The Simple Wardrobe Shift That Builds Instant Credibility as a Leader | Elisa Ellis

Elisa Ellis, Founder of Turnkey Style
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 Stylist Elisa Ellis shares how what you wear can shift how you lead. Learn how to feel more confident, aligned, and respected—without changing who you are.

 Last week we talked about what’s really behind employee disengagement—and how to fix it.

This week, we're diving into something leaders rarely talk about but feel every day: how your clothes impact your confidence and authority at work.

If you’ve ever second-guessed your outfit before a big meeting, felt like you were “faking it” in a blazer, or wondered if what you wear really makes a difference in how your team sees you—this episode is your permission slip to rethink it all.

Wardrobe stylist Elisa Ellis joins me to talk about the mindset and strategy behind dressing with confidence, and why what you wear isn’t about fashion—it’s about energy, presence, and alignment. Whether you're stepping into your first leadership role or simply want to show up more intentionally, Elisa breaks it down with warmth and zero judgment.

Key Takeaways:

• What enclothed cognition is—and how it shapes your confidence and focus as a leader
• Why your “power outfit” doesn’t have to be a blazer (or heels!) to command respect
• How new managers can communicate dress expectations without becoming the “outfit police”

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Coachin...

Transcript

Desiree Petrich (00:00.245)
Alisa. Okay.

Hi, Lisa. I'm so excited to hear from you. I just want to let our friends know kind of what just happened. So we were going to chat and prep essentially to have a really good conversation. And Lisa started talking. I was like, no, just kidding. We're going to record this because it's all so good. And I'm so excited for you to hear it. So can you explain to us from the standpoint of either someone who is aspiring to be in management or leadership or someone who is currently in that role and maybe not feeling

the confidence that they want to have, maybe not feeling like they have the authority that they need to have, how can what they're wearing help?

Elisa Ellis, Turnkey Style (00:40.588)
Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for having me. So there is actually this, there's a lot of research, but there's one particular study and what they found was what's called enclosed cognition. So basically they took a group of people and they had half the group take a test and they gave them

a painter's coat, a white painter's coat. But they told them it was a lab coat. So they said, take the test with this lab coat. And what they found was the group that took the test with a lab coat had better attention spans. So they're like, we got to do this again. So they redid the test. And the second time around, they told them it was a doctor's coat. And not only did they get the same results, they got better results. The people who took the test with the doctor's coat did

had better attention spans and did better on the test overall. And so how I relate this is when you, a lot of my clients are leaders, C-suite, execs, entrepreneurs, most have some sort of power outfit. It doesn't have to be a suit. It's something you put on and you just feel like you're gonna crush it. Whether you wanna close the client, close a deal, lead a team, do a new presentation.

you have that outfit and you put it on and it's like a super cape. You're a superhero. You put that on and you just know you're going to do well. And so that is what enclosed cognition is, is what you wear, it changes the energy you show up with, how you stand. When I work with clients one-on-one, I have them try clothes on because there's a noticeable difference between putting something on you don't feel good in, you feel frumpy, doesn't fit, you start fidgeting versus

You put something on you feel good in and you're the space between the ears and the neck grows, your shoulders go back. So imagine as a leader, that's the energy you're walking into the office with. That's the energy that you're bringing to your team. That's the culture that you're bringing. When you have confidence, when you're showing up authentically, you're more likely to raise your hand, more likely to collaborate, more likely to lead, more likely to do better in sales. I mean,

Elisa Ellis, Turnkey Style (02:54.466)
There's research study after research study that shows that what you wear and how you show up affects all the things that you touch.

Desiree Petrich (03:02.146)
Okay, so is there a specific pantsuit or is it a certain thing that you're expecting people to wear? Because I went and did branding photos the other day and she's like, put on the blazer. You should wear the blazer. It'll make you look professional, make you feel professional. I'm like, I feel terrible. I feel like I'm the total opposite of who I normally am. I feel like I'm faking something. So I'd love to hear your thoughts on does it have to look the same for everyone?

Elisa Ellis, Turnkey Style (03:28.36)
No. And I actually, if I was in the room with you and the photographer, I would have said, don't put the blazer on. Just because what you said, you feel like a fake in it. That's not authentic to you. When I first started in my career as a wardrobe stylist after being in corporate for 20 plus years, people always said, give me the list of five things I need. Give me the list of 10 things I need. Well, what I found after working with clients, everybody's different. You know, I have clients that love dresses. I have clients that love slacks.

I at heart am a jeans and a t-shirt gal. So you have to find what works for you. I actually had somebody, a presentation that I went to because I wanted to learn how to be a better speaker. And the woman said, if you want to be a speaker, you need to wear three inch heels, a sheath dress and nylons. Exactly. That face. I'm like, well, I stopped wearing nylons when I was 16. So that's not happening. I don't wear three inch heels. And I really I wear dresses, but that's not my jam.

So you have to find what feels authentic to you. But here's what I would say. If you want to be seen as a leader, depending on your field, you should be showing up looking like that leader, whatever that is, because 93 % of communication is nonverbal. If you want to be seen as the expert, you have to show up looking at the expert. There are other research studies that show that we, as hard as it is to hear and say, we judge people

by how they show up. We judge your expertise. are, we determines whether we want to know, like, trust, work with you. That happens in less than seven seconds. And so if you want to show up as the leader, be treated and seen as the expert, you have to figure out what that looks like in your field and how not only, I'm not going to say how you fit in, but how you stand out. Okay. So for example, in any financial field, law,

A lot of people are told you have to fit in the box, wear the gray suit, the navy suit, the black suit, and these tops. But then you blend in with everybody else. And yet you want people to recognize you as a leader. what can you, my whole philosophy is how can you stand out? Whether it's a pair of shoes, a bag, glasses, I have like 13 of these, a pin, jewelry, ties, socks.

Elisa Ellis, Turnkey Style (05:53.368)
hats, you name it, I've come across it. And it's that small thing of showing up consistently that makes you a little bit different, wearing a color. I have some clients, they always wear green, they always wear red, whatever it is. And that helps people build trust and see you, separates you from everybody else. You want to be top of mind, even if you're in corporate, right? If you're a leader, I ask people, do you want to stand out? Well, no, I don't want to stand out.

Okay, do you want to stand out when it's time for a promotion, a raise, a new deal, a new team leader position? Well, yes, of course. Okay, well, if you're not standing out consistently, how is someone supposed to notice you? Like, you have to, I hear all this all the time from certain leaders, you have to keep track of all your wins, right? How you're changing things, what difference you're making, because then you have to show it to someone to say, hey, look, these are all the goals I've met this year. Okay, but if you're your leader,

you're those above you don't see or notice you the whole year and then suddenly you say, hey, here's all these things. Well, what would have happened? How could that have been different if you were actively trying to stand out, if you were actively trying to be different, if you were actively leading in a different way?

Desiree Petrich (07:11.01)
Do you find that people are embarrassed or, like, what is it that's potentially stopping people from showing up in that way?

Elisa Ellis, Turnkey Style (07:20.258)
think that we just get, we get stuck. don't know how to be different. We're, this is what, this is, we want you to show up this way. So we just do that because we want to be part of the team, right? It's this whole part of the culture, right? If, here's a great example. Right now I hear from leaders and managers. I have team members who are not showing up appropriately. I can't take them out to,

partners, clients, meetings, all the things, because they're not showing up appropriately. I want them to grow their business, grow their network, grow their team, and I can't do that because they're not showing up appropriately. And so, the managers assume the other team members should know, and they don't. We don't know what we don't know. And so, it's about...

having the challenging conversations and saying, hey, I want to stand out. I want to be different. I want to lead differently. I mean, let's be honest, style and how to show what Burke hasn't been talked about in a long, we went, you know, it used kind of used to be a thing. And then there's been this slide towards casual athleisure wear, which is great, depending on what industry you're in. But if you want to feel confident,

you have to figure out what that looks like in such a way so that you're still showing up as the expert and the leader in your field.

Desiree Petrich (08:46.828)
Yeah, one of the pieces of advice I give people is how could you possibly know if you're meeting the expectation if you don't know what the expectation is. So go to a leader or go to the team and say, what kind of team do we want to be? How do we want to show up? the expectation.

Elisa Ellis, Turnkey Style (08:53.59)
Exactly.

Elisa Ellis, Turnkey Style (08:59.658)
Exactly. Right. And you might think you know. And so I heard this podcast and they said, really the raise or the promotion doesn't happen. You have to act like you think we all think we're doing a good job and we're working hard. But really, in order to get ahead in some instances, you have to be going over and above. And you might not know. You might think you know what that looks like.

But your boss or the leaders above you have a different idea of what that looks like. And so you gave a great example. You have to know the expectations because, like I said, what I come across in a lot of different fields is management is a certain age and they feel like their team and the leaders below them, well, they should know better. They should know what the expectations are. But here's the thing, they don't.

They don't know what the expectations are a lot of times. And there's a disconnect, right? So you think this team feels like they're showing up, they're doing all the things, and up here they're like, well, really they're missing the mark. And really, if they just had a conversation about what the expectation is, everyone would be so much happier. And then you would know, okay, I don't want that, or I do want this, or yes, I'm willing to go the extra mile, or no, I'm no, right?

Desiree Petrich (10:24.802)
Yeah, I'm working with a team who they have a new manager in place and they have this expectation of what the team should do. It's different than what the previous manager did. And so they're finding themselves having some hard conversations about wardrobe, which as a new manager, you'd be like, is that really your top priority right now? But this individual wants to build a more highly respected establishment. They want to make sure that the team is showing up and feeling confident.

Elisa Ellis, Turnkey Style (10:36.055)
Right?

Desiree Petrich (10:53.376)
So let's just put you in that scenario. You're the new leader. You're going to a team member, maybe one that's even older than you, and having to say, you're Walmart right now. need you to be, you know, I don't go to high end things. I don't know what example you use, but what would you say?

Elisa Ellis, Turnkey Style (11:05.729)
Yes. Right, right. But that's a great. So here's my philosophy as always. How can you show up authentically on brand and with confidence and authentically talks to kind of what you talk, the blazer is not going to work for you.

Okay, so how can you still show up looking like the expert? Sometimes that means making sure your clothes are nicely pressed. Sometimes it means making sure you have no BO and are properly hygiene. I I hear from managers that they have team members who are not brushing their hair, not pressing, know, various, but also how, talk to them. Instead of making it, I'm going to be the outfit police.

about empowering them? You're part of this team. I want to see you grow with the company. These are my expectations. I expect black slacks or fill in the blank. No sneakers, dark wash jeans, no holes. How can you make small tweaks to what they're wearing so that it meets the guidelines? I shop at a variety of stores. It could be J.Crew Factory, could be Banana Republic Factory. I've even purchased jackets at Walmart, right?

But the idea is to mix them with higher end pieces so that the overall outfit looks appropriate, especially depending on, like I recently spoke with a high end finance manager. Their business is working with $10 million plus clients. OK, you can't come in necessarily wearing a dress from Walmart and sneakers, right? You could. Maybe it's a really nice quality, but.

then you're having a quality conversation as opposed to an outfit conversation. Does that make sense? I shop at factory stores. They're inexpensive. They have great quality. I also have shopped at high end stores that have horrible quality, but it's about putting together an outfit that's appropriate for the occasion and the client you're meeting with. have clients who work in, I have people who work in, let's say manufacturing, but they also deal with CEOs and CFOs.

Elisa Ellis, Turnkey Style (13:12.876)
So on the days that they go to the manufacturing plant, they wear nice, clean sneakers, a pair of slacks and a nice shirt. On the days where they're meeting with their CFOs and CEO clients, they might wear the sport coat or the blazer and the whole suit. If they're going to Austin, let's say, because the dress code in Austin is much different than the dress code in Dallas or Chicago or LA, you have to learn

to know how can I still show up as the expert but not be, let's say overdressed or underdressed for the occasion.

Desiree Petrich (13:53.516)
Yeah, that's really interesting. I'm curious how much for women say how much does the hairstyle does the jewelry does the makeup? Where does that play a piece in what it is that you're talking about?

Elisa Ellis, Turnkey Style (14:07.202)
So I have some clients that, so I'll give you both ends. I have some clients that don't wear makeup, some that do. I have some clients that have nose rings, tattoos. And the answer for me is always, if your whole look is put together, then people are not gonna notice the things that you feel they notice. Typically, so for example, I have clients who, and friends who wear nose rings or have tattoos.

but they are always dressed appropriately for the situation. So you don't notice the nose ring, the tattoo. If I see someone who looks disheveled, not really well put together, if their clothes are ill-fitting, then I'm probably gonna notice the tattoos or the nose rings. And the same can be said for a woman who doesn't wear jewelry, a woman who doesn't wear makeup, because not everybody does. Are you put together? Do you look professional? Then,

the jewelry and the accessories and all the things are not going to matter. Having said that, sometimes those are the things that set you apart, right? People comment on my glasses all the time. I wear different colors. I have a myriad of shapes and sizes and colors. If you are looking to make connections with people and start conversations, but you might be an introvert, wearing something that makes you stand out is a great entry point for conversation. I love the bag. I love the shoes.

For men, sometimes it's they're wearing funky socks, they might have a tie or a pocket square, you name it, like I said, I've seen it. And so those are great entry points for conversation, even if it's a team member that you're trying to figure out how to collaborate with, a leader who's trying to figure out what to say to your millennial team member, some sort of connection that gets that conversation going.

Desiree Petrich (15:57.058)
So I want to bring in the new manager, new leader again, and just say, I have this lost cost fallacy of I have an entire closet worth of clothes. You might think that maybe like an eighth of them are appropriate to wear into the workplace. And I would probably agree with you because I have a hard time getting rid of things. But what are you suggesting here as far as what it is that we're showing up with? Is it about changing the mindset around it and actually

living that lifestyle and changing our entire closet? Is it just having certain pieces and then being one person at work and another person on the weekends? What is it that you're suggesting as far as a mindset shift for us?

Elisa Ellis, Turnkey Style (16:35.214)
So a couple of things there. I believe that whether you're an entrepreneur or corporate, our lifestyle is different now as it was from five years ago, let's say, right? We work from home, we work remotely, we go pick up our kids, we might have aging parents. Having clothes that fit your life and your lifestyle is key to me. I don't think you necessarily have to have work clothes or home clothes. You should have clothes that if you need to run and see a client or you run into a client, you look put together and appropriate.

You mentioned you have a tough time letting go of what's in your closet. So here's the thing. You're not alone. A lot of people, I want to fit into X. I'm going to lose weight. I'm going to be a certain size. I'm going to whatever it is. But here's the reality. As leaders, you're constantly growing, evolving, and learning. That's why people hire you. They want to get better. They want to get to the next level. Those clothes that you're hanging on to, you're not the same person. Are you the same person you were two years ago?

Desiree Petrich (17:34.08)
No, but I'm cheap.

Elisa Ellis, Turnkey Style (17:36.172)
Okay, but here's the thing. If you're not the same person you were two years ago or five years ago or 10 years ago, and yet you're trying to fit into those clothes, you are not that person anymore. You have outgrown those clothes, not necessarily literally, but figuratively. And I believe as leaders, you have to be willing and ready to step into the next version of yourself in order to continue to lead your team.

and grow with them, right? You want them to, the whole part of being a leader and my point is how can you get your team members to grow with you, right? You always, you wanna set the bar, you wanna meet expectations and potentially exceed them. And in order to do that, you all have to be growing and learning and working on, towards a goal. And so I understand either being on a budget, being frugal, all of those things, but

As a leader, you have a goal of where you want to go and who you want to be. And in my opinion, you have to start showing up as that person today because that's one of the pieces that's going to help you get there. If you don't have the confidence to show up for yourself, if you're not willing to invest in yourself, how do you expect your team to be willing to give you their time, their energy, all the things?

Desiree Petrich (19:01.868)
Yeah, mic drop moment. It's fantastic. I love it. And that was kind of what I was assuming you would say, but you just exceeded my expectations when it comes to the mindset around the way that we're dressing. So thank you. Before we wrap this up, is there any last pieces of advice, any questions that you typically get asked that I missed? What's the last thing you want to leave our listeners with?

Elisa Ellis, Turnkey Style (19:02.486)
It's a different perspective.

Elisa Ellis, Turnkey Style (19:23.34)
Really quickly, I spoke about confidence to a group of ex-military members. And I asked them, what's the difference between your regular uniform and your dress uniform? And this big guy stood up six feet, whatever he was. And he said, it's called command presence. As a leader, you want to show up with command presence every day, because then it's going to raise the bar for everybody else. But you have to start with you.

and being intentional with how you dress.

Desiree Petrich (19:55.554)
That's perfect. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for having this conversation. It's one I've been avoiding because I had a little bit of an inkling of what you would say, but I appreciate your time. Thank you so much for speaking your wisdom into us and make sure you go and follow Elisa on LinkedIn. I'm going to link it in the show notes here for everyone to make sure and they can go and follow you.

Elisa Ellis, Turnkey Style (20:09.666)
Thank you.

Elisa Ellis, Turnkey Style (20:17.24)
Thank you. Thanks for having me.