As a current (or future!) client of mine, you probably already know what I’m about. Polished is built on my belief that authentically, intentionally showing up as yourself is how you’ll get to where you want to be. And I’ve realized recently that I want to start showing up more for y’all as ME! It’s about time you knew who you were working with. So what better way to do that than to talk about how I’ve gotten to where I am now? Keep on reading to see how I went From Passion To Profession: My Journey As An Image Consultant!
Now, I can’t say that I was born knowing exactly what I wanted to do with my life. (Respect to any of y’all that did, though!) But what I DID know is what I was curious about, and that I wanted to run the show. If there’s any non-fashion advice I could ever give you – it would be two things: 1) follow your nose, and 2) take the risk. Let your curiosity bloom into passion. And don’t be afraid of taking chances! Let’s take a little walk through my journey, shall we?
From Passion To Profession: My Journey As An Image Consultant
- From the time that I was a little girl, I’ve always been intrigued with how people presented themselves. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, which is a very creative, eclectic region. I loved watching everyone – the punk rockers, hippies, business professionals… you name it! How you present yourself tells a story. I was totally obsessed with the stories I was seeing, and how they were being told.
- From childhood to adulthood, I always loved the ritual of getting dressed in the morning. And doing it well has always felt like the perfect blend of self-care and efficiency. So I made it a point a long time ago to study and learn how to best set myself up for success by combining those things! And it became so clear to me that dressing intentionally makes all the difference! Cut to…
- I became successful as a young woman in a very competitive industry. I made it a priority to not only have the degree and work experience, but I also committed to looking the part! (That self-care and efficiency I was talking about really took hold here.) Therefore, I became my own first success story. I moved up through the ranks because my image matched my drive and my goals. And I got my first taste of seeing just how powerful an authentic personal brand can be! But one day, I realized that I was ready for the next step…
- I always knew that one day I would run my own company. (And truth be told, I was preparing myself for that during my corporate years.) So when my work life gave me lemons, I decided I was going to make lemonade. I walked off my job 7 weeks pregnant with my twins (!!), and I sat down and wrote the business plan for my dream job and company. And I never once looked back!
15 years later:
I still wake up every day excited to work with my amazing clients. I set out to do something that fuels me and fulfills me, and I am so lucky to say that I’m living my dream. My clients have ranged from diplomats, judges, doctors, authors, and politicians to women climbing the corporate ladder in every industry. I love to teach women what I know! And I love to watch them soar once they learn!
My friend, there is so much power in knowing how to dress your body and shop for yourself. (And that’s the key – shop for YOURSELF!) I don’t want my clients to depend on me! I’m always around if they need me, but my real job is to turn them into their own fashion editors so they can level up how they show up!
I hope you enjoyed getting to know a little more about me – the woman behind Polished! If you want an even closer look, click HERE to check out my episode on The DMV Business Show Podcast! 2023 has been an amazing year, and I can’t wait to see what 2024 has in store!
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