Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Compassion is definitely in Fashion!

Good Morning!  I apologize for this late post.  I haven't been feeling well.  I am doing better and very excited
to share this post with you.  I hope you are just as excited to read it.  Do you have your coffee/tea?  If so, let's get to it!

Last week I introduced you to my mentor Sheila James-Scott of N'chole Feroce.  This week I would like to introduce you to an awesome lady that I met through Sheila by the name of Meredith Corning.  She and I became friends and share the love of fashion.  I was privileged to participate in the first Bridal Savore Faire Fashion Show in Little Rock, Arkansas, which was hosted by her.  I love to help people but she takes it to a totally different level (which we all should).  Like the saying goes. . . . "Don't talk about it, Be about it."  Putting her words and ideas in to action for others is exactly what Meredith does.

Well, don't let me drag this introduction on forever. . . . you will find out more about her and her awesome work in the interview.... I hope she inspires you as she has done for me.  Enjoy!

Your Girlfriend's Closet Charity Event
Meredith and Dawn Scott, THV11 News Anchor
1.  Tell me about yourself and how we came to meet
We met through our good friend (and my client), Sheila Scott.  You saw a fashion illustration I did for Sheila and asked me to whip something up for LovePetals.  Subsequently, we met in person at Oklahoma Fashion Week and the rest is history!

2.  What are your gifts and talents?  Were they taught or God given or both?
I think at this stage in my life, I've come to realize I have an innate talent for marketing.  Some of that was indeed learned through experience, but mostly I think that it has more to do with knowing people on a deeper level.  That is something you are born with or not.  For whatever reason, I also have a keen sense of what is beautiful.  I don't necessarily believe that everything I think is beautiful may be viewed as beautiful to other people.  I may see a piece of art that represents a beautiful message, but others may see only the paint strokes or the colors, the style and not like it. My gift is to appreciate beauty on multiple levels, not simply aesthetically.  

3.  What is your brand and what was your inspiration for starting it?
Diva's Dressing Daughters Event
Meredith and Korto Momolu from Project Runway
I started Compassion Fashion as a blog dedicated to providing a platform for domestic violence survivors and nonprofits and companies doing good works in the domestic violence sector.  Soon after, I started working on charitable events for causes that touched me in some way.  My inspiration was simply that I was tired of seeing horrible things happening in the world and had to become proactive to prevent myself from becoming completely stressed out about it.  It's the single most important thing we can do for ourselves is to help others.  Seems selfish when you think of it that way, but doing something that helps others will always have a positive effect on your life no matter what and that's just the simple cause and effect equation in the philanthropy world.

Photo of Kenya wearing one of the Divas 
Dressing Darlings dresses after facial
reconstruction at Arkansas Children's Hospital
Since those beginnings, I've turned Compassion Fashion into a marketing events company that incorporates fashion and philanthropy into everything we do.  Recently, I started a wedding planning branch of services and have also published a magazine called Bridal Savoir Faire, the same working title as an annual bridal show I host.  I also offer marketing consulting services to brands.

4.  Where can your brand be seen?  Website, twitter, fb, youtube, etc...
Compassion Fashion website:  http://www.compassionfashionevents.com/

Pinterest (truth: Pinterest is the only one I'm obsessed with): http://www.pinterest.com/CFEvents/

Wedding Planning website:

Goodwill Industries of Arkansas and WIN's Dress-Up
CareerCloset Grand Opening.
5.  How can you be contacted?
My business is a service-oriented company and the best way to reach me is through my email:  meredith@meredithcorning.com.

6.  What advice do you have for someone striving to create a brand or find their gifts/purpose?
Always be true to yourself.  This means representing your brand to be as unique as you are.  Throw the rules out the window.  People are tired of cookie-cutter brands.  They want to see you.  They want to know who they are buying products/services from.  You have to have an online presence these days, but don't rely strictly on digital media.  Call your customers, meet them for coffee or invite them to dinner.  We are in a time where people are craving REAL relationships.  There are loads of options in the consumer market.  What will make someone want to work with you or buy your product?  Because you're so good or your
Inside look of the Bridal Savoir Faire Magazine 2014
product is so special?  No.  Tell the story of your brand.  Tell YOUR story.  What we all are selling at the end of the day is a lifestyle and a relationship with our brands.  Be smart.  Show them who you are, be vulnerable and the ones who walk away...c'est la vie.

7.  Do you run your business full time or are you bi-vocational?
My business is full-time.  I am constantly working on new projects or upcoming events and weddings.  

As you can see this woman is busy trying to make a difference in the world.  She is about relationships and being present for yourself and others.  She is a wife, mom, entrepreneur and humanitarian.  We should all aspire to have these attributes.  Thanks Meredith for sharing your story and letting us bask in your light.  You inspire us to dream big and to make a difference.

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