This one is for the future 10’s. “So, no one told you life was gonna be this way, your job’s a joke, you’re broke, your love life’s D.O.A…”
I am here to tell you that if you have lost sight of yourself while reaching for the top, you can learn to connect with yourself and others before even saying “hello”.
I truly believe that we are visual creatures. Because of this, we see sunshine and expect to feel its warmth, we choose vacations by traveling through online images, and try new foods if they look appealing. And if our experiences don’t match up to how they looked, we feel tricked.
Similarly, when we meet people, click on thumbnails, or LinkedIn profiles, we are unaware of all the behind-the-scenes stuff that takes place. We don’t even know that before the interaction begins, our mind has already decided how we feel about it. It takes less than 7 seconds to do this.
So, if you are on the other end of this interaction, and you are the one who needs to help someone decide if they are making a good decision by choosing you, you need to know yourself first. After this, you can present this beautiful version of yourself authentically through the first impression that you design. Once you do this successfully, you will be surprised to see that people will appreciate the continuity of thought you have helped them take comfort in. Human beings do not like being tricked.
We also do not like being unhappy. We have goals and dreams, and we spend years working passionately toward unseen rewards. After all this work, if we do not feel that we have been rewarded accordingly, that we are almost there but not quite, we feel lost. The problem is, while focusing on our personal and professional lives, we forget to represent ourselves. We lose track of who we are. Creating our personal brand at this point does wonders. It can happen surprisingly fast, although it is not an overnight transformation. Rather, it is a worthwhile process that involves and results in aligning visual images with our lived experiences.
I am here to tell you that you can successfully nail complicated interactions with others. You can increase your self-confidence, define your image, and represent your own brand if you stay true to your story.
As an image consultant, I can help you project the personality traits that are needed for your success and growth through the colours, fabrics, silhouettes, and style decisions you make in your personal and professional lives. This also means helping you leave behind dated clothes and fashion trends that are causing the confusion, so you can step ahead knowing that your personal wardrobe, confidence, and the first impressions you project are taken care of.
If you are curious to meet your best, most successful version, here are a few steps that will help set you apart.
Step One: Define Who You Are
I will tell you a secret: The way you see yourself is mostly not how others see you. People quickly notice inconsistencies between what we represent and how we present ourselves. They see the wrinkles in our shirt and our ill-fitting clothes as signs of neglect. These small but impactful first impressions say that we treat others the way we treat ourselves. The problem with image is that it talks to others before we do. It goes ahead and conveys a great lack of alignment between what we say we do and what we deliver. As an outsider who understands this issue personally, I can tell you that there is a simple solution: dress the way you would like to be addressed. Create your personal brand vision to command respect – create presence wherever you choose. Learn to see yourself through others’ eyes and appreciate what they see. This can all be done by defining your values and using your personality to enhance your style and demeanor.
I know that trying on new clothes can be challenging. To some of us, it can even feel like we are betraying ourselves by choosing something unfamiliar. I also know that unless we try it, we won’t know if this is what we were always meant to be – our best self.
Although it sounds like a lot, it’s actually pretty easy once you recollect why you started your journey.
Ask yourself these questions: Do you truly believe in the product you represent (it can be you in this case, too)? Who is your audience? What connects you with them?
Creating visual unity will reorganize your life. It will eliminate hesitation and let others know your goals, values, and what you stand for through your personal brand.
You will enjoy the difference it makes in how people approach you.
Step 2: Represent Your Brand
After you know what brand image is best suited for your success, remind yourself of the values and promises you wish to uphold through your brand. What is your personal and professional message for the people you meet? What stands in the way of connecting you with others?
Being your very own brand ambassador helps you inspire others to trust your brand through the image you create. Listing the personality traits that appeal to you can help you understand what you wish to convey. As a professional image consultant with years of experience, I can even teach you how to do this virtually. Whether you are aiming for success in your career or relationships, appearing self-assured will convince others they can rely on you.
I can help you navigate different situations, occasions, seasons, and fashion trends through an individually catered personal wardrobe. This would help you represent your most authentic self and achieve your goals. It would allow you to confidently step outside, attend online meetings, and turn your attention toward the people who matter.
By learning some of the secret tricks I have gathered from my 35 years in the high-powered world of fashion, you can sift through the challenges you face and connect your most memorable version to the brand you represent.
Step 3: Stay Ahead of the Competition
Now that you have reassessed who you are, what your brand stands for, and why you need this, it is time to realize your true potential. It’s a good idea to take a walk around places that inspire you and notice what you identify with. Think of the personalities who spark your interest and make a list of what draws you toward them. After this, do not hesitate to think big and ambitiously update your career goals. This will help you really grasp what attracts you.
It is not as abstract as it sounds. A part of you is already there in the brand you wish to create. I will help you understand why things that click, really click.
To beat your competition and stand apart, you should think of the person/consumer you want to succeed with first. However, what you are creating is not solely intended to please them, it is just there for you to connect with your audience…by acknowledging the simple fact that human beings have some things in common. Appealing to this will help you address their concerns.
Customers want authentic and unique interactions. Forcing trends that don’t speak for you is not authentic. Also, once you discover it, you can make your signature style flow for you. This way, you will benefit not only yourself but also those around you – they will be rewarded by your fullest potential, too – in case you were worried about appearing selfish for looking awesome! I can help you discover your unique style in a way that connects you with others. Together, we can inspire them to choose you.
In order to beat your competition, I also wanted to tell you that consumers tend to gravitate toward easily identifiable, relatable people and the brands they represent. In this interaction, you are the brand we are referring to. Choosing the familiar does not mean that we don’t want the spectacular. Because human beings are simple and complicated at the same time, we thrive on inspiration and creativity around us. The fun part is that these opposites have us in common. That is why most of us covet the comfort, trust, and prestige associated with popular names and familiar businesses. They are definitely remarkable in the way they make us all feel special.
Our dream interactions charter the decisions we make. The way we connect with those we feel at ease with can mean the difference between success and failure. That is why being confident, comfortable, consistent, and credible can help set you apart. As always, the other major player that helps you win is authenticity.
If you are still not sure how to convey all this to others, remember that the non-verbal marketing through the colours and patterns you choose to wear and your brand consistency speaks for you. It advocates for you the whole time! Know that you can easily gain your customers’ attention and retain their trust just by being consistent. Also, unfortunately, being inconsistent reveals your own confusion and lack of commitment.
So, maintaining brand consistency is crucial; it can help you generate genuine curiosity and interest in your message. It will do the work for you, creating expectations and meeting them on your behalf. This will give you the competitive edge that you need.
Once again…think of any successful person. Think of any successful business – what helps them stand apart? Are they familiar and memorable? Innovative yet predictable? Also, do you have fun recognizing them anywhere and knowing how amazing they are? This trust in them helps you like yourself a little bit more for choosing them.
I can help you let the people around you feel this way.
Step 4: Reflect Your Journey
This one is about celebrating you. I feel that each win is reached through creating memorable, lasting impressions – unless we are undercover detectives. The visual aesthetic that you create will elicit the emotional response you seek. The simplest way of doing this is just by allowing ourselves to honour our journey.
This is why creating your personal brand should be prioritized. It tells the world what’s missing. If you can visually tell your story, you can live and enjoy the success you have envisioned. This is why it is time to stop wondering how far you could have gone. You can set up a meeting with me to help show you where you can go. What I will bring out is the empathy and ambition, the beauty and exclusivity of the purpose that reflects your journey. I delight in seeing the metamorphosis and growth of the people I interact with. I can teach you to set the backdrop for your story to unfold, making sure it truly cast you as the effortlessly awesome style icon you worked so hard to become. Any attire or fake front you are uncomfortable with will show through and overshadow your brilliance. People can see through anything less than real.
So, how do we tell the world what’s missing?
We engage and empathize on many levels; we show care through thoughtfully designed memorable and lasting impressions. Your customers will associate with you in meaningful ways through the vision you create, the narrative you tell. Isn’t it amazing that there is a LOT you can control? Your personal brand must be one that never undervalues who you are. It shouldn’t seek to replicate anyone else. Your own unique appeal is all the advantage that you need.
How does this stuff tie in with making you a 10?
Your story is the brand that wins. What I am saying is that you already have this all in you. You just need to connect with your audience more expressively and purposefully.
Being a 10 means being able to instill confidence in who you are. To meet people whose direction is represented through their brand identity is enchanting. It helps everything fall into place and their lasting first impressions keep reminding us we can choose right.
Throughout your journey, I will be there for you, showing you how carelessly put together pieces of different puzzles confuse the people we interact with. Literally, that is what happens when your personal brand is less than a priority. My experience confirms that people are addressed the way they dress. These are the people who can have it all. I have found that cohesion and continuity create the harmony that we all seek.