58-year-old CEO started her career living on $882 a month: 'I ate a lot of pinto beans and cornbread' to save money

CNBC

25-06-2025

David's Bridal CEO Kelly Cook's career didn't always revolve around pearls, lace and wedding gowns.
Cook, who became the new head of the international chain of wedding dress stores in April, worked night and weekend jobs to afford math classes at a junior college, she told The New York Times in an interview published Sunday. As a single mom at the time, she lived off just $882 per month, she said.
"I ate a lot of pinto beans and cornbread," said Cook, 58. "It proved to me that life's tough, but you don't have to worry about life. Just worry about today."
Looking back on her career, Cook learned more during night shifts as a registration clerk at an emergency room and as a bartender on weekends than she did as a college student, she said: "I wish it was a requirement to work a year in a service-related field before you go to college. Serving others, that really teaches you a lot about yourself."Cook later got master's degrees in finance and business administration from Tulane University, according to her LinkedIn profile. She got a job at Continental Airlines as a finance and logistics analyst, and worked her way up to a director level role there over the next 11 years, her profile says.
She held C-suite marketing titles at DSW, Kmart and Pier 1 before becoming chief marketing officer at David's Bridal in 2019.
The "critical soft skills" you learn in your first job — which could include skills like time management, customer service, communication or the ability to work under pressure, for example — can propel the rest of your career, McDonald's executive Tiffanie Boyd told CNBC Make It on October 29, 2023.
In fast-food jobs, for instance, "you have to navigate a fast-paced environment and tight deadlines and expectations," Boyd said. "Once you get the hang of that skill, it can help you excel in any job ... because you're able to calmly process a lot of incoming information, take action quickly and deliver some type of result."
If you have a solid set of soft skills, you'll probably be an attractive job candidate, Cook noted.
"I would much rather hire for attitude than aptitude, because I can train you on a skill," said Cook. "The most underrated skill that they don't teach you in school is having intellectual curiosity about the world around you and being willing to suck at something new."