This book is a monument, not to Joanna Bradshaw who is the subject of Jody, but to America. Jody's is truly an American story. With the gift of extraordinary talent, the will to make the most of herself, and the willingness “to pay her dues,” she rose to the very top of her profession against staggering odds. She fulfilled Abraham Lincoln's broad vision of America as a land where anyone could rise as far as talent and hard work would take them.
Jody came a long way from a kid with a summer job on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, serving hamburgers at Burke's Bar-B-Q to break through the glass ceiling and become an icon in American retailing. As Macy's first female corporate VP, followed by a progression of more senior level executive positions that included the presidency of two leading home furnishings chains, Jody broke down the traditional barriers to her gender. She proved that a woman's rightful place in retailing includes the very highest executive levels.
Of course, there was a price. Experience the lean years, the heartbreak of two divorces, and the scramble to be there when loved ones were passing. But also revel in the rich stories of her nearly endless travels across the globe in search of the most exciting, fashion-forward, trend-setting goods. And meet some of America's greatest retailing legends, giants with whom she rubbed shoulders on a daily basis.
So come share her story… the quiet joys, the vaulting triumphs, the naked failures and the wonderful memories visited upon this unique personality. It is all here, unvarnished. You will never forget Jody. Like the Little Engine that Could, that promised, “I think I can… I think I can… I think I can”… she did!
Read this book. It will enrich your life.
