Why We Hold Back on Expressing our Super Powers

When I was a child, teachers always told me that I wasn’t performing at my full potential. I held myself back because I’d been taught not to “show off” my natural gifts. Unfortunately, a lot of us learn this lesson from our parents, family members, and friends when we’re young. We stop short of expressing our full potential because we’re afraid of being rejected, ridiculed, or abandoned.

What’s worse, people often try to be someone they’re not just to fit in. Many women have been conditioned to play small, be polite, and let men take the lead. The fear of standing out can have life-long consequences, especially in their careers. Women are told that to succeed in “a man’s world,” they have to be assertive, competent and confident. And yet, when they stand up for their beliefs or share strong options, they’re labeled the “B” word.

It’s Time to Embrace Your Super Powers

If you’ve spent a lifetime working to create a persona that isn’t in line with your natural gifts, it can be a challenge to step into your power and assert yourself. But when you embrace your abilities, you accept who you are at your most authentic level. That is the first step to building your brand.

Here are a few easy ways you can begin to tap into your superpowers and share them with the world.

• Trust in your experience and knowledge. There’s this belief that we need to acquire more skills, get more education, or ask the experts before we take action. Trust that you know enough to get the job done. I’m not saying you shouldn’t build your skills but start with your existing knowledge base and expand from there.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. When you do need assistance, ask for it, especially if you’re in a leadership position. No one will think you’re any less competent. If what you’re working on is outside of your area of expertise, find someone who knows more and ask that person for insight.
• Rely on your resilience: Women are incredibly resilient. That’s because we traditionally get passed over more often for raises and promotions. Know that you have the inner strength to endure more, learn from your hardships, and push past adversity. If something terrible happens, put on your big girl pants, deal with it and move on.
• Embrace your vulnerability: There’s a time and place to share your feelings, but in general, we’re all far too closed off at work. Strength isn’t about shutting people out or acting tough to prove your authority. When you’re open and vulnerable with your team, you show them who you are and why they should follow you.

Pick up my FREE download

10 Superpower Words

If you’re worried about how others will react to you once you embrace your superpowers, know that we all get push-back at one point or another. It might come from your boss, someone on your team, or even a family member. Work to understand why they’re responding the way they are. Always remember that there’s a big difference between push-back and bullying. Push-back is an attempt to gain clarity; bullying is an attempt to gain the upper hand.

Are you ready to be bold and create a super personal brand that’s grounded in your unique skills? Contact me today to discuss how I can help.

So many of us are going through our lives on cruise control. We go to the office, sit at our desks, and do the same tasks day in and day out for years on end without every pausing to ask the critical question: what am I meant to do with my life? The good news is that it’s never too late to discover your true purpose.

Trust Your Instinct

I recently stumbled upon a box filled with paperwork from my high school days. Inside, I found a card with the word “beautician” scribbled on it. I was totally astounded. I had no memory of ever writing that word down but there it was, staring me in the face.

Years after high school, I took a special interest test to determine what career would suit me. My results came back with five suggestions: insurance, sales & marketing, real estate, travel and – wouldn’t you know it – beautician! I had two kids to care for and knew I couldn’t commit to a four-year college. For that reason, I enrolled in a 10-month beauty program at Aveda Institute.

I then spent the next twenty years working in the industry. Towards the end of my beauty career, I toyed with the idea of opening a salon, but my heart wasn’t in it. I liked cutting hair and helping people with their image, but I didn’t want to manage a bunch of employees. Finally, someone introduced me to the term “image consultant,” and it was like a punch in the gut. I’d never heard that phrase before and certainly never thought I could make a living teaching people how to build a personal brand.

Put Yourself Into Action

Did I know my exact purpose in high school? No. But I always knew that I had a higher calling. It just took some time – and a lot of soul searching – to figure out what it was. If you’re struggling to identify your purpose, here are a few tips to try:

• Do some “research”: Take an 8 x11 sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle. Make a list of everything you’ve done from the time you started working in one column and everything you liked or didn’t like about each job in the other. Then circle the common denominators.
• Put yourself into action: Make time to do the things you love. Maybe it’s crocheting or brewing beer. Don’t worry about whether or not you can make money doing it. Above all, indulge in your passions and see which of them make you shine and feel the most alive.
• Keep quiet: Some people like to squash dreams. It’s okay to talk to the people who believe in you but hold back on sharing what you’re up to with the negative people in your life.
• Pay attention: When you make the conscious choice to explore your purpose, you become tuned into messages you may have never heard before. Turn off your mouth and turn on your ears.

The process of identifying your purpose doesn’t necessarily have to end in a new career brewing beer or knitting hats. It can, but only if you do those things to serve others. A hobby – while incredibly worthwhile – is about serving yourself. Your purpose is about serving the world.

Pick up my FREE download

5 Questions to Identify Your Purpose

If you’ve been struggling to define your purpose but know that there’s more out there for you than the life you’ve been living, contact me today to discuss how I can help.

We all know that there’s more to life than the daily grind; most of us just aren’t sure how to break free of it. We don’t permit ourselves to invest in our success or to develop a personal brand that stands out. Conditioning begins at a very young age to fall in line and behave.

Take the Risk to Invest in Yourself

When we’re young, we have to ask our parents’ permission for a snack or to go out to play, or to have a friend over. Then we get to school and have to ask our teachers before we go to the bathroom. As an adult, your boss makes the decision on when it’s alright for you to take a day off, implement a new process, or take on a project you weren’t assigned to cover.

This conditioning can leave us feeling intimidated and fearful to do things without approval. Breaking free of this conditioning becomes far less scary when you understand your core passion. The things that you love to do part of your DNA. They’re an extension of who you are. When you can learn to love yourself and accept that you’re on this earth for a higher purpose, things will begin to shift and it won’t feel so risky to take the leap and try something new.

Give Yourself Permission to Do The Follow Six Things

If you’ve discovered your core passion and you’re ready to make a change, start by permitting yourself to:

• Stop being perfect. If you aren’t failing, you aren’t living, so take a risk with the knowledge that you might fail on the first try. Ask questions of people who know more than you. If someone asks you a question that you don’t know the answer to, be humble enough to admit that and say, “I’ll get back to you.”
• Stop feeling like you have to take care of everyone. Many of us were raised to believe that it is our responsibility to take care of everyone around us. Constant care-taking leads to burn-out, resentment, and a lot of wasted time! You may be able to avoid this burn-out by asking for help, learning to delegate and making sure your own needs are met before taking on the needs of others.
• Be the best version of yourself in every part of your life. Surround yourself with great people who want to see you succeed, speak positive words to yourself every day and fake it until you believe it!
• Let go and let flow. Let go of all the stuff that you think people are saying or thinking about you. Believe in yourself and know that you are exactly who and where you’re supposed to be.
• Dress the way you want. Ditch the all-black wardrobe, stop worrying about fitting in and wear whatever makes you feel good.
• Acknowledge what other people are doing right. This one pushes a lot of people out of their comfort zone. If you see someone succeeding, pay them a compliment. Don’t hesitate! What a great endorphin booster for everyone involved!

Pick up my FREE download

5 Tips on Stepping Into Your Core Passions

If you’ve been plugging away at a career that no longer brings you joy, and you’re ready to give yourself permission to charge your personal brand with passion, contact me today to discuss how I can help.

Most people are aware when they’re not happy at work, but they’re just not sure how to make a change. Maybe they’ve been at the same company or industry since college. Perhaps they followed in a parent’s footsteps and went into a line of work that never really interested them. Whatever the reason, after ten, fifteen, or twenty years, they’ve found themselves in a rut, and they don’t know how to get out of it.

You Can Design A Career Around Any Passion

I recently met a woman who was struggling to define her next career move, and I asked her, “If money weren’t a concern, what would you do.” She said, “I’d want to garden.” She didn’t think there was any way that she could make a living as a gardener, but that’s not true.

The key is to think outside of the box. For my new friend, that meant asking the question, “What is it about gardening that makes me so happy?” Is it working with a specific plant or flower; being outside in nature; or maybe landscaping and design? Once she had the answer to that question, she knew where to begin designing a career that made her truly happy.

Three Steps To Design a Thriving Career

As a coach, one of my primary tasks is to help people tap into their passions so that they can design a career that fulfills more than just financial needs. If you’re feeling stuck in your job and are ready to make a change, I invite you to try the following three steps.

1. Identify your passion: As a young child, what did you love to do? Where did your talents lie? What hobbies did your parents encourage you to pursue because you were naturally good at them or they brought you joy? Maybe you’ve always been great with computers, or technology, or people. Whatever it was, that’s where you’re bound to shine as an adult, as well.
2. Define your passion: Once you have a sense of what you’re passionate about, start to journal. Write about that one thing that brings joy to your life. If it’s numbers, get specific – what is it about numbers that you like? If you’re artistic, what exactly do you want to create?
3. Elevate your passion: Start to talk about it with other people. Create a small mastermind group. Gather people you know and trust, tell them what you want to do and ask for their help brainstorming ideas to make it happen.

Take My Assessment

Twelve Core Passions

If you’ve been plugging away at a career that no longer brings you joy, and you’re ready to charge your personal brand with passion, contact me today  to discuss how I can help.

I’ve come across so many people who fail to see the connection between what they wear and how they perform. But if you don’t care about how you look, or if you don’t feel good about what you’re wearing, it’s impossible to project confidence and credibility in the workplace.

In my work as a personal image consultant, I offer two services to help busy professionals with this vital piece of the personal branding puzzle.

Image Consulting Through My Private Stylist and Men of Style

For some people, choosing what to wear is easy. They know what styles and colors look good on them and how to dress to stand out. For others, this process can be an exercise in extreme frustration. They don’t even know what their body shape is, let alone how to coordinate separates, wear color, or style outfits.

My Private Stylist and Men of Style are personal styling services aimed at helping these people to understand fit, color, styling and how different garment elements work on their bodies.

These are one-on-one, head-to-toe styling services that cover over 660 garment elements and accessories in over 40 categories. You input your measurements, I take that information and walk you through dress shapes, collar types, sleeve length, fabric weight, and color. This will help you learn how to coordinate separate pieces into outfits that allow you to stand out, feel confident, and move forward in your career.

Bespoke Clothing Through Tailored Club

Some are not able to buy off the rack for their body shape and have to have clothing custom made. In this case, Tailored Club is an excellent option. They make 100% bespoke clothing: that means that whatever you buy is designed, tailored and manufactured for your specific measurements.

Even if you don’t have issues finding clothes that fit you, investing in sophisticated work attire will help you gain the respect of your colleagues, clients, and higher-ups. Yes, custom clothing costs a little more, but that extra expense ensures higher quality and a great fit. When your clothes fit you correctly, you become more confident, credible, and capable.

Tailored Club makes everything from jeans to suits to tuxedos, skirts, dresses, and button-up shirts. If you can dream it up, they can make it for you. Through Tailored Club, I help you design your clothes from the buttons to the stitching to the fabrics and more. Tailored Club manufactures their clothing in Thailand using materials from all over the world. This allows them to offer multiple price points.

Which of These Services is Right for You Questionnaire

A Perfect Gift for the Holidays

MPS and Tailored Club gift cards make excellent gifts for just about anyone. Whether you’re buying for a recent college graduate in need of his first business suit, a person who’s had a significant weight change and could use a few new outfits, or someone looking to move up the career ladder and build a wardrobe that reflects their aspirations, either of these platforms has something to offer.

If you’re interested in learning more about My Private Stylist, Men of Style or Tailored Club, contact me today.

Cocktail Attire

Cocktail attire is a step up from your everyday business casual look. It’s appropriate for after-work parties, most art events, and some weddings. Men do well in classic black or navy suits, and can even have fun with patterned shirts and ties. Women can wear cocktail dresses and needn’t worry about a minimum or maximum length, though they should keep office-standards in mind if the event is work-sponsored or they’re bound to run into colleagues.

Semi-Formal Attire

You can expect this dress code at events like office Christmas parties, gallery openings, and some weddings. It’s less formal than black tie but more formal than cocktail attire. Women can generally wear cocktail dresses as long as they fall no more than an inch above the knee. Men can pair a nice sports coat with a great pair of slacks, vest, and tie. If the event takes place after 6 PM, suits should be wool, polyester or gabardine. Women should focus on fabrics like taffeta, chiffon, velvet, satin, cashmere, and silk.

Formal Attire

This dress code causes the most confusion, especially for men, but it’s straightforward. If the invitation says “Black Tie Optional” then you have a choice: you can go in a tuxedo or wear a suit. That doesn’t mean that you show up in the same old dark suit you inherited from your father twenty years ago; it means you wear something that fits your body correctly. Whether you’re at a business casual lunch or a formal wedding, no one will recognize the merit of your suit if it doesn’t fit correctly, even if it cost a small fortune. So, get it tailored!

For women, formal attire generally means a long gown. If you don’t own a gown or don’t want to wear one, you can opt for a beautiful pantsuit, but make sure to dress it up with accessories.

White Tie

A white tie dress code requires the most formal outfit and doesn’t allow a lot of room for personal style, though you can opt to wear a black or navy tail-coat with matching trousers. However, your shirt must be a white wing-collared dress shirt and you must wear a bow tie and cuff links. For women, white tie affords a bit more latitude. All formal gowns are acceptable, regardless of color.

Preparation is Everything

If your event is happening immediately after work, you’ll want to prepare well in advance and bring whatever you need to the office with you. This might mean a complete change of clothes or simply a different jacket, shoe, tie or dress. Women should remember to update their makeup and swap out the bulky every-day purse for a small clutch.

Pick up my FREE download

9 Things You Should Know When Invited to an Event

A little forethought is all it takes to stand out in the right way and allow your personal brand to shine. If you’re interested in stepping up your look for the next special event, contact me to see how a personal image consult can help.

What Is Imposter Syndrome?

We’ve all had the experience of feeling like an imposter in our own skin at one point or another. The International Journal of Behavioral Science reports that 70% of people worry that they’ll be called out as a fraud or accused of not earning their accomplishments.

These feelings are pervasive, especially among hard-working, high-achieving people. But if you’re walking around perpetually concerned that other people see you as an imposter, there might be something else going on

Imposter Syndrome Can be a Sign Of Something Deeper

When I was early in my career, I got involved with a company and started working for a woman who, on the surface, had it all. Lots of money, a great car, a flashy title, and a large, productive team. She told me that if I wanted her career, all I had to do was say yes to just about anything she asked of me. I was young and impressionable, so I went for it.

Over time, I built my own team, and I let this woman tell me how to manage them. I was always doing, doing, doing; making every possible move to go after my goals. For some reason, however, my team wouldn’t follow me. When it came time for them to interact with my mentor, they saw someone very different from the person I believed she was. Where I saw a leader, they saw a fraud.

And it turned out that they were right. As soon as we hit the goals this woman had set for us, she dropped everyone on the team, went back on every promise she’d made, and revealed herself for who she truly was. I’ll never forget the day that one of my team members took me aside and told me she thought that I was becoming this woman. That was a huge wake-up call for me.

When we try to be someone we’re not, we act in ways that are out of alignment with our authentic desires. And other people take note. I couldn’t understand why my team wouldn’t follow me. The problem was that I’d been so wrapped up in achieving someone else’s goals, I’d completely disconnected from my own. My team could feel that.

Why We Pretend to Be Someone We’re Not

Many people fall into the imposter trap because they don’t know any better.

They think they have to pretend to be smarter or more accomplished to get ahead. They fail to see their authentic skills as assets.

Some of us are driven by the need to achieve. We set our sights on a particular goal and then do whatever it takes to get it, regardless of whose toes we have to step on or how arrogant we have to be in the process.

Remember, your personal brand identity is just that: yours. Don’t step into someone else’s shoes, wear your own.

Pick up my FREE download

Five Tips to Get Over Imposter Syndrome

If you’re ready to stop feeling like an imposter and start feeling confident about your personal brand, I can help. Contact me today.

Mindset is a hot topic these days. And for good reason! Every thought you think and every word that comes out of your mouth will dictate how you react to situations. If you’re saying, “I can’t” all the time, then guess what? You’re right. You can’t, and you won’t.

Why Do We Do This?

As children, we learn what to think and how to feel about ourselves from our family members, teachers, and friends. Our parents are supposed to encourage us to develop our talents and go after our dreams. However, too many of us grow up in households where we’re teased, ridiculed or unfairly criticized. Words used to communicate with you as a child are the words you’ll use to communicate with as an adult.

If you don’t have someone to turn to for support, adverse childhood experiences can leave an indelible mark on you as you age. Some can process these experiences and grow up to be happy, healthy and high functioning adults. For others, these traumas can negatively impact how we show up in our relationships in work and at home.

Yes, the past molds you for the future, but it doesn’t have to dictate who you are and where you’re going. Bringing childhood issues to the surface where you can deal with them openly makes it possible for you to step into your greatness and develop a personal brand that’s in line with who you truly are.

Changing Your Mindset

Shifting from a negative to a positive mindset doesn’t mean coming out guns-a-blazing, demanding that other people take you seriously. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. What matters is that you develop the confidence and self-respect that your family and friends never fostered in you as a child.

Beginning this process is as simple as standing up straight, looking at yourself in the mirror and repeating the phrase, “I can, I will, I am.” Each time you say these words, you rewire the pathways in your brain that are keeping you stuck in negative patterns of thinking and behavior.

Next, ask yourself how you’d like to be perceived by your friends and colleagues. If you can show up in a way that represents who you are on the inside, you’ll be able to deliver your message so that other people will genuinely hear you.

Check yourself before you leave the house every day. Don’t just look at your outfit, look at your attitude. Is your smile on straight? Remember, smiling releases endorphins and makes you happier. It’s also your invitation into any room you want to enter.

Pick up my FREE download

Five Tools to Help Shift Your Mindset

If you’re interested in learning more about hose you can shift your mindset, enhance your personal brand and develop yourself a s successful leader, I’m hosting a one-day leadership event on Thursday, September 27th at the Hilton Garden Inn in Shoreview, MN. Sign up today!

If you hold an executive leadership role within your company, it’s your responsibility to foster a positive working environment. An environment that rewards hard work and loyalty without sacrificing employee well-being.

Show Your Employees That You Value Them

You expect your staff to work hard and deliver results, and they expect you to pay them what they’re worth. When you don’t, they feel undervalued and disrespected – particularly if the company is doing well – which is a recipe for low-employee satisfaction and high turnover. Pay your employees fairly for doing their jobs and reward exemplary work with bonuses.

Also, don’t forget to acknowledge company milestones. Your employees are your second family. They take a lot of time out of their life to help you grow your business, which is why it’s imperative that you acknowledge their work anniversaries and birthdays. While not everybody loves the attention that comes with a birthday cake in the conference room, most people will appreciate the recognition.

Encourage Your Employees to take Vacation and Personal Time

Companies provide vacation time because it’s necessary for employee well-being and productivity. Unfortunately, few workers ever take their allotted vacation time because they’re afraid to leave the office. They don’t trust that someone else will pick up the slack while they’re away and fear being blamed if the work doesn’t get done.

Developing strong executive leadership presence means setting positive examples for your staff. If you take your vacation time, they will feel safe to do the same. So, get out of the office and have some fun. Let go of the reigns and trust that work won’t come to a halt just because you take time away.

Encourage Your Employees to Take Breaks

You may think your staff is being productive by working through their lunch breaks, but the opposite is true. People need to step away from their desks, phones, and computers periodically throughout the day. Simply taking a walk around the block floods the brain with fresh oxygen and makes it much easier to focus during the rest of the workday.

You can also limit office hours. Force your employees to go home when they’re supposed to and don’t reward working late or coming in on the weekends.

Do Something Worthwhile for Your Company

Once or twice a year, host an event that brings everyone in the company together. Come up with a handful of charities that your employees are fond of and vote on which ones to support each year. By doing this, you’ll get people more involved in the process and more likely to take ownership of the event, ensuring its success.

Pick up my FREE download

Five Ways You Can Set Examples for Your Employees

Remember, it’s far more difficult to find and train new people than it is to make your existing employees feel empowered, respected and valued. If you’d like help on developing your executive leadership skills so that you can make a long-lasting impact on your company, let’s talk.

Remember, you’re attending these events with your colleagues, employees, higher-ups, and possibly even clients. That is why it’s so important to be aware of your surroundings at all times and watch how you behave. This doesn’t mean you can’t let loose and have fun. Just follow these social etiquette rules to ensure that you don’t say or do something you’ll regret come Monday morning.

Dress Appropriately for the Event

Just because a party is happening after hours or on the weekend doesn’t mean you get to throw all of your basic wardrobe rules out the window. Creating a personal brand identity requires that you pay attention to how you’re presenting yourself at all times. In my last post, Personal Brand Management: Summer Wardrobe, I offered several tips on how to dress appropriately as the weather gets warmer, and specific advice for how to adjust your outfit when going directly from work to an office event.

In general, if your office is business formal, dressing down to business casual for a party should be fine. If you’re attending an outdoor event, shorts and short-sleeved button downs for men are acceptable, as are dresses (with appropriate bust and hemlines) for women. However, if you’re unsure about dress code, check with the event organizers.

Eat and Drink in Moderation

When it comes to alcohol and work events, less is always more. The more you drink, the more likely you are to say something you’ll regret later, use foul language, or reveal sensitive information. If you’re someone who doesn’t do well with alcohol, avoid it outright. Otherwise, stick to a strict two-drink maximum.

If food is served, feel free to enjoy yourself but keep the rules of proper dining etiquette in mind. Eat with your mouth closed, don’t load your plate simply because the food is free, and use your utensils correctly.

Talk About Something Other Than Work

I recently attended a retirement party for a former colleague and every single conversation I overheard was about work! Not only were these conversations incredibly dull but they included a lot of inappropriate nitpicking about co-workers and complaining about the office culture. I wanted to tell people to stop it!

Work events are supposed to be fun, so leave the work talk at the office and have a conversation about anything else. People love to talk about themselves. Ask your colleagues questions about their kids, their summer vacation plans, or their hobbies. When they answer, be present. Put your phone away and have a civil conversation with the person standing in front of you.

When it’s your turn to talk, let people know who you are outside of work. Do you like to hike, camp, boat, ride bikes? Being authentic will help you facilitate connections and create alliances that lead to better communication and higher morale back at the office.

Pick up my FREE download

Etiquette Tips for Office Social Events

If you have a work event coming up and you’re unsure about how to dress or nervous about how to behave, contact me today to see how working with a professional image consultant can help.

]]> https://dstebbing.opalstacked.com/blog/company-events/feed 0 https://dstebbing.opalstacked.com/blog/personal-brand-management https://dstebbing.opalstacked.com/blog/personal-brand-management#respond Tue, 12 Jun 2018 19:43:35 +0000 https://dawnstebbing.com/?p=1619 Read More]]> Creating a personal brand identity in the workplace starts with consistently looking your best, regardless of the season. Just because summer is upon us, it doesn’t mean you get to throw your carefully curated wardrobe out the window and start wearing shorts and flip-flops to work.

A friend of mine recently sent me some pictures of people at her office. I was shocked to discover one of the gals was wearing a flimsy camisole with no jacket over it. Not only was she showing a lack of concern for her personal brand, but she also hadn’t given much thought to her work environment.

Summer Wardrobe Best Practices

The primary difference between our winter and summer wardrobes is that our summer outfits tend to use more color. However, too many people make the mistake of thinking that warmer temperatures mean that they can wear less clothing to the office. Even in the most casual, corporate cultures, there are typically some rules. Make sure you know the policy and always consider it when planning your outfits.

Remember that leggings, tank-tops, and flip-flops are never appropriate work attire, even when it’s hot outside. Shorts aren’t a good idea either unless your office specifically says they’re OK. If you are allowed to wear shorts, make sure that yours are well-tailored, hemmed and an appropriate length. Capris are generally fine, as are polos, khakis, and lighter weight dresses with work-appropriate hemlines.

If your office allows sleeveless shirts, please remember to pay attention to your grooming needs. Nobody in your office wants to see (or smell) what’s under your arms! Also, remember that though it may be warm outside, your office is going to be pumping the AC all summer long, so keep a neutral sweater or blazer in your cubicle at all times.

Dressing for The Whole Day

Summer brings longer days, warmer weather and plenty of opportunities for socializing after work. When planning your outfit in the morning, make sure you have a sense of your entire day. If you know you’re headed to an event straight from the office, plan your outfit accordingly. The key is understanding the type of event you’re attending, so you can make sure to bring an appropriate change of clothing.

Dressing down a work outfit can be as simple as swapping heels for flats or throwing a jean jacket on over whatever you wore to the office. For men, you may only need to shed your suit jacket, take off your tie and roll up your sleeves. If you’re going from the office to a picnic or pool party, you’ll want to bring a change of clothes.

If you get a last-minute invitation somewhere, remember, it’s always better to be a little overdressed than underdressed. Creating a brand for yourself is significant. Your personal brand follows you everywhere you go.

Are you unsure about how to dress for work this summer? If so, contact me today to see how working with a professional image consultant can help you look and feel your best all year long.

Pick up my FREE Download

Summer Business Casual Guidelines

I recently started working with a young woman who’s in advertising. One of the first questions I asked her was what she generally wears to the office. She told me that she goes to the gym most mornings and so she often ends up wearing yoga pants and a sweatshirt to work.

My jaw dropped when she told me this, but she explained that it’s what everyone does at her office. I asked her how she felt about wearing gym clothes to work every day and she told me she hadn’t thought about it too much. “When I first started working there,” she said, “I dressed up a lot but at some point, I just adopted the dress code I saw everyone else following. Now, I’m on wardrobe auto-pilot.”

Casual Does Not Mean Sloppy

This client sought me out because she was beginning to sense a lapse in her productivity. When she told me what she was wearing every day, I wasn’t surprised. She was going to the office in pajamas! Of course, she didn’t feel like accomplishing anything.

Even in casual corporate cultures such as advertising, tech, and entertainment, if your goal is to get ahead, you should be putting on outfits that communicate “Here I am. I’m a leader.” Not “Here I am. I’m comfortable. And I’d rather be at the gym.”

If your office is casual, you can still step it up a notch without being too formal. Conversely, even if you work in banking or in the legal field, don’t be afraid of adding a great piece of colorful jewelry or a unique tie to your outfit. Standing out is the key to getting ahead.

Leaders Look Like Leaders

I know this is going to hurt some of you to read, but leaders don’t wear jeans and t-shirts unless, through their leadership, they’ve created an entire industry where jeans and t-shirts are acceptable work attire. Steve Jobs didn’t start wearing his uniform of black jeans and sweater until he had perfected a product that everyone in the world wanted. At that point, it didn’t matter how he dressed.

Look at Mark Zuckerberg. As soon as he started meeting with politicians and influencers, he began to dress up. He decided he had aspirations beyond Facebook and he knew he had to take his wardrobe up a notch.

Your Look Communicates Your Power

It’s very simple: when you pay attention to your appearance and your grooming, you send the signal to others that you are powerful. Taking care of the details of your look communicates that you take care of the details of your business and that will win you respect.

It isn’t always easy. If you’re someone who is naturally introverted, the idea of drawing attention to yourself with your wardrobe might be terrifying. But unless you’re willing to look and act the part, even if you have the leadership qualities and skills necessary for advancement, you’re going to be passed over every single time.

Unsure if you are making the right wardrobe choices?

Take my FREE quiz to find out.

Are You Sabotaging Your Career with Poor Wardrobe Choices Quiz

If you’re ready to stop blending in and start standing out, let’s talk! Click HERE to connect with me one-on-one. You can also visit my personal page at MyPrivateStylist.com  for information on how a wardrobe overhaul can change your life!