During a thriving career within the financial industry, Brittany Myers Cobb realized that the arrival of her third child required a lifestyle shift. She made plans to become a stay-at-home parent, but while researching ways to keep busy and connected with other women, she found an unexpected entry point to the next stage of her professional life. A sky-rocketing career in direct sales led to increased awareness of the power of social media and online networking, and now Brittany’s thousands of followers (and 3000+ sales recruits) listen to her thoughts on fashion, style, beauty, home and family life.
Where were you born, and what was your upbringing like?
I grew up in Carlisle, Arkansas. My parents had a hunting club there. We fished and rode four-wheelers and hunted and did all of the outdoors stuff because there wasn’t really much in town to do. And so living in Memphis has just been incredible. The way my kids are growing up is the exact opposite of the way that I grew up.
What brought you to Memphis?
I actually followed my family to Memphis. I went to college in Conway, AR, at the University of Central Arkansas. Right before I graduated, my dad said, where are you going to go? And my whole family had moved over here at this point. So I told him, I’m not going to be left out. I’m coming to Memphis. My brother had already moved here to work with Morgan Keegan, which is now Raymond James. My sister owns her own marketing firm. We all have our family here and get to spend life together, which is great.
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How has a love of fashion and style been reflected through your path?
I grew up loving fashion, wanting to have my own dress shop. When I was a little girl, I wanted to design and sell wedding dresses. It was always a dream. I didn’t really think it would go anywhere throughout my childhood, but it was one of those things where I would always sketch dresses and tell my mom what I wanted. Fashion has always been a love of mine. What I really like about it is that you can use it in so many different realms. It doesn’t have to be through one specific thing.
How did your work in broadcast journalism begin?
Once I was actually in college, I decided to go through the communications marketing realm to be a newscaster. I wanted to be on television doing the news. And then quickly I got a job with a news station in Conway. I did the weather, and then I also reported on the side, which was so much fun. Thank goodness that was before social media. I would die if my kids saw those videos.
What motivated you to begin sharing your own lifestyle perspective online?
I started my career for a company called First Data, which is a credit card processing company. I did that for about 11 years, and it was incredible. It was honestly the best thing that I thought I would ever have career-wise in my life, and everything was perfect about it. But I was pregnant with my third child, and I never saw my kids because I was working so hard and outside of the home. We decided that I was going to quit my job after maternity leave, but while I was on leave, I ran across a company online through the direct sales market called LimeLife by Alcone. LimeLife is a global beauty brand that offers skincare, makeup and beauty products.
Once you quit your job and you’re a stay-at-home mom, you’re fully focused on your kids. So I decided that I was going to join this specifically to meet other women, and this was going to be a vehicle to get me in front of them. I didn’t really care about the product at the time. I just thought, okay, this is my in to have those relationships. Fast forward 30 days, it happened so fast. I had probably 500 women that said yes, they wanted to do this with me and it grew and it grew and it grew.
All of this is because I’ve been on social media telling people tips, tricks, things about life. Not all beauty and makeup related, but about what I’m cooking for dinner or my kids or about a family issue or about a health scare. It was me using this platform to be able to share who I am. And through touching that many women and them touching me, I decided your voice really does matter.
How do you feel that the immediacy and connection of social media enhance your message?
We have something at our fingertips that will completely change the industry, and in one click or in one post or in one live video, you can reach an amount of people that you cannot do with anything else.
I really started using my platform to be able to help and to be able to make an impact. One thing that I always tell my team is that I want to be able to empower, encourage and inspire. That’s all I want to do.
What are your goals as chair of Memphis Fashion Week?
We are the largest fundraiser for Arrow Creative, which helps creatives to be able to work in one space, do the job that they know how to do without all of the overhead of what a business owner has to do every single day. So now I know I can make a true difference in the community just by putting on an incredible event, which also happens to be an event that I love.
What’s one of your local shopping go-tos?
I’d have to say Social. I probably shop more for my home than I do for myself, which is quite funny because I am in fashion. I love home stuff, and I love making my home mine. It takes years to be able to collect those pieces.
What does your perfect Memphis day look like?
A perfect day would be my husband, and I take our three kids to Gibson’s Donuts. We grab donuts, we go to Shelby Farms, we ride bikes, we have lunch at the restaurant at Shelby Farms. We take them home, put them down for a nap, and my husband and I take off to go downtown. We love spending time downtown with just the two of us. We would probably just walk downtown and shop a little bit. Then we would go to Andrew Michael, have dinner and drinks and end at Folk’s Folly with the piano bar.
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What is your best advice?
My best advice would be to be you, but be kind. Stay true to you. Everybody wants to change people and put them in a box and make them a certain way. Being you is the hardest thing to do.
Other than faith, family, and friends, what are three everyday things that you can’t live without?
Coffee, my perfume – Maison Francis Kurkdjian – and Dew Confidence body oil.
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