198. Feeling Frumpy? How to Dress For Hybrid Work With Angela Foster
Do you ever walk into your closet and think, "Oh my gosh…I have no clothes." Today, we discuss how to dress for your brand and what to do when feeling frumpy. After 20 years as an executive in fashion and beauty, Angela Foster helps high-achieving petite women feel more confident by creating a closet they love. She began her business organically by assisting a colleague and mom who didn't like how she looked anymore and wasn't confident in her body. Before she knew it, she had a roster of clients and a full-time job. Her next challenge was the hybrid work environment. Before the pandemic, many of us had a section of the closet for work clothes. A clear division where the garments were for work. Now, there are different buckets – virtual and in-person. It's like having two work wardrobes – and that's how we need to look at it, says Angela. Figure out which tops look great on virtual calls. (She suggests giving people one thing to focus on: a Zoom call. During our call, she was wearing fabulous earrings.) "One of the things about being women … our bodies are always changing. We get pregnant, we have the baby, we lose the weight, we don't lose the weight. We go through menopause. … Everything about our lives changes our body a little bit," says Angela. We're not doing our best work if we don't feel good. Angela has a five-step system called "Spark" that she and her clients go through. The first step is body shape. And no – she isn't talking fruit salad. She said many clients would identify as an apple, pear, or an orange and then discuss what was "wrong" with them. My hips are too wide… My butt's too big…My thighs aren't svelte enough… For Angela, it was a nightmare. "If we could just focus on what we love about our bodies and then pay attention to how that feels when we leave the house instead of like all the negative mind chatter that we have about this, that, or the other thing. If we could just make that one small step, it would make such a huge difference in how we feel. It's a game changer." Angela works primarily with entrepreneurs and executives. She runs into many women who work for a company, and they feel they don't have a personal brand. She says it's essential to define a style that speaks to your career goals and aspirations aside from whichever company you work for. From an entrepreneurial standpoint, you're the face of your brand. Prospective clients and employers make 11 judgments and decisions about you in seven seconds. It's all subconscious. Angela asks for three words to describe your brand, which can be translated into your wardrobe. Sometimes, half the battle is identifying what isn't going to work for your style and where not to shop. "It's so noisy out there. The more consistent your image can be, it actually does you a favor," says Angela. Mentioned: Style Dos and Don'ts: https://angelastylecoach.com/gog Connect with Angela Foster: https://angelastylecoach.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelastylecoach/ Other Game On Girlfriend podcast episodes you might want to check out: How to Love Your Body https://sarahwalton.com/marla/ How to Stand Out in Life and in Business https://sarahwalton.com/stand-out-in-business/ Stress and How to Dress https://youtu.be/vH4BzCv3t-s You can check out our podcast interviews on YouTube, too! http://bit.ly/YouTubeSWalton Thank you so much for listening. I'm so honored that you're here and would be so grateful if you could leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, and clicking "Write a review."Then, we'll get to inspire even more people! (If you’re not sure how to leave a review, you can watch this quick tutorial.) #DressingForWork #StyleCoach #ImageConsultant #WorkFromHome #HybridWork #PostPandemicWorkplace #WhatToWear #WhatToWearOnZoom #IntuitiveBusinessCoach #SalesCoach