il, and we made a commitment to share their stories through regular profiles on Inside Retail.  Over the past year, we have interviewed David Jones chief retail officer Kate Bergin on the future of omnichannel, Go For Zero founder Ellie Degraeve on why she prioritises stocking female-owned brands, BWS store manager Nikita Lakhote on the benefits of working in retail and many more women about their career journeys, professional goals and areas of expertise.  Here are four key pieces of advice we learned along the way.  1. Say ‘yes’ to opportunities – even if you don’t know where they’ll lead In our interview with Meg Zalewski, Rebel’s general manager of retail operations, about what it takes for women to reach the C-suite in retail, she highlighted the importance of making “lateral” moves to gain a breadth of experience early in your career. Her advice to younger leaders is to always put your hand up, even if you don’t know where it will lead.  “You may not know what that experience is going to give you, so that’s why I suggest lots of projects. ‘Give me the poison chalice project,’” she said. “Be open and don’t be so hard on yourself.” Bianca Richards, LSKD’s head of retail operations, had similar advice: “Take a role that is at 80 per cent of your skill capacity, the last 20 per cent is going to push you into the growth zone – it sets a 10 per cent cadence for you to dig in and self-elevate; the other 10 per cent cadence is for you to be mentored by your leader.” 2. Don’t be surprised if you’re underestimated, but take pride in proving people wrong  While the retail workforce is mainly female, certain functions – such as data and tech – remain predominantly male. Unfortunately, women who work in these fields may still face unconscious bias and other barriers to getting the recognition they deserve.  “Don’t be surprised if you’re underestimated, but be proud and do it anyway, and prove people wrong in those scenarios,” Marieke Van Bruggen, head of digital analytics and optimisation at GPC Apac, said. According to Catch’s head of e-commerce, Kate Hatton, the lack of diversity in digital retail is a problem because it often leads to groupthink.  “If we unlocked that [diversity], I think you would actually see innovation more collectively across the industry,” she said. 3. Know that everyone has the power to increase representation  When it comes to increasing the representation of women in senior management and executive positions in retail businesses, formal mentorship programs play an important role. However, as Lydia Bertini, head of customer and people at the online rug retailer Miss Amara, pointed out, everyone has the power to do something, even if it’s small.  “I think there are more things that you can do to increase representation. If there’s a shining star or key talent in your team, even in your junior team, showing them what’s possible and exposing them to those leadership opportunities is really important. That’s something I’m really passionate about as a female leader,” she said. 4. Don’t forget to invest in yourself Finally, in our interview with David Jones’ Bergin, she shared a piece of advice she wishes she had heard much earlier in her career.  “Make time for your own development. That’s probably something that I learned later in my career. You’re so focused on building the right team because you know without the right team, you can’t be successful, and empowering them,” she said.  “But I didn’t always prioritise my own development and it’s critical that you drive your own career and your own development. Making that time to network, making those contacts in the industry. They’ll be some of the most rewarding conversations you’ll have.” You can check all of our #IRWD365 stories here.