Female Disruptors: Kimberly Carney of Fashwire On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry

Stay true to your vision. I have stayed true to my vision despite setbacks and failures. There have been a few investors and/or Advisors who have disagreed with me at times or given their opinions on what I should be doing. Some of these opinions have had merit and contributed to our growth, but staying true to my own vision, trusting my instincts and pushing through the noise has contributed to our success tremendously.

As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kimberly Carney.

With over 20 years of experience in marketing for wireless and tech companies and 15 years owning a specialty boutique in the multi-brand retail space, Kimberly has an innate talent to know what the market needs and delivers it through passion, vision, drive and authenticity. Simply put, she is a trailblazer within the retail digital sector.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this career path?

In my earlier years, I worked as a marketing leader on the tech side for AT&T Mobile and for two other companies in the dot-com tech era. With a strong background in marketing, and my love for fashion, I wanted to do something a bit different and I decided to open up a clothing boutique. After several years of owning a store, I saw digital adoption become a key factor in driving buying decisions forward and knew retail would not survive without adapting to tech. With my combined passion for tech and fashion, connecting the two worlds was the catalyst for the Fashwire platform.

Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?

Our swipe technology and social integration tools give brands real-time actionable insights and data on how to provide better products to consumers. Instead of solely relying on traditional ways of trend forecasting — which requires observation and data collection from trend spotters and influencers — brands can instantly have access to data from consumers that allows for planning the right product and quantities in a timely, efficient, and very relevant manner.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

The funniest mistake I made was when I met our development partner, Hooman Hamzeh. After terminating the relationship with my first developer, we were exhibiting at TechCrunch and our app stopped working. Hooman appeared to be wandering back and forth between a dog app booth and the company exhibiting next to us. When he noticed I was stressed, he offered his help. I kindly explained to him that we were tech, not animals, and that we needed a tech expert. He laughed and gave me an okay (with a hint of sarcasm). A little bit later, I connected with the company next to us and he showed me his app, which was amazing. When I asked who his development company was, he told me I just sent the CEO over to the doghouse. 3 years later, Hooman is the best development partner I could ask for. The lesson I learned is not to have preconceived notions and that when someone offers you help, take it!

We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?

My dad was my first mentor! He has many traits that I respect and admire and have always tried to emulate. He was the provider and a hard worker, kind-hearted, outgoing, family-focused and goal-oriented. It is pretty obvious now, that as a kid, I was given the right training and skillsets to start my development in becoming an entrepreneur.

I’ve been fortunate to have many people in my life that have helped me along the way and for that I am very appreciative. I am especially grateful for the day I had the opportunity to have a meeting with Daymond John. That day was very transformative and pivotal for me. I had just learned I had to start over with my technology and was not confident in which direction to go. Daymond not only took the time to listen to me, but he walked through the old Fashwire app with me and gave me invaluable feedback I needed to hear. He helped me understand the setback was the lesson and that failure with this first version was a part of moving forward. What I learned and the awareness that was created that day was so powerful that it changed my outlook and the trajectory of Fashwire.

In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?

- Positive disruption: Driving change that makes the industry a better place. It’s a matter of perspective though, as incumbents may feel disrupted and if they cannot change or adapt, then their businesses and employees will suffer.

- Negative disruption: I think COVID-19 and what it’s done to businesses. Financial crises and natural disasters are other examples. The best thing companies can do to prepare for those is to be agile and digital, which gets us back to positive disruption.

Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.

- Surround yourself with people smarter than you: This advice helped me to bring together an Advisory Board to include executive level leaders with expertise in fields I didn’t have experience. This diverse group of esteemed industry leaders continue to help drive Fashwire forward with industry experts that bring new perspectives to the forefront and drive innovation.

- Stay true to your vision. I have stayed true to my vision despite setbacks and failures. There have been a few investors and/or Advisors who have disagreed with me at times or given their opinions on what I should be doing. Some of these opinions have had merit and contributed to our growth, but staying true to my own vision, trusting my instincts and pushing through the noise has contributed to our success tremendously.

- Failure pushes you forward. The challenges and setbacks throughout the journey have been a significant contribution to our success.

We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?

We heard fashion-luxury needs a home…FashLuxe!

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?

I realize this is a real problem for women disruptors, but I have been fortunate because I have not been challenged any differently than my male counterparts. At least not that I have noticed. I have been very blessed to surround myself with women and men that I turn to for various business needs who continue to advise, support and provide insight into my everyday decision-making that continues to help me innovate and grow the company.

Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?

I wish I had the time! As a founder and CEO, the only reading or talks that I listen to are where I can gain education and better understanding for my industries. I am impacted every day in my thinking, whether it be from one of my Advisors, an investor call, a virtual conference or in the Startup Grind community. I really don’t have time for any other reading, podcasts or talks.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

If I could inspire a movement, it would be offering more resources for female founders, including access to mentors, advisors and investors that have a specific interest in helping female entrepreneurs. The movement would concentrate on the biggest challenges for women founders in the startup ecosystem with a goal to close the gender gap for more equal access to funding, support and leveraging networks.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Stay humble! Being authentic, gracious, and practicing humility helps me stay true to my core values. Making a difference in the lives of others is important to me. I have so many amazing people in my life, that it’s easy stay humble. My biggest accomplishment as a single mom is that I have been able to raise humble kids. Now that’s a win!