STEAM
Chanel Valenzuela, 28, born and raised in north London moved to Hertfordshire when she was 14. Originated from a very mixed family with her mum being half Turkish half Irish and her dad a Spanish man. As a kid, Chanel always dreamt about being an actor, but with the time that dream changed into where she is today- retail.
Chanel was never afraid of challenges and by the age of 15, she already had a job at a hair salon in Covent Garden, London. "My mother is extremely hard working and as a single parent taught me from a young age that if you wanted something you need to work hard for it," she said.
Struggling to multitask between drama school and work, Chanel left drama school in her teens to pursue a career with benefit cosmetics within retail management. "This decision was not easy as acting was my passion but I wanted to ensure I had a career path to follow should acting not work out," she said.
Within retail, Chanel Valenzuela reached many highs. She opened two new accounts for the Chanel brand during her three years with them and opened a first ever travel boutique for Jo Malone in London. "'Treating others how I wanted to be treated' was her motto through the steps of her career.
Chanel's success is marked not only by her achievements but also by the appreciation from her colleagues. She is one of those rare people who is not only respected as a manager but also loved as a friend.
"Chanel is one of the biggest hearted and kind person I know. She will go the extra mile to make you feel you supported enough in anything you do. She not only a manager she is like a sister a mum a friend. She has the right balance between being a leader and being human and understanding," said Doris Belai, a senior sales assistant at Victoria's Secret.
Her biggest boost for her career began the moment she started working for Victoria's Secret. "Coming from management beauty roles during 10 years I was unsure about working for a fashion and lingerie brand."
She started as assistant store manager for a Pink section, moved to an assistant store manager's position at Victoria's Secret London within nine months of being with the company. With all the hard work and support of her colleagues, she got where she is today.
Chanel Valenzuela "Not only am I a manager but I am a human."
To go far in the fashion retail you don't have to cut throats and fight with all the fashionistas to get where you want. Sometimes being just a nice and lovely person helps to reach your goals. Chanel Valenzuela proves that as she recently became a store manager for Victoria's Secret London flagship store.
"I been around through few of her progressions and been hoping for them through her career no one else could have been more ready than her to become a store manager. I'm proud of having her as a role model. If there were 1 Chanel in each store, I guess we will perform better as a brand! As we say: It matters how you play the game," said Belai.
"It keeps me challenged as I am overall responsible for 300 associates and managers in the building," said Chanel. She wasn't left without rewards for her hard work. In 2016 Chanel attended one of the biggest fashion events in the world Victoria's Secret Fashion show in Paris.
It is sure that her career is just moving forward and with the passion for her work and love for people around her, Chanel will never stop reaching her dreams. "Along the journey, I've learned so many new skills. And evolved as a person as well as a manager but the one thing that has never changed is me. I'm open to new things always but my personality is at the heart of what I do. Not only am I a manager but I am a human."