Alison Kenworthy, founder of home-design showcase Homeworthy, imparted important advice at NKBA’s Women 2 Women conference, including the value of sharing a great story.
By Dianne M. Pogoda
“My 20-year career has not been a ladder, but a scavenger hunt. But every unexpected turn has led me to this place,” said Alison Kenworthy, founder of Homeworthy, as she delivered the keynote address at NKBA’s 4th annual Women 2 Women conference in Phoenix, Sept. 3 to 5, sponsored by Café Appliances, Ferguson Home, and Maxim Lighting.
The three-time Emmy Award-winning television producer shared her journey and offered some critical advice to about 100 NKBA members, all women from various disciplines within the kitchen and bath industry, including design, manufacturing, marketing, and sales. One of the keys, she said, was asking for help along the way.
She began by sharing her own origin story. Homeworthy is a design video production company that shares tours of beautiful homes and apartments around the world on YouTube. The company, founded in 2019, shows how homes and design shape the lives and tell the stories of those who live there.
Homeworthy today boasts over 50 million followers and logged over 1.2 billion minutes viewed last year. Kenworthy started her career as a TV journalist doing traffic reports. After growing up in the historic Georgetown neighborhood of Washington DC, where she discovered a love for the beautiful design and character of homes, she moved to New York for a job as a news desk assistant, rising to news reporter and eventually a producer for ABC’s Good Morning America. During her time in New York, she lived in an apartment so tiny she dubbed it “The Dollhouse.” However, it taught her about the beauty of small spaces and that good design isn’t exclusively about grand mansions. “Often it’s the small spaces that resonate most with our audience — especially the ones that tell a story,” she said. This would become one of the cornerstones of her future brand.
From each of her work experiences, she said she learned invaluable lessons: how to work quickly; the art of compelling storytelling; time management; and how to capture people’s attention within the first few seconds.
Time for a Change
The news business was fulfilling but quite demanding, and Kenworthy said it was time to take a leap of faith. “I knew if I didn’t leave GMA, I would never take the risk needed to pursue my passion,” she said. “So, I started this project, and I was an accidental entrepreneur. Sometimes not knowing everything involved in launching a business is beneficial; when you’re in the middle of it, you just have to figure it out.”
Her first year, she was a one-woman show, handling everything from booking subjects for her home-showcase videos — all shot on her cell phone — to producing and posting the content. “In the beginning, I had to ask for help, ask friends for favors and connections. I liked creating episodes from beginning to end, learned how to solve problems and get things done, and in the process, I honed my skills. And because of this, I knew every aspect of the company, so I knew what to look for in the people I needed to hire to grow the business.”
She posted her first video, and on its first day, it drew just 14 views — a far cry from what she was accustomed to, considering GMA had 6 million daily viewers. But as she continued posting, her videos began to resonate with an audience. “Then the pandemic happened, and people were eager to see how others lived, to see inside their homes and hear their stories,” she revealed. “Going into people’s homes is not just about what the place looks like, it’s about the stories of the people who live there. It’s not just ‘before’ and ‘after,’ it’s about the middle and how they got there.”
The Growth Spurt
Kenworthy seized every opportunity to ask to go into people’s homes. An interview with the designer Bunny Williams was her first video to reach one million views. A chance meeting with Amy Schumer on a Manhattan street led to a piece on the comedian’s home and taught another lesson: “When an opportunity presents itself, go for it!”
Homeworthy now has a team of 10 producers and collaborates with over a hundred videographers worldwide. The company produces a massive amount of content — three episodes a day — and averages about 7 million minutes watched monthly and over 1 billion impressions annually across multiple platforms. Her core audience is 79 percent female, with 60 percent of viewers between 25 and 54 years old. This key demographic has an affinity for luxury brands and experiences, which helps her with branding partnerships.
Top Takeaways
Kenworthy said the key to managing any kind of business comes down to hiring a great team. “This is pivotal. My first hire was someone who could do my job, to free me up to figure out how to grow the brand. It’s not easy to give up creative control, but that’s how we grew.
“I’ve never been afraid of people who are smarter than me,” she mused. “Hire people who have qualities you don’t have, and who may outperform you in certain areas. You have to trust them completely and empower them — don’t micromanage. The key is delegating and finding the right people to delegate to.”
Kenworthy advised the audience to “remember the power of your own story and narrative. You’ll unlock your most powerful tool for inspiring others.”
