Building Biz Confidence with Your Personal Brand Style

One of the first decisions you make in the day is, what am I gonna wear? You can use that as a stop gap to be like, Huh, why am I choosing this? Maybe I'm super happy, right? Like, maybe I'm wearing these boots because I'm just having such a good part of my life. And you can kind of always use that to, like, check back in yourself. Everything's connected. All of this.

This is the Entrepreneur School podcast where we believe you can run a thriving business and still make your family a priority. This show is all about supporting you the emerging or early stage Entrepreneur on your journey from solopreneur to CEO while wearing all of the other hats in your life. My name is Kelly Sinclair, and I'm a brand and marketing strategist who started a business with two kids under three. I'm a corporate PR girl turned entrepreneur after I learned the hard way that life is too short to waste doing things that burn you out. On this show, you'll hear inspiring stories from other business owners on their journey, and learn strategies to help you grow a profitable business while making it all fit into the life that you want. Welcome to entrepreneur school.

I can't wait for you to listen in on this conversation that I just had with my friend Katie Allen. She is a brand style strategist with a passion for 90s hip hop and lipstick, and I absolutely connected with her after we spoke together on an event earlier in the year. And this conversation is super fun, because it's about fashion, and you know how to make decisions about what to wear and all of that, but truly, like at the end of the day, it's about empowering you to feel good in your own skin and to use clothing as a way of expressing that. And I think that sometimes we just don't think about that. Or we also had a conversation as part of this episode where we talked about how we think that it's frivolous for some reason to care about what we look like, or to care about what we wear or to even like, have a conversation about fashion, seriously. And so if that's you, and if you're skeptical, then you definitely need to listen to this episode. It's so, so so good. And I just want to say one more thing about Katie. She is the founder of the style squad, which is a community for creative female founders who are dedicated to using their style to amplify their brand and bust through their limiting beliefs. And I have been a guest speaker inside of Katie's community, and it's amazing. So want to make sure that you check her out and connect with her as well. After this episode, enjoy!

Katie Allen, style aficionado like coming to us literally from her amazingly beautiful closet right now. Welcome to Entrepreneur School.

Thank you, Kelly. I'm super excited to be here with you.

We connected, like, both were speaking on an event sometime earlier this year, and then we connected, and we're like, oh, this is a good match. We need to keep having conversations. And I'm excited to have you come in and share about, like, what you do, and particularly like, not just about style and fashion, which is always cool and fun, and we could talk about it for hours, but really how that is infusing you as a brand, as a business owner, from like, a confidence place, all of that. So tell us all what you are all about. Please.

Yes. First of all, I start I just have to say shout out to Kelly's nails, because they're bringing me so much joy for this podcast. And that's essentially what I'm all about. What, especially when it comes to helping female entrepreneurs dial into who they are and what they are, is like, what are you wearing? What are you adorning your body with that makes you feel amazing? Like, how are you getting those little hits, those little dopamine hits all throughout the day by, like, using our bodies. I think it's icy. Style is self care, self love, whatever word you want to put in there. And it's really important. So back that up. How did this all start? Well, I was little. I just never really knew what I wanted to be. And everyone, like, growing up in the 80s, like, well, let's be honest, like the internet wasn't they may have been working on it in the background. I was not having the same but and it was all around like, what do you want to be when you grow up? It was like, we still did this to our kids today, but I do feel like the jobs have changed, right? Because, like, when we were kids, it can be like, I want to be a YouTuber or a podcaster. Those didn't exist, but MTV did. And I just always remember how much I loved music videos and loved watching just the outfits and the outfit changes, and like how every cutscene went to a different outfit, and they really. Those cutscenes to tell a story through the way they would change people's hair, makeup and clothes. And I just remember, like, locking into that and having that feeling it was just like, How does someone turn something like that into a job? Like, I just remember not having the language for it. And then when I went to college, undecided, of course, I was like, well, just go to college and I'll figure it out from there. Like, do I have to have a major. So like, for me and my friends, it was like, either we were undecided or we were, like, psychology, it was just kind of a thing, yeah. And then I remember, like they were like, you can get a job, or, like, you can have fashion design or fashion merchandising. And I was like, what you can major in fashion. And that was just like, when my whole world exploded. And then I'll just cut through the, like 25 year detour of my, you know, corporate professional life, which always was, like sidelining style, like, it's funny, I tell the story a lot, but like in 2020 when I transitioned out of my corporate job, I actually got fired over zoom in my closet. That's a podcast for another day. My title at the time was director of style and trends, but it was for home products. And I just couldn't I it never even clicked in my mind, and I never even saw what I was doing. And then, like, a couple months of me, just like figuring it out, I came back to the style journey, and that's when I realized, I was like, oh my god, it's always been about style. It's always been about clothes, but not in the way that people always think it is. Like, when I tell people all the time, like, I'm a stylist, they always do though, like, Oh, I'm not really into fashion, and I don't really care what's trending. And I'm like, good, you shouldn't, because what you should care about, like is how do you feel? And if you happen to like something that's trending, that's great, and you can wear it. The only reason we need to pay attention to what's trending is it's going to make shopping a little bit easier for you. But outside of that easier meaning, like you know what to expect, and humans love to know what to expect. But outside of that, it this is about self expression at its highest, highest point. It's like art form, like on your body. So that's a little bit about me. Kelly, I mean, I could keep going, so I'm gonna pause.

Yeah, okay, I want to dive into one of those things just quickly, because the whole like, let me just go, I don't care about fashion. I don't we know. Like, why do we why do we do that? Why do we think that? Like, tell me.

We don't value it as a society. And we think that if we care about how we look, it's superficial, it's not deep. And I think, like for women especially, we've been villainized, either into believing that we have to be smart or we have to be pretty, and that if we're pretty, we can't really get a job and we can't be smart and like, we have to pick and something I hear all the time. It's like, well, my sister is a stylish one, my sister is the pretty one, or my sister is the smart one, and I'm the stylish one. Like, whatever that story is that we tell ourselves is like we have to define ourselves and put ourselves into this bucket, and it's like, we can't be both. And I'm like, That's so much bullshit. And am I allowed to cut in your podcast?

They just did, yeah, I just put a litle E. It's fine.

On this one episode. Um, it's so much like it's just a story that we tell ourselves. And I think that fashion really is just a story in and of itself, because it is history, and that's what I love about fashion. And when, even when I went to fashion school, it's funny, you said that because you went on to fashion school, we always got to these, like, divided conversations, because I did have a fashion merchandising degree, so basically, half marketing, half fashion, and what you're doing in fashion. Because we weren't doing designs in fashion, we were learning, like, retail math and different things like that. But we were learning about fashion history and like the trends and how they come in and out, and how they get designed, and like all these different things, like the consumer psychology behind other things, and that is just really so fascinating, and it's super powerful, and that's the part that I really, really want to help women understand. Like, this is going to date me. So now I've cost and I'm really going to date myself on your podcast. When I was in fashion school, 911 had happened, and I remember, which is kind of funny at the time now, because one of my teachers in New York, she zoomed in, which is, like the 2001 so, like, this was a big deal, so she zoomed in. And I just would never forget. I mean, obviously I remember a lot of things about 911 happening, but I'll never forget that day she said to us as our fashion history class, and she said, Watch how this changes the way we dress as Americans. And she was like, the explosion of denim is going to be the number one thing. Because in America, denim was like, that was it, right? It was like, the place of when you come to for dreams, and it, you know, everyone can start fresh. And like, denim was a new fabric, and it was very casual. And America as a country has become really casual, and she's like, watch it explode. And then now, when you think back to that, we've been through every iterative. Of that. But when you think back to that, like, casual Fridays, that was when we got to start wearing jeans, right? That's all of that stuff kind of started in that era, like, but pre that, there wasn't a lot of like, you could never wear jeans to work. There was no Casual Fridays, or it meant you wore a polo shirt and not a full suit and tie. And then that has completely evolved into us wearing our pajamas and working over the internet, yeah, and that is directly tied to fashion and history. So like, when we say we don't care, that's like, you can't not care because you are fashion again.

And also, it's almost like we're saying we don't care, so that we are perceived to not care, which means that we do care. So just instead, and like, it's not frivolous to call your girlfriend and ask what you're wearing when you're going to, like, a business event together, or whatever, like, it's just how do you want to present yourself? And man, and I know that I feel totally different on the day, like today, I was recording podcasts, so I put on a nice dress, I put on, like, lipstick, I did my hair, I curled my hair like yesterday. I think I was wearing a Mickey Mouse t shirt, you know, and a sports bra. And that's like a totally different feeling, and it contributes directly to my energy, right? And so I love that you're making this connection really known as part of, like, helping people step into their own personal style.

Yes. And what another thing, like, we're like, myth busting here. I love that you said that, because that's what I hear all the time. People say, well, like, no one's gonna see me. I'm like, but you see you see you. You get to benefit from that, and then anyone else you come in contact with the day gets to benefit from that. And chances are the most important people to you when we say, well, no one's gonna see me, the most important people in your life probably are seeing you, your spouse, your partner, your kids, your friends, whoever those people are to you that you do see behind the screen. And those people are interacting with you on a daily basis. And the confidence, like you're saying, like going to those business events and things like that, confidence, in my opinion, is really the things that we do in those micro moments. It is like whatever it is, and it could even be wearing that shirt, yes, like wearing the Mickey Mouse shirt and the sports bra is one feeling, and then dressing a certain way is a separate feeling. But even if you are going to do that, I tell people all the time, like, even when you have those casual days, make them mean something too, which I'm sure you were doing, something super productive behind the scenes, or something like that. There's also other ways to adorn yourself to continue to build that confidence, so that it's not a habit that we get stuck in of, Oh, I'm just gonna wear this. I'm just gonna do this. Because, you know how quick that turns into, then not caring and then diminishing every piece of our life, right? Or only saving our clothes for dressing up for those really big things. Like, that's another thing that I hear all the time, is like, like, I gotta save this super cute, like you and I totally bonded over, like, a really cute pink jumpsuit. And it's like, saving that for a special event. Yeah, wear that to this special event. And then after it's had that like moment at the special event, I want you to wear it to the grocery store. I want you to wear it just because I want you to wear it on the day is cloudy because you need a boost of energy.

Yes, I love that. Okay, let's go into a little bit of like, how tos and tips and pro tips and how to pick things out of your closet, shop your closet, or go shopping. Like, where do you wherever you want to start on that. And then we can probably case study me, because you're rarely dialed in. No, but I don't feel like that at all. I'm like, Okay, I think I understand the concept of layers. Now, that's,

I was gonna say. That's the thing is, a lot of people think that they don't have it dialed in, and I think they do. And so since one of my favorite things I say all the time is I know the rules, break the rules when we know those, like fashion rules, that if we want to break them, it's so much more fun, just like any role, right? So I think there is this elusive like, I always joke around, like the fashion Illuminati, because everyone's like, well, I don't know the rules or the tips. What are the things this is doing? And of course, there's things that we can do all the time that really frame up our bodies and things like that. But I think especially in this day and age, that really is the only style role, like all the old things, like around colors of like, can't wear white after Labor Day, and blue and black don't go together, and blue and brown don't go together. I think all of that's done like we're I don't think I know all that stuff's done. And the other thing I've noticed, and I remember you and I having this conversation. I think it was after you came into style squad. Most of us innately know what colors look good on us, like I see this time, time again. I was actually just talking to my VA that helps me do stuff in the business. And she was like, when you look at someone's closet and the clothes that you have and the colors that you have, chances are. Or those are the colors that actually look good on you. Now, sometimes that's not always true, because, like, black is always that one that no matter what, everyone's going to choose black. But this is where, like, I think color stuff gets tricky, because I'm a huge proponent going back to like, another rules. Break the rules is, like, there are certain colors that are absolutely going to look good on you. Trust your instincts. You know what they are, you do? You know what they are. But there's also colors that you just love, that just make you happy. And, like, doesn't it matter if it's your color? Yeah? Like, I tell people, I'm like, okay, so you love like, just make it up. Like, yellow is a big color, right? So that people love or hate, and they're like, I just love it, but it looks terrible on my skin tone. I'm like, You're so loud to wear it. So if that case, like you want to get into some nitty gritty tips, like, if that's the case, if there's a color out there that you just know kind of washes you out, but you just love it. You're obsessed with it. The further you get away from your face, the less it matters, because our face is where a lot of those colors come in. Because when you're thinking about color analysis and you're doing style stuff, it's your hair, your skin, your lips and your eyes, so and all of that's, you know, shoulder up. Now in the zoom, you know, in digital age, most that's most of what we're presenting, most of the time is shoulders and up. But in real life, we like to IL It doesn't matter as much. And then you just, the further away you get from your face, the less it matters. And or, if you are a fan of a certain color, and you came to me and you're like, Katie, I just love right, like, which I know Brown's probably not gonna be the color that's gonna look amazing with your eyes and your hair, but I'm like, Okay, well then let's pair it with, like, the blue that's gonna, like, pop your eyes out like you're talking about layering, right? So then, okay, let's layer that really cute blue denim jacket you have. And then you can wear the fitted, and I'm just making a bow fits for you. Then you can wear the brown bodysuit underneath it, and it won't be as much of a stark contrast. It won't, like, bring your natural tones down as much, because we've heightened up the blue in your eyes with the jacket. So there's, like, fun little things you can do, like, then,

Yeah, I love that you are actually, like, calling out the whole color thing. Because, I mean, I've actually talked to a number of people who have the, you know, color training. I didn't even know that existed until, like, a year ago, but then all of a sudden they all just showed up out of every out of every nook and panty, I was like, Oh, okay. And so, like, Okay, I'm a summer and so I'm not supposed to wear X, Y or Z color or B. I'm not supposed to wear bright colors. Actually, I'm supposed to be more like a pastelly but it's like, what you're saying, and what I feel is true is that when you wear something that you love, you feel good in it, and then your energy radiates from it, right? Versus to like I'm a blonde, and so most people say blondes look good in red. I hate red. I do not want to wear red, like I wore a red shirt when I was at Disneyland because I was doing a whole Minnie Mouse thing. That's it. I will not buy a red dress. I won't even wear a black dress. This is navy blue. You can't tell I just, I don't not into those colors, but I want to wear hot pink, like, every single day.

And you should, because it makes you feel really good. And like, that's where, like, I go back and forth. And when I do color analysis for people, I do them just like that. I'm like, here's and I never call it the seasons, because just like in nature, seasons kind of blend into the next one, right? Like spring blends into summer. It's not just like, Oh, now we have dates on the calendar, but like, and even like, fall is a really good example, right? Like, you have that transition phase where sometimes the trees are really bright green and they started to turn orange at the same time. So you have those summer colors leaning into those fall colors. So there's always those colors on the wheel that kind of like blend into each other that you can play with. Yeah, like you said, you have the brights and the more muted colors, like for summers, and it can get really detailed, which it's fun, if you're into it, for sure. But I tell people all the time, I think for me for color, so I like to do that. Yeah, we can talk about that. I always wanted to know what your personality is, too, because I feel like we have our innate, inherent colors, and then we have our personality colors, and like those two together, right? Because the sparkly Kelly personality needs that hot pink, right? But then, like physical Kelly needs these other summer colors, but I think blending them together is so perfect. But other hot stuff that I was gonna say for me, contrast plays way more of a role than the color seasons, because if we don't match our contrast on our body with our outfit, that drives me more nuts than anything. So, like, I have on this white shirt, which I haven't, like, we're coming into summer, right? So I'm not like, I'm super tan, and it's, you know, it's probably, it's very much blending in with my hair, I mean, with my skin. But I have the dark hair, I have my bright pop of my. Lip. So it's like really started to balance it out, and you can balance it out with jewelry and other things like that. So I always do contrast a little bit more than I'm worried about color seasons, because that, to me, is how again, like when we're looking at a full body, your eye doesn't get stuck anywhere. And that's more important, and that goes into especially with branding and psychology and things like that, like when someone's talking to you, and especially like if you're in business and you're with a client, or you're on a sales call or something like that, and you don't want their eye to get stuck and trained in one spot, right? You want their eye to continuously move and a circle load pattern. They don't even know they're doing it. You don't know they're doing it. It's kind of like when you walk into a house and if all the furniture was on one side of the room, you'd be like, Oh, why is there all the furniture on this side and there's just, like, one little potted plant over here, it would just be so uncomfortable. So I tell people that all the time. I'm like, when you're thinking about dressing your body and contrast, think about it like that. Like, if you're a low contrast person, like, if your hair is similar color to your skin, it's probably where you don't like the really stark colors, like the reds or the black, because it's just too much, and then you have to lighten it up some other ways. And there's so many ways to do it, and that's why there can't be rules, because there's so many fun ways to do it.

I love that when I hear that from people who like, like yourself and my sister in law is really good at fashion. Like, she'll like, go. We went to winners, like a like a Marshalls kind of that kind of a place, and she pulled this jumper off of the rack, and it's like, green and floral, full, like one color fabric, like pattern, the entire thing. And I'm like, oh, like, but she's like, I'm gonna, you know, put this belt with it. I'm gonna wear it with cowboy boots. And I'm like, what? Like, I actually took all these. I was doing brand photos just last week conveniently. And I was, like, putting outfits together and taking pictures and sending them to her for, like, I got these blue suede cowboy boots that I now am, like, I have to wear these with everything. And can I wear them with these jeans? And can I wear them with this dress? And can I wear them with shorts? And, like, what can I wear them with? Like, at one of those, like, accordion, like, skirts?

Oh, so fun.

Yeah, but so, like, I just think I'm saying, is that when you say there's no rules, like, that's the whole point, right? It was like, the more interesting of something you put together that you didn't think would necessarily work is what's unique. And I had never worn, and I have an outfit that I had never worn before. It was the blue soy boots. It was like a floral dress, like a really nice that I knew was, like, it's a light purple and, like a cream color long sleeve. And then I threw, like, a super casual, oversized jean jacket with it. And I went to an event, and I got over 10 people who literally stopped me just to say, like, I love your outfit. Like it looks so good. And then what does that do? That starts conversations with people, and I'm in a business setting, like, so I just actually saw somebody post, like, hot tip, if you're going networking, like, do something make yourself stand out. Like, at the pink jumpsuit you talk about I wear that when I go to, like, a black tie, yes, everyone's wearing black, and I was the girl in pink, or they'll remember me as the girl with the blue cowboy boots. Now, right?

Yes. Like, I say that all the time, like, what's your conversation starter you should never be walking into, especially in a business networking meeting, especially as a small personal brand, what is your conversation starter? What is the one thing that everyone's gonna remember you for? What is it? Is it? And it doesn't have to be flashy or doesn't have to be bright pink, it just has to be super consistent, and it has to be super you, but you are so allowed to do that, and that is that's so fun. Like when people say to me, I'm saying, but can I wear these tennis shoes with this dress? I'm like, Yes, and you should, because your 10 people are gonna stop you and be like, Oh my god, I just wanted to wear two issues to this event, so bad, but I didn't, and now you're showing you're a way shower for them. And in business, all we're really ever looking for is the person that's a couple of steps ahead of us that is showing us a way to do something that we don't know how to do or don't have time to do for ourselves. So such a good point

Love that. I want to hear a little bit more on your take on, like, kind of the psychology of style, in, in how you represent yourself as a brand.

There's so much like, that's my jam. So you have color psychology, which we were kind of talking about, like, color, seasons of color, which that's why I don't even really like to get into that so much as I like the color psychology, right of there's and you can take that to so many different places, but we're talking about like skin and hair and eyes and nails when we wear our inherent colors, those colors, colors that match our skin, our hair, our eyes and our nails. Yeah, and it makes us tear more approachable. So that's something I like to share with my ladies. I'm like, if you're you know, if that's what you want, if that's what you're going for, I say like, if you're on a sales call, or if you're in a small, intimate setting, like going for those approachable colors, or something you should absolutely work in. We have all heard of power colors, right? So like, when you're exuding authority, and that's the thing that you need to do, then we're in power colors. Now, on the flip side to that, when you think of like silhouettes and things like that, you know, culture is culture for a reason, and we all kind of have these nuances and these things that remind us right, like red we think of stop signs because that's the way of life that we live. So when I when I say, like authority, and if you're what you're trying to communicate with yourself or with the person you're interacting with, is authority, like you need to go back and say, okay, and apply it to yourself honestly, because we can only filter the world their own experience in your world, who exudes authority to authority to you, and how does that person dress? Well, like, historically, in our current culture, like collars represent, you know, Blazers represent authority, things like that, right, like suits and ties, you know, when we think of power suit, things like that. So there's a lot of psychology around things like that, right, when someone wants to be. And when you tie it back to your brand like, I always start reminding clients, I'm like, tell me the three words for like, how you want to feel every day when you get dressed. And then tell me the three words like your brand values. Like, how do you want your clients to feel? What are the values that you've built your business on? And then let's tap into the psychology of those words. So like, if you came to me, like, one that comes up for me right now, like, I don't know if this is a brand value for you, but if you were like, I want to feel luxurious, or I want to feel pampered or adorned, I'd be like, yes, you've got your rings on. I can see your earrings. You've got your necklaces on. To me, I interpret that as you adorn yourself, you feel very luxurious. You feel like, to me, that is another way of exerting authority, because when I see a lot of jewelry, I insulate, again, my own filter. I go Cleopatra like that's my go to big energy person for me. So that's what I connect to when I think of when I get on Zoom and someone has a lot of jewelry and draws me in, because it's really it's attention grabbing. It makes the frame not feel so flat on Zoom, and I'm like, oh, and it just feels luxurious. And luxurious can mean many different things to many people, right? It could be taking a sip of really good coffee, or it could be making lots of money, like we all get to interpret that however we want. So there's lots of fun ways that you can tie that back in,

Hmm, that's really interesting and really interesting observation too.

Because you got your shiny fingernails and your Tory. I'm like, Yeah.

You wear a lot of jewelry. And this is, like, this is my my mom's, like, I inherited both these rings from my mom and passed away. So I always wear it whenever I want to, like, just bring her into my day, which is most days. So, yeah.

Yeah. So that's sentimental for you too. So, like, if you heard that, like, not knowing that about you, like, that was ringing, like, drew me right in, right? It's, like, stacked, it's really pretty. And like, it just, you could just tell, like, it means something, right? And that's just a really good way. Like, I think when we go back to that original like personal branding, helping people feel dialed in, like an expression of who we are, it's those things. I'm sure everyone that's listening to this podcast knowing you, it's like they know the importance of bringing that energy and happiness, yeah, energy builder, confidence and all of that. And at the end of the day, that's what everything could be, right? Like, you can go to, just to use a blanket example, it's like, you go go to Starbucks, and you can get a $5 cup of coffee, and it feels real luxurious. Now, if I burn bring the Starbucks to your house, and you let it, like, sit on the counter, and then you have to heat it in the microwave, like five times. It doesn't have the same effect, and that's just the energy of life. So we get to do that with ourselves, with our clothes, and we get to, we get to create, like, what does that mean for us? And how do we use that going back? Like, why do we care? Why do we say we don't care about fashion? Like, you get to take that and flip it and, like, mold it into whatever you want it to be. And that's why I think it's so fun. Like, whether I was do, it's easy to say this now, but I would like to believe that whether I was doing styling or not, that when I show up for my clients, that I would still dress in a way that's channels, whatever our, you know, meeting was about, whatever we were presenting, wherever phase of the journey that we're in. Like, I tell my clients that all the time, I'm like, like, photo shoots. I'm like, What's your casual outfit? What's your client outfit, and what's your celebration outfit? I want your client to see the results they want from working with you in your outfit, in that celebration outfit. Okay,

I love all of that, and also it's making me think. Think, like this is one of the main things that we could actually control about ourselves, right? Like we might have big dreams and, like, goals and things and we, you know, it's so easy to constantly remind ourselves how we're not there yet and we're on a journey and blah, blah, blah, but if you show up and actually just put on some clothes to make you feel like you're in that power. How much could that change the actual outcomes that you can create for yourself and your business?

Yes, all the time. Like, you know, we can't control what's happening in the economy, and we can't control the buyer's life cycle, or, like, whatever those things are in our business, but this is something you can control, and it doesn't have to be scary, and it doesn't have to be like, over and it's not about getting glammed up every single day. You could wear that ring that's your mom's in your pajamas. It's the micro moment that you say to yourself when you're building that confidence of like, okay, what am I gonna put on today that's gonna make me, like, take that one next step. It could be the ring. You can say, like, Okay, well, today I'm writing content, and I'm gonna wear my content day outfit. We can get into this too, like, I'm gonna wear my content day outfit. This is, like, my really casual but creative outfit. And I always like to wear this certain gloss, or I always like to wear this certain perfume, because there's really fun stuff psychology around perfume and smells, right? And how we can recall memory with our smells, or I'm gonna paint my fingernails a certain way. I mean, think about when you type and you have those nails, doesn't it make you feel like, just like, if you're like typing, you're like, Oh my God, look at me typing and my nails are so cute. Then you know what your writing's coming sounds better than it would if you're just sitting there with nubby little nails have been showing on all day because no one's gonna see me.

Oh, thank you, yes, actually, it's one of for me. Getting my nails done has been a thing that I've done ever, ever since the last My mom also, because she always had nice nails, like, always, like, died with a manicure. It was, and it's just like a thing that I do that connects me to her as well, but then I also feel like it's the one piece that's always put together no matter how I feel in the morning, right? So that, like a status quo is that my nails are nice, even if I, you know, I'm just wearing workout clothes or Mickey Mouse hoodie or whatever. Yeah.

Exactly it. Like I was thinking I went to the gym the other day, and I was like, I'm not gonna, like, do all these other things. I was like, but I want to put on my cute Dennis shoes, and I'm gonna put on my lipstick, and that's enough for me to make me feel good going to the gym for the first time, and, like, not, you know, feeling like I'm super comfortable with it.

Totally. So I think, I mean, what do you tell your clients in terms of the the whole, like getting dressed process? Because I think that, like, just to break it down to the at the simple level, that is the the place where we kind of meet the overwhelm and frustration. I see this with my kids all the time out all day, and then, like, you know, you don't know how to choose, what to choose, what you need to decide in order to make that choice,

Decision fatigue is super real, especially if you're a business owner, right? Like, where can you eliminate decision fatigue? Start in your closet. Number one rule, and you kind of talked about this a little bit, like, Tell me some of your roles. Like, get started and shop in your closet. Shop in your closet is the number one place to start. So, like you mentioned, the closet. I don't know if this is gonna be a video or not. Everything that's in your closet that you go to every day should be the clothes that you can access and wear every day, meaning it's like your prom dress or your wedding dress, or the dresses that you wear to weddings and your costumes for Halloween or whatever. Those don't need to be in your closet. Those need to be archived. Need to be archived, out of sight, out of mind. If it doesn't fit, it needs to be archived. And we can talk about what that means. But like, you know, in another space, like, when I walk into this closet every day, everything in here fits, it's things that I'm currently loving, it's things that I'm currently wearing. And then I just have to decide, okay, so am I gonna wear this shirt, or am I gonna wear this shirt? What do I feel like wearing today? What are my values? Who am I seeing? What are we talking with? What are they dealing with? What do they need me to help them with today? Like, depending on the client, depending on the thing. So, like, shopping down your closet. And then I mentioned, like, oh, it's content day. Getting super clear. Like, I know it sounds kind of boring, but it's like, okay, so on Mondays, it's like, creating an outfit formula for yourself. It's like, okay. On Mondays, like, take your cowboy boots, for example. It's like, okay. On Mondays, I'm gonna do content day. I'm doing behind the scenes. I'm not taking meetings. What can I wear today that's gonna make me feel like, casual and creative, but really juicy. I mean, let's get funky. Maybe today is when we're your shorts and your boots, okay, in a tank top. Who cares if anyone sees you or not, like you see you. And then you can take those same pair of boots. And now, Tuesdays, we're gonna do client calls, and now we're gonna pair them with the dress and the jean jacket. Okay, cool. And then on Wednesday, we're gonna do podcasts. So like, what is it that we're gonna. Wear for that. Maybe it's a cute pair of jeans and a different shirt that looks really good on Zoom. And it's in our lives. We have a lot of rhythm in our lives, whether we think we do or not, and it's kind of like latching on to that and being like, Okay, what's my lifestyle, and then how do my clothes fit in that lifestyle? So people talk about capsule wardrobes all the time. But I tell people, you can have capsules for different areas of your life, as long as your closet is of the time and everything in it fits and it's all stuff you can wear on a daily basis and on your like, take a normal week of your life, right, which you're just doing the normal thing. Like your closet should reflect that. So if 80% 80 is a real harsh number, 60% of your week is work, then I want 60% of the things in your everyday closet to support you in your work. And again, we can break down those days into whatever they are. And if 40% week is family time, sports game night dates with your girlfriends, then we need and you can break that down even further, the other 40% of the closet needs to support that. And what happens a lot is we just don't let ourselves do that, and we'll have, like, all those other clothes I mentioned, like our closet is just full of clothes that we just don't wear because it doesn't fit. It's not who we are anymore. We're saving it from our past life. It's if we've started a business, it's from our corporate it doesn't represent who we are. It doesn't all it just so many different things. So we walk in and we're like, I have nothing to wear.

Yes.

It happens to all of us, and less, really is more. And I love what you said about the boots, and I didn't like we kind of comment on it right then. But it's like everything. There's so many little nuances, things like on my idiosyncrasies. I'm like, okay, everything you buy before you buy it, you have to ask yourself, Do I have three things on my closet right now that support this purchase? If I'm buying this thing, does it need me to buy another thing to make it work in my closet? Nothing's wrong with that, but we got to get intentional about then, why are we buying it? Because everything we buy should just be supporting something else that we already have, orphan. And do you know, orphan said, and we don't want anyone to be an orphan, right?

Or, then when you go shopping, you feel like you have to only buy full outfits, like, Oh, I got three pieces at the same time, and then that's more expensive.

You're like, and there's this one outfit, and you're like, great. Now I have one outfit, but I need 14, because I want to have, you know, two weeks worth of clothes. But, like, our brain doesn't work like that. That's why I like, I like shopping it in pieces. It's like, the three piece rule. It's like, do I have three pieces to wear it, three different ways to wear it? And you can, and that's where you challenge yourself, and that's where your creativity, like, you're some of the boots, and you're like, how else? You're like, how else can I wear the boots? What else can I wear the boots with? And that's when it gets fun, and that's when you tap into your network, and you're like, doesn't do these boots go? And if you even think they do, then chances are they do.

This is so fun. And I think when I'm listening to you talk, I'm like, not even aware of some of the decisions and things I'm asking myself when I go to get dressed in the morning, like, if I'm doing certain things that I just want to be super comfortable, like, comfort plays a huge role, right? Am I? Am I like, gonna be standing all day? Am I walking around? Like, am I sitting at my desk all day? I have certain jeans that are a no go for sitting at the desk. Yeah, they're standing up and like, like, it's also kind of cold in my basement, so I always kind of want a jacket sometimes in my office, like, and like, what am I doing, and who am I seeing, and all that stuff. And maybe some of us listening are also going through that little checklist, but we're not even thinking that we are unlike just I love like the empower you to be intentional about what you're wearing for what you're doing and how you want to feel. Because you feel your best, you present yourself your best, and everything that comes out of that is good.

Everything I always say, like, this is what makes superstars and icons. Superstars and icons, it's those little things and you mentioned, like, the fashion psychology. It's those little, teeny things that they are doing that is making you be. Like, what makes them so magic? Like, what makes Beyonce? Beyonce? What makes Taylor Swift? Taylor Swift? It's these little, teeny things that are just everything has intentionality behind it. Every little thing, there's no corner is being cut, like they're going all in. And, like you said, it's just the same way in running your business. And the other part is, like, when I say this, and people like, Oh, my God, that's so much. I'm not comfortable with this. It's just building a habit. And once you've built the habit, I don't spend an hour every day figuring out what I'm gonna wear. I just already know. Like, I already know. Like, hey, if I'm podcasting, I you know, I wore this or certain earrings. You know, they make noise when you podcast, like, you start to just know. These things, and you just it goes back to every other part of our life. Do you stay curious in your business and stay curious in your style? You know, use your style as a reflection of where you might be getting stuck in your business. If you feel like your business is stuck or stalling out and you're not showing up, or you're scared to show up, you're not showing up in your style, in your closet, either you're whatever is happening in your business, or any of other area of your life. You can use those moments of yourself. So one of the first decisions you make in the day is, what am I gonna wear? You can use that as a stop gap to be like, Huh? Why am I choosing this? Am I choosing this? Because I'm stuck in a rut. I don't believe on myself right now. Am I down? Am I depressed? Maybe I'm super happy, right? Like, maybe I'm wearing these boots because I'm just having such a good part of my life, and you can kind of always use that to, like, check back in yourself. Everything's connected. All of it is.

I love that such a good reminder. And thank you for bringing this like full circle to the whole like frivolity. I think that's the word of look like the conversation topic, and how it might be written off that way. And yet, how important it really is. Because the more that we can do, I think, especially as women, to make ourselves feel good in our own skin, it just it affects everything about the way that we show up in the world for ourselves, yes, first and then everybody else that we come into contact with in the process.

Yes, and I love sharing it too. Like I love when you shared about like, your mom and her nails and why you get your nails done. Like, what a powerful story. So next time I see you and I see your nails. And I think this is really true for women, especially people who feel like they're easily intimidated. And fashion is can in and of itself, is really intimidating. But then I think with women, we do this with each other, is if someone shows up and they're and they'll really put together, the psychology behind that is really intimidating. Like, oh, this person must have their lives together. Because if someone's physically put together, we think that their life is put together. Someone's physical someone's physically messy. We assume their life is messy. And that also plays into sales and how we buy and sell things too. But like, the next time I see you and I see your nails, I think, oh, Kelly. Like, I just loved your nails anyway, but now I'm gonna be like, oh Kelly. And you know, I know the story of your mom when you presented, and I'm like, how awesome and how beautiful is that? So like, now not only are they amazing and hot and sexy and cute, but now they also and have this other deeper meaning that goes with them. And it just goes back to that you can be pretty and you can be smart and you can be everything.

That is the quote. That was the quote we're using. That's it for this. Okay, Katie, I could sit here and talk with you all day about this, because it's so fun. And I just want to say, like, shout out to you, because I, like, just, I think that we're connected. Because I love how much you love what you do. And I I really love when women can step into their, like, zone of genius and just like, really pour their passion into their work, because I think that that is really what makes a difference, and that's like the ripple effect that I want to make in this world is more people doing what they love, bringing joy, and, you know, rippling the joy out from there. And you do that so much with what you do. Did you want to say? Did you want to say anything? Any other final words? Let people know where to connect with you. All of that.

Yes, I'd say my final words is trust yourself, because you do know what you like. You just have to slow down and let yourself you know, you know, you know. No one else can answer that for you, not even a stylist, they can guide you, and they can help you, then point you the right direction, but innately, you know. And then if you guys want to connect, you can connect with me on Insta, Katie Allen Stylist, and we can hang out there. And I love answering questions and all of that. So don't be a stranger. As you can tell, I'm pretty open book, and I could talk about this stuff four days.

Thank you, Katie.

Thank you, Kelly.

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