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Welcome to another episode
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of the Style
and Strategy podcast.
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So today, I'm spending
a little bit of time
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talking about style, right?
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And ideal topic of comfort
versus confidence
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in your style.
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There appears to be
a little bit of,
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I guess, mix up around
the fact believing that
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And you can't have comfort
and confidence
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if you're in kind
of leggings and a T
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So today's episode,
we're going to have
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a little bit of a chat
of trying to nail
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that art of the smart casual
look at work.
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But firstly, let me ask you,
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when you look in the mirror,
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does your outfit
actually excite you
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or does it just feel like
the same old, same old?
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You know what
I'm talking about.
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So today
I want to flip the script,
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on a common belief
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that many of us hold in that
comfort in our clothes
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is actually the key
to confidence.
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So it's not the whole story.
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So let's dive into it.
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So, if I start
with a really,
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common scenario
that I hear a lot, right?
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So you're potentially
at work feeling
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comfortable in your smart,
casual clothes.
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They are practical.
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They fit really well.
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and you're
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getting through your day
without a real hitch.
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But here's the thing.
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Comfort doesn't
always equate to confidence.
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So in fact,
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sometimes it can have
the opposite type of effect.
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The belief
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is that
if you're comfortable,
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therefore, you automatically
feel confident.
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it's kind of like
baking a cake
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where the cake just won't
rise.
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And similarly, if comfort is
your only focus,
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you might find
that your stall feels flat,
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leaving
you kind of uninspired.
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So let's do a bit
of reality check shake out.
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So comfort in your stall
is absolutely important,
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but it shouldn't be
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the only ingredient
in your stall recipe.
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and why I say that is
because if you solely rely
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on that comfort factor,
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that's when you can really
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find yourself
maybe turning into
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a little bit
of a stall. Right?
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So you may have experienced
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at some point in time
reaching
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for that same comfortable
piece, right?
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Maybe it became
a stall uniform with you,
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which has its positives,
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but then also can make
you feel like,
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you're starting to blend
into the background.
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And sometimes that's where
the problem actually lies.
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Well, being comfortable
in your outfit
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enables
you to feel really secure.
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it can also trap you
in a cycle that really dulls
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your excitement
and creativity.
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So let's face it.
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Dressing should be more
than just about comfort.
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It's really
about expressing who you are
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and where you're headed.
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If you dress in a way that
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really reflects
your evolving personal
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brand, that's when you start
to feel that spark again.
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So how do you start
to break out of this
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trap, right,
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try to get that balance
between comfort and style?
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I know I've had many,
listeners
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go, please tell me it's
possible though.
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Can I please be able to be
comfortable and have style?
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And the answer is 100% yes.
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and it's not the Holy Grail,
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which is going to be
really impossible to get to.
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So I want you to take away
these four key tips.
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What what really makes
you smile?
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So think about that image of
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when you stand
in front of the mirror.
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Think about those pieces
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that you know
really bring you joy.
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And maybe it's a bold color
that you've been hesitant
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to wear because you
thinking, oh, I'm not sure.
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Maybe it's, an accessory and
bold necklace or something
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that's maybe gathering dust.
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Have a think about
what's actually holding
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you back from incorporating
those into your outfit.
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Is it merely a perception
of what others may think?
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Is it
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that you just think
that I may not
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be able to pull that off?
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And if it's about not
being able to pull that off,
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I want you to start with
really small steps, right.
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And get your confidence.
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I've got a client
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that I've been working with
for a number of years,
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and the outfits
that we put her in today
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are much more bold than they
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were when we first started,
because we have to work
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along that journey
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to get you to the point
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where you start
to really feel comfy
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and comfortable
in the style, to be able
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to take some of those
more bold choices.
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Number two is
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how can you reflect your
really evolving self, right.
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Because never stay stagnant.
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So your personal brand
is not a static thing.
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it's something that
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you will be revisiting time
and time again,
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because you, an individual,
are taking in
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lots of things
around the world
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and, you know,
you're absorbing things
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resonate today that maybe
they didn't resonate before.
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So why should your wardrobe
be any different?
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So I want you to think about
how can you,
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think about your style in
a way where you can evolve
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and reflect where you are
now in your life and career,
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both, you know, personally
and professionally,
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and then, really,
what do you want
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your clothes
to say about you?
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And then number three
is really important around
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where are you going and
where do you want you to be?
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What do you aspiring to.
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Because your wardrobe
should absolutely support
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your goals.
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Now that could be
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both from a professional
and a personal perspective.
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But let's say you're aiming
for that promotion.
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Does your style really align
with that leadership
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position that you're looking
for or aspiring to? Or
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maybe you're transitioning
to a new phase of life?
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Does your wardrobe
really reflect that change?
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And the person you are
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and the person
you want to become?
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And then number four
is really around.
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Think about all of this
in context of consideration.
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Right.
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So it's not just about
ditching comfort.
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Instead it's
about integrating pieces
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that really resonate
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with your current identity
and aspiration.
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Maybe it's
that mixing in that color
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that will lift your spirits
today.
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Maybe it's a cut,
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in a particular style of
garment that makes you feel
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more strong, more powerful.
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Or maybe it's that
little touch of an accessory
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that is uniquely
representing who you are.
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Might be
any of these things.
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So comfort really
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is a foundational element
of style,
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but it shouldn't
be the only one.
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So I really want you
to think about expanding
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your focus beyond that.
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And, you know, really start
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to include pieces that
excite you, inspire you.
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And then what you'll end up
finding is you'll start
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to feel more confident
and connected to the pieces
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that you purchase and wear
and by extension,
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your brand will really start
to evolve.
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Remember
that style is actually
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a reflection of your journey
and where you're at, so
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give it a chance
to really evolve with you.
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So I hope that some of these
tips today have inspired
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you a little bit,
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maybe made you think
a little bit differently
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about how you're perceiving
your brand and your style,
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and really start to think
about where you're headed
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in that direction.
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So if you need a little bit
of help along that journey,
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feel free to book
in one of my 30 minute brand
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and style activation calls.
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during these activation
calls,
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we're going to do a bit
of a branded style audit.
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And so that way
you can come out of it
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feeling really clear.
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You've got a bit more
direction going forward.
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I'd love to connect
with you.
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And, let me know what
you think of these tips.
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have a great day.
