During a call this week with some colleagues, we were discussing updates and changes to their websites. They wanted feedback on how they looked visually and what the impact of that was. Knowing these women both personally and professionally, I felt strongly that a few of them had not allowed their essence or their personality to shine through. When someone comes to your website they are there to find out more about you and the work you do. Are YOU showing up? Besides being visually appealing, you need to allow your personality to show — let potential clients get a sense of who you are, how you do what you do, who your ideal client is, what you’re passionate about. Get the idea? It is their first impression of you, so you need to make a good one if you want them to stay long enough to learn more about you. If they feel an authentic connection to you they will want to learn more, sign up for your ezine or attend an upcoming event.

And speaking of events, we’re coming into the peak season for live events, so be conscious when you’re dressing to speak or to attend a live event. When people have the opportunity to meet you in person, are they meeting the person they have been seeing in your headshot and on social media? Or will they be meeting someone 10 years older or 10 pounds heavier? Keep your photos updated! Headshots should be done professionally every 2-5 years. We all age and gain weight — it’s part of life. I am not suggesting that every time you change your hairstyle or hair color you need a new headshot (some of us would be changing it weekly!). I am saying that it’s important to portray yourself authentically — the person you are today. Allow your essence — that inner beauty — and your personality to shine through. Your ideal client will be drawn to that woman, the one who is confident enough to show up as herself. She is the real deal, confident, fabulous and in control of her destiny!

Here are a few tips to help you show up authentically in all areas of your life:

• Use a current professional headshot that really reflects your personality (that does not mean a black suit!).
• Wear colors that bring energy and your intention to the forefront.
• Write marketing and web copy that reflects who you are, what you do and lets your personality shine.
• Stand out in a crowd by selecting garments that suggest confidence, clean lines, your best colors and accessories that convey success.
• Stand tall in who you are and claim your success!
• Allow your essence to SHINE — bring it to everything you do in your life and business.

1. an elegant, fashionable, or luxurious mode of living: to live in style.
2. a mode of fashion, as in dress, especially good or approved fashion; elegance; smartness.

(www.dictionary.com)

When I meet with clients or potential clients for the first time, one of the things they often tell me is that they don’t feel like they have a personal style. Which really isn’t true, because everyone and everything has a style. They just haven’t discovered it yet! I bet you know all the things you don’t like to wear and could make a long list right now if I asked you to. So now you just need to pay attention to the things that you do like and make you feel like a million dollars. Everything has style — lifestyle, personal style, home style, etc. We all have ways of doing things that make us comfortable. If I were to ask five women to wear the exact same piece of clothing or accessory, and I took a photograph of each of them, I guarantee each one would look completely different. That’s because we are all unique individuals and have our own Unique Presence™relating to our personalities.

What’s your Style story? We all make up stories about ourselves from messages we received growing up, as well as the ones we create in our heads. What have you created that is keeping you from being the best version of yourself? Are you sabotaging your own success with these stories? It’s time to let go of your past and step into the woman you are today — a brilliant, confident, sexy, savvy business woman, author, speaker, mother. Stop letting the little voice in your head get the better of you. Allow yourself to step into that bigger vision of yourself.

Fashion and style don’t have to be a challenge or big mystery that some women get and others don’t; you just need to do some detective work to figure out what feels right for you. It should be fun and another way of expressing yourself. Style is a reflection of what’s going on internally and expressed externally. It’s much more than looking beautiful — it’s about the inner confidence and self esteem that come with being the best version of yourself! Your personal style is speaking for you before you have the opportunity to say a word. It is your first visual impression that you make when interacting with a potential client, audience or management team. Whether it is your headshot on your website, your website itself or you in front of an audience — your visual appearance makes a big impact. It’s what attracts people to you; it makes them decide if they want to take the time to get to know more (which leads to liking and trusting you) or if they will move on to the next person.

Are you still struggling to find your personal style? Do you look in your closet each morning wondering what you will put on to feel the least uncomfortable? Wouldn’t you like to greet each day with confidence and grace? If you answered YES to any of those questions I would love to take you through my five-part S.T.Y.L.E. system to help you discover your authentic personal style. The transformation really happens once you start to believe you are the person you see staring back at you from the mirror. It’s the inner confidence that has you standing taller, feeling ready to be seen, stepping into the spotlight and allowing yourself to stand out and shine!

Contact me today to schedule your Spotlight on Style Strategy Session so we can see if you’re ready for your personal transformation!

Five Fall Colors to Spice Up Your Look

By Ali Brown

As the temperature drops and leaves change colors, it’s time to change your look as well. What better way to update your closet and turn over a new leaf (figuratively, of course) than by mixing in some of the season’s most stylish and on-trend colors?

Twice a year the Pantone Color Institute releases a color report setting the tone for home and fashion on the runways and in real life. This fall, they predict a mix of earthy and eye-catching hues that flatter on their own or inspire unexpectedly elegant combinations.

Here are five of fall’s most winning and wearable colors with tips on how to incorporate them into your closet.

1. Purple Orchid

Whether in a cashmere sweater or a chic cocktail dress, purple orchid makes a bold, beautiful look for fall, creating a regal, even mystical quality. Pair it with chocolate truffle for a luxurious evening look or with cream to create a more understated outfit for daytime.

2. Chocolate Truffle

The richness of this hue evokes indulgences from a fabulous Parisian bakery. How could you resist those juicy, plum-tinged undertones and that deliciously decadent finish? Wear Chocolate Truffle as an on-trend alternative to the Little Black Dress. Or invest in a pair of suede boots in this sumptuous shade.

3. Rose Dust

Romance is in the air as this alluring color casts its spell. Rose dust makes a flattering neutral for most people, whether in a pencil skirt, a fitted jacket, or a beaded bag. It’s also versatile enough to wear year round, so it’s worth investing if you find an accessory you love in this shade.

4. Lagoon

This dreamy turquoise is Pantone’s color of the year: the perfect hue for poolside adventures and tropical getaways. Whether you’re sporting a sarong in St. Lucia or a maxi dress in Mexico, Lagoon feels relaxed, yet refined. Don’t have any exotic escapes on the calendar for this year? Choose a pendant necklace or a cuff bracelet with a few stones in this shade to instantly evoke that breezy vacation vibe. No passport necessary.

5. Woodbine

This lush shade of green works on its own or with patterns. Want to shake things up style-wise? Mix Woodbine with Purple Orchid. Consider a fitted wool coat in this color or a jersey wrap dress (solid or print). You can guess what color the other women will be when they spot you in this daringly distinctive shade.

Whether you play it safe with a classic like Chocolate Truffle or pick a more shocking shade like Purple Orchid or Woodbine, these colors are sure make to a memorable style statement this fall.

© 2010 Ali International, LLC

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: “Self-made millionaire entrepreneur and Inc. 500-ranked CEO Ali Brown teaches women around the world how to start and grow profitable businesses that make a positive impact. Get her FREE weekly articles and advice at www.AliBrown.com

Here is a quotation from Lisa Earle McLeod’s column that she wrote recently titled Can Cool Clothes Make You Successful? “As a professional speaker, I know that first impressions are important, so I’ve always paid some level of attention to my wardrobe. However, as my life got busier (and my body got lumpier), looking decent had become yet another item on my seemingly endless to-do list. Good suit, check; brush teeth, check; back-up batteries, check.

I had forgotten that one of the people I was making an impression on was me.”

I am certain that she is not the only woman who feels this way. It’s true that when you put on a stylish suit or dress that fits beautifully, and coordinate just the right shoes and jewelry, you walk a bit taller and you FEEL an unshakeable confidence! There is a difference in how you present yourself when you’re coming from that place of confidence. I have watched this transformation many times — women staring at themselves in the mirror and wondering who that confident, professional woman is staring back at them!

Looking great and feeling that confidence is key to your success. It does not replace the need for education and work ethic, but let’s face it, people are visual by nature and your appearance is a form of communication. It speaks for you before you have the opportunity to say a word. As Ms. McLeod said, one of the people you’re making that impression on is yourself. When you create your wardrobe for success you are telling yourself that you’re worth it and that you matter. It’s an investment in your success and your self worth.