Looking back, Kimberly Alexander says she feels like she has lived a lifetime in a short period. Her late husband, former NFL linebacker Elijah Alexander, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2005. Through her husband’s fight, Kimberly discovered a new purpose: raising awareness and funds for blood cancers. And though Elijah died in 2010, she continues the work she started. Alexander credits her family—as well as a lot of retail therapy—as her sources of comfort and support during that difficult time.
“Retail therapy is a real thing,” she says. “I didn’t go to counseling, but let me tell you—Neiman’s, NorthPark, and Willow Bend—they became my counselors.”
As a single mother of two, Alexander wanted to reinvent herself.
“I needed to go from a mom, wife, and caregiver to an entrepreneur who is confident,” she says. This journey, which necessitated a professional wardrobe shift, reawakened her love of shoes from luxury brands such as Christian Louboutin, Saint Laurent, and Gucci, as well as wrap dresses from Diane von Furstenberg.
Next, she founded her consulting firm, KimConnects, and became a co-host on the Golf and More Experience (G.A.M.E.) radio show on 105.3 FM, all while continuing to raise funds for blood cancer research. Her schedule is filled with her son’s baseball games, charity work, barre classes, and quite a bit of shopping.
“I tend to work on my outfits backwards,” Alexander says. “I fall in love with a great pair of shoes, and then I build an outfit around them. The funny thing is, I can run around in YSL Tribute heels all day, but I can’t walk in flip-flops.”
Alexander isn’t afraid to treat herself and wears the “good stuff” on a daily basis.
“My husband used to fuss at me and tell me I should only wear my good stuff when there is a special occasion,” she says. “But I feel like you should wear it all the time if you love it. Then, when he passed away, it really reminded me that life is short, and you should enjoy what you have.”
