Yahoo Lifestyle Suite Talk: Target’s Amanda Nusz on Prioritizing Personal Well-being and Serving Others With Intention
With a more than 25-year tenure at Target, Amanda Nusz has been instrumental in many developments within the company. And while she has held many titles through the years, the now senior vice president of essentials and beauty, merchandising for Target has always had her finger on the pulse of well-being — for herself and others.
Nusz’s roles at Target have included vice president of quality and responsible sourcing in Target’s global sourcing organization, where she ensured that Target’s vendors and suppliers operated safe, ethical and efficient factory environments and produced high-quality, sustainable, safe products and president of the Target Foundation. She was also integral in working with Isaac Mizrahi for Target in 2003, partnering with globally recognized designers including Alexander McQueen and leading development for Target’s owned brand, Cat & Jack.
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Measuring success by the positive impact work has on others, Nusz told WWD that she thoughtfully considers well-being, making sure her holistic routine balances wellness, gratitude and collaboration.
Here, Nusz talks to WWD about nailing down her personal wellness routine, proud career moments and what she’s watching in retail today.
WWD: What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Amanda Nusz: The first thing I do in the morning is drink a tall glass of water. Then, I take my daily Ritual Essential for Women vitamin. I try to sneak in yoga if I can, but I find that using that time to make breakfast for my kids before they go to school nourishes me as much as it does them. Usually, it’s as simple as oatmeal, fruit and Bloom Nutrition Greens and Superfood.
WWD: What is your wellness routine “must”?
A.N.: I am a creature of habit with, thankfully, mostly healthy habits during the week. Over the years, I have established sleep, eating and movement routines that center joy, fun and laughter in my day-to-day. Laughter is such an important part of my health routine, made much easier by my mother, who lives with us and always makes us laugh, especially as she fights for that number-one spot every day on Duolingo.
Beyond laughter and yoga, there are a few healthy supplements I love: Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides (it makes my hair shine) and Ka’Chava’s All-In-One Nutrition Shake — it’s an easy way to increase my protein intake. I love to move, so I take the stairs whenever possible, even with luggage at the airport. But I also strive to take a few moments during the day to slow down and breathe, to improve focus and to ground myself.
One habit that has been with me since childhood is writing or saying aloud what I’m grateful for each day. It seems cliché, but it is a fantastic mood booster. If a friend comes to mind during this gratitude practice, I try to reach out right away to connect. This network of friends and family and coworkers really helps to soften the stresses in my day.
WWD: What does having a work/life balance mean to you?
A.N.: I realized many years ago that personal growth and positive impact on people motivates me at the highest level, which is my north star in how I plan my day and measure my success.
Nothing drives me more than helping and learning from the team as we work towards our shared goals, and this motivation is made successful when you first value yourself as a person versus attaching your self-worth to your job or title. I prioritize my well-being so I can serve others with intention.
WWD: Looking throughout your career, what is a project/launch/product that you are most proud of?
A.N.: I joined Target as a college student and have worked in various roles here throughout the years. There are many firsts that I’m humbled to have participated in — one career highlight was contributing to the creation of the multibillion-dollar kids brand, Cat & Jack, which focused on delivering joyful, family-focused playwear with positive messaging, amazing design, affordability and built-in sustainability attributes. To this day, I still hear from families who love the brand as much as us.
WWD: What is a retail/tech trend that you’re excited to see coming to life right now?
A.N.: One trend that’s not necessarily new but continues to rise to the top for me is providing consumers with a personalized shopping experience, whether that be in-store or online. I’m really proud of how connected our shopping experience is at Target — we’re providing consumers with a curated experience, allowing them to easily discover, learn and shop our assortment. For example, we’ve upgraded our tech offerings by launching a Beauty Studio on target.com, featuring virtual try-ons for eyes, lips and face, skin diagnostics and a foundation finder.
WWD: What is your ideal shopping retail experience?
A.N.: My ideal retail experience is one that allows me to seamlessly merge my day-to-day with getting what I need quickly and easily. Sometimes that’s placing an online order for DriveUp and other times it’s browsing the aisles and discovering our latest offerings across the store. Target makes shopping trips easy by providing consumers with a curated experience, allowing them to easily discover, learn and shop our assortment.
For example, we know our guests are thinking about their well-being routines more, so we’ve intentionally curated in-store displays incorporating our newest wellness items across categories like our exclusive Blogilates collection.
WWD: When was the last time you treated yourself and what was it?
A.N.: Someone gave me the Naturium Glow Getter Multi-Oil Body Wash — it is so good. I gifted it to my mom and sister for the holidays. It is formulated with hydrating ingredients that lock in moisture, which is crucial during the winter months here in the Midwest.
Also, I love a Minneapolis spa that has a cold plunge. This affection for the chill must come from my Finnish roots and my father, who believed that water would make everything better.
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