Influence School

Customer conflicts are inevitable, and defending yourself to an unsatisfied customer may not be the best way to do it. Good thing Michelle is here to help us how to handle customer conflict and not make things worse. Tune in to learn more about how to handle this situation.

Alright. Today, we've got an interesting topic. We're talking about how to handle customer conflict and not make things worse. Because we can make it worse. Now, this... Michelle is actually a great person to talk this about this because I've seen her in action. So stick around. Okay, so you guys know what's coming. There are 3 simple steps that I am excited to hear. I haven't heard them yet but I know that Michelle has got 3 simple steps that she does, you know to handle conflict like this with customers. But to start off... I saw this in action. Maybe you're thinking... Maybe you don't even think that this is customer conflict. But there was a e-mail that was sent. And... Okay, you're smiling. We're making... There was e-mail that was sent and the way the I wanted to respond, the way that you responded was awesome. It was amazing. It was... It got the job done, it shows professionalism, it shows respect, it made everybody happy. Like, seriously? I'm like, "Michelle is a powerhouse." I don't know if there's anything you want to share about that specific story or maybe another story. But... I mean, how did you want to react and how did you react in such an amazing way. Well, I think that's the number 1 thing that you need to remember. And this is not the 3 step process yet. But in any customer conflict experience, you have to check your own emotions at the door. Because it can be really easy to respond and... All conflict starts with blame. So all customers, whether they're having any problems or something's wrong, something's ripped, something's broken, something didn't work, somebody didn't fulfill something starts with blame. And so it can be really easy to respond with either blame back or blaming other people or other circumstances. Which escalates the circumstances instead of diminishing the problem and solution. And so it's interesting whether you are dealing with haters online or whether you have a customer who comes in and is mad about their purchase or even through via email. You have to figure out how to check your emotions at the back and say, "Wait a second. How can I resolve this without allowing my own defense mechanism to say wait a minute, your being mean to me and I didn't really do that or you're misunderstanding" to make sure that you're responding in a way that gets results rather than continuous to add more emotion, more emotion, more emotion and more emotion for bigger problems. Which yeah, that makes it worse. So, I grown a lot in this regard. But I still got a long way to grow. I know the biggest thing that I've recognized is that defensiveness or trying to defend my self because when customers reported a problem, I would instantly go into defense mode saying you know, "Well, this is what we did and this is what we had in our terms." And like, never, never helped the situation. It never made it better, it always made it worse. Right.

So, in one case it made it so much worse that... And I can't remember the exact domain. I don't think that it's there anymore but it was something like, "natewoodburysucks.com" or something like that. And it's like, you know, I was like, "Man, I made this situation so much worse." That... yeah, to try to find that, "Okay, what is it that the customer want." And really to take emotion out of it. Realize don't try and defend. I'll filter my written response and go back like, "Okay, is there anything here where I am trying to defend myself?" And just remove all of that. That's been a big, big help. I can see that. It's really tricky because like you said, we want to defend ourselves and at the end, that's not going to lead the results that need to happen in the conversation? But that is our first instinct. And so I always give my self a break and say, "Wait a minute. Okay, before I respond, what do I say?" And sometimes that's a challenge because if there's a client right in front of you or a person right in front of you or a tweet that went out or an email got copied to a multiple people, you're like, "Oh, no! I got to respond really quickly." And even if you just take a second to say, "Give me a second. And I'll be right back with you." Or whatever. Taking that break can help you get to the actual results of the situation rather than the emotions that comes first. So, ask me what super power I would want if I could have one. What super power would you want if you could have one? I would want to be able to freeze time. That would be a super awesome human or super power. Anyway, that would be cool because then in the moment, you know, something happens, it's really hard to pause because time doesn't stop. No it doesn't. So... See, and my favorite super power the one that I want is the read people's minds. So that I can see things before they happen and acknowledge them and get there. There might be some stuff I really don't want to know that would hear. Like, What Women Want, right? With Mel Gibson. But I think generally speaking, when it comes to super powers, freezing time will help you almost more than reading minds so that you can respond the way that you want. So, this is the rule of thumb that I've used. That I teach my clients. Rule of thumb. It's the rule if thumb. It's actually the rule of 3. But I call it "The Act Process." So, the 3 step process. The fist one is "A", acknowledge frustration. Now, I am careful because sometimes when you're resolving conflict, their instinct is to accept responsibility. In some cases that might be the right way to acknowledge the frustration. But in other cases, no apologies needs to be made. And in the conversation that you and I we're talking about, I did not feel like an apology needed to be had. But I needed to acknowledge the frustration or acknowledge the circumstances. And so at first, it can be like, I see that this is a super frustrating or I can see why that would be frustrating. Acknowledge their emotion. Now, it gives you a second to check your emotions a little bit. But if you can acknowledge the frustration and the feelings that they have, that's really what they want is they want validation. So the "A" is for acknowledge frustration. Before you move on, I like that it's acknowledge, not apologize. Right, no. Because apologize makes me want to say, "But... But I didn't..." Right. But just acknowledging how they're feeling, yeah. Now, I will tell you one circumstance. Sometimes apology is appropriate. I had a circumstance with a client a couple of weeks ago where we miscommunicated about what I was offering and what actually end up happening. And I was very clear in my e-mail and communication about what we're going to do. But they misread it. And so I went back and looked at the ways that I had said it where I assumed that they would understand some terminology that we used in our business. They didn't understand. And so I responded and was willing as part of that process to accept that responsibility and apologize for my part for using jargon. So don't be afraid to apologize if it's due but don't give an apology that doesn't need to be given. Well, I'll also... Going back to the example that I thought of before. Initiated by an e-mail. I don't remember exact wording but you totally took responsibility yourself. Even though it would have been easy or maybe even just a file. Well to put blame on several places or people... You really just took responsibility yourself. I think that was a big part of what made me admire your response so much. Well and in that particular instant and like I said, and some of these we can use the 3 step formula. We can use the act process. But you really do have to look at every circumstance differently and then at that case, because I was quote, unquote Leader-in-charge of what was happening, in my mind, I knew that it was where it came back to me. And I think that that makes a fantastic leader. That it could be easy to say, "Oh, that team member didn't do this thing or this person should've just assumed." But at the end of the day, I was the one who started that conversation, I was the one who initiated it and I didn't see it through all the way to the end. And so I was willing to accept responsibility in that case and to acknowledge the frustration that it could've been mine. Because I also wanted my team members to know that I had their backs. And that was really important to me. Because in that particular instance, I didn't want to place blame on anyone else. I knew it was mine and I needed to take it and even if I didn't have to mine in that full sense, as the leader, it was a responsibility for me to take that. And I think that in that instant, it made it easier for all the other people who are copied that they didn't feel like they had to respond offensively because I was the one who was willing to place that first. That's awesome too, yeah. Okay, back to the 3 steps. Okay, so the first one is acknowledge the frustration. The second one is consider your options. Now, considering your options. Now, considering your options can happen privately. It that particular case, I took a second and say, "Okay, what should I do and how should I respond and what are the ways that we can handle this?" When you're sitting with a customer right then and there, you can think through the options that are available. And sometimes you can offer options to the customer. So especially in retail circumstances, somebody comes in, they have a ripped shirt. Your options can be to refund their money or to offer them to get a different shirt or the same shirt that's there. And so there could be 2 options. Here are 2 options for you. So sometimes you allow those options to be public and other times you just allow them to be internal to decide how you want to handle things. And sometimes when you have the time and somebody sends an e-mail and then right in front of you, it gives you the opportunity to call the other people involve and say, "Hey, here's what we can do, here's the options that we have, what should we do before I go back to this person?" So consider your options in all ways. And I think it's important to take time. And even if you have somebody right in front of you, be willing to say, "Could you give me just a minute? I want to consider all the options and find a solution that is mutually beneficial." And allow yourself that permission to ask for permission for time. So you have to give it. Because sometimes in the heated moment, we might want a respond but realize later, "Oh, wait, I should've done this, this and this." And just a little bit of time will give you the opportunity. So take the time to consider the options, privately and publicly. Especially if there's like an emotional response or adrenaline. And it's like... It'd be good to... Even if an email comes late at night, it like, "Let's wait til morning." Well, yeah. Sometimes I have to wait. And sometimes I'm like, "I am not going to sleep unless I respond to this." And in that case, I definitely felt like I needed to respond. But for sure, give yourself time and you know, even in conflicts in our personal relationships. Give yourself permission to say, "You have sometime to think about this. I'd like sometime to think about this. Can we comeback later?" And so, resolving conflict with customers or individuals, it's okay to say, "Hey, just give me just a sec, I want to comeback to you with awesome options."

Okay, pretty cool. So we got ACT. Acknowledge. And consider. Consider and then? The "T", take action. Oh that? So time is not part of it? No. Okay. Oooh! We got a bonus. See? So yes, Take... considering your options can give you time as well. But the T in the ACT for me is to take action. And this is where I think some people don't really fully engage to resolve the conflict before it gets worse, right? And in some cases whether it's that we need to do something or we need to make some actions or we need to do. Even give ourselves more time. But taking the action piece is so important. And it's interesting because I have this experience a couple of days ago at a restaurant. Where there was a problem with my order. They had not given me something that I had ordered and the person that I was working with, I was super kind, I wasn't like, "This is terrible." It was like, "Hey, I ordered this extra thing." The person behind the counter was like, "Oh..." And just kind of sat there for a minute. And I had to be the one to initiate and say, "What are our options? How can we do this?  What do we need to do?" And in that case, I couldn't wait longer. And so, they we're like, "Oh, I guess I could give you something else." And I was like, "Okay." But it that case, you also need to be maybe initiate the taking action piece. But commit to take the action and to follow through if necessary. Some conflicts won't be resolved in initial action. And that part of taking action and setting time to follow-up. But if you start with those first 3 steps, even if elongates the process in the end, you can keep it from getting worse by taking an initial action that will simmer the situation and also resolve the conflict. And so... I guess the opposite of taking action is just to be ignoring it. Totally ignore it. And we do that sometimes though, right? Sometimes we're like, "Okay, I'm not going tor respond to this email or I'm going to get a manager and let them deal with this client." And we just don't. We don't engage in following it through. But i think, to be key communicators and to be people who really make change, we need to take action.  And we need to be willing to own our pieces of it but then see it all the way to the end so that the customer get's the resolution they want. (Laughs) I'm sorry you can say that again. I've seen her in action with terrible customers. (Both laughs) We'll leave it. I hope I didn't laugh for long enough that you can cut it. Alright. Well now, you can be the captain of customer conflict. Just thought of it right on the spot. Be sure to subscribe and if you want to know more about Michelle, you can find her at speakmichelle.com. I'll put a link down below. Did I tell them to subscribe? You did. But say it again. I should say it many times. If you haven't, subscribe already. And you know what? Next to that subscribe button, a little bell appears when you subscribe.  You can actually click on it and you'll get notified. You'll get alerts. So, every time a new video is uploaded obviously, you want to know about it. So, we'll see you tomorrow.

One of the most common fears is public speaking and that's why practice is essential when you're going to do it. This episode is all about how to establish who you are as a speaker as you put it into practice. Nate Woodbury, YouTube Producer and public speaker, is here to give us some tips of how to go about it.

Alright. In this video, we're going to get nitty-gritty with how to practice public speaking. That's something that I need practice with. And I know that Michelle here has some great answers. Alright, so just to start off, what's the first thing that comes to your mind on the topic of how to practice public speaking. -So one of my little hot buttons in the National Speakers Association, especially within our chapter and new members is you can talk about speaking or you can actually speak. And so whether you're getting paid to speak now or not speaking, practice is really an important part about establishing who you are as a speaker. And getting so good at your craft that people hire you all the time just because they know that you're a fantastic speaker. So, practicing is so important. And it's also good for you too, good for you to figure out what works what doesn't, what do you like what don't you like. And I'm a huge fan of just actually speaking. -So, I'm getting into speaking more and more. I've worked with speakers for years but I'm just starting to do it myself and I'm working with a speech writer to help me craft things and that's going well. But as far as like the memorization of it or the delivery of it and practicing it, this is where I really need help. So, I'm excited to get some real tangible pointers here on how to real really practice because I know the more... The more stages, I get on the more timely speak, I'll naturally get better through that type of practice. But what can I do off stage. -So, first and foremost, as silly as it sounds don't be afraid to practice in your mirror. I think that seeing yourself speak the way that you... Your mannerisms, how your hand gestures work, how your face is, sometimes we think we're smiling but we're actually scowling. And so practicing in a mirror is really good. And if you hate that, if you cannot handle that, record yourself. Like put just put your phone up, record yourself speaking and then go back and watch it. That'll help you with the craft of stage presence but at least it gives you the opportunity to... Opportunity to practice even just looking at yourself. But go deeper, okay?

So, practice at home but then I also recommend that you speak for humans on a regular basis. So, whether that's just a few neighbors that you invite into your house or going into businesses and offering to speak for free or finding some free speaking engagements where you can give your full speech from start to finish. In a space where you're still providing value but there... But you you're feeling more comfortable than if you're going to ask for a speaking fee. Getting practice at every single stage and level both individually for yourself and then also in front of real humans is really valuable. -Okay. So, I've learned a little bit about your story. We found some other episodes that you definitely ought to check out. So, you're in debate in high school and did really well. So well, that she got a scholarship for speaking, right? Got a scholarship. So, if you actually practice in the mirror? -Absolutely. -So, okay. That's awesome. -And one of the other things I recommend, speaking of high school debate, is in high school debate, you learn something called impromptu speaking. And in impromptu speaking, you're given 3 topics and you have 7 minutes. So you get one minute to practice or think through I crafted a whole speech in your mind. And then you have to give 7... Give us 6 minute speech. And so, that was one of the different types of speaking events that I did back in high school and in college. And I think that was one of the best things that I ever did. Being an impromptu speaker helps you craft sentences on the fly and also helps you when circumstances don't go your way. Memorizing a speech from start to finish is fantastic and you can get comfortable with that. But then what happens if you accidentally trip or if somebody interjects something while you're talking. Impromptu speaking can help you with the audience interaction piece and also just becoming quicker on your feet for the things that you want to say. And so, I still do a little impromptu speeches and I'll do random searches on dictionaries or look up some online. Pick one of them and then give a speech. Whether that's you know in the bathroom or just walking around the house when my kids are gone because I think it's so important to continue that practice of allowing your brain to engage and actually say the things that you want to say. Even if they're not fantastic speeches. -Awesome. So... We're a part of the local chapter of the National Speakers Association. Michelle is actually the president of our chapter this year. So, we commonly... What we associate in professional speaking circles. But I want to ask your opinion about Toastmasters. -Okay. -Because Toastmasters I see kind of being on the opposite end of the spectrum. Where the NSA is focused on the professional side of it, making a business out of it, getting hired and booked to speak. Whereas Toastmasters, it's been a while since I... Since I've attended a group but it's just a small group. Most of them don't speak professionally. Sometimes it's more of a hobby. But they're just given like they go through exercises like that where they're given a topic on the spot and they just have to get up there and talk for 3 minutes or talk for 5 minutes.

So, have you experienced Toastmasters? -So, I attended about 10 years ago a few times. But didn't attend. Haven't tend recently and they do back there. I've actually spoken for a group of Toastmasters and organization where I help them with some of the things that they're working on for district or national events. And I think it's a great organization. For people who are just getting started or people who are recognizing they want to grow a little bit in their own communication skills, Toastmasters does a lot of those impromptu speaking or preparing short small speeches or working on a story that you could maybe provide some value within your own relationships and I think that's a great way to start. Some of what we need in professional speaking is really just in communicating one-on-one and back and forth with each other. And some of the best professional speakers bring people up on the stage and have a conversation with complete strangers and they're entertaining, they're engaging, they're providing content but having that experience at a Toastmasters will prepare you for some of those audience engagement type of speaking as you become a professional speaker. -I attended for a while. I think it was like almost weekly for about 6 months. But at the time I really wasn't... I I wasn't doing it as a hobby. I was doing it for professional reasons but yet it was premature because I wasn't really working on a presentation. I wasn't trying to deliver, get hired or speak anywhere. So now is maybe a time and... The crazy thing is it's like pennies. I think they would like charge me a monthly membership but it's it's it was like six bucks a month or something like that just to cover like the cost of the materials. And if that is something that you're interested in, I remember when I was looking around for local Toastmasters group. There were dozens of them. And my recommendation would be smaller is better because you'll get more opportunities to just... You take turns. And it doesn't really matter who's in the group. I think when I went... Initially I was going for also more self promoting reasons. I wanted to kind of let them know who I was. Kind of how it happened in NSA too. I do want to ask about memorization because I've... And I've got now you know, a 50-minute presentation that's... It's not scripted work for... Most of its scripted word for word. So how do I go about memorizing something like that? -This is really tricky. Because I have a really hard time memorizing. It's not my nature. I don't know if it's something within my brain that needs to be rewired or something but memorization is really hard. And up to this point I really have been an outline speaker or I will make slides on a presentation or PowerPoint and I can click through them and go, "Oh, yeah. That's what I was going to say next." Because my background is more in except radius or impromptu speaking. That works for me. But for other people, it's really good to memorize. One of the reasons why I'm an advocate of memorization, even though it's really hard for me is you never know what the audience is going to pick up on because you said a sentence that clicked with them. And sometimes when we're just outlined speakers, we tend to ramble a little or we don't quite get to the point or we don't say a sentence in a way that provides power. We kind of dance around it. They get the principal but not a statement that they can stick with them. So, memorizing even your key statements or your key bullet points will help you. And I... Over the years, have figured it out what ways to say things based off of audience interaction. There's a story that I tell that I made a joke once just off the, off the cuff. And everybody laughed and I didn't think anybody would laugh. And so now I tell that story with that line the exact same way and practice it that way because it does it gets a laugh. But memorization is really important. But even though when it's hard for me, I think to myself, "Okay, if I'm giving..." Like when I gave my TEDx talk. I was like, "Here are the seven statements, I have to say word-for-word because I want those to have power and to last long after the speech." And so, otherwise, you can go granular. And if you can memorize, I'm also a huge fan of recording yourself giving the speech. So, either use your voice memo on your phone or record it in an audio format that you can listen and download like an mp3, hear yourself saying the words in the tone inflection at the rate of speed that you want. And it becomes easier to memorize because it's not just the word but it's at a presentation and a way that you want it. Hopefully that'll be helpful. -Maybe you could sing it? -Yeah. Some people do learn how to sing it. But then they have a hard time not singing when they're on the stage. -Alright. I look down. I cheat out. I looked it at the notes. Just to touch on quickly a couple other things that I think would be helpful to share. Just some kind of like list off some of the things that we talked about other ways that you can practice speaking. -Well, some people will think that they just have to be on a stage to practice and that's not true. I try all the months that I am light. I will either give a teleseminar, a webinar or beef up my podcasts and my own platforms. So that I'm speaking, I'm telling stories, I'm interacting with people, I'm interacting with audiences and I'm continuing to practice the craft and practice the messages. It's also a great way to practice new content.

So, throw it out there, tell people they can listen to it for free. You can grow your email list that way too. But it's still a great way to practice. But then also be on other people's channels. So this is a great opportunity to practice your speaking skills, being on interviews, shows, podcasts whatever it is. Continue to work on crafting your stories and your key core messages all the time. -Well, I wonder what would happen if I just turned on Facebook live and just started giving the speech. -I have told... I have actually challenged a few of my clients to do that. Because they need the opportunity to put it out there and get feedback. So, hey, I say Facebook watch it or YouTube live it or something. -Well hopefully, that give you some good ideas of how to practice giving a speech or practice and polish your speech. Thanks Michelle. Be sure to subscribe and we'll see you tomorrow.

There are 2 main ways to make money by public speaking and in this video, we are joined by Michelle McCullough to help us understand some things you know to get you started. If you're an aspiring public speaker with a gift to share to the world, check this out!

Alright, we've got another video here about public speaking. Specifically, "How to make money public speaking?" So, of course, we brought in Michelle McCullough to help us answer that question. Alright. So, there are actually a lot of different ways to make money public speaking. Kind of is a review because we talked about this in another episode. But let's talk about the two main ways. Because I know they both apply to you. Both speak to sell and Keynote. So, what are both of those mean? -Okay, so I speak to sell event is where somebody brings you in they don't pay you to speak. You speak for free typically. And then you have the opportunity to sell either a product or a service at the end of your presentation or during your presentation. And then people would come and purchase that from you at the event live or if they're a live stream they can purchase it through a specific link. But you have the opportunity to make back your money. And also do some lead generation through what we call a speak to sell event. -Okay, so if you're wanting to be a speaker, this option might be a fit for you because you know, people are looking for people to speak for free to fill their events. But in order for it to be profitable for you, you've got to have something to sell. You've got to have a product or have a service or if you've got a business, obviously, there's a there's a great fit for lead generation. Okay, so now let's let's summarize keynoting where you're actually getting paid to speak.

So, how does that work? -So typically, you either work with a speaker's bureau or an association or another type of meeting planner and then they would pay you to come and speak in advance. So, they would reach out to you, there'd be a contract. There's probably going to be some kind of negotiation in some way shape or form. But they say, "Hey, we'll pay you X." You say yes and then they pay you typically in advance before you even speak or at least portion of it in advance. And then you come and present. And in some cases you can still sell books at the back of the room but generally speaking there's no sales pitch at all it's just content and just information in exchange for what they've paid and asked you to speak about. -How do you get to that point where people are willing to pay you to come and speak to them? -Well, I certainly started in the speak to sell realm and actually making the transition from speak to sell the keynoting was a little bit painful. Because once I figured out the groove of the products and services that would sell best, I actually took a pay cut. That's speaking engagements to do keynote speaking. And yet at the same time, it's a great benefit because then enough to prep product. So I don't ship things places and I have to fulfill on the back end. But as you make that transition, it's just about finding different kinds of events. And so for me, I was doing a lot of things in the beginning in the entrepreneur space or with small business owners. And then to keynote, I shifted to corporations, associations and bigger events. And so however you're starting either is good but in order to get into the keynoting space, you need to find the events and the meeting planners that are looking for paid keynotes. -All right, so the approach that you're taking  is kind of the approach that I'm taking because I'm getting a speaking. Because I've got a business and I've got you know, services that I offer and so as I speak, I'm totally willing to speak for free. In our chapter, there's a lot of up-and-coming speakers that advise the lot just get up there and speak for free even for people that don't have products or services to offer simply because it's good practice, you're going to get better and better. But also you build a reputation and people will see you and I mean, what... Is that correct? Is that your advice? -Yeah. I absolutely recommend that for brand new speakers. And we call it the free circuit or the animal circuit. Because you've got the Lions Club and the Elks Club. Also chambers of commerce or other great places. Rotary clubs. People who are looking for monthly speakers on a regular basis who don't have a budget. I figured out how to sell or to lead generate in those even beginning. And still to this day, from time to time, I'm invited to do a free engagement. And if I can figure out how to recoup my time away, from paying client then I will still do them in effort to market my business. But I don't do them as much as I used to do them. And so, but I definitely recommend them at any stage of your business to get yourself out there and also to get really good at referral business. I built my keynote speaking business by speaking for free and asking for referrals from corporations who had hired. So for example, even three years ago, I was asked to speak at a Chamber of Commerce event outside of my city. And it took me... It was a little bit far away and it was going to take me two days away from my business. But it was a leadership event and the people in the room were CEOs, CXOs and other leadership top places. And from that speaking engagement, I got 5 paid speaking engagements that started out for free. So in that case, it was a great marketing tool that I could use to build and expand and to get in front of decision makers. And so, it can be great for new people and I can also be great for established speakers who are trying to find the right people to write the checks. -Cool. all right. So, I also want to get to... There's other ways that you can monetize speaking. So, I want to make sure we cover that. But one other thing that I would like to bring up and just as kind of a reality check for people that say, "I'm going to make a career change and I want to become a speaker." So, let's just make math easy. Let's say you're making 50,000 a year as an employee or a hundred thousand a year. You're going to leave your job and now I'm going to be a full-time speaker. Is that going to work? -Well... My quick answer is no. I'm not... -Right. -Because because it takes time, right? To build that reputation. Just like even if you're going to do the speak to sell. It's like, "Well, you've got to have a business or you've got to create it for some type of product or service." And while there might be exceptions. You might just be a celebrity or Earth's have some reason where you're just you're going to jump right in and it might work for you. But in most cases, kind of the the point that I thought of adding in here is don't quit your day job. -Absolutely. -...like keep doing what you need to to pay the bills to bring in the income and start building your speaking career and slowly make that that transition. I think that's just a little bit more realistic. -I wholeheartedly agree. And there are so many events that are on Saturdays and in the evenings that it can be really easy to... I tell clients who are looking to do this who call me and say, "Hey, I want to be a speaker, how do I transition? Can I quit tomorrow?" And I'm like, "Well, wait just a second. And give yourself a timeframe because it can go on forever." Take 6 months or 12 months to figure out if you can replace your income with speaking. And for a while, it's going to be a little bit crazy and you're going to be working a lot. Nights and weekends. But it helps you understand how the business works. Helps you transition from being a paid employee that gets regular paychecks. Also figuring out, "Oh wait, some months I speak four times and other months I speak once." How am I going to balance out my income to make sure that I'm able to pay the bills. And that some months I'm not destitute in other months I'm not rolling in the dough. And so, it just is a really good transitionary job that other things wouldn't be as transitionary but definitely it is possible but give yourself the time to make that. -So when I say don't quit your day job, I'm not necessarily insulting you. -Yes.

-It's just temporary. Alright. So, there's speak to sell, there's keynoting. What are other ways that we can monetize speaking? -Well hopefully, at the foundation of a speaking business is an expertise of  some way shape or form. If you're speaking on leadership and business or if you're speaking on marketing, social media or if you're speaking on motivation and success principles or even in the health industry. There are different ways you can monetize. First and foremost, I recommend products of some kind whether that's writing a book or creating an audio program or a video program that you can sell that provides additional value. That's what we call the low level hook, if you will of people transitioning from just getting to know you to actually paying you money. And then from there, you advance to things like group coaching or a bigger program of some way. Some kind that people can learn and engage that becomes more results-focused. And from there, you would go into one-on-one private coaching and consulting. And then maybe even above that might be high-end events or mastermind programs. So a lot of the monetization that comes from the speaking business, like I said, starts that foundational expertise. But then figuring out what are different ways you can package that expertise to provide value to individuals, to groups and maybe even the public as a whole. And as you do and the more specialized the training, the more focused efforts and one-on-one, the higher you can tend to charge. And sometimes, you can do your own events and not need to get paid but there's just a variety of ways you can bring in some income either with consulting our products. -Cool. Well, I've seen some real creative ways that people have done that where they were, they charged a certain amount for their keynote but then they asked a smart question like you know, what are the things that you're doing or how many days is that or whether the needs do you have? And you're looking for other things. And they found out that they also needed somebody to do a workshop. And... -Sure. -...and so you know, I'm just making up a hypothetical. But let's say, you got hired as a keynoter that was an hour on the stage. But you also did a breakout session and you also included like a copy of your book for the whole audience. You know, and so you can have this this big huge package of value that you're delivering to them and yet, it's still just the same trip out together their keynote. You're just providing more and more value. Anyway, I think it's... -Absolutely. -...pretty creative. -It is. And you know, people always ask me, "Do you have to have a book to be a speaker?" And I say, "No, but do like more money?" Because the reality is as soon as my book came out, it didn't necessarily get me more speaking engagements. But I would go into organizations and say, "Hey, do you also have a gifting budget and do you want to provide a book to everyone in the audience?" And in some cases, I'm getting paid double or triple what I would have made just from the keynote because I have something that's in that low level that they can purchase for everyone in the room. -And is that... This is just a curiosity. Is that a self-published book? -So, no. It's with a hybrid publisher. So, I have a publisher that does distribution through bookstores. And other channels but then I can also buy copies to sell at the back of the room. -So okay, but so you're making some a little bit better profit margin, okay. Cool. Well, now you know how to get paid for public speaking. And make sure you subscribe to this video, I'll also put a link to Michele McCullough down below. With speakmichelle.com and we will see you tomorrow.

Public speaking has become part of my journey and in this episode, Nate Woodbury will be joined by Michelle McCullough as she shares her story and what the benefits of public speaking has been. Tune in to learn what public speaking is like in the shoes of the experts.

Alright. So there are a lot of videos about public speaking and how to do it or how to improve in it. But what benefit is there in public speaking? I mean why do we do it in the first place? So, that's what we're talking about today. We've got Michelle McCullough here. This one's going to be awesome. Alright. I'm excited to be here and have you here Michelle. I know Michelle for many years. We've become good friends and she's currently our chapter president for the National Speakers Association. So, I thought this was... This would be a good person having here for this talk. 1, because of that but also because you obviously have been doing public speaking for a long time. Well, let's start with a fun question. Like, first of all, just why do you like public speaking? Well, I started my public speaking career, if you will. I guess my journey back in high school where I was a high school debater. So, I got to compete competitively in high school and that actually got me my college education becuase I got a scholarship to go to college to debate and to talk. And I think that one of the things that I really like about professional public speaking is the ability to use your gifts, your talents, your abilities, your experiences and also words to help bring about enormous change. And in the world that we live in where you can do so many things digitally and this is fantastic. But having the opportunity to connect and interact with each other through as such a simple form of communication is really fulfilling. -That is awesome because the the word that comes to my mind that I think you guys hear a lot on this channel its influence. -Right. -So basically, public speaking is a great tool for influence. -Absolutely. -I didn't know that, I didn't know that that you got a scholarship because of speaking. -Yeah. -It was really cool. -Yeah, my elementary school teacher is called, told my mom I was a chatterbox. But if I didn't shut up, I wasn't not going to amount to anything. And now I get to say, "The interning or I get paid to speak." -Alright. So, let's bring this into business and I know that both of us use public speaking to market business. How do you do that? -Well, I think initially, I started professionally speaking by marketing. I didn't get into it to be a keynote speaker which I do now. But I would go to events, I would speak for free hope that I would get leads for my business. And also hope that I would get consulting clients and also have opportunities to sell from the stage.

And so, in the beginning, it was a revenue stream that I used for marketing and for income. Differently than I use it now. But I think it was a great way for me to professionally get into that space. -I mean, I found the same and I'm new in the speaking space but I did have the opportunity to speak a couple weeks ago at a YouTube event. A lot of people there that I've always gone and I've networked with but just having the opportunity to be on stage. I had a swarm of people around me for like a half-hour afterwards with all these questions and it's like, I was been there the whole time. -Right. -Now that they had me on stage, it was... It was a great, yeah. It really helped let people know and show people my expertise and anyway, position me well. -Well I think that especially in your case and in any experts case. If they're not doing speaking as part of what they do, they're missing out an opportunity for that second level expertise. So whether you put on your own events or whether you go to other people's events, I think there's perceived value or perceived foundational expertise that's there that can be really good for the audience. And also helps you connect with... Connect with your target market. -Now, that brings up another point. So, as you're aware years ago, I used to do like speaker video events. Where I would put on mock events, rent stages and have my clients take the stage and I would film them as if they were giving a public speech, right? Even clients that didn't do public speaking but they did coaching. They love to come to these events because then they would make a promo video promoting themselves as a coach. But showing themselves speaking on stage, it gave them an image of credibility and authority that I only worked with clients that had credibility and had you know, that we're reputable and so that makes a lot of sense. That obviously speaking from the stage. Especially if you get good at it, there's a lot of... A lot of impact that can have on your brand. -For sure. And one of the other things I will add to that is one of the biggest parts of marketing and where I think marketing and speaking kind of meld together really powerfully, is that nobody wants to be a guinea pig. And nobody wants to buy your product or buy your service. Be feeling like they're the very first time or that they're at the beginning skate stages of your business. And so often, speaking on a stage can provide that second level endorsement from someone else that says "Oh, they're legitimate, they've been in business for a while." And again, like you said, you still need to be good at speaking but it can be a really important part of how people perceive you and the value in your business as well. -When you are saying that, I actually thought you're going a slightly different direction but I think it also applies that when you're speaking on stage, people that may have seen you in one format, now they're seeing you live and it's just a whole another way to... Which life is always better. -Always. -So there's more connection. There's, there's, you know, connection with with the room and just a different experience. And so, it allows people to connect with you more and kind of make that next step. -Mm-hmm. -Alright. So as I'm seeing you over the last several years make some transitions. I know that initially... -And you mentioned this monetization came from speaking from the stage and then getting leads that went into your your business then. And now you are getting paid to keynote now. Well let's talk about kind of both those than anything in between. What about, how did it start and what are you doing now? -So, initially it did start from speak to sell events where they wouldn't pay me to speak. I guess in a couple of cases they did pay me to speak and I was able to sell as well. And the difference is, is are you getting the money on the front end are you getting money on the back end. And so at speak to sell events, I did everything based off of my conversion rates and I would know after I'd done a handful to a dozen how what percentage of the room I could convert. And so, I would offer products and services based of that conversion rate. And so I could go into an event with 200 people or 300 people or even 30 people and kind of know what I was going to make based off of the products and services that I offered. Well, in time, as much as I liked that, it became harder and harder to plan for physical products or even to find ways to make digital products feel tangible for people to want to buy. And so I shifted my business into the keynote world where I get paid on the front end and I don't make a big sell on the back end which is really hard for me now because I can go into a room and think, "Oh my gosh, if I could sell something I could make so much more money." But the benefit of that is also that it provides an opportunity for you really to be the hero of the company. And so, I may not be promoting myself but I'm getting paid on the front end to promote the business, promote the company and go in and either help employees or partners or other business owners find that value there. And so now, with the keynoting space, that has really been valuable piece of my business. I still do both depending on the instance. But I'm doing more keynoting now than speak to Sullivan's. But anyone can start in either place. -So, let's... Maybe a go specific question on each type. If you're speaking to sell, is your... Is your presentation kind of a whole sales presentation that you're leading people through? Or is it more come... Because I've seen both. -Sure. -Is it more common that you'll just give value, value, value. And then give them an offer at the end. -So, I tend to go to the ladder. I have been to events where I have felt like I was being sold the whole time and not getting any content. And one of the things that I think helped me was that I was taught very early on provide value then ask for the sale. And so, at any event that I go to, I will offer 3 or 4 points. I will make sure it's very content rich and I think that makes the conversion rate go up. So, that from the very beginning, people aren't sitting down expecting a sales pitch and not engaging. They're expecting content. And then when the sales pitch comes, they think, "Oh, I really liked what she offered here. I think that what she's going to offer here is going to be valuable." And so, I always let lend to the rule where it's about 15% of your presentations. If you're speaking first 60 minutes. It's only going to be like 6 to 12 minutes of your presentation on a sales pitch. And the rest of it is providing specific value. I might seed it carefully throughout the presentation. But I'm not spending the whole time selling.

-So, I have a follow-up question that I don't know the answer for I have a guess. -Okay. -But I've seen events where they're more like joint events where if you were to come in your to speak, have something to sell, you'd give 50% of your earnings to the person who put on the event. Have you done those type of events or do you mostly do where you just keep on percent of the Commission because you're giving so much value? -So, I do both. It depends on the organization. I have never done up to 50%. And part of that is because I have the offerings that I offer make it really hard to offer that type of Commission level. And so, I've only gone as high as 30 even when people have asked for 50. -More hands on? -They're more hands-on versus digital. So, depending... The way that I might I focused and shifted my business, I really want people to get value and I was selling products for so long that people weren't using. So now, I offer services or other live events. And so then it's harder to give that much of a cost back to the organizer. But in some cases, you know, if you come in as a value-add individual and you're providing specific content or if you promote in advance of the event, there are some organizers that won't require a commission on the backend. And... But either works. I'm happy to do that. In my way, in my opinion, if somebody else is willing to fill the room, I'm happy to give them what I would spend in marketing. So, I always consider it that way in terms of commissions back. -Have you ever paid to speak at someone's event because you knew you'd make more money from it? -I'll tell you one time, I have been asked to do that hundreds of times. In my experience, those have never converted the way that I would like them to convert based on what you have to put in. One time, I offered to trade an amount. Which was, it was a 5 figure amount I'm not going to lie. It was a 5 figure amount they wanted for me to be a keynote on their stage. And I had told them honestly, that I'd never paid to speak before. And because I get paid to speak as a keynoter. I can often express that and use that as part of the negotiation process. But in this particular case, I offered to provide 5 figures in promotional consideration through my social media channels, podcasts, video series, other things that I did. and I'll tell you I made less than 4 figures on that event. And so, where she had expected and had said there was going to be 1,500 people in the room there were 200. And I had planned for 1,500 people and planned for 200 people to purchase the product. And so it just didn't turn out the way that I thought it was going to be. So super leery about that. I know in some cases it works magnificently when people guarantee a specific audience. It hasn't been my experience. -It says something when you say you've gotten hundreds of offers or requests or invitations like that. But you've only kind of done once. So that... Anyway. That makes... That makes a lot of sense. -Well, I think the best part about the speaking industry is that there are multiple ways you can make money from it. And there are some people I know who only do it that way. They only pay to speak on the stage and then they get income at the back end. And so, that's fine if that works for you. -But I think there are multiple different ways to make money and also be open to the conversation in negotiations so that you get the right deal. I'm in a place where you know, 10 years ago or even 5 years ago, I needed more speaking engagements. Now, I'm saying no to more speaking engagements than I actually take just because of timing and circumstances and being booked. And so, it makes it easier for me to have some of those negotiation conversations in a way that's mutually beneficial. -So a question on the the keynoting side where you're getting paid to give say a 45 minute keynote presentation. For those of you watching who are curious what what are kind of the ranges that people can make as a as a keynoter? -Well, it depends. I think there are celebrities and experts and ex-presidents that are making twenty-five to fifty thousand dollars a keynote speech. Sometimes times they're making a hundred thousand or more. But I think that generally speaking, especially starting out. As long as you have established expertise. I'm always leery to have this conversation because there are people who are starting out in expertise and they should start at a small rate maybe 250 or even $500. But there are other people who have established expertise. But they're just starting and speaking. In which case, I think 2,000 or 2,500 or even 3,500 is a good place to start. Assuming you can actually be at least engaging while you're speaking. But then from that, I have just taken the role as that every year that I get a certain number of speaking engagements at that amount then I can increase it after that. And so, I'm careful there are some years where I can increase it a few times in the year and sometimes where it takes a couple years to increase it to where I want it to be. But I think that the expertise should match the increase and the experience should match the increase as a general rule. -So, a number... A nice round number is 10,000? Let's just say the keynote is 10,000. And people can look at that and say, "Well, you're on the stage for an hour and you're getting paid $10,000 to speak? What?" But it's real. -Absolutely. It's a it's the value that you really bring and there's those corporations or organizations or what's... Where... I'm looking for... Associations that really want to bring in people and it's worth that investment for what you're going to deliver at that event. And even in... This is... I'm familiar with that. I've been a part of our you know NSA chapter for for many years now. But at first, it was like just real kind of mind-boggling to me of what you can make as a speaker. Meaning, you just go out and you give you know 50 speeches in a year. You're making five hundred thousand in a year. -Right. It's amazing. And you know Dan Clark famed... Hall of Fame speaker. And he speaks all over. He says, you're not paid by the hour, you're paid by the value you bring to that hour. And so, some of those speakers that are getting paid 5 and 6 figures really have provide a fantastic value. And I have learned now my and Keynote fee increases incrementally over time. It's not just that our. It's the amount of days I have to spend away from my family or my home or days I have to spend away from additional work. And also the time and preparation I put into that speech. And so now I get it. But I was like you just getting started. "Oh my gosh. She makes that much? He makes that much?" But the reality is is that they're good at what they do and it's not just that hour. It's all the time it goes into preparation. And also the time that they spend away. -Well, I think of the event and I'm pointing this way because that's the way to California. That's like, "what am I pointing at." I think of... I've been I went to a couple weeks ago. I got to speak or that they asked me to speak. They did not pay me but they comped my flight, they comped my my stay and a couple other things. But one of the other keynoters, I don't know how much they paid him. But Gary Vaynerchuk, they were able to use his face in all their marketing to promote the event. And I know... I know that there was a lot of people that came because they know he was going to be on the stage. There was another another guy as well. And so for you know, the organizer of this conference to be able to invest a big chunk of change towards one or two or three of the main keynoters to bring in a whole bunch of people, that obviously makes a lot of sense. And so... -Well and also I will add to that from the marketing standpoint. The residual that happens after the fact. So for example, doTERRA Corporation that you might be familiar with. And their direct sales, essential oil and health and wellness company. And they had Hugh Jackman come. And they didn't announce him in advance and they didn't use him as a marketing ploy to get people to sign up. But if you could see the social media feeds that went absolutely bonkers after the fact where you've got 30,000 people in the room. All who have cell phones, all who have social media accounts. And then they're promoting that. That makes so Tara look like freaking rock stars. And it provides what we call aggregate marketing. So, it's not just the people in the room that there are promoting to. But the people that are outside of the room within the networks of all of those people who are promoting.

And so, sometimes speakers can come in for that pre-marketing but also for that post-marketing to establish a brand value. And you know, cool factor. -There you have it. Those are the benefits of public speaking. You didn't know them before, you definitely know them now. Be sure to subscribe and we're going to put a link to your website at speakmichele.com. We'll put that down below. You can trigger up. We'll see you next time.

We know for sure that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover but that doesn't mean that the cover isn't important at all. You have 30 seconds before someone judges you based upon your appearance that's why it's crucial to dress appropriately. Here's how men can dress for success.

Does the way we dress affect our level of success? So that's we're going to talk about today. We've got expert Eugenia here with us to talk about how to dress for success. Specifically in this episode, men. Alright. So Eugenia, I want to be successful. Is the way that I dress does it have an impact on my success? -Absolutely 110%. -Okay, you're very confident. -Why? Why? How come you're so confident? -Because you have 30 seconds before someone judges you. Well, just based upon or makes an impression of just based upon the way you're dressed. It's been noted and it's a fact that when you look sharp and you look the part that you are more successful and... Unfortunately or fortunately in our world, that's just the way it is. We are very image driven. So it does matter, absolutely. -I've got an abstract question to throw in here. -Okay -So, we're probably going to focus most of this on like professional success. But let's just because my mind went here. If I want to succeed in losing weight, will it make sense for me to invest in exercise clothes that look good? -Absolutely. Do you know why? -Why? -I'll tell you what. When I put on my Lulu's which is a really cute exercise clothing company. I feel really cute at the gym. I already just get out of bed, put a cap on and go to the gym. Let alone, I already feel somewhat not so cute. And if my clothes are going to be frumpy and baggy then it's going to be... It's... I'm not going to be as motivated. So, it will motivate me to exercise, believe it or not. I've had several clients, men and women that it matters to them how they also show up to the gym. Because it matters how he makes them feel. So yeah. You don't have to spend crazy amounts of money but look good when you're exercising. Why not? -Awesome. So, off-camera, we were kind of talking about there's kind of 2 sides of it. There's the... What you're wearing then other side. So let's first cover what you're wearing. So how do you dress to succeed professionally? -So, first you need to find out what your brand is. Who you are? What's your personal style? And if you don't have a personal style yet then go figure it out, right? Ask yourself Who am I? Am I a fun person? Am I a boring person? Am I alive? Am I more... And am I more subdued? Find out those questions and then one thing that can really help you figure out what your personal style is, obviously you can hire a wardrobe stylist. That's probably the most efficient one and safest way to go about it. But if you don't want to go that route then you can look at people in the public eye or someone who you emulate publicly. And see... Look at the way that they're... That they dress. And kind of emulate that. If you're comfortable with it, right? So, you can go that route.

What are some basic rules that about... About dressing specifically for men? You know, what are...? What are some things that we can... -So, when you start developing that personal style and you're starting to buy and investing and a new wardrobe, make sure that fit is very, very important. So, get your clothing tailored because everything that you're getting off the rack, it's made to fit everybody and yet doesn't fit anybody, right? So, there's... Your body is unique... Is unique. So you need to get things tailored to you. And if there's one fast rule I always like to follow for men specifically is make sure your shoes and your belts always match. Always, always, always. That is the only role I really follow by. Everything else is, well it depends. -So, I have to say prior to working with you, Eugenia, I had never considered that. I always just had a black leather belt and typically I just had athletic shoes. -Yeah. -Or church shoes or whatnot. But since working with you, I've got a few different colors of shoes and a few different colors of belts. And it's made me want to tuck in my my button-down shirts more so that people will notice that I have matching shoes and belt. It's kind of... It's fun. I'm having fun with it. -And it showcases your shape too. I think most shirts that are untucked, they're just too long and you're just going to look frumpy or you're going to look like you're wearing you know, a garbage bag or something. So tucking things in is is good. If you don't want to tuck in your shirt then get shirts that are specifically to be worn untucked. A few other things to consider outside of the wardrobe, it's not just what you're wearing. Yes, dressing for success always key. That is a fast rule that I wholeheartedly believe, right? Have a skin regiment. And I a lot of women do you know, take care of their skin both day and night more than men. Men aren't as good at this. So, make sure you're wearing a good sunscreen, a good moisturizer for day and night. And also eye cream underneath your eyes. Because we do start getting bags as we age or underneath their eyes or dark circles and or if we are burning the candle at both ends, right? So, it makes sure that we are taking care of our skin. Number 2, drinking lots of water. That will also show in your skin. If you're dehydrated or or hydrated enough. Also, your teeth. Make sure you have good teeth. When was the last time you asked your your dentist or family dentist if your teeth look good, right? Or even the shade of your teeth. Nowadays there are so many different possibilities of whitening your teeth either professionally or in home kits. So make sure your teeth are not yellow. Make sure your teeth are nice and sparkly white. Also, you may need braces like me. For the second time. It's a pain. But you know, I wasn't happy still with my smile. And this is again, my second time wearing braces. And my smile just was shifting in my teeth and it was just not attractive. So, sometimes we do have to have braces again. And get regular cleanings too. Also, your hair. Make sure it's... It's not dated. And for ladies, sometimes ladies have the same haircut since high school, right? I think a good rule of thumb is every 5 years to ask your... Your hair stylist. If you have a really good hairstylist. If something should be shifted or changed or updated. But yeah. A good haircut. -So we're talking a lot about... The word that comes to mind is superficial things. And... -Superficial? -Surface level. Let's just say... -Well, we are talking about how to dress for success. -We are. And so I mean, we're like... In a in a world where we we don't want to judge a book by its cover but yet we all do. -We all do. -We all do and so if we want it, we want to succeed, it's not that the cover is the most important but the cover is important. -It is. Is it important to you? How is it important to you, Nate that when you look in the mirror that you feel good about what you're seeing? -Well, yeah. I mean, I guess, the conversation I am... Or the point I'm trying to make and this is... Ultimately, I want people to know what's inside. -Absolutely. -But since I have upgraded my wardrobe, and upgraded you know, working to upgrade my image, it's helped me... It's helped position me to help people see what's inside easier. So anyway, I'm really... -Right. -The reason I guess I bring it up is not to... Not to be a critic against it but to say, "You know, sometimes if all we talk about is okay you've got to focus on your hair, you got to focus on your skin, you got to focus on your clothes." But it really is important. it's just that's not the end goal. But in a world where we do judge a book by its cover... -Look at it this way, Nate. What if you are... And this happens. I'm not making this up. This literally happens. That I have many clients who say, "I am such a wonderful person. I am so..." And I know they are. They're not... They don't have to say it to me. The point I'm trying to make is they have so many great talents. They are so incredible on the inside. But sometimes the world, let's say, doesn't give them a  chance. Because they are being judged based on their cover, right? Either they look too old or they look too young or they dress too young or they dress too old. You know? And people either set them aside or they don't get certain opportunities because what they're putting outwardly may portray that they don't care. You know, so think of it also as you... Most people are so wonderful but they don't have sometimes a second chance because outwardly it's not favorable. Shall we say that? I mean, I know... And I don't want you to think that I am you know, that I just set people aside automatically just based on the way they look. Absolutely not. I'm actually able to set that aside because this is what I do for a living and I know people's hearts. I mean, I can tell. And with some tweaks here and there, it's amazing how the true you and the real you just comes out and then you're the full package. Why not? -Awesome. Yes. So I'll just kind of my own personal experience and maybe this is even vulnerable. But as I... I've helped some of my clients achieve great great success on YouTube. And it's drawn a lot of attention. Saying, "How did you do that?" You know and more and more people wanted to work with me. And a lot of these people are mega millionaires. Even making you know, hundreds of millions a year. And was I... And I look back, it's like, "How do I relate to these people? How?" And that's part of the conversation I was having back when I when I first started working with you is you know, I want to dress in a way that I'll just fit in with them better. That they'll see that the services that I offer that... That there's just not a disconnect between the way that I'm dressing and the way that I know how to deliver and perform. -The product you offer and the product you make and the way you deliver it is outstanding. But if there's a misrepresentation between that and the way you look, then people sometimes do wonder. Sometimes they do sometimes they don't. But most importantly is how you feel. Do you want to feel? Do you feel like the CEO? Do you feel like you know, the hero that you save so many people and you help them so much which you do, make so much money? Then also look the part. It comes down to that. -There's also rare examples that are the opposite. And so that also cause a little confusion. And an example, a YouTuber that I follow that I really like. His channel is Devin Supertramp. And he wears... He wears this hat always he's very dressed down in casual yet, he he's kind of an elite in his category on YouTube. -Now, Devin. That's his brand. -Exactly. -He can pull it off. He looks good. He's doing it well. That is his brand. I'm not talking about wearing a suit and a dress and 3-inch heels everywhere you go. That is not what I'm saying. -What I was trying to do. -Dressing true to who you are, professionally and personally.

-So, in my mind, I was like, "Well, I want to be... I want to offer this this type of service with this brand but yet, I want to be different than my brand because..." I fully agree that that is Devin's brand and I don't think he needs to change anything about that. But I, in myself I felt, "Oh, I need to dress like Devin so that I could be this." And that's where there is a disconnect. -Correct. -And a lot of people... I'm so glad you brought that up because a lot of people think that way too. They see someone like Devin and they're like, "Oh, for me I'm kind of doing what he's doing so I need to look just like him." No, there's already one Devin. Just like there's already one Mark Zuckerberg and I love when people always bring that up to me as like, "Well, he wears t-shirts and hoodies." And I said, "Yeah, there's already one of them. It works for him. That's fine." Doesn't mean that you have to copy him. In fact, he has just recently shifted that. Because people have been making impressions and have been criticizing him if you will a little bit on how nonchalant he has been dressing. So he has even... He has shifted up. But nonetheless. -Well, it goes back to a conversation that we talked about in another video that you want to search for. We talked about how it's important to be true to yourself and to to accept who you are not compare yourself to others. -Correct. -That if I'm going to up my image or up my brand or up my wardrobe, it's not so that I can compete with somebody else or be like somebody else. It's really just to bring out the best me. -Yeah, that's right. at the end of the day, every single day, you want to be the best version of yourself no matter what. -Awesome. Thanks Eugenia. -You're welcome, thank you. -Well, thank you for watching this episode. You watch all the way to the end so you might as well hit that subscribe button. And then we will see you tomorrow.

Have you ever heard of a capsule wardrobe? Is it literally a wardrobe in a capsule? Let's get that straightened out - Eugenia is a wardrobe stylist and she's here to help us out with that. Tune in to learn more about capsule wardrobes!

What is a capsule wardrobe? When I first heard that term, I had no idea. So we're going to be answering that question and also talking about is it professional? Alright. So, I'm actually curious and I haven't discussed what your opinions of a capsule wardrobe. Like I did YouTube it. Somebody thought what somebody else's. So I kind of think I know what it is. But I'm curious to know first off, what is your opinion of a capsule wardrobe? -So, my first and foremost opinion is that it's an awesome idea. So, what a capsule wardrobe is, it's a wardrobe that is full of timeless and essential pieces, right? Pieces that you keep going back over and over and over for. So really, in essence 20% of what's hanging in your closet that's usually what people wear, the other 80%, no one touches. And a lot of times that is those capsule pieces. Those pieces that are timeless, that you feel good in and that work with everything else in your wardrobe. -In my case it would be the new Mavi Jeans that I've got. -That's right. I was just about to say that. You took the words right out of my mouth, yeah. The dark denim jeans which goes with everything. You can wear it with a t-shirt or a button-down. You can dress it up or down. So, yes. That's a capsule wardrobe. -So, the video that I watched was it was a guy really coming at it from a minimalist perspective. It's like, what's the least amount that I can get away with but still have... Do you agree with that kind of mindset of kind of minimalist? I did... I don't get that vibe. I felt like, "Yeah, let's buy a variety of things." I mean, just a quick.... What are your quick thoughts on that? -Well, it depends. More isn't always better, right? I mean, it depends who you are, what you do for a living. If you are someone that wears a shirt and tie every single day for work, I mean you need to have at least 10 for them to go to the dry cleaners, you know, or in case if you or more than one a day and so forth and so on. So, it depends. What a capsule wardrobe means is to have those essential pieces or to invest in those essential pieces that you know you're going to get your value out of them, right? So, for example, dark denim jeans or good pair of sneakers, v-neck, sweaters, you know in black and gray or navy. You know, those can go with so much. v-neck, black tea and a v-neck, white tee. A trench coat if you're a lady. Or man, you can also wear one. But a good pencil skirt, a good pump or a good brown shoe, a good black shoe. Those essential pieces that you know that you can in essence recycle them with one another. I call it. And you always feel good and you can just grab them on the go. And it makes packing also easy. But I think sometimes especially for a man, if you have too much hanging in your closet, it'll... It's overwhelming. Is it overwhelming to you? -It's... It's not now. I went first, because my wardrobe was such a big shift. Like button-down shirts were something I never wore. And the polo shirts I wore were golf shirts. And I'm not even a golfer. So basically, to set... To set aside the t-shirts and those polo shirts and the athletic shirts to switch to... Anyway, I felt like after we went shopping, it's like I had a good weeks worth or maybe or so of shirts. But I still felt like with laundry and istead of like... So, I had to go out and I bought a whole... I bought a whole bunch more and that, that made me feel comfortable. I wasn't wearing the same shirt every day. -That is correct. Because if you just have I don't know how, many items this person was that you saw in the video was suggesting having. But you have to account laundry. And you have to account after... I mean, I've been doing this for so many years that people often say, "Oh, I think this is enough. And at first, I'm like, "Okay, that's fine." But let me just remind you. There are 7 days a week. Have to do laundry and if you're traveling and if you spill. So you have to you know, keep... Be mindful of all those things that might happen. So, if one pair of jeans, it's probably not enough. You should probably have three or so, right? Depending again, how often you wear them. And so forth and so on. So, it depends on what your lifestyle is.

-Okay. Well, the next question I have is more of are there any disadvantages...? And before, I throw in my kind of my thoughts. I definitely want. What are there any disadvantages to a capsule wardrobe? -There are no disadvantages. It's... You.. Well, only if all you have is black or all you have is white or all you have is gray, right? You do want to have a good balance. So, a balance of colors, you don't want to buy the same top and every single color which a lot of people do. Even though you love to fit, you love the material, you love how it looks on you. So, it's a great thing because we all have such busy lights. You do want to make sure that when you walk into your wardrobe that you'd love everything that's there. And if you don't, then you should delete. Because you don't want it to overwhelm you. So, invest. It may feel a little indulgent at first but remember, you are an adult, you're not growing anymore. You're striving for classics. Invest in good timeless pieces because you will wear them over and over and over again. And number 2, when you walk into a closet, you want to make sure that you love everything that's hanging there. And that it makes you feel good when you're wearing them. -Okay. So, from somebody that's a newbie to this space, if I can just kind of state back what I'm kind of learning or taking away from this. And going back to that YouTube video that I saw, the takeaway that I got there was mostly that his goal was focusing on minimizing the size of the wardrobe but still having it be functional. So... And I don't remember exactly but let's say he had... He had 2 pair of pants and 2 shirts, you want to make sure that both pants will go with both shirts. -That's correct. -Go with the socks, that go... And so strategically, that makes a lot of sense. That I'm not just buying one shirt that only works with... But so it's being... That... Is that the difference between maybe a capsule wardrobe in an anon capsule? -So Nate, you remember correct. So Nate, you remember when we shopped together and when we started building your wardrobe, I told you... I suggest it to you, "Let's buy clothing that can go with... What with well... With it with each other, right?" You don't want to just have this blue shirt only going specifically with these pants. Now, you will have some items that that will be the case. But in essence, as far as capsule, you want to make sure that everything else goes with each other. So, that did that answer your question? -And so... -It's more affordable to do that in a long run. And it's faster to get dressed in the morning. -So, let's say I'm walking through a mall. -Okay. -And I see this pair of shoes that I'm like, "Wow, those are amazing." But what if they don't... I have to buy a whole new wardrobe to make them fix. They don't have anything that that will fit? -Well a capsule wardrobe in essence is also solids. It's also basics. So, if you are looking at a pair of shoes that are a WoW pair of shoes, most likely those shoes will go with those, with those basics. Because in often, those basics... Again, it depends. Everything... Those my basics will... Will need something to spruce it up to. -Okay. -So, let's say it's an animal print shoe. Obviously more of a woman would love to see that. Using it a woman as an example. Then if I'm wearing a solid black pair of pants like I'm wearing today. A cream top. That animal print shoe will take this look to the next level. Okay? You bought a pair of... Was it red or bright blue? Which one? It was awesome. -The bright blue, the double monk strap. -Double monk strap, bright blue shoe. Okay? Most people are not confident enough or even would know what to do with that. With a shoe that... Of that color, right? But with all of your clothes being so basic, and in neutral, that blue shoe will just take all of your basics to the next level. So in essence, will take all of your capsule, capsules that you have hanging in your closet to the next level. So, that's a good thing. So the shoe might not be considered part of the capsule wardrobe? Or it may. If you love it enough. -But if I... -Make sense? -But in this case and in my example, it would be, so if I create a capsule wardrobe, basically then I can find something else that I won't have to buy a whole new wardrobe just to match that one thing. -That's right. -Alright. So, if someone is brand new to this approach to their wardrobe and they want to shop well for for you know, to create your capsule wardrobe. What do you recommend?

So, I recommend... There are 2 stores right now that come to mind that provide great basics. One is Banana Republic. On a more affordable level and then the other one is Theory. And they both have awesome basics. That's what they're known for. Theory is more of a little bit more of an investment. But it's totally worth it. Their materials, their fits. They've got beautiful clothing. And Banana is more of a... If your budget... Depending on your budget, go in figure. You get to... -Men and women, for both those? -For both of them. Men and women. I love them. I love them. -Now, I think that there's a Banana Republic near me in an outlet mall. I haven't heard of Theory. There... They do exist in Utah? -So, theory is a brand and we don't have the theory store. The theory store excuse me in Utah. We only have some Theory clothing. And Nordstrom offers that sometimes. The nearest one is in Las Vegas. And I... When I go and take clients there to shop, we always stop at that store because we want to make sure they have some really great capsule pieces. -Okay, so that's... If that's a travel destination or a pass through, that might be a... Is it at the outlet mall or is it? -It is both at the outlet mall which is a great outlet store. Theory is and sometimes be careful with outlet stores. Because you actually could be wasting more money than saving. It's not always you know, the affordable route to go. But these outlet stores are phenomenal. and I go there multiple times a year with different clients because you save so much money. And you get exactly what you need. -Is it kind of like the rack versus Nordstrom comparison there? -It can. It depends. So, when you're talking about the outlet store for Banana, it's not the same. They are so low end that I really... For example for you, I wouldn't recommend shopping there. Their materials are not what they used to be. I would rather just you go straight to Banana regular store. -Okay. Alright, well that definitely answer my questions. And gave me a better understanding of a capsule wardrobe. Well, thanks for your help. Be sure to subscribe. And if you want to find out more about Eugenia or connect with her... How do we connect? -You can find me on social media on eugeniawardrobestylist.com or... That's my website or you can go to my Facebook which is also Eugenia wardrobe stylist or Instagram which is the same name eugeniawardrobestylist. you

There are reasons why you should dress professionally, and one is because first impressions last. It's also good to look good because it makes you feel good. Check this out, we've got Eugenia in this episode to help you build your professional wardrobe.

Alright. So, you're a woman and you want to build a professional wardrobe. I'm a man. If you want to build a professional wardrobe as a woman, Eugenia is the person to know. We've got 11 tips that we're going to share today on how to do just that. Alright. We've got 11 tips we got to get going here. What's that's tip number 1. -Okay, so I love in basics that I suggest and I recommend every woman should have in their wardrobe. Okay. Number 1, a pair of nude heels, patentened leather nude heels. -Nude heels, what does that mean? -Nude heels, Nate. They're nude looking. The color. -Color? -Google it. Are we going to put little images up above? -I guess I'm a man so I don't need to pay attention to this episode. -Most women knows nude heels are. -Okay. -okay. So, a pair of nude heels. A pair of flats. A good pair of flat shoes. -That's tip 2? -That's tip 2. So are you counting, just in case. I may I may forget. number 3. An animal print belt. Because all of your basics are so basic and are so neutral that animal print will really bring the wow factor into that plain look sometimes. -Animal print belt. That's specific. -Number 4. Are we on 4? A camel wool jacket for winter. Just a camel which is kind of like a nude color. A beige. It just goes with so much. You can wear it with sneakers, you can wear it with a dress. -I will have to google and see what a camel... -They're... -Camel wool? -They're classic. A camel wool blazer. Number 5. A pencil skirt. A skirt that will fit you really really well. Not that it's boxy but it comes in at the knee. A pencil skirt. And number 6. A fantastic dress. A dress that you feel like you can conquer the whole world in. That you feel like superwoman. It doesn't have to be black. Sometimes people think that it's the little black dress. So it can be a little black dress but it can be in a little green dress or a blue dress. Whatever the color is that makes you feel good. Number 7 a statement piece of jewelry. So it could be one big piece of jewelry that you love that can go with so much that can go with everything else too.

So, for instance, one of mine is this big cuff bracelet. And number 8, a pair of skinny.... Dark denim skinny jeans. Number 9, a quality purse. A good nice leather purse. If you don't like leather you can do pleather but just a really nice invest in a good leather purse. And because that is something that people notice right off the bat just like people notice men shoes. What else are we missing? A pair of black pants. Just a nice well fitted black trousers. Can be jeans too. But if it's jeans then make sure they're a little bit dressier. Just something you can wear maybe to the office and also casually. So, I'm supposed to be keeping track or account but I think... I can't remember how many... -Okay, we've got a cheat sheet here guys. -A button-down white shirt. So button down white shirt. Those are great. Again, you can... A well fitted button-down shirt. Now, for ladies, here's a trick. Often they don't fit on the chest because of their bust. So you may have to go up a size and get it tailored on the sides. Right? We don't want anything opening. And I think that is it. Let me see my cheat sheet. Yep, I think that's it. We covered all 11. All 11 basic pieces that every woman should have in their wardrobe. Now, these pieces aren't set in stone, Nate. It depends. Maybe for me is a pencil skirt and maybe for you is a wool pant. I mean, it depends. These are just some suggestions that with these basics, it's amazing everything else that can go with them. -So you're saying that you know, the topic of this video is how do... How women can build a professional wardrobe. -Correct. And you're basically saying that in you know, every woman's going to be different and have their own brand, their own image. But these 11 things are... They're kind of universal. -They are. They are universal. And nowadays, wearing you know... What you wear to the office is a little bit more casual. So these actually go very well with with business casual. You obviously should and can add you know, a nice neutral blazer that I didn't add there. I didn't want to overwhelm but... -12 would definitely overwhelm. So we're sticking to 11. So, let me go through to see if I have any questions on these. So, you see a quality purse. That's not something that I really understand because I'm a man. I just take my wallet. However. -Oh my goodness. You're wallet was awful. -Why it was so bad. -Because it looked like it was twenty years old. -it was really old. The leather worn off to the cloth beneath and it was really extremely thick. -Yes you had so much in there and it wasn't dollar bills. -Right, it wasn't. Wasn't $400. (Both Laughs) -All right. So now, I understand the purse. Okay, so you're just saying the nude shoes because they'll match most things? -Correct. Having a good... -Okay. A statement piece of jewelry. Just something that will take a neutral outfit and make it kind of stand out. -Correct. -Is that the same reason by having the animal print belt. That's a very specific. -It is specific. Should you say like a loud belt or... -aAn animal print because an animal print itself is a neutral. Just like polka dots or stripes or neutrals. They go with lots of different things. -It adds flare for sure and flavor. -Now, is camel, the camel wool coat made from camel fur or is it...? -You mean hair? -Yes. -It can. It can. -But it doesn't have... -Depending on your budget. -Is it the color? -It doesn't. -Okay. -It's the color. A camel color. So you know camel. It's kind of that beigey color. Again, it's like the nude shoe it goes with everything. -So, for shoes, you use the word nude, for coats use that word camel. -Yes it's a classic. -And what do you mean by statement flat shoes. You mention flat shoes we kind of went over that one quickly. -So, usually sometimes we think just to... As a woman to make a statement as far as shoes. We need to wear high heels. That's not so. There are many gorgeous shoes that are low and we call them flats. Not everybody can be wearing heels all the time. For example, I can't and you know. If went shopping for people, if I wear heels, I'm dead.

So, I need to be wearing some cute flats that can have the same allure as heels but they're comfortable. May I say something really quick? -You may say something. -For women, professional women. Wear lipstick. People pay actually 70% more attention to what you're saying if you're wearing lipstick. A bright colored lipstick. One obviously that you're comfortable with and that looks good with your skin tone but wear lipstick. It's so important. Because you want people to... When you're talking. -That makes sense. Alright. So thanks Eugenia. -Thank you, Nate. Really appreciate you showing these 11 amazing tips. Be sure to subscribe and let's have them connect with you where? Yes eugeniawardrobestylist. -So that's a website, we'll put a link below. -That's my website. Link below or you can look me up on Facebook and Instagram as well. -Alright, awesome. We'll see you tomorrow.

In this video with Eugenia, a professional wardrobe stylist, we talk about how you should dress up for a professional photoshoot. Because when you wear the right clothes, the confidence comes along with it. Tune in as we discuss the right clothes for the right activity.

Welcome back. In this episode, we're going to be talking about how to dress for a professional photo shoot. So, if you've got a photo shoot coming up, you definitely want to make sure you watch this episode beforehand. So, stay tuned. Alright. So, this is Eugenia. Good friend of mine. No person better to be talking about this. Then how to prepare for a professional photo shoot? So, first of all why don't you take a moment to introduce? Why are you the best person to talk to? Why do I pick you? -Because I'm really cool and awesome. And... -I told you. No, I'm a wardrobe stylist and I work with people on their outer image. I work with people on developing a personal style so that it can speak to true to who they are and because at the end of the day, you are your business card and you want to represent such. So professional photo shoot. So, I have had the privilege of working with some good photographers and I've also had not so good of a privilege to working with some that have not been good photographers. And what I mean by that is that they didn't know really how to help me prepare for that. For... For my portrait, for my headshot or whatever you're there to do, right? A good photographer will guide you on and give you some guidance on what you should wear. Some colors and will prepare you to as to where you're going to be shooting, hopefully. What the background is like. And hopefully they will have hair and makeup there at your disposal to make sure that you look your best. If they don't, make sure to get hair and makeup on set. That is very, very, important. I'm not saying don't look like yourself. Absolutely to look like yourself. That's also another big mistake that I see a lot is that people think that they need to dress or wear makeup or do a hairdo that... That's not what they normally look like. So for example and this happens a lot with real estate agents, right? They give you a card and they have a headshot. A picture of their headshot on their card and they're often wearing a suit. Like a dark suit. Well, that kind of makes you look like an attorney or a door-to-door salesman. So it's an example. So... And often, when I'm talking to them and they can be their card, it's like they are... They look nothing like what they're handing me. So be sure to be true to your brand, to who you are. you don't have to look stuffy or wear a suit just because you're taking a picture. -Okay, so before we go to the photo shoot then, it's important to have a conversation about kind of strategy and what the purpose is.

-Again, plan ahead. That is very important. If you don't love anything that you have in your wardrobe to wear, so you should be looking for something that is maybe bright, that has shape. But make sure the clothing isn't wearing you, that you are wearing the clothing. Because that will also showcase. So, don't wear a lot of big bulky jewelry because that will.... As the time goes by, that will look dated. -In my own experience, there's a lot of things that I've been doing to up my brand and brand for the first time. Both with photography, with wardrobe, with books and writing my speech and whatnot. And I chose to go in a certain order. Before going to my photo shoot, I worked with you for a wardrobe. And in this case, we're talking you know, this I had a professional reasons for doing this. It wasn't like for preparing for a family portrait. But... -It was to develop your personal brand. So, the experience that I had in working with you and preparing for the photo shoot and the experiences I've had since. I definitely see the value in. So I want to share that experience and efforts that you'll see kind of the value and understand what more can be accomplished or how that photo shoot can be so much better. So, I mean, I basically... I called you with short notice and said, "Hey, I've got this photo shoot coming up and I didn't really know what to... What to expect." But I just said, "I need I need wardrobe help." -Yes. -Remind us, what did we... What was our first step? -Well, if I'm not mistaken, you've been wanting to work with me for a long time. -Many years. That for many years. But just now you felt that you've been ready to do that, take that step. So, first of all, I asked you a lot of questions. You know, who are you, Nate? What is your business? What are your trying to portray and say to the world? What is your brand? So, we need to define that first and you did. You said, "Oh, I'm this and this and this and this." And I said, "Okay, well now let's... Let's develop that personal style and then we picked a few outfits for a headshot." -We went shopping together. -We went shopping together. We got we made sure the clothing that we purchased fit you. So we got alterations. -We went to a thrift store, right? (Both Laughs) -Close, no. -We went to... We went to Dillard's. we went to Nordstrom's. -We did, we went to Dillard's, we went to Nordstrom. And that is all we have here locally. But we got some things that speak to your brand. And within your budget too. You also gave me a budget. I want to stay within this or some people don't have... -I stretched my budget a little bit. -Yeah, you did. Because it's hard to know exactly what it is if you've never done this or to expect. So, I kind of gently either push you or explain to you here's what to expect. And when we are in the thick of things then I kind of make suggestions as to where to stretch it and what is not worth stretching the for. So... And then we went on and got you ready for her photo shoot. But even then I really wanted to know what you wanted to say and who you were. And you were a little apprehensive, I think, if I may say. In the beginning about wearing button-downs. You weren't really sure about that. You felt... And correct me if you think I'm wrong, a little stuffy. So I was suggesting the t-shirt route with the Blazer and the dark denim. And cool sneakers. Not tennis shoes but sneakers. And that spoke a little bit more to true to who you were and you wanted more of a casual ,business casual vibe. You didn't want it... You didn't want to look like a serious, you know... -So, I have all these biases and and I guess habits or judgments of what is cool and what's me and what not. And while I still have those and I kind of bring them up, "Is it okay to believe this way or not?" I wanted your advice but sometimes I was just like, "That shirt is so not me." But you say, "It's good." So I'm going to go with it. And I also want to say that we did a second shopping experience without me there. And this shirt that I'm wearing... Eugenia picked out for me. She bought it without me being there and then had me try it on later. And when I saw this, I was like, "Alright." I put it on it like, so you say this looks good, right? -Well at the end of the day you are the one wearing it. So you do need to love it. I mean, I'm only going to suggest and push you so far. Because I... We're investing in these items. I want you to wear it, I don't want you to not wear it. But there is something to be said about just give it a try. Just try it and let me show you some things. And it's amazing how... It's almost like a light bulb goes off in your head and you go, "Oh, my gosh. You're right." -Yeah, it took a few days initially and then even more so over the next few weeks of just a mindset shift of... I mean, I've shared this with before. This specific shirt was the one I was wearing at the airport and the security guard of all people, is the one that, "Wow, I love that shirt." And it's just like, "This is the one that I almost refused to even accept." So, one... One thing... One piece of advice that I'd share that I'm glad that I implement is I was just coachable or teachable. I was willing to go outside of my comfort zone and just trust your judgment and I really think it's paid up. And I... And I love this shirt. You got to remember. You don't know what you don't know? So give it a try in a lot of cases. You... You don't know. We... We usually, we're creatures of habit, right? So, we keep going and wearing and buying the same... -But I wanted different results. -You want a different results then you needed to do different things. -Mm-hmm. -Okay, so this might be kind of a... What's... Let me think that word.

So, this might be kind of a leading question. But do you feel it's important to work with a photographer and a wardrobe stylist that are used to working with each other? Do you think that that's a good a good fit or can you...? -That's absolutely a very good fit. But if you don't, you don't. I mean at the end the day, you are the client. So work with whomever you are comfortable with. Now, a wardrobe stylist is is very personal. So there are many wardrobe stylists out there. So you obviously want to work with someone that you're comfortable and that gets you. That gets real brand, that gets where you're trying to go. Because only then they can get you there. If they understand that. So... But if... If this, this photo shoot is super super important, which usually is. I mean... It's... People are going to see that before they meet with you in a lot of cases. They're going to be googling you, right? So, that is... That is the hello shot. First introduction, first impressions of you online. You might just want to hire someone and invest in that. I promise you, it will not be a waste of your time or money. It will be a lot safer in it and it cuts out... It takes all the guessing out of it. Because you don't want to be spending all that time and money into those photos and then get them and you go, "Oh, my gosh. What am I wearing?" And I don't like it. It doesn't speak to you. Which that happens a lot. I've had a lot of people call me afterwards and say, "Okay, what do you think of these pictures? I'm not loving it." And I'm like, "Yeah, I agree with you. Here's why." -Well and I can't even speak to that that I I definitely was way better prepared than I... Than I would have been otherwise. And I have some amazing photos that I'm really pleased with. But I'm also excited for a... You know, 6 months down the road doing another photo shoot. And I'm going to do some additional things. Now that I'm just learning and learning and growing. So... -Yeah. -Anyway, I highly recommend a wardrobe stylist before your professional photo shoot. If you liked this video, be sure to subscribe. And then I know that you've got a busy schedule. And it's hard because we've got viewers all over the country and even globally. So working directly with you may or may not even be possible. But what's a good way to connect with you. -Working with me, it doesn't matter where you are, it's always possible. -Okay, cool. -I work with people all over the world. Obviously more in the country but the best way to connect with me is go to my website. And it's eugeniawardrobestylist.com. -So, we'll include a link. -So, include a link below and... Or you can find me also on Facebook and Instagram eugeniawardrobestylist. -Awesome, thanks.

You'll never know when that next big client will approach you, that's why looking presentable to create a good first impression is important if you're in for a business. In this episode, Eugenia helps us with what to wear to a business conference. Check it out!

Welcome back. Today we're talking about "What do you wear to a business conference?" And is... is what you wear to a business conference different than what you're going to wear elsewhere. We're going to talk about that. Alright. Well I'm excited to talk about this and especially because I've experienced this with you. This is Eugenia. She's an amazing wardrobe consultants. Is that we call yourself? -A wardrobe stylist. -Stylist. That sounds even better. -Consultant is good too but... -So, I've experienced this with you and that you've helped me with my wardrobe and we've talked about, "Oh, I'm going to be speaking at this event or I'm going to be going to this conference." And so, how is the conversation different when we're talking about going to a conference? How does that apply to wardrobe?-So, it's very important.

So we can actually break it down into 2. Are you an attendee or you're actually speaking at a conference, right? It depends. If you're an attendee, obviously this is your time to shine, your time to dress to impress. To dress to how you want others to perceive you, right? So make sure that you dress the part and that you are... You look your brand, your business card. Have a personal style, right? So make sure that your clothing is clean and pressed. Make sure... -Is that going to be tough if you're traveling to a conference. -Well, you know what? Usually most hotels have an iron and an ironing board. Or you can take a little portable steamer. -So people use those irons to actually... -You shouldn't use those irons, Nate. Absolutely. They are there for a purpose. -I have to say. Since working with you, I've been using that irons at hotels what I've stayed at. But I haven't before. -Well, let me ask you. Do you want people to look at you and say, "Oh my gosh. Did you just roll out of bed?" Or do you want them to actually take you serious, right? So yes. Make sure your clothes are pressed. It makes a big difference. -Okay, so you talked about... You're going there as a participant but yet, you're representing your brand... -Always. You're always representing your brand. You have to remember, you never know who you're going to meet, right? You never know if you're going to meet your next best collaboration, future clients. You never know. So you always want to be prepared to dress to impress. So I have an example. -Yeah. -I have a few different clients who have national conferences that they attend to every year. Sometimes they played the part that they attend. And others, they are actually speaking at these major conferences. And some of them are national conferences where they're speaking on stage being you know, thousands and thousands of eyeballs on them. So... But I have one particular gentleman who for the past three or four years now, he goes to this conference for his real estate company. And he started... He contacted me and he said, "You know what Eugenia? I want to look like a million bucks when I go to this conference. It's very important to me." And so anyway, every time he goes, he always gets complimented and comments of his colleagues of how sharp he looks. In fact, he wanted to have an accessory and not everybody needs to do this. But he wanted to have an accessory that said who he was. That helped him stand out from the crowd, right? Which actually happened to be like you red wool hat. Just a... Just a nice beautiful hat. I wouldn't... I wouldn't necessarily recommend that just for anybody. But anyway, it looked really good on him. And people started recognizing him by that hat. And then the rest of the outfits would follow. And often, he would go... He would also have to go onstage to get some awards and everything. And people... He would just stand out like a sore thumb. And in fact... -It was good thumb. -What did I say? "Like a sore thumb"? (Laughs) Yeah. Well, we don't want to say. Cut! We want to say, he you stood out like... Like you really stood out from the crowd. And he caught the eyes of the owners of this company and actually gotten to work with them on a personal level. And in some national events. And that has really been very positive and beneficial to him both personally and professionally. So you never know. You want to dress to impress. -Yeah. So... I mean we we understand networking and how going to events like that. There's so many people that you can meet. But there's so much that gets said without saying anything. That's correct. You want to be approachable. You want to look approachable. You don't want to look like you're better than anybody else.

That is not what I'm saying. But you only have that one first time to make that first impression then it better be a positive one. -So... And the example of that gentleman. He had that hat. And it sounds like that was kind of iconic. Should you plan like kind of a theme that people recognize you or can you do different things on different days if it's a multi-day conference? -Absolutely. You can certainly do different things different days. But it needs to represent who you are. It needs to be your personal style, right? But one thing you need to keep in mind is to plan ahead. If you don't plan ahead and you pack it last-minute, it's not going to turn out as well. You're not going to feel as good about yourself. And I guarantee you something is going to be missing. So you want to make sure you plan ahead. Planning ahead. Meaning, maybe even a month ahead or at least a couple of weeks ahead. Go through your wardrobe. Make sure you have what you want to wear. If you don't, go shopping. And if you still don't know what to do or if you don't have time then absolutely, hire a wardrobe stylist. Because your time could be better surf elsewhere. And it's stressful for a lot of people. So plan your week. If you're a gentleman for example, you know, wear blazers. If you always look sharp. And most business conferences are business casual. I think it's... It's safe to assume that if you're an attendee, it's a business casual. So, we can talk about a little bit of what that means for both men and women. -Yeah. So, what are some... Let's get into some specific recommendations for men and women. -Okay. For gentlemen, business casual, it's always a big question. Most gentlemen have no idea what that means. What that means is a blazer. Some really nice dark wash jeans just like what you're wearing. A nice well fitted button-down shirt like what you're wearing. Or if you want to switch the button-down shirt which we've done with you. We've also opted for some t-shirts. Some nice t-shirts and logos. Just solid clean t-shirts. Either round neck or v-neck. Some other days can also be a nice knit polo. Not a polo that you wear out to the golfing range but a nice knit polo. Again with no logos or anything. This is not the time to be wearing a logo of your company on your polo. Believe it or not. So you can... You can... You can switch things up. You can also wear trousers if you'd like. You do not have to wear suit. But if you do want to wear suit, a lot of people love the whole suit idea. It is so much easier. Both items go together and it's easy and then you just mix a button-down shirt. You don't have to wear a tie. Pretty much business casual is dark denim jeans, Blazers, button-downs, knit polos or t-shirts that speak to your brand and  then make sure you wear nice leather shoes. Shoes that look good and polished not that have been worn you know, or walked in a thousand miles. So, that's very important. -So I want to comment on the the logo thing. Because as I... I've gone through another rebrand but a couple years ago, when I first created might "Be the hero" brand, I was so excited about it. And I created some fitness shirts that I really liked and they look great as far as fitness wear. But I started wearing that as... Well, this represents my brand. I'm just going to wear the shirt everywhere. So, I started dressing more casual when I... When I go to professional events or networking just so that... And it stood out. People recognized it. But just having a conversation with you and you showing me some alternatives and stuff like that. Like... Maybe just show it a little bit more light on why... Why did you recommend so much that I not wear those shirts. And why you recommend people. Even with a polo, they don't wear... You know, an embroidered logo on their shirt. So number one is the fit for you. The shirt that you were wearing. The make of the shirt too. It was 110% polyester. You even admitted it. It looked like it, right? And it was... It hugged you in the wrong places. And... I'm not sure that that was the look you wanted to portray. I mean, you told me, "I don't... I want it..." This is... You you told me specifically and with words what you wanted to portray. And that logo t-shirt did not portray that. You are the CEO of your company, right? You're not a door-to-door salesman. And that's kind of that look that you look like if you're wearing you know, 100% polyester polo shirt with a big logo on it. You don't look like you're the CEO. Now, there are absolutely... Those times for you to wear your shirt with your embroidery in the name of your company on it. Absolutely. But conferences is really not the place. -Yeah. Because I... At the conferences I've been to since working with you, I've seen a lot of people that are there wearing their logo and some of them are the vendors. You know, they're there at a booth. They've got it they've got a logo right there. -But that's different. And that's a little bit more appropriate. You know. Sure. -And... But people... Let's even exclude them because there's... That... I guess is it would be another conversation. But other people that have come up, they've just been a participant like me, shaking my hand, want to introduce. And I see that... I see the logo on their shirt. The first thought I had is, "This is an employee and their boss sent them to this conference." That's that. I don't... That was the judgment that I make. And I notice that. And that's definitely... For me. Because I'm not an employee. I'm... -You're the CEO. -I didn't realize... I didn't realize that that's the signal I was sending to people. -Now, if you want others to know automatically what your company is, an option is to wear one of those nametag that have the little... What are the little magnets. That's an option. I think that's a lot better so then you can wear the nice, sharp, sharp, outfit that you are wearing. And be switching that magnet around from your outfits. That's a good option. If you really want people to automatically gravitate to what you do and stuff like that. So that's... That's... That's a better option, I think than to have it glued on your clothing. -Okay. Let's talk about women then. And what you recommend for women at a conference?

So, ladies. What I recommend is not too different from gentlemen, you know? If you want to wear dark denim jeans, be careful with the skinny look and that you're not wearing jeggings because they look like yoga pants. So, if you are doing that wear. A top that comes below your dairy A and or mid thigh. So, it looks a little bit more appropriate. Dresses, skirts are also a good idea if those make you if you're comfortable wearing those. Make sure that they come to the knee or just below the knee. Wear clothing... Wear tops that definitely are not too low-cut. Make sure that you look appropriate in that way  too. And also shoes. Wear shoes that are comfortable and appropriate at the same time which is a little bit tougher for us women because come on the heels, they just make you look and feel so much better. But an option for that which often if you're an attendee, you have to walk a lot and you want to make sure you're comfortable is to carry a pair of flats that are comfortable. Or there are some flats actually that fold in half and you can pack them in your purse or in your tote bag that you're carrying all day with articles from the conference and and whatnot. And you can just switch them, you know? You get to your meeting or you get to main conference then you switch to your shoes, you're talking to people, you're going to be walking you can switch your shoes. And but yeah, make sure that you are comfortable. Stay under four inch heels. You don't want to send out the wrong impression. And again, clean and pressed. -So what.. If you... What... -Oh, one more thing. If I may. Make sure to wear makeup. There's a lot of ladies that professionally they are in... They... They're in the health care world or they like the natural look and that's what they sell to. But you should always wear even if it's just a little bit of makeup. It just makes you look more polished. -Alright, awesome. So, who knew that a conference, you could put a lot more into and maybe get a lot more out of it by doing so by planning ahead. So, thanks a lot for sharing this wisdom. -Thank you for having me. Make sure you subscribe and we'll see you tomorrow.

What you wear on TV is important, and it's something you shouldn't take lightly. Eugenia is a pro at this and she's here to talk about the do's and dont's when it comes to dressing up for a TV interview. Tune in and learn the tools of a success!

So, you've been invited to speak on a TV. Interview perhaps. What do you wear? So, we've got Eugenie here. She is the best person to talk to us about that. Stay tuned. Alright. So, I'm excited to hear your advice on this. Maybe let's start with what not to do. So, if you're going to... If you've been invited to go speak on TV or be interviewed on TV, what are some things that you should not do? -One of the things I think you shouldn't... -If you wear glasses, you should be cognizant to perhaps switch to contact lenses. And not... Because the glare of the glasses, if the camera catches it, you can see the reflection. So, try to avoid glasses. However, I'm sure they make some lenses now and I don't know much about eyewear because I don't wear myself. But I am sure they're some lenses now that are anti reflective. So, that can help. But a good example of this is... For example, Oprah? When she does her interviews on her Super Soul Sunday interview, she usually wears glasses. She's got an incredible collection of eyewear. But you don't... I don't know if it's the way the cameras positioned or the way she's positioned. You don't see that reflection. So, it works for her. But just in case, be safe. -So have you seen, have you seen people that have worn glasses on TV and... -And the glare and the reflection? Yes. It's just not a good thing. Because I want to see you, right? I want to be able to see your eyes and with today's technology, you are able to see every little nook and cranny. So, I want to really be able to see who you are not be distracted by the glare. So, that is one of them.

Another one is big bold jewelry if you're a woman. Because it distracts (Again) from you and I want to pay attention to you to your face. I don't want to be looking and staring down at this huge necklace that's that's around your neck. -Because I see, I see that necklace is like that are pretty common. They're pretty popular where there's a lot of stones and... -Correct. Be careful. Again, it depends on who you are and what the interview is about. Obviously if it's more fashion-forward, right? You are going to probably be wearing accessories if it calls for that. But professionally, be careful because I want to see you. I want to pay attention to what you're saying. -What about color? Are there colors that are better for TV or... -So, colors... That's a really great question because if you wear blue, like you're wearing blue, that's a really safe color. Blue pretty much looks good on everyone. So, that's a very safe color. Especially good... Like a cobalt, bold blue. Not so much as a baby blue. Also what I'm wearing. This color looks really good on TV. It's a... It complements my skin tone in my hair and it just it just it looks good. Try to stay away from off whites or grays. Light colors like that. Wear brighter colors. Greens, yellows, blues, pomegranate, hot pinks. Even though I hear a lot of noise about, "Don't wear patterns, no wear big bold flowers." It's true in some cases because sometimes patterns can be so big. Again, they can distract from you and I want to pay attention to you. So we're solids just to be safe. But some patterns are okay. And also I hear a lot that black isn't okay to wear. You know what? I've seen some incredible stars on TV and they're wearing black and they look phenomenal. So again, it depends what your skin tone is, where are you shooting and so forth. -Alright. So, I know that another point that we've talked about is the importance of having clothes that fit. So obviously this probably applies to TV? That applies to everything. Fit is number one. The fit of the clothing and the material of the clothing. So yes, absolutely. TV is not forgiving. Would you agree? You, I mean, you do a lot of video. TV is not forgiving. If you're wearing clothing that is too big, it will show. Especially on a TV interview. If you and I are sitting here and our hands are down and gentlemen, if they're wearing a blazer which they often are or a button-down, long-sleeve shirt. If the Blazer hits the wrist right here, that means when my hands are down, it's going to surpass that. It's way too long, right? So look for examples on TV and people that have their making it and that have success. Like interim national TV shows for example. Shark Tank. Boy! That group, they are sharp. They always look amazing, right? Both gentlemen and the ladies that are there. They are wearing beautiful well fitted suits. The ladies are wearing well fitted dresses. Beautiful colors. They have their hair professionally done and their makeup both men and women. So they are... Pay attention to the way they look every single time. You'll go, "Wow! They look amazing." So yes, Shark Tank is a good... A good example of that. -So one of the things that I experienced for the first time with you is I've never had clothing altered. Other than maybe when I bought suit pants or something you need to have them sure shortened you know, for the length. But to have some things taken in on the sleeves or to have it... That's actually... It was the first a first experience. But then... -It's essential to make a difference, yeah. -I mean, it does because you kind of get lost. And then it's like you're wearing a garbage bag, right? I really can't see you. I can only see all this bulk of materials. So fit is number one. Always. -Alright so this is all helpful. Are there are there any other tips that you would share for somebody that's getting ready to go and appear on TV? -Well, wear something that gives you shape, right? For gentlemen, a blazer. So make sure the blazer is tailored. And for ladies too. Either a blazer or a dress or a well fitted top. What's... Something that gives you shape. -Explain what you mean by shape? -By shape.

So for example, if you wear a cardigan, it's a little bit more loose. It doesn't give you shape. It's just kind of hanging there, right? So shape. Materials that stand firm. Not that you're in a straight jacket. You don't want to look that way. But that contours that your body shape. -So, how would... If I wore this shirt versus if I were wearing a blazer. What difference would that make on TV? -So this shirt has shape. It fits you well. We made sure that it wasn't too large in the midsection, we made sure the arms didn't have extra material and in the way that distracted from the shape of your arm. So, a blazer goes the same way. A blazer has more structure even. If you're, if you are trying to give the appearance of looking more fit, a blazer is a good way because it tends to hide a little bit of the midsection. -What if I went on TV and I are wearing a v-neck t-shirt? -Then your body must be ready for that v-neck t-shirt. Because it's not forgiving. You can wear a blazer over it, right? But if it's something that's really... That hugs your midsection, I probably would say stay away from it. -Okay, so there's... You got to pay attention to your body type and whatnot but there's different things that... There's lots of different directions you can go with it. -That's correct. And again, pay attention to those who do it really well. And that you think, "Wow, they look sharp. They look good." And kind of emulate what they're doing. Because obviously it's working. -Well, thanks so much. I really appreciate you Eugenia sharing your advice on what to do to prepare for being on TV? Don't forget to subscribe and we'll see you tomorrow.