Life and Work with Brooke Mackay

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Mackay.

Brooke, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
There is a saying you can’t go home again. I am an example of that being 100% untrue.

I was born & raised on Cape Cod. When you are young on the Cape your community circles over-lap, making it feel small. When the time came to make a life for me the allure of unlimited career possibilities drew me over the bridge.

It was not a surprise when I decided to trade shoreline for subway lines. My father’s career was in the city. Unlike the families in our overlapping circles, many owned a business or professional practices on the Cape, there was no family business to be groomed to lead. While I always dreamt of having a store on a busy main street, I did not know what that looked like or so I thought.

A city career started to evolve in the mid-90s with an international internet start-up that took me from Boston to New York. When the dotcom bubble burst, I transitioned into consumer packaged goods as a marketing assistant for a leading beverage company. My last corporate assignment was as a consultant for a major national sports league. If it seems these jobs do not connect you are correct. What does connect is what never appeared on any resume; it was what I did on the side, Retail.

My first paycheck in Retail was at thirteen years old working at a red-doored women’s clothing store in Osterville during the Christmas season as a dressing room attendant. Another early job was gift wrapping lux green velvet gift boxes at a local specialty gift store, where I learned to tie the perfect bow (a highly appreciated yet underrated skill, I might add.) Even in the city when there was a gap between paycheck and expenses, Retail was my go-to side gig.

In 2009, after finishing a degree in business & marketing, I returned to the Cape while searching for opportunities in Boston in my field. 2009 was not a good year to find a job and definitely not the year to find a marketing job. With student loans looming, I turned to Retail to bridge the gap once again until I found a job. It was while in that Retail position when opportunity found me.

That what was supposed to be a temporary job at a fancy soap store – the same one I worked at one summer in college – put me directly in view of the almost forgotten dream of a store on a busy main street. Let me explain:

My star rose quickly in Retail. I was a Regional Training Manager when I realized I could have a fulfilling career in Retail. My corporate business experience & education were being put to good use. I was going to make the most of it. Retail was given me the chance to put roots down and an opportunity to enrich the community that enriched me.

I jumped into the business networking circuit lead primarily by Cape Cod Young Professionals (CCYP). I was regular at the monthly networking events. I volunteered at marquee events and volunteered to co-chaired an annual fundraiser. It was there I met other like-minded ambitious people who building their careers and thriving on Cape Cod.

One of the like-minded young professionals was a recruiter, who happened to be the daughter-in-law of the woman I volunteered with at another organization. She reached out to me to see if I would be interested in managing a local family owned department store on Main Street in Chatham.

That is how I came to be part of the Puritan family. **Thank you over-lapping circles.**

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The path on the journey is winding. As you are going along and hit the times when you feel like you should be progressing along faster or have stalled. It may simply be a plateau meant for you to appreciate how far you’ve come & preparing you to reach new heights.

The most challenging part of the journey is keeping a balance. We hear a lot of advice about “work-life balance.” I have yet to find the sweet spot in keeping a balance. I instead make it into a lifestyle.

Particularly in industries or fields that do not keep to traditional Monday through Friday 9am-5pm business hours.

Maintaining hard boundaries between work and life comes with some guilt and pressure. My advice is open to blur the lines a bit and blend work and life together. Let your circles overlap a little.

Please tell us about Puritan.
I am the Manager of Puritan Cape Cod in Chatham, MA.

Puritan Cape Cod is a third-generation family-owned department store that started in Plymouth, MA in 1919, with four locations throughout the Cape: Hyannis (Flagship store), Chatham, Falmouth, and Mashpee.

We carry a well-curated collection of modern classic clothing for men and women from quality brands like Eileen Fisher, Vince, Velvet, AG, Peter Millar, Barbour, Patagonia, Save the Duck, True Grit, and vineyard vines.

We are also home to the Chatham Chino Company. An exclusive line of menswear featuring cotton twill chinos sport shirts designed for the casual Cape Cod coastal lifestyle.

The Chatham location opened in May 1925. The founder, Abe Penn would say he would “rather make a friend than a sale.” This still rings true today.

What sets Puritan Cape Cod apart is the relationship we have with our clients and our community. We have been sewn into the fabric of the community since 1919.

Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
The only barrier to female leadership I see is the sense of competition amongst women in a position of influence. What we feel threatened by in someone else is what we may need to feel stronger. If we were to collaborate rather than fight to work against each other, we become more effective.

Contact Info:

• Address: Puritan Cape Cod
  573 Main Street
  Chatham, MA 02633
• Website: www.puritancapecod.com
• Phone: 508-945-0326
• Email: bmackay.pcc@gmail.com
• Instagram: @capecodshopgirl
• Facebook: Puritan Cape Cod Chatham
• Other: www.chathamchinocompany.com

Image Credit:
Anne Bellino

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