Life & Work with Nicole Briggs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Briggs.

Hi Nicole, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
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 three 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 four shows completed so far.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I went to college to study journalism with the goal of becoming a fashion journalist. To this day, I’ve only written articles for free and had several internships in public relations. When I could not get hired in Chicago, I returned to the same retail and hospitality positions that put me through school. The best internships in media are for the privileged, meaning you have to have financial support to accept a year long internship at a magazine like Vogue and also the wardrobe to look the part. This automatically edges out students of modest means. I put myself through school and needed to begin repaying loans upon graduation in 2006. In Chicago, I had worked as a freelance photographer and wardrobe assistant but could never find consistent work so moved to L.A. in 2010 where the market was slightly better. One of my first jobs, I assisted on a major network’s filming of Ciara and Pharrell. Despite filling out the proper paperwork and driving many miles to gather items they checked, I was supposed to receive three months later never arrived. Never getting paid was common for freelance stylists and you could not get into the union without working on union production. Meanwhile bills are due to so many struggles there.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a seasoned sales professional and manager in luxury retail, hospitality and most recently tech. My specialty is sales strategy, customer loyalty and retention. I am most proud of my work with The Riveter a female-founded network of spaces for women in business. We always hosted events such as “Ladies Get Paid” which focused on the wage gap that exists between men and women for the same work. Topics like that were addressed on an almost daily basis and that felt fulfilling working with a team of some extremely talented and intelligent women. I am good at aligning mission and profit and raising awareness about the unique experience of being a Black woman professional in industries traditionally closed to us like tech, fashion, etc. I naturally teach and micro-mentor when it’s needed in most organizations while at the same time increasing revenue. To stay creative and valuable, I always try new technologies and my recent attention has been on the rapid growth of live commerce.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I noticed that my luck has improved by participating in professional networks of women. The topic of imposter is a syndrome is trending for Black women but the truth is, that puts the work and blame on Black women to “fix” themselves and they are somehow broken. We can learn to negotiate better salaries all day but it means nothing if the company doesn’t have pay parity or fair DEI practices. We need to fix the systems that marginalize and deny us a normal employee experience and that’s where having a robust network of women who understand the barriers can assist to facilitate more “luck”.

Contact Info:

• Email: info@shopjiyu, [email protected]
• Website: https://anchor.fm/youhavetowearsomething
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopjiyu/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopjiyu
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShopJiyu