actually have the opportunity to do that. It is I mean I think it's important because when you're managing a team
00:03:28
Speaker
or a group or an industry, you've got to know what their experience is like and what they're doing, what they're seeing every day. And what a store manager actually does. It's not all just managing from behind the scenes. You're sweeping and doing whatever else, filling shelves and waxing the rocks and everything else that we do as far as retail goes. So it's a lot of fun.
00:03:51
Speaker
Oh yeah, and that's just, wow, I've got to take a moment to live there for a second because when you mentioned waxing, those are the rocks and all the fun stuff, that's, I mean, throwing away the trash, taking it out, you've been there. Exactly right, and working when somebody doesn't show up and you know, but if you love retail and you love product, which is what I do, I mean I love product, I love looking at new product, product and how it changes and so I think that makes it,
00:04:17
Speaker
You know, either you're kind of a merchant where you love it or not. And so I loved it and it's not like work to me. You know, I feel like when I'm looking at new things and shopping, you know, I love to shop and we used to go to New York and shop for a full day on Saturday, you know, before we started our appointments.
00:04:36
Speaker
I think that that's important. You know, you have to love that industry. If you're in the Western industry, you've got to love that lifestyle. You can't just sell boots and not be a part of it, you know, so I think that's important. Very well said. And along those same lines, what is some advice that you'd like to give to someone that was in your shoes at one time? Maybe they're just here at Dallas Market Center working in a showroom, or maybe they're out an actual retailer working on the sales floor. What's your advice for them? I think, you know, find
00:05:00
Speaker
something that you love doing every day. If you love doing it, it's not like work. We have a lot of people that go from retail to wholesale and back and forth. They'll probably figure out what they like most, but I think it's just staying in that industry and maybe fine tuning what works best for them.
00:05:23
Speaker
You know, we have job postings all the time. If I get a resume that I think is a fit for another retailer or somebody else, I always forward it. So, I think just staying connected. There's something called Fashion Group. And that has a big group in Dallas and a lot of people are a part of that. And so, I think all those little connections help.
Career Progression and Western Influence
00:05:42
Speaker
They really do, and that's really a huge reason why any of us are here. It all got started somewhere with either a passion or someone that reached out their hand and helped along the way. I appreciate you telling your story because a lot of people don't get to hear that, so thank you for- Yeah, I started at the very bottom. Oh my goodness. It's a lot of fun though. And how many years do you think that it took you over time? Because you probably did some internships in college. Back then we didn't have internships, but we did work over the summer and I always stayed in retail.
00:06:10
Speaker
So it was, but you know, I love that. I love that piece of it. And I think that that's a passion that people have. I mean, we're in Justin's showroom. So it's Western and either you live this lifestyle or you don't. And if you do, it's.
00:06:26
Speaker
part of your DNA. You know I think that that's critical. It really is. And I love that your passion for shopping shines through. So shopping in New York that is iconic. So I guess a little bit about that because you couldn't have the Dallas work center if there wasn't shopping. No a little bit about the Dallas work
00:06:42
Speaker
So, now there are a lot of trade shows, so if we're prospecting for manufacturers to come and take space at the Dallas Market Center, we go to trade shows and we prospect there and talk to people and see what their business is and their business model, and if it makes sense for them to have a space in Dallas or a temporary space in Dallas, either way. And we're also always looking at, like, nowadays we look on Instagram for new brands that are trending, that are popular.
00:07:08
Speaker
And then we reach out, find a contact and see if they can work with us. And the retailers, we find retailers online, we find them in publications and through different word of mouth and we invite them to Dallas. So we're always trying to grow a retailer in manufacturer butter.
00:07:28
Speaker
I love that your job is like a sales to the sales. It is. I love that facet of it. But also kind of talking more about the Dallas Market Center. You mentioned the retailers. There's all kinds of businesses here. There's floors and floors and floors. If you've never been able to come to the Dallas Market Center, I encourage you to start a business.
00:07:44
Speaker
Get your way in here. Yes. They have a lot of young people that just start out something online. Something they love just, you know, selling can be something really small. But we love artists and you've got to start somewhere, you know. And so we have the pleasure of seeing companies start very small and growing into something wonderful.
00:08:04
Speaker
But we're a little over five minutes square feet and we have trade show space and we have permanent showrooms and we have all industries from home and gift and floral and my apparel meaning like men's women's and children's and Western. We have jewelry. We have cash and carry. You know we have design. We have beautiful.
00:08:24
Speaker
showrooms that have beautiful design product and we have floors and floors of lighting you know that's a huge huge industry and you wouldn't know that you know from looking on the outside we are only open to the trade so you can't come in as a consumer but that's just to protect the retailers who are here you know making living and shopping so
00:08:47
Speaker
But we do give tours, so if somebody's interested, they can always reach out to spur a tour. But what's great is that you can see, like if you were to see this Justin showroom, you see what's coming out, what's new. And then, you know, six months later,
Growth and Events at the Dallas Market Center
00:09:00
Speaker
you go in the store and you see it, and that's really exciting. You know, it's like, oh my gosh, I saw that before it even came out.
00:09:06
Speaker
I love that you said that, Eva, because that's exactly what I was about to say, that everyone out there gets to kind of start telling their retailers or their favorite boutiques, wherever they shop, kind of what they want based on the trends, based on what they're seeing, based on prices even. And that's what's so unique about the Dallas Market Center is it's all here, whatever you want. Walking to the car every day while we're just here for this show, we walk through stores and stores and stores of Christmas and it kind of gets you in the spirit. It does. It gets you ready for the holidays and getting to see like perfumes and jewelry. The sky is the limit, just like you said.
00:09:36
Speaker
There's a little bit of everything in all price ranges from wholesale diamonds to $2 earrings. We've got a little bit of everything. So it's really exciting. We have a cash and carry floor. And that's really for retailers who are not sure if they want to buy something and place a big order, that they can take seven or eight pieces of something and take it home with them. And so that works really well for different types of retailers. And we also have really high-end design, beautiful
00:10:04
Speaker
furniture and design products that are just out of this world. You won't like anything in your house once you go through those showrooms. I'm like, oh, that's beautiful. But the same way with apparel and Western and all the industries. There's just so much to see. And I think retail, no matter what it is, is a really important part of America. Everybody loves to
00:10:27
Speaker
and have a coffee and go Christmas time and you know it's important. We also have toy. I was thinking about Christmas. We've got lots of toys so we usually see those things before they hit the Christmas market so that's a lot of fun too. It is and you mentioned that it's something fun to do here in America and that's a very very good point. There's a lot of people that come from all around the world.
00:10:46
Speaker
just to be here to experience their whatever show they attend that week. That's exactly right. What does it mean to you to then be a part of something that is so so big and you get to kind of have a bird's eye view watching it here in the top? What's that like? Well you know you're busy like like Justin is you know every day you know
00:11:02
Speaker
developing and creating things and this is what we're going to do, who's going to be entertaining, what product's going to be sold, you know, that type of thing. And you do a lot of planning and then the doors open and it's like Christmas, you know, everybody comes in and it's really exciting. And you do events even in the evening and it's a lot of fun. And then you go home and it's over for Western. I think it's, you know, six months in between, you know, big line breaks. But it's really exciting and you kind of go, oh,
00:11:31
Speaker
and then you start again, you know, so. And do you ever get overwhelmed or any, you know, you're going all the time because we're just here for a period of time and then a new show will move in and then it just continues on and on. So do you ever get tired? No, I mean, I think you do have downtime, you know, in between your planning, but I think it's kind of like, it's almost like you're just so excited about it and inspired by product and, you know, when I walk through and see what, you know, new lines people have and
00:12:01
Speaker
how they've tweaked things and made it better, and you know, it's always exciting to see that. And I think the same way, you know, maybe Christmas never gets tired, you know, of shopping, you know. I think that that's what this is. You have to love it. And you want it to get better every time, so. Oh, without a doubt. And I can tell you, like I mentioned before, your passion is there. And that's what I think keeps you going, right? It does. It does.
00:12:26
Speaker
For anybody, I always encourage people to do what you love, and it won't feel like work. It's really exciting, and I've met a lot of people from Justin, and I think we're all very passionate about it, and we're exciting.
00:12:42
Speaker
And one thing too that I can't not mention is the fashion show that happens probably pretty often but particularly at the show we saw that we're at. Tell us about that because it's open to the public. People actually get to come. It is. So that's on the first floor of the World Trade Center and we actually show the product that's in the building at the time. So we've got a creative director that goes in there and pulls all the product.
00:13:06
Speaker
It's not a fashion show that you pay to be in, it's truly trend. So it's very trend focused. So we have one for Western, we have one for contemporary. We do five times every market and during Western markets we have two shows. One is Western and one is contemporary. And actually we've added ADA to the Western one too, so the English side of horse riding. And so it's great, that's really the highlight. Everybody, if you try to kill the fashion show,
00:13:36
Speaker
you'll get a lot of feedback. So everybody loves the fashion show. It's a lot of fun. And it's interesting to see things on the runway and see how they take, you know, those boots and put, you know, a regular dress with it. It doesn't have to be a Western dress. And we'll just see how that, you know, works out. So.
00:13:51
Speaker
Oh, yeah. And I'm sure every show here feels like New York Fashion Week. You know, like you're there, you're sitting the front row. I know a lot of the influencers were here taking pictures, getting inspo. And the outfits that were paired with just regular old cowboy boots, just riding boots, no fashion boots or anything, would put, it's just stunning the amount of time that the team puts in there. So that's incredible to see to it. That's probably like a full-time job for them. Well, I think if you look at Western, it's like the hottest trend in America. I mean, who's not wearing something Western, even if you don't
00:14:18
Speaker
you know, if it's not your lifestyle, you can still have a jacket with fringe and you got a handbag that's got like some fur and, you know, everybody wants a pair of boots and a hat and, you know, everybody on my team wears hats during Western Market. And so, it's great though. It's a wonderful, wonderful industry, but it's also a wonderful trend. It really is a lifestyle. I mean, you know, you can watch all the Western shows and you love all the outdoors and the feel of it and, you know,
00:14:46
Speaker
even when I walk in here and see all the photography and all the beautiful landscape and everything else that you guys have here, it looks great. It really does. It's really incredible to see everyone come together and really put on such a big event.
Running the Center and Visitor Tips
00:15:03
Speaker
You mentioned your team earlier. Let's talk about what it takes to put on this market or the next market or really just run the Dallas Market Center.
00:15:09
Speaker
Well, Cindy Morris, who's our president and CEO and has been here for over 30 years, she started out in marketing and I started out leasing and we used to go to New York together and she would sell the marketing piece and I'd sell the real estate piece of it and it's a lot of fun. But we've got marketing teams, we have leasing teams or sales teams, you know. But we've got, you know, every bit of it's important. It's from security. We had yesterday met our horseback, you know, patrolling the
00:15:38
Speaker
the parking lots and so all that's important you know operations and you know making sure everything your housekeeping and everything is clean and all that's important and it's just important it's important for retailers and manufacturers so I think all that goes into it but it's a big big family you know so we all get it's like Christmas and everybody takes a day or two off and then we start again
00:16:03
Speaker
Every week, almost. That's what keeps it so fun. And before we go, we're all less out of time, Eva, but I've got to know, do you have any kind of insider tips and tricks on how to maneuver Dallas Market Center? It's so big. I do. So sometimes we'll walk, my phone will show me that I walk like seven miles that day.
00:16:19
Speaker
So if you wear heels one day, you'll probably be in sneakers the next or flats or boots or whatever, you know, got to change your shoes. It's important to carry a small handbag, nothing with a big shoulder that's going to weigh you down. Water bottle, I always have my water bottle with me and enjoy it. You know, just get to look around and
00:16:41
Speaker
And it's important to look everywhere and to see no matter what hallway it is, just to see what's new because that's what's important. That's what retail is. It really is. And I think you've painted the picture beautifully here at the Dallas Market Center.
Conclusion and Appreciation
00:16:56
Speaker
I'm so intrigued. I know I've learned a lot. I hope a lot of people out there have too. Thank you again. Thank you for having me. We love Justin. We're so happy you guys are here. So thank you so much. This has been funny, Beth. Thank you. Have a great day.