Feel powerful in the office with this season’s pointy toes and block heels!
(note: all styles can be purchased at Nordstrom)
Add some personality to your Fall wardrobe with a monk strap, wing tip, or great boot.
Every January I’m excited to have so many new clients who are ready to make a change to how they feel. Yes, I said how they feel. Changing what you wear changes how you feel on the inside. It makes you feel powerful, confident, and excited to take on whatever the day brings.
As the New Year begins it’s a great time for reflection, so I have an important question for you. It’s simply whether or not you feel inspired each day?
Inspired to be the best version of you. Inspired to take on the New Year and make it the best one yet? Inspired to only wear clothes that make you feel like a million bucks?
It’s something to think about and actually it’s a Kelloggs commercial that says it the best. Watch this 30-second commercial. It’s great food for thought!
Here’s to a stylish and inspiring year!
Do you wish for magical clothes that instantly make people want to do business with you?
Are you ready to be seen as an expert in your field?
Do you want to feel confident in any setting?
If you said yes join style expert and author, Lee Heyward, for the FREE webinar “Dress Like a CEO” on Wednesday, September 18th at 12pm EST.
Getting the business results you want is as simple as changing your clothes.
There’s nothing magical about it, except for the results you’ll see.
Your image is your most valuable asset and the one you most often forget about leveraging. The clothing you wear can determine your success before you even open your mouth.
Dress Like a CEO
Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at 12pm EST
During this 60-minute webinar you will discover…
Getting dressed should be easy and financially strategic!
Your wardrobe is an important business investment. The right clothes can turn a no into a yes, inspire other employees to be their best selves, or most importantly, make you feel confident and excited to be the chief executive officer of your own business, a fortune 500 company, or your life.
Register Here: http://www.styleseminars.com/dresslikeceo.html
The fastest way to create a polished and professional look is to pay attention to the details of your entire outfit. If you walk into a big meeting holding papers and searching around for a pen your entire look appears unorganized no matter what you’re wearing. Instead keep everything in a beautiful day bag that fits everything you need for work. Use these tips before buying your next bag.
1. Take Measurements
Measure the items you commonly use and carry with you for work. How big is your laptop? How wide are the folders you use for new clients? Knowing these measurements will ensure you purchase a bag that is big enough for all of your needs.
2. Give it a test drive.
Before settling on a bag give it a test drive. Wear it around the store as you look at other things. Does it sit comfortably on your shoulder? Is it already heavy with nothing in it? Once you’re home don’t remove the tags until you’ve packed the bag for a typical day at work to see how everything fits and feels.
3. Have fun with it.
Typically your work bag is an item you pick up multiple times a day and use everyday, so it should be a bag you really love. Choose one in a fun color, an interesting lining, or add an accessory like a scarf to change up the look.
I recently returned from a trip to Key West, FL with my family. Here’s a picture from one of our favorite beach spots. We had a blast but I also had a style altering moment (and it wasn’t from the people watching!).
I passed a teenage girl on the street who had the same cell phone case as me. This is not exactly a shocking probability but it made me instantly realize I had to get a new one. It wasn’t because someone else had the same thing as me but seeing it on her made me realize it just wasn’t my style.
I bought the cell phone case for two reasons. First, it was there when I needed it and it was on sale. Two reasons that ultimately cost me more money because now I have two cell phone cases when I could have just bought one I really loved in the first place.
The fact that this happened is fantastic! It was a great reminder for me to practice what I preach in all arenas of my life, not just with what I wear. A cell phone case isn’t a big deal in the style scheme of things. But why look and touch something a million times a day that you don’t even love.
It’s easy to be seduced by convenience or price but don’t forget to make sure whatever you buy makes sense for your style personality.
Too often you find items hanging in your closet that seemed like a good idea but turned into a one hit wonder, or even worse a never worn wonder! Use these tips the next time you go shopping to ensure what you buy will be things you love to wear again and again.
I love helping clients figure out what to wear during a presentation. But, how do you figure out what to say? My friend Margot Carmichael Lester from the Word Factory weighs in on how to create a great presentation.
5 Tips for Making Better Presentations
Written by Margot Charmichael Lester
I’ve been giving presentations since transparencies were cutting-edge (click here if you don’t know what those even are). Over those years, I’ve developed a few tips for being a more effective presenter.
1. Plan Ahead. This isn’t as no-duh as it sounds. To build a better presentation, you need more than an outline. I use an organizer (download it: www.bit.ly.UseTheCPA) to create a bullet-point pre-write of presentations that includes these key elements:
Audience: Who’s your audience and what are the questions they may have about your topic, or the objections they may have to your pitch? Sketch out some answers and start thinking about which of them to include in your talk (see below for tips on how to choose). Even if you’re not going to address a question directly, keep the answer in your notes in case you’re asked during the Q&A. Bonus Tip:You probably will be asked.
Purpose: What do you want the audience to think, feel and/or do after your presentation? Quantify this to develop content that’s geared toward these results and create more meaningful calls to action. This information also informs the details/answers you include.
Content: What’s the one most important thing the audience needs to know? Make sure it’s clear to you – and in your talking points and slides. Too often, speakers forget to make this key point. Build your presentation with a mix of details that fleshes out your main idea (often includes your messaging), answers audience questions/objections, and provides information that moves people to think and act. Close with those calls to action. Bonus Tip: As you build your slides, keep them from getting overcrowded by sharing only the key take-away for each concept you need to present. Bonus points if you keep it to 100 characters to make it Twitter-ready!
2. Hit the Decks! If you plan to share your slide deck online, prepare two: one for the live presentation and one for the web. Why? The slides you use during your presentation should be visually appealing and not dense with text. But a few words on a slide aren’t super-helpful to anyone viewing your deck via Slideshare, etc. Develop a more robust, informative deck for the web version so you can show what you know or, if you use presenter notes, make them viewable by the masses.
3. Don’t Overdo It. Because so many people hate public speaking, we have a tendency to over-prepare. We practice a lot because we don’t want to make any mistakes. But that might be the biggest mistake of all. If you practice too much, you come off as either a little too slick, or a little too stiff. And neither of those leaves the right impression. Get comfortable with your key points and take-aways. Then practice breathing (seriously) as you cover the material and flip through the slides. Finally, practice you’re your technology. I recently started presenting from the iPad and had to learn a whole new way of interacting with my device. A few practice rounds improved my confidence immensely.
4. Dress the Part. Find out ahead of time what kind of backdrop you’re presenting against and plan your wardrobe accordingly. Case in point: I wear a lot of black, but what I gained in chic and slimming I lost in contrast when I showed up in a black pantsuit only to find I was speaking against a black curtain. For the folks in the back of the room, my floating head and scarf made me look like Jambi. When in doubt, a bold print or bright color is hard to beat. Ask Lee for more specific advice to help you look your best.
5. Roll with It. No matter how much you prepare, no matter how carefully you set up the projector or test the remote, something might go wrong. Minimize the odds by creating redundancies. For instance, I save presentations as PDFs, load all formats on a thumb drive and SlideShare, and email them to myself and the conference coordinator. I also print out one copy with notes (for me) and one without in case all the technology fails. At least I have what I need and I can, in a pinch, make copies of the deck for the audience. Bring extra batteries for your remote and a bonus charger for your larger devices. Then just visualize yourself handling any development with grace and confidence. Honestly, that’s about the best you can do!
With the tips, you can calm your nerves, reduce the impact of mishaps and give a rock-solid presentation. Good luck!
Margot Carmichael Lester is a communications strategist, content creator and coach. Her company, The Word Factory, is celebrating its 20th year of telling stories and getting them heard. She works with enterprises from start-ups and nonprofits to NGOs and Fortune 100 companies to produce high-value communications and make an impact. Get more tips from The Word Factory blog and a MargotLester.com.
One thing that is hard to tolerate is the summer heat. However, it’s easier than you think to beat the heat and stay in style.
There’s nothing worse than leaving the house thinking you look good and arriving to work a sweaty mess! Sweat happens. There’s just no way around it. But you don’t have to sacrifice style or looking good when temperatures outside rise. Here are a few tips to remember as you dress to impress this summer.
Plan Ahead
Commute to work wearing a cute tee (ladies) or polo (men). Swap it out in the lobby bathroom for your favorite work shirt. It makes a cab or subway ride with no air conditioning much more pleasant knowing you won’t have to wear a smelly shirt for the rest of the day.
Leave it at the Office
A jacket is key to combating frigid air-conditioned offices. But it’s the last thing you want to wear on your way to work. Ladies, keep a few neutral cardigans or jackets in your office to ensure you are warm and stylish.
Men, choose a lightweight sport coat in a linen or tropical wool and leave it hanging on your office door or in your car for your commute to work.
You Are Always at Work
As company picnics and outdoor events pop up remember that you are always at work. Choose your wardrobe carefully. If shorts are appropriate keep them at a tasteful length and always go for a more dressed up shorts look. Ladies, choose a cute blouse instead of a skimpy tank. Men, skip the graphic tee and opt for a cotton polo.
Skip the Flip Flops
Flip flops are the official shoe of summer but not at work. Showing too much foot at work is unprofessional. Plus, the annoying flip flop sound will drive your co-workers crazy. Not to mention it makes you pretty easy to keep tabs on!
More often than not, each piece of your brand image was created when you needed it, but not altogether in a strategic fashion. Your image may look fine, but does fine help you grow?
Eventually as you scale, your image foundation cracks, and the way your business presents itself no longer helps propel growth – costing you time and money to fix.
When you unlock your brand power, you get to pick and choose how people perceive you and your brand.
Our Image Mastery System™ takes the 5 key brand components that you already have and ties them together in a way that amplifies your results and achieves your vision.
