Guess what that outfit says about you...

 Business. Branding. Building. Oh my. 

Anyone else get sliiightly overwhelmed with the thought of branding yourself, let alone seeing yourself as a business? I believe there are levels to these B words, and even when you reach a next level, like your favorite Super Mario game, it can easily feel like you are starting all over again. 

However, with the New Year energy still in the air, I think this is the perfect time to begin the foundational process of seeing yourself as a brand/business. Which is simply understanding who you are and what makes you magical. 

So why do I call you a brand & business in the first place? Well, a personal brand can be defined as the unique combination of skills, experiences, qualities, and characteristics that defines and distinguishes you from others. In a nutshell, It’s how we present ourselves to the world, both personally and professionally. And whether we are intentional about it or not, you are already presenting your personal brand every time we walk out of the door or hop on a zoom - so why not show up and show out! Lastly, we run life like McDonald’s runs business - following standard operating procedures, creating organized and strategic plans, and my favorite - making moneeeey.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, I want to share with you three ways that you can start working on your personal  brand and business now. These are things I started to work on without being a branding strategist or before even owning a business. 

Today well cover my favorite strategy: WARDROBE DESIGNING

“Aurelia, what? You talked about all this deep branding and business lingo, and then you start with clothing?!” Were you thinking that? If so, I Do Not Blame You. This can seem superficial or rudimentary, but I’d rather start with something fun like my closet before deep childhood experience journaling (just me?).  

Fun fact: I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology for Image Consulting. I originally went for styling, but when my teacher said “stylist care about the shoe and image consultants care about the foot” I knew exactly which direction I was heading in. Two things I learned from that experience is that (1) your wardrobe speaks from across the room before you even get to introduce yourself and (2) it is the perfect way to reflect how you feel on the inside with what people see on the outside.

Need a quick break and some fashion inspo, check out my 2023 recap wardrobe video 

Here is a cliff-notes version of 

my 7 Step Inventory Check for my former clients:

1. Pull out all of your clothes, shoes, bags, and accessories

2. Organize them into 3 piles Absolutely Love, On The Fence, Gotta Go

3. Grab trash bags, drop your Gotta Goes in there immediately, and within the week drop them off at a local Goodwill or shelter. It’s so much easier to remove things when you know they are going to be put to great use. 

4. Put your Absolutely Loves on hangers and back in the closet to look at later

5. Take your On The Fence and ask these 3 questions:

6. How many outfits that I love can this piece go with? (At least 2-3)

7. Does it still fit me as I desire and is the quality still quality’ing? (Be honest)

8. Will it represent the me that I want to show today and beyond (Not 2010)

9. If they pass the test of all 3, pop them on a hanger and put them next to your Loves

10. Take 1 hour a week mixing and matching your clothing, taking photos, and creating a lookbook in your phone to use for all future events 

I chose this one first because I think it is the lightest and brightest way to get started. Plan to test them out? Email me in two weeks to hello@ourvoiceondemand.com and let me know how it’s going along with 3 pics of your favorite looks - grab that natural light selfie!

Til next time 

- Aurelia 

Your Voiceover Lifecoach