We recently connected with Kimberly Newsom and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kimberly, thanks for joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?
WOW! I definitely wish I’d become more serious about my career earlier. You know when you’re in your own way, you can miss out on so much but guess what? God has the final say so. I thought about where I was mentally. emotionally, and financially and really thought, would I be a good steward of money had I started then? Hell no! Mentally and emotionally? Hell no! I offer my clients a space for them to just be… you know? Let their hair down and do and say things they normally wouldn’t say in public or on social media. So, to answer that question, I would not have been as good as I am now to my clients because I wasn’t in a good mental space at that time. I offer peace, freedom, and a place to just be when my people request my services. It’s more than wardrobe…It’s ministry,
Kimberly, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Kimberly Newsom, professionally known as K. Newsom or K DOT. I’m your Global Brand & Image Consultant. I offer image consulting, wardrobe styling, branding, and marketing for your personal style and business brands. I’m the Founder of Just Between Friends – A Real Conversation, which is an upscale and exclusive annual gathering for business owners to speak freely and in a safe space about the challenges of running successful businesses and what comes with elevation while maintaining healthy relationships. I’ve hosted many events, guest speaker, Moderator of panels and accountability partner.
My entry into fashion and style stemmed from my late Great Grandmother, Lettie Laster Lawrence and my late Grandmother, Mozella Early. These two phenomenal women birthed creative women and men who also have fashion, style, and design in their blood. Many of them were designers and seamstresses. I grew up watching them create beautiful designs for their huge clientele all over the city and worldwide. From work scrubs, upholstery, to beautiful wedding gowns; they created it all and I was right there in the middle…watching and soaking it up and didn’t even realize what I was becoming.
As a child, I would often go to Hancock’s Fabrics with the women of my family while they shopped for fabrics and notions. I would go down the aisles running my fingers through the fabrics, smelling and rubbing fabrics on my face. Doing so helped me identify what fabrics I loved, and which fabrics made me itch. Although they tried to teach me to sew many times, I never wanted to learn. I just wanted to wear the clothes. As I got older, and the visits to Hancock kept going, I begin to see visions of what those fabrics could become. I couldn’t draw or design, but it was definitely etched in my brain. I expressed what I wanted to see verbally, and they made it happen.
How I got into image consulting and styling literally fell in my lap. My current career as an Image Consultant was not what I had planned. The plan was to be a Real Estate Professional. I was an Agent for about five years and did exceptionally well…WAY BEFORE SOCIAL MEDIA! Newspaper write ups, news features, awards, etc. I did it. My very first client in styling, I met in a retail store. She complimented me on my attire and asked if I would help her find a gown for a gala she was hosting in her home. She loved what I picked for so much that she invited me to the gala. I had no idea who this woman was and the influence she held and currently holds. As I entered the gala, I was welcomed by my beautiful client, and she stated that she’d received so many compliments on her gown. She then introduced me to her colleagues as her Personal Shopper and Wardrobe Stylist and it all began there. I gained four new clients that evening and it’s been nonstop ever since. She is still my client as of today. I’m grateful.
I service many professionals from my city of Memphis as well as Atlanta, Houston, New York, Beverly Hills, and internationally. I’ve styled reality shows for Centric Network, epiMedia Group in collaboration with Candace Holyfield-Parker (Six Figure Spa Chic), who is a globally known spa and beauty mogul. I’ve also sat on the Board of Memphis Fashion Week in collaboration with Rachel Roy and Nicole Miller, featured in British Vogue with KyreLaine Collection, partnered with Richfresh, Founder of Henry Mask as a Brand Ambassador, Dillard’s, Chico’s as their Visuals and Catalog Stylist, and many more. In my journey of image consulting & styling, I discovered that many of my clients are always pouring into others but lack providing the same for themselves and it showed when I serviced them. It was then, that it became more evident that it’s more than wardrobe; it became a ministry.
The testimonies and tears that are shed behind the fitting room doors and my office are simply mind blowing and I love that my clients are free to open up to me and be honest. Everything they share with me is CONFIDENTIAL and I pride myself on that. They never have to worry about anything they’ve shared with me to ever get repeated. I offer freedom and a safe space on top of my luxury styling services and that’s one of the many attributes that set me apart in the industry. I am often asked why I haven’t made it to the BIG RED CARPETS yet. My answer? It’s all in God’s timing. He has me exactly where he needs me to be and I’m okay with that until he elevates me to the next. My clientele roster is well over 400 SERVICED and I don’t have any problems sliding those receipts across the table and I say as humbly as I possibly can, lol!
As I continued to grow the brand, I met my good friend and business partner Nikki Chanel, Founder of Facegyrl & Facegyrl Cosmetics. Nikki is an established and documented Makeup Artist. Twenty-six years in the industry and she boasts a clientele from Gale King, Joe Biden, John Legend; K. Michelle, movie and campaign productions, and so much more! She’s just all things! We met in 2016, during Memphis Fashion Week and we have been unbreakable ever since. The both of us together are “Thee Experts and “Hire Thee Experts, where we provide a one of a kind of experience for our clients who want to rebrand, pop out, reboot, or introduce their new business or a special milestone.
We are a one stop shop for fashion, style, fun. luxury and makeup. Those who invest in Thee Experts receive a full glam squad for their project from styling, makeup, photography, videography, hair and makeup. We’ve partnered with several creatives in the city to form the perfect collaborative that fits the need of our clients. Several people are not equipped mentally to go into business with a close friend, BUT I am proud to say that THEE EXPERTS are going strong and thriving.
I’m most proud that I’ve continued my Great Grandmother and Grandmother’s legacy through fashion and style as most of the leaders in the family who sew have transitioned, become ill, or simply stopped creating. My only wish is that Mother Lettie and my Granny Mozella are proud of me. I just wish they were here physically to see it and to get spoiled from the fruits of my labor.
As for my potential clients, I want you all to understand that you have to trust the process. Building that trust is something that a lot of them struggle with in the beginning of our relationship. As they all are ALPHA WOMEN and STRONG BUSINESSMEN, it’s hard to delegate the task to someone that will tell you what to wear and how to wear it, but after that first experience, they keep coming back for more and that’s something that I’m proud of as well…. they keep coming back.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
On this journey, I’ve discovered that many women don’t value or make time for themselves. As Entrepreneurs and busy people in general it is so important that we create “Time for Us”. With all of what’s happening in the world it’s so easy for us to forget about taking care of ourselves and it can also trickle over into your mental health as well. Too many of us in my age range are leaving here or becoming ill at an alarming rate. We have to set aside some time to take care of self. With my recent health scare and procedures, I am very consistent about not taking on too many projects like I used to do. Doing that really took a heavy toll on my health. Never again. The goal on this journey is to serve others and to show them that self-care is possible and necessary through fashion, style, and accountability,
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Although I’ve been in a business for 16 years, I became a full time Entrepreneur in October 2019, and I had just resigned from a very toxic corporate position. It was horrible. I asked God many times to reveal to me when I should move. October 2, 2019, was that date. I typed up a lengthy email to “Leadership” and copied upper leadership and hit send. I walked out with only $4,802.00 to my name. That was all. Mind you, I still had bills and a family. I WALKED OUT WITH NOT ONE SINGLE PLAN, JUST MY VISION. I went in strong and BOOM, here comes COVID-19!
What in the entire hell?! The world completely stopped! Jobs closed and if you weren’t labeled as an “essential worker” you were confined to your home for months. No movement, no malls, no parties, no celebrations; nothing! My bank account went into the negative! Who was hiring a Stylist in this season? Not a soul. So, I asked God what was happening? Why did HE put me out there like this? I had to think and think fast. I didn’t want to depend on my Husband for anything at this point, because NAW!
I was introduced to the health and wellness industry by a dear friend, and I began to promote health and wellness products. Since we were in a pandemic and couldn’t do too much, I began to focus on my health by exercising, running, and taking my weight loss supplements. My friends, family, and social media platforms noticed the change and began to support me a great deal. I collaborated with a dear family friend, Odie Tolbert of Cardi-O Fitness and we began to do Cardi-O on the River in Downtown Memphis. It was such an amazing response that we went on with the meet up for several months. The support was so great that the income from the health and wellness products kept my head above water and was able to pay my bills with a bit left over….ain’t God good?!
By summer of 2020, I was still on my weight loss journey and all of a sudden, my image consulting business began to take off from out of nowhere. It was unbelievable! Clients were investing left and right, so much so that I made my first six figures in less seven months. I couldn’t believe it! The support was really overwhelming which catapulted my business and also forced me to get things in order; structured and organized.
Four years later, after the pandemic, K. Newsom Style is still here, thriving and growing. God continues to show me who runs this show. I am grateful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.knewsom.style/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k.newsomstyle?igsh=czR1dDk2cGMwMDJ6&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimberlyNNewsom?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HireTheeExperts2024
Image Credits
Photographers:
Erica Dunlap
Antoine Lever
Jacorri Washington