Kahlana Barfield Brown: Founder of KBB by KAHLANA

22:57And the amount of women who those stories resonated with and, you know, reached out to me to say, thank you for telling our stories. Thank you for using your platform. Thank you for using your space as, you know, an editor to write these stories because we are consumers of these magazines as well. And we want stories that are specifically for us and about our experience. That was big because I felt like I was really able to take the bandaid off where, you know, I would be in meetings, especially when I was an intern and then an assistant and very much kind of just like taking the notes, doing the work, but not really using my voice the way that I could and talking about the thing and speaking up when it was time to speak up when I had something to contribute and something that was really meaningful.

23:45And I did that as I grew in my position, but we've all seen the Devil Wears Prada. sometimes these rooms are very intimidating and you just kind of do the work. And I think that I'm proud that I grew to like truly be able to tell stories that matter to me. That's what I'm most proud of.

24:05Hillary Kerr:I love that. So in 2018, after more than a decade of working at InStyle and helping to steer the publication and rising through the ranks, you left. Talk to me about that decision and where your head was. There's such a range for people when they make a big pivot. Like how long are you thinking about it before you actually make that leap? Yeah. Well, Hillary, things just started to change. You know, when I came into the magazine industry, we were truly the authority. We dictated the trends. We were backstage at Brian Park interviewing Pat McGrath. We were truly like telling the world what the trends were, what they could look forward to when it came to beauty and fashion.

24:50And I would say maybe, let's see, I don't know, is it 2015? We just started to see a shift, you know, where it was kind of like bloggers, right? And I remember as an editor and being around editors, it was kind of like, what is this? You know, like, oh, okay, she's doing a blog. Okay. But it was very, you know, foreign for us, right? And then that evolved into influencers. And it was very different for a lot of editors to kind of embrace, to be completely honest, right? And I have always been open-minded in a way where it's like, okay, well, maybe this is something that I don't know about, but maybe I need to learn about it because it seems like this is growing, you know?

25:33And I remember just kind of being amongst editors and editors kind of being like, you know, this is just another thing. This is going to go away, blah, blah, blah. And I was like, this isn't going away. You know, it got to the point where like a brand would have an event to promote a product and it would be like an editor event. And then it would be an influencer event. And they weren't merged together yet because I think that they were being respectful of the sentiment that editors had where, you know, they felt like, you know, we are true journalists and we're writing about these stories and, you know, we need to have our own space.

26:04And so that happened. But then, you know, I would go on a press strip and then it would be a group of influencers coming on the press strip with editors. And so I really noticed that like things were starting to change in the industry. Right. And I want to be a part of the change. I don't want to be slow to the change. And so it was an opportunity to build a personal brand where for so long, it was like Kalana from InStyle. InStyle was attached to my name. That was it. And also there was the rise of social media and I started to use social media as like all the things that I couldn't write about in the magazine, might not have had space to write about in the magazine or things that like truly I was just passionate about.

26:50I use my social media to tell those stories and also bring people in and bring my audience into what it's like being an editor, you know? I think for so long being an editor, there was this discretion about our jobs. You know, we weren't really taking pictures with the celebrities we were interviewing. We weren't really documenting a press trip to the south of France with Lancome. We weren't documenting that. We would come back after and write a story about it that went in the magazine, but we weren't really highlighting every single moment. And so I was just like, there's so much access in my job.

27:28You know, people want to see what we're doing, what I wore today, how I got ready for this trip that I'm going on. And so I really just kind of started to grow my social media. And then while I was doing that, I was still in this job at InStyle, but brands would reach out about consulting or maybe inviting me on an influencer trip, but inviting me not as like Kalana, the editor. From InStyle. Yeah, from InStyle, was just inviting me. And so that just kind of like took a life of its own. And there weren't many editors that were really doing their own thing. It was kind of like Eva Chin and like Elaine Welteroth and I kind of like around the same time.

28:08And so it just started to take a life of its own. And it was kind of like, well, I'm building something for myself, you know, and I've been in my role for a really long time. And maybe a year before I left, I had a meeting with an agent and I signed with her and I was able to thankfully take projects while I was still in my role. It was kind of like, okay, there's only so long that you could kind of do both, you know? And it's also like, if you really want to do this and you want to work for yourself and figure out what you can create for yourself, like you have to take a chance. And that was scary because these magazine jobs, you just don't leave.

28:46There's so few and far between to come by. I was like really torn because I loved my job so much, but I also love myself and wanted to truly see what I could do by myself, especially considering the industry was changing so much. And that's kind of like how I was able to make the decision. I just had to put 100 % into it and I couldn't do both.

29:10Hillary Kerr:But it feels like that's the best of all worlds because like you were already making money. You already had a following. You already had the contacts. You had the trust, you had the relationships. So making that leap scary, sure, but not as terrifying. You had such a safety net and like had a line of sight to how this was going to go and what this would look like. And I feel like have a professionalism about it, given the editor background that other folks might not have that will also set you apart because a brand isn't just getting a content creator or an influencer. or they're also getting someone with this gravitas and deep understanding.

29:51Hillary Kerr:Yes. And that is a very compelling offer. That's exactly what it was. That's why my agent, you know, she was representing like huge influencers. And she took a chance on me, but I took a chance on her as well. But she was really attracted to the fact that I did have this background and it was so different than, you know, her clients. And I think, too, the relationships that I had with publicists, there were so many friends who were like encouraging me. They're like, you need to just do this. And honestly, the day that I did, it was like the phone really started to ring. It was crazy. You know, I was so nervous.

30:29But like you said, I did know that I would be OK because of my position and the relationships that I cultivated. And, you know, I had things really set up in order to leave. Okay.

30:42Hillary Kerr:So that first year of content creation, what was it like? And at what point did you start thinking about the design side of things? So the first couple years, I wasn't thinking about it. In the back of my head, I knew that I wanted to create a fashion line. I knew that there was this space that needed to be addressed in the fashion industry. Like, I just felt like for so long, it was so hard to really find like true fashion forward inclusivity. You know, if we're pulling clothes for a plus size actress, the options were so limited. And I hated that. I also felt like there was space for like true elevated essentials, but like at a accessible price point because almost nobody can afford a thousand dollar pair of jeans.

31:37Right. Right. But everybody deserves to have like high quality jeans that are stylish and fit cool, you know, but at an affordable price point. And so I just, in my mind, always felt like, okay, one day I want to create a fashion line and I want it to be accessible and I want it to be fashion forward and I want it to be quality. I wanted adjustable waistbands on pants. You know, like I wanted to like hit every single need that I felt like was needed for a woman's wardrobe. But I just didn't really know how I was going to get there. I was just like, this is a desire that I have of mine. But, you know, we'll see what happens.

32:14The first couple of years of content creation and consulting was great. Like I was working with all the brands literally the day after I left InStyle was like I was shooting a campaign for Bobby Brown. It was just nonstop. It was so great. And then in 2020, I did a panel in Minneapolis at Target headquarters for Target. And we were talking about trends and we were talking about the landscape of media, the landscape of content creators. And I just met some incredible leaders at Target at that time. And that was how I really developed my relationship with Target. and they approached me for a new brand that they were starting called Future Collective and approached me about being their first design partner.

33:04And so it was a Target-owned brand, but I would have like my own collection and I believe it was four drops that I would design. 120 pieces. Yes, 120 pieces. And that was really just like amazing. Gosh, it was such an incredible opportunity. opportunity. I learned so much, but I also learned that like I was limited because it was still a target owned brand. So I had just to stay within the parameters of the target fit, you know, oh, we have to have a certain amount of dresses. We have to have a certain amount of prints and colors and all of these things, like the limitations that I have, you know, so I created what I could create under the constraints that I was under and it did amazing.

33:49Hillary Kerr:You exceeded sales expectations by somewhere in between 300 and 500%. Like that is bonkers that you tapped into something. Yeah, it was like a movement. Like it was just such a big deal and so exciting. And the support from women everywhere was just massive. And it really was the thing that told me that I could do this on my own, right? And the next time that I do this, and when I do this, I want to do it my way. I always felt like Target was the right retailer because I wanted to be able to reach people. The idea of accessibility was also like I wanted to be at a store where people could actually have access to.

34:31What about the women in Alabama and Oklahoma who only have a Target? They might not have like the biggest shopping malls. You know, I wanted to be able to reach people and I really wanted to bring a great fashion aesthetic to their wardrobes. droves. And so after Future Collective, we started building KBB and that was really the beginning. So that was, gosh, 2022 that I started building KBB. And so nearly three years later, it came to life last September.

35:04Hillary Kerr:Amazing. And I also want to point out too, like, because Target has such big numbers, because you're creating so many pieces, you also get better deals on fabric. And so like you can make really high quality, nice things at a lower cost. When you talk about accessibility, a lot of the products are also like, can often be like really wonderful fabrics that would be very expensive if it was in a different store, but it's often the same material, which is kind of crazy. When I tell you the way I rock my own clothes, I mean, it's so good. It's so good. But I learned so much through that. Like you said, just in terms of like that quality that, you buying in bulk, you're able to establish and get the same quality that a lot of these high-end fashion designers are using.

35:53Hillary Kerr:So talk to me about KBB. So you're doing the collection for Future Collective. I assume that you were working with like some of their interior design team. I was, yes. And that's the thing too, is like, even if you are not the person who's like designing the pattern, like you still have a ton of say over the cut and how things go and you can do a lot. So what was important for you in putting together some of the initial team for KBB? And then also, did you start putting that together before you had a deal with Target? Because they're your exclusive retailer, right? Right. They're my exclusive retailer.

36:26So basically, after Future Collective developed a great relationship with leaders at Target, and I had expressed, I want to build my own fashion line, and I would love for it to be sold at Target. You know, After the success of Future Collective and my audience, my consumer, I felt like this was the best place for this line. And they were so supportive. So I started building it, but I had their support through that. So I started building. And what was important to me was that the team was super diverse. That was very, very important to me. I also hired Crystal White, my VP of design, who had such an extensive background.

37:08She had been at Abercrombie & Fitch, at Donna Karan. and we met and like clicked instantly. Like she understood my fashion language. It was almost like seeing like a reflection of myself just in terms of we had so much in common. We both were, you know, mothers with two daughters and came up in New York, you know, in the fashion scene. And we just clicked and she really understood like my aesthetic and my style language. And then she started sketching and she just got it. It was just perfect. And so started with her and then built the team from there. And it was really important that, you know, it was diverse.

37:47I wanted the generations to be represented because I really feel like everyone can find something within this line. And I wanted to make sure that like we had the internal team that reflected that. It's just been such a great experience working with people who like truly get it. We get excited about things and we want to bring something to the market that hasn't been done before. We're always trying to think outside of the box and innovate. But at the core, it really is about bringing elevated essentials at an attainable price point to women everywhere.

38:24Hillary Kerr:And it's working. I know that when it debuted, I went racing to my computer when I got up in the morning and like stuff had already sold out. And it feels like the momentum has been sustained. It's so exciting. Yes, it has been great. So I also want to ask about the article that you wrote for The Cut, because obviously this is a huge and amazing and incredibly exciting moment. But it was also happening when Target was rolling back DEI initiatives and folks feeling really frustrated with the brand. And I'm wondering how you could hold space for both of these things and balance all of this, because there's so much that's out of your control.

39:03Hillary Kerr:Right. And also like, we all want to support this. So how did you navigate that? Yeah, I think, you know, I'm so thankful for my family and my husband, because I'd be lying if I said that last year wasn't a tough year in terms of how I was going to like roll this out and announce it, because I had been working on this for three years and couldn't talk about it. So like, I was obviously just trying to figure things out because at the same time, there's only so much that I can control. right? And two things could be true at once. Like I've had such an incredible experience partnering with Target, but I also truly understood everything in the sentiment that people were feeling, right?

39:45And so the Cut article, I was so grateful for Lindsay Peoples, editor-in-chief of the Cut, for giving me that space to write an op-ed and to just express and tell my story. Like all I can really do is be honest and tell you how I got here, how I'm navigating this and continuing to navigate this. And, you know, I'm not asking anybody to do anything. I'm just putting it out here and then you can decide, you know, whether you want to support or not. Seems like you've gotten a lot of support. I've gotten so much support. You know, I'm just so thankful because the support has been enormous. It has been beautiful to see the way people have shown up for me.

40:27And I am so grateful. But last year was really challenging. I think the hardest thing was like holding everything in. As you know, we worked so far in advance. So yeah, when everything kind of happened, the first collection was already in the warehouse, you know, locked, loaded, literally, but it was just like, okay, I had in September to announce everything. And so I was obviously very nervous about announcing, but the support has been amazing. But, you know, for me, it was just like, be honest, like tell your story. You know, obviously I've had such an incredible relationship. I've been working with Target since 2020 and they have been great to work with and great partners.

41:10And I ended up in this position that I literally couldn't control. And so I just am happy that I was able to kind of share that story and just tell everybody the order of events and how everything happened. And really that this has been a dream of mine for so long. And I had been working on this for three years and, you know, and here we are. And so I'm just happy that women have been able to see my story. And so many women have decided to support me. And I'm just beyond grateful.

41:43Hillary Kerr:So talk to me a little bit about how you brought some of your editorial world expertise, your brand building expertise, your communication skills, your marketing skills, all of those things to this new project. Yes, honestly, like I am forever a magazine editor. It just doesn't go away. Like one of the reasons why it's like so hard to hire a social media manager because I see everything in a layout. You know, I see everything in that way. And it's like, I have to manage that, you know. But yes, everything that I've learned over the years in terms of like editorial integrity, also just like visually, I care a lot about visuals.

42:24I care a lot about photography. I care a lot about words, you know, the captions, also just like the storytelling behind each campaign because each campaign is a very different feeling and a different mood. So it's like, how do I tell this story in a different way? I think that that has been a plus, just the editor in me, because I see everything as like a magazine or a commercial. And so it really has been great in that way.

42:53Hillary Kerr:So I also read that while you were building this, you also had the opportunity to design an Air Force One sneaker with Nike that is dedicated to the Yard Runners program. It's an initiative that Nike did to celebrate HBCUs. So obviously as a Howard alum, this has to be a really amazing full circle moment. Talk to me about how that came to be. Yes, it was such a full circle moment. So the way Yard Runners works for Nike, it was actually started by Nike employees who were HBCU grads. And I was a part of Yard Runners 1.0, which was a group of, I think maybe 12 of us. And it launched during COVID.

43:33So it was like the very first campaign that they did. And so I was a part of that. and we all just kind of like represented our own school. So I was the representative of Howard and we did a whole campaign during COVID. I remember because we were on set with our masks and it was amazing. You know, I do think that Nike and the leaders who started the R-Runners, they were one of the first. When we think about like corporations celebrating HBCUs, this program was one of the first to do it. So when they approached me, I guess was it 2024 about designing a shoe it was a full circle moment because I was a part of the initial Yard Runners group.

44:12And so, you know, that was great because I'm a huge Nike fan. I love my heels, but I love my sneakers. I really wear both. And so to be able to design a shoe that represented these universities was a complete honor. And I just got to make sure that there was so much meaning in my shoe and so much of the design had references to Black culture and HBCU culture.

44:35Hillary Kerr:I love it. That makes sense. So excited, almost as excited as I am about the fact that KBB is set to expand in more target locations throughout this year. Talk to me a little bit about what's on the horizon, both for you and for the brand. Yeah. So the brand is growing, you know, and that's such a beautiful thing. And that is truly because of women who have supported this brand, you know, starting in September. But we are growing into, I believe it's over 500 stores. And every month up until I think May 1st, more stores are being added. We did an event in Atlanta a couple weeks ago because we are expanding into, I think, like 10 or 13 stores in Atlanta.

45:20And so we did an event which was incredible. People came out in the snow, okay?

45:26Hillary Kerr:And I was like, nobody's going to come to this event. It's snowing. It's like negative two degrees. But people were there. Atlanta showed up. Atlanta showed up. You know, I get so emotional because I'm like, people don't have to support. I'm just trying to continue to create options for women to really make them getting dressed easier. It's like when you look in your closet and you're like, I have nothing to wear. I want to be able to make sure that you have like the basic white shirt, the great, perfect pair of jeans, the nice cardigan that you can just throw on when you have something to do, just making dressing easier for women.

46:01And so I'm happy that it's resonating. But yes, we are expanding into stores. And I think by May 1, we will be in all of those doors. It's exciting because it's resonating. So that is beautiful.

46:12Hillary Kerr:Yeah. And I mean, Target is extremely data oriented. So the fact that they're doing this means that it's working, which is really such a testament to the brand that you've built, the quality of the product, the energy that you bring to it. It's very, very exciting. Thank you, Hilary. Okay. So the last three questions are always the same on this podcast. And the first one is about mistakes because everyone makes them throughout the course of their career, but we don't always talk about them. I think we tend to give a little bit of the highlight reel, but I think it's really important to talk about mistakes because I think women in particular need to hear about overcoming adversity and understanding that they can make a mess of something and still come back strong and it's not the end of it.

46:56Hillary Kerr:So I'm hoping that you can tell me about a mistake that you've made at any point in your career and what you've learned from it. I don't know if I would say mistake, but I think as I mentioned earlier to you, if I could do it again, I probably would have moved around a little bit more just to gain experience. It's very easy being comfortable in one place. But I think that challenging yourself to do something new and different, you grow from that. So if I could do it again, I probably would have moved around more just to gain new relationships, gain new experience, but I was comfortable, right?

47:34So I would have tried to get comfortable being uncomfortable. I would have put myself in more uncomfortable situations in order to grow. Although I was able to pivot, I would have maybe pivoted faster. You know, when you think about social media and you think about these things, it's like you have the opportunity to jump on it immediately. I jumped and I'm glad I jumped, but I jumped later than I would have if I could do it over.

48:00Hillary Kerr:Fair. Okay. So a lot of the folks who listen to this podcast are in their first life and they know that they want to make a pivot, but they're scared or they're nervous or they don't feel like they have all their ducks in a row. what advice would you give someone who's in that stage of consideration but just hasn't made it quite yet? The biggest piece of advice is take the leap. You're never going to know if you don't take the leap. To be living my dream now and have my own fashion brand, you know, if you would have asked me in 2018 if this would be a possibility, I would have said no, Right. But I took the leap and it's scary.

48:41A lot of people have a fear of really being vulnerable and for people to see them trying something different. Yeah. But I'm telling you, that is what builds you. You know, it's like, I'm not afraid to fail in front of someone. It's okay because I was bold enough to take a chance on myself.

48:56Hillary Kerr:You know what? I will never know if this is attainable if I don't try. I think it's like, that is gold. Just take the leap. Perfect. Okay, last question, favorite question. I believe you've answered this to some degree, but if you could go back in time and speak with your younger self and give your younger self advice, what would you tell her? Gosh, what would I tell her? I think the biggest thing that I would tell my younger self is to truly be proud of who you are and always walk in rooms representing exactly who you are. Because there were definitely times in my career when I was young and in rooms and I was afraid, you know, I was afraid to truly be Black girl Kalana.

49:41I would be shy and I wouldn't speak up and I might have an idea, but I was in a room with more senior leaders and felt like I couldn't really have a voice or contribute to an idea or a conversation. I would tell my younger self, always speak up. That is your superpower. When you speak up and when you have an idea, Like that is what is going to make you stand out. When I was able to do that and just kind of like take the shell off and really be myself, that's when my career started to grow. That's when I really think people saw my value and I saw my value in these spaces. So I would tell myself to always walk into a room confidently, boldly, and to use your voice.

50:28Hillary Kerr:I love it. Well, congratulations again on all of your success. Thank you. I have been watching from afar for so long and cheering you on and reading your byline back in the day. And it just is so wonderful. So thank you for taking the time to chat with me today. I've been really excited about it. And I'm so glad to hear that we're figuring out some of the inventory because I'm like desperate. There are times where I'm like, I guess I have to go to store and try and figure it out, which is fine. But it's like, yes, online. I need you to not be so sold out all the time. Yes. Well, I just have to say to you, Hillary, thank you so much for having me on.

51:04But also like you were for me someone who I looked up to. And so thank you for the blueprint truly and for supporting me and seeing me. It means so much to me. Absolutely.

51:18Hillary Kerr:My pleasure.

51:27Hillary Kerr:That was KBB founder, Kalana Barfield-Brown. For more inspiring interviews with women like Kalana, head on over to secondlifepod.com where we have so many more for you to peruse. If you like today's show, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. And don't forget to rate and review us. We love seeing you spread the word on social and now you can tag us in your posts. We are at secondlifepod on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. We always want to know who you're interested in hearing from on the show. So send in your requests to hello at secondlifepod.com, or you can DM us on Instagram.

52:06Hillary Kerr:I'm at Hillary Kerr. The show is at Second Life Pod. Our DMs are always open. I'm Hillary Kerr, and you've been listening to Second Life. This episode was produced by Hillary Kerr, Summer Hammeris, and Natalie Thurman. Our production assistant is Raven Yamamoto. Our audio engineers are at Treehouse Recording in Los Angeles, California. And our music is by Jonathan Leahy.