Interview Tips and Tricks To Landing Your Dream Job

Yellowbrick on May 7, 2021

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Going into an interview for your dream job can be nerve-wracking. Many people apply, the chosen are few and there can only be one person in the top spot. We’ve all been there and realize that things would be much easier if we had some inside tips on how to ace an interview. Izzy Lugo, Founder and host of Strange on Purpose podcast,  had an up close and personal conversation with some hiring staff members from the global footwear brand adidas. The webinar, How To Get a Sneaker Brand’s Hiring Manager to Notice You, was packed full of free game for you.

Izzy was joined by Nick Ziemer (Manager Digital Technology –Footwear, adidas), Bernadette Little (Designer on Global Brand Design, adidas), and Collin Lashway (University Recruiter, adidas). They talked about what it’s like to work at adidas and what the hiring process is like. They gave ve attendees an inside look at what hiring managers are looking for and what you can do to make yourself stand out as a candidate for the position you are interviewing for. Check out some of their points below: 

  • Myth: The only job in the sneaker industry is sneaker design.
  • Truth: “The 3 panelists on this webinar are a great representation of the different jobs available in the sneaker industry. There was a Manager of Digital Technology, a Designer on Global Brand, and a University Recruiter, all adidas employees.” 
  • Myth: Internships are so hard to get.
  • Truth: “Networking plays a major role in landing internships and even full-time jobs in the sneaker industry.” 
  • Question: What makes a resume stand out?
  • Answer: “There’s not one way to do a resume well but a lot of ways to do it wrong.” 
  • Question: What makes a portfolio stand out?
  • Answer: “Portfolios can show passion and desire through projects to help applicants tell their authentic story. Authenticity is key to standing out.” 
  • Question: What is it like being a Black/Brown person in the industry
  • Answer: “A young Black/Brown person coming into the sneaker industry now is definitely going to be minoritized but the conversations around diversity are being had. I find myself being the only woman in the conversation and the only Black woman in the conversations, at times.”

If you want to hear their complete answers and get all the gems, the full webinar replay for How To Get a Sneaker Brand’s Hiring Manager to Notice You is now available here.  

About Izzy Lugo III:

Izzy Lugo III is the Founder and Host of the Strange on Purpose Podcast. The podcast tells the stories of professionals shattering the glass ceilings of culture and shows young professionals what happens when you are authentically you 100% of the time. In addition to the podcast, Izzy spends his time working with brands on content creation as has partnered with brands such as Columbia, UGG, and much more. Lugo has been previously selected as one of Wisconsin’s 25u25 and a Neighborhood Achiever by the Business Journals.

Take a Look Inside New York City’s Makeup Museum | VIDEO

Yellowbrick on April 23, 2021

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The Makeup industry has been around for quite some time. From the early days of makeup campaigns to the trends that have come and gone, there have been a lot of styles, looks, and products that have made the industry what it is today. Red Lips, smoky eyes, and smooth skin have always been beauty basic. The styles and concepts behind makeup have evolved over the years to make the industry what it is today. The Makeup Museum in New York City was created to allow visitors to immerse themselves in a historical beauty experience. It was designed as an immersive experience but had to pause and reset due to the ordered Covid restrictions that hit New York City last year.

The Makeup Museum was set to open with interactive exhibits that focused on touch and creating products. The pandemic changed all that. In May 2020 it still opened with its premiere exhibit, “Pink Jungle: 1950s Makeup in America”. The exhibit showcased a variety of historical makeup items that belonged to icons like Marilyn Monroe and Greta Garbo. Beauty Industry Essentials graduate Kenecia Lashae was tapped to help curate the museum, with a focus on the Black Beauty wall. The Black Beauty Wall highlighted some of the makeup products, successes, and challenges that African American women faced during these times.

We paid a visit to the Makeup Museum recently and caught up with Kenecia. She was able to take us through the museum on a guided tour and show us what they had to offer on a visit. The video serves as an inside look at the “Pink Jungle” exhibit with helpful commentary from Kenecia. The makeup museum is temporarily closed due to Covid restrictions. For more information on the next Makeup Museum exhibit, please visit www.makeupmuseum.com and sign up for the newsletter and exxhibit alerts. 

Entrepreneurship In The Music Industry with Director of Marketing, Ali Samadpour

Yellowbrick on April 5, 2021

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Everyone’s journey through the music industry is different. Ali Samadpour started out as an intern and worked his way up to Director of Marketing at Everybody Knows. While working his main gigs, he managed to launch two companies, Prescient Digital and Modular Merch. Both companies are rooted in the music industry and help artists with things like merch and digital marketing. He’s worked with a variety of artists including J. Balvin, Da Baby, SAINT JHN, MADEINTYO, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Wiz Khalifa and many more.

It hasn’t always been easy but Ali worked hard to get to where he is today. He recently hosted a Music Industry Essentials Webinar to talk about his career path and give some useful tips on making it in the industry. He talked about everything from maximizing a marketing budget to building a Spotify account for artist’s music and how digital advertising plays a major role in marketing an artist and his/her music. He also talked about how to network and safely communicate with people during a pandemic. Networking and fostering positive relationships with people is an important part of making it in the music industry.

If you missed the live webinar, you’re in luck. The entire webinar is available for replay in the video box above and some of the presentation slides are posted below. Aside from taking the Music Industry Essentials course, this conversation is a great jumpstart for a successful career in the music industry.

5 Career Quotables From Grammy Nominated Songwriter Madison Love

Yellowbrick on March 24, 2021

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Working in the music industry doesn’t happen overnight. It requires hard work, training, and persistence. Grammy nominated Songwriter Madison Love knows all about the grind it takes to break into the music industry. She recently got her big break and even a few Grammy Noms but it didn’t come without all of the hustle that comes with it. Madison is an NYU alum of the Clive Davis Institute. She is also a songwriter from a few pop star faves including Lady Gaga, Ava Max, and Selena Gomez. She recently sat down with Yellowbrick’s Music Industry Essentials course to talk about her journey through school and how she transitioned into a career in the music industry.

Madison loves what she does, and it shows. “The best part of my job, honestly, is being able to connect to millions of people emotionally through your voice and your emotions”, she said. “And it’s kind of a crazy thing when you hear other people screaming the song that you wrote and you’re just thinking, wow, this is so unreal”. She dropped a lot of useful gems during this interview. Bringing a pen and paper to take notes is highly recommended. You can see some of her quotables below.

If a career in the music industry is something you’ve always wanted, let Music Industry Essentials help you take that first step. Visit Yellowbrick.co/music to apply.

1. “I don’t want to share all of my secrets, but I write down a lot of titles and lyrics all the time in this (shows a journal) and I always bring it to every session, so I’m prepared.”

2. “I think that hustle has gotten me where I am today and getting big cuts like the song that I collaborated on for Lady Gaga album that’s coming out. I wouldn’t have been able to be in that room if I didn’t really, really hustle to get there.”

3. “You just say yes to everything. I’ve molded myself over the years to try and lend myself to other styles to get more cuts, because I have songs that have gone on the radio that are Latin, I’m speaking Spanish, a lot of songs I speak in, whatever language you want, I’ll do it.”

4. “You have to be able to mold yourself into whatever situation you want to be, but still being authentic to you and being authentic to what you want to present.”

5. “As a songwriter, you don’t really make that much from streaming.
You’re getting YouTube, you’re getting Apple Music, you’re getting all these other services. But it’s still not as much money as you think. You have to have multiple, multiple hit songs a year to be making a lot of money.”

Fashion Business Essentials: Course One Review | Entrepreneurship & the Fashion System

Yellowbrick on March 11, 2021

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Chloe is a student in the new Fashion Business Essentials course by Parsons x WWD, powered by Yellowbrick. She is a member of the student advisory panel. Check out her written review of Module One below.


"I’m so excited to be included on the advisory panel for this course so I’m able to see the course firsthand and tell you how it’s going!"
- Chloe

You can press play on the video above for a course content sneak peek.

In the first course, the program focused on Entrepreneurship & the Fashion System. I personally found this first course very interesting. Reading about how much the fashion industry has changed within the past few years.

Nowadays, it’s become more commonly seen for people to launch their own business. No longer are people looking to be hired under someone and become apart of the fashion industry, that’s old news.

I’ve noticed it myself, more and more of my peers are making announcements on social media of their new business launching. I think it’s inspiring to see, and to know now that because it’s become more common, it’s also become a little easier to achieve.

Half of this course is focused on entrepreneurship which again I really liked. The rest of the course focused on sustainability which I also believe to be another recent major focus of the industry. Within the past few years, consumers have begun to question the ethics behind the production of fashion.

Where is it being produced? Is the factory safe, are the working conditions humane? Will the production of these items positively or negatively impact the environment? These questions were merely whispered throughout the industry before.

But as time progresses, designers are realizing that the fate of the industry is in consumers hands. People no longer care about what the celebrities are wearing, because influencers are now dominating the market.

Thanks to our persistence, we are slowly making an impact on the industry and turning the old ways into the new ways. If you want information on how you can register for the course, visit yellowbrick.co/fashionbusiness.

“Ask Me Anything” with Foot Locker Engineer Brennan Nichols

Yellowbrick on March 10, 2021

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Foot Locker Engineers are not always easy to get a hold of. Operations Engineer is a job title in the sneaker industry that is rarely public facing. Their position works heavily behind the scenes to help keep the Foot Locker brand on point. Yellowbrick Ambassador and Sneaker School grad Brennan Nichols is the Site Operations Engineer at Foot Locker.

Foot Locker Inc. is the leading brand that celebrates sneaker and youth culture worldwide. Their portfolio includes Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, Eastbay and Footaction. They have about 3,000 retail locations in 28 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Foot Locker recently invested $100M in the reseller platform GOAT, which could yield interesting Goat x Foot Locker collaborations in the near future.

Brennan decided to take some time out of his day to give the Yellowbrick community some much needed career talk and industry gems via a ZOOM Webinar. He talked about his current position at Foot Locker, as well as his Sneaker School experience, solid Resume Tips, Building your network, and how to nail your interview for the job you want in the sneaker industry. At the end of it all, he opened up the floor for an “Ask Me Anything” Q&A session. We jotted down some of the top questions and answers and compiled a list below. You can press play on the video in this article to hear the webinar in its entirety, including all the questions and answers.

How did you get started in the sneaker industry?

“I started back in college where I did an internship at this sneaker boutique called Self Conscience. It is no longer open but it was the starting point for many people who have careers in the industry. I started as an intern, doing events on the weekends. We did a really cool collaboration with adidas back in 2008. That gave me my first love of the sneakers, the industry and sneaker marketing events. That’s the best place to start, as an intern.”

Do network connections matter and did a network connection help you get your job at Footlocker?

“Connections always matter. That goes back into building your network. Building my network helped me. What helped me was going to events, volunteering. Volunteering didn’t get me the job at Foot Locker but it helped me beef up my resume. I got my job from a staffing agency who saw my resume on Linkedin. They contacted me for an interview and I started as a temporary worker. A lot of big companies start people off as contract employees so don’t get discouraged by getting an offer on a contract position. Sometimes you get paid more often and paid more per hour. Sometimes you don’t have benefits so it depends on your livelihood but if you have the ability to go through a staffing agency, I recommend it.”

Can the Sneaker Essentials certificate of completion lead to a job opportunity?

“It can lead to a job opportunity but graduating from the program won’t give you a job. The course gives you a lot to talk about in interviews. Taking the course and having the certificate can lead to a lot of conversations during an interview. I’ve been in a lot of interviews with a lot of companies and they ask about the course. Whatever you learned from the course, you can mention it in the interview and that helps you stand out from the other candidates.

If a sneaker career is something you’re interested in, visit yellowbrick.co/sneakers. You can reach out to Brennan on IG. His handle is @wallstreetbnic.

New Program Alert | Invest In Your Career with Fashion Business Essentials

Yellowbrick on February 24, 2021

The School of Fashion at The New School’s Parsons School of Design, in collaboration with WWD, the leading source of news and analysis for the fashion, beauty, and retail industries, and the New York-based education platform Yellowbrick, today announced Fashion Business Essentials, a program that offers a deep exploration into the innovation and changes happening across the Fashion business; including effective uses of information technology, strategic business planning, decision-making, planning management, brand development, and effective communications within organizations.

Learners who complete the program will earn a non-credit Completion Certificate from Parsons and will gain a full understanding of key roles, skills, and functions to be successful in the fashion industry. All course materials and instruction will be provided online, enabling students to complete lessons at their own pace and fit the course into their daily lives.

The program offers more than 15 hours of instruction and project time offered across five modules titled, “Entrepreneurship and the Fashion System,” “Managing Fashion Production,” “Fashion Branding,” “Marketing Strategies,” and “Retailing and Distribution.”

Instruction will come from Parsons faculty, along with fashion insiders and experts. Instructors include Keanan Duffty, Director of Fashion Programs, Parsons; Khary Simon, Vice President at The Premiere Group, Parsons Faculty; Jasmine S. Young, Vice President of Operations at Ami Colé; Sydney Price, Founder & CEO, The Knew Purpose, Parsons Faculty; Rick Helfenbein, Retail & Fashion Industry Consultant, Former Chairman, President & CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association; and many more.

“The fashion industry has endured many challenges over the past year and we see its recovery as an opportunity to bring more diverse voices into the ranks,” said Ben Barry, Dean of the School of Fashion at The New School’s Parsons School of Design. “In this program, we’re building opportunities for talent who hail from non-traditional backgrounds in the fashion industry, and we’re furthering our mission to change the fashion education experience for the better.”

“WWD has been covering the Fashion industry since 1910, and few if any years have been more disruptive to the industry than 2020 was. However, where there’s disruption, there’s opportunity,” added Amanda Smith, President of Fairchild Media. “This is a chance for a whole new generation of talent to join us in reimagining the industry in bigger and better ways. By partnering with Parsons and Yellowbrick, we’re helping educate the next generation and we’re excited to tap our staff’s extensive knowledge in providing that education.”

“Fashion occupies a special place among creative industries, as expressed to us by the thousands of learners who have come through our Fashion and Streetwear programs,” said Rob Kingyens, President and CEO of Yellowbrick. “For learners who are dedicated to learning all they can, we wanted to create a next-level educational experience that highlights the intricacies of this massive and inspiring industry. By tapping the passion and expertise of Parsons and WWD staff, we’re now able to help fashion professionals and businesses advance in this exciting industry.”

Beginning today, visitors to allprograms.wpenginepowered.com/FashionBusiness can sign up for an exclusive preview of the program. The first group of students will be admitted to Fashion Business Essentials later this month.

Webinar Recap | Breaking Into the Gaming Industry with the Founders of Decoy Games

Yellowbrick on December 15, 2020

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When your mom worked at Toys R Us when you were younger and you have access to all the games, it makes sense that you would grow up to have a career in the gaming industry. Brothers Kahlil and Ahmed Abdullah grew up playing video games and ended up launching their own indie game company, Decoy Games. They took their passion for gaming and turned it into a multi-award winning company that is focused on creating unique gaming experiences and encouraging innovation across all aspects of the gaming industry.

We recently sat down with Kahlil and Ahmed to talk about their latest endeavor, Swimsanity, and what it took to get the game created, made, and sold to major video game platforms. They also told us some of the benefits of networking, how to network (even in a pandemic), and the best places to find jobs in the gaming industry. Get ready to take some serious notes and check out the webinar recap video above. For more information on breaking into the gaming & Esports industry, visit yellowbrick.co/gaming.

Press play on the video below to see the Trailer for Decoy Games release, Swimsanity. 

Webinar Recap | Esports & Gaming Careers With Ford Models’ Justin M. Jacobson Esq.

Yellowbrick on December 15, 2020

When it comes to starting a career in the gaming and esports industry, there are quite a few options to choose from. Most people think that you have to get top scores on games and have lots of followers to be successful in the gaming industry. While those things may help, there are other ways to turn your passion for esports and gaming into a career and make some money. We recently sat down with Justin M. Jacobson ESQ., an Esports attorney who currently heads the Gaming department at Ford Models. He spoke to us about the different careers and job opportunities in the gaming industry and the type of skills needed to get these jobs. He also spoke about where you can look to find these jobs and gives great tips on how to be successful in your career. Justin also hosts the podcast Preediction, Esport Biz Show. Check out the latest episode here.

After watching this webinar recap above, feel free to visit Yellowbrick.co/gaming to get more information on how you can turn your passion for gaming and esports into the career you want!

Career Spotlight on Former Nike Marketing Manager Les Green

Yellowbrick on October 21, 2020

The sneaker industry is full of career opportunities. While sneaker design is one of the most sought after paths, there is a huge variety of other jobs and careers to pursue. The Sneaker Essentials course was designed to give students an inside look at all of the possible career paths and help them capitalize on their unique skills to carve out their own path . From marketing to design to engineering, there is a career opportunity for everyone.

Sneaker Essentials recently sat down with Teespring’s Vice President of Marketing, Les Green, to talk about some of the things he has accomplished across the industry. Green has held down some key positions in the sneaker industry. He has worked with some of the world’s most influential brands for over 18 years. He served as Nike Africa Marketing Director, Nike Mexico’s Senior Brand Director, Senior Brand Director Nike By You, and Global Brand Director Nike Sportswear. He played a key role in some important campaigns and product launches. He worked on the Nike Tech Pack. the 2012 Olympics, and Nike by you (which most people may know as Nike I.D.).

“I don’t want that exclusivity of product to

translate into exclusivity of talent and opportunity”

Check out the clip above to hear Les talk about breaking down barriers to breaking into the industry. Visit Sneaker Essentials to find out if a career in sneakers is right for you – and for more knowledge from former Nike Marketing Manager, Les Green.