On January 29, 2011, I will be the Education Day presenter for the New York Tri-State Chapter of the Association of Image Consultants International (AICI) later this month. I will be delivering a dynamic, interactive program titled “Empower Your Company Brand.”
The program will be presented on January 29th, 2011 from 9:00 am - 5:00 PM at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. AICI members can earn 0.6 CEU’s and special discounts are available to those who register online on or before January 15th at the event website address (aicinytristate.org/events).
Image Consulting
January 12, 2011
December 16, 2010
November 30, 2010
Will You Peer through the Peephole When Opportunity Knocks?
When career opportunities knock many people just peer nervously through the peephole afraid to answer the door. Others crack it open a little – but they leave the security chain on because of deep-seeded fear of success. But when yours comes around I want you to fling open the door and step across the threshold without looking back.
This month I heard a keynote speech given by Judge Glenda Hatchett, the author of the new book, Dare to Dream and the syndicated show, Judge Hatchett. As I listened to her story about changing her career path, it made me think about how true leaders can lead in any industry, regardless of title, position, or salary.
She tells of how she was the highest-ranking African American woman and senior attorney at Delta Airlines. During her career with Delta, someone asked her to become the Chief Presiding Judge of Fulton County, Georgia’s Juvenile Court. She struggled with this decision for some time, wondering whether it was an opportunity or not – until her inner voice asked, “What is your legacy?” She couldn’t answer that question.
Leaving behind a great compensation package and her familiar comfort zone was a big, scary step. But she wanted to reinvent herself as a leader in the judicial system in order to improve the lives of troubled youngsters. The rest is history – now her popular Judge Hatchett show is in its 8th season.
I highly recommend her new book! (To learn more visit the GlendaHatchett.com website.)
When presented with a chance to change roles, accept more responsibility, or apply for a promotion do you sometimes question whether it’s the best career move? I think we’ve all experienced those moments of doubt and indecision. But natural leaders can feel when their work in one position is complete because despite the wealth and power something else essential is missing.
Glenda Hatchett knew that her ability to flourish as a leader at Delta was limited so she accepted it as a stepping stone to her real leadership legacy. Always listen to your intuition when opportunities arise. Don’t say “no” due to butterflies of apprehension. That nervousness is just excitement. Pay attention to your inner voice when it asks you to be courageous about broadening your scope and enhancing your career.
Have you ever had to make a lateral move that wasn’t on your career path the way I have done so many times during my career? Please share with me how you leveraged the experience to get you back on track for a leadership promotion.
Do you want to use this blog article?
You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:
Sarah Hathorn is a professional image consultant, certified personal brand strategist, speaker, and author.
Her company, Illustra Image Consulting, works with high-achieving future leaders and large businesses by enhancing their corporate and personal brand image to take their businesses and careers to the next level.
Blog, Ezine & Website: www.illustraimageconsulting.com
Copyright © 2010, Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIP, CPBS
November 22, 2010
Are You Conveying Confidence or Sabotaging Your Self Esteem?
Two weeks ago I spoke about image, brand, and executive presence at the Linkage Women in Leadership Summit in San Francisco and was asked tons of questions, including one that was wrapped around one of the best compliments I have ever received. Halfway through the presentation a woman asked, “How does one get more confidence?” Before I could answer she did a follow-up by adding, “How can I get what you exude in how you dress, speak and present?” As you can imagine I was really flattered. But I was also touched by the fact that this highly placed executive was – like many women in the corporate world – still struggling with a nagging lack of personal and professional self confidence.
Her question made me immediately think of that restaurant scene in the movie “When Harry Met Sally” when another customer overhears Sally’s passionate moaning and sighing and tells the waitress “I’ll have what she’s having!”
But I know exactly where she was coming from and how she felt. Early in my career with Macy’s I was a total introvert who lacked self-esteem and had a conspicuous lack of executive presence. Fortunately I had some great mentors who believed in me and taught me how to think bigger and push onward even when I didn’t believe in myself.
Superiors told me that I needed to step it up and exude more confidence when corporate executives visited my store, when I called on elite clientele, and when I addressed the 500 associates who worked in my store. I also needed that power and strength when I walked into the HR office or C Suite to convince decision makers that I deserved a promotion.
The problem was that I had a self-sabotaging mindset that held me back – and with that kind of internalized negativity going one nobody could impart to me the confidence I lacked. Like so many others in the corporate arena I was my own worst enemy in terms of career advancement because I was blocking my own path to success as a self-styled confidence saboteur.
But the turning point came when I made up my mind to enhance my personal brand and professional presence. I decided to empower my image in an authentic way because I was determined to accomplish my dreams. I realized that building my confidence was a vital component of my own unique individual and spiritual growth as a person – both in terms of my career and my own private life away from the office.
As I began to experience personal growth, my visibility increased and many more opportunities began to come my way. The transformation didn’t happen overnight because it is a process, not an acute event. But when it did my career leapt forward. I exuded confidence. I felt comfortable and authentic in my personal brand, dress, and communication style. My career acceleration was tangible, and my newly found professional presence was natural, genuine, and sustainable.
So if you hear those little negative or overly timid voices inside your head, know that you must first adopt a positive mindset. Just like when learning to play tennis or golf, it takes practice to develop confidence and poise – but you can do it and I’m living proof of that. Once I figured it out it was like the “secret passageway” to career success and an extraordinary life.
Do you also struggle with confidence? I’d love for you to share your thoughts.
Do you want to use this blog article?
You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:
Sarah Hathorn is a professional image consultant, certified personal brand strategist, speaker, and author.
Her company, Illustra Image Consulting, works with high-achieving future leaders and large businesses by enhancing their corporate and personal brand image to take their businesses and careers to the next level.
Blog, Ezine & Website: www.illustraimageconsulting.com
Copyright © 2010, Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIP, CPBS
October 26, 2010
The Intimacy Store: Foundations for a Slimmer You
As a professional image consultant I always love to share recommends whenever I find a great resource. Although I have heard great reviews from other women who have purchased their foundations from the Intimacy Store, I had not had any personal experience until this month when I decided to schedule a “bra fit” appointment. I visited the store in Phipps Plaza to see how it might be different in terms of their selection and customer service from the department store bra fitting events.
Outlined below is my critique of the service and selection based on my own visit to the store and my years of experience working in the department store business when I was with Macy’s.
Appointment Scheduling
They have an online appointment system where you can select your day, time, and input your information for any day/time that is available. Okay, that was super easy!
Professional Greeting
I arrived at my scheduled time and filled out a brief card outlining my challenges and exactly what I wished to accomplish. My main challenge was that I wanted my clothes to fit even better and I was willing to experiment with different types of bras and pay a premium not to have to replace my wardrobe. The person I worked with in the fitting room was extremely professional and made me feel comfortable. (As you can imagine a bra fitting is a very intimate encounter so you want someone who really makes you feel at ease.) My bra fit specialist here in Atlanta was Sheena Xayaseng. Within the first few minutes she assured me that she could solve my problem quickly while saving me money in the long run.
Knowledge and Expertise
Unlike the bra fit specialists in department stores – who use measuring tapes to determine your bra size – Sheena used several bras as her tools to best determine my size. I’m the image consultant, but she is the expert when it comes to making your bust line tie in with your body proportions and overall shape. It was amazing how quickly she looked at me in my current bra and then presented me with two new bras that fit me perfectly! Usually when I go bra shopping I feel like I am in the fitting room for hours looking for the wonder bra that will do everything I want it to do, only to leave the store frustrated because I couldn’t find it. As I was trying on various styles Sheena explained to me that I was wearing the wrong size bra, and she also provided educational rationale to explain exactly how and why a bra should fit in the back, on the sides and in front.
Bra Construction and Price
Like everything in life you get what you pay for. The bras at Intimacy are not cheap. The average price point is around $80. But the construction of the bra is worth $80. They are like a beautiful, expensive suit that is made of fine fabric, has finishing on the seams and elegant details that allow it to drape over your silhouette. In fact the bras at Intimacy are made of more seams than I have ever seen before on a bra – and those allow allow the bra to provide you greater support than those without all the detailed construction.
My Problem Resolved
Wow! I couldn’t believe how comfortable I felt and how great I looked. It was like a magical transformation. When I tried on the various styles of bras and then tried on my clothing over them I was amazed. Although I had to invest in my high-quality foundations, it saved me from having to buy a whole new wardrobe due to a gaining a few extra pounds – and that saved me lots of time, trouble, and money.
Plus I felt wonderful just seeing myself in the mirror. Sheena also explained to me how to care and launder my bras to extend the life of my foundations. I was so happy with the excellent level of customer service and professional education that I walked out of the store with three new bras. They instantly made me feel and look more slender and shapely. Yes, I am a perfect example of someone paying a premium price for the services of a professional who can solve my dilemma. But paying for the best ultimately saved me time and money and I now I feel great. How do you put a price on that?
Five Star Customer Service
I give both the Intimacy Store and Sheena Xayaseng five star ratings for outstanding, exemplary customer service and insightful, helpful knowledge. As every great salesperson should do, Sheena quickly accessed my particular needs and was efficient and professional as she answered all my questions. I definitely recommend a visit to the Intimacy Store if you are looking to increase your bust line to better complement your body shape – or if you would like to decrease your bust line due to the fact that you have gained a few pounds and want to look thinner and find your waistline again.
If you have ever been to the Intimacy Store, I’d love for you to share your personal impressions of it here on this blog. As always, I welcome your feedback.
Contact Information in Atlanta:
Intimacy Store
Phipps Plaza
3500 Peachtree Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30326
Phone: 404-261-9333
The Bra Fit Stylist: Sheena Xayaseng
Do you want to use this blog article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it: Sarah Hathorn is a professional image consultant, certified personal brand strategist, speaker, and author. Her company, Illustra Image Consulting, works with high-achieving future leaders and large businesses by enhancing their corporate and personal brand image to take their businesses and careers to the next level. Blog, Ezine & Website: www.illustraimageconsulting.com Copyright © 2010, Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIP, CPBS
September 30, 2010
VIP Intensive Day
Does your personal presence command with leadership and charisma, or do you ever find yourself in a business situation where your confidence lags and you feel unsure of yourself because you are out of your comfort zone?
Are you hitting your benchmarks, realizing your goals, and enjoying greater career or business success? Or are those valuable promotions, ideal elite clients, and lucrative contracts still eluding you and keeping your lifelong dreams of increased income and personal fulfillment just beyond your grasp and out of reach?
I invite you to spend the entire day with me in Atlanta working with me one-on-one as I coach, consult and advise you on all facets of your Professional Presence ABC’s (Appearance, Behavior, and Communication).
We cover everything from effective power lunches and cross-cultural global business etiquette to non-verbal persuasion and verbal presentation skills for speeches, sales calls, team meetings, and media appearances.
September 29, 2010
September 21, 2010
Personal Branding Catering to Corporate Executives in 2010
If you happen to be a leader who works within a corporate structure, you also need to know how to successfully enhance the company’s brand values through your overall presence. As a top professional you are held to a higher standard and expected to look, speak and act in a manner that always conveys a positive image of the firm. Your total image and brand package needs to resonate with the organizations mission statement, the firm’s values, and the unique value offering that you want to represent to your clients. You and everyone on your team is an ambassador for the firm, and each of you convey silent but potent messages about the organization that delivers an impact through every interaction you have, both inside and outside of the company.
Not only you, as the top leader and executive head, but also everyone else on your entire team is part of the best marketing tool you have at your disposal when it comes to communicating external clients about your corporate brand. As the old saying goes, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get when you’ve always gotten.” But do something truly innovative by leveraging the power of personal branding and you can make a remarkable strategic change and thrive despite the doom and gloom of the current economy.
This is an excerpt from my FREE special report entitled, 5 Secret Strategies To Empower Your Professional Presence. If you are a top leader or high achiever working in a corporate environment download your FREE 30-page copy to learn more secrets to a strong leadership presence to take your vision to a reality!
Click here to get your free copy
I’d also love to hear your perspective about the excerpt I’ve shared with you today! Please feel free to submit a blog post.
Do you want to use this blog article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it: Sarah Hathorn is a professional image consultant, certified personal brand strategist, speaker, and author. Her
company, Illustra Image Consulting, works with high-achieving future
leaders and large businesses by enhancing their corporate and personal
brand image to take their businesses and careers to the next level. Blog, Ezine & Website: www.illustraimageconsulting.com Copyright © 2010, Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIP, CPBS
August 30, 2010
Leaders: Discover the “You-Incorporated” Brand
“What makes you unique makes you successful.”
(William Arruda – Reach Branding Guru)
Every leader today needs to discover and get to know their personal brand, even if they work in a corporate environment. That’s because your personal brand or “You-Inc.” is your personified business reputation. You had it prior to taking your job in corporate. You enhanced it while in corporate. Now you want to strengthen it so you can take it with you if you ever leave your current position for something more lucrative and exciting. Sure, whatever company you work for will want you to be a reflection of their brand – and by all means we work to incorporate that important element into your executive presence. But you also have your own valuable brand – and if it is strong it will actually add credibility to the overall corporate brand!
I love to work with my clients to explore their personal brand potential. It’s fun to see the many facets of their personalities and to hear the delight in their voices when they read something amazing that someone wrote about them in a testimonial or in the media. But many people say they work or specialize in personal branding despite the fact that they don’t really have any legitimate personal branding certifications. Unfortunately there are many self-anointed personal branding specialists out there advertising their services – and the trend is growing as more people find themselves out of work and trying to reinvent themselves in a down economy by launching a consulting business on the Internet.
But the brands they create are generic and one-dimensional and don’t distinguish their clients from the herd or prepare them for the limelight or for real executive leadership challenges.
That’s one reason why I incorporate the 360° Reach Branding Assessment Tool into my executive presence and personal branding consultations. This is a great tool to help leaders identify their strengths, talents, attributes, gifts, passion, vision, and mission in life. What can be a more valuable discovery than to uncover and identify the unique contributions that you have to offer to the world?
Here are a few of the ways I work with my top platinum clients to leverage their personal brands for more career success:
- Delve into the 360° Reach Branding Assessment Tool to help discover your brand reputation in the marketplace.
- Draw up a marketing plan to ensure that your online virtual presence communicates your brand.
- Design an authentic personal image package that silently communicates your core messages to build instant rapport.
- Develop greater visibility and confidence within important business settings, when talking to the media, or on radio and TV.
- Display a unique charisma to bring you greater success.
- Discover secret tools that will transform you from invisible to influential.
Branding today isn’t just the latest buzzword – it’s a critical tool and strategy that every leader and high achiever must invest in to ensure their career success. Don’t wait until after the economy has turned around to discover your personal brand. By then those who have already been using theirs to market themselves and leverage their opportunities will already be in the positions you were hoping to land.
Do you want to use this blog article?
You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:
Sarah Hathorn is a professional image consultant, certified personal brand strategist, speaker, and author.
Her company, Illustra Image Consulting, works with high-achieving future leaders and large businesses by enhancing their corporate and personal brand image to take their businesses and careers to the next level.
Blog, Ezine & Website: www.illustraimageconsulting.com
Copyright © 2010, Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIP, CPBS
August 17, 2010
Kick Your Khakis Up a Notch
Many of my corporate clients allow khakis on casual Fridays, and in some ultra-casual firms like those in the IT industry they allow them every day of the week. Most people think of khakis as one step up from denim, and they do occupy a fashion no man’s land somewhere between jeans and dress pants. They fill a great role in the dress code for certain kinds of business workplaces, for weekend wear, or when dressing for a casual retreat. As we begin to transition our wardrobes for fall, khakis are a great way to easily pull together a classically stylish yet comfortably casual autumn look. But the trick is to wear them in a way that keeps you looking modern and innovative – not just two degrees away from jeans.
Here are a few ways to polish up your look with khakis so you don’t look like the carpool mom who simply threw them on with a casual T-shirt for the sake of convenience. In business, your khakis need to say that although your industry may be a bit on the casual side your own personal way of dressing is immaculate and modern – just like your individual business ideas!
1) Shop for Modern Cuts: If you own khakis that are several years old it’s time for a change. Today retailers are making new cuts for khakis, especially for women. Look for the trouser style from Banana Republic, the slim-cut style from Talbots, or the tuxedo style – which is an updated version of the old chino pant from the Gap. All of these are work-appropriate or weekend-sassy styles. If you are wearing khakis for work, wear a long pant that conveys professionalism – unless your dress code specifically calls for Capris.TIPS FOR MEN: Try on new styles of flat-front, wrinkle-resistant, and slightly pleated to find which one best suits your particular body type.
2) Pair for Flair: If you love wearing khakis, try to pair them with some stylish tops and you’ll be looking sassy in no time at all. For these upcoming transitional days of autumn you might want to wear them with a dressy knit blouse layered with a great fall cardigan. A colored trench-coat style or a safari modern jacket with khakis can also give you a more approachable style, versus the conventional buttoned-up and suited look. TIPS FOR MEN: For fall you can always wear khakis with a quality sport shirt or even layer with a V-neck sweater in an autumn color like olive green for added credibility.
3) Coordinating Shoes: The great thing that distinguishes khakis is that the fabric and cut is more casual, so you want to mirror that same look in your shoe selection. For work or weekend wear, opt for a wonderful wedge in tones of brown or metallic. Today there are also many fun flats in colorful prints, patents, and textures, and those can likewise help add some style to your outfit. But take my advice: always double check your corporate dress code to make sure you wear a proper shoe style! TIPS FOR MEN: When you dare to wear khakis, leave the formal dress shoes in the closet and slip into a new modern driving moccasin that looks dressy-casual and complements your look.
4) Your Clothing Work Horse: Khakis are a real wardrobe work horse. Even if you work in a conservative firm they can help you look polished on days when you are cleaning out the office or while at an off-site retreat. So be sure to have a few pairs in stylish cuts and different weights to get you through in a pinch all year-round. TIPS FOR MEN: You probably wear khakis more often than your female colleagues do because they are your go-to casual pants. But be cautious not to buy those old 100% cotton khakis that wrinkle easily. Otherwise by 1:00 PM it will appear that you slept through the lunch hour in your car!
5) Today’s New Neutrals for Wardrobe Versatility: Along with all the new modern cuts, trims, and styles we are also seeing many vendors offering different tones of color in the khaki pant. Look for more modern tones like camel (fall’s new trend color), stone, putty, tan, and olive. TIPS FOR MEN: Okay guys, you can have some fashion flair too! Look for tones that look good on you, but especially shop for more modern colors so you don’t look like you pulled your pants off the hanger in your father’s closet.
This fall, as the weather begins to change, I hope you will take an inventory of the khakis in your closet and see if you need to add some new modern cuts and colors to your professional or personal wardrobe. Then when you wear khakis for business casual you’ll be wearing them with unique style and power!
Do you want to use this blog article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it: Sarah Hathorn is a professional image consultant, certified personal brand strategist, speaker, and author. Her company, Illustra Image Consulting, works with high-achieving future leaders and large businesses by enhancing their corporate and personal brand image to take their businesses and careers to the next level. Blog, Ezine & Website: www.illustraimageconsulting.com Copyright © 2010, Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIP, CPBS
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