YouSaid · the spoken record

Aurora James

lines on the record: 30
first: 2021-11-18
most recent: 2021-11-18
sittings or episodes: 1
sources: podcast

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Yeah, I mean, to anyone listening, I think, you know, it's really easy to say, wow, the 15% pledge, that sounds great. And I'm so happy these other companies are doing it. But ultimately, there is a way for every single company to commit to the 15% pledge, whether it's in your B2B, you know, whether it's in your shelf space, whether it's in your pages, whether it's in your financials in another way. every kind of idea about how Silicon Valley can take the pledge literally everyone can take the pledge. We've been working with a ton of companies as well to figure out what that pledge taking can look like and how we can continue to support this ecosystem and really change the landscape.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Would have told me I was out of my mind. And we're doing it. It's happening. And guess what? It's incredible business for them. All of our pledge takers are coming back to us saying like not only was this the right thing to do, it's also one of the best business decisions we've ever made and it's been incredible for team building. And what I know is the power of the people. And when people are passionate about something, they are relentless in that pursuit. And what we need to do is get each other inspired and get each other feeling passionate about creating actual positive change. Because when we do that, the change will happen and we see it. We see these like glimmers of moments of hope where these incredible things happen that give us chills.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“I mean, listen, everyone has told me my whole life that things were going to be impossible. That's not possible. This isn't possible. It's never going to happen, right? And I'm constantly surprised by how wrong people are when they say never and impossible. If I had of called a whole bunch of people before I decided to post my pledge ask on Instagram, everyone would have told me I was out of my mind. They would have been like, there's no way that LVMH is going to agree to let Sephora change 15% of their merchandising Sephora Canada, by the way, Bob, pledged 25% of their shelf space going to BIPOC-owned businesses. 25%. I mean, literally completely changing what that store looks like.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Everything's at stake. This time is so incredibly critical for all of us. We're dealing with racial justice. We're dealing with climate change, which is also a racial justice issue. There's a ton of greenwashing that's happening. So disinformation is rampant. You know, the kids are having a tough time knowing who to trust, where to get their information from. They're suffering from anxiety and depression. We're all spending increasing times on social media, which we know is horrible for our health. And we are all also being pitted against each other at every possible opportunity, right? It's like a dividing conqueror. And we have to coalesce as humans and have tough conversations in community and promise each other that we're going to do our best.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Sometimes I just wish that I could sit down at a dinner and have someone turn to me and be like, did you see that Britney Spears Instagram post? You know, but that's like not the conversation that people are having with me right now that tends to be a little bit of heavier stuff, but it's okay. I'm here for it.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“By the magnitude of what it feels like to be the problem that it just, we can't even act at all. And I think for me, some of those conversations are so tough because I know what kind of impact they can have. And, you know, listen, like when I first launched the pledge, it was like pretty confrontational. And anyone that knows me knows that I'm not a confrontational person, right? But on social media, I'm like, I need you to do this. You have to do this, right? It was like very, you know, aggressive and the people had a relationship doesn't mean know what my heart is and know that I'm incredibly collaborative. I was raised in a household where there were a lot of really wild.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Yes I would be lying if I didn't tell you that it's really really hard. And for all of the companies that have taken the pledge, you know, Ulta Beauty, rent the runway, CB2, Hudson's Bay, like there are a lot of other companies that haven't taken the pledge and some of those companies I've spent countless hours on the phone talking to CEOs or chief merchant officers or people who just don't think that they can do it or they're afraid to fail and what they don't realize is that they're actually already failing the inability to commit to actively trying to make that sort of difference is the fail, right? And sometimes we get so paralyzed.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Absolutely, it's going to continue to be a part of it because it's a really, really, really incredible way for us to support all sorts of different artisans across the world. We're already working on like a fan, like a hand-woven hand fan for June of next year that's being made in Kenya. We're using grasses and we're using wood. So there's farmers that are being supported. And then there's weavers and there's carvers just in one product. And then it brings my customers so much joy because listen, I have what a quarter million followers on Instagram, right? Rest assured that all of those people cannot afford to buy luxury shoes. So having an opportunity for them to be able to be involved in Brother Vellies and what we're doing for $35 a month is also incredibly important to me and has been one of the greatest joys of the pandemic.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Different business right before the pandemic in January of 2020, our average order value online was $680. five months after the pandemic, it was $79. Totally different business, right? We were going from mailing choose to people to mailing like thousands of mugs. It was a tough pivot, but it was a necessary pivot. And my gosh, how grateful am I that we were able to do something like that instead of just folding, right? Like 40% of the other black-owned businesses across this country. So I'm so grateful for that.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Home goods. And the first thing that we did, for example, was a mug that was made by a female collective in Oaxaca that we're all quarantining together. My customers subscribe to this subscription program. And so we were able to sort of work with all of our different artisan groups and say, okay, this is what we can make together. We had carvers in Kenya that were making special things. And it's been really beautiful to be able to support different artisans and makers. And at the same time, bring these really special, thoughtful things into the homes of my customers for $35 a month. And it's a really great way for communities to support each other through really difficult time. And I'm really proud of that program. It was a great pivot for Brother Billies to make during the pandemic.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“We had big disruption. People definitely were not trying to buy shoes, let alone like heels or anything like that, handbags during a global pandemic when we're all staying inside. For me, first and foremost, I was just concerned about the artisan communities and the staff that worked for me, right? So we really pivoted most of our workshops to start making masks because in many situations, we were kind of the only people with sewing machines in the community, our dust bags that we often sell the shoes in. We're using those fabrics to make masks. And in terms of getting the materials that they needed to be able to make shoes, I mean, that really wasn't happening. I had a couple thousand of artisans who, you know, were looking in an uncertain future and I had a business that was also suffering and I sort of put the three things together and we were able to create a program called Something Special, which is actually a subscription model where we used what was locally available to our artisans to create small.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“So our Harachis, I think, are 230 to 260. That's more than what you would buy a Harachi for just on the street in Mexico, right? But when we actually look at the labor that goes into making those shoes and what it costs to actually pay people fairly for their work, it ends up being quite expensive. And when we break down the margins on some of what is made artisanally and sold in the marketplace, we realize that it's actually not sustainable for people to be working for those prices. when we take these traditional shapes and put them in a luxury space and pay and train artisans appropriately, what we hope we're doing is raising the bar for what they can expect to be paid from outside communities for their work.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Every single investor that I met with early on was like, oh, wow, these shoes are really amazing. Would you consider making these in China? I mean, you would get such better margins, right? And that really wasn't what it was about. But to give you an example, so we work with a couple of workshops in Mexico making a traditional Mexican harachi, which is a really wonderful woven flat shoe. I worked with them a little bit, altered the pattern, sort of used slightly different materials. And when Megan Markle started wearing our Hirachis a couple of summers ago, right before the pandemic, not only did we sell out all of the artisans, basically, who were making Harachis and selling them sold out. And for me, that's really what it's about. Because with Brother Velleys, because of the way that we're sourcing our materials and a lot of it sustainable and animal byproduct, it ends up being a slightly more expensive product, right?”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“And trying to save the shoe workshops that were in Southern Africa that were making that shoe that were just like folding rapidly. I grew and scaled that business by myself, which was incredibly difficult. I hit all of the roadblocks. I'm still here today and I was able to end up supporting a number of different artisans across the world. We've worked in South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Mali, Bali, Haiti, Italy, Mexico, Canada, and America. And it's been a really wonderful, beautiful, exciting project. And I've been able to grow my company and sell millions of dollars worth of shoes and handbags. And that's been really incredible.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“People that know me really can see that very clear parallel, right? Oh, the 15% pledge actually is Brother Velleys in a different manifestation. So for everyone listening that doesn't know Brother Valley's is my accessories brand. And I started it in January 2013 with the goal of preserving and growing traditional artisanal skills across Africa. So I started with a shoe called Aveli, which is a traditional Southern African, mainly South Africa and Namibia shoe. And when British people were in South Africa many moons ago, they happened upon this traditional shoe shape and brought it back up to England and created a company that we know today called Clark's. And they renamed it a desert boo. It is actually a traditional South African shoe called Velli. And so I created my company just based on that shoe shea.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“They're going to need, I'm an entrepreneur myself. I started my company, Brother Velius, with $3,500 at the Hester Street Fair in the Lower East Side. Don't know if you've ever been there, Bob, but it's definitely not, you know, Barney's. I definitely didn't have friends and family that I would be able to take money from to pay for my first purchase order. And, you know, a lot of black-owned businesses have very extreme lack of access to capital. And so we need to help them figure out how to get the resources that they need, how to even negotiate the contracts that they're receiving all of these things. So it's not just about giving a company a purchase order and being like, okay, here you go. Make it work. Grow your company, right? It's about giving them the tools and the mentorship and the access to actually be successful.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Yeah, so we have a business equity community that I'm so excited about, which is a whole coalition of over 1,200 black-owned businesses across the country right now. They are some of the most promising, I think, in the world. And we're really getting on the phone and having conversations and dialogue with each and every one of them to figure out how we can be most supportive and continue getting resources their way so that we can actually see them scale into the next crop of unicorns and IPOs. And really that is the proposition of the pledge. It's about supporting black-owned businesses and advocating for black entrepreneurs and black future founders. Google helped us build the database and they're also providing resources to us and working with us to create workshops and activations and programs in order to help these entrepreneurs build community but B, have more access to the tools and information that”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“What's so interesting about the pledge is it starts off as a shelf space proposition, right? But in order to actually get to 15% shelf space, you actually end up having to address all of these other issues that are going on in your company, right? Because when I launch the pledge, most of these retailers, well, I want to.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Didn't have a traditional shelf space. They were able to look at what they did as a business and make sure that they were able to support the black community in that way and then also they have a lot of events and a lot of marketing. So making sure that 15% of that attention is also going to black-owned businesses. Anyone that really wants to commit and take their existing business and figure out how to continue doing great business but include black people in 15% of that is what we're really looking for.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“So the initial call to action was for major retailers, right? But as the pledge started growing, pretty quickly, we started realizing that in order to accomplish this mission, right, of economic justice across the country, we were going to need a whole coalition. So American Vogue, for example, pledged with their representation, right? So now that we know there's going to be more black-owned businesses and retailers across the country, we also need to make sure that people know about those black-owned businesses who having media partners like Incel magazine and Vogue magazine commit to featuring and storytelling around those brands is incredibly important. Yelp, for example, took the 15% pledge and what they did that was insanely helpful to black business owners was creating that black business filter. So everyone in America is able to actually find the black-owned businesses that are closest to them. So while yelling,”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Or present things in a way that might be confusing, or just give us a headline. Like, we really need to know and deserve to know the brass tacks of what the commitment is. And to be quite frank with you, Bob, I'm not that interested in press releases unless they are accompanied by some sort of external accountability partner. And that's really what we are doing for our pledge takers. And we're also, by the way, like building a community of some of the most progressive and incredible companies in the United States of America that really want to figure out how to do this together. And listen, like I am grateful that Target is trying to do some work. And I still hope and suggest that they commit to the pledge because I think that we could strengthen the work that they are doing. But nonetheless, they're going to have to keep up with us. Even if people aren't taking the pledge, they're taking the pledge. That's what they don't realize.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Yeah, I mean, listen, if you are going to receive an ask from a nonprofit organization, which right now is being run by 15 women, predominantly women of color, right? And they're asking you to make a commitment to the black community and try to get to a goal of 15% shelf space not overnight, right? We're asking people to take time and do this in a thoughtful way that makes sense for not just them, but also the black-owned businesses. And it's not meant to be a sprint. It's meant to be a marathon, right? So if you're going to receive that ask and if you're going to decline, right, then I need to know like what you are doing. And if you think that you have a better strategy at play, then please like feel free to execute on that. But don't try to massage the numbers.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Would have ever expected. We need to also give ourselves credit for that too. So I think taking time to applaud the progress that we've made and seeing those data sets gives us inspiration to continue pushing forward even when it's hard.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Absolutely. I think for me, what was important was doing something that was going to actually have a data set next to it, right? So we were able to say this year, okay? So that's real impact. We're able to see those purchase orders. We know how many people work at all of these companies. We're tracking all of that. And so I think continuing to take that survey and data, all of that really helps us understand that this mission is important. We are all looking at the road ahead and saying, wow, this journey is going to be long, talking about racial justice, talking about climate change. It seems like it's insurmountable the distance that we have to go. We don't often take time to turn around and look at how far we've come, which is oftentimes so much further than we.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Well, great question. So I, of course, already had a full time job running Brother Valleys, right? But I knew that if I was going to ask these major retailers to pledge in this way, I was also going to have to be responsible for holding them accountable, right? And that's why I launched the pledge not just as an idea, but as a nonprofit organization. And when we talk about Nordstrom, for example, they signed a 10-year contract with a 15% pledge. So every quarter, we're actually sitting down doing an audit with them, looking at how their shelf space is growing, what have been the pain points, making recommendations of black-owned businesses for them to onboard, and really figuring it out because exactly what you said, Bob. Like there were a lot of commitments that were being thrown around. And I really wanted to make sure that we could actually pull it out into long-term meaningful change that would”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Yeah, I mean, listen, Bob, here's the problem with me. Like, before I ever was on the Time 100 list, I was on the Time Optimist list. So the optimist in me said I'm going to put this ask out there into the world. I mean, I ask major retailers to commit 15% of their shelves faced to black-owned businesses. And I believe wholeheartedly that someone will answer my request and say yes. So I was really optimistic and I tagged the companies that I thought would be best suited to rise to the occasion. I tagged Sephora. I tagged Target, who unfortunately hasn't taken the pledge. I tagged MedMen, you know, the cannabis industry, of course, needs to show up in a meaningful way. They also took the pledge. And the rest, as they say, is history.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Up overnight with my web designer. We launched a petition Monday at noon. And then Wednesday we became a nonprofit. And by day 10, Sephora became the first major corporation to commit to the 15% pledge. And since then, we've announced 28 major corporations as pledge takers. They've all signed contracts with the nonprofit organization. And we've taken over $10 billion and diverted that to black-owned businesses across this country.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“being anti-racist and wanting to stand with the black community at that moment, I think it calls for something more. And she was like, well, you know, they're a major retailer. What would you want them to do? And I was like, well, black people in this country are almost 15% of the population. They should consider committing 15% of their shelf space to black-owned businesses. And she was like, I don't think anyone can do that. And I was like, all right, cool. Let's get off the phone then. And I sat there on Saturday and quarantined in this apartment in Brooklyn and really thought about that proposition and what it would mean as a founder myself. I knew at that time that we were estimating over 40% of black-owned businesses to be closing during the pandemic. I knew, you know, how tough it was for all small businesses in America, but seeing that the black community was being hit, especially hard. And, you know, I knew what kind of value proposition that would mean for them if major retailers committed to that. So I just sort of sat down and wrote it out on my notes on my phone and posted it to Instagram an hour later. And Sunday, I stayed.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Exactly. In the wake of George Floyd's murder, I was getting a lot of calls and texts from people that were like, what should we do? How should we respond as a company? Who should we donate money to? And listen, it was a really difficult time for all of us. We were in the middle of a global pandemic. And at the same time that I was getting these calls, as a consumer, I was getting all of these newsletters that were saying, like, I support Black Lives Matter and we stand with you. And I was understanding what they were trying to do, but it really wasn't resonating with me as a human. I just needed companies to do more. A friend of mine called and was talking to me about a major retailer and she was like, you know, they just donated like a couple million dollars to the NAACP. They love the black community. And I was like, really? Is that what it means to love the black community? Like, of course, a million dollar donation is wonderful and super appreciated. But if we're talking about a company actually.”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“And it's like, you know, they just donated a couple million dollars to the NAACP. They love the black community. And I was like, really? Is that what it means to love the black community? By day 10, Sephora became the first major corporation to commit to the 15% pledge. And since then, we've announced 28 major corporations as pledge takers. And we've taken over $10 billion and diverted that to black-owned businesses across this country. I would be lying if I didn't tell you that it's really, really hard. And for all of the companies that have taken the pledge, you know, Ultimate Beauty, rent the runway, CB2, Hudson Bay, there are a lot of other companies that haven't taken the pledge. Everyone has told me my whole life that things were going to be impossible. And I'm constantly surprised. By how wrong people are”
2021-11-18 · Masters of Scale · Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT