Merging Language with Fashion, Faith, and Empowerment with Kimberly Wilkerson

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey Uncommon Leaders, welcome back. This is the Uncommon Leader Podcast and I'm your host, john Gallagher. On today's episode, I had the privilege of sitting down with Kimberly Wilkerson, the inspirational founder and owner of Token Clothing Company. In this conversation, kimberly shares her extraordinary journey from a career in speech pathology to the creation of a fashion company with a powerful mission. Join us as we dive into Kimberly's personal story, the impact of her grandfather's influence on her life and the profound insight she has gained along the way. Get ready for an inspiring and uplifting discussion about faith, entrepreneurship and the transformative power of positive affirmations. This is an enriching conversation with an Uncommon Leader who is making a tangible difference in the lives of many. Let's get started. Kimberly Wilkerson, welcome to the Uncommon Leader Podcast. It's great to have you on the show. How you doing today.

Speaker 2: 0:54

I am doing fantastic. Meals yesterday were fantastic, so I have lots of energy today and thank you for having me. I'm glad to be here.

Speaker 1: 1:03

It's gonna be a great conversation and yeah, we've already had some conversation beforehand, talking about the meals we had for Thanksgiving yesterday. So recording the day after Thanksgiving, talking about all of our leftovers or what might not be leftover and what we ate too much, getting back into our exercise habits. But, I am glad to have you on the show and this is gonna be a great conversation for our listeners. Today, I wanna ask you the same question that I asked all my first-time guests, and that's to tell me a story from your childhood that still impacts who you are as a person or as a leader, today, kimberly.

Speaker 2: 1:32

Sure. So, as I have thought about this, I would have to share a story, and maybe a series of stories that just come together, from my grandpa Wilkerson, who is still living. He is 97 years old, a World War II veteran and really a hero of mine, and so, growing up and being able to spend a lot of time with him, I grew up in Wyoming and he grew up and lived, and still lives, in love with Wyoming, and so we would travel across the mountain to his and my grandmother's home frequently, and he always had this incredible love for people. You know, certainly I think grandparents have an extra special love for their grandkids, but I also observed him in the community and in other situations where he, even though I was the observer, he was around other people who were not his family, and I saw this incredible warmth, this incredible just general love for people and a desire to help them, to see them, achieve, to compliment them. Even his smile would light up a room, and so, being someone who I felt that didn't naturally come to meaning myself, I observed him for years as a child, as a teenager, as a young adult and still, even now you know he's at a point where he has some dementia. He doesn't remember as he used to remember. He certainly has slowed down, but he still is an example to me of light and goodness and how we need to treat other people. And I again, I could point to multiple experiences and so I'll share just one brief one. And I was a kid, probably a teenager. We were driving. There was someone, he was driving, I should say, there was someone in front of us who I don't remember exactly what he or she did, but they did something where we almost crashed into them and I remember at the time again as a teenager, being like grandpa, honk at her it must have been a her, because I think honk at her and his response was that wouldn't do any good for her, that would just scare her more. And she probably recognizes that she made that mistake, whatever it was, in driving Right. Such a simple example, but it impacted me and 30 years later I still remember that, as well as so many experiences I had with him. He I've tried to share it with him, but I don't even think that he recognizes fully how much he's impacted my life, how much I think about him and his example that he set for me.

Speaker 1: 4:00

Well, it's clear as you go through a couple things as a listen story. One is he couldn't have lived in New York City because that was like the language in New York City you have to beep at everybody and no matter what. I mean, it's kind of depending on the duration of the beep how angry you are as you go forward with it. But ultimately, the impact he's had and the impact that it's had on you, and even reading about some of your journey and your organization, token Clothing Company, you know, ultimately one of the things that you have had underneath on your website pajamas with purpose so I'm sure that that example that he said for you has had an impact on you and what you want to do for others as well. Tell me a little bit about how that's maybe morphed over into your company. Tell us about your company Token Clothing Company.

Speaker 2: 4:40

Sure A Token Clothing Company has actually been a 20-year journey for me, even though we have only been launched for one year. I knew back in my 20s that I wanted a fashion company, which was a little bit surprising because I grew up kind of a little bit of a tomboy and didn't wear pink until I was out of high school, and so having that desire was interesting for me. I followed the field of science to become a speech-language pathologist, but I remember sitting in graduate school thinking about a fashion company, even drawing in the margins of my notes some dresses. I wasn't a great artist, but I still was doodling dresses and what I would want dresses to look like, and I pursued that career of speech pathology. But over the years I still did little things here and there to develop more of acumen in the fashion industry, with studying design and color and texture and trying to understand what was happening in the industry and really how I wanted to approach things differently. And so a couple of years ago, when I made the determination I really need to pursue this. It's the right time, I felt that inside of me this is the right time to pursue this. I was able without knowing 20 years ago how I would do this to merge language, understanding, communication, understanding the power of language, with fashion. And so that is the niche and the impact that token clothing company makes. I call it intelligent fashion. How do we actually take what we have against our skin every single day, what we wear, and how do we utilize maybe something we take for granted of wearing clothing to be able to give us a higher impact in our lives? And so, with pajamas why they're called pajamas with purpose? With pajamas with purpose, there's purpose in wearing them. On the interior of the fabric, I have printed powerful affirmations that I actually did some market research with and said what do women really want to hear? What do they want to believe, what do they want to know? So on the inside of those pajamas, there are the statements I am beautiful, I am worthy, I am loved, and those are repeated over and over on that fabric. And actually they go in two different ways. So the tops are reversible, and if you reverse them and you look in the mirror as the wearer, you can read those statements, but if someone is looking at you, they can also read the statements. The same, with our IMTs, I designed them so the wearer and the observer can both be impacted by that powerful and true language. And that is the whole focus of Token Clothing Company is to be able to empower women. It is a women's line to be able to empower women, to increase and improve powerful, positive mindset but also, at the same time, bless and help others improve their mindset.

Speaker 1: 7:46

Emily, I love that. I love the statements, the I am statements to go forward Beautiful, worthy and loved, and those that are very important. You know, I think about this and there's there's two ways. From a from a leadership standpoint, I want to go. One is you personally. First, you transition from what would have been a successful career in speech path pathology and that, and you merge, as you said. I love that. You saw the word merging your language with fashion, which is really cool. When I think about purpose in our work, there's these three circles that I often talk about. You got to have something that you're passionate about. You have to set something that you're good at, and then there has to be a market for it, and you brought those three things together really cool. You were, you're very strong on the language side with regards to your training, but you had a passion that was sitting there for a long time for fashion. That was sitting there and somehow you're able to merge those two. Merge those two find the market together and that's where you're delivering on your purpose, which is pretty powerful in and of itself. How did you make that transition to that side you mentioned just a few years ago, but you probably had some limiting beliefs yourself before you're ready for that. How did you make that transition?

Speaker 2: 8:53

Absolutely, and I'll be honest to John right now. There are still beliefs that I have to make sure that I combat or that I face, that I refrain. It doesn't just go away, right, I wish it did, but we live in a world of opposition, understandably. That opposition, though, can make us stronger, it can make us more impactful in good ways, and so not having this background in fashion, not having again the skills that a lot of fashion designers have that was certainly was was something that I thought about and pondered and considered and, to some point, was limiting for me. But, like you said, that passion, I knew that, that those passions and that desire was placed on my heart. I just did, I knew that this was something that was part of my life mission, part of my life purpose. I certainly wondered why it took so long, thinking 20 years ago well, I want to do this, and I'm kind of this person who says, all right, let's do it, let's do the work and let's just go get it. That didn't happen.

Speaker 1: 9:54

Hey listeners, I want to take a quick moment to share something special with you. Many of the topics and discussions we have on this podcast are areas where I provide coaching and consulting services for individuals and organizations. If you've been inspired by our conversation, they are seeking a catalyst for change in your own life or within your team. I invite you to visit coach john gallaghercom forward slash free call to sign up for a free coaching call with me. It's an opportunity for us to connect, discuss your unique challenges and explore how coaching or consulting can benefit you and your team. Okay, let's get back to the show.

Speaker 2: 10:33

There were a lot of, I will say, challenging growing experiences along the way where there were times when I wondered Well, is this ever going to happen? I lived in Portland Oregon. Here's another piece. I lived in Portland Oregon for several years as a speech pathologist and when I decided to move back to the mountain West I now live in Idaho, grew up in Wyoming. When I decided to move back to the mountain West I thought is this ever going to happen? Because to me Portland, you know a seaport city would be a much better place to start a company than Idaho. But what was a delight and a miracle and a blessing is that when I started there happened to be a cut and sew factory 30 minutes from where I live. That most residents of my town in Idaho don't even know of lifelong residents. They're shocked when I say, well, here's where my cut and sew factory is. So I see that as a miracle. And, with those limiting beliefs, if I had said, well, there's just no way, I can't do this anymore, because look where I'm going to live, there's not going to be those opportunities I still pursued, and said, you know what, I can do this and God's going to help me, because I know that he has placed this desire in my heart and I want to work with him. And so, again, this opened up and made it possible possible for me to launch this company, and the technical pieces of actually having a cut and sew factory to make the garments was helpful.

Speaker 1: 11:55

Himalayan. I love how you weave in as well your faith into that story because you know, as I listened to it and I knew prior to the call, that you were a woman of faith as well, child of God, and that the understanding of the timing that you used that you know. When we, as Christians, we would believe that over time. You know God's working in us. It's not on our time. We wanted to. We wanted it to occur 20 years ago, but he was sowing seeds in us to get us ready for that point in time. How did it ultimately, and how does it still, play a part in who you are today, your faith?

Speaker 2: 12:30

Sure, it plays the biggest part in who I am and in how I approach life. Again, I wouldn't be able to, I wouldn't want to launch a company without knowing the source that I can go to for help, right and that is my Father in Heaven and my Savior, jesus Christ. And again, there were moments along those you know, 20 years, along that time, when I thought why do I have these desires if this isn't happening? I would try a few things here and there and nothing just seemed to fall into place. I can now look back on that and say not only were the technical pieces falling into place one being 20 years ago I don't think that our society or culture was ready for powerful affirmations on clothing but because of the neuroscience that's happened over the last 15, 20 years, as well as the push for understanding mindset, certainly what happened with COVID, our mental health disorders that we have and that we're recognizing as a society, now is the right time to be able to move forward what I want to do. But I also can look back and say, and you know what, along with that there was personal growth that happened through some of those really trying and challenging times. Nothing to do with fashion, nothing even to do with business, but just personally, things that I had to learn so I could be the person that can approach business in the way that I can. Now and again, I don't feel that there is a place that you have come to and that you're made and set. You're constantly going back to God for His help and His grace and His direction. Again, with what I'm doing in way of business, I want to do this to impact as many people positively as I can, certainly with women, to help them understand who they are. I think about the statement on the pajamas, one of the statements which actually, when I did the market research, led the way the entire time and what women wanted. And that is the statement I am loved. We all have different experiences, we all have different backgrounds, different circumstances and even if people, women I'll just refer to women even if women don't feel loved in their specific circumstance, perhaps by people around them, even if they don't believe in God, it is still truth that they are loved by God and so having that, being able to say that I am loved, that is a true statement and that also, as we speak, truth that allows light into our lives and light into the lives of others, as we share that.

Speaker 1: 15:02

Love that. Thank you for sharing that. I think that the listeners need to hear how important that is and how we live and how we stay connected and the I am love component. You're exactly right. Too often whether it's for women or men, in terms of our mindset, and we don't get that affirmation on a regular basis, it can be really disappointing. We talked about this a little bit beforehand. Even look at the younger generation, those that are I don't know if they're Gen Z's or whatever generation they are in terms of the social media generation they're always on their phones, they get their affirmations through that device. Right now. Their community tends to be in that space. How do we move your message, those affirmations, into that group, into that community? What have you seen? This work?

Speaker 2: 15:51

Yeah. So just yesterday, john, I had this wonderful and delightful conversation with my 20 year old niece after Thanksgiving dinner, who I adore, and I had been thinking about her and her generation for several weeks and she lives down in Utah and so I said, macy, when you're back, I really want to interview you, meaning just have this conversation about what's happening with your generation. So we took a long time yesterday after dinner and all of the questions I asked about how do girls to age and even young men her age, how do they increase their mindset? Where do they get their information? How are they communicating? Every question I asked, I realized, because I was taking notes on this everything went back to social media, right, which in my generation, yes, I use social media, but I didn't grow up with a phone, I didn't grow up with social media. And so, again, I was trying to get a better perspective and it was really intriguing to me, because one of the things that she said she said in every conversation she's had with friends, schoolmates and people like that, people that she works with all of them wish that social media would become extinct, which was shocking to me. I'm like, really, she's like, yes, she's like. The hardest thing is the comparison. But she said we recognize how horrible and bad it is and how it's not good yet at the same time. That is how their generation communicates. There is and she even she used this word and she said there is an addiction. She said, picking up your phone and scrolling, she's like it's all about the scroll. And again she recognized how detrimental it could be and even shared some personal practices that she's put in so she's not in front of a phone all the time so she can have more meaningful conversations. And I asked her I said if your friends are feeling this way, then why not just get off social media completely? And she said because there's that feeling of missing out of not being informed, and again, that's how they communicate. And so and I see social media as a force for good or evil. Simply put, I don't even think that there is a neutral side to social media. Either you are uplifting and you're edifying someone that's watching or seeing something on social media, or it's going the other way. And so there's this again, this fight really in our world, if we look at multiple things right now, between good and evil, that's what it comes down to, and so, certainly, token Clothing Company is on social media. We're an online company, and so I feel that we need to have a presence there, and I make sure, as I work with my social media manager, that everything that we put out on social media is edifying, is uplifting, is elevating. Granted, it's part of it is also advertising, but everything else it must be edifying and help people understand who they are and, in that moment, feel that light and that goodness. And so I do feel that social media can serve a good purpose. I feel that, even with that, we still have to be careful and aware of how much time we're giving to that, but I also feel that social media can be a place where there is significant comparison that is detrimental, that leads to discouragement and then ultimately despair, and certainly there can be language used on social media that tears down the soul. So it's our choice, right, how we use those forums, those platforms, but also we have to be really careful about how we participate in them and watch and observe.

Speaker 1: 19:28

There's so much in there, kimberly, what you just said. I mean, you know, let's, let's think through and they have something. Well, I tried to stay present with with what all those things you were saying. You know, today's news is AI as well, and the battle between good and evil and how it's going to be used, and how it's even being used in a in a really horrible way with regards to AI and the intersection of social media. But you know two things you said. They're right at the end, like being at the choice we are all as individuals, that choices to how we use that, knowing that good and evil exist and we're always in a spiritual warfare. It is so important for us to stay aware of that side as we're going through that. Now, token clothing company, as you say, is on social media. You're building a tribe, you're building a community. I am curious do you have a story that, within token clothing and the community that you've built, that hits you more and that you're proud of with regards to to that company?

Speaker 2: 20:22

Yeah, absolutely so. Again 20 years ago. You know all those years when I was thinking about fashion and coming from a perspective of how do I do this a little bit differently than perhaps other fashion companies, there always was a philanthropic side to this that I wanted, and I didn't know exactly what that would look like. But again, my goal was to edify women and to unify women. Fashion can be competitive, fashion can create comparisons, and I'm well aware of that. So I thought how do we create a company that does the opposite, that unifies the people, specifically women, that helps elevate them, helps create connections where they feel supported and not that they're being compared to someone else? So, within a few months of launching last year, as I was thinking what is token clothing company going to do, it kind of got me like a ton of bricks. It was very inspired as I was thinking, who needs these words? Who needs these types, this type of clothing, more than anyone else? And I thought about people, women, who are trafficked, particularly sex trafficked, those vile circumstances that happen in our world that I think are horrific, and the type of language and love that they need to continue in their lives. And so, through communicating with a few different organizations, I was able to establish a connection with Refuge for Women. Right now, refuge for Women is the largest long term rehabilitation facility and program in the United States of America for women who have been sex trafficked, and so last spring in April of 2023, we launched an initiative called Pay it Forward with Pajamas, and what our customers or anyone who's interested can do is to come on to that page on our website, and on that page we have the first names of women who are part of these programs, who have been sex trafficked, and I've had them write not their stories, because we know a portion of their stories, but instead write their hopes and their dreams, what they want to achieve and do in life to impact other people in spite of the circumstances and the experiences that they've had. And so customers can go on to the page, choose which women, after reading the different stories, that they would like to gift a pair of pajamas to, and they can gift that pair of pajamas and, which to me is almost as important, they can also write a personal note of encouragement to that woman, and then Token Clothing Company will fulfill both the pajamas as well as that note and make sure it gets to the recipient, and so that is a way to connect women. Granted, there are some confidentiality issues with the recipient and being able to have that recipient respond, et cetera, but you are as the customer, you are granting these women hope, clothing through your own personal experience or note to encourage them and to share love and light with them. And so I love that piece of the company right now, probably more than all the rest, just because, again, it's connecting women and it is sharing Light with women who have seen incredible darkness. Love that.

Speaker 1: 23:37

You know it's amazing. The story that you've written with regards to you know where you started and what you were good at and started your work and move that over into your passion and ultimately turn that into a purpose of impacting and supporting and encouraging better women to go through that. Kimberly, I'm excited about your story. I appreciate you sharing it with the folks on the Uncommon Leader podcast. I would ask how do you want folks to stay in touch with you and learn more about you and or token clothing company?

Speaker 2: 24:09

Sure, so again we're on social media, we're on Facebook, we are on Instagram, we're even on Pinterest, and so they can come there. Our website is token clothing cocom, which we can put in the show notes and I always do this, john, for people who are listening. I have an extra page that's not displayed on the website, but I can send that link with printables. I am printables, right. So if there is something specific that you are struggling with, you can go on to that site. You can either type in the word that you need I am strong, I am courageous, I am brave, I am worthy, whatever you need and then you can print it off, or you can just print off the printables and then write that word in yourself. So that's another option. How do you do that? You can print it yourself. So that's another option. Having that language in front of us, being able to see that again. All the neuroscience shows how important repetition and intensity are in being able to change those neural pathways in our brain, and that change with language then, of course, creates change in behavior and action, which is powerful.

Speaker 1: 25:13

I'll be sure to share those domains, those websites, in the show notes for folks to get to. I look forward to receiving that from you so I can make that happen. Kimberly, again you've been more than gracious with your time today. I've really enjoyed the conversation. I'll finish you off with the same question and I finish all my first time guests with, and that's I'm going to give you a billboard. I have a feeling that I've heard most of it already in terms of what's on the billboard, because you're so good at telling the story, but you can put anything you want to on that billboard. What are you going to put on there and why? You can put it anywhere you want to as well. You can leave it out in Idaho, but if you want more people to see it, put it anywhere you want to.

Speaker 2: 25:47

Yeah. So this might be a little bit surprising but, as I thought about this and maybe this is because of the place that we are right now, with Thanksgiving just happening, right but I would put a billboard up in Washington DC so all of the leaders of this nation see it on the way into Congress, on the way right, they would actually see that. That's where I would put that and right now it would change. The billboard would change probably every month, but right now. I had the opportunity to read for my family yesterday the first Thanksgiving declaration from our first president, george Washington, and I loved it. I loved how he talked about freedom and gratitude and remembering to be grateful to our gracious Lord, and so I sometimes think that as people, certainly as a country, as a society, we forget where those blessings come from and who we need to be looking to and worshiping, and so I would put that billboard out in Washington DC so all of our leaders see it, as well as all of those who come to this nation to visit. Washington DC is a place that they come it was their last summer and again people from all over the world, so they understand the true source of light, the true source of success and prosperity, and our part in maintaining that success and liberty for our nation.

Speaker 1: 27:11

Thank you so much. That's powerful. That's really cool. I'd read that billboard. Yeah, kimberly Wilkson, thank you for being a guest on the Uncommon Leader Podcast. I wish you and your organization the best going forward, okay.

Speaker 2: 27:21

Okay, Thanks so much.

Speaker 1: 27:24

John, and that wraps up another episode of the Uncommon Leader Podcast. Thanks for tuning in today. If you found value in this episode, I encourage you to share it with your friends, colleagues or anyone else who could benefit from the insights and inspiration we've shared. Also, if you have a moment, I'd greatly appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback not only helps us to improve, but it also helps others discover the podcast and join our growing community of Uncommon Leaders. Until next time, go with Grow Champions.