Kimberly McGlonn: Fashion as Catalyst for DEI Dialogues

05/11/23 • 39 min

Dr. Kimberly McGlonn is an advocate for justice & environmentalism, an advocacy that informs her approach to leadership in the fashion industry. As Founder & CEO of the manufacturing start-up Grant Blvd®, she oversees the brand's creative direction and growth strategy. Grant Blvd’s mission is to construct stylish, sustainably sourced fashion by creating living wage jobs for women, particularly those who are formerly incarcerated. Founded in 2017, Grant Blvd is the first Black-owned B Corp in North America in the fashion space. Outside of these roles, Kimberly disrupts via her second company, the thrift/vintage concept Blk Ivy, which tells the story of fashion as activism through a curation of garments that amplify the style of 1954-1972, her podcast “The School for Disrupters”, and her role as a faculty member of Drexel University’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design.

Her work has been featured by Fast Company, Inc Magazine, WWD, and has been funded by Beyonce’s BeyGood Foundation. In 2022 she was a recipient of the Visa’s “She’s Next in Fashion Award” and was honored with the Black Enterprise “Business Disruptor of the Year” award.

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Summary of Key Points:

Importance of Being Helpful: Being helpful goes beyond being friendly. It's about understanding the customer's needs and providing the best solution, even if it means suggesting a cheaper product.
Return on Investment in Training: Training is not a cost but an investment. It has a payback and ROI that can lead to better customer satisfaction and sales growth.
Proactive Follow-up: Keeping customers informed and in control of their situation is vital. Proactive follow-up builds trust and loyalty even when there's a problem.
Generational Differences: Different generations have varying expectations and tolerances for service quality. Understanding these differences is key to delivering the right experience.
Integration of Technology: The merging of technology with human-to-human experiences is enhancing the customer experience. Tools like AI and augmented reality are becoming more accessible and can personalize the shopping experience.
Creating Repeat Customers: The goal is to create an experience that makes customers say, "I'll be back." This requires understanding what success looks like and training staff to achieve it.