brit gilmore

Our guest is Brit Gilmore, President of The Giving Keys, a pay-it-forward jewelry company based in Los Angeles.

In this episode, Brit traces her roots as an aspiring leader seeking a way to merge her passion for serving people experiencing homelessness with her natural interest in fashion and design.

Brit now leads The Giving Keys, a for-profit jewelry company providing employment for people who are transitioning out of homelessness in L.A. County. Each jewelry key has a word stamped on it, and wearers are encouraged to draw inspiration from their word, then pass the key on to another person they meet who needs to claim that word for themselves.

Brit and Andy discuss the challenges and benefits of competing in a fast-moving retail marketplace while committed to manufacturing locally. They also talk about journaling, condensed symbols, cherishing family, bad social enterprise products, redemptive non-compete letters, and the importance of superfluous things.

About The Guest

Brit Gilmore is President of The Giving Keys. Brit is passionate about job creation for community transformation and using business to build self-esteem and break cycles of poverty. The Giving Keys has pioneered a model of integrating fashion, social good, and inspirational words to impact the lives of others within and beyond the walls of the company. The company employs people transitioning out of homelessness and creates a line of inspirational products that has generated a pay it forward movement. Previously, Brit spent seven years in the fashion industry working with brands like Club Monaco, Skingraft, and Betsey Johnson, and she spent time as a stylist working with Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, and more. She also co-founded and works part-time on an employment and mentoring program in the West Bank called The Bethlehem Project. Brit lives in Venice, CA with her husband, Ryan.