Yesterday, I posted excerpts from a rather lengthy "Put 'em on Blast" email written by a former employee of Tameka Foster-Raymond.
In the email, Becca Bussert, former manager of Foster's Estella Boutique, tendered her resignation after being accused of stealing merchandise from Tameka's shop.
The "Put 'em on Blast" section gives a voice to those in the industry who feel they have been wronged by certain industry execs, celebrities or companies.
The email author is solely responsible for the content of the email.
As always, we give the parties on Blast (and their representatives) the opportunity to rebut the complaint within a reasonable timeframe.
Edited: to add that Becca Bussert did not send the original email or the picture of herself to me. The email author just assumed that she did.
Raechel Taylor writes:
Dear Ms. Rose,
I am a business consultant by profession, hired in March of 2011 to support Ms. Tameka Raymond's collection of businesses. Ms. Raymond sought my advice prior to taking action against Ms. Bussart for stealing from her store. For the record, Ms. Raymond reacted with integrity and concern when personally witnessing Ms. Bussart removing inventory from the premises without consent, and placing the items in the trunk of her vehicle. When Ms. Raymond approached Ms. Bussart asking why she was doing this, Bussart replied that her intention was to try on the clothing at home. Ms. Bussart should have had the authorities called upon her, yet Ms. Raymond was graceful and did not want to cause a scene.
When I questioned Ms. Bussart's intentions a day later, she agreed that "that wasn't the right thing to do." Ms. Bussart has expressed serious intentions to pursue a career in fashion styling, just like Ms. Raymond has achieved, the reason for her to have sought employment with Ms. Raymond. When Ms. Bussart was caught removing Ms. Raymond's merchandise without permission, she immediately became indignant, defensive, and retaliatory, considering that a future career in retail for Ms. Bussart could now be at stake.
It is my personal opinion that Ms. Bussart personally submitted her photo, taken in Ms. Raymond's place of business during company time, to sandrarose.com with the intention of abusing this online portal for her own personal exposure. I am sorry to see that she has abused sandrarose.com's integrity by submitting a public tantrum in response to her inevitable and impending termination of employment for stealing from Ms. Tameka Raymond. I might add that Ms. Bussart copied me in the original email she distributed with the intention of embarrassing Ms. Raymond, and when I questioned her intentions, she revealed that "when I pressed the SEND button, I did not have a good feeling in my stomach...it was not the right thing to do."
As a retail consultant, it is my opinion that business owners who hire store managers do so with the intention that the business gets professional support which the owner may not possess. Ms. Raymond has been nothing but humble in her quest to explore the challenge of being a business owner, and maintains the savvy to know when to ask for support. She has sought advice and has accepted constructive criticism with grace and a positive attitude. Ms. Raymond, as of April 2011, can only be accused of hiring an opportunist who took advantage of her trust and patience. Ms. Raymond will be referring the case to the proper authorities, in light of the fact that Ms. Bussart has unlawfully compromised the confidentiality agreement she signed upon her employment with the company.
When reminded of this fact, Ms. Bussart said to me that "if I I had remembered that I had signed that, I would never have done this."
It is my hope that sandrarose.com post an addendum to this saga, perhaps with the intention to warn others who try to abuse this online portal for their own personal gain.
Sincerely,
Raechel Taylor
Retail Savvy
[Phone # removed]