– The Gorgeous Agency
It is said that life imitates art, with artists gaining inspiration from and reflecting on the world as they see it. Through the eyes of famous artists, we gain insight into the values society upholds.
These values shift over time, but in earlier periods we see artists revering beautiful women, especially celebrating the curvy female figure as a sign of fertility. A quick tour of a display of Botticelli’s works, for example, reaffirms that respect for a full-bodied woman stretches back centuries.
Over one hundred years ago, in the early 1920s, the standard of beauty shifted drastically as the flapper era favored women with more boyish, slender figures. Since that time, there has been even further shunning of fuller-bodied women and a strong emphasis put on lauding extreme thinness as the ideal body type. Who doesn’t remember Twiggy?
Despite the pressure and popularity of the slim body, reality speaks for itself. In fact, the research data confirms that women who are overlooked, or worse, shunned, because of their plus-size bodies actually comprise 65% of the United States consumer market, which translates into a staggering combined buying power of over $40 billion. Certainly, this is not a number to ignore.
These statistics tell an important story, highlighting the impact of women with an average size of 16 – and their challenging journey.
The facts demonstrate the capacity plus-size women have to influence the consumer market. But instead of being sought out for their extraordinary purchasing capacity, these women are faced with overwhelming anti-fat stigmas. Often left out of the conversation, these women must push past the embarrassing stereotypes while dealing with constant bias in their efforts to gain the respect needed to make their voices heard.
These women are not alone in their mission.
A passionate and dedicated advocate for plus-size women, Kara Richardson Whitely recognized the trauma that plus-size women go through. To effect significant change, Kara knew she had to embark on a strong re-education campaign, addressing the complexity of the issue while working on rewiring the entire conversation.
Through The Gorgeous Agency, Whitely has been relentless in her efforts to reshape policies in key areas. She founded the Summit-based agency drawing on her own experiences as a plus-size advisor and adventurer, once climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro at 300 pounds.
As CEO of TGA, she has traveled the world, appearing as a keynote speaker globally on behalf of the women she represents. Along the way, she has reached some amazing milestones. Her book, “Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro at 300 Pounds,” is being made into a movie starring Chrissy Metz from “This Is Us.”
Her greatest passion is seen in her agency’s work within the retail, pharma, health care, travel and human resource sectors to create the appropriate and consistent imagery that supports a message of equity for all.
TGA’s efforts focus on the customer’s journey, which includes imagery, strategy, and more – as they represent this lucrative – and often ignored – growth opportunity.
Employing a wide range of rebranding tactics, Whitely’s goal is to control and redirect the messaging, dispelling inaccurate and unfair assumptions, and in the words of Peloton – which The Gorgeous Agency has worked with – putting the spotlight on “anyone, anywhere, anytime.”
As a highly recognized influencer in the plus-size world, Whitely has sought out key partnerships, collaborating with leaders at companies that produce or sell plus-size products. Through these powerful collaborative efforts, she is urging business owners to be more mindful of this population to address and rectify the daunting pitfalls many people face daily.
It is not just about being an advocate. The Gorgeous Agency works with clients in many ways, such as their Customer Journey Workshops and North Star Sprints, to create simple, yet powerful pathways to better connect with this market.
Whitely accomplishes this by exposing the facts of consumer shopping trends, demanding compassion, and amplifying the voice of plus-size women.
The Gorgeous Agency has worked with a wide range of corporations like Peloton, Carhartt, Discover Puerto Rico, L.L. Bean, Google, Pfizer, and Uber.
Through TGA, Whitely has been relentless in her efforts to reshape policies in key areas. She is aware of and sensitive to the limitless list of challenges facing this community, such as being unable to access opportunities to enjoy active travel experiences, workplace discrimination, or feeling ashamed when shopping for clothes.
Change is inevitable. The business opportunity is clear: the plus size market represents billions in untapped potential across travel, hospitality, fitness, human resources, healthcare, retail and beyond. Yet most organizations continue to overlook or underserve this demographic.
Whitely sums it up best in her own words. “It is my main objective to ensure that all women have the ability to move past their own assumptions and the assumptions forced on them by society. I want to help guide and manage challenging conversations about weight in meaningful ways. This entails providing resources and opportunities that help everyone overcome limitations as they learn to live the lives they deserve, purposefully and joyfully.”
To find out how you can grow your company by working with The Gorgeous Agency, please visit the company’s website or check out Kara Richardson Whitely on LinkedIn.
