No two days are alike for Nicole Warren, the enthusiastic general manager of Brown & Co.

Her working day starts early — when she turns her phone on at around 6 a.m. to catch up on developments, find out what complement of staff she will have and reviews her agenda as well as checks the previous day's sales.

From that moment, she is "on" for the day — ready and keen to tackle any challenges that may arise at the growing store.

Over the course of the day she will meet with store managers and vendors, assign and prioritise tasks and do a walkabout to see how well Brown & Co is presenting itself that day to its valued public. She'll then attend to her mountain of phone calls and emails.

In her role, Mrs. Warren is responsible for managing and overseeing the day-to-day operations of Brown & Co including its numerous shop-in-shop concepts such as home decor, designer sunglasses, perfumes and fragrances, fashion jewellery, souvenirs, books, greeting cards, gifts and partywear.

The 36-year-old mother-of-two leads a team of 35 staff members and said she strives to create and "open door" environment where she is approachable to staff members of all levels and teamwork is valued above all. "Nothing gets done around here without the team," she said.

Among the aspects of her job that she enjoys the most is the daily problem-solving skills it requires and the opportunity to flex her creativity within the collaborative environment of Brown & Co.

Mrs. Warren said one example of how that collaborative spirit has paid off is in the store's in-house café, the Birdcage. What started as a kernel of an idea of something that might be nice for customers has actually manifested itself as a prime spot for shoppers and book lovers to relax and enjoy a coffee and snack as a result of her whole team — or family — pulling together.

Mrs. Warren said the company had not expected the café to come to fruition for another year, but it has already come together beautifully and feedback from customers has been very positive to the venue, which offers a quiet spot to have a coffee, peruse a book and even enjoy a balcony overlooking Hamilton Harbour.

Brown & Co are determined to break expectations of what a department store is, said Mrs. Warren. In fact, she hates the term "department store". The vision for Brown & Co is for it to be a gathering place, where the needs of its clientele are met — whether it be for home decor or unique accessories or a good read — in a warm and welcoming environment with top service.

As general manager, Mrs. Warren has a hand in everything from product development to target marketing, purchasing, finance, operations, communications, pricing and more.

She has been with The Phoenix Stores since 2001, when she joined the company as manager of the Hallmark department and manager of Hallmark's local distribution channels. She later served, concurrently, as manager of the Bookmart department for over two years, before heading up Brown & Co.

Before joining the Phoenix Stores in May 2001, Mrs. Warren worked in sales and served as buyer/manager for one of TESS Group's former divisions, Aston & Gunn.

She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology & Comparative Religion from Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada and also holds an Associate's degree in Early Childhood from Bermuda College.

While Mrs. Warren values her education, she said her on the job experience has been the key to her working success.

"When I worked at TESS, I was fortunate to work under two people who really taught me a lot," she said. "They provided me with information that I would need later but also taught me how present myself professionally.

" They taught me that I represent the company and image is everything."

That intense professionalism is something she also strives for within the culture of Brown & Co, Mrs. Warren wants her team to be filled with pride and that pride will spill out into providing a superior service for the customers and clients.

"The sky is not even the limit for Brown & Co," she said.

Young people should not overlook the retail industry when considering their careers, she added, as there is wide opportunity within companies such as Phoenix Group, which has 175 employees.

Those seeking to make a career in retail, however, should not be clock-watchers, she said. "And they should love to work with people because in this business you are touching people all the time — from your colleagues, to customers, to vendors — relationships are important."

Within the Brown & Co family, while there can be disagreements, afterwards any rifts should be quickly overcome, she said, because the staff members are the team and the team is the engine which drives the store.

Keeping all those relationships amicable can be a challenge, Mrs. Warren said, but it is one she welcomes as she strongly believes in what Brown & Co has to offer.

"Brown & Co is just a baby but it is a baby that's growing quickly," she said. "We're trying to create an eclectic environment.

"We want to do something that's not been seen before."

To date, customers have been telling the store it is meeting their needs and they find less call to shop overseas for what they are looking for, particularly in the popular home decor section.

"We want to dispel the myth that in Bermuda we cannot provide comparable service and selection that is comparable in price, quality and quantity.

"We are able to do it," Mrs. Warren said.