Gioia Solano

Assistant Manager @HEYDUDE

Nashville, TN, US

Serving as an Assistant Manager at HEYDUDE has been one of the most rewarding and transformative opportunities of my career.I had the privilege of helping open a brand-new retail store, which is also the only HEYDUDE location in Nashville. Being part of this launch gave me the chance to see what it takes to build a store from the ground up—from designing floor plans and merchandising displays to building a motivated team and creating customer-first strategies.This experience has strengthened my leadership, operational, and merchandising skills while giving me a deeper understanding of what it means to represent a global brand in a new market.Key areas of growth and responsibility included- Leadership & Team Development: Training and motivating staff while fostering a culture of communication and accountability- Operations: Managing opening and closing procedures, inventory, and policy compliance.Sales & Performance: Driving daily sales, analyzing KPIs, and implementing company initiatives- Visual Merchandising: Designing displays and layouts that reflect the HEYDUDE brand and improve customer flow- Customer Experience: Creating a welcoming atmosphere that introduced Nashville to its first HEYDUDE store.What makes this role especially meaningful is knowing I played a part in shaping not only a store, but also HEYDUDE’s presence in the Nashville market. It was more than a job—it was about creating something new, impactful, and lasting.I am incredibly grateful for this experience and excited to carry forward the skills I’ve developed into future opportunities in retail leadership, fashion merchandising, and brand development.

Belmont University

Bachelor of Fine Arts - BFA, Fashion Merchandising