Project Management, Customer Service, Training

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RASHIDA LIVINGSTON

Atlanta, Georgia 678-***-**** ***********@*****************.***

www.linkedin.com/in/rashida-livingston-1346592a5/

SUMMARY

An innovative and ambitious retail manager with over twenty years of experience overseeing multiple company locations, managing and supporting teams, handling daily operations, driving sales, and ensuring safety, quality, delivery, and cost within company guidelines and goals. Proven capabilities developing sales potential in new markets by studying and understanding the retail environment and competitive landscape. Experienced with financial budgeting and strategic planning, driving organizational transformation to deliver operational excellence. A creative leader and analytical thinker who makes decisions to benefit the financial position of the company and obtain lasting results.

Team Mentoring & Engagement Strategic Thinking Profit & Loss Responsibility Solution Implementation Business Strategy Omni-Channel Experience Support Talent Development & Management Expense Control Strong Business Acumen Leadership Customer Relations Go-To-Market Strategy Collaborative Relationships Customer Trend Analysis Forecasting Project Management EXPERIENCE

PERCEPTIVE GOLFING, Atlanta, Georgia

Lead Buyer, June 2018-May 2025

• Negotiation: Securing the best deals by acting as the link between suppliers and the organization

• Procurement expertise: Identifying and engaging with the right suppliers to build long-term partnerships that support the company's strategic objectives. Partnered with Callaway, Nikon, Garmin, MGI, Bag Boy, Bat Caddy, Golf Buddy, Spitzer Golf, Novacaddy, Spin It Golf, Axglo, Kangaroo, etc.

• Strategic sourcing: Finding the best value for the company by understanding market trends and leveraging them for long-term supply chain benefits. Partnered with Wal-Mart, Amazon, Sears, & various marketplaces

• Inventory control: Accurately predicting and planning for customer demand on products to save money and avoid running short on supply

• Prioritizing tasks: Ensuring goods, supplies, and services are procured and available when needed MATTRESS FIRM, Peachtree, Georgia

Sleep Expert & SOP Committee Member, 2022-Present

• Increased two direct reports’ sales averages from 23% to 91%, resulting in top-percentile ranking for written and delivered sales.

• Chosen as SOP Committee Member out of 6K employees, a prestigious designation that involves meeting with regional, district, and store managers and executives weekly to review company-centered policies and procedures (including human capital, legal, marketing, safety/security, technology, pilots, etc.).

• Selected to review nationwide draft documents and pre-existing published documents for needed updates and editing, providing direct influence over nationwide policies and procedures of over 300 subjects.

• Train and coach store employees in sales, product knowledge, and operating activities, providing constructive feedback, completing annual performance reviews and individual development plans, and tracking KPIs.

• Exceed individual store financial targets regularly through effective execution and superior customer service and ensure store engagement of product merchandising, marketing, and POP standards. Rashida Livingston, Page 2

Store Management District Manager Assistant, 2016-2022

• Established and applied training programs that resulted in new hires’ promoting to advanced positions in record time and ensured proper implementation of Firm’s Sales approach to optimize guest conversion and sales tickets.

• Oversaw teams and drove profitability of multi-unit operations, developing and implementing strategic merchandising plans to achieve revenue objectives and reduce expenditures while achieving payroll budgets.

• Set monthly, quarterly, and annual goals for regional sales, gross margin, operating expenses, and other KPIs and assisted managers to meet and exceed sales goals and key performance metrics through coaching, mentoring, and training.

• Managed employee performance through administering performance reviews, employee coaching and engagement, and skill development activities.

• Conducted regular business reviews and store audits to identify areas of opportunity and improvement in marketing, merchandising, product assortment, selling, and sales floor productivity.

• Used advanced business and financial analysis to monitor regional stores’ financial performance and remedy variance through corrective action.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

MATTRESS FIRM (FORMERLY MATTRESS GIANT AND MATTRESS EXPO), Peachtree, Georgia Regional Manager, 4 years. Directed growth and profitability of 80M customer base, devising techniques for introducing sales concept to staff and significantly increasing closing ratio. Partnered with companies like CiCi’s Pizza to generate sales for stores with marginal volume, resulting in 39% sales increase. Demonstrated continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality customer service. Managed almost 50 locations, acting as ambassador and assistant to CEO. Increased yearly location openings from one to five, strategically optimizing location development process and encourage rapid growth.

District Manager, 2 years. Helped locations remain current with company policies and ensured focus on increasing sales and building productive customers’ relations. Acted as liaison between headquarters and area’s branches by making regular visits and interacting with management and sales associates. Managed operational practices, making sure each location ran smoothly and met projected revenues and sales estimates. Corporate Trainer, 2 years. Acted as point of contact for all roles in sales division, relaying information and updates on expectations and explanations of new roles. Handled marketing and training new consultative sales process for Atlanta for corporate accounts. Updated and revised course content and teaching methodology to maintain relevance in accordance with evolving presentation techniques. Supervised selection, interviewing, hiring, and training of all associates.

Store Manager, 9 years. Helped manage sales staff, operational management, and support staff to exceed daily and monthly goals. Inspired team members to bring vision of customers’ sleep enhancements to life by creating customized sleep analysis for every customer.

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATION

VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY

B.S., Business Management

EMORY UNIVERSITY / EMORY SCHOOL OF LAW

Paralegal Certificate

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