Q&A with Elizabeth DeMott, Lead Bra Fit Expert

Elizabeth DeMott, director of bare necessities customer service, is the capital-B-Bra Fit Expert around here. Her job is to zero in on your pain points—bra-fittings to backorders—and smooth them over like a good natured, blazing hot iron.

You know it’s got to take a special kind of person to traffic in negatives and transform them into positives every single day. That’s got to tell you something about the stuff she’s made of. Elizabeth uses it to your advantage—how great is that? Now let’s talk shop….

Q: How did you get here?
A: LinkedIn! I’ve been in brick-and-mortar customer service for 15 years now for Toys “R” Us, Nordstrom and Linens ‘N Things. I very much like the challenge of e-commerce and bras,  both of which are firsts for me. I need to become the expert by listening, learning, making mistakes and asking a lot of questions. I am wildly lucky because there are amazingly knowledgeable people around me. The team foundation was already so strong here.

Q: What’s your mission?
A: To build a world-class customer service experience that’s sustainable and will continue to grow. That’s how we can turn this brand into a household name.

Q: What are you passionate about?
A: Being able to help someone else. Everything I know is useless unless I can share it to make someone else’s life better. I’m a born teacher. I love learning and educating. Fortunately, that’s been a part of my life’s work. I’m always in that position, and it makes me feel great.

Q: What motivates you?
A: My 7-year-old son makes me want to be a better person.

Q: How do you support women with the work you do?
A: By educating women about how to find the right fit. It’s life-changing. I’ve already seen how many customers we’ve touched without being able to physically interact with a single one. I didn’t realize the significance of that, the significance of what women struggle with, until I got here. It’s given me a completely different perspective.

Q: What does empowerment mean to you?
A: It means giving confidence. When you’re empowered, you can do anything, no matter what age you are. Confidence will drive you forward and help you open doors you maybe didn’t know you could open.

Q: What makes up your support system?
A: I’m blessed with a very small but impactful group of friends. They are who I’ve gone to for support since fourth grade, and we’re best friends still.

Q: How do you de-stress?
A: I love to cook, read, swim and spend time with my son. I’m a Pisces. I love to travel. My favorite place in the world is Italy, top to bottom. Siena is just magical.

Q: What are your secrets to living a great life?
A: Be genuine, be humble and never stop learning.

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
A: Mark Twain said, “If you never tell a lie, you never have to remember what you said.”

Q: Best bra-fit secret?
A: The band does all the work!

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ELIZABETH
Personal mantra: People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Role model: My 100-year-old Italian grandmother. If someone could really have a soul mate, she would be mine. I see her whenever I go home to visit. She taught me how to cook, to love reading. She understands me better than anyone on the planet.
Style signature: Alexis Bittar jewelry.
Wardrobe staples: I’m a dress person.
Style icon: Coco Chanel.
Greatest extravagance: Amedei chocolate.
Craziest thing you’ve ever done: In college, I traveled through Europe by myself.
Superpower you wish you had: I need Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth. The Invisible Jet would be pretty cool, too.
Proudest achievement: Completing my Master’s degree.
Fun fact: I had my poetry published in a university magazine at age 7.
Current obsession: Mette and Kat on Periscope! I’m so jazzed about it. It’s like us reaching across the distance to help our customers. Follow them at @barenecessities and see past scopes on our YouTube channel.
Favorite book: Dalva by Jim Harrison.
Workout routine: Spin and yoga.
In a word: Fabulous.