STYLE YOUR INNER COOL

Regardless of the state of the economy, opportunities still exist. You just have to be alert and open to them. Do you want to increase the amounts of leads you get on a daily basis? Do you want to attract more people to your business so you can share what you do with them? Do you want to immediately brand your business as creative, competitive and cutting-edge? The key lies in the compliments. This is where women business owners have an advantage over men. We are quick to compliment each other on either an article of clothing or our hairstyle. Why not use that as an opportunity to engage. Here is what I mean.

Here is the common way most women handle compliments.

Scenario 1

Woman walking into a restaurant with her daughter

Prospect: “Oh, my I love your jacket. It’s so beautiful.

You: Oh…I can barely fit into this thing. My daughter gave it to me because she was going to take it to Salvation Army. This beat up old thing. I’ll be surprised how many wears I’ll be able to get out of this thing.

Prospect goes on to dinner with her daughter and you never see this woman again.

Here is a new approach and at the same time an awesome way to grow your business

Scenario 2

Woman walking into a restaurant with her daughter

Prospect: “Oh, my I love your jacket. It’s so beautiful

You: Thank you so much. Oh and by the way. I’ve made a promise to myself that anyone who compliments me on any item I am wearing, I will tell them what I do for a living.

Prospect: well, what do you do?

You: I help women build financial security. I am a financial planner with….and you? I’m Sarah by the way and you?

Prospect: I’m Jackie and this is my daughter Morgan. I’m actually looking for a financial planner. My current one changed fields.

See how that works. Opportunities present themselves to you every day. Are you alert? Are you open? Are you so caught up in your own world, that you cannot notice when someone is attracted to you? I say that if 10 people aren’t complimenting you on a daily basis, your advertising isn’t working. Get 10 compliments a day from women and you just got yourself 10 new leads. Instead of looking for outside resources to save you, why not look in your closet. All the imagination and creativity you need is inside of you. Use it to grow your business.

Of course, your essentials will be determined most of all by your lifestyle. What an executive assistant might consider an essential is totally different from what a stay at home mom might consider an essential. But, there are some basic essentials that are tried and true staples that work as foundations for any look. These key items and building blocks will help any women navigate the closet full of clothes and what not to wear syndrome. Grab your pen and start checking:

2 pairs of jeans-one dressy and one for everyday
1 pair of black dress pants
1 pair of tan dress pants
1 pair of khaki pants
1 pair of casual pants in a color other than black or tan
1 pair of tan Capri pants or knee-length shorts
1 pair of black Capri pants or knee-length shorts
1 pair of black evening pants in a silky fabric
1 black skirt
1 tan skirt
1 evening skirt in a silky or lace fabric
1 classic blazer in navy or black
1 classic blazer in a bright color, pastel, or tweed
1 casual cotton jacket
1 denim jacket
1 evening shawl or wrap
3 coats: casual/sporty, dressy, and a raincoat
1 black knee-length sheath dress with short sleeves
2 white button-front cotton shirts
2 colored button-front cotton shirts
2 knit tops-one in black and one in tan
5 casual T-shirt tops in a variety of colors
1 evening blouse or top
1 cardigan sweater in black or navy
1 pair of athletic shoes
1 pair of black pumps
1 pair of brown or tan pumps
1 pair of flats such as moccasins or loafers
1 pair of casual flat sandals
1 pair of dressy sandals with a high heel
1 pair of medium-heeled boots in black or dark brown
1 pair of evening pumps
1 casual handbag
1 dressy handbag
1 evening bag or clutch
3 pairs of earrings: hoops, diamond (real or faux) studs, and one pair with colored stones or pearls (real or faux)
2 watches, casual and dress

Style Extra: You’ll learn what your essentials are to add to your fall collection to stay current, chic, modern, up to date and all within budget.

WHEN: Saturday, November  8

WHERE: BARNEYS NEW YORK

                  North Park Center

                  8687 N Central Expy #1224

                  Dallas, TX 75225

                  (469) 221-4700

 TIME: November 8   11:00a.m.-1p.m.

 COST: Early bird special of $35 before Oct. 31, 2008

The fee is $40 after Oct. 31, 2008

R.S.V.P. Today!!  to ayo@icecreamstyle.com. Payment instructions will be sent shortly after.

Deals In Heels Girls Night Out

For Women in Commerical Real Estate

October 22, 2008

Chill, Chat, Be Pampered and Improve Your Image

Special Guest Speaker Ayo Fashola, Style and Image Consultant

Personal Growth, Style and Self Discovery

I read an interesting article in Business Know-How titled Recession Power: How Great Companies Rise to the Top, Even in Down Timesby Denise Corcoran. I found the article to be valuable, insightful and impactful. One line really stuck out to me as i read her article. “However, recessions are neither negative or bad in themselves. Recessions are “contractionary” periods, that force us to get more conscious about money and our spending, get rid of waste and conserve our resources where most needed.” I began to think. How could this apply to a small business owner in the areas of style, wardrobe and image? I am extremely passionate about the small business owner being not only stylish, current and up to date, but in also being personally effective. I’m a big believer that style is not how much money you spend, but how to confidently work what you’ve got.

This weekend, i went shopping with a client of mine and we decided to check out a retail outlet. She wanted to go and i didn’t contest. I saw it as an educational opportunity for both of us. After spending about 2-3 hours, we ended up empty handed. Professionally, i knew this was a great thing. Most outlets are home to rejected merchandise. Outlet stores and the like generally carry out-of-season merchandise, rejects, and regular retail stores’ unsold sale merchandise. They may offer ridiculously low prices on everything from suits to jeans. But retail store rejects may fit badly, be cut badly, have crooked seams, or be of inferior quality. This was exactly our experience, yet we watched women stand in long lines to pay for merchandise that they probably already had and just did not need. Everything that my client tried on didn’t either fit, or the quality was inferior, or the color, style and clothing shape did not flatter. It was great that she didn’t spend any money. It’s horrible to not only spend time to shop but also to go home with a dud. I did console my client and shared that she was special and extraordinary. She can’t possibly go home with just anything. It has to feel right, look right and communicate her special and unique qualities.

“Great companies take advantage of down times to de-clutter “excesses” - i.e., any drains on time, money or people resources generating little or no return They scale back to what they do best in order to be at their best. They make room for new growth and profits.” Denise mentions.

Look in your closet. How can you shave time in the morning before that big business meeting or that dinner party or that networking event? For every 6 minutes that you spend figuring out what to wear, you lose 60 hours a year. We are not even talking about the time and money spent on duds, are what you may think are apparent “bargain deals.”  What rejects and bargain deals are stuffed in your closet that cause confusion in the morning? What “excesses” are in the way of you moving quickly and you looking effortlessly great? What “excesses” are draining your time, money and resources? How can you scale back so your closet only represents the BEST in color, design and fit? It was said that Coco Chanel during her passing only had four outfits in her large parisian closet yet she is considered a style icon. She is also quoted as saying “True elegance consists not in having a closet bursting with clothes, but rather in having a few well-chosen items in which one feels totally at ease.”  During down times, companies will only invest in the best. Are you the best, do you look it? act like it? dress like it? There is always room for improvement.

We know that business is good for you right now and you probably don’t have any downtime, but if you have a few hours to spare, before you go into the new year, begin to prepare yourself and debug anything that can and will get in the way of you having a highly productive year. Forgo emotional attachments and get serious. Change is coming either way, you can either go with the tide or go against it. Ask yourself for each garment the tough questions. Is this a good fit?, Does it fit? Is this truly my style? Does this color work for me? If you can’t say yes, let it go.

Denise put’s it this way, “What overhead, projects or activities are draining your company’s resources? What products, services or customers are clogging your profit pipeline and need to be shed? What operational “fat” must you trim to become a lean profitable enterprise, especially during this current recession?”

What’s getting in the way? If it doesn’t help you…it hinders you. If it doesn’t attract, it repels. Is your personal “advertising” working? Dress for who you are now! Not who you were yesterday or 10 years ago. Are you now smarter, wiser, gentler, more compassionate? more charismatic? have you acquired new skills? How can you convey that on the outside? Stop dressing your weight. You’ll never be what you were in high school. Dress your current qualities and express those. Do you know what charisma looks like, feels like, sounds like? Do you know what compassion looks like, feels like, sounds like? Dress your uniqueness and throw everything else away.

“Great companies make room for new growth by “de-cluttering” that which is marginal or ineffective.”

Color alone can give off strong messages. Color is a foundational key to conveying the right ( or sometimes wrong) message.

Dark Colors (navy, black, charcoal), are seen as authoritarian and credible. However black suits are not recommended for many professional environments. It can convey that one lacks imagination and creativity, and also can come across as severe and unfriendly.

Contast is a vital factor when you desire to leave a lasting impression. When the onlookers brain picks up contrast (color difference) it literally wakes up, this results in the person being remembered, listened to and noticed of. When low contrast is worn,  it often results in the wearer becoming almost invinsible.

High Contrast (left) This is a beautiful color combination and a perfect example of high contrast from JCrew. This look can be paired with jeans or brown or black pants. You are sure to be remembered in the crowd. One drawback to a high contrast look is that it can make others feel inferior and uncomfortable.

Medium Contrast: (middle) The light and dark combination is the most people friendly and professionally effective

Low Contrast: (right) This combination is seen as elegant and fashionable, but in business where presence is required, it may not be effective.

The goal is to look within your own color palette in your wardrobe. Which color combinations (with a creative eye) will allow you to make a memorable and impactful impression? What color combination is best suitable when you want someone to open up to you? Which color combinations in your wardrobe are friendly?

PERSONAL STYLE & THE LAW OF VACUUM

The vacuum law of prosperity is this: If you want greater good, greater prosperity in your life, start forming a vacuum to receive it; in other words, get rid of what you don’t want to make room for what you do want.

What are you holding onto that no longer represents you? Are you eliminating and concentrating, or are you collecting, stacking up or hoarding due to fear of losing? Do you have clothes, furniture, and people among your acquaintances that no longer seem congenial or that truly capture your new state of mind?

This philosophy applies to your personal style, your personal growth and self-development. Who are you? Are you 10 years ago or are you today? What are you communicating through your personal style? Do you represent what is new in your life?

Survey says women wear only 20 percent of the clothes in their closet. What’s up with the 80 percent? Are you holding onto items that might one day work, one day fit or you might one day wear? When the good you wish has not appeared, it is usually because you need to release and let go of some thing to make room for it. New substances need to flow in. Nature does abhor a vacuum, and when you begin moving out of your life what you do not want, you automatically make way for what you do want.

Here Are 4 Ways to Apply the Law of Vacuum to Enhance Your Personal Style

1)    Forgiveness is the Answer-Yes you bought it, yes it cost you a lot of money or maybe not. Yes, you might wear it one day; yes, it might fit one day. Forgive yourself: Admit that you just don’t love it. Admit it no longer represents the new and improved you. Admit that it’s not you. Admit to yourself that a look and style that appropriately represents you is not only deserving but necessary and take actions to make that happen. You don’t need to do anything unpleasant or dramatic. What is pleasant is wearing a look and style that makes you love and feel fabulous. Forgive yourself and make room for the good.

2)    Release is Magnetic- Say this to yourself:  I RELEASE, LOOSE, LET GO, AND LET GOD. Trust God. Do not be fearful of letting go. Through release, your power of attracting the good in your life is greatly increased. Let’s apply this concept to your wardrobe. Once you’ve moved past forgiveness and are ready to release, say this to each individual item in your closet and mentally declare: I FULLY AND FREELY RELEASE YOU. I COMPLETELY LOOSE AND LET YOU GO. SO FAR AS I AM CONCERNED YOU HAVE NO PURPOSE IN MY WARDROBE AND I NO LONGER NEED YOU. YOU CAN NOW BENEFIT SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE. Watch as beautiful clothes make there way to you.

3)    Look Up! Toward Prosperity-Use the substance at hand boldly, fearlessly, richly. At this time, do not talk of lack, to withhold, or to practice stringent economy. Use up all of what you have. Down now to a few shirts? Rock what you’ve got!

4)    Put Your Best Foot Forward-Wear your best clothes; look your best; live as richly as possible on what you already have. Wear your best clothes in order to help you feel richer.

To make room for your good, learn to let go, to give up, to make room for the things you have prayed for, worked for and so strongly desire. As you give up and cast away old ideas and attitudes, old possessions, and put in their place new ideas of prosperity and progressive achievement, your conditions will steadily improve. Don’t hinder your advance or stop it all together by holding onto the old. Embrace the new!

I’ve noticed that some women are afraid to wear color. They hide behind neutrals, blacks and browns because they feel color can and may draw unwanted attention. Color can be magical. Seeing a flash of color emerge from a largely monochromatic crowd is energizing, like a breath of fresh air. Your clothes should work in harmony and balance with your skin, hair, and eyes.

Wearing the right color has so many benefits

You’ll look younger: When you wear color near your face, the light reflects it upwards. When you wear the right colors, people will see more of you than the clothes you are wearing.

A well-coordinated closet: Most women wear only 20 percent of thier wardrobe 80 percent of the time. Understanding your own coloring will ensure a wardrobe with always the right color combinations to wear.

Shopping will be easier: Once you know what colors suit you, you will buy only the right colors to wear.

Control over your message: There are psychological aspects to color. You can communicate clearly how you feel and what your dominant thoughts are with the use of color.

By knowing what colors flatter and compliment you, you will gain confidence, the choice of colors become second nature and you will be on an exciting path to a new you.

“A badly dressed woman, you remember the clothes. A well dressed woman, you remember the woman.”

Coco Chanel

A Career Choice

 I looked at all of my skills, strengths and talents as I mapped out the next 5 to 10 years of my life. I desired a career that would allow me to integrate all of my special talents and skills into a laser beam and defined focal point. I had just graduated with a B.A. in Communications with an emphasis in public relations, I enjoyed my corporate stint in marketing, my skills in being a makeup artist had funded my college expenses throughout previous years and I enjoyed complete freedom of creative expression behind the scenes at fashion shows after experiencing life myself on the runway. I loved my graphic design and advertising classes. I learned line, design, color, texture, and understanding how to use particular media to grab attention. I was torn. I could do fashion PR I thought. I could help position fashion designers in front of editors and get them the attention and recognition they deserved for their work of art. Or I could continue on as a makeup artist, making my way into the agency world of advertising execs, models, photographers and designers. I could do graphic design. I loved seeing my ideas turn into something tangible. I was stuck. Or maybe I could finagle my way back into the corporate scene and see what wall my ladder would finally rest against. Oh! None of those felt quite right. I did not want to be a jack of all trades, but a master of one. I had to think. I had to dream. What did I truly want? Where were all of these experiences leading me? What path was calling out to me that I had not for once stepped back and looked at? I loved fashion, style, beauty, communications, public relations, marketing, advertising, global and international relations, creative expression, and business. Where could I be and provide the most value?

As I studied the trends and forecasts of the marketplace (special skills of P.R. people…trend spotting), it occurred to me that I would soon see a wave of women in the corporate sector finding their way out to pursue a lifestyle that resonated with their purpose, mission, goals and dreams. More and more women would start small businesses of their own. They would take their skills from landing that first corporate job in the 80s and share their special knowledge; to dos and not to dos, to the generations coming behind them. Hmmmm. My thoughts raced.  I understood that communicating a clear and distinct and defined message is the most, if not the important tool in marketing a small business. A defined and distinct message is as special and as unique as the individual spreading the message. I kept thinking. My brain wheels continued to turn.  In order to communicate this message, one must grab attention; the first rule in advertising and in marketing. Putting forth a positive first impression is an offensive strategy in the field of public relations. Using all the visual elements of color, line, design, and creating something tangible is the joy of the graphic designer. Feeling confident, have strength and personal power, making memorable and lasting impressions are the benefits of a well put together fashion style.

I asked myself. How does all this apply to the small business owner with a very limited budget? Is it cost-effective or even necessary at first to spend money on billboards, commercials, promotional pens, press releases, online and print ads, or even invest the time in setting up a blog? How can a small business owner cost-effectively make a positive impression, grab attention, have great packaging, consciously use the visual elements in color, line and design, project strength and personal power and communicate her message all in one? How can she sell her ideas in the most cost-effective way? Where is she already spending the money?

My Aha! Moment

I had an aha! Moment. I decided in the field of image consulting. After careful analysis of the field of image consulting, it occurred to me how I could be and provide the most value to women and men who desired to accomplish their purpose-driven goals and dreams. Image consulting would allow me to focus all the areas that meant the most to me and that I had special skills and talents in and most importantly to the small business owner in spreading a clear and distinct message in a memorable way. Image consulting includes all the areas of communications, public relations, marketing, advertising, graphic design, creative expression, and business.

Let me explain. One thing I had to ask myself was where is the money already being spent? And once discovered how can it be looked at in a fresh way to help a small business owner achieve her business goals and objectives? Let’s admit it…we girls love to shop. We find that “cute” top or “cute” skirt that “grabs our attention” and then we purchase it. I realized that an opportunity existed to use our clothes strategically to help us accomplish our marketing and public relations strategy. The opportunity is to use our clothes to communicate a clear and distinct message. The opportunity is to use our clothes as advertising by taken advantage of the visual elements of color, line and design to “grab attention.” Yet, I think so many women miss out on this special opportunity when it is practically every day staring at them in their faces.

Last night, I attended a poetry reading with a girlfriend of mine and a woman complimented my dress. I had apparently “grabbed her attention.” I said to her, “My rule is that anyone that compliments me on any article of clothing I am wearing…I made a promise to use that as an opportunity to share what I do.” She inquired my profession and I shared that I was an image consultant and helped small business owners create a distinct signature fashion style and cultivate their edge. We then had a conversation about how her daughter was actually working on a music career and could see how that would be beneficial to her as she progressed in her career. I gave her my card and we agreed to touch base at a later date.

Your Ad

Don’t take it for granted when you are complimented on what you are wearing. Someone has just said they liked your “Ad” so to speak. Someone has just picked up your message in the visual. The goal is to maximize that opportunity. Growing your business is not going to happen outside of you. Growing your business is going to happen to you. I know marketing execs and advertising execs and pr execs might hate me for saying this, but external outside media doesn’t matter if you have not addressed the “media” you wear on a daily basis. You cannot leave your success up to chance or up to a magazine you advertise in or your website. Although these are all helpful and valuable tools, they’re null and void if you don’t look like what you expect your graphic designer to accomplish on your website.

Everywhere you go, whether it be to Starbucks®, your local bank, a dinner party, meeting a client for lunch, joining friends for tea, believe it or not, you are wearing in that moment, advertising, public relations, marketing and branding. If spreading your message is important to you and you are not seeing the results that you would like to see, I ask that you first look in your closet. Its one thing to have a classic suit that is current in cut, color, line, fabric and design and it’s another thing to have a classic suit that you bought in the 80’s. Classics do expire by the way. If your clothes are outdated, out of style and out of order…that is your message. You are saying in a nutshell that whatever message you are selling is outdated, out of style and out of order and that it does not apply to these times. If your clothes do not fit, if the colors you wear do not complement your skin tone, if your glasses are old lady, your hair color is overdone, your jacket stops mid thigh emphasizing your hips, that is your message. You are communicating…”I do not get it.” The goal is to separate your self from your competitors by using your unique assets (physical, personality, unique history and background) to get your message across and position yourself as the best possible choice and resource against your direct and indirect competitors.

The great thing about the tools that relate to “grabbing attention” in the areas of marketing, advertising, public relations, and branding, visual and graphic design is that if it’s not working, you can change it. There is no need to have an emotional attachment to your clothes no different than you would have an emotional attachment to a flyer promoting your product that just isn’t working and generating the results you would like. If you are not getting compliments or being commented on on a daily basis, your “advertising”, whether in workout clothes or a formal gown, isn’t working.

Image consulting allows me to help you maximize the opportunities in your current wardrobe. Are there pieces in your closet right now as we speak that can add to your bottom line? I call these your investment pieces. Are their pieces in your wardrobe that with just the right creative expression can maximize the number of compliments or comments you receive on a daily basis, compliments and positive comments that can turn into opportunities to share your message? Do you have a look that is totally you, yet distinguishes you from everyone else? In a sea of financial advisors and real estate agents, or any other passionate profession you engage in, how can you visually communicate your story? The clothes you wear, your shoes, your belt, any accessories, your makeup, or lack thereof can say a lot. Is it projecting your best image? Is it conveying a distinct point of view? It’s not about having a lot of stuff to wear; it’s about always having the right stuff to wear.

You are already spending the money on clothes, use it to your advantage instead of just using it to cover your body. If you are not spending money on clothes or on learning how to buy the right clothes, it means you are not spending any money on advertising, marketing, branding and communications. If you are not doing that, it means you are not spending any money on generating new business or keeping the current business that you have, and if you are not spending any money on marketing, you are not making any money. Whether you like it or not…YOU ARE THE MESSAGE and what you wear can loudly, deliberately, boldly, consciously, and proudly express it.

Here is homework for you

• 1. Go to your closet right now and pull out items that do not fit, do not flatter, and are realistically just plain ugly. If you do not love it, you will not wear it and you hurt twice. Not only do you have something in your closet you do not love, but it is also taking up valuable space; valuable space that could be used for something you do love and that can add to your bottom line.
• 2. What will hopefully remain are items you do love, that flatter and that make sense. Ask yourself, who are you now in your current closet? What words would you use to describe someone else wearing a similar outfit? Does the answer accurately reflect how you want to be perceived? Is the message on point? Does it communicate your distinct point of view? Or will it confuse someone that finally gets to know you? Do your clothes brand you as someone whimsical, playful and carefree, yet deep down you are really more organized, disciplined and focused? Do you genuinely want the contradiction, and if so why? If not, remove anything that contradicts with your true message.
• 3. Stop obsessing over your weight. Practice compassion with yourself. Love and dress the current body you are in and then get out there and do the work. No one really cares if you are size 2 or 24. Just look great! J

During a recession, the time to cut back on marketing you is never. You are the message. Spread it (you) like wildfire and watch you and your signature style succeed.

Sometimes it’s hard to notice Dallas Style. Since in Dallas we are always in our cars hoping from one location to the next, we don’t have the benefit like other large cities as New York, LA, Chicago, or Miami in capturing unique and interesting every day styles. Here I capture women who are not afraid to project their own unique style and twist, regardless of age, height, weight or the time of day.

Style is everywhere and it’s everyday. Don’t wait for a special occasion to dress out loud. Fashion may be in the clothes, but style is always in the wearer.