Everyone matters, so each one matters.
“I love that Apple meets people where they are, at their needs and skill level.”
Nafisah, Apple Store Manager Santa Monica, US
Is it true that Apple got you in a trade from the LA Dodgers?
Answer:Well, no, you’d have to call me more of a free agent. I left one great team for another, of my own free will. I was their Director of Premium Hospitality, managing luxury suites and private clubs.
You started at Apple as a manager — so did you also have retail experience?
Answer:None.
Tech experience?
Answer:Zero! And I wondered about that, but they said they were less interested in what I knew and more interested in who I was. It was more about heart and soul.
So you learned as you went?
Answer:Yes. It was a little intimidating, but I was just super humble and really open to learning from everyone. We all invested in each other.
“We were part of each other’s development. And still are.”
You’ve gone from luxury suite VIPs to a diverse range of customers.
Answer:For me, they’re all VIPs, no matter their experience or skills or language or age — like my mum who magnifies everything on her iPad to see better. And through our people or products, there’s always a way to connect. I love that human connection. I have two boys at home, and my six-year-old is autistic and he just loves his iPad.
What’s that experience like for him?
Answer:That iPad is like a best friend. It’s how he learned to speak. He used it to learn to count and spell and read — and now GarageBand is his thing. I’ve seen so much of a change in him. It’s such an important part of his development.
Growth sounds like a recurring theme for your son, your team and yourself.
Answer:There’s definitely a culture here that says everybody counts, everybody has a purpose and everybody’s journey is different. And I realised that this culture is why I’m here.
“Helping people grow through their journey is what I’ve always wanted to do.”
Illustrated on iPad.