Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to NICOLE BRIGGS. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, NICOLE thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

In the fashion and retail industry there is an evolution and DEI problem. The traditional brick and mortar part of the business has not changed to accent the promo and cultural environment of online and social media. Every day a new creative director is announced of a major brand like Dior and it’s usually a white man. Kering Group and LVMH are not even choosing directors that have different lived experiences. The nepotism is beyond rampant and disappointing. We witnessed the success of Virgil Abloh’s leadership at LVMH and beyond and he will be remembered as one of the most innovative disruptors of all time. But after his death it was back to business as usual. So lack of variety or “otherness” blocks profits but also we have a huge fast fashion problem. It used to be that you save for that pair of Gucci loafers and after buying them you take care of them, forever. But the children that grew up online, they have no patience and cannot wait for the new thing. We went from buying 29 new pieces of clothing a year to 69 just to flex on the ‘gram. They run, not walk, to H&M or Zara for knockoffs and are proud to wear it despite knowing that fashion is one of the planet’s largest polluters. The thrift stores are filled with poorly produced fast fashion and what they don’t sell ends up in a landfill in countries like Ghana. So a lot of the profits go to fast fashion and when you’re trying to build around quality and sustainability it’s a challenge getting people to care and to keep up with the unrealistic schedule of dropping new collections weekly. A small business just cannot do that.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was a luxury sales professional having worked for Henri Bendel, Alexander McQueen and Neiman Marcus, Monique L’Huillier and never really got to use my Journalism degree but had all this critical fashion history knowledge. After moving to L.A. in 2010, I quickly learned that freelance personal shopping and styling was too inconsistent of a business for my comfort. A few years after moving to L.A. started a small online shop, Shop Jiyu, of boho lux and premium goods like organic cotton basics and hand-crafted incense ropes and ceramics centered around ritual. I continued working as a sales leader working on strategy for start-ups and five years ago started the “You Have To Wear Something” podcast after years of trying to work for fashion publications. The fashion industry seems diverse with the use of Black and brown models on the runway and in ads but behind the scenes, it is difficult for Black women to grow a career beyond service-based positions. You can’t go naked right?…so that’s where the podcast title originates.

I explore those wardrobe decisions we make everyday and educate, empower and entertain culturally through fashion history, business and style trends. My goal is to be a creative bridge builder with a mission to elevate marginalized voices and individuals interviewing BIPOC creators, designers, tastemakers that are emerging or early stage. My non-linear career ranges from experiential marketing in retail, developing strategy in hospitality, now consulting in tech sales while I evolve as a dynamic and engaging leader. Audio and voice has become a content force to reckon with like digital assistants, podcasts and even Clubhouse. I record on Anchor, now owned by Spotify, which made it easy to record shows from your phone with minimal editing or equipment. This became indispensable during the pandemic and led me to record several shows per month. Over time I began to interview more notable marginalized voices and founders such as celebrity tailor Fresh of Rich Fresh and Amaurys Grullon of Bronx Native. I would like to elevate the production of the podcast to include video. For Shop Jiyu, I have ventured into selling through the growing medium of “live commerce” on the platform TalkShop Live with many shows completed so far.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

So when you first decide to be an entrepreneur you read business books especially those that pertain to your industry. For me I read a lot of memoirs of women in business, fashion moguls and ecomm biz innovators. A lot of the advice is the same for instance many of these books say to “study your competition” and copy what they did right . So I read about all these people who got seed funding from their families and it just didn’t resonate. After attending some pitch contests and small business events I learned that disruptors don’t copy but they turn inward and focus on themselves and their own vision for their business. Arlan Hamilton was an inspiring businesswoman I met that said “be yourself so your people can find you”. I had to unlearn trying to replicate another person’s journey and began to pour energy into what I wanted my business to look and feel like and who I wanted to reach. I no longer want to be just like any mogul or business but rather I prefer to take my time evolving a business that represents my vision and values.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

I have managed many teams from hospitality to retail and have found success in keeping morale high. I think you have to lead each team member differently and find out their “why”. Why are they working for this company? Why are they selling this particular product? You just can’t manage human beings with a broad stroke because they are all motivated differently. Some will be motivated by money or praise. Other will be motivated by PTO or a flexible schedule or even something like a clothing allowance. Once you find out why each individual is working for you and what their goals are you can help guide them in the right direction to achieve their goals. It’s all about getting to know them and if you’re not willing to invest time getting to know your team then morale will always be low and turnover will be high.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shopjiyu.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopjiyu/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopjiyu
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShopJiyu
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@shopjiyu?