Building any successful business comes down to developing strong relationships, both with employees and potential partners.
For ShopRunner COO Stacey Bernhard, whose company is building a membership service connecting over 100 e-commerce retailers with consumers through perks like two-day shipping and free returns, relationships are the core of every major decision.
We spoke with Bernhard about her approach to developing and strengthening ShopRunner’s partner relationships and what she looks for in new teammates.
You’ve worked at technology companies spanning a range of sectors. What drew you to the opportunity at ShopRunner?
When I first talked to Sam Yagan, our CEO, about ShopRunner, there were three things that got me excited about the opportunity:
The stage the company was in when I joined in July 2016 was really appealing. ShopRunner was an established business, but it still had a massive upside opportunity to be captured. That’s a fun stage, because there are so many ways to grow. I also had a history of working with Sam, so I knew partnering with him would be an adventure.
Prior to ShopRunner, most of my experience had been in B2C e-commerce. Now, I get a mix of B2C and B2B engagement and am learning a whole new industry. The new challenge of moving in that direction was really appealing.
What does your day-to-day work look like?
My days are pretty varied, but they always include a mix of internal conversations and external conversations with partners in our retailer network. Internally, there is a lot of daily collaboration with the product, marketing, analytics and data science teams as we think through new products. Those conversations range from understanding a partner’s 2019 strategy and how we can support it, to finalizing renewal negotiations.
What’s the most exciting thing your team’s working on?
My team is really focused on expanding the relationships we have with our retail partners. We’ve got more products and opportunities for our partners than ever, so quickly getting those in front of them and evolving the value we create heading into the holiday season has made for an exciting summer.
What sets your team’s culture apart?
We’re committed to building a team of employees who can live our core values: boldness, inclusivity, grit, candor, accountability, spirit and hustle. At a growth-stage company where every day brings new challenges and opportunities, each of those values has to be present for us to succeed. And it makes for a fantastically collaborative, inspired work environment.
What is your team currently hiring for?
In the last year, our relationships with retail partners have evolved and our ability to deliver increasingly impactful solutions has grown. We’ve recognized a need to expand our partner success team significantly so we can invest more in each retail partnership. Right now, we have leadership and partner development opportunities open. These roles have internal and external interactions and are a great fit for people looking to meaningfully impact the success of our business.
What do you look for in the people you hire?
People who have an intellectual curiosity, a solution-based approach to every situation and a commitment to driving success by doing whatever it takes. Being energized by collaboration with partners and accountability for driving meaningful impact to their businesses is key for these roles, too.
Being energized by collaboration with partners, and accountability for driving meaningful impact to their businesses is key.”
What is the biggest opportunity for someone who would join your team?
We work together with folks on every team to support our retailers and drive success. I think the opportunity to learn the entire business and immediately contribute to the company’s long-term success is the biggest opportunity that comes with joining my team.
What’s been your team’s biggest win over the past year?
We’ve really been able to change the value we’re delivering to our partners and the way we work with them. That has allowed us to migrate from transactional relationships to increasingly long-term, strategic ones that set the company up for even greater success in the future.
And what are you most excited about in the year to come?
The shifting retail landscape has created such an immediate need for new thinking and new tools for retailers and consumers in the e-commerce space, and we have more data than ever to leverage as we build those tools. We’ve got several R&D projects and pilot programs underway that are really exciting. I’m looking forward to watching those evolve and impact both sides of our network over the next year.
Do you have any advice for other women looking to build careers in the technology sector?
Who you work for, and with, matters a lot. Find companies and teams that share your vision for what a great workplace looks like, then do your part to make that vision a reality every day.
Find, and be, a mentor. Both are super important to your success, happiness and sanity. And be kind, not just to others but to yourself. Wins deserve recognition and missteps provide a path to growth — both should be acknowledged and celebrated.
