My Personal Stylist

“If you’re not a brand, you’re a commodity” – and lets face it, who wants to be a commodity – constantly compared on price and features? I love this quote from Mireille Guiliano in her book Women, Work & The Art of Savoir Faire. She makes a great point. If you want to stand out for the right reasons and be noticed by your boss, your prospects or even that cute guy or girl you’ve had your eye on then you need to become a brand. I don’t mean a product like Nike or Sony, but it can be helpful to look at the strategies employed by successful mega brands. Strategies such as keep it simple (stupid) or KISS. Which means get your brand positioning right, create a memorable message (no more than 3 points) around your difference or uniqueness and then make sure you tell the world. And repeat, and repeat and repeat.

No-one said brand building was an overnight thing. There’s no instant gratification here folks. However, if you get your message (what you tell people about who you are and what you have to offer) and your packaging (how you present yourself physically and stylistically) right, then great things are possible. But… and this is a major limiting factor in most people’s ‘brand-building strategy’ you also need to be consistent in walking your talk and in looking the part. I am a strong believer in dress for the role you aspire to; both professionally and socially. It also helps to be gracious, give without thought of getting, treat others you would wish to be treated, and smile – just because you can.

Become memorable (for the right reasons) and your brand will flourish.

1. Get your message straight
2. Repeat it consistently and often
3. Back it up with your appearance and your behaviour

Do this and you will find you attract better opportunities, more attention for the right reason, and more of the things you desire.

First impressions are made with seconds, not minutes. Before you even open your mouth, someone has made a judgment or assumption about you and your capabilities.

• A sharp image inspires confidence, communicates leadership ability and helps to advance your prospects
• Every contact with customers, prospects or suppliers gives you the opportunity to enhance or dilute your personal brand

Here are a few simple tips to help you manage your personal brand for maximum results. They are categorised into those things that will enhance your brand and those that will dilute it. Keep these in mind when preparing for your next business (or social) occasion.

15 Brand Diluters

1. Ill fitting clothes: eg too revealing, too short, too tight, see-through, too big or gaping
2. No make-up, too much make-up out-dated make-up
3. Chipped nail polish, dirty or chewed fingernails
4. Bad breath or body odour
5. Dirty or scuffed shoes
6. Over-powering scent (ie perfume/aftershave)
7. Laddered hosiery or stockings with open-toe shoes
8. Untidy or dirty hair
9. Constant sniffing or throat clearing
10. Not returning phone calls
11. Turning up late
12. Answering or checking your phone during meetings
13. Over promising and under delivering
14. Not walking your talk
15. A weak or an overly firm handshake

15 Brand Enhancers

1. Smart, pressed and clean clothing – without stains, missing buttons, pulled threads, frayed cuffs etc
2. Clothing that fits you well, enhances your shape and minimises any flaws
3. Polished shoes and matching socks/ hosiery
4. Stylish pen, portfolio/notebook for meetings
5. Good posture…walk tall & sit up straight – good posture can take off 10 years and 5 kilos
6. Under-promising and over-delivering
7. Being punctual and calling immediately if something prevents from being so
8. Giving without thought of getting
9. Smile, and look people in the eye
10. Being consistent in your appearance and your actions
11. Remembering other peoples names
12. Confirming appointments the day before
13. Being authentic and believing in yourself
14. Saying thank you…often
15. Making someone feel good, just because you can

1. Mix a couple of dissolvable aspirin in with your shampoo as a detox wash for your hair to remove product buildup.
2. Aspirin (which contains salicylic acid found in those expensive brand name exfoliants) can also be used to great effect for an exfoliating mask or for those who suffer breakouts. Not recommended for sensitive skins though. Mix up a paste with 4-6 aspirin and a few drops of water and a couple of spoons of honey before applying to clean skin. Leave for 10-15 min and then massage gently before rinsing. Obviously if you are allergic to aspirin or honey this one is not for you.
3. For shiny, shiny hair, rinse your hair in champagne for highlighting blonde or beer for brunettes.
4. Whiten yellow-stained fingernails with lemon juice. Halve a lemon and squeeze some juice out so you can get your fingers inside. Leave them for 5 minutes and then rinse, dry and apply hand cream.
5. Instead of expensive bath salts try plain old Epsom Salts from the pharmacy for a muscle soothing soak. Add a few drops of your favourite essential oil (such as lavender) for a calming effect.
6. Break open a couple of Vitamin E oil or fish oil capsules and mix into your hair conditioner for an effective and instant hair treatment.
7. Rosewater (available in many delis and specialty food stores) makes a great non-drying facial toner for men or women. Apply with a cotton pad, after cleansing and before moisturising.
8. To make a great natural hair masque mix one egg with two tablespoons of olive oil. Smooth the mixture evenly throughout your hair and then cover with a shower cap or plastic wrap. Allow the mixture to remain on hair for ten minutes and then rinse thoroughly. The protein and amino acids in the egg will add strength and shine to your hair while the olive oil will help to soften and condition dry hair.
9. Mix up a pot of Chamomile tea and when cooled pour into ice cube trays and freeze. When you need a quick eye pick-me-up for puffy or tired eyes. Wrap a couple of chamomile ice blocks in a face washer or 2-3 tissues and pat gently around your eyes.
10. A good treatment for oily skin and to minimise enlarged pores is to mix one tsp of tomato juice with a couple of drops of lime juice. Soak a cotton pad with the mixture and gently apply to skin. Leave for a few minutes then rinse with warm water. Tone (see Point 6) then moisturise.

For those lucky enough to be making an escape to warm and sunny locations, here are my top 10 travel packing tips to help take the stress out of getting away:

1. Use the 80/20 rule – pack 80% of items for your top half and 20% of items for the bottom. Limit yourself to 2-3 colours that work together and can be layered and combined in multiple ways to allow for day and evening needs. It’s simple to change the look with accessories such as scarves, jewellery and a change of shoes.
2. Transfer skin care, and toiletries (including sunscreen) into small cosmetic bottles/jars which you can pick up at the supermarket. Alternatively (unless you use specialist products) you can save space by picking these up at your destination. Put your toiletries bag into a plastic bag and secure the top before you pack it, that way if anything spills during your journey it is less likely to get into everything else. I use a large zip lock bag.
3. A small bag with a long strap that can be removed (or tucked inside) is great for outings and can double as an evening bag.
4. 1 or 2 scarves that mix and match with everything can also be used to hide a bad hair day or double as a belt.
5. A wrap, which is great for an extra layer of lightweight warmth and fantastic for on the plane.
6. Swimwear and a sarong (a stylish sarong can also be used as a wrap for evening).
7. A fold up beach/shopping bag for when you’re out and about or for those must-have holiday purchases.
8. Charger for phone, iPod, laptop etc plus conversion electrical plugs if required. These are often available at the airport but can be difficult to find if you’re going to an out of the way destination.
9. You can fit more in or save room for things you buy when you’re away if you roll anything that can be rolled up and then squeeze each item into gaps around bulky items such as shoes and toiletries.
10. Save room by wearing your bulkiest items (such as runners/jeans/jacket) on the plane.

And one more thing; not a packing tip but a good travel tip nonetheless. Scan/copy your passport, drivers licence, and credit cards and email them to yourself using an email account accessible at any internet cafe. That way if you do lose them you have easy access to proof of ID which will speed up the replacement process.

Bon voyage!