LIVING 50 +
THE WINCHESTER STAR
Saturday, April 11, 2020 11
CAREER CHANGE OVER 50:
Lanette Orduna
By JENNY BAKER
The Winchester Star
Lanette Orduna had quite the jet-setting first career. As an executive in the toy industry, she worked with several major companies designing and marketing electronic toys, a job that took her all over the world. She then became a consultant, working with companies like Hasbro, Mattel, Fisher-Price, TOMY Europe and Japan, Disney, Universal Studios and Microsoft. “I would meet with companies, help them design product lines and obtain manufacturing of the products in China or Japan and also help them create their marketing launch programs. This included package design, marketing collateral and point of sale merchandising, even training their international sales teams on how to sell it,” she explained. After 30 years of being constantly on the go, she decided to shift gears. “By the time I moved to the Winchester area, I was so tired of international travel, being gone all the time, no family time and it was also affecting my health, traveling with a bad back was no fun,” Orduna said. “I decided I needed to take a step back, look at what was important in life and do something I loved but allowed me to have a life.” Name: Lanette Orduna That idea of her new business was inspired by her love of animals, and a pet Career-change age: 57 shop she owned for two years while living in California that became a sanctuary to Previous career: her when she wasn’t traveling. Toy executive as today these are many In August of 2011, when she was 57 families’ children! So findyears old, she made the big leap and ing what I wanted to carry New career: Owner of opened Posh Pets Boutique on the wasn’t too hard but did reLoudoun Street Mall in Winchester. Posh Pets Boutique quire constantly watching “I chose Winchester as it was so pet for new trends.” friendly and I loved the Old Town family In today’s retail envienvironment,” she said. ronment, one of the big“I modeled Posh Pets after it (the California pet shop), carrying things for pet lovers and high qual- gest challenges is staying competitive with online ity foods, treats, supplements and hard to find items retailers. “I guess the biggest surprise still is how much is for animals. Winchester and this seemed like the needed in funding to maintain the inventories needed perfect fit.” Starting a new bricks-and-mortar retail shop pres- to compete, and also trying to get people to not just buy everything online because it’s convenient, and ents many challenges, said Orduna. “The most challenging part was getting the funding understand that we try to also provide sound healthy available to start the business, figuring out the right advice for your pets that you won’t get online.” Orduna explained that locally-owned stores like product mix that allowed me to compete with the big Posh Pets can provide services not offered by online box stores with less inventory and finding my niche,” stores, like fitting pets for harnesses or collars, and she explained. “Running a small business still requires lots of even clothing. While her new career doesn’t involve trips to exhours and dedication to make it work. I had the background in accounting, marketing and products for See Orduna, Page 13 children easily translates to products for people’s pets
JEFF TAYLOR/THEWINCHESTER STAR
Lanette Orduna’s tips for changing careers: “I think when you find yourself dissatisfied with how you are feeling with your life, you are worn out and you have something you really love to do you should research it and make the jump, take a leap of faith that you can make a change and it will improve your life.”
