The Cross

The Cross is a successful décor and design retailer. Stephanie Vogler and Darci Illich opened the doors seven years earlier to realize the dream of running their own business and having the creative control to do things their way. The Cross had been growing ever since — but growth brought a new set of challenges for Stephanie: how to properly address the demands of a growing business while saving enough personal time for family and leisure, how to inspire while holding new and existing staff accountable, and how to better understand the financial implications of decisions made.

Her long-term goals included:

• Keeping the company healthy and solid
• Drawing an additional $100,000 out of the business annually
• Creating a management team and improving her delegation skills
• Having more time to spend with family

• Redefined and shaped what Stephanie, as President, should be doing to lead the company for greatest impact — including improving her delegation skills and weighing decisions based on financial analysis paired with qualitative analysis
• Developed leadership skills in key managers
• Developed accountability systems, driving actions needed for profitability
• Shored up measurement systems for financial controls and sales

After six months:

• The Cross was hitting its annual sales targets despite a difficult first quarter — the financial outlook was optimistic
• Stephanie's new ability to delegate freed up time for strategic planning — including a buying trip with two full days set aside to reflect on next season's trends, 48 uninterrupted hours that had never existed before, with the sales manager included so information could be shared back with staff
• Marketing plans now exist and are executed — tactics shifted from tradeshows to a targeted approach aimed at two key market segments
• Staff engagement continued to improve, shown in sales results, new leaders taking on responsibilities, and career paths toward interior design work being forged
• Stephanie now knows where and how she will get her increased revenue, and The Cross is ready to withstand future pressures