Blog
International Women's Day 2024: Inspire Inclusion
As a brand with a predominantly female leadership team, women are at the heart of Style Arcade.
The significant representation of women across all departments within the company stands at a staggering amount.
We are deeply committed to fostering inclusivity by actively recruiting, retaining, and investing in the training and development of women across all sectors of our business.
We strive to support and empower women to realise their full potential by providing opportunities to express and implement their innovations.
In celebration of International Women’s Day 2024, we sat down with four inspiring Style Arcade women to explore their perspectives on inclusion, their sources of inspiration, and the advice they offer to women interested in pursuing careers in merchandising or tech.
What did you dream of doing when you were a child?
I have very early memories of loving pressing the buttons on a toy cash register playing shop with my little brother and sisters. Negotiating who would play the various roles, including the shopkeeper and the customer, took up a lot of time before starting the game!
As I got older I did dream of working in business and having an impact on how the business was run, however I honestly didn’t have a clear idea of the exact dream role I was ultimately aiming for.
I have just consistently stayed true to doing what feels right for me, connecting with businesses that I have a genuine passion for and working with great people who are also passionate about what they do. And every experience has created a base of knowledge and understanding that has ultimately landed me in my dream role!
Is there a particular female figure that inspires you?
The females in my family inspire me daily.
My sisters, my mother and now my daughter, who is navigating her first year of high school with so much grace and courage. They all have very unique strengths but the common attributes of integrity, loyalty and determination are incredibly inspiring.
It’s also a reminder of the need to maintain balance in your life which is a constant juggle!
Can you share the journey of transitioning from merchandising to tech and what factors have contributed to your success?
Being surrounded by an excellent team who are all specialists in their fields - drawing on their experience and collaborating on the multiple facets we operate across.
Investing time with the team makes coming to work every day a joy and is what makes us so successful.
The other key enabler is a rich understanding of the industry.
Having lived through buying and planning roles in retail over the last 20 years, I can understand and relate to our customers' needs - and that synergy and understanding (from so many of our team members) is what makes Style Arcade a tool that customers get so much value from.
It has felt surprisingly natural moving into the tech space because essentially I’m still doing what I’ve always been driven by - enabling the brands I work with to have the insights to drive commercial results.
It’s even more exhilarating now as the scope of influence is that much greater as we touch so many businesses!
What advice would you give to women pursuing a career in merchandising or tech?
Trust your instincts and back yourself!
If there’s a brand, business or role that you are dreaming of, go for it and apply.
When I’m interviewing, so much of what I am looking for - particularly for transition or entry roles - is attitude, including the capacity to adapt and grow. If a candidate has done their research and is genuinely passionate about the role and is clearly motivated by a desire to learn, that counts for a lot!
Becoming known as the person who is willing to give things a go, learns fast and works well within a team, you will be given lots of opportunities to build up your experience which will ultimately set you on your path to your dream role.
This year's International Women’s Day theme is “Inspire Inclusion”, what does this mean to you?
Making intentional efforts to create an environment where everyone feels welcomed, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and talents.
What did you dream of doing when you were a child?
As a child, I wanted to do something creative. I imagined myself a pianist during my music phase, then painter during my drawing phase.
Turns out, I'm not the artsy type, but I still love cool designs. That's probably why I enjoy working on the front-end in software engineering.
Is there a particular female figure that inspires you?
My auntie. Back in the day, when Korea was pretty traditional about women's roles, she defied the norms. She was the only woman who didn’t compromise her career around me as I grew up.
Now in her 70s, she's living life to the fullest—still skiing and participating in marathons.
I truly respect that she never let societal expectations define her.
Tell me about your career path and what appealed to you about working in tech?
My journey began with a web design course in uni, where I got hooked on HTML, CSS, and Javascript.
After that, I enrolled in a software engineering course in a boot camp and landed a job at SA shortly after.
These past two years have been an incredible time of growth with SA.
What I like about working in tech is that there is always something new. Even when I'm dealing with the same stuff, there's this chance to bring in fresh ideas and improvements.
It keeps every day interesting.
What has been your biggest achievement while working at Style Arcade?
Choosing a single achievement is tough; each experience at Style Arcade felt like a major win for me. When I first started, everything was new. It marked not only my initiation into the tech field but also my very first full-time job.
I remember our CTO, Tristan, helping me join a Zoom meeting on my first week—a memory that still brings a smile. I owe a lot to the kindness of my colleagues who supported me along the way.
Looking back, it's clear how much I've grown both technically and personally in the last 2 years with SA.
What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in tech?
Believe in yourself and own that confidence—I'm working on it too.
Friends entering tech often express self-doubt, thinking they're not good enough or need more preparation for the next step.
While being humble is important, turning it into imposter syndrome can be draining.
I want to encourage them and my past self: you're doing well, believe in yourself, and keep going!
This year's International Women’s Day theme is “Inspire Inclusion”, what does this mean to you?
"Inspire Inclusion" for me means making sure everyone, no matter their background, feels welcome and has a fair shot.
It's about being aware of biases, embracing our differences, and supporting each other.
What did you dream of doing when you were a child?
I used to love dressing up as a little girl, dresses and big bows were my thing so I was destined to work in fashion.
Is there a particular female figure that inspires you?
I feel lucky to be surrounded by many incredible women both professionally and personally.
From the many inspiring mentors I’ve had the privilege to learn from throughout my career to my two little girls who inspire me each day not to take life too seriously.
Can you share the journey of transitioning from merchandising to tech and what factors have contributed to your success?
I spent the past 15 years in retail buying and recently moved across to the product team at Style Arcade.
It’s been a steep learning curve understanding all that goes on behind the scenes to develop a new product.
I think back to my first week when I was asked to attend a ‘sprint’ and a meeting about ‘widgets’ and I felt like everyone was talking a new language!
Fast forward 4 months and a thousand questions and I can see the true value of the skills I’ve developed and can now apply within a different industry.
What advice would you give to women pursuing a career in merchandising or tech?
Persistence, a positive attitude, ambition and hard work – merchandising is a fast moving industry and will keep you on your toes.
Most importantly there is always something new to learn so don’t be afraid to ask questions.
This year's International Women’s Day theme is ‘Inspire Inclusion’, what does this mean to you?
Diversity is a fact, inclusion is a choice’. It’s a reminder to me to act as a role model in all aspects of life.
What did you dream of doing when you were a child?
A wedding planner!
I got hooked onto this idea after watching a movie of that same title - The Wedding Planner starring Jennifer Lopez. I just thought being a wedding planner is like being a real life fairy godmother, making the brides dream come true while looking so fabulous at it! Or it could be just JLo that sold it to me.
Is there a particular female figure that inspires you?
My sister - Jiani Yu has been nothing short of impressive since taking over our family’s manufacturing business at the age of 25.
From braving the unfamiliar and male-dominated industry, overcoming challenges with supply shortages during Covid, to transforming the workforce to adapt to constant changes, she has been a motivating force that reminds me to never be afraid of being different.
She is the living proof that you really can achieve anything once you set your mind to it.
Tell me about your career path and what appealed to you about working in tech?
It certainly has been a journey, I pursued my dream of working in the event industry - overseeing functions and events such as NRL premierships.
While I had the best time, the long hours and lack of flexibility eventually caught up with me.
That is when I decided to make my off-time hobbies my job - becoming a skincare specialist at Mecca before eventually finding my way to Style Arcade.
My favorite part about working in tech is that it is an ever-changing industry.
You will never find it boring!
What has been your biggest achievement while working at Style Arcade?
Making customers think we have an army of customer support representatives, when in fact it was just me!
We have grown to a team of 4 since, and I couldn’t have been more proud of what we’ve achieved with customer satisfaction.
What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in tech?
Automations are great but remember all businesses are people’s businesses. So never let go of an in-person meetup opportunity whenever you can, it will build trust and make communicating much easier!
You will fail at times, but instead of compensating the past, focus on what you can do at the present moment
Sharing knowledge with your peers is more important than keeping all that knowledge in your head.
Helping others is a way of helping yourself, you never know when you will need their help
This year's International Women’s Day theme is “Inspire Inclusion”, what does this mean to you?
It means to create and encourage environments where women of all backgrounds, races, age, ability, faith and body image feel valued, respected and empowered to contribute.
