Maria Martinez
Chief HR Officer, HSN, Inc.
Martinez oversees everything from talent acquisition to succession planning, leadership development to employee engagement—even rewards and wellness programs spanning the $4 billion direct-to-consumer retail portfolio for HSN and the Cornerstone portfolio of home and family lifestyle brands. Her internal initiatives have both defined and made an impact in HSN’s corporate culture. No wonder her advice to her younger self is so wise. “Take more risks. Try and if you fail, try again or at least learn from the experience,” she says. “Don’t be too worried about looking dumb or about what others think of you. Don’t let yourself be limited by fear or judgment.”
What advice would you give your 13-year-old self?
Take more risks. Try and if you fail, try again or at least learn from the experience. Don’t be too worried about looking dumb or about what others think of you. Don’t let yourself be limited by fear or judgment. Most of the people judging you now won’t be a part of your life in 10 years so be careful about paying too much attention to the good opinion of other people.
Which current programming best reflects the kind of women’s roles you like to see and why?
I like the type of roles that showcase strong women who are capable of accomplishing big things in their careers while recognizing the importance of their personal and family lives as well. Balance is a tricky thing and I appreciate programming that reflects the difficulty in finding that balance and doesn’t try to romanticize it pretend it isn’t real. Shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Madam Secretary,” while perhaps not always realistic, I think do a good job of showing the struggles women face trying to be perfect at everything and figuring out how to be okay without being perfect.
What’s been the biggest story in cable this year?
I believe the biggest story is the ongoing transition of viewership to places like Netflix. This is not a new phenomenon. I’ve found it very interesting to see how often people now talk about Netflix as their choice of entertainment — so much so that “binge watching” is now part of our daily vocabulary just like “texting” or “hashtag.” Interesting to watch how cable will continue to evolve.
