YPP Scholar Spotlight: Carly Brentini, Retail Council of New York State

Carly is Assistant Manager of Member Development and the Retail Council of New York State and a 2019 ETA Young Payments Professionals (YPP) Scholar, sponsored by Discover Global Network. In this interview, Carly discusses her background, how she came to work at the Retail Council, and where she thinks the industry is headed. 

Let’s go through your background. Where did you go to college and what did you study? How did you get into the payments industry? Where did you start and how did you end up in your current role?

I am the daughter of small business owners. My parents own a restaurant and gift shop in Cooperstown, New York so I grew up knowing how hard it is to be self-employed. I decided to study Communications and Marketing at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. After graduation I knew I wanted to help small business owners, like my parents. I accepted a job at the Retail Council of New York State, the state’s retail trade association, in January of 2015. It was a perfect fit since the Retail Council’s purpose is to help small business owners save money and advocate for them on a state and local level. I was hired as a Member Sales Assistant and was promoted to my current role as Assistant Director of Member Development.

What’s your day-to-day like? What major functions do you serve, and what types of projects do you like to work on?

My days are broken up into three parts: sales, customer service and marketing. Working for a trade association really taught me how to wear multiple hats at the same time. I was recently tasked with creating our quarterly newsletter, The Retailer, so I’ve been enjoying the creative aspect of the business as well.

What payments trends are on your radar?

For the most part, our members are traditional retailers with brick and mortar locations in New York State, so I have to stay up to date with trends effecting them. Self-checkout and automated checkout, like Amazon Go, are store concepts that I am keeping an eye on. Surcharging and going cashless is also something I’m expecting to see more of in brick and mortar stores.

What do you think will be the most significant development in the payments industry across the next five years?

I believe the cannabis industry will have a big impact on the payments industry. Currently in New York State cannabis is only legal for medical purposes. When the day comes that cannabis is legal recreationally in New York there is going to be a surge in dispensaries that want to accept credit cards and they will need to find a processor to work with.

What topics do you consider yourself to be an expert in?

As the daughter of small business owners, I pride myself on treating all merchants with the utmost respect and honesty. I hate hearing horror stories of business owners who were duped into signing a ridiculously long contract with extreme termination fees. It’s important to me to educate merchants so that they aren’t taken advantage of again in the future. At the Retail Council, we pride ourselves on offering our best rate to our merchants. A savings of a few hundred dollars a month might not sound like a lot but for a self-employed person that could be the difference of them being able to afford a vacation that year or being able to hire another employee.

Have you found any particular challenges or advantages being a young payments professional in payments technology?

Some business owners have used the same processor for 20 years just like they’ve used the same insurance broker for 20 years. It can be difficult to explain that just because they have a good relationship with their bank or processor or account representative doesn’t mean they’re giving them the best rate or equipment options. I am fortunate to be a salaried employee so it’s helpful to tell perspective members that I genuinely want to help them and I’m not just trying to earn a commission off of them.

What advice would you give other young people who are entering the payments industry?

I would advise other young people entering the payments industry to be prepared for rapid changes to the industry. It’s important to get educated and stay educated. There are endless courses to take and certificates to earn.

What has participating in the Young Payments Professional Scholar program meant to you?

I earned my Certified Payments Professional certification in December of 2017. I applied to the scholar program with little to no expectations. When I received the emailing congratulating me for being selected, I was really proud to be representing a smaller organization. Most of the other young professionals are from major well-known companies and I feel like I’m holding the torch for all of us ‘little fish’ who work in the payments industry.

YPP Spotlight Features highlight ETA’s Young Payments Professionals (YPP) Scholars, their path through the payments industry, and their aspirations for the future. The 2019 ETA YPP Scholars represent the finest young minds across the payments technology ecosystem. You can read more about the program, which is sponsored by Discover Global Network, here.