Leading with Respect: Adventures of an Off-Price Fashion Pioneer

Infused with inspiring lessons and inside stories, this is a compelling look at leadership from a retail fashion pioneer who guided her family’s company through decades of success, all built on a foundation of respect.

For 35 years, Marcy Syms appeared in TV and radio commercials for her family’s company, voicing its famous slogan, “An educated consumer is our best customer.” Syms was the first truly off-price retailer, offering name brands at cut-rate prices. At its peak, the chain had dozens of stores in 13 states. For Syms, the key to success was respect—for the consumers, for the employees, and for the designer brands they sold.

Working closely with her father, Sy Syms, the business’s founder, Marcy helped transform Syms from a family concern to a retailing powerhouse. When Syms went public, Marcy became the youngest female president of an NYSE-listed company.

From the triumphs and challenges of female entrepreneurship to the excitement of store openings, Leading with Respect recounts the extraordinary origin story of off-price retailing and provides a perceptive look at a business that foreshadowed many of today’s market trends. Full of personal recollections and relatable insights, Leading with Respect shares one businesswoman’s journey from the backroom to the boardroom.