But one area that I’d neglected was my look.
More than one person actually said to me that they were fed up of seeing the same photos of me online! I had the same hairstyle for six years. I almost always wore a dark suit and blouse for business.
When I turned up as a repeat speaker for one organization, I was shocked that they’d produced a flyer with a photo from the last time I’d spoken… wearing the EXACT. SAME. OUTFIT!!!
As human beings, our brains are wired to pay attention when things change in our environment. This is part of the survival mechanism from primitive times because if something was moving in the grass, it might mean danger.
(Now you know why it’s so easy to fall asleep when a presenter stands almost motionless behind a lectern and reads a script. No change. No danger. Brain switches off.)
Even though I knew this, I find it quite funny now that I wasn’t thinking about the opportunity to vary my look to add to the neural stimulation for my presentation audiences, clients, and social media followers.
What made you decide to take style coaching, Helen?
It all started when I wanted a new pair of glasses back in 2019. Over lunch, I asked my style coach friend Aya Jean for advice.
I’d heard about her high-end style coaching program. Famous names flew in from around the world to work with her.
I thought it would be AMAZING to be able to be one of her clients… one day…
But it was a significant investment of time and money.
Then, as she started to talk about what we could do, I had a “carpe diem” moment! I decided to seize the opportunity and said, “Yes” to her full Gold Program.
What was your wardrobe like?
The intensive program started with Aya Jean visiting my home for a wardrobe check…
She was HORRIFIED that I only had one handbag and one pair of heels.
“How do you coordinate them with your outfits?” she asked.
Well, I just thought it made life easy not having to think about which bag or shoes to wear…
(A limited wardrobe worked for Steve Jobs, right?)
She also noted that I mostly had dark-colored clothes. Having worked in corporate Japan for over two decades, I’d become accustomed to wearing black suits to fit in.
But I realized on this journey that what I do now is not about fitting in. It’s about standing out.
So we went shopping. And I learned to wear yellow for the first time in my life!
What else was included in the style coaching?
The full program included a haircut with multiple style options, eyebrow shaping, all sorts of hair removal (yikes!), nails, Korean facial bone alignment, dining etiquette, learning to walk in a mini skirt and heels (with a top international fashion model as my instructor), and posing lessons.
Everything came together in an amazing photoshoot!
Aya’s advice was to think of ourselves as a masterpiece for people to look at and enjoy.
That may sound superficial, but it’s true that as human beings we quickly and often unconsciously make judgments based on people’s appearances. This is another aspect of our survival mechanism and is referred to as “thin slicing” in psychology.
Even though I was initially concerned about whether the colors and unconventional business styles would be too much for my corporate clients, the reaction was overwhelmingly positive.
At one company, the receptionists would call each other to come and look at my outfit when I arrived.
An HR manager said she looked forward to seeing what I would wear for our meeting.
And I remember one training participant saying, “Wow! You really look like a coach.”
I hadn’t realized that my appearance could bring so much joy to others!
And it was fun for me too.
Is style coaching less effort and more impact?
When I talk about the concept of “less effort, more impact,” I’m not saying “no effort.” I’m referring to how we can maximize the results we want while minimizing the expenditure of our physical, mental, and emotional energy.
After both my 2019 and 2024 style coaching experiences, I did have moments where I was using rather a lot of mental energy thinking about the different outfit combinations.
But this was temporary because it became easier as I familiarized myself with the new options in my wardrobe.
Paying attention to clothes, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and such admittedly takes time. But I see it as selfcare time and the payoff is worth it in terms of the impact on others and on how I feel.
Are you ready to devote a little time to yourself and see the difference that makes?
Hear from Aya Jean herself on Episodes 54 and 55 of the Sasuga! Podcast.
