Divas That Care Network
The #DivasThatCare movement is a dynamic force of positivity and progress. It's a collective of empowered women united by a shared vision: to pave the way for future generations. These women are not only breaking barriers—they’re also committed to equipping the next generation with the tools, resources, and confidence to lead with purpose.
By discovering and defining your purpose, you unlock the power to uplift those around you and contribute to a better world—every single day.
The Divas That Care Change Makers lead by example. They’ve walked the path, and now they’re using their voices to inspire others—one intentional day at a time.
Divas That Care Network
The Power of Gentle Growth
Come and listen to Host Tina Spoletini chat with her special guest Valerie Owolo on her podcast Confidence in Bloom.
Valerie Owolo is a Senior Change Management Consultant with a Masters in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University who sits at the intersection of innovation and digital transformation. She’s currently growing her House of Chloe Bloom lifestyle design brand through micro activations that will help inform her holistic framework to support her clients in designing a life they love anchored in design thinking, change management and faith concepts. In a world where change happens almost daily and the speed of change with AI can cause many to feel unease, it’s the perfect time to recalibrate and understand not just how to design a life but one that you adore. One where you gently become all you are meant to be one micro step at a time. She does this already by staying anchored in her love for the arts, innovation, travel, fashion, giving back to her communities, finding ways of moving like dance, tennis, swim and golf and building a legacy that allows her to connect with others authentically. Each day is a blank canvas and she hopes to help her clients rewrite the narrative of their stories through a process that gently ushers them into the next best version of themselves.
What does it mean to design a life you truly love? Valerie Owolo, a senior change management consultant with a master's in organizational psychology, offers a refreshing framework that blends design thinking, psychology, and faith to help create lives of authentic joy and purpose.
Valerie describes her personal "creative renaissance" that began during the pandemic when she reconnected with childhood interests and asked herself what she needed to thrive. Her approach centers on human-centered design (HCD), focusing on creating an "infrastructure of support" across different facets of life. Through what she calls "micro activations" – small, manageable steps that help move us forward – we can begin transforming our lives without feeling overwhelmed.
The conversation explores the crucial role of gentleness in personal growth. In a culture obsessed with hustle and productivity, Valerie advocates for a softer approach, sharing her experience with breathwork as a grounding practice. "One of the things that I've learned over the last couple of years was realizing that breathwork is a powerful tool," she explains, describing how it helps her perform better while feeling more connected to herself.
Particularly timely is Valerie's perspective on navigating change in an AI-dominated world. While acknowledging AI as a powerful tool for transformation, she emphasizes maintaining our critical thinking skills and emotional intelligence. "If we don't get in the game," she notes, "then our perspectives, our ability to reason, won't be reflected in these systems."
Fashion emerges as another dimension of Valerie's framework, illustrating how clothing can express our authentic selves while building confidence. "When you look good, you feel good," she explains, describing how what we wear can reflect our inner state and impact how we're perceived.
Whether you're feeling stuck, seeking meaningful change, or simply curious about designing a more intentional life, this conversation offers practical insights along with the encouraging reminder that "each day is a blank canvas" waiting for your unique expression.
For more Divas That Care Network Episodes visit www.divasthatcare.com
It's Divas that Care Radio Stories, strategies and ideas to inspire positive change. Welcome to Divas that Care, a network of women committed to making our world a better place for everyone. This is a global movement for women, by women engaged in a collaborative effort to create a better world for future generations. To find out more about the movement, visit divasthatcarecom. After the show. Right now, though, stay tuned for another jolt of inspiration.
Speaker 2:One just has to pick up a magazine or turn on a television to see that, as women, we are bombarded daily with media images of female physical perfection, setting up the most unrealistic of expectations as to how we should look. No wonder female body confidence is falling while incidents of eating disorders are on the rise. What's most alarming is the way this affects young girls. A reduced sense of self-worth can create anxiety, stress, even depression, causing relationship issues, while potentially impairing academic and job performance. In direct contrast, confidence in Bloom is designed to reinforce the truth and reassure every woman who has ever felt inadequate, unworthy or tossed aside because of how she looks, that no matter her age, shape or background, you matter. You are enough now. Background you matter, you are enough now. I, tina Spoletini, a woman of substance, insist women deserve to be happy, confident, successful and totally in love with themselves in their own bodies, just the way they are. Through an ongoing series of intriguing conversations with women from all walks of life, who are all extraordinary in their own right, we will embark upon a journey of ultimate self-acceptance and empowerment. Together we'll share stories, laugh, learn, maybe even shed a few tears when it becomes clear just how far many women have come to realize how wonderful life is when you stand in your own power, feeling fantastic in your own skin.
Speaker 2:Valerie Awalo is my guest today. Valerie Awolo is a senior change management consultant with a master's in organizational psychology from Columbia University, who sits at the intersection of innovation and digital transformation. She's currently growing her House of Chloe Bloom lifestyle brand through micro activations that will help inform her holistic framework to support her clients in designing a life they love, anchored in designing thinking, change management and faith concepts. In a world where change happens almost daily and the speed of change with AI can cause many to feel unease, it's the perfect time to recalibrate and understand not just how to design a life, but one that you adore. She does this already by staying anchored in her love for the arts, innovation, travel, fashion, giving back to her communities and finding ways of moving, like dance, tennis, swim and golf, and building a legacy that allows her to connect with others authentically. Each day is a blank canvas and she hopes to help her clients rewrite the narrative of their stories through a process that gently ushers them into the next best version of themselves.
Speaker 2:All right, well, welcome Valerie. How are you? I'm good. How are you? I'm great. I'm great it's like beautiful outside here in Edmonton it's. You know, summer's definitely on its way.
Speaker 3:Tell us where you're calling in from, sure? So I'm calling in from New York, in the city proper, in Manhattan, and it's also very beautiful today too, so grateful that those rainy days are behind us and that summer is finally kicking in yes, yeah, so good.
Speaker 2:I love this time of year. I always feel so light and carefree, right, Like it's like it's party season, right, yeah. Yeah, I want you to tell me a little bit about yourself. I mean, I read your bio and you know, we know that you, you're into many things. You love sports, you're, you're active, you love fashion. You know you have okay. So I mentioned something about, or in your bio it's mentioned that you design a life for your clients. What does that mean? Like, what is that?
Speaker 3:Sure. So I think I'll start with with me personally. So I think about three to four years ago, I had almost a creative renaissance, and in that I mean that I decided that I needed to do something to really stoke my creative juices more than I already was, right. So I had already designed some sort of product internally for some clients, but I needed more, and I needed it for myself, right? And so I started to really just think, okay, what do I need to be able to thrive, to be able to feel like I'm doing life well and to really love my life?
Speaker 3:And so, you know, the pandemic, of course, was a perfect time to really start to explore that. And so I kind of went back and said, all right, what are the things that I wanted to do or really enjoyed when I was a kid? And so from there, I started to really just think about, from an HCD or designed thinking perspective, which is focused on, you know, the human at the center of everything, which is me, or was me right To be able to say what's going to feel the best for me, what's going to bring the most value for me and what's going to really help me to thrive, right? And so I have become more of a multi passionate person, if you will, or you could just say I'm all over the place, whichever, and so really, what it looks like is making sure that, holistically, I'm considering, for my clients and for myself, all the different areas or facets of life where you can build in some infrastructure of support, whether it's formally or informally, right, so maybe you hire a professional coach, for example, to help you to learn to swim, or maybe you just find a friend or teach yourself, right, whatever.
Speaker 3:It is an infrastructure of support to help you to really build and design the life that you want and also be able to manage that change. Well, right, because I think that sometimes, when you start to think about designing a life that you love and a lifestyle, you think I can do anything and you can. But sometimes things like cost come in, like how much is a tennis racket? Well, a good one probably costs a few hundred dollars, right, and so you have to really think about all right, so I know what I enjoy doing, but how much is it going to cost to make this happen? Right, and really building that infrastructure of support? So, the financial side, even. So, that's that's what I mean when I think about designing a life for myself and for clients that I love and adore and that really helps me to thrive.
Speaker 2:I love that. I love that and you know. It's funny that you say you know a tennis racket could cost you know a few hundred dollars. Because holy man, right, I haven't played tennis. I was like I think eight or nine and I know my mom and dad did not spend that kind of money on you know our tennis racket at that time.
Speaker 2:But at the same time, like it's, it just goes to show, like you know, yes, we want change, yes, we want to live the best life we have, but it doesn't just mean, you know, I'm gonna, I'm gonna live the best life today. Right, there's so much more involved and you know, like, purchasing, like the materials that you need to make that happen, is a big part of it, right, and then, like you said, hiring a coach Well, that again costs a little bit of money. So you need to plan that, right. And so you take your clients right from the beginning, right, you're like like, okay, what do you want, what do you need to get there, and how are we going to get you there?
Speaker 3:yeah yeah, I love that, I love that okay, you know, and you know one more thing on that too. Just thinking about it, I'm not always the person with the right answers right or having all the answers, and I think I feel comfortable saying that because, as a consultant, we see a lot of times it depends right For everything that you were asked about, and so sometimes it's about connecting people to the right resources, and I find that that's when things like AI can actually be really super helpful right To be able to point people in the best direction for themselves, because designing a life is really really nuanced and it can also change and you've got to be prepared for that change and you can respond to change in a variety of ways, just depending on what's going on in your life.
Speaker 2:You know, that's true. And then, like you said, if you use like, I use chat GPT a lot and I like it because it's neutral, right, it's not going to say, you know, okay, tina, this is what you will want or this is what you need, it's like you know, it doesn't matter who's typing in the question, it's going to give like a neutral, generic answer, right, and if you want, you can. Then, from that answer, you can narrow it down to something more specific to yourself, but at least it gives you, like, if you're just have this idea, I want to learn how to play tennis, how do I start? Right, it'll give you, it'll give you that, right, you're gonna need this, you're gonna need that.
Speaker 2:You know what area are you in? Do you want me to find, you know, coaches for you, or whatever? You know, whatever it might be? So that's yeah, that's really good. I love that, and you know, I think also too, and you're, I'm going to ask you later on and you can speak on this more I think every single one of us in this world is going to have to learn how to rely on AI much more than we do right now. Right, I mean it's yes, it's pretty apparent to me that it's going to. You know, we need to learn how to use it as a tool in our everyday life.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I agree 100%.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I want to talk a little bit about your House of Chloe Bloom brand. Sure, so in your bio you say that you use micro activations to support transformation. Can you share a little bit on microactivation and how it would help someone to move forward? And I mean you say gently I hope you mean gently, because we don't want to, like you know, 10 steps forward, but I mean obviously you use it to empower us women or your clients anyway. So I'm not sure what if you're dealing with clients that are women and male or just women.
Speaker 3:Sure, sure, I think for me what that means is and I might have coined the term, forgive me if I did it, but for me that means just taking steps, doing projects.
Speaker 3:If you will, that will help you to move forward, right.
Speaker 3:So if you're thinking about it, doesn't have to be sports, but maybe it's just that you're into the arts, and so that's a great example for myself also.
Speaker 3:So for me, what that meant was reaching out to museums about their memberships, about different patron groups, trying to understand the opportunities to get involved in the arts, either personally or just to learn about the arts, right, and so working towards that plan is a way that you can do that. And so one of the things that I did and it's been over, you know, a series of years that I've been working through this, you know, not necessarily having a name to it, but pulling together a cafe where it's really just a bunch of different types of artists and musicians who come together to just share their work, right. So they're local, they're people who may have been undiscovered or who were really just kind of grassroots and maybe even, you know, singing in the subways or just, you know, have never shared a poem before. But that's a micro activation, so it's not a big, huge thing on social media or anywhere necessarily, but it's big for you and it's a small step that you can take to move forward right and pursuing some of those goals and making your life one that you love and adore.
Speaker 2:I love that. That made me think actually of that movie on Netflix. Um, the life list, right, she, she's given a list. Well, she's re-given her list. She wrote a list when she was 13 and then when her mom dies, she makes her go in and do all the things on this list and one of them is do stand-up comedy. Right, I love it. So she said she had still the same jokes that she had written at 13 and so she's now like well into her 20s and she, the jokes were not funny, right, but but at the same time, like everyone in the room had to sit and listen to her and it's like that step forward, right, you don't know, you don't know, like you think you're funny and then you get there like this Whoa, I am not funny, right. Or the other way around, right, like it could work either way. Yeah, so you blend design thinking, psychology and faith in your work. How do these three elements support someone who's feeling stuck or misaligned in their current life path?
Speaker 3:Sure, so I think you know when I think about the faith and the psych piece, for me those, those go hand in hand. So if we're thinking about, for example, the idea of being seen and known and loved and valued, you know, one of the things that I've been thinking about lately, and just kind of having conversations around, is this idea or concept of being seen, and it's actually a fear that may not be realized a lot of times. That might keep people feeling stuck, and there's a lot of reasons for that, right? So if you I don't know go to the soccer field and you're like I want to play, learn to play soccer today. And so they say, all right, come on.
Speaker 3:And so you get there and you miss the ball when you're about to kick it and then the other, the other team, scores on you, right? So now you're feeling like a failure. Now you're like, oh my gosh, what do I do? What was I thinking? Right? But I think, at the same time, that's a great opportunity for you to just reflect back to yourself. All right, I feel seen, I missed it. You know, I might need some practice or I might need to, you know, hire a coach, whatever it may be, or just get advice from friends, right, whatever it is. At that moment there's an opportunity to feel seen, known, loved and valued and I think, in terms of faith, there's there's lots of scripture that talks about that right. There's lots of right and that that's.
Speaker 2:I love that example because we see that so like we're in um hockey playoffs right now and so sweet. We see, we see little mistakes like that often, right, and so you know it's. It's very quick for you know, especially the fans, to say, oh my god, how did he mess up like that? Right. But the reality is right. Doesn't matter who's behind the ball right or behind the kick, mistakes happen, right. And that I mean you're out there doing the best you can. I truly believe that you know everything that we're doing. We're doing the best we can at that moment. Yeah, yeah right.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. It's not necessarily. Yeah, maybe I could have given. You know, if it was yesterday I could have given more than you know I can today, but today I just don't have that in me. So yeah, I love that. I love that you said that. Yeah, so now change can feel overwhelming. You know, with all of us we're going to touch a little bit here on the AI subject.
Speaker 3:So, with the rise of AI and this you growing and changing every moment of the day, basically, right, yeah. And I think that a lot of people are concerned and they're saying you know, am I going to lose my job? Is my job going to be replaced by AI? And unfortunately, as we've heard from executives, right from some of these AI companies, the answer is yes, but I think that at the end of the day, we have to have some anchoring and hope, and I think that when you have faith, there are mechanisms that can help you to get back to hope. So then you're dreaming again, you're curious again, you're thinking again about what can I do next? What do I have in my toolbox to help me to move forward? Now, at the same time, this has to be in phases, right, so you have to gain some awareness, first and foremost, right.
Speaker 3:So, let's say, you're thinking about changing the way that you dress, right, and so we know that. You know you think about Met Gala and dandyism, right, that was, it was an incredible theme this year. There were so many amazing looks on the red carpet this year and the whole thing comes back to the fact that when you, you know, when you dress good, you feel good, but you're also perceived better, right. And so we're thinking about how do we kind of take that idea and that concept and make it our own. Well, we could always go to AI and start to kind of brainstorm about what we want to do to change the way that we look right or the way that we dress, and I think for me that might look like you know, putting into cloud, for example, just kind of prompting it around, the types of options I might have for the way that I want to look right. So then now I can think about if I want to embody dandyism, like they're saying, or maybe I want to embody a more feminine and floral look, right. So now it can kind of tell me maybe brands that I can consider right. It can tell me, maybe, colors that I can consider right.
Speaker 3:Like there's a lot of things that we can leverage AI for that will help to support us in terms of, you know, building some awareness, some understanding and then finally being able to jump into whatever project it will be or whatever it is that we need to do to be able to get unstuck and move forward, because AI can be scary.
Speaker 3:But I think, as long as we're thinking of it as a tool that we can leverage. It's really something that can be augmentative, if you will, and so it's going to support us as long as we take ownership and stay encouraged, because, you know, if there's anything about faith too, it's about community at the end of the day too. So, really just leaning on people as well, to make sure that you know, if we don't have the tools or if we don't understand AI and how we can leverage it for ourselves, that we, you know, if we don't have the tools or if we don't understand AI, and how we can leverage it for ourselves, that we, you know we reach out to people who can help us and get us trained up so that, at the end of the day, we can adopt it and leverage it for ourselves. Does that answer your?
Speaker 2:question. I think so. I think so and it made me think. You know, like lots of you know, like we all know, there's lots of scammers out there and scamming you know it comes in so many different. You know such a high range of activity, certain level of understanding that we all need to have so that when we are, you know, approached I guess is the word with a potential scammer, maybe we can have, if we understand it better, we have a better, we can get a better grip on how to handle it. I'm not really sure what your view on that is, but I feel like if we can understand AI and how it works a little bit better than well what I know of it right now, anyway you know, maybe then you know we're a little bit more protected as far as scamming. What do you think on that? I know that we're not really talking about that, but it just made me think of that question sure.
Speaker 3:So I think there's a few things here. So AI is it is it is moving faster than we can even imagine right or put a finger on. But if you do think about something, for like example, scamming, I think that you know one AI just blackmailed an engineer on its own because it tried to shut it down in some sense. Yeah, I know it's wild, and so it is a very powerful tool, but I also think that it still makes mistakes and, unfortunately, there are some biases, there are some stereotypes, but the thing is that we again have the power, and now is a time to begin to take ownership and learn, so that we are training up the AI in ways that are fair, in ways that are equitable and in ways that help us to be able to, I guess, distinguish the truth from a hallucination, which is literally one of the terms when you talk about AI, Because it may not always tell you the exact truth, but it's not lying to you, right? Because, again, it's about perception, it's about the context, right? And so I think one of the most important things we have to do as people, aside from AI, but especially when we're thinking about AI, is remember that we have to build up our own critical thinking skills and emotional intelligence skills. And so emotional intelligence I won't dig in too deep, but definitely passionate about that too. It requires things like conflict resolution. So if you feel like you're being scammed, all right.
Speaker 3:Ai seems to indicate that you know. This may not be what it seems. Having those difficult conversations is part of emotional intelligence, right, and so if you're, I won't name any brands, but if you're looking for a brand that will really help you to feel your best, right this summer, really, just you know, they might suggest one, but taking the time to take a look at their social media may not be reality, but take a look at the brand that they're putting out there. Engage with their brand. If they have pop ups or activations they have a brick and mortar store Go there, talk to people.
Speaker 3:I think that we've really got to make sure that we don't forget the human side of things, Because if we do, then here's the thing. They just put out a new AI I believe it was Google that is better with emotions, so it's more empathic than it used to be. But who's training that AI? It's not you, it's not me, but if we don't get in the game, then our perspectives, our understandings, our ability to you know reason, our ability to think critically and to use EQ won't be in there, and that's important right, Especially as women, but as people in general.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, absolutely. So, yeah, I think that's the answer I was actually looking for. You know, like, I mean, I mean it's it, but it's true, right, like, get to know it, right, and but don't forget who you are, yeah, and learn and learn, you know, to strengthen your, your qualities, so that you can handle whatever is going to be coming, because I mean this is not going away, right, you need to strengthen your, your qualities, so that you can handle whatever is going to be coming, because I mean this is not going away. Right, you need to embrace this and so, if we can make it more on the positive side for us, it's going to be better for us, right, all right. So let's get back to you. Uh, your love, your love for the arts and fashion, travel and movement is, you know, it's clear in your conversation. How do these passions influence your work with clients and the lifestyle design framework that you develop?
Speaker 3:Sure, so I think a lot of the areas that I mentioned so there's those multi-passionate areas that I mentioned are a good starting point for some of the things that we need in life, right? So movement goes back to the health piece, and if I'm talking about movement, I'm going to talk to you about what you're doing to prepare. You know, if you have some sort of training plan in place, you know how much you work out, right, like those kinds of things come into play. And so then I might also mention a nutritionist, like if you've ever worked with one, have you talked to your doctor about it? So my personal experiences tend to cover the gamut of, you know, maybe it's my background in research in college, but doing a little bit of research to make sure that it's more of an approach that isn't, you know, one dimensional, right? So it touches as many areas as we can to make sure that it's really an infrastructure of support for you, right? So it touches as many areas as we can to make sure that it's really an infrastructure of support for you, right? So let's take fashion, for example. So maybe we hire my friend Leigh, right, our friend Leigh to help us with styling. Fantastic, maybe on your own. You're going and you're working the plan that AI has suggested and that we've talked through. That can help you to be able to decide what your summer capsule wardrobe will look like, right, or maybe even what your vacation wardrobe will look like for this year, and so a lot of what we would talk about are things that I have delved into right, and so you know I'll do one more example.
Speaker 3:Talk about the arts, right, so for me and I love you know getting the chance to chat with people. Talk about the arts, right. So for me and I love you know, getting the chance to chat with people about this. What has been my experience with exploring museums, galleries and just the art industry in general, outside of visiting a museum and saying I like that artwork? Well, I've had lots of exposure and I continue to make sure that I find opportunities and that's a key word right, the opportunities piece for access and to learn as much as possible, because it's a never ending story of learning and if you're gonna change the narrative and therefore subsequently change your life, you've gotta make sure that you've got a plan, that you're working and that it makes good sense, based on what is known to work and then what you feel works for you, yeah, I love that, I love that and I love you know, like I mean, it doesn't matter what we're talking about, right, when you have an interest in anything, you always have the opportunity to learn more, right.
Speaker 2:And then, if you take on that opportunity, right, it could. I mean, let's face it, when you want to learn something new, it can take up an entire day because you get so deep in, oh is so interesting, or this, you know, oh, my god, I want to know more, right. But it also goes the other way, right, like you might think. That you're, you know, you want to learn how to play tennis and you get on the court the first time and you're like, seriously, I signed up for six weeks to learn this right, it, it can, can happen, right, I mean we've all been there.
Speaker 2:Right, we've all been there, but I and I taught this to my kids and I would. You know, I encourage others that I meet. When you start something, you need to bring it to you know, if you buy a six weeks package of learning this, learn it. Do the six weeks. Don't walk away Because you might not love the game or love the. You know whatever it is you're learning at the end of the six weeks. Don't walk away because you might not love the game or love the. You know whatever it is you're learning at the end of the six weeks, but you're going to learn something about yourself. Yes, right, yes, yes, agreed, agreed, yeah, and so I'm sure that's a lot of what you, you know. Talk with your clients about as well, because that's part of growing, that's part of becoming who you want to be, right, yeah?
Speaker 2:okay, I learned I didn't like the game right, I learned I don't like tennis, but I did learn that you know I can actually move my body right. Yeah, or the conversation I'm having with the player on the other side of the net. You know he's that kind of person, or you know she's. You know we ended up being really good friends, like there's always some kind of positive to get out of whatever experience you're going through.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely yeah, yeah, and you know it's funny. I'm thinking about, as you're talking to, you know, not just sports, but either professionally, right. So we think about digital transformations, which is the type of work that I, you know, I'm involved with, and with that a lot of times. One of the main goals is to make sure that people know, feel and understand, from start to finish, the project, that this change, whatever it is, whether it's a process or a new system that they're going to have to work with, there's no, there's no voting on this, right. This change is happening for them and not to them, and I think that that is a complete mindset shift for a lot of people. It's a paradigm shift, right, like all right.
Speaker 3:Well, this is happening to me. My mom's making me take I don't know violin, piano, right. But it's not something that's happening to you. It's happening for you, because not everyone gets that opportunity to learn, to grow, to build self-awareness and to just become more of who they were made to be, because maybe you hate it at first, but, you know, maybe at the end of the day you come back to it and now you're a piano, you know, genius, right? So? So everybody wants to hear you play, you know your family, your friends. And then, the next thing you know, you're performing at a concert. Who knows?
Speaker 2:the possibilities are endless you know, right, that is so true. And it's funny because, as you said that, I'm like yeah, I had to take the accordion. I had to learn how to play the piano, right, I kept asking my mom and dad please, please, please. And then finally my dad's like listen, listen, I'm tired of you ends of asking this question. I have an accordion sitting in the basement. You want to learn how to play an instrument? Learn how to play that?
Speaker 2:I was like, I was 13. Right, I'm like, seriously, I don't want to play the accordion. I'm a woman, I've got body parts that are going to be in the way, right. And I was like. But at the same time, I was like, if this is the only way I'm going to learn how to play a keyboard, then that's what I'm going to do. And so I did take lessons for a year. My mom has to drive me every Saturday morning, you know, out of town for 45 minutes. But we I did it at the end of the year was like I'm done, right, I didn't. I didn't really enjoy playing the instrument, right, but I'll tell you when I hear them like music, like accordion music, I love it more and more every day, right?
Speaker 2:I don't know what it is wonderful, it's a beautiful instrument, right, and so I even have a playlist on my phone that's accordion, right, and I know I mean I'm, you know I can, I probably am, you know, my kids make fun of me all the time because I have this playlist, but I truly love it and it's, you know, I didn't enjoy playing the machine, the instrument, call it a machine, but I didn't enjoy playing it Right. And even, and even now, like I cannot believe that I actually played the instrument but I love the music and so I learned that even more. I mean, it doesn't help that my dad is really into the music as well and you know that started the love for the music. But you know, it's funny that you say that right, like, yeah, there's opportunity, there's always opportunity to see the positive side, no matter what we're playing and learning.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I agree, and you know I love that. You shared that story. That's. That's such a cool story.
Speaker 3:I don't know anyone else who plays the accordion, but now I know one that I love. That it was. It was legacy being built when he, when you asked for something, when you were expressing a desire for building a life that you wanted at the tender age of 13, your dad said, well, here's an opportunity, and you took it and you stuck with that and now, years later, you enjoy the music and it's a legacy that was being built. And I don't think we always think about when we're designing a life that we love and adore. What kind of legacy are we building, whether's for our children, for the next generation or just for the world at large? And I think that you have done that, you have planted that and you've planted something in me now, right, and so now I can say you know, actually I do know someone who played the accordion and he loves and enjoys it, which is so cool because I did it before right, right, I know, like who even talks about an accordion?
Speaker 2:you do, and I love it. Like who talks? And now, like my dad, I mean, he's, you know, in his late 70s and he's buying and selling accordions as a hobby on marketplace facebook. I'm like dude, like who who's selling accordions? Right, like what world are we living in now? Right, but it's, it's a market.
Speaker 3:I love that. Yeah, it's also a legacy, right it's a legacy absolutely and you've got to preserve it, you have to be intentional about it, and he's building a life, or continuing, I should say, to build a life and legacy based on, uh his love for the instrument and the music. So that's incredible.
Speaker 2:I love that and, like you, said, like it grows right, like you have this love, and the more involved you get, the more you love it right when you learn to hate it. I mean, I've seen that happen too, but luckily, you know, when it comes to music that's not happening.
Speaker 2:So yeah that's all part of designing the life that you want, right? I mean, there's there's so many like little things and I think I honestly believe that it's more the little things that make you love your life more than the big things. Yes, I want a big house, and I'm. It might make my life feel more complete, but it's the little things that you put inside the house to make it feel like home, right, your sanctuary yeah, like you know, like it's not the house itself, it's what happens inside the house, right, and I'm sure you can relate.
Speaker 2:I remember when we sold our first house, like we bought it when we were married, and 16 years later, three kids later and all the 16 years of life, it was really hard to walk away, oh of course, absolutely. You know, my husband and I standing in front of the house as we had all of our stuff in our trucks and you know, and I'm like, I'm crying and I'm thinking we're moving on to something bigger, and yet here we are.
Speaker 2:I'm so attached to that house and to this day, that is my home right. I've lived in this house almost as long and it's just not the same, right?
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know, I love that yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean that's you know, that's part of life. I get that Like I. I can detach myself from that, but that house felt like home to me Right. And now of course, and I, we're all different, we're all. You know. Some people, their house doesn't matter as much, it's just a you know a roof over their head, right, and so I always thought I was that person until I walked away from that house right, I didn't realize how much I loved it until I had I left it right and I and I feel like there's that's part of our lifestyle, right?
Speaker 2:We don't realize what is important to us until we have to give it up and walk away from it or it's taken from us, Right oh?
Speaker 3:that's a really good one, too. Good point, yeah, you know, I think that one of the things that you are hitting on without actually saying is the way that you respond to change, and so there's an emotional response, there's a mental response. Sometimes there's a spiritual response because you know if it is taken from you, right. So if you become housing insecure, that's a deeply spiritual and emotional experience, right, because we're meant and, you know, accustomed to, I would say, evolved right to live in homes, to live inside, right, and so we have a huge on I guess what do you call it a housing insecure population that's growing in this country and it's unfathomable sometimes to imagine a life where you don't have a home. But I think it's also about how you respond to change, right.
Speaker 3:So you had a mental and emotional and there's probably some cognitive dissonance going back to that psych piece, right? So you're like this is going to be fantastic, but I love my home, this is my home, but I'm going to have a new home, but you know what this is, where, you know, I built my family. You know my husband and I moved here. We chose this home together. It's a foundation, and I think that when you're thinking about lifestyle design. It's about the foundation, taking from that and continuing to build up and out, to build a more expansive life where you can continue to thrive. But again back to the legacy point. Not forget your point, not forget where you came from.
Speaker 2:So, right, right, that's true. Like that, I think, as you said, you know how you handle change, or however you worded that. I'm like shit, that's exactly what it was. Right, I didn't because I mean, let's face it, change can be scary, right, yeah, we can. We can attempt change with an open heart and open mind, but you still don't know what it's going to look like, right, and so I guess that's. I never even thought about that, but I guess that's what it came down to, right. But look at that, using you're using your psychology skills on me for the better.
Speaker 3:I have right, just a little bit more self-awareness, but you got there, right, yeah oh, I love it.
Speaker 2:I Okay. So now we talked about like gently becoming all you are meant to be earlier. So tell me, like what, what does gentle growth really look like to you, and why is like gentleness so important in today's like? Like our culture is very hustled and very, you know, busy. I like, like you know, I say busy in quotations because we don't have to be busy, we make ourselves busy. So I want you to tell me a little bit about this gentleness.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think I'll start with, you know, the last thing you said about making ourselves busy, because that really resonates with me. I make myself busy. If I don't have a project at work, I make up projects. Even when I have work, I make up projects at work, and if I have enough at work, I make up projects on the side. Right?
Speaker 3:It's always moving me forward, some sort of momentum towards becoming the person that I can be right or that I see myself as being, and so I think that when it goes back to gently becoming here's the thing I need to make sure that I have people around me or at least I do it for myself. You know some self-talk where I'm making sure that I stay grounded if I can, and if I'm not doing that well, taking a step back and adjusting boundaries, adjusting timelines if I can doing whatever it is that I need to do to make sure that I can softly exist. That's not always possible, because I try to live a full life, but you know, for example, on Sundays, a lot of times I can be like yep, let's plan coffee, let's plan brunch, let's go to the museum, perfect day. Ok, let's go to the park. Also, I could use a walk, like I could do all these things.
Speaker 3:But one of the things that our friend actually one of the things you know when we were building up this step in a shop for this fantastic boutique, she was like Sundays are a no-go. And I've had many friends who said that too, and I'm like, okay, I will calm down, Right, but it's not about like being harsh or critical. It's more of like, yes, you can accept that, you know that's a boundary for them, but this also can be a boundary for you, right, that you take the time to rest. And it's not you being lazy, even though you have tons of things that you can and or should be doing but it's you really taking time to connect with yourself. And so one of those things that I've learned over the last couple of years and it came at the most- random moment was realizing that breathwork is a powerful tool, right?
Speaker 3:So I I don't know if you love it as much as I do. I'd love to hear more about your experience with the practice, but for me, it's slowly becoming a practice. I don't do it every day, I don't do it when I know I need to do it, right, but at the back of my mind, it's one of the tools that I have in my toolbox to design a life that I love. That is really helpful. It forces me, even for a moment, a minute or two, to step away from the present, to focus into my breathing. My body loves it, I feel great and I perform better. And I breathing, my body loves it. I feel, I feel great and I perform better, and I just my body loves it.
Speaker 3:I know it, right, and so I think with that, it's like all right, you can be in the midst of hustle and bustle, because that's what society is and that's a lot of where our value and our worth is placed, because if we're not busy, we tend to be devalued. Right. If we're not in a high powered position by a certain time in our life, we tend to be devalued, right? People don't always say what's wrong with you, but and loved for yourself and by other people right, right In the midst of the hustle and bustle. So that's what I think, that's very true.
Speaker 2:And to the, you know the to comment on your breast work. Our bodies need it, right Like they're now, apparently, and I don't. I've. I've heard two women tell me that their medical doctor is actually giving them advice on taking time to sit and just breathe. Love it. When you're feeling anxious and nervous and like you don't know what to do with yourself, just take two minutes, just sit down for two minutes and just breathe and close your eyes and really just focus on the in and the out. There doesn't have to be fancy breath. It doesn't have to be, you know, staggered or anything. Just pay attention to it. You know, set a timer on your phone. We all have these phones beside us all day, every day. Right, set a timer. All I'm going to do is listen to myself breathe and it's amazing what it can do to your body right mentally physically, emotionally, like it just calms everything just down to where it needs to be.
Speaker 2:At the end of the two minutes, believe me, you will feel rested. If nothing else, right, you will feel rested and you'll. And when? When you're rested, you know this. Right, your brain is more open to anything that can happen. Right, because I'm rested and I'm ready to take on what's next, right, so, yeah, I don't, I don't have like a regular practice. I am learning, you know, to make it a regular practice. It's hard. I do find it very hard. To me, it's very similar to meditation. Right, because I'm sitting here focusing on my breath and all of a sudden, the thoughts are coming in.
Speaker 2:Right, but, you need to go do this and you should be doing that, and you don't have two minutes right now, right? The reality is it's only two minutes. I have two minutes, right.
Speaker 1:If.
Speaker 2:I'm going to go to the op. I have two minutes to do that, right, and so you know, like you, you have time. It's just a matter of taking the time. So I love that you said that and you know, I think breath work is something that we should all have in a regular practice, right? Even if it is just two minutes a day, just regroup.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely Absolutely. You know just a couple of notes on that, you know. So, breath work. So I will say that the roots of breath work as a practice aren't necessarily something that I fully understand and am in tune with right. So for me, in terms of faith, but as a human, my vagus nerve, my body, responds to it very well, and so building a life that I love isn't always going to be based on the terms and the rules and the expectations of society, and I think that you have to come to terms with that, because it can happen at a moment's notice that your life changes, and if you don't have something in your toolbox that works well, then what are you going to do? Right? Like, what are you going to do if you're on vacation and you're like, oh my gosh, you know I've missed my connecting flight, right? Or I've, I don't know where I'm going, or I don't speak the language and I don't know the word for this, but I need to get on that train, right?
Speaker 3:This happened to me in Italy. I should have learned more Italian, but I mean, you know, in that moment, what tools did I have at myself? And I think that's the thing you have what it takes. You have what you need, but you need to recognize the tools that you do have within you, and so it could look like taking a breath, understanding that you know what. I may not understand Italian, but I understand a little bit of the romance languages, so let me kind of, you know, do a little bit pointing, but also listen to what she's saying. Right, and so I made it on the train, thankfully. But I think that's also, you know, when you travel, you get the chance to really step away. You're forced to at some point to just relax and be with yourself, you know.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, like you can't, even especially when you're traveling, you don't always want to be on high anxious mode, right, like, how are you going to enjoy what's happening around you when you're traveling? Especially when you're traveling, you know, as a holiday, you want to enjoy what you're seeing, right, and so you know, and I think a lot of that you know, sitting back and taking those few deep breaths. It also asks your intuition, it invites your intuition, yeah, right, and so your intuition knows everything that you need to know. Right, tina, you're taking us to church.
Speaker 3:Well, I, don't know about that.
Speaker 2:But you know, like, if you're, if you, if you missed a train, right, and you're in a foreign country and you don't speak the language you're like, right away, your conscious mind is going what the hell am I going to do now? Whereas if you sit down and okay, I'm going to get a coffee and I'm going to sit down for a minute, right, and you allow yourself to just sort of, you know like, accept what just happened to you, right, you're going to get that message right, your intuition, your body, is going to tell you now you need to do this. You just have to allow it. And you said something about not doing or living the best life that society wants for you, or what the rest of society is living. You or what like the rest of society is living, I mean, I.
Speaker 2:The first thing that came to me is God has made every single one of us on this earth different and unique, right, and so what is your best life is most likely not my best life, right, and so when I am doing any kind of research and education to make my life better, right, it's only going to be for me, yeah, right, it's not about what you know, like, you're my coach, you're going to walk me through the steps that I need to go through, but you're not going to say this is what you need because you don't know that, right. You only know these are your options, right, which one fits you best?
Speaker 3:Right, and if they don't, let's find a new path. Let's find a new way that does work, that resonates for you and the life that you want, because you know I have my starting points right. So I know that creativity is powerful, I know that the arts are powerful for healing and for unlocking a lot of productivity, but maybe that's not where you need to focus, right. Maybe the focus is career, for example, or maybe it's family, right? Maybe it's parenting, whatever it is, it really does have to be about you, because, at the end of the day, you're totally right, we've all been designed uniquely to be a specific person, right, and to have an impact in the world, and so, out of our design, we act, we make decisions, but if we're not in tune and alignment with who we were designed to be in the first place, we're never going to get there. We're never going to get the fulfillment that we are looking for, even in bits and pieces, if you will, right, and so I feel like you know there's fantastic.
Speaker 3:There's a scripture that I love that talks about the fact that God sings over you and rejoices over you, right, and I think for a lot of people that can be hard to fathom or imagine, but part of the infrastructure that you need for support is community and people. So who are those people that, when they see you, their eyes light up? The people who are bringing the glimmers of hope that encourage you, right? Who are like that's amazing that you're doing that. I'm so excited. How can I help you, right? Who are the people who are just like I, don't like you. You want to hang out right Like. Who are those people in your life, whether you've known them for 20 years or even known them for 20 seconds, who really just give you life and speak life over you?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I think that that's so important, no matter where you're going in this life and no matter who you're designed to be.
Speaker 2:I love that, I love that and, yeah, I think we all have that. Right, we might not realize it, you know, depending on where we are in our emotions, but you know, we all have those people that you know are lit up when you walk into a room. Right, you made me think of my son. So my son is like my youngest son.
Speaker 2:He's I don't know how to explain it he's lovable, right, there's just something he's super quiet, never says a whole lot, but there's just something about him. He's like a magnet to people and when he was, he used to play hockey, when he was, you know, up until he was 12, and he would walk into the dressing room and every single boy in that room would call out his name and happy to see him. Like coward, because he would feel kind of shy, but I should be so like honored, right, because these kids love you and you don't even talk, right, you're a wonderful human. Right, like, yeah, it's fantastic. It made me that, you made me think of that because and he used to like, oh, mom, you know he's there embarrassing me and I'm like why they?
Speaker 3:love you so much.
Speaker 2:They just love you, right, yeah anyway, anyway I feel like I've had it so much today. So I, you're totally into fashion, yes, and I love that. I mean, you know, uh, what brands are you looking forward to wearing or purchasing pieces from that make you feel that you're living your best day every single time?
Speaker 3:I am so glad you asked uh, because I have got a list and you know it's funny, I some of these brands are recently discovered and some of these I've known for a while, but I think, at the end of the day, these are brands that I've tried on and also when I have experiences with these brands, they're memorable, right.
Speaker 1:And, and you know, Matt Gallant.
Speaker 3:This this year, with, with dandyism being the theme, really just taught me, reminded me, I should say, about the power of good tailoring, and I think that these brands you know based on you know their goals and you know their design, have good tailoring too. So I'll just run down my list and maybe give a little spiel about each, because I love them all, but never fully dressed. So we did this different shop experience. It was a private shopping experience that was lovely. It never fully dressed here. So we did this different shop experience. It was a private shopping experience that was lovely. It never fully dressed here in the city.
Speaker 3:Beautiful brand started by this woman out of the UK, I believe. When you walk into that that boutique there is, just it feels like sunshine, it feels like joy, and with every single piece I just can't, I can't help myself. I'm like ooh, oh, my gosh, I just get so excited. I'm an excited person anyway, but I just love every single piece, and so I have one piece that I still need to wear. I need a great opportunity to wear that, but looking forward to purchasing more from that. It's also inspired by the owner's travels and I love travel, and so that's another piece for me Long View Layers. The owner's travels and I love travel, and so that's another piece for me Longview layers. So I'm part of the junior league here in the city and this is a brand that has it's about to be launched. Just went to a pre-launch party on Saturday for this friend and when I put on the dress that she designed, when I say that I felt like a queen, I felt like it to the point that I literally had to say it out loud oh, wow, yes. And so, yeah, I'll definitely share those details, but it is just, it's a beautiful brand and I'm looking forward to seeing what she does with that brand. So that's my other one.
Speaker 3:And then Ralph Lauren. It's classic, it's classic and it's an elevated look, but it's also just very clean lines and it just it feels good, whether I'm in their cafe, because I'm a coffee addict, or their stores, right, I just I love it and I gravitate towards it and I'll just, you know, go through the next two really quickly. But Balmain, I'm just really having a Balmain and actually it's the lean moment right now. And then the last one, but certainly not least, is Sergio Hudson, and so I don't have one of his pieces yet, but he trusts 18 people at MetGallup, both men and women. One of them was the CEO of an AI company, and it brings me back to my Nigerian American roots and heritage Because he had the beads, he had the whole attire.
Speaker 3:It was beautiful. It was beautiful. But even you know, quintero was in designs that were, I mean, 18 people at the Mac Gallery. It's incredible. Each design unique and beautiful, right. And so those are just a few of the designers that I love, but looking forward to, hopefully this year, purchasing some pieces from them.
Speaker 2:I love it. I love it. So I mean clearly you love to dress well right, and I mean clearly you love to dress well right. And I mean I like to think most people do right. Some people maybe don't understand. You know how to put pieces together. I get that right. I mean, as a stylist, I've met many women who you know they don't really know how to put clothes together.
Speaker 2:I'd like to know, maybe, what your understanding is, you know, or the psychology of what is behind really dressing well, and what does dressing well mean specifically to you?
Speaker 3:Sure, so I'll start with the N in mine. Dressing well means that when I look in the mirror, what I'm wearing feels good. I like the colors, I like the fit, I like the style and I feel like it's an expression of me, right? So it doesn't have to be representative of my whole identity, but in that moment, in that season of my life, represents who I am. So if I am feeling like you know what, this summer I want to live life more colorfully, right, taking for fate's sake, but then you're going to see a lot of color, a lot of brightfully right. Taking for a bit spade, but then you're going to see a lot of color, a lot of bright blues, right. So, like today, I'm wearing a bright blue, for example. I think it's embodying how I feel inside, right, and so when you think about people talking about when you look good, you feel good. It's so true.
Speaker 3:If I go to a client meeting, even if it's virtually, and I'm wearing a sweatshirt, I do not feel good, I do not feel powerful, and it's and it's part of that power, power stance, almost right you feel more powerful when you are more put together, and I'm sure you probably see it in your clients too.
Speaker 3:You know, they put on these pieces that you have helped them to select, and they've pulled the look together, and suddenly it's a confidence boost, right and internally. You know, mentally, you just kind of know also that you know when I walk out the door, people are going to treat me better, unfortunately, because perception isn't always reality, but the perception is that I've got it together just a little bit more right. The perception is I have some ownership and control of the way that I look and I'm killing it today, right, and so it's really about that mental, that cognitive piece. But there's also that emotional piece, as well as the psychology of color, which we don't really have time to go into today. But you know, you think about some of the powerful colors, like red. Right, I've seen beautiful red blazers. I do not own one, but when you walk into a room with a red dress, I mean you don't have to tell me, right. You tell me, though, how do you feel?
Speaker 2:well I don't wear red, I don't like red, but I'll tell you every, every woman that walks into a room wearing a red dress gets a second look. Yes, every single woman. I don't care what anybody tells me. Right, might not be you giving the second look, but someone is giving her a second look. Yeah, there is something about the color red and it does mean like it's. It's the color of confidence, right and so right, when a woman wears red, there is something to be said about how she feels.
Speaker 3:Absolutely yeah yeah, absolutely right, right on the money. Yeah, um, but yeah, I think that you know, at the end of the day you're thinking about how you're being perceived. And well, people say a lot of times you know people's opinions don't matter. Actually they do.
Speaker 3:It's unfortunate, but they do, right you know, of course you need, you know, the right people speaking into your life and saying, hey, you look fantastic and I love you, no matter what you're wearing. But at the end of the day, you know, within community, within society, it absolutely matters. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, and you know, that brings me to the pretty woman movie with julia roberts. Remember, when she walks into that room she's got the credit card, but she doesn't look like she holds and so they're talking down to her, and then she comes back and says you know, look at me now.
Speaker 2:You know part of that. It's unfortunate, you know, because you don't know what the credit card any person is holding. You have no idea, right, but it goes to show like the way we dress ourselves, the way we hold ourselves, has a lot to say about who we are. Yeah, because I mean it can be the other way. Someone can walk into a store looking like she, you know, she's dressed to the nines and she owns the credit card that gives her she could buy the entire wardrobe from your store, but the reality is that doesn't mean she does have the money, right, like it goes the other way as well, right, I mean I've been in stores where women look like they have a lot of money and their card gets declined, right, and they're like well, I guess I'm not buying anything today, right? So you know, like we've all seen it, right, and so it really goes to show like how you dress yourself tells how you feel inside. It has nothing to do with how much you own or what you owe.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and can I just say that too? I think that there's something to be said about looking for the pieces that fit you the best, right, and it's addictive and it's because it makes you feel good, and sometimes there's a little bit too much emphasis on your value and worth, depending on the brand. But when it is made well, it doesn't just last longer, it looks better on you, right?
Speaker 2:When it's tailored and you want to wear it more yeah, yes, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Absolutely so. I did a presentation last week on you know how to dress your body and you know we all aim for that hourglass look right, whether we know what that's called or not. So, like the Marilyn Monroe, right, and so, like I was born with an hourglass shape, right, I have the smaller waist and my hips and my, my shoulders are the same. Um, but as I've grown right and I mean that physically and figuratively right, you know, I hit the perimenopause and I've lost, i've've lost a bit of my waist right, it's not completely gone, but I've become more of a barrel. And and I noticed that when I now in my age, where I'm at now, I don't want to wear tight clothes.
Speaker 2:But growing up and into my well, into my forties, I felt, you know, because I was so used to like showing off my waist, I'll say, and I really wasn't showing off my waist, but that's what fit me best was, you know, having clothes that were tight, tighter and more fitted around my waist. Because, you know, nobody likes wearing pants that are too big around their waist and they're falling down. Nobody likes that. That's not a comfortable feeling, but I was. You know, I had a conversation with one that was one of the ladies at the presentation and I was saying, even as a bigger woman and girl right, I've been big all my life I felt more comfortable in clothes that fit me Right, clothes that were more fitted, you know.
Speaker 2:And yet I mean, I know that lots of women who are bigger, you know, they want to hide their curves, they want to, like you know, know, look more, more of a solid look so they don't show off any part of their body. But it's not about showing off. For me, it was about comfort. Right, I wore clothes that made me feel comfortable. You know, I was fortunate to have the hourglass and so they, they did look really good on me most of the time. But the reality is you have to be comfortable, right? You? You still have to wear clothes that make you feel like a million bucks right.
Speaker 2:So, it's not just about I mean yes, it's about looking good, but you have to feel just as good as you look.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 3:It has to evolve over time too.
Speaker 3:To that point, 100% agree, I've seen my style evolve to a certain extent, but I also, I just, I just love to dress Right, and so I walked by a million windows a day here in the city, and you know it may not be the exact same style that I could take a look at. I could walk by Lily Blitzer, for example, or a J crew, or you know one of the stores in Soho that are not well known, or another boutique like NFD, and you know, in each of them I can find a piece that I like or love right. And at the end of the day, when I put it on, though, right, it's going to be a self-expression of who I am and how comfortable I feel, because what fits me at Lily may not fit me at you know, jcrew, in the same size or the same style. But you know, I think that one of the most important things is being able to just be adaptable Right, because that change in your style and sometimes size, it's going to come Right, it's going to come Absolutely.
Speaker 2:And I always you know, I tell clients too you don't have to wear the same clothes all the time, you don't have to stick to the same style, right, if you like boho, but not everything, you know you can have a boho day once in a while. Right, it's okay, you don't have to always stick to the same style.
Speaker 1:So we are okay, so I'm.
Speaker 2:I don't want to rush this conversation. I feel like we could talk for another hour or two, right, probably. Yeah, I'm gonna ask you one more question. Yeah, sure, someone listening today is ready to rewrite their story and begin creating, you know, a life that they truly love. What is one micro step that they can take today to start that?
Speaker 3:journey? That's a fantastic question. I'm going to give you a fun answer. First reach out to me. Question. I'm going to give you a fun answer. First Reach out to me. My second thing I would say is you know, plug it into AI, because I'm all about everyone you know leveling up in their digital skills and just upskilling. But then, number three, I think it's just to start to sit down and journal, because you can have answers you shout out from ai in seconds, but journal about the life that you want. Do mood boards if you need to. Uh, do you know vision boards if you need to, at any time of the year, but really just begin to dream and imagine more and and get yourself in spaces that help you to do that I love that.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for joining me today, valerie. This has been awesome. I know that I, you know we talked about a lot of things, even though that's all part of you know lifestyle that you love, right? So if anyone wants to reach out to you, what is the best way?
Speaker 3:Sure, so I think that you can probably just do email, but I'm also available, pretty accessible, via my IG account as well for House of Chloe Bloom, and so I think the process really just starts from there, just reaching out, and then we can follow up and start working together.
Speaker 2:Awesome, awesome. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3:Fantastic. Thank you, tina. This has been a fun conversation and I look forward to chatting with you more, uh, at some point in the future as well absolutely.
Speaker 2:Confidence in bloom is a celebration of self-love, a confirmation that, even though you may not look like a screen star or a supermodel they don't even look like that you are are an amazing, desirable, brilliant, gorgeous, talented woman. We offer unconditional love to our partners, our children, our extended family, even our pets. It's high time we got out of our own way and learned to unconditionally love ourselves In full bloom. Styling and coaching offers an online program combined with one-on-one coaching in confidence building, personal branding and creating your signature fashion look. Chic definitely does come in every shape. So if you want something to believe, in start with yourself. If you'd like to be a guest here on Confidence in Bloom, contact me through Instagram at infobloomstyling, by email tina at infobloomstylingcom, or through the Divas that Care website.
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