Shelly Socol, One Rockwell

If there’s one question that has been looming in the fashion industry over the past few years, it’s whether a bricks and mortar store really is as important for brands as it once was. The resounding answer seems to be that e-commerce is the way to go, and Shelly Socol has made a business out of helping brands strategically make that transition. Just one cursory search on digital agencies nailing that niche and chances are you’ll find her company, One RockwellIf there’s anyone who understands how to make an impact with an online shop, it’s One Rockwell and since setting up six years, Shelly has recruited some of the best names in the business, many of which are responsible for some of the most successful e-commerce platforms in the industry.

We talk a lot to women who have always had their eyes set on the field they ultimately launch their businesses in but  it’s important to be reminded that the skills and experiences you pick up beforehand pursuing interests in different industries are equally as valuable. Shelly’s career is a great example of that. Despite being born into a creative family (her mother is a photographer and her father was once CEO of J Crew and finally CEO of Barneys New York), she kick started her career at a non-profit in Israel before venturing into fashion as part of the design team at Theory, and later setting up One Rockwell.

Whether you’ve decided to change careers and don’t know what to say in a job interview, want to venture out on your own but have no clue how to find clients without a proven track record or are struggling to know where to start in building a team, she’s got the whole been there, done that, words of wisdom you need to hear. We’ll let her take it from here…


Shelly Socol, One Rockwell


LIFE BEFORE WORKING IN FASHION: I moved to Israel for a year to volunteer with children and their families who had recently immigrated from Ethiopia. I was living in a caravan site when I was lucky enough to meet Elie and Marion Wiesel, who had come to donate computers for the children on behalf of the Foundation. After a series of meetings, the they hired me as their Director in Israel. Our main activities included establishing and developing educational centers for Ethiopian children and their families. These centers have since then serviced thousands of people across the country. I love when something I do helps make a difference and improves people’s lives. It has always been one of my main drivers.

ON VENTURING INTO FASHION: I grew up in a family where, art, fashion and social causes was part of the DNA. My mother is a photographer. I was deeply influenced by her art and all the non-profit leadership roles she had, working on behalf of women, children and artists. Fashion also played an integral part of our lives as my father has been in the industry since I was born. His past roles include a long career in retail that culminated as CEO of Burdines in Florida, then CEO of J. Crew and finally CEO of Barneys New York. I have always been passionate about fashion. Once I left Israel and moved back to NYC, stepping into the industry seemed like the logical next step in my career.

HOW SHE APPROACHES TAKING RISKS: I have always been comfortable taking risks. I think it can be traced back to being a competitive diver as a young girl. I was diving off 10 meters at a very early age, doing wild jumps I probably would not allow my own daughter to try today. Actually, my dad would not even come to my competitions, as he would get sick to his stomach watching me. I think the risk and discipline of being in a competitive sport really set me up for success. I had to train twice a day and the sport required planning and great concentration. I carry that with me in everything I do. I happen to be a very strategic thinker. Most of the time, I’m able to see clearly the goal and the path ahead. I think this helps me as an entrepreneur every day. Operating One Rockwell from a strategic place is critical, while looking at details and actual data, to support our daily moves. That dual approach is essential for any decision making.


Shelly Socol, One Rockwell
Shelly Socol, One Rockwell


ON WHAT TO SAY WHEN INTERVIEWING FOR A NEW ROLE IN A NEW CAREER: I think demonstrating how your skill set transfers to a new role is critical. Providing detailed examples and ways in which you can do this. Showcasing you are a strategic thinker, problem solver, self-initiator, and being open to learning is important. When I moved from the non-profit world to Theory, showcasing my business in the Foundation was critical. I had managed finances, negotiated contracts, worked side by side with government officials, teachers, families and children. Demonstrating my big picture thinking and how I was able to manage a multitude of moving parts was very helpful. Even though the nuances may be different from one industry to the next, certain basic principles remain consistent.

HER BIG MOVE TO THEORY: It’s such an iconic brand. I was always a big fan of Andrew Rosen and the brand from the time it first launched. They were the first cool contemporary brand. And they made the best pants.  At the time I interviewed with Theory, I was in the process of finishing my Fine Arts studies at Bezalel Academy in Israel. I was ready to move back to New York. I was lucky enough to interview with Pina Ferlisi, then Creative Director. She was looking for someone to provide artistic and creative inspiration to the design team. That included seasonal trend presentations, key directional pieces, mood and color stories, etc. I was hired initially to work together with her on this piece of the business. Within that year Theory decided to launch handbags and shoes. I worked directly under Pina on the first collections and then moved into the Director of Accessories role full time. We built this department from the ground up. I was responsible for leading both production and design and for entire collection of shoes, handbags, small leather goods, and belts.


Shelly Socol, One RockwellON THE TRANSITION FROM A NON-PROFIT TO RETAIL: I come from a fashion family and was exposed to all facets of the industry growing up so making the transition was quite seamless, as it was an integral part of my upbringing. As for becoming the Director of Accessories, like anything I have done, I worked up to this position over the six years I was at Theory. It was a process. I am a very hard worker. I’m quick, creative and quite determined.  I was also lucky to have such great mentors to teach and guide me through.

LEAVING THEORY TO START HER AGENCY, ONE ROCKWELL: I left the company after working there for six years to take some time off and think of my next step. I had just got married and pregnant and it was the perfect time for a change. Many fashion brands were starting to move their businesses online. My co-founding partners, Gustavo Waizbrot and Paul Healion were already working on digital commerce and saw a big opportunity in the space, especially with mine and Howard’s background and connections in the industry. We knew that there weren’t that many agencies out there offering not just the expertise in creative and technology but the know-how of building a successful digital commerce venture. We saw a white space, especially in the fashion vertical. When we started One Rockwell, we created a consultancy arm that includes veteran e-commerce strategists, who had built some of the most successful online stores in their careers. This set us apart in how we approach our clients and projects. We’re not just offering building a vehicle for business success in digital commerce; we’re also looking at your business from a strategic point of view and delivering on a roadmap that will help you get the most return on your investment. We help brands by creating a comprehensive, multi-channel roadmap for them to follow that encompasses brand communication, technology, people, process and other business decisions combined with smart marketing strategies.

WHY SHE BUILT HER AGENCY ENTIRELY ON DIGITAL: At the time we launched, it was becoming more and more crucial to the success of a brand to have a digital store. There were many brands in the game and only a few doing it well, but many had not moved their business in that direction. The digital mentality, especially in fashion, was not yet there on the scale we see today. The market was moving from brick and mortar and wholesale to online and the game was shifting fast. We saw the obvious white space, as digital was moving to the center and becoming a brand’s and retailers biggest store. While some brands just wanted “a website to sell our products, fast” and they then struggled to get the word out and operate this new side of the business, those who saw the relevance of being more strategic and create a plan around this opportunity have seen incredible growth.

ON FUNDING THE BUSINESS: While it took great commitment and sacrifice, we have been able to fund the business on our own, grow it organically and have built an incredible line up of clients from the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle sector, as well as attracted an incredible flow of talent. We are a very creative and hard-working group of people. Our Client-first mentality and transparency have also contributed by enabling long-lasting partnerships with our clients, all of which set a great foundation for the business to grow.

MANAGING DISPUTES WITH HER TEAM: It’s always a tight rope to navigate. I find that people get caught in their own disciplines sometimes and can’t see the bigger picture. A lot of the agencies out there work siloed. We actively oppose that approach.  I think it’s important as a manager to communicate the full project to all and have as much transparency to the process and the client’s goals. The more you expose your team, the more they understand; they also become aware to the challenges faced by everyone on the project, which helps with empathy and working together to resolve conflict.

HER FIRST CLIENTS & HOW SHE SECURED THEM: Our first clients were Foley & Corinna, TenThousandThings, Mara Hoffman, and L’Wren Scott. I knew Dana and Anna personally from being a longtime customer at their store. The timing worked for both, as we had just stared the agency and they were looking to go digital. Howard introduced us to L’Wren, who he was mentoring at the time. We cherished working with her. She was an absolute delight and an unparalleled creative genius. TenThousandThings got to us through a friend in common. Mara Hoffman was just meant to be. We have been with her since her first play into digital commerce. It’s love between us. A year ago we re-designed and re-platformed her site. Working with Mara is as good as it gets in that she is so engaged, authentic, and true to her brand inside and out, which is what ultimately makes her so successful.

THE OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES OF BEING A START-UP: One of the first challenges we faced was effectively demonstrating to potential clients that while One Rockwell the agency did not yet have a roster of clients to showcase, we had a team of veteran digital and retail experts who had built many successful online stores. Getting our message across and gaining our clients trust was a top priority. Demonstrating we understood each potential client’s brand and business was critical. Our team is made up of both agency and brand side people. I strongly believe having these two perspectives supported our success. Having members of our team coming from the brand side allowed us to really understand concerns and speak the language of our clients. There are basic principles and business practices in e-commerce but each business has its own DNA and particularities and being able to understand your client’s infrastructure, operations and other nuances is critical to the success of the partnership. Our know-how specifically in the fashion industry has really helped grow our bottom line. The fashion industry has its own rules and coming from the brand side, we know the beast intimately.

HOW SHE’S GROWN AND NURTURED HER CONTACTS: My favorite thing to do is bring people together. Not only in my professional but personal life as well. I enjoy gathering the people I love and usually they vibe off one another from many perspectives. I am known for my get together dinners. My friends and professional contacts come from such a variety of industries. As for nurturing my relationships, I am more of a pick up the phone person and reach out to connect. We are in a space now where we all use email and texting as our main form of dialogue. I like the human touch of reaching out and linking personally, ensuring that I interact with my colleagues and the people I work with. Having that interaction really builds your working relationships and maintains a sense of personal connection. It might take an extra moment but it’s worth it in the long run and far more genuine.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO MINGLE WITH PEOPLE OUTSIDE YOUR FIELD: I think networking in the industry you work is critical to your success. However, having other things you do is essential as well and supports your larger network. Becoming involved in humanitarian or social projects and interacting with people doing other things in this world is incredibly positive as well. I get so inspired by meeting people who do the polar-opposite of what I do. It may lead to something and someone that builds not only on our business connections but my own personal growth and vision.

ON WHAT SHE’S LEARNED ABOUT MANAGING PEOPLE: To help them set goals for themselves, to conduct regular and timely reviews, to communicate and to be constant. Ownership and empowerment are elemental. Bringing people along with you, by having them involved in the decision-making process inspires them and builds team loyalty. You get the best results when goals are defined and clear and you have benchmarks to go by. Grey area is not a great place to manage from. People want to see their path for growth. I am also not much of a micro-manager. I believe in hiring smart and talented people, who are good at what they do and in providing them with the tools and platforms to advance. The best advice I receive is almost always from my own team.  Listening to one’s team is so important to growing a stable, thriving business. My team represents my eyes and ears on the ground.

TIPS FOR DEALING WITH MISTAKES & MOMENTS OF SELF-DOUBT: I have learned that taking a day or two to think through a big decision and not responding right away is the right thing to do sometimes. Or even taking a moment and telling someone “I will get back to you”. We are in a time in which everyone is conditioned to instantly respond. I really try hard not to fall into that trap and take the time to think things through. Mistakes often teach you something so it’s always a win. At the beginning of building the agency, my mistakes would take longer for me to get over. Now that I have been through a few, I am able to move past it quicker and understand that is part of being an entrepreneur, responding to the market and taking a risk. Mistakes are just part of the game: embrace them.


Shelly Socol, One Rockwell
Shelly Socol, One Rockwell


ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTENT FOR E-COMMERCE PLATFORMS: Tell the brand story and define your unique differentiator. Never add content for content’s sake, because it becomes a distraction from your ultimate goal. It’s important to have a point of view that moves beyond brand promotion and actually informs and excites the shopper. Brands “live” their content every day and need to share those experiences in an authentic way. Mara Hoffman dominates in the arena of creating the right content and balancing it with intuitive commerce. The content on her site plays a dual role of supporting transactional activities and reflecting the brand ethos.

ON HOW SHE SEES HER WORK EVOLVING OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS: My role currently is focused on the next 3 to 5 years’ growth trajectory. I am looking ahead towards where we need to focus ourselves, where the market is heading, and adjusting our plans accordingly.  Having a plan is indispensable to our success and being flexible at the same time is key to quickly adapt. It is important to be looking at trends in the market as they move so fast in this space. What was hot one day or what everyone is touting as the next big thing quickly evaporates. We have seen this many times. There are a lot of unknowns right now with market behavior shifting so quickly and consumers more focused on experiences rather than buying things. I am constantly looking at data to forecast where the market is going and ensure that we are moving in the right direction. We have been pretty accurate with seeing the opportunities ahead. We got into this space early with the right plan and mindset.

WHAT’S EXCITING HER MOST RIGHT NOW: A further blurring of the lines between in-store and online. More control and flexibility for the end user. Service culture continues to boom and connecting the physical and the digital will be a big part of this. Another element of this is visual search that takes what you experience in the world and helps you find it online. I am intrigued by anything that makes your life easier; subscription services are very hot right now. It’s all about end to end simplicity.

CREATING HER OWN SENSE OF BALANCE: I have experienced burn out and the pace has been tough at times. But I have actually been more balanced in my life this past year. I have been religious about shutting off at 6:30pm and focusing on my children and being present. I make sure that me and my husband don’t have phones around during those evening hours. We have dinner every night as a family, which is priceless. There is nothing better than hearing my children talk to each other and share their day’s adventures with us. I also practice yoga every day, which has allowed me to take the necessary time for myself, flow and breathe.