The Wolf Pack at Best Buy
August 20, 2006
Look at what I uncovered over at Mary Hunt's blog: a WoLF pack! Look's like Best Buy is finally getting the hand of this women's market thing.
WoLF stands for Women's Leadership Forum, and encompasses a female mindset from the employee's viewpoint. Mary talks about this in her book, In Women We Trust, published by WME Books (but, of course!). It's exciting to see the reality actually happening at a company I know!
Best Buy's Julie Gilbert (VP of Customer Initiatives) is in charge of the WoLF Pack and says, "“WoLF is a movement to develop amazing leaders. If we want to be a great place for women to shop, we have to be a great place for women to work.”
That's amazing insight. So, who do you think recognized the value of using the women employees and their "unique perspective" to build a female-focused organization? One that addresses specific customer concerns? Maybe it was Julie. Maybe it was - horror!- a MAN!
Regardless, the reality speaks loud and clear. Best Buy is on the right path - check out their Magnolia Theater. Here's proof that they recognize the power of the purse... be that a Kate Spade bag or a leather wallet. At Best Buy, women's voices - via the WoLF Pack - are finally being heard. In the interview on Mary's blog, Julie describes a "women-helping-women program" of female geeks - and women learning to be "better leades." Very much in keeping with my decision to bring on Lena West - whose post was suppose to be live today, but due to circumstances - you know the drill. (She will be on board this week, so check back.)
Hugs to Mary for this coup. And hugs to Julie for dreaming up the WoLF Pack idea. I'm going out to howl at the moon now.
@Teresa - my apologies but sometimes one is time crunched; I have yet to find anyone who didn't still get the message. As a writer and avid reader, I find many, many published works (that are edited many times, as well as proofed many times) with errors. I do not allow that to influence my perception of the message or the author.
I'm sorry for the error - and I appreciate your pointing it out, but in the end, the message was more important than the typing. IMHO (btw, you spelled assist wrong - just saying)
Posted by: Yvonne DiVita | November 02, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Please proof read your web site before you publish it. The Wolf Packs at Best Buy are to assit in developing better Leaders not "Leades" as your article states.
I am an employee at Best Buy as well as a Member of a Wolf Pack.
We need professional writers to bring these issues to light. If your information is full of errors it makes your site less likely taken serious.
Posted by: Teresa Cook | November 02, 2009 at 12:29 PM
is this really needed? why do women have to have a special group to fall back on and feel ''empowered'' about.. why do women need groups and clic's to belong to jsut to feel needed and appreciated..
Posted by: k | May 14, 2009 at 02:29 PM
Im just getting started with the whole Wolf Pack development in the BEST BUY that I work for and I love the idea. I told my manager that i would love to be involved in WOLF to make sure that females have great opportunity. I can relate because I work in MAGNOLIA HOME THEATER in store #455 and females definitely respond more to a female working in home theater. Its sad but most of them are actually shocked at the fact that I work in home theater. I want to show females that it is possible because I am now the home theater senior and are now looked at as leadership in my department.
Posted by: Christina Campbell | June 15, 2008 at 11:41 PM
What I like best about Julie's dream-come-true, is that it came from her heart to improve communication among corporate women. She started WoLF because it was the right thing to do, not because it was a job description or a marketing ploy.
Posted by: Mary | August 21, 2006 at 04:45 PM