This weeks post highlights Nancy Youssef, founder of Curves With Purpose. I met Nancy in the fall of last year and have had the pleasure of interning with her and helping with Curves With Purpose’s social media platforms. Nancy is a strong woman that I believe is spreading kindness in the world by giving back through her company. She is an entrepreneur, encourager, mom, daughter, leading woman and so much more. Here is her story!
Nancy Youssef is the founder of Curves With Purpose, an inclusive fashion ecommerce company that’s transparent and empowering of women, namely in plus size communities. They have been spreading their message for 17 months now by creating small fundraisers, giving a percentage of their profits to different social causes and encouraging courageous conversation. Nancy along with five freelance employees, hope to spark confidence through clothing by enabling expression and self love in hopes to transform the spark into generous giving.
Nancy has always been compelled to give back as it was ingrained in her from a young age. Her parents were immigrants to the United States but even in the worst of times they were always compelled to lend a helping hand. She mentioned watching them struggle through working several jobs at a time, while raising her and her siblings. Language barriers and so many other obstacles were present, but through it all they always helped others in the little ways they could. She is compelled to help in any way she can because she knows firsthand giving back isn’t just financial but in spirit and support.
Curves With Purpose began twenty years ago when Nancy created a plus size line for her final design project in Fashion Design School. She was prompted to create this line because most of her family was curvy and she grew up seeing the struggle to find quality clothing that made them feel great! She entered a tenured corporate career in International Retail but later decided to go full circle and give back what so many had given her along the way. She wanted to share the joy of how clothing makes you feel and create a company that would always give back holistically.
The company’s mission is so much more than selling a product. It is about having opportunities to give back to places that have served you. Curves With Purpose is doing this by creating and entering communities and sparking conversation. The biggest component of Curves With Purpose is giving customers the chance to give back to the places that have served them and the people who have loved them both in financial and non-financial ways. The bottom line is, business should do more than just make a profit.
Soles 4 Souls has been an important part of Nancy’s path for the last five years and this is why Curves With Purpose specifically pairs with Soles 4 Souls. It is an organization that works to disrupt the cycle of poverty through free shoe and clothing distributions through a micro-enterprise program. Shoes and clothes can change someone’s whole perspective and attitude and Soles 4 Souls provides that relief through their organization. The micro-enterprise program helps people learn to stand on their own two feet by teaching them a trade.
Nancy believes that kindness is a simple act. It’s a smile, a touch, an acknowledgement that you empathize with someone or will help others in whatever way your life allows. She believes that kindness is passed through her rather than starts with her due to her being the beneficiary of kindness through the years. She has been the recipient of kindness, sees it in others and believes it is her responsibility to pass it on.
She believes kindness, although subconscious in all that we do, is critical. Everyone has a struggle that is unseen. Kindness simply expresses the non-verbal communication that makes others know you see them and their struggle!
Curves With Purpose is available on Instagram, Twitter, and their website. Click the links below to support Nancy, her company and this fashion journey!