"The most important journey that I think all of us will go through is the journey within ourselves, to find the truth, who we are and what makes us happy". - Cara Delevingne

As many of you know I have been on an incredible journey of self-fulfilment over the last ten years. In 2007 I left my corporate role to start my business, Image Consultants.

All I knew at the time was that I couldn't ignore the whispers anymore, I had to find and live my truth.

Having served over 3000 professional women, I've come to realise that the most fundamental need that all women have is the desire to be happy, fulfilled and heard. Would you agree with that?

As we've hit the midway point for 2017, I challenge you to really unpack what it means for you to be happy and fulfilled. 

For many years I was afraid to tell others that I loved to "serve". I used to think they would consider me to be submissive and not confident.

As I've grown and evolved I have come to recognise that this is actually one of my strengths. 

It explains to me why I've always had strong client relationships both past and present. I have always been so naturally and genuinely interested in people.

I think all the conversations I 've had with people around the globe has helped me to realise that "being of service" demonstrates my own personal acceptance of who I am and the confidence it gives me to own that. 

Here's a great quote I recently came across: "Service is the highest form of loving you can do on this planet" - Joe Hubbard

So how can I be of service to you?

I want you to give yourself permission to work on your most important project, YOU. 

How can you stay or even feel positive if you don't feel good about the way you look? The answer is, you can't. If you are not taking care of your body and putting your best foot forward, you are dishonoring yourself and risking your chance at success and happiness. How can you excel at work, take care of your loved ones or go after your big dreams if you don't love and respect yourself?

Deep down, you know you are affected by how you look. If you don't like the way you look, it impacts your self-esteem. And it definitely impacts your attraction factor which has all kinds of implications on life AND business. Not good. On the other hand, when you feel like you look good, you have more energy, confidence and sex-appeal. HELLO! 

As we approach EOFY, I want you to give yourself permission and gift yourself something special. 

As they say, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear".

I would be honoured to serve you and to be a part of your personal brand journey in discovering your truth. Click here and let's schedule a chat.

Before you leave, please watch this powerful video.

Until next time.....

Styling Your Success

Janette x

Irrespective of the number of organisational restructures you will face in your working life or the ups and downs of the economy, your personal brand will help you overcome many professional hurdles. Your brand is your ASSET.

As a personal branding expert and internationally accredited image consultant, I work with professional women privately and with organisations collectively to help them craft an image that truly aligns with their leadership brand.

A strong brand creates an experience for others. It creates an emotional connection and goes well beyond a transactional mindset. Women need to claim a leadership brand early to counter stereotypes and lead from a place of authenticity.

Being able to deliver your brand clearly and consistently will create a memorable experience in the minds of those you interact with and can open doors to new opportunities for you.

Let’s dive in and review the process I go through in helping professional women craft their unique image and brand.

1. Decide what you wish to be known for

Write down six to eight qualities that come naturally to you. Consider your:

Values: this will help develop an authentic brand
Strengths: what is your super power, how do you make people feel
Personality traits: what do people compliment you on?
Natural Style: how do people benefit by working with you?
Once you have these qualities and attributes you will be able to craft your leadership brand statement.

2. Create a visual signature to support your leadership brand

Once you know what your values, strengths and super powers are, you can start to think about ways to visually express those through your style.

For example, let’s say one of your super powers is your high attention to detail. The easiest and most effective way to portray this is to create a look that is aligned from head to toe. It’s all in the detail. This also creates trust in your ability to follow through.

Let’s say your super power is being approachable and collaborative then avoid wearing closed up tops and jackets. In body language terms this is equivalent to crossed arms. So ladies try and show some of your collar bone without being too revealing.

Next you want to consider colour placement in your outfit. If colour is the very first thing our eyes notice then colour placement becomes paramount. Our main communication portals are our eyes and mouth. Ideally, when talking with someone, we want them focused on our message. Placing colour high up in your business outfit will ensure the focus is on your what you are saying. Consider a high placed accessory such as a pocket square, lipstick, earrings, tie, glasses, brooch or scarf as your vehicle to direct others to where you want them to look.

Then you want to consider your audience. Do you work in a male or female dominated industry? There is a great image concept I use with clients called "Yin / Yang". We all exhibit Yin (feminine) and Yang (masculine) qualities in our physical characteristics. Once you know where you sit on this continuum you can start to select pieces in your outfit that will either make you look more yin or more yang. This should be determined by your audience and your professional objectives.

If for example, you will be meeting with a mostly male group then wear darker colours, angular lines and stiffer fabrics. If you plan to meet with a group of mostly females then wear lighter colours, softer prints and softer fabrics. Ultimately you want to exhibit both yin and yang elements so that you appear approachable and credible.

3. Consider your grooming habits 

Like it or not – we all notice grooming (or lack of it). Research shows that the first thing people remember about us are elements to do with grooming, rather than the specific clothes we wear. When we meet people our eyes quickly scan and take in the whole picture and then our eyes typically rest on a portion of the body known as the influencing triangle. So we notice such things as hair, skin, eyes, teeth and breath.

Ultimately we are visual creatures, we operate at an ever increasing frantic pace. We use our senses to help us decide if:

• would like to do business with them
• we trust them
• we like someone
  
  

Styling Your Success

Recently, Lisa Wilkinson, co-host of the Today show was called "thrifty" by a Daily Mail Australian reporter for wearing the same blouse twice in 4 months and the same dress 3 days apart.

I'm shocked that someone actually thought this was newsworthy!

When Lisa's co-host, Karl Stefanovic wore the same blue suit on air, two days in a row. Then three. A month ticked by without a ripple. A full year had passed – and he was still wearing the same suit every morning and not one mention by reporters. 

Double standard?

What is shameful about wearing the same blouse multiple times? Isn't that exactly what we should be doing? No-one seems to care that Mark Zuckerberg wears the same t-shirt every single day.

Arianna Huffington celebrates repeats. 

She says that women should feel as comfortable as men repeating outfits. Although social media has only increased the pressure women feel to wear new outfits she suggests that we should harness the power to turn that pressure around and instead pay tribute to repeats and flaunt them, and I couldn't agree more!

Did you know that Australians are throwing away $140 million dollars worth of clothing every year which is going directly to landfill? Knowing this, how can we continue to buy one hit wonders?

I encourage every client to create a simplified versatile wardrobe filled with pieces that can be mixed and matched so that they can be worn time and time again.

Here's one example: A structured peplum top layered with blouses and knits and teamed with pants, jeans or a skirt.

If you are a professional woman who would like to learn how to create a versatile wardrobe that supports your personal brand, then come and join me May 20th at the decadent Sydney Westfield Style Suite.

Click here to register.

See you at the #1 Styling + Branding event for professional women.

Janette