Women Of The C-Suite: Cedar Carter of The Good Patch On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A Senior Executive
A successful executive has opinions based on facts, is not afraid to hire people smarter than themselves, and enjoys mentoring and leading a team. I like to hire good people who know more about the specific thing I’m hiring them for than I do. If you give them the tools, information and encouragement to succeed you’ll see great success.
As a part of our series about strong women leaders, we had the pleasure of interviewing Cedar Carter.
Cedar Carter has more than 20 years of collective experience across the apparel and wellness industries, working for companies such as ROXY, O’Neill and 2XU. She joined The Good Patch, a wellness brand known for its plant-infused patches that deliver sustained relief for everyday ailments, in 2019 as President and COO where she was responsible for growing sales, developing and retaining top talent, maximizing efficiency, and increasing bottom line profitability. After less than a year in her position, Carter was promoted to CEO to continue growing the brand’s consumer base, online offerings and retail presence nationwide. In addition to her operating expertise, she brings a breadth of knowledge in strategic digital, creative and brand marketing to the company. When she’s not working, Carter enjoys decompressing and taking care of her own wellness by surfing, running and practicing yoga.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
It’s always been important to me to work in an industry I’m passionate about, and as you might be able to guess by my name, my upbringing was very “earthy”. Wellness is something that every person strives toward, and to be a part of that every day journey is appealing to me. I started my career bringing people joy through clothing at brands such as BCBG, Roxy and O’Neill. I’ve always loved the way a good outfit can bring confidence, and I really enjoy surfing, so bridging the two was a great way to make my work fun. Now I’m excited to be a part of a wellness company, The Good Patch, bringing joy in the form of a patch and providing an alternative form of relief from life’s common ailments.
I began my career in marketing and public relations, but was always interested in the bigger picture. How did marketing fit into the company overall and drive lasting results? How could I impact the company as a whole? That eventually led me into a GM role at an activewear brand, then President/COO for The Good Patch, and now CEO.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
Joining a new company, in a new industry, and then diving headfirst into a pandemic was certainly interesting! I’m always up for a challenge and with the biggest challenges come the greatest rewards. I’m really proud of our small team and how hard everyone worked to pivot our business from primarily wholesale through apparel and spa accounts, to more “essential” wholesale channels while building our online business. To be a start-up and not only survive, but also thrive during 2020 was a big accomplishment for our entire team.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Well, there was the time I was running down the hall with an armful of folders from one meeting to another and didn’t see the mail cart, so yeah, you can use your imagination there. In all seriousness, the biggest lesson I learned along the way was always follow your passion. It can be very tempting to follow the money instead of following along a profession or industry you’re passionate about, but it’s not worth it in the end. If you work hard (like REALLY work hard and give it your all), you’ll end up achieving more in a career path you enjoy.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
There have been so many people along the way who have been supportive of my journey. I didn’t come from a family or area with a lot of connections, so I had to make my own way. Every job, since I was 12 years old assisting gymnastics classes to pay for my own, has come from some connection or relationship I made at a previous job. My job coaching led to another coaching job in college, which led to coaching at a summer camp on the east coast, which led to a prestigious internship at Donna Karan, which eventually led to a job at BCBG, and so on.
When I got to Donna Karan and realized I was the only intern in the department, I asked why they decided to hire me. The answer was, “We could tell you wanted it the most and would work the hardest.” That was true, and it continues to guide me to this day as a CEO.
As a busy leader, what do you do to prepare your mind and body before a stressful or high stakes meeting, talk, or decision? Can you share a story or some examples?
Exercise in some form works best for me, along with being prepared for whatever I’m walking into of course. Going for a surf calms my mind like nothing else. Running (without technology) clears my thoughts before a big meeting and allows me to focus and lowers my stress level overall. Yoga is also a tool I use that just makes my entire mind and body feel good.
As you know, the United States is currently facing a very important self-reckoning about race, diversity, equality and inclusion. This may be obvious to you, but it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you articulate to our readers a few reasons why it is so important for a business or organization to have a diverse executive team?
There are so many reasons this is important, but from a basic business perspective, the world is diverse. The potential consumers buying the products you’re selling are diverse. Different perspectives are key to having a view outside your own bubble so you can make informed decisions that make your products resonate.
Equality is a must. It’s important we instill the value of equality in our families and employees, and lead by example in every aspect of our lives, from the boardroom to our daily interactions.
Any way you look at it, diversity and equality is something we should all stand for together.
As a business leader, can you please share a few steps we must take to truly create an inclusive, representative, and equitable society? Kindly share a story or example for each.
We need to be a resource for the people coming after us. Share our valuable time, give advice, help others who are less privileged get ahead.
At The Good Patch, we donate a portion of sales from our product, Rise Effervescent Tablets, to a scholarship fund that supports underprivileged youths in Los Angeles. The organization is called Ambition, and it has a direct effect on people’s lives. We also participate in their mentoring program and encourage all staff members to use work hours to spend time volunteering.
But in just a few words can you explain what an executive does that is different from the responsibilities of the other leaders?
An executive is the glue that holds it all together and points it in the right direction. If you’re at a start-up that also means rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty. An executive gathers info and makes decisions that guide the big picture, leads by example and sets the tone for the organization and corporate culture.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a CEO or executive. Can you explain what you mean?
I think sometimes people think executives have it easy and have lots of people doing all sorts of work for them. In reality, there is an immense amount of pressure and responsibility that goes along with the role. A large amount of work needs to be put in to operate a business on a daily basis, at any size, and to guide along a bigger path for a successful future for both the company and its employees.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women executives that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
Unfortunately, while I do think it’s getting better, there is still a stigma for women once they have children. I’ve certainly experienced it, although I’ve also experienced wonderfully supportive people along the way. There’s also often a double standard as to how a strong woman versus a strong man is perceived.
It’s been very interesting to have a name that’s often perceived as male, and I think a benefit in many cases. I find people email me one way when they think they’re interacting with a man and another way once they find out I’m a woman.
What is the most striking difference between your actual job and how you thought the job would be?
I don’t think I had a lot of pre-conceived notions of what the job would be. I try to go into every new job with an open mind and the confidence to know that I can gather info and make informed decisions, even if I haven’t done a specific role before. I know every new job is a lot of work, and there are a lot of things you just won’t know until you do them, and that’s okay.
In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful executive and what type of person should avoid aspiring to be an executive? Can you explain what you mean?
A successful executive has opinions based on facts, is not afraid to hire people smarter than themselves, and enjoys mentoring and leading a team. I like to hire good people who know more about the specific thing I’m hiring them for than I do. If you give them the tools, information and encouragement to succeed you’ll see great success.
If you’re in it for the power or don’t like to share the success that your team helped build, you’ll end up with a horrible corporate culture and won’t attract good talent — it’s all about the people.
What advice would you give to other women leaders to help their team to thrive?
Lead by example, hire good people, be confident in your ability to make informed decisions. Don’t be afraid to have empathy, and listen. You may have a general management style, but each individual needs the style of management that motivates them. You need to manage what your team needs to be successful, which will ultimately guide your success.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I sure hope I have! I try to serve as a mentor to current and former employees, empowering them to make their career goals a reality.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
Follow a career path you’re passionate about because you spend the majority of your week working — may as well enjoy it!
Try to find something close to home. I commuted about 1.5 hours each way for years and it was such a waste of valuable time. I think that’s getting better now that there are more tools to work remotely and it’s more accepted.
Find a mentor and don’t be afraid to engage them. There are so many people out there who are happy to help others along in their journey — having a couple of people you can bounce situations off of or who can help guide you is so valuable.
Build your network along the way because you never know who will help you or provide that critical introduction you need. It may be your intern, so treat everyone with equal respect, no matter how “important” you view them to be.
Nobody had to tell me this, but work hard and it will be recognized and rewarded — don’t give up.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Wow, I’d say a basic concept like “pay it forward” can go a long way. Do one nice thing for someone else each day. Write that LinkedIn referral, offer to be a reference, thank someone for a job well done, instill confidence in those coming after you. Teach your boys to respect strong women and teach your girls that they can do anything they set their mind to. Treat everyone, everyone, with equal respect. Sounds easy, right?!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Someone gave me a paperweight early on in my career that says, “what would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” I still have it on my desk today. It’s a little reminder that things are scary, but just meet them head on and power through. Failure is okay, and sometimes necessary, as long as you learn from it. I don’t know anyone who has been successful without a little failure along the way.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them
Michelle Obama. I think she’s such an amazing example of a strong woman who encourages others to realize their full potential through mentoring the younger generation. She also just seems like a fun and down to earth person!
Women Of The C-Suite: Cedar Carter of The Good Patch On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.