Josie Driscoll ’02
Josie Driscoll ‘02 is currently SVP of Business to Business at Williams-Sonoma, Inc. We tracked her down between meetings to talk about her current role, dust off wild Stevenson memories, and learn more about Driscoll family bragging rights.
How did you find your current career path?
To a certain extent, it found me, but really, my principle has always been: Take the opportunity you’re given, do your best, maximize what you know, and use it to the fullest. If you do that, then things will come to you. I think I’ve also been confident in learning new things. The question should never be ‘Why me?’, but ‘Why not me?’ And just trust yourself that you can do it, as long as you’re willing to put in the hard work like anyone else.
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How did you develop your attitude?
I think Stevenson played a big role for me. I was challenged there, but I was also supported in that challenge. The School didn’t let students fall on their face and fail. I try to establish that with my team now, pushing them, challenging them, but making sure that they are also set up to succeed with the support they need.
What lessons have you learned about being a leader?
One of the things that I learned early on as a manager of others is that it may not be something that’s important to you specifically, but if it’s important to that person, you need to work with them, address it, help them navigate it, because sometimes people get preoccupied with certain projects, or they’re just having a bad day. I also have employees who are parents, and I need to acknowledge and support this very important part of their lives by trying to be flexible. You’ll get them where you need them to be when they feel supported to get there.
What are your strengths?
I have a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and I’m a finisher: I will get to the finish line. I think that those are probably two of my strongest. I think on the softer-skill side of life, I’m loyal. I’d say I’m a little bit fiery and passionate, but for the most part, I think my loyalty, and putting people around me first, has paid off in terms of my team retention, which has been very important the last couple of years.”
Can you share a favorite RLS memory?
The Junior/Senior prank. My class went seriously overboard, and we got in so much trouble, but we really came together that night as a class, and it just set the tone going into senior year that there were no cliques, and I think that was super cool. It was a progression. We started freshman year as RLS middle school kids plus out-of-state boarders and international boarders and other local kids. There were the sports teams, the academic kids, the theater kids; the different groups and cliques were pronounced in our class when we started.
By the end of our time, there were no groups or cliques at all. Everybody got along and I think that was the really special thing about that night: we all came together. That’s what I loved about my time when I look back on it, even when I think about Mr. Fayroian [dean of students in 2001] shaking with rage at assembly the next day.
Do you have a favorite teacher from your time here?
I think Sam Salerno would be at the top of my list. I had him in fourth grade, sixth grade, eighth grade, freshman, junior, and senior years, so I had him when he taught lower, middle, and high school. I had him for the better part of my Stevenson tenure. He was just an incredible educator, person, and poet.
Who has Driscoll family bragging rights at Stevenson?
Brian ‘91, Kelley ‘92, and Megan ‘93 graduated when I was still pretty young, but I grew up very competitive. Brian was the star athlete there, but you know what? He never won a league title, so he doesn’t have a banner hanging in the gym like I do. And I think Brian and I tied for best grade in Mr. Tintle’s Bird Study class, more than ten years apart. We both got 100, and then there was an extra credit and we each missed one on that, so I guess it was a tie.
