Evolution Now

Carrie Kirkman, President of Jones Group Canada, shares her insights on how change can be a catalyst for opportunity, and how to dress the part.

By: Carrie Kirkman, President, Jones Group Canada | Download Article

ON CREATING A CULTURE OF CHANGE

The winners in our fast-changing marketplace are businesses that are fluid and flexible. Small businesses have an advantage because they’re more agile when it comes to change. If you’re a large organization it can be much more challenging because you’ve got such a huge infrastructure. It’s rather like steering a large ship versus a small speedboat. In the fashion industry, we’re seeing many new players advancing into Canada, which is a uniquely desirable market relative to US and Europe. This means that new competitors and ways of doing business (e.g. e-Commerce) are constantly surfacing, and with those changes come opportunities to embrace and encourage. It’s critical today to be hungry for the “what’s new, what’s next.”

ON WHAT “EVOLVING” MEANS

I’ve always been most excited when given the opportunity to evolve a business rather than just run it. The biggest challenge in taking a business forward today is the ability to anticipate where things are going, while fully respecting the lessons of the past. Many businesses base their target on what they achieved in their last fiscal. One of the downsides of this mindset is that it makes certain assumptions based on history and locks us within the four walls of those past experiences. Breaking down those walls and exploring blue-sky scenarios creates the possibility of making real quantum leaps. What I love the most about business is walking that line between bridging the historical base and the future potential – the art and science of business. For me, the ART of business is seeing that future potential, while the SCIENCE is gathering data from past and present experiences and making informed choices based on that data.

ON KEEPING YOUR PASSION ALIVE

If you have a real and enduring passion for what you do, that passion will keep you energized. Learn to view setbacks as opportunities. This is a key part of what separates those who stand and fight from those who fall back. It also helps to have a network of support and mentorship around you. When your inner strength and belief falters, those are the people who will reignite that spark of passion and remind you that you love what you do! ON THE

IMPORTANCE OF EVERY INTERACTION

It’s also important to be mindful of EVERY interaction because each one is an opportunity to build support and create a network around you whether you’re conscious of what benefit it hasor not. I’m a big believer in finding the right business partners who share the same entrepreneurial spirit. It’s easy to find people who just want to “maintain” their business. But if you find people who are as hungry as you are, it creates a culture of excitement, evolution and forward momentum that’s infectious and inspiring for all involved. When you meet people like that, hold onto them!

ON STANDING APART FROM THE CROWD

Those with an entrepreneurial spirit don’t always easily assimilate. It’s okay to be different, to have a different vision and approach. Of course, you have to establish some common ground in order to work with others, but that doesn’t mean you have to conform and become part of the “hive.” Having the confidence to take a different path and approach things differently is precisely what separates you.

Professional wardrobes have come a long way. The integration of work and life has created a business-casual revolution that’s changed the way we dress for work. What you wear is now an extension of your individual style. As such, colour and pattern are much more evident. Seasonal trends and accessorizing have also found a place.

Dressing for the office was once an exercise in neutralizing one’s style. Women’s business attire took after the male business suit: the cut was classic and conservative, the palette neutral, and accessories were modest, minimal. The result was uniform-like; deliberately playing down our femininity and the individual. Thankfully times have changed.

Having a feminine appearance is no longer perceived as being at odds with professionalism, expertise and gravitas. These changes are also evidence that women are more comfortable in the workplace.

Impeccable fit and polish are still hallmarks of professionalism, but we have the freedom to express ourselves. And that is an evolution we can all embrace!

Carrie Kirkman is the President of Jones Group Canada. With over 25 years of experience, Kirkman strives to be a mentor to other women who are looking to achieve success in their individual professions. Jones New York is available for sale at The Bay. Read more on Carrie Kirkman here.