Leaders of Change: Shyla Navarro

SHYLA NAVARRO heads up Edge by Ascential’s ecommerce advisory practice in North America. She is an eCommerce leader with 8 years of experience deploying commercial and operational efforts for consumer product brands.

As an eCommerce practitioner with toy manufacturer Hasbro, Shyla deployed the company’s global eCommerce efforts for international markets. She also led brand marketing teams and collaborated on strategic corporate initiatives with Google, Walmart, Amazon and Disney. 

Why did you choose to pursue eCommerce in your career? I pursued eCommerce at the end of 2016. I was curious to know what it was. I knew it was gaining relevance but I didn’t know anything about it, so it really was my curiosity to understand it better that drove me to jump on it. 

What is your biggest strength, and how have you used it for your success in eCommerce? I am very processed oriented which leads me to be good at setting up strategies. I can visualize what are the things that need to happen first in order to have a well-crafted domino effect. This ends up working well in eCommerce as there are so many moving parts that sometimes make it difficult to find focus. 

What is the weirdest skill or talent to come in handy in your eCommerce experience? Without any preparation, I can give a 1-hour presentation on eCommerce to any type of audience. It is the result of having done it for many years, that now I can do it on the spot.

How have you most successfully influenced change within your organization (or with your clients)? The most influence I have had is to make people realize that the change we are undergoing in the industry now is simply just the beginning. Change and responding to it with agility will be integral parts of our functions for many years to come. 

What was your most “valuable” career failure, and why? When I was working in manufacturing and eCommerce was starting to rise, we decided that all products needed to be eCommerce optimized. That was a big failure. In eCommerce, the wisest thing to do is to prioritize products and initiatives. You get many learnings from your first tests and you can apply those insights to the rest of the initiatives and/or portfolios. 

In the last five years, what new belief, behavior or habit has most improved your life? After the last five years, I now believe that organizations need to be prepared for what will come but remains unknown. There are many things that fundamentally we need to do differently to be ready for change that today we cannot predict.  

What are you learning right now? I am learning more about Instacart and on demand delivery services. I think these will continue to shake up the industry, especially as new generations adopt these companies as part of their shopping habits. 

What are the 1-3 songs that would make up your career soundtrack today?

• Roar by Katy Perry: I think it speaks to all of us and how we evolve in our careers from our early quiet professional years, to when we find our voice and have a vision of how we want our careers to be. 

What are the 1-3 books you’ve gifted the most or that have greatly influenced your life, and why?

• Contagious by Jonah Berger: This book is about making smart bold moves to catapult a movement within businesses, but mostly brands. Many principles of this book can be applied to many industries and sectors. My biggest takeaway from it is that you can accomplish a lot with very little so long as those small efforts are purposefully driven. 

If you could have a gigantic billboard for the world to see with anything on it, what would it say, and why? 

Build a good strategy. It is the best way to figure out how to get from point A to point B.

What are the worst recommendations or advice you have heard related to eCommerce? The worst recommendation I have heard about eCommerce is that it is about selling more online; I disagree with that statement. eCommerce is far more than selling online; it really is all about offering convenience and shopping options to consumers in a meaningful way.

What advice would you give to a future leader of change about to enter business, or specifically the eCommerce field? Future leaders that are about to enter eCommerce should be open to new perspectives and challenge the status quo. Innovation, fresh thinking and technology will be key in the future recipe for success of anyone working in the retail industry.  

What specific, industry-related change do you believe will happen that few others seem to see? 

• Instacart will become an even bigger player that it is today.
• Amazon will continue to change the industry through technology innovation.
• Shoppers will demand brands and retailers to become more environmentally conscious. 

What is the last thing you bought online, and why? Blackout curtains for my new apartment. I am lucky to have so much sunlight coming in to every room, but sometimes the light can be aggressive in the early hours of the morning. 

* * * * * * *

Leaders of Change is a weekly interview series featuring select industry pioneers who are driving the evolution of commerce, the consumer and everything in between. If you would like to recommend a Leader of Change for consideration, please reach out to me on LinkedIn.