November 12, 2016

Meet Buckhead Strategy Consultant: Joseph Lucido

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph Lucido.

Joseph, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I just graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in May of 2016. I was a Business and English major at UNC, and I recently moved to Atlanta to pursue a career in strategy consulting. Initially, I started as an Editorial Intern at GQ magazine in New York City during the summer of my first year in college. During that summer I represented the magazine abroad in Singapore and Thailand and returned to the publication for the lats month of my summer. At the start of my sophomore year, I continued to blog and write for the magazine, running my own blog called “A Year in College Fashion” for the entirety of my sophomore year. During my junior year, I studied abroad for the entire year in both Copenhagen and Hong Kong. I’ve interned at strategy consulting firms each year in college and am extremely passionate about helping companies to maximize their potential through the creation and implementation of solutions for their most pressing business needs. My specialty and area of keen interest is working in the retail/luxury retail space, specifically brand strategy. Most recently I worked as an external consultant for Armani and got to go back and forth to Milan where I presented my research on the brand’s impact and potential in the North American region. As a result, I’m extremely passionate about the merging of business and fashion and how companies can create meaningful interactions through clothing, which is a part of every person’s life. To me, fashion is one of the most sincere forms of expression where you can say something about yourself without ever having to say a word. I think I’ve gotten to where I am today through a mixture of certainty in what I want to achieve in my career and life, the inherent drive that was instilled in me by my parents, and my love for what I do.

Has it been a smooth road?
I am a strong believer that in order to achieve success there will always be pitfalls and bumps on the road. For me, I certainly took the road less traveled to get where I am today and this didn’t come without its hurdles. However, I wouldn’t change this for the world because the unique path I took to achieve what I have thus far is something I’m extremely proud of. One of my biggest struggles was translating my experiences, which were very unique and different from the cookie cutter molds of the consulting industry, to prove that my creativity and differing perspective were major strengths that could be added to teams and projects.

What’s your outlook for the industry over the next 5-10 years?
I talked about two industries and I’ll address both.

First, the consulting industry. This is a really interesting question because there is always so much debate over the value that consultants add to companies. Personally, I think consultants have the ability to add tremendous value to a spectrum of activities. With such dynamism in a lot of the industries, consultants work in I think that the industry will continue to grow. One major shift I do think will happen in the next 5-10 years is the popping up of a lot more boutique consulting firms that specialize in niche areas. This will deepen the market and force the larger consulting firms to begin to create areas of specialty in order to compete with these new niche firms.

Second, in terms of the fashion industry one of the reasons that I love this industry is because it is always changing! Trends come and go and what is popular one day can completely shift the next. In the past few years, there has been a major shift towards athleisure, the mixture of luxury and athletic wear, that has really been seen with a lot of brands. I think that this will stay around for 5 years, but then there is going to be a shift to something more formal as a new wave in the fashion industry. Major shifts are that I think there is going to be a new and emerging American designer that will become quintessential of American fashion.

What has been the primary challenge you’ve faced?
My biggest challenge has always been deciding what I want to do and why I want to do it. I’ve been good at a lot of things and have been fortunate enough to have options of paths I could pursue. However, the issue was finding what my passion was and how I could merge that with what I do. I always struggled how I could incorporate my various interests into a career that I love. However, I think I’ve finally come to a place where they converge! Now my challenge is making sure I can accomplish the goals I have set out for myself and that I am taken seriously in my industry, despite my youth.

What advice do you wish to give to those thinking about pursuing a path similar to yours?
There are a few pieces of advice that I think could be helpful to young graduates or people just starting their careers. First, always be willing to go the extra mile and prove yourself. It is imperative to make a name and reputation for yourself, and you truly only do get one chance to make a first impression. Make sure you are always putting your best foot forward. Second, learn to balance between always saying “yes” and sometimes saying “no.” Of course, you want to take on as much work as possible to prove you are an asset, however, if you take on too much and overwhelm yourself nobody is going to be impressed by mediocre work or the inability to meet deadlines. Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of enthusiasm and a positive attitude. People are something you have to deal with no matter what career path you pursue and creating strong relationships can only help.

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