I wore a school uniform as a kid, and was a Division 1 swimmer in college, so I wasn’t exactly overflowing with ideas about business or fashion. 

 But, as fate would have it, it was all written in my stars. Fresh out of college, I landed on the sales floor at Nordstrom—supposedly a pitstop as I searched for my “REAL job.” But it didn’t take much before I fell in love with working with customers, merchandising the shop floor, and digging into the complexities of sell-thru, rate of sale, and gross margin. I quickly learned retailing was for me. The combination of my business acumen, love of fashion, and the joy of serving people under the protective umbrella of the Nordstrom company — it felt like running my own business. And I got an employee discount! 

​Fast forward 25 years, I found myself at the helm of the company’s largest division, a member of the executive team, and managing a $2B P&L. I led a group of buyers, financial planners, merchandisers and product developers. During my seven-year tenure as Executive Vice President, I grew revenue from $1.5B to $2.0B, grew eCommerce sales from $150M to $270M, and generated an additional $90M in gross margin dollars.

 In 2012, I left the board room and started my own practice as an independent consultant. I worked with business owners and operators in pinpointing growth avenues, maximizing their core operations, exploring new opportunities, or vetting new business channels. 

Currently, I am leading the Global Retail Practice for a full service digital consultancy in Seattle, WA. I bridge the gap between what ambitious brands want and need to grow their business efficiently, sustainably and profitably, and a team of engineers and designers who deliver the innovative the solutions and technology integrations. 

Teaching and mentoring are my soul food, and it’s an honor to share my knowledge each year at Columbia Business School and McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas.
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But, who am I at the core? I’m a wife, a mom, a yogi, and still, a swimmer. When the work whirlwind settles, you can find me traveling  the globe with my husband and our three adult kids or enjoying neighborhood walks with our labradoodle, Dory. ​

My approach is based on these values

Knowledge 

My expertise is a continuous journey of growth and exploration, and I am eager to share and collaborate to achieve meaningful outcomes.  I approach every challenge with a genuine humility, recognizing that there is always more to discover and new perspectives to embrace

Creativity

My ideas are shaped through my love of travel, exposure to diverse cultures, and collaboration with so many talented individuals. I collect ideas, trends and concepts from worldwide clients and personal experiences in order to develop innovative and realistic growth strategies.​

Optimism

I firmly believe that no matter the challenge, there is always a solution or a growth path wating to be discovered. And if nothing else, a great life lesson.

"Loretta Soffe has a proven track record of launching successful brands and possesses a unique ability to identify opportunities and design strategies that drive growth." ​

Reed Dickens, Co-Founder of Marucci Sports and Former White House Spokesman