Working Where Furniture And Financing Meet
It’s possible you haven’t heard of Synchrony before – Patrice Boone, the Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer of Home and Auto, says they’re often in the background supporting retailers you likely have interacted with.
Patrice has been with the company for just over three years, and she knew from the start that the company would be the perfect fit for her. She recalls meeting the people on the interview panel and thinking “I would want to hang out with these people outside of work.” She jokes that this is her barometer for if a company will be a good fit, and it didn’t let her down.
Over the three plus years, she’s built countless relationships with her coworkers and partners alike. She’s loved working with home and auto partners and shares our excitement for mentoring women in the industry. We’re glad she’s a part of our membership base, and we’re grateful for Synchrony’s ongoing support of WithIt programs and initiatives. Read the full conversation below!!
Q&A
What is Synchrony?
We are a leading consumer financing company serving industries from health to home, auto, and retail. We provide responsible access to credit and banking products to support healthier financial lives for tens of millions of people. In Home and Auto in particular, we provide payment solutions for our partners to enable purchases for their consumers. Home and Auto consists of partners in home furniture and decor, as well as auto parts and service and home improvement.
What does a typical day for you look like?
No day looks the same and that’s one of the things I love about my role. If I’m in the office, I am in meetings either with my team or with cross-functional teams, understanding what’s going on with the business, what’s happening with partners, where my help and input are needed, and where I can help remove roadblocks. When I’m with partners, my job is to help them understand how, when, where and why they should use financing to grow their business. My team and I support our partners growth with a data-driven financing marketing strategy.
That sounds like a lot of relationship building, which must be fun.
I remember when I was a little bit younger and just starting in my career, I thought I could never be in sales, and I’m not in sales but this is such a relationship heavy role. Within Home and Auto, we have such personal relationships with our partners, because a lot of partners within this industry have family-owned businesses and as such, they are very committed to their business.. When you’re having a conversation with them it’s not about the company they work for, it’s about the company they built or that their grandfather has built. I love that part of my job, way more than I ever thought I would.
What would you say is your favorite part about your job?
Building deep and personal relationships is my favorite part. Being able to see the impact that Synchrony can have on our partners’ business, whether a large partner or a small business, makes my job feel very worthwhile.
Marketing is about understanding your consumer and what motivates them, understanding your partners’ goals and then marrying those two things together.
Patrice Boone, SYnchrony
Do you have any advice for young women looking to get into the finance industry?
There are a few ways women can enter the financial services industry. From a marketing perspective, marketing in financial services is like marketing anywhere. Marketing is about understanding your consumer and what motivates them, understanding your partners’ goals and then marrying those two things together. That’s what we focus on every day. To be a successful marketer in financial services, my advice to women would be: get good at your craft. Understand the consumer and bring valuable insight to your partners. Be data driven. People hear marketing and they think pretty pictures, but marketing is about data and results, especially in financial services, so being data driven is very important.
How did you first find out about WithIt?
WithIt supports a lot of the same causes we do. We have partners who are members of WithIt and that’s how I got connected with the organization. One partner in particular, Sydney Harris with Furnitureland South, told me about the great work the organization was doing to spotlight, develop and grow women, and from there, I was all in. A personal passion of mine is the development, mentoring, and advancement of women, so when Sydney and I talked about WithIt, there was no doubt in my mind that we should be involved.
Why do you think an organization like WithIt is important?
Although there are a lot more women in this industry than there has been in the past, there is still an opportunity to increase representation. When I go to large industry events, women are in the minority. When you are in spaces like that you need a community, you need people you can talk to about their experiences, about obstacles you’re facing that they’ve faced in the past and women who can give you advice. Withit serves as that community. The organization enables connections and offers mentorship to help develop female leaders.
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If you’re considering WithIt membership for your professional journey, find out more about WithIt’s mission here or join today.
