In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we sat down with Margarita Fitzpatrick, Family Dollar's Vice President of Marketing, to talk about her career journey, her move to Family Dollar, and how her Colombian heritage continues to shape the way she leads.

Q: Walk us through your career path. Was there a pivotal moment or decision that shaped your trajectory?

My career began in advertising, at an agency in Boston, and I spent 20 of my 30+ years in marketing working agency-side. I'd say my very first job was the most pivotal moment of all. After college, everyone was scrambling to land that first role. I was working in retail, and a co-worker had met a recruiter who was hiring. He introduced me to her, and she set everything in motion to help me land my first job. That’s how I ended up in advertising. I've never forgotten how much relationships matter, or how one conversation can set the course for your life.

Q: You recently joined Family Dollar. What drew you to this role, and how has the transition been so far?

Honestly, the transition has felt exactly like what I hoped it would be. What the team described to me during interviews is exactly what I've experienced since joining, and that kind of consistency means everything. What stood out most was how approachable the leadership team felt from day one. At this point in my career, it mattered deeply to me to work alongside leaders who shared my values, and it felt like the right match right away.

I also loved how the opportunity itself was framed. Family Dollar had just become an independent company, and even though it isn't technically a startup, it carried that same energy, full of possibility, full of room to innovate. I had experience across all the marketing disciplines, and it felt like everything I'd built throughout my career had led me to this moment. I love how every day is different.

Q: What has surprised you most about the team or culture here, and what are you most excited to build or contribute to in this new chapter?

Marketing as an industry is leaning further into technology every single day, and the biggest surprise for me has been just how much opportunity there is to bring technology to Family Dollar. My hope is for us to become the techiest marketing team in retail, a team that's always learning, using data, exploring, and pushing what's possible.

We're also launching a Family Dollar loyalty program next year, and I could not be more excited to lead that effort from the very beginning, to get to know our customers as individuals, not just numbers or demographics.

Q: How has your Hispanic heritage shaped who you are as a leader and the way you approach your work?

One thing that I reflect on when thinking about my childhood is being surrounded by a large, extended family, lots of cousins, aunts, uncles. It was a big adjustment coming to the U.S., because here, when people say "family," they often mean something much smaller than what I grew up with in Colombia.

In Latin culture, we lean on each other, and I truly believe that shapes us into people who are more accepting of one another's differences. Even for something as simple as our weekly Saturday lunch at my grandmother's house, the whole family gathered, sometimes 25 people at once or more, and no one would ever dream of missing it. Growing up in a community like that gave me a more open, inclusive viewpoint. When you're surrounded by that many people, you learn to listen, and to truly appreciate and rely on one another.

Q: Are there values, traditions, or lessons from your upbringing that you still carry with you in the workplace today?

Yes, and I think about this often. Growing up in such a large family also shaped what I love most about my job. I am at my best when I’m working with a team, learning, ideating, building on each other’s ideas. For me, the best ideas are always born when there are lots of people and lots of perspectives in the room.

Q: What advice would you give to young Hispanic women just starting their careers or hoping to move into leadership?

Have you ever watched Ted Lasso? The whole show centers on a mantra hanging on the wall above Ted’s office door that simply says "Believe." That's the advice I'd give young Hispanic women. Believe that you can do it, and believe that you belong. Don't let your own doubts stand in the way.

Culturally, Hispanic women are often raised with the expectation that their primary role is in the home, caring for family. I was lucky, because my mom had five sisters, all professionals, and I grew up surrounded by strong, amazing role models in my aunts. They showed me that women could chase their own dreams and their own professional goals, no matter what culture told them. My aunts became a physical therapist, a psychiatrist, a judge, a business owner, and a bookkeeper. I believed I could do the same, because I saw it for myself in every one of them.