The Gorgeous Agency’s Plus-Size Pathway

If you’re not appealing to the plus-size market, you’re competing for the same 33 percent of the market that everyone else is grabbing for.  

Plus-sized shoppers have $40 billion in buying power — but they’re often ignored by brands.

This is your chance to do it first and do it best.

This is not an “if you build it, they will come” scenario. 

Stereotypes and stigma mean the plus-size customer journey is rife with trauma, from not finding your size in-store to enduring judgmental comments by staff to having people everywhere make assumptions about your ability.

Repairing this relationship takes a nuanced approach, which we specialize in at The Gorgeous Agency.

With decades of lived experience, and as the leader in body diversity, we utilize data, PR, and influencer & disruptor strategy know-how to advise brands to connect without pitfalls, patronizing or prejudice and emerge a leader and champion with authentic growth in this new market.

Our Plus-Size Pathway transforms how your brand connects with this segment through strategic guidance, immersive workshops, and ongoing support

The Gorgeous Collective

Join a community of forward-thinking brands committed to inclusive excellence. The Gorgeous Collective brings together companies ready to lead the conversation around plus-size inclusion, share insights, and accelerate progress together.

Through collaborative learning, peer support, and exclusive resources in monthly online gatherings (typically the last Tuesday of the month), members gain access to cutting-edge strategies for engaging the plus-size market authentically and effectively.

Note: Joining for the full year gives you a free hour consult with Kara Richardson Whitely and a discount on team trainings throughout the year.

Learn More About The Collective

Customer Journey Workshop

Kara leads interactive workshops for brands and organizations seeking to better engage the plus-size consumer. These sessions help teams identify hidden friction points, improve customer experience, and build trust with an often-overlooked audience.

Drawing from her lived experience and extensive research, Kara guides participants through the unique challenges plus-size customers face throughout their buying journey—from discovery and consideration to purchase and loyalty.

Teams will learn to:

  • Identify and eliminate barriers in the customer experience

  • Develop more inclusive marketing and product strategies

  • Build authentic connections with plus-size consumers

  • Create environments where all customers feel welcomed and valued

Ideal for: Retail brands, fashion and apparel companies, marketing teams, product development departments, as well as travel, healthcare, fitness and human resource organizations committed to inclusive business practices.

Click here to learn more about the Customer Journey Workshop.

North Star Sprint

A quick, deep dive to uncover roadblocks and chart the way forward

At The Gorgeous Agency, we don’t just analyze—we unlock.

We uncover the barriers holding you back, align your teams with clarity, and architect a roadmap that accelerates both impact and market relevance. In just weeks, the North Star Sprint transforms uncertainty into alignment, friction into momentum, and intention into measurable traction.

This is where vision sharpens, teams unite, and strategy turns into action.

Your path forward begins here.

The North Star Sprint is your moment to pause, dig deep, and reset. In just weeks, we uncover the barriers, clarify the vision, and deliver a clear path forward—so your team can align, act, and accelerate with confidence.

Sprints are bespoke products built on very specific targets. We are your partners in the process so let’s talk to create your sprint to your growth goals.

Ongoing Consulting & Support

Sustainable change requires sustained partnership. Our retainer-based consulting services provide your team with continuous strategic guidance as you build and scale your inclusive initiatives.

From navigating sensitive conversations to refining your approach based on real-world feedback, we're with you every step of the way—ensuring your commitment to the plus-size market translates into meaningful, lasting impact. Book a call to learn more.

Strategy Sessions

Not sure where to start or need focused support on a specific challenge? Book a one-off strategy session to tackle pressing questions, review campaigns before launch, or get expert input on critical decisions.

These intensive sessions deliver actionable insights and clear next steps—perfect for teams who need strategic guidance without a long-term commitment.

Our Pathway

Our Process

Body size can be a challenging topic, so we take a welcoming approach to learning about the nuance associated with weight stigma, and the benefits for your business in reaching the plus-size market.

We begin with a company-wide keynote to create a shared understanding of the importance of this market, followed by team-specific workshops.

Learn

Discover

The subject matter experts at The Gorgeous Agency do a deep dive into your brand’s challenges and goals, identifying pitfalls and opportunities for you to stand out from the crowd, and create a trail guide for your team to forge authentic connection and growth within the plus-size market.

Define

Using everything we’ve discovered in the process so far, we dovetail our strategies with your existing processes so your team can forge authentic connection and growth within the plus-size market. This includes everything from merchandising strategy to activations to team wellbeing and beyond.

Launch

With the strong foundation we build together, you will be positioned as the go-to for meaningful moments in plus-size customers’ lives. To keep the momentum going, we provide ongoing advisory and services, with the pulse on this lucrative market.

Book a Call

The Gorgeous Agency guides clients to address weight stigma internally so they can achieve growth by creating a culture that attracts and retains talent in all bodies.

With Disruptor Strategy know-how, experience in journalism, branding and influencing, we also explore the options to modernize your brand and craft a strategy to reclaim your leadership in this sought-after market.

  • Plus-Size Content Strategy & Branded Content

  • Brand Activations

  • Influencer Platform

  • Team Wellbeing

  • Authentic PR Strategy Development

  • Digital Segmenting / Tactics

  • Ongoing Advisory

See the Case Study

Making a fitness brand welcoming to every body.

Discover how The Gorgeous Agency helped Peloton further their authentic connection with people in larger bodies and facilitate meaningful dialogue within their team, making Peloton truly welcoming for any body, anywhere.

Size Discrimination Law

As of November 2023, NYC mandated strict adherence to laws banning size discrimination, and many other cities and states are following suit — but most people are unaware of their own biases against people in diverse bodies, making it difficult to know what changes must be made to prevent discrimination.

The Gorgeous Agency offers industry-specific workshops designed to help you protect your company and create a brand where all bodies are welcome.

Book a Call

Download the One-Sheet

Retail
Travel
HR

The New York Times

Weight Watchers

Backpacker

Good Housekeeping

People

Kara Richardson Whitely has been on The Today Show, Good Morning America and Oprah’s Lifeclass, and her story has been featured here:

CNN

Bustle

Modern Hiker

The Star-Ledger

Inside Jersey

She Knows

Library Journal

The Rumpus

Huffington Post

Good Day NY

Testimonials

  • Following our working session, the entire team was newly equipped with awareness, confidence, and the tools to authentically connect with folks and ensure they feel seen, appreciated and welcome. Kara’s humility, humor, and tenacity in addressing weight stigma and body inclusivity turned what can be a challenging topic into an easy-to-embrace journey that fosters growth on both individual and organizational levels.

    Ben Boyd , Peloton Interactive

  • Kara spoke to our executive members in travel and hospitality for one of our events and was the perfect fit. Kara touched on a topic of inclusivity that so many have not even considered. She was insightful, educational, honest, and authentic. She had the entire room of leaders captive during her keynote and gave every attendee something to think about and take back to their teams, no matter what department they lead. Kara is so wonderful to work with from start to end.

    Hannah DeMaio, Women Leading Travel & Hospitality

  • Kara provided a poignant and meaningful presentation to more than 350 female business professionals at our recent conference. Her delivery was hard-hitting yet laced with humor. A definite audience favorite!

    Stacey Bruzzese, Wow Conference

  • An amazing and inspiring reminder to set our sights high and tackle that big goal you have been wanting to accomplish, ignore any self doubt, and, as Kara said, “bet on your own success!”

    Sheryl Weaver Brenna, Uber

  • Kara Richardson Whitely takes us where few have dared to go before: thrillingly up to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro and profoundly down to the darkest depths of [binge eating]. Kara is fearlessly honest and powerfully intelligent.

    Cheryl Strayed, Author of Wild: From lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

  • [Kara Richardson Whitely’s] travails will give confidence not only to hesitant would-be mountaineers but to those, like her, whose biggest hurdle is ‘to learn to be O.K. with who I was.

    The New York Times

  • Kara's presentation at our Women in Retail: On the Road event in New York City in October was a highlight of the event. Kara's content about the plus-size market and her experience as a plus-size adventurer, influencer and CEO of The Gorgeous Agency was relevant, actionable, and timely. In addition, she delivered it in a fun, fresh, and authentic style that kept the audience engaged and entertained. We loved working with Kara and hope to work with her again!

    Melissa Campanelli
    Women in Retail Leadership Circle, Co-Founder and Content Director