MICHELE MEYER-SHIPP ESQ.- CEO DRESS FOR SUCCESS WORLDWIDE
Dress for Success is an organization I have always loved and admired since high-school. My father argued because it was an excuse for my ‘PhD in shopping to be overlooked as giving back.’ Now in high-school that probably was a small reason why I loved Dress for Success. The reality is, they are so much more they guide women from everything to interview prep, community, styling and mental well-being. At the helm is powerhouse Michele Meyer-Shipp Esq. and to say I was overjoyed she said yes is an understatement. One of my proudest moments to date! Enjoy!
©MICHELEMEYER-SHIPP
Before I begin, I want to take a moment to say thank you…this interview with you is the highlight of my 2023… Oh stop it, stop it, my gosh well thank you! Your career in general and not just with the Dress for Success is just amazing, and it is truly beautiful to see.
How would you introduce yourself to people that are unaware of you…
So, I would introduce myself as a person who has never met a stranger. I am a friend to everyone. I am a lover of people. I am curious. I am a lifelong learner, and I like to have fun. I love to build relationships and to learn new things.
I can get into the professional things, but I always like to start with that. I really like how you stated the human aspect of yourself versus the career, and I think that has played so much into your success. Please correct me if I am incorrect. Typically, people start with whatever label that they have. It does not matter that much, as how you make someone feel. That is so right. It is such a beautiful way to introduce yourself, and incredibly humble. Thank you, Thanks!
Now you have a super cool job, you are CEO for Dress for Success Worldwide, and you actively promote equality at a global level. Yes! And you held one of the highest positions in the MLB, as well with Diversity and Equity. This is a hair flip moment I tell you! Ahahaha…
As your position as CEO for Dress for Success what is part of your vision for that and what do you hope to achieve…
So, all we want to do is to help every single woman that comes through our door to transform her life for the better. Most of the women who comes to see us are dealing with either a job loss, or return to the workforce. They need help with getting on their feet and building economic independence.
For us at the end of the day if we can do that for every woman that walks through the door, we have been successful.
Did you ever foresee as you were starting off in your career that you would be the CEO of Dress for Success... Never, never in a million years... sometimes I feel like I am having an out of body experience. I will be visiting at an Affiliate, and I will be on stage and looking out at our Volunteers, Donors, our Women, and the Team. I am like ‘omg this is kind of surreal’.
So, I never imagined this in a million years. I did think that I had a blueprint for what I wanted my life to look like. As you go through life, things change, you change, and you grow you evolve you learn. Things happen that guide you down a path where you are supposed to be, and this is where I absolutely am supposed to be.
What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your job in day, or in general….
So, I would say the most fulfilling is to actually and visibly - interact with; engage with; see; touch; talk to the women that we have helped, and the women that we are helping. Like to actually wrap my arms around them. Sometimes I have one of our clients come speak at one of our events. I had one client join me on the Tamron Hall Show.
Tamron Hall called and said that we would love to have you come and speak on the show. So, I said okay, may I bring one of our clients? And she was like ‘yes’. When we got on set and Tamron was asking me questions, I was like you need to ask her questions. When she told her story and spoke about what we actually did for her to change her life - I was like mike drop. This is what it is all about! That is all that it is about. It was amazing.
Those are some of the most fulfilling things. The other thing, I have worked in a lot of sectors, a lot of industries, but I have never worked in a place that everyone that I encounter sole’s focus is to help another human being.
It is not making a profit, it is not selling life insurance, not picking up new clients, it is not selling baseball tickets. Every single purpose here wants to change someone else’s life. So, we have that common core bond and connection. It does not even feel like work. That is simply amazing.
In this day age, and I must stop…well I am low key addicted to the news. You get so heavy, and you say where is humanity. Oh! Yes, so true. That is the best thing about Dress for Success as an organization, it shows that there are still good people that care, want to see you succeed, and to help. So true!
It reminds me of something that I saw on Instagram…’Find the people that want you to win, and you just go there, and stop knocking yourself in the head at the place that doesn’t’. Yes, exactly! That is just an anecdote to that, plus Tamron Hall is a fellow Temple Owl, so that makes it even better.
What would you tell someone about some of the amazing rewards for getting involved at Dress for Success at the local level (some you have already touched upon) … if they don’t really have a skill set – they are not a stylist or a coach, what can they do?
There is something for everyone to do to help us at Dress for Success, at any one of our local Affiliates. Women, Men, Volunteers come in and do a range of things. Mentoring to a client, listening to a client that maybe needs help with a resume. Maybe sitting with a client and doing a mock interview, or helping a client set up a LinkedIn profile page.
Maybe even sitting with a client and just helping her proofread her resume. It can be something as little as that, or she comes in the door, somebody has to help her with her intake form. Then sitting with her and helping her fill out her intake form.
Then for those that actually want to help style her and dress her, you can do that as well. Now if someone is introverted and you really do not like to deal with a lot of people. You can go in the backroom and help us sort clothing. You can help us with paperwork.
There is so much to do. One of the things that I tell people all the time is that our Local Affiliates are very small, and lean run teams. Literally in some of them they have one person on Staff. It is the Volunteer, and the Volunteers that come in that do the heavy lift. Without our Volunteers we are nothing.
So, I would encourage anyone to check us out Locally, give a call and ask how you can help. Then hear what the different ways are, and I am sure there is some ways that everyone can step up and be a help.
List five things that you cannot live without…
Okay, so the five things that I cannot live without – Myles, Marcus, Mason, and Michael. So, Myles is my oldest son, Marcus is my middle son, Mason is my third son, and Michael is my husband. So, I am not going to cheat, I am going to bundle them up. I am going to say my immediate family is one; two – my extended family. I love, love, love my sisters, nieces, and nephews. I am a family person. Third – sports can’t live without it. Which sport is your favorite? Football! I would have sworn you would have said MLB, ahahaha. No, football. My brother-in-law played professional football. My oldest son played college football, and my baby plays football at Yale. I live for football.
When the football season ends, I am miserable for a little while. So, football, and sports in general. Next would be travel, and music. What is your favorite place to travel… I have been a lot of places, so this will be hard. I do not have a favorite, but I can give you my top three. Safari in South Africa was mesmerizing and simply unbelievable; being on the top of Mauna Kea in Kona, Hawaii was breathtaking. I was actually above the clouds and looking down into the clouds like I was on an airplane. I was standing there in a snow suit in Hawaii, it was freezing. Then I would say…this is hard. Probably one of the Buddha Temples in Japan.
I have been all over the world, and everyplace has been amazing for different reasons. So that is why I say travel. Because I am curious and because I like so many things it is really hard to say one particular place. I love Italy, France, and Spain. Me too!!!
Music – top two artists. It can be a genre, or be collective…
I like my old schoolhouse music; I am not going to lie. Noooo! Old school, like Frankie Knuckles old school. Like when I put it on, my sons are like…’Mom what is that’. That is what I listened to when I was in college.
What was the best advice that you were given personally and professionally….
I would say communication is key and critical in all aspects of life. It was not until I passed 50 years old that I realized that that was so true. You must communicate and be transparent in your personal life and professional life.
All the time, because when you are not communicating with people that you are dealing with, they are making up stories in their heads about what they think you are thinking. And it leads you to have relationships that you are not able to maximize.
If we had like an hour, I could give you five examples of real life situations and work situations wherein there was a failure to communicate, that lead to a forced communication. And that communication led to a revelation that made both parties say, ‘wow like I totally missed that’. It led to an improved relationship, a better outcome, so communication is critical – both personal and professionally.
Then two other things… one – take risks. You must take calculated and strategic risks. To try new things, try a new job, learn a new skill. Be a curious learner, make new friends. Get outside of your comfort zone, so take risks.
Two – You must tell people and know what you want. Again, people cannot read your mind, and they do not know. Your expectation may not be aligned to their expectation. Again, this is personal and professional. So, I think if people can master the art of those things, they will find that they are more personally fulfilled, and professionally fulfilled. And… I love your doggie. Oh, thank you! I have to hold her, or she would be barking. Noooo … she is so cute.
What is your favorite clothing staple, what is something that when you put it on you feel like you can conquer anything….
Yoga pants! Here is a funny thing. Even though I work for Dress for Success, and I try to help women look their best every day. I actually am very happy in yoga pants. I get really overwhelmed with shopping. I like too just be comfortable. Now, do you have a favorite brand of yoga pants? Lululemon. Lululemon. Funny that now when I am shopping for work pants, I am looking for material that is like Spanx’s, Lululemon material. They now make like work yoga pants now. They do!?! Yes!
You know I went through a hard-core phase of Alo and Lululemon ...and I am thinking that I have enough to last me three lifetimes. No, they do though, and they feel like yoga pants. And my other new favorite staple, is a really cute sneaker, like a shoe sneaker.
Favorite way to get organized and celebrate for the year ahead…
Blocking time out at the end of the year, and purging. I literally mean purging office files, computer files, clothes in the house. My husband and I at the end of the year order a dumpster to our driveway and keep it for a week. When all of the boys come home for Christmas, we take one day and we purge. We do a donation bin, and then a garbage bin. Every year. I am so excited, as of December 18th I am off for the rest of the year. The first week will be purge week. Woaw, I am so happy that I got in (your schedule) before the 18th. You did, you did!
Do you ever find the cathartic value in releasing stuff that no longer serve you. But do you ever feel like ‘uh oh maybe I was too hasty’?
Oh yes, I have to say this … those days that I am purging I do find myself saying ‘ohhh maybe I …maybe I’ . However, my rule - if I have not touched it in a year it goes. I must say when I hurt my back, I gave away 40 pairs of some of the most amazing heels. While I know I cannot wear them, I do wish I kept a few in the closet just to look at.
What do you see as the biggest achievement for Dress for Success in 2023, and what do you hope for in 2024…
So, in 2023 we built a new Strategic Plan. That was major. That Strategic Plan sets us up for the next five years. It roadmaps out for us all the things that we need to do moving forward to continue to help the women that we serve. And for the Worldwide office to help Affiliates.
What I hope for in 2024, and the next five years is to execute the plan flawlessly and smoothly. That is all I want, and that would make me happy.
The last and most fun question. What is your favorite way to unwind...
Believe it or not, in the basement movie room, with a cozy blanket, my husband sitting next to me in his studio chair, me in my studio chair, and Max, my doggie on my lap. And we do it every night. Do you have a favorite genre of movie…. I am Crown Series person. Quick fun fact I wanted to be an FBI Agent. I have a keen interest in anything that is a psychological thriller. The more the better. He loves Jeopardy so we start the night with that. Then we move to a thriller, or a crime series show.
Thank You!!!! Thank you so much! Yes, keep in touch.
