How to attract miracles.(Grit & Glamor: Epi.14)

What if miracles happened because of you rather than to you? The first step is acting like the person you want to become. Fake it till you make it.

Previously:

The protagonist, influenced by the blog of Mr. D, the author of *Accelerated Success,* and his secretary Ms. M, becomes interested in coaching. Having previously learned about coaching in her former job, she had already applied it to her communication with subordinates as a store manager, leading to positive results. However, upon attending a coaching seminar hosted by Mr. D, she realized the importance of coaching as a skill that can be applied to all aspects of life. Additionally, a chance encounter with a woman at a coaching course orientation strikes a chord of synchronicity, prompting the protagonist to invest 570,000 yen in the course. This decision marks a turning point that opens a new stage in her life.

6.6 Green Light for the Future

Right after impulsively signing up for a coaching course, I had the chance to dine with Ms. T, the “Vice President” who had sat next to me during the orientation session. Although she didn’t sign up for the course, she shared that she had started a mobile phone sales company during her university days and now feels it’s her mission to nurture CEOs. She mentioned that she frequently interacts with many business leaders.

Even though I was still a store manager at the time, she said, “You’re in a position where you can simulate being a CEO as a store manager,” and she began asking me questions that looked one step beyond my current situation.

“How big do you want your company to be?” “What kind of business do you want to run?” “What kind of person are you?” “What is it that you really want to do?” She kept posing questions that drew out my future. I didn’t have immediate answers, but as the saying goes, “If there’s a question, there’s an answer,” these inquiries became the catalyst for me to start thinking about my future.

Soon after, I received an invitation to a two-day business seminar during Golden Week from Mr. D, the author of “Accelerated Success.” I gasped when I saw the price: “100,000 yen.”

I received a personal email from one of Mr. D’s close associates. I had just invested 570,000 yen in the coaching course. Spending another 100,000 yen made me hesitate. I found myself typing, “I’ve already made a significant investment in the coaching course this month, so it’s difficult for me right now,” and I sent the email.

That day, I couldn’t stop thinking about the seminar, even while at work. On the train, while ringing up customers, the thought lingered in the back of my mind: “Should I go, or should I not?” That night, exhausted, I returned home only to find another email from Mr. D’s associate.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. They were offering a “Friends Discount.”

“Could this be a sign from the universe…?”

My heart was pounding, and my hands were shaking. After several deep breaths to calm myself, I impulsively replied, “I’ll sign up!”

At 30, I felt I was at a turning point in my life. At that moment, a new rule was born within me: “If a second chance comes around, it’s a green light.” This rule would go on to push me forward many times in my life.

That day’s journal entry read:

+ + + + +

2005.3.23
Today, I splurged and signed up for a two-day business seminar. I received the homework via an attached file asking me to list 100 life goals and three role models and to send it back. I’ve never thought about 100 goals before, so I was completely taken aback.

Whoa!!! I already have a feeling this is going to be an incredible seminar. I’m scared. I wonder what I’ll be like after it’s over.

+ + + + +

That night, I stayed up late working on my “100 Life Goals List.” At first, the ideas flowed easily: “Become a CEO,” “Live in a high-rise condo,” “Become a bestselling author.” I wrote down dreams and goals one after another. However, once I surpassed 30 items, my thoughts started to stagnate.

What do I really want? I repeatedly asked myself as I added world-famous tourist destinations to the list and filled in mundane wishes just to make up the numbers.

When I got to the self-introduction section, I naturally began reflecting on my life so far. I felt a deep realization well up within me: every experience had been necessary to shape who I am today.

6.7 Into the Unknown

Around this time, the popularity of my blog was also soaring. In the fashion category, it had climbed into the top ten out of about 1,000 blogs. I made sure to update it daily, covering the latest product information, examples of staff coordination, insights from fashion trend seminars, and also my own growth journey. Readers would leave comments like, “I look forward to your posts every day,” and “Your growth as a store manager is my inspiration,” which became my driving force.

The inspiration for the main theme of my blog came from the display philosophy I learned from the VMD (Visual Merchandising) specialist at the Ginza store. One day, I had the opportunity to have her review the display at the Shibuya store.

“When arranging two mannequins, imagine they’re in the same place together and coordinate accordingly,” she said. “For example, picture two women walking through the streets of Paris and think of outfits that suit that scene.”

It was an eye-opening moment for me. Until then, I had thought that mannequins were simply dressed based on what looked “cute” or “cool.”

I remember nodding deeply when she said, “Perhaps the ability to recognize beauty is ingrained in our DNA.” Indeed, there is something universally shared in what people find beautiful. I realized that understanding and expressing this essence of beauty is our job.

From this experience, I started a series on my blog called “The Rules of Style,” where I began articulating the style secrets of fashionable staff members, like Ms. O, who had joined the company with dreadlocks. Ms. O became the Shibuya store’s poster girl, exuding an aura that was, in a good way, intimidating. Some customers even said, “She’s too cool to approach.”

I asked the fashionistas questions like, “What’s today’s outfit theme?” “Which item did you choose first?” “Is there a rule when cuffing your jeans?”

At first, the staff seemed puzzled, but gradually, they started to enjoy verbalizing their “unconscious knowledge.” Through their answers, I too refined my sense of style.

For example, Ms. O would bring a different bag to work every day. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be easier if she had just one bag that went with everything?” But Ms. O had a different approach. “I choose a bag that fits the theme of the outfit for the day. If something feels a bit off, I might even buy accessories on the go,” she said with a laugh.

Sharing this knowledge with customers brought about remarkable changes. Customers who hadn’t bought many accessories before began to enjoy coordinating their outfits with a “theme,” and naturally, the average purchase per customer started to rise.

Our efforts paid off. Over three months — February, March, and April — our store was recognized as the top performer among all 60 shops in the shopping mall in terms of year-over-year sales increase. When I was asked to speak about the secret to our success at the store managers’ meeting, I felt my heart racing. It was a scene I couldn’t have imagined a few years ago.

“I joined this company two years ago with zero experience in the apparel industry.”

Everything was new to me. Memories of failures flashed through my mind — the lack of product knowledge, poor coordination skills, and not understanding the store manager’s job, leading to constant setbacks.

“But then, I realized something. There’s something only I could do, and that was for the store manager to share information online. It was a new form of store management that no one had ever seen…”

As a result, we achieved 167% of last year’s sales. It was a challenge no one had attempted before. Because I was inexperienced in apparel, I saw things from a fresh perspective, which became our strength. I was reminded of that fact, and my heart was filled with anticipation for new challenges and gratitude for my team.

But this was only the beginning. The two-day seminar costing 100,000 yen would go on to change my life even more profoundly.