Community Highlights: Meet Keyaira Miller of The Edit Consulting Group

Today we’d like to introduce you to Keyaira Miller.

Hi Keyaira , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I didn’t grow up with access. No fashion industry connections, no big city exposure, no blueprint. Just a girl from Waterloo, Iowa who was endlessly curious about how things ended up on shelves — and determined enough to figure it out herself.
I worked retail in high school, cold-called my way into internships, and chose my college specifically because of their fashion and textiles program. I wasn’t waiting to be discovered — I was building. And eventually, that relentless drive landed me at Target’s Minneapolis headquarters, which felt like everything I’d worked for.
Then the recession hit. I got laid off.
But Target called me back and that moment became the turning point that shaped everything. I went on to spend nearly two decades mastering the business of retail across buying, sourcing, product development, and brand management. I led Amazon Fashion’s Women’s Private Brands team. I returned to Target and helped source, grow and sustain diverse brands at Targets and lead multicultural strategy work. That led me to launching notable brands such as Tabitha Brown’s food and apparel collections, Ghetto Gastro, Kate Spade, curated Black History Month assortments, and brought cultural moments to life at Essence Fest with brand partners such as Coca-Cola.
Life has also brought me unexpected challenges that most people never see — the kind that quietly reshape your sense of purpose and remind you exactly why the work matters.
And that clarity is what led me to build something of my own. The Edit Consulting Group is my founded consultancy group where I now work with entrepreneurs, athletes, leaders, and cultural tastemakers — helping them do what I spent 20 years learning to do. I started as a girl from Iowa who had no idea how the industry worked. Now I’m the person brands and cultural tastemakers call when they need someone who can grow their brand through the intersections of product, culture, community and commerce.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This is powerful, Kay. Here’s your answer:

Absolutely not. And I think it’s important to be honest about that.
Being a Black woman in these spaces was rough at times. I’ve worked for some of the top Fortune 20 companies in the world, and even in those rooms — especially in those rooms — I dealt with microaggressions that took a real toll on me, mentally and physically. You learn to navigate spaces that weren’t always built with you in mind, and after a while, that weight adds up. Even with all of my experience and accomplishments, imposter syndrome was something I wrestled with more than people probably knew.
And then in 2023, I lost my husband to cancer. That changed everything.
Grief has a way of forcing you to stop — really stop — in a way that nothing else can. I was forced to slow down and ask myself some hard questions. What kind of impact did I actually want to leave on this earth? What was I building, and who was I building it for? That season of loss became a season of clarity. It redirected me in ways I didn’t expect and deepened my sense of purpose in ways I’m still discovering.
So no, it hasn’t been a smooth road. But every rough stretch — the microaggressions, the self-doubt, the grief — shaped the woman who shows up for brands and people today. And I wouldn’t trade that depth for anything.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Here’s your answer:

The Edit Consulting Group is a brand and product strategy and ecosystem design consultancy built at the intersection of product, culture, commerce, and community. We partner with purpose-driven brands, corporations, cultural tastemakers, and public figures to unlock growth that’s strategic, sustainable, and rooted in who they actually are and the communities they serve. . Everything we do falls into three areas: brand/product strategy, strategic partnerships, and accelerator and ecosystem design.
What sets us apart is simple — lived experience. I have sat at every angle of the product lifecycle. Buying, product development, brand and vendor management, planning, design — most people have one or two of those. I have all of them, and I’ve applied them inside some of the most iconic companies in the world. That’s not something you can fake or fast-track. It’s rare, and my clients feel the difference.
Since launching The Edit, I’ve had the privilege of working with NBA and NFL athletes, nonprofits building growth accelerator programs, emerging brands learning how to scale and win in retail, and partnering with the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs on meaningful community-rooted projects. The trust my clients have placed in me has been the greatest reward — and honestly, I don’t think I’ve even scratched the surface yet.
But more than any single project, what I want readers to take away is this: it is okay to bet on yourself. Nobody is built like you. You design yourself. The Edit exists to help you build that design into something the world can’t ignore.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Right now I am deeply inspired by a few voices that feel like they were made for this season of my life.
Emma Grede’s podcast Aspire with Emma Grede and her book Start with Yourself have been everything. She speaks to building with intention and leading from a place of authenticity — which is exactly the energy I bring to my work and my clients every day. There’s something about the way she moves that just resonates with me deeply.
Amanda Sabreah is another one I stay close to. Her perspective on growth, brand building, and showing up fully is something I keep coming back to.
And the most impactful book I’ve read this year — hands down — is The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. If you haven’t read it, stop what you’re doing. It completely shifted how I think about control, peace, and protecting my energy. As someone who has been through profound personal loss and is simultaneously building something new, learning to let go of what isn’t mine to carry has been life-changing. That book found me at exactly the right time.
Between building a business, raising my son, and continuing to show up for my clients, I have learned that what you consume matters. These women remind me to stay grounded, stay intentional, and keep betting on myself.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @keyairamiller. @theeditconsultinggroup
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keyaira.phillips
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keyaira-miller-mfa-b261212a
• Other: https://calendly.com/keyaira-theeditconsulting