Boosting Leadership Presence Through Personal Style with Michael Bruce Image Consulting

Have you ever considered the impact of your personal style on your professional growth? Prepare to look at your wardrobe differently as we chat with Bruce and Pamela from Michael Bruce Image Consulting, who'll guide us on how to express ourselves more authentically and communicate more effectively. 
 
 We dive into the enriching world of personal style, discussing how it can be a catalyst for change in how we show up. Our guests illustrate this by sharing Season Leadership Co-Founder Susan’s wardrobe transformation, highlighting how the changes she made helped her show up more as her authentic self. We discuss the subtle elements like fit and color that play a significant role in cultivating a positive self-image, and how the right style and even small changes can empower you to take control of your career. 

Bruce and Pamela share actionable advice you can take today to start transforming your own wardrobe and leadership presence. Our guests help us navigate the overload of seasonal trends, advising us to be daring and bold, and take intentional steps towards change that can have a lasting impact. Listen and be inspired to embrace the season of summer in your wardrobe and beyond.
 
 Bio:Michael Bruce Image Consulting is a premier, head-to-toe Image Consulting company based in the greater Seattle area. They work with a diverse client base around the country to identify and elevate their personal style by educating how to dress authentically for their lifestyle, body type and budget. Working with clients to first address their “interior,” allows Michael Bruce Image Consulting to dress their “exterior” with a personal style that is authentic to them individually and therefore, long-lasting. 
 
Bruce Pflaumer owner of Michael Bruce Image Consulting offers experience and expertise of more than 25 years in the apparel industry including, buying, merchandising, apparel design and development, and brand building. Pamela Forgrieve wears many stylish hats for Michael Bruce Image Consulting. She is a Certified Image Consultant, Certified Wardrobe and Bridal Stylist and she’s the Director of Operations & Logistics.

 Resources:
Michael Bruce Image Consulting - MBIC

Be More Like Nature and Show Your True Self | The Almanac | Seasons Leadership Program

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hello everybody and welcome to summer. With the Seasons Leadership podcast, where we celebrate the season of being in the flow, moving forward and taking actions full of energy. Throughout the season, we're going to bring you actionable advice that improves your leadership and your life today. Thank you for joining me, debbie Collard and my co-host, susan Ireland. As certified leadership coaches and co-founders of Seasons Leadership, we share a vision to make excellent leadership the worldwide standard. You can learn more at our website at seasonsleadershipcom. Join us in making positive leadership the norm rather than the exception. By listening and engaging in the discussions that we feature on this podcast, you can help us bring leadership excellence to the world. Thank you for joining us today.

Speaker 2: 0:46

Today we have Michael Bruce Image Consulting team here with us Bruce Flomer and Pamela Forgreve. Michael Bruce Image Consulting is a premier head-to-toe image consulting company based in the greater Seattle area. They work with a diverse client base around the country to identify and elevate their personal style by educating how to dress authentically for their lifestyle, body type and budget. Working with clients to first address their interior allows Michael Bruce Image Consulting to dress their exterior with personal style that is authentic to them, individually and therefore long-lasting. Bruce is owner of Michael Bruce Image Consulting and offers experience and expertise of more than 25 years in the apparel industry, including buying, merchandising, apparel design and development and brand building. Pamela wears many stylish hats for Michael Bruce Image Consulting.

Speaker 1: 1:58

And shoes yes.

Speaker 2: 2:02

She is a certified image consultant, certified wardrobe and bridal stylist and she is director of operations and logistics. Welcome, pamela and Bruce.

Speaker 3: 2:15

Hi, ladies Thanks for inviting us back.

Speaker 4: 2:17

It's good to be back. Hey, actually we have clients. I should put this in the bio. We actually have clients globally.

Speaker 2: 2:25

You do what country?

Speaker 4: 2:31

Australia for one.

Speaker 2: 2:34

Yes that's right.

Speaker 4: 2:36

Yes, yes, and China and Canada. So yes, we're global.

Speaker 1: 2:41

Congratulations.

Speaker 4: 2:44

Global. It's out to any of those places yet to style them, but you never know.

Speaker 1: 2:52

You never know, you might be called out to a private yacht or something in one of these days.

Speaker 4: 2:57

Absolutely that would be interesting.

Speaker 3: 2:59

That would be. It would be.

Speaker 4: 3:01

Be like hey P, I'm taking a helicopter.

Speaker 3: 3:05

I'll see you. No, I think you live in Fantasyland.

Speaker 2: 3:09

No, you know, if those people are smart, aren't those private yachts they're going to be calling you Well?

Speaker 4: 3:16

there we go. Thank you very much. That's what you're saying.

Speaker 3: 3:19

One would think that they would have very small boardrobes, encapsulated boardrobes.

Speaker 2: 3:26

Right Very intentional. Very intentional.

Speaker 3: 3:29

Exactly yes.

Speaker 2: 3:33

Well, let's get started. So you know, we're about leadership excellence. Yes, you are. So what does style have to do with leadership excellence?

Speaker 4: 3:47

Absolutely nothing.

Speaker 3: 3:48

No, it actually has way more to do with leadership excellence than people think. There's always this misconception, when it comes to talking about personal style and, more importantly, personal branding, that you know there's this superficial element to it, like clothing doesn't matter, clothing doesn't make a person and that it's. It really has no relevance in this conversation, but what we find and what we know as stylists and image consultants, is that when you talked about in our bio, it starts internally. It has a massive impact on the way people think about themselves, how they project themselves and therefore how they compose themselves and how they come across to other people, and so it's a starting point. It's a starting conversation, you know, like we talk about when we give style seminars. We also talk about executive presence and the nonverbal and the verbal communication that goes in with that and gravitas.

Speaker 3: 4:46

You know all of these different things, but it really starts at the root of who you are internally and how you can express yourself through your personal style. So if you feel confident in the way you dress and the way you present to the world, you're more confident in other ways, then you show up differently. But people also then look at you as somebody is like okay, I kind of want to be like them, I want to show up and I want people to pay attention to what I have to say. And what we know is when you dress well, in an authentic fashion, and you feel really comfortable, people kind of forget about what they're wearing and the people kind of in front of them respond more to what they're actually saying and less attention is placed on image. And that was a lot there, but we can unpack.

Speaker 4: 5:39

Yeah, so yeah, also to expand upon this. You know how we contribute to leadership. Excellence is. You know a lot of our clients that come to us are actually at a crossroads or sometimes a breaking point and then sometimes like a barrier where they can't move past a certain place in their career. They realize what it is is there's something about them that's not putting them in the light that they want as far as the level that they want to go to, and we disseminate it, we talk about it and it's literally their style. It's like it's taken them too long in the morning to get dressed. They have meetings. They don't know what to wear and we have, we have, we talk about this communication thing like Pamela talked about. It's like if you're not, if your personal style and your personal brand is not communicating the message that you want to communicate to people, you're allowing the communication to be completely broken. And so personal style and personal branding, which is what we help people do, really helps them truly communicate what they want to communicate. Whether you know the communication is I'm confident, I'm competent, you know I'm trustworthy, all those things and that's kind of executive presence, but it's all those things that your style can communicate or it can communicate something totally different. And if you're not in control of that communication, then your communication communication, then you're not a control, your style is not a control of it. It's like that communication is so important.

Speaker 4: 7:22

People are like now, like we had this client one time and he worked for this company. He was a senior manager, he wanted to get to the next level and he had an interesting job because he's an engineer, but he had to work with the engineers, software guys, but then also he was executive, so he had to work with all the executive monkey bucks, basically in the room and he was showing up more like an engineer, you know. And when he when he we modified his style, if you will his boss looked at him and he said to him he goes, now you're showing up. This guy now runs their corporate office in Japan and he said it was because of his style that his boss said now you're finally showing up. You always had in you, but we were waiting for you to show up and it was just really interesting. The personal style part of it, his brand, finally showed up.

Speaker 1: 8:28

He started communicating what he wanted, which is where he wanted to go, and so that brings to mind One of the things that we've talked about both in blogs and on other podcasts, is sitting at the table, like showing up. Same thing, right. So you, you're in the room, people know you're in the room. They're not able to easily ignore you because who you are is coming through, and so many times our clients are leadership coaching clients. That is just a simple but profound thing that we talked to them about is like you have to actually show up in the room and if you're minimizing, if you're wearing all dark, drab colors and or no color, as I call it, and you're sitting in the side of the room and you sleep into the conference room at the last minute.

Speaker 1: 9:24

No one's going to pay attention when you speak up and have something to say in the meeting.

Speaker 3: 9:28

Absolutely.

Speaker 1: 9:29

Oh yeah, okay, whatever. Get back to the main thing, right?

Speaker 3: 9:32

because you don't stand out. But also, I think people are worried that by elevating their style and maybe injecting color or whatever it is into their wardrobe is they're going to stand out in a negative way. And the opposite is actually true, as you could. You know from what you've just said there, debbie's, like you, don't get noticed when you're you, whether it's intentional or not. You, like you said drab colors or black or things like that, and there's this idea that in certain situations you don't want to be flashy and I'm using air quotes there because it might have a different connotation.

Speaker 3: 10:08

The reality of it is is that you do show up. It shows that you're present, it shows that you're confident in yourself and your own qualities and people. You know they will take notice and it's not just because of the clothing, it's how you comport yourself. You will actually, you know, sit differently. You will, and and we've seen this time and time again and I always like to go back to kind of the psychology behind style a little bit you know, yes, you have 30 seconds to make an impression, but the impression starts inside and when we work with clients who are at these crossroads or bridges or they're in transition stages of their need to take that step.

Speaker 3: 10:50

When they start to see themselves in a different way by using their personal style, they're in a dialogue, changes with themselves to, and the way they stand and the way they sit and the way they speak changes significantly. And we say all the time the shoulders go back, you stand a little straighter, you have this air of poise and air of confidence, and everybody else around you want some of that. They want to be in your sphere. So we're don't hide, don't be frightened to elevate and I think it's also, it's a, it's a cultural thing to, whether it's workplace culture or whatever your environment is. You feel like you have to blend in or fade away, but that's not how you succeed in life. Nobody who's successful blends or fades. They step forward, and you and you have to do that with your style as well.

Speaker 2: 11:49

I can attest to this personally, and Debbie worked with me and Boeing, you know, so she's, she has seen the difference in me after working with you two, and what you're saying is true, it's, I think. You know, I never really thought I was horrible, but I do look back at my pictures and I think like, oh God, but I think of what it. I think what it was is that, you know, I grew up in that corporate environment and it was definitely had a culture and I, you know, I figured out how to fit in and I think, and I did well. So this is okay, but but I wasn't, I think, truly myself. And when so, even though it's it sounds superficial, you know, I changed my clothes and I got bangs.

Speaker 3: 13:03

I was a winner.

Speaker 2: 13:03

Yeah, I mean I was so afraid to do that. I think that was that was the scariest thing ever, but I think it was what was what happened. It was a transformation. It was how I felt more comfortable. I felt more myself, and when I felt like I'm more myself, I could be more confident and show up for the work that needs to be done.

Speaker 2: 13:32

There's nothing that's I wasn't worried about am I wearing the right thing, or does it fit right, or all of those things just weren't in my mind. I was like, whatever it is that needed to be done, I was there to do it fully myself, authentically, and it just felt better.

Speaker 3: 13:55

And I also think you mentioned there, you kind of fit in, right. So, depending on what your workplace is, whether you feel like, okay, this is a male predominant industry, right. So you feel like, well, I can't dress a certain way because of this. I need to align myself more with, you know, pants and whatever. I like to think that as stylists, we can help people change that mindset to and be okay with being. You know, if you want to, you know dress a little bit more feminine in a workplace that is, you know, predominantly male, or vice versa. It's okay to be yourself when you allow yourself to be true you, you work better, you work smarter, you are more engaging.

Speaker 3: 14:45

And I just wanted to touch really quickly on something else that you said about colors that blending into the background way, whether you're wearing drab colors or black, those non colors, as you described in Debbie, actually have a negative impact as well. Right, so they don't necessarily make you feel great about yourself. But if you're somebody that dresses in in black all the time because that's you know, if it's that, if that's your style, that's fantastic. But that also have builds a barrier against, you know, with other people, because that head to toe black clothing is unapproachable. So while you're sitting there in the corner thinking, oh, I'm just blending in, what you're actually saying is I'm not approachable. So if you added a splash of color that invites conversation, that invites you to step outside of your comfort zone and have people converse with you and and feel like you're okay, maybe I do have a little bit more of that executive presence, that maybe I was hiding behind the dark colored clothing.

Speaker 4: 15:46

Yeah, and you guys mentioned you in your questions about contribute to leadership excellence, and I think this is an interesting thing because people, when some most time people come probably 100% of people that come to us think the same thing like are you going to change me? Like do you don't? Here's my industry? And like I need you to fit in. I need to fit into my industry.

Speaker 4: 16:11

And excellence is not about changing everyone and making everyone one thing. It's about figuring out who they are, what they want to accomplish, what their goals are, and then literally putting together a plan. That's what we do for them individually. We have a client that he works for a tech firm and he was like he goes, here's a big challenge for you. I'm like what he's like? Make my nerd t shirts look really cool. I'm like, not a problem, bro, he goes, you can make nerd t shirts look cool. And I'm like we can style nerd t shirts, not a problem. So he just sent me a text because he's on a trip and he was like everyone's like saying something about my new look and my new nerd t shirts. So cool, you got way more clients coming because you're going to make all the nerds look cool.

Speaker 4: 17:04

But it was kind of funny because his and he's his executive presence. Just he said he's at a conference and it's a completely different conference and he's been with the company for years, then he's ever experienced and it's literally because he wakes up in the morning, he has his style grids, he knows what to put on, he knows what he's wearing works for what he's going to be doing that day and it's made a huge, huge, huge difference for him. And it's just that excellence and I don't think there's anything wrong, especially if you're in leadership to be excellent and we don't want the same thing from our we're managers or owners of our employees, I mean everyone around us and if everyone strives for that same excellence, leadership and businesses would be way better off.

Speaker 1: 18:00

And it came up when both you were talking and Susan was describing her story and, yes, I was there when she went through her transformation and it was a transformation. There was nothing wrong with you before, susan, but you just Susan, wasn't showing up the word that keeps coming up with the same thing. And it was a kind of a congruance Right, if someone is not congruent with who they are, that comes across loud and clear. And so I remember a particular situation. I did get Susan's permission to share this. I remember a particular situation where she was in a meeting. We were in a meeting together and she had just gotten a new black and gray dress outfit with a jacket and she was very excited about it. And I remember thinking she doesn't know this part. I remember thinking it's one more black and gray outfit, just like all your other black and gray outfits. I'm not talking about this, but I'm glad you're excited about it. That looks great.

Speaker 1: 19:04

But in that meeting, in that particular meeting, someone was talking. They were talking about some really serious stuff and Susan, in her effervescent personality, says Okay, you guys, I think we're being way too serious about this, let's have some fun with it. And she did. You know XYZ, whatever her suggestion was, people couldn't hear it because they looked over and they're like, okay, and then they got back to the meeting because how she was showing up was not congruent with her style, or maybe vice versa. What she was wearing corporate Susan was there, but the message was not corporate Susan, and it was an important message, but it fell flat, wow. And so to me, one of the things I think you are so masterful at is helping people get congruence with who they are.

Speaker 4: 20:02

I like that.

Speaker 1: 20:03

I think that's how they want to show up.

Speaker 4: 20:05

I'm going to write that one down.

Speaker 3: 20:07

But it's taking the time to get to know people right, so you can't just expect someone to change from. This is who I am. You kind of hit the nail on the head there. Debbie. Susan has this effervescent personality, and there was Susan. You had a ton of black clothing in your closet when we got there.

Speaker 2: 20:29

It was all I had.

Speaker 3: 20:30

It wasn't a whole lot of color.

Speaker 2: 20:33

That's how I thought it. It's safe, exactly.

Speaker 4: 20:36

It was very safe. I was in that closet, I remember yeah.

Speaker 3: 20:40

And so you know we hiding, and lots of people do that, but we're not saying that in order to have a great presence or to be a great leader, you have to completely change who you are. We just we want you as an individual and everybody around you to see the potential of what you have to say, and your clothing is a great way to start that conversation and say you know, look at me, not in a hey, look at me, but look at me and pay attention to what I have to say. Right, right, I know what I'm doing. I'm, I'm a professional, I'm here, I'm in front of you, I I have something important to share.

Speaker 2: 21:23

I want to add in there, just because people you know might not be resonating with your hiding thing, that never was in my mind that I was hiding, you know. It never was, so it's not intentional. But that doesn't mean that that's not what people are perceiving Correct. And I think that's really an important thing? Yeah, because it's not. Even if that wasn't my intention, that was the results I got. So yeah, yeah, and so I would say that, because if somebody's listening, well, I don't do that you know.

Speaker 3: 22:08

You know it's perception, perceived identity right.

Speaker 4: 22:12

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 22:13

It's not what you're. It's what somebody in front of you is perceiving about you, and we talk about this all the time. It's really unfortunate, right? Human nature is that people make a decision about you based on the way you look and the way you act with it. Less than 30 seconds. So when, when you make a conscious or unconscious decision to wear black or drag colors or hide unintentionally behind your clothes, your perceived appearance is is that you're hiding and you don't have anything to say or value, and that's unfair, but it is human nature. So we just want everybody to have the opportunity, through their personal brand and their style, to show up so that people just stop immediately. I wanted to speak to that person. They have something of value to give.

Speaker 4: 23:12

And besides color, we also spit. I mean, I think that's the big thing for us we help people wear the right clothes, wear the right size. It's a it's the second thing, in a sense, where we find with people is like your clothes are too big.

Speaker 3: 23:32

Like it's unintentional hiding. It's unintentional hiding, yeah.

Speaker 4: 23:37

It's like the clothes are just way too big. I have that too.

Speaker 2: 23:41

Why are all your clothes the same size? And I said I've been wearing that size since I was in high school. What are you talking about?

Speaker 3: 23:50

But then that that's because people would latch on to the idea that a size that's printed inside the clothing has more merit than the actual fit and look of an item of clothing, because we place too much value on that number Right? So when we work with people and they go to look at the labels, we're not doing that. It doesn't matter what's inside, it's really about how that piece of clothing makes you feel and how well it fits you, because when it looks good, it feels good, it fits well. You don't fidget, you can shine.

Speaker 4: 24:26

Let's go again, yeah.

Speaker 1: 24:29

One other thing that you helped me with so since I talked about Susan, I get to talk about myself, I guess was embracing my hourglass shape. Yes, which I wasn't doing because I was trying to fit into the corporate mold and everything needed to look the same way and you need to look good in slacks.

Speaker 1: 24:49

I'm short-waisted but I have an hourglass figure and since I've started embracing it, I'll tell you it's been night and day difference. People come up and start talking to me and they're saying oh hey, could you tell me about such and such?

Speaker 1: 25:05

I'm not even working at the place, I'm not an expert or anything, but they noticed me because I'm showing up that way and I can't I really don't know how to articulate to our listeners the impact that even small changes, small awarenesses, and then the changes that follow them, have on how I show up as a leader, from my style, big, huge difference, very huge difference. So, with that in mind, I'd like to ask each of you what would you say to any of our listeners if they said what's some action I can take in this regard? I'm not too sure yet about this style impact on my leadership, or I'm not. I don't know where I would get started. I'm afraid you're gonna change me, whatever fears they normally come to you with. What actionable advice would you give our listeners today?

Speaker 3: 26:10

You wanna take this first, bruce.

Speaker 4: 26:12

No, you take this first. Okay.

Speaker 3: 26:16

All right. So I think the first thing we and we say this all the time to anybody that we come into contact with that is unsure about this is the first thing you have to do is make an authentic assessment right About your style, about you, about how people perceive you, how you know, whatever those negative connotations, those negative thoughts that you have. We wanna reverse that, but you need to do the work upfront. So you need to stand in front of the mirror, be kind to yourself, but make an assessment, okay, where? What are my challenges? Is it that I don't understand my body type? If that's the case, then there's plenty of options out there to help you figure that out.

Speaker 3: 26:59

So what is it that's holding me back? Is it that I'm frightened to make a mistake when I buy clothing? Is it I don't understand my body shape? Is it that I'm frightened to buy color? Is it I don't like fashion? I don't like to shop? There's always that little self-doubt talk in the back of your mind that's stopping you moving forward with your personal style and your personal brand. So you have to make an authentic assessment first on what are those things. Once you've done that, like anything right, anything in business, anything in life. Once you identify what those issues are or problems, or stumbling blocks, whatever you wanna call them then you can take small actionable steps to move forward. So that's your first stop, then you can build from there.

Speaker 3: 27:44

So with you, debbie, it was embracing your body shape because there's this idea that, oh well, we shouldn't be showing off our curves and we shouldn't do this or we shouldn't do that. Well, we should do whatever we want to do. But once you understand what your body shape is, then you can dress your body shape in a way that is flattering but feels good, and you don't have to cover up. So the first thing you do there is figure out what you are and then you figure out what shapes and styles of clothing best suits you without camouflage, without covering up or without feeling like everything is on show. So the authentic assessment is where everybody needs to start.

Speaker 4: 28:30

Yeah, and then you speaking of your authentic assessment, that is definitely the starting point making a true authentic assessment. And then I think you got to go okay, where are your like Pamela was just saying your stumbling blocks? Where are your likes, dislikes or the baggage coming from that makes you feel a certain way about your personal style, or why you do wear only black, or why your clothes are too big, or why it seems like when you put something on, it just never feels very good. So it's really going okay. Is it something that's in the past? There's so much information out there.

Speaker 4: 29:11

How many times do we hear every season it's like hey, the 10, five, the five things you need for the season, everyone needs to have this, everyone needs to have this, don't wear that, don't do this anymore. If you're doing this, you're too old. I mean, it's like it's too much information. So it's like going okay, how is that relevant to me? What does that mean to me? And it's all of that information that I think causes all that clutter, especially the other clutter that's in your head, and then more information coming to you or someone telling you don't do and don't do this, this is not right, whatever. And it's like how do I figure out all this stuff out and go what's actually relevant and really what's really relevant to me and how am I going to think in a sense outside of the box, to go, I don't wanna think like that anymore. I wanna try to think like this.

Speaker 3: 30:04

And then it's taking small steps, right. So, being bold enough to say, okay, I've assessed, I feel like I need to make these small changes, or I would like to make a few changes or try something different, we would say don't go big, don't try and change everything all the more and go, because it's a recipe for disaster, right? Because then you feel like, well, okay, you're overwhelmed by it because there's so much change happening. And also, what am I doing that's right and what am I doing that's working or what's wrong? It's like that whole idea if you have an ailment but you wanna figure out how to fix it, you can't bombard yourself with it, or you've gotta do one thing at a time. Did that work? No, then I move on to the next one, or yet, that was fantastic, let's keep doing that.

Speaker 3: 30:50

So the same thing comes with your style. Try one thing at a time. So, if it's okay, I have, I'm gonna use you again, debbie. Use you again, debbie, just because we've already. I have an hourglass and I worry that, because I'm curvy, that everything's gonna be on show. So I put big, baggy clothes on. Well, maybe go to a store and try a different silhouette than you would normally do and just stand in the dressing room and try a few things on and like, really look at yourself and say, you know what, actually I look really good in that, now that I'm not layered under you know oodles of fabric. So just one thing if you're somebody that always wears black and you're frightened of adding color but you kinda want to, but not sure what colors work, start with a colorful pair of shoes or a scarf or a handbag, just little things, and as you get used to these changes, you can build on them.

Speaker 2: 31:52

I've got a great example, so mine is that I was wearing clothes that were too big and felt normal to me, and so I was doubtful. When you guys said you know you doubted us, susan, I was doubtful, I don't know.

Speaker 4: 32:10

I don't know.

Speaker 2: 32:11

Well, but Pamela, I don't know if you remember this you let me borrow your jean jacket, Absolutely. And so I wore it around and at first it felt like it is way too small. This is crazy, and it didn't feel tight right, let's just clarify.

Speaker 3: 32:34

But it just felt odd to you. It felt like this must be too small. Right right.

Speaker 2: 32:40

Because before it was like big, you know?

Speaker 4: 32:41

Yeah, susan, we put you in an extra small denim jacket and you were wearing size medium, so it's like for you, that was a big difference.

Speaker 2: 32:50

Well, and it felt so weird and so, because I love you too, I said, okay, I'm going to give it a try, and I wore the jean jacket around and now it feels natural and I can kind of it was like the gateway to start getting different clothes that were different sizes. Yeah, and that's an easy thing to do. You know, the other thing I really like about you, too, is style doesn't mean it has to be expensive. No, it doesn't. You know, you don't have to spend a lot of money to do this. No, yeah, and you raise a good point there, susan.

Speaker 3: 33:33

I mean, everyone thinks that it's for the elite right, having great style. It absolutely is not. Anybody on any budget can have great style, as long as, once you understand kind of the what your body shape is, what colors work for you, it doesn't matter if you're shopping at Target or you're shopping collection at Nordstrom with all the designer stuff, foundational pieces is where you start and that's where your great style comes from. So you're absolutely right, anybody on any budget can have really great style. It's not exclusive.

Speaker 1: 34:10

Lovely. Well, I think we could probably talk to the two of you for at least four or five hours. We don't have that much time today. We're going to keep things for the next time. We have you on the podcast. But one last question as we go, we're in summer right now in the northern hemisphere. What's really exciting to you about that right now?

Speaker 3: 34:36

Me personally, it's being able to brighten up the wardrobe. You know we live somewhere where it's kind of gray A lot of the time of year and you will see it a lot. You know there's a lot of black, there's a lot of gray, but the sun's out, so it gives people an excuse if you like to brighten up their wardrobe. So you know you have to go out, come the. You know the white pants and the bright t shirts and, and you know, I just think it's a, it's a joyful time and I think it's a great opportunity for anybody that is worried about color to start actually bringing that into their wardrobe.

Speaker 3: 35:10

And what I would challenge people to do is, once the color starts to turn again, keep hold of some of that color. You're going to have to put your white pants away, not because of the whole rule of, you know, after Labor Day, but just because if it's wet and drizzly you don't really want to be wearing white. But you can have, you know, bright t-shirts and bright greens and whatnot. Continue into the next couple of seasons. So for me that's exciting, watching that evolution of people kind of coming out that cocoon of drab clothing and you know, and enjoying a bit of color, and there's so many great white pants on the market right now, so exciting.

Speaker 1: 35:47

You pairs may have found their way into my closet.

Speaker 4: 35:52

In fact for you, debbie, and also Susan Pamela. Tell them really quick about the white pan for the season.

Speaker 3: 36:00

Oh yeah, Are we talking about the J crew or the J?

Speaker 4: 36:03

crew, yeah J crew.

Speaker 3: 36:04

So I I love a good white gene, but I was kind of tired with the skinny and J crew. This season has four or five different silhouettes on their white gene and they're got lots of stretching them. They're thick enough fabric that they don't show any of those things that we want to hide, but not so thick you feel like you're melting in them. So you know they had a boot cut, they had a crop, they had a straight, they had a slim wide leg which I just purchased, and they just it's just kind of fun to inject that great white gene into your wardrobe and throw it on with. It could be a t-shirt, it could be, you know, a button up, whatever it is, but just such a great gene this season.

Speaker 1: 36:49

So yeah, lovely, thank you for that advice, look.

Speaker 4: 36:55

I think for me, when I'm, I love about the season and, believe it or not and now you guys know me really well I'm always heavily layered because it's cold in the Pacific Northwest. But when I get the chance to take a couple layers off, I'm excited. So and it's always about a good white sneaker. I love a good bright white sneak. So I mean I don't wear them all year round, I only wear them in the spring, summer. So yeah, it's, it's taken a few layers off, it's enjoying. I'm getting my clothes wet, even though I live in one of the wettest places in the world, so I can take off coats and jackets and just kind of let let it be let it be free so.

Speaker 3: 37:41

I think everyone feels more joyous, don't they, when they can you know, shed a few layers and they can put on some bright colors.

Speaker 4: 37:48

I think it's a little bit more sun, more color. So you know I get a little darker.

Speaker 3: 37:53

But I do find though just kind of talking about clients in general when it comes to summer, people are much more comfortable, I think, with the fall winter months where they can layer up as opposed to layer. You know, take layers off. So as a stylist, it's lovely to see when people kind of let go of that a little bit and they are just like okay, I'm going to embrace the sunshine, I'm going to give you a little bit of color. I think you know that's it's always. It's always fun to see.

Speaker 4: 38:22

And people are afraid of color. Because the first thing people was like oh my gosh, I can't wear that color, it makes me look heavy. I'll look bigger in white or if I put on bright colors, I'll look larger. And the reality is tonal dressing whether it's bright pink, you know what I mean or deep burgundy, tonality and dressing is actually very slimming. It's more slimming than like all black.

Speaker 3: 38:50

There you go, there's a takeaway. That is for the summer, if you're worried about a takeaway, that kind of thing. Tonal dressing in any any color looks fantastic, fantastic.

Speaker 2: 39:01

Well, thank you. Thank you for joining us. Really it's been wonderful and we look forward to next time.

Speaker 3: 39:10

Anytime season, anytime you guys want us.

Speaker 4: 39:12

We are here for you, we love you, both the pieces, and we appreciate the support we it's felt, it's genuine and authentic and, like I said, we do anything for you. So thanks for having us on today.

Speaker 2: 39:27

Likewise, and thank you, listeners, for joining us for the seasons leadership podcast. We hope you take these words of excellence with you to help strengthen the organizations and communities in which you live and work and join us in making excellent leadership the worldwide standard by subscribing to our community on Patreon. Remember, no matter what level or role, you can become more than you are today. Visit Patreon, pat r e o n dot com. Slash seasons leadership to become a member and begin working towards your full leadership potential. We would love to connect with you as we build our community of excellent leaders. Until next time, we hope you enjoyed the positivity of the season of summer, where you are in the flow, moving forward and taking actions full of energy. Thank you.