30 years of retail leadership.
Billions in revenue planned.
One mission: help modern founders think and operate like CEOs.
I built The Retail Boardroom to bring big-retail discipline to founder-led brands ready for structure, profit, and legacy.
Meet Darlene: From the Corporate Boardroom to Yours
I’ve spent more than two decades leading merchandising, planning, and inventory strategy for billion-dollar retailers — turning data into decisions that drive profit, clarity, and control.
But in the founder world, I saw something missing.
Brilliant women were building powerful brands…
without access to the same strategic discipline big retail relies on.
They were scaling without systems.
Selling without clarity.
Growing without a plan.
I knew I could change that.
The Retail Boardroom is my answer — a strategic environment where scaling founders learn how to think, plan, and operate like CEOs using the same frameworks, planning rhythms, and margin discipline the industry’s biggest brands use.
If you’re ready to lead your next chapter with clarity and control, your seat is waiting.
Why I Built The Retail Boardroom
Whether starting a grill or crisping up, a torch is a necessity.
Food Torch
— Darlene Y. Mitchell
Gap, Old Navy, Chico’s, and Pacsun.
Global Brand Leadership
25+ years in retail leadership
Executive-level leadership in merchandising, margin, and growth.
Framework developed for founders scaling into CEO roles.
Creator of The Retail Boardroom
Helping product-based brands grow without cash strain.
Scaling With Discipline
3 Decades of Experience. One Strategic Mission.
I partner with founder-led retail brands earning between $500k–$15M annually — women who have built something remarkable but are ready to lead with more clarity, control, and confidence.
- Have strong brands but lack operational rhythm
- Want predictable profit instead of guesswork
- Lead small teams and carry the weight of every decision
- Are done “selling more” and ready to scale smarter
- Crave the support of someone who truly gets the level they’re operating at
Who I Work With
This isn’t coaching.
This is boardroom-level strategy for brands built to last.
My Approach:
Strategic, Not Surface-Level
— I design the roadmap that connects your numbers to your next move.
I am a Strategist
— I sit beside you and help you think like a CEO.
I am an Advisor
— I don’t build dashboards; I help you decide what actually deserves your resources.
I am not a Consultant
My mission is simple:
To help you think, plan, and lead like the CEO your future requires
with structure that protects your creativity, strategy that strengthens your growth, and clarity that transforms the way you move.
When you’re ready to step into that version of yourself,
your seat at The Retail Boardroom is waiting.
Beyond the strategy sessions and dashboards, I’m a builder at heart — a lifelong retail leader who loves product, people, and the power of clarity.
These moments capture the work behind The Retail Boardroom.