Would you like to be our next member spotlight?
At WiT, we love to shine a light on our members' stories and give them a chance to answer questions about themselves, plus offer advice to other members.
Danielle Chapleau
Seattle
Merchandising Coordinator
Mox Boarding House
"My personal mission is to make a positive impact on everything I touch, professionally and personally. I strive to foster relationships and environments that promote effective performance for everyone involved."
More About Me
Tell us about your career journey and how you ended up here.
I never expected to be in the toy industry. I began in cosmetology with a certificate from the Aveda Institute, but never worked a single day in a salon. By the time I graduated, I was a Lead Advisor for an Aveda Experience Center and was engulfed in the retail experience. After 5 years I left Aveda to pursue a career in games. I spent some time with the Xbox Interactive Studio before eventually leaving to work in tabletop gaming. Within a year I had moved from front end retail to being Mox Boarding House's first Merchandising Coordinator, a dual purchasing and visual merchandising position.
Describe yourself in 5-7 words.
Adaptable, innovative, creative, formidable, empathetic, and reliable.
Tell us about a time when you thrived at work, and what you learned about yourself from that experience.
Recently Mox opened our third location in Portland, Oregon. In the weeks leading up to us opening the doors, I was on-site physically receiving the inventory and staging the store. I was able to spend time training a brand new staff on how to receive inventory and now only how to merchandise properly, but why. Being so hands on gave me the capability to adapt and grow alongside a new staff and customer demographic, and working on a timeline gave me the motivation and determination to get everything done. Through this I learned to prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of being a Merchandising Coordinator is being able to support and give a platform to brands that I truly believe in. We carry items created by BIPOC, LGBTQ+ people, differently abled people, and local designers that truly represent our community. It's beautiful to be able to be a part of.
How about when you "turn off" and go home? Any hobbies or fun activities you are involved in?
Hobbies are my hobby! I knit, cook, practice calligraphy, play guitar, and play all types of tabletop and video games. I truly cherish moments of joy and try to make sure I spent at least an hour on one of my hobbies every day.
Any must-read, must-watch or must-follow recommendations?
Lately I have been obsessing over Madeline Miller's books. They are a fresh take on some of the lesser known players in Greek mythology. As a genre that has historically been translated by men, Madeline's writings have an emotional depth where I feel a lot of prior translations have been lacking. 10/10 - would recommend!
