What she said. A client tells all…

Sisters, if you ever wanted to know what a shopping session with me was like, look no further.  My gorgeous client has written me the most incredible testimonial.  I reckon it’s that spot on, that full of emotion, that honest account of a shopping sesh with me and the precise embodiment of why I set up Sisterhood of Style, that I felt it was worthy of a blog post.

From Katie, Mother of 2, 40 years gorgeous:

I’ve been trying to come up with the best way to communicate my thoughts about how our shopping session went. I think the best thing to do is to write a blog post – but I don’t have a blog to post it to! But you do…

Sooooo, I just turned 40. And if that wasn’t enough to deal with, I have 2 young kids (aged 1 and 3). I work 4 days a week in a corporate job. I’m no longer a toned size 10 (understatement of the century). I haven’t bought clothes for myself for years – unless they are either pregnancy oriented or ill-fitting snap purchases from cheap online websites so I can kid myself that it doesn’t matter if they don’t fit. I don’t really know my size any more. I’m still wearing maternity bras even though I stopped breast feeding 6 months ago (we moved house – actually country – and I still haven’t unpacked everything properly). They are way to big and baggy on me – just one of many indicators of how little attention I’ve given my appearance recently. I haven’t lived in NZ for 13 years so I am out of touch with NZ fashion and high street shops. I have lost all interest in fashion because nothing ever fits me (5 years ago I was self proclaimed (!) reigning Queen of London high street shops). Somehow, I’ve managed to lose all confidence in my own ability to look and feel stylish. And, I don’t have the time (or confidence) to tackle the shops on my own, only to walk away with expensive clothes that don’t really fit me.

So, for my 40th birthday, I decided I needed some help to get me feeling good about clothes and my appearance again. This Mother of Style, was EXACTLY what I needed. In our 2 hours together we managed not only to find me quite a few great outfits that I feel good in, but a little bit of confidence in my body, and in my ability to shop was restored.

Thanks EJ for taking the time to think about my wants and needs and for getting to the bottom of what was holding me back. Thanks for running round after me while I tried on clothes that were the wrong size or not quite right for what ever reason. Thanks for your patience and understanding and helping me to understand why I was unsure about something. Rather than me losing confidence in my ability to shop, you re-affirmed my gut feel about an item, by articulating uncertainty I was feeling, embracing it when warranted or gently challenging me to be bold. Thanks for the compliments when we found something that looked and felt great.

Thanks for keeping me in budget! In our 2 hour session, even though I came away with quite a few bags of clothes I love, funnily enough, I left a bit of baggage behind! And, the maternity bras are gone… for good! Its onwards and upwards from here. 

xxx

Thank you so much Katies for sharing your story, it made my heart sing and I felt so happy for you that you found yourself a little bit through our session.  Love your work. Mmmmwah, EJ, the Mother of the Sisterhood xo

If you’d like to get in touch to book your own shopping session, drop me an email emma@sisterhoodofstyle.com or dm me on social media @sisterhoodofstylenz

What to wear on your first day of work

I’m starting a new job on Monday.  I’ll be the new kid on the block, at 42, that’s no mean feat.  I’ll be making friendly chit-chat and skulk out on my own at lunchtime.  I’ll have to ask where the loo is, how to make the coffee, what the kitchen etiquette is and how soon can I bring in my dog.  Yes sisters, you heard it here first, it’s a dog friendly workplace. Winning.

But I know that all of that will be a whisper in the wind by the end of the week, once I’ve worked with these awesome new people for a few days and I get the hang of the place.

What I am becoming super preoccupied with though, is what the hell do I wear?  It’s not a corporate, but I’ll be working with corporate clients, it’s not a big company, but I’ll be working with big companies.  It’s not shorts and jandles and it’s not suit and tie.  It’s the…..dum duh num dum……the inbetween.  Aggggggh (think 1950’s screen siren scream here).

Is anyone else like me and on their first day of school, a new job or a wedding and you absolutely have to purchase a new outfit?  Or is that just me?  Well, it is me, I have to own that.

So, I have a pair of Zara nautical styled (more on that style theme in another blog post soon) trousers I purchased in Sydney recently, that I haven’t worn.  I am having them taken up right now, cause I’d look like Groucho Marx if I didn’t.  But that’s as far as I’ve got.  Bugger.

I don’t want to go full nautical, corporate or too casual.  I am in a quandary.  My old clothes from corporate-ville are maybe a little too tired, but I only need a top,  now I have bottom half sorted.  So it’s a top, oh and some shoes.  I got my nails done last week by Pop Nails and they are fab-u-lous.  So that leaves me needing just a top and shoes, maybe some earrings.  Oh shit. Ok, breathe.

So, work with me sisters,  maybe I suck it up, wear a top I already have and then add some cool shoes.  Wanna know the shoes I’m trying to decide between?  You do? Ok, check these puppies out from Gorman and then these gorgeous ones from Kathryn Wilson.  Swoon much? But I can’t have both.  I have also been coveting these ones from Augustine, but they frustratingly sold out over the weekend.  I need to up my game, as I keep spying things I love and missing out by waiting too long.  Anyhoo, I digress.

What’s really exciting about starting a new job at this particular place and in an advertising and marketing environment means I can wear a T-shirt to work and it not be a major faux pas.  Call me crazy, but that is just beyond amazing.  I’m not talking simple T-Shirt and no bling.  I’m talking blinging that sucker out with a necklace and jacket and some mules and some other stuff and things, but just the mere thought of wearing the T-Shirt, with adornment, has got me all hot under the collar.  It probably means I should make more of an effort to find that elusive perfect white T  that I’ve been hunting for then shouldn’t I.

So wish me luck sisters, the ideas could all change tomorrow, but I reckon I am pretty darn excited for what I have in store for me in this new role.  I can’t wait to learn new stuff, meet new people and get some serious shit done.  I am chomping at the bit.  It’ll make for some exciting satorial adventures again too.

If you want to see the whole look come together, make sure you follow me on instagram @sisterhoodofstylenz and check out my Monday morning post.

And sisters, remember, if you need help styling YOUR first day of work at a new job, contact me today to book a styling session,  I would love to work wtih you.  Email me at emma@sisterhoodofstyle.com today.

Mmmmmwah, love EJ, the mother of the sisterhood of style xo

Hi, my name is Emma and I don’t like small talk.

I popped my cherry for the Sisterhood last night.

Get your mind out of the gutters sisters from other misters,  I popped my biz networking cherry to be exact. Part of starting your own business is about networking, meeting new people, influencing others on your business and trying to figure out how to make sense of this crazy thing called entrepreneurship.  I was bricking myself. I even shot to the toilet as I arrived to calm my nerves. I gave myself a stern talking too and got my big girl panties on and headed out into the unknown and into a sea of chattering networking women biz owners.

For those that know me, I don’t have a problem with talking to people.  I was known as gabby-jaws by my pseudo godfather (my real godfather was an absentee reverend who fell off the wagon) but I digress. In fact I freaking love talking to people.  I love people, I love what they have to say, I try to be curious about them and I generally walk into parties feeling very confident in myself, knowing I won’t have a problem finding someone to talk to.  This is because a party is likely to be for someone I know, a friend.  I have connections with those friends, they know me, know I am no wallflower, know I love a wine or three like to spin a good yarn. We cut through the small talk years ago, we just shoot the shit, straight from the start of the night.

But networking, that’s different, that’s hard that requires small talk and me explaining what I do.  That makes my tummy do flip-flops and my teeth freeze in my mouth, with a demented smile plastered to my face.

Even though I’ve worked for years where networking was an important part of what we do, this was different, I was flying solo.  You see what I did there, I said “we”. Because 100% of the time that I have ever networked, it’s been about what we do, about a business I work for, a project I am working on.  This time was hugely different, it was about Sisterhood of Style and no one else can talk about it like I can – and that’s so scary I felt a little bit sicky uppy.

But you know what sisters, as soon as I grabbed my drink (non-alcoholic) a gorgeous sister come straight up to me and introduce herself – thank you Fiona Hall.  She had recognised me from Facebook and Instagram and immediately put me at ease.  Then I felt my nerves slide slowly away and anyone I mentioned my nerves too, they all nodded in agreement with me, imparting their own cherry popping moment for networking or how they like to handle it.  One very sisterhood-loving difference about a women’s networking event – you hug hello – heart to heart.  That’s fucking cool. You don’t get that at a male dominated network night.

So I thought some of you sisters may be feeling the same way about networking and I could help with some tips I learnt tonight. I’ve also included some gems that I learnt from the speakers, who were kick-arse awesome and who each spoke on purpose and perseverance, timely given I was struggling to persevere with networking.

This story has a good ending, a great ending.  I sucked up my scardy-cat and gave myself a good talking too.  I mixed and mingled and started to hand out my newly minted business cards.  Women asked me what I did, we hugged, we were introduced to new people, we laughed, we agreed to meet up and possibly even collaborate (that got my creative juices flowing) and I left at 11pm freaking happy, so buzzed I couldn’t sleep, so I sat up and wrote this.  I hope your next networking is as successful, try my tips & tricks below to help you. If you’ve got any advice on networking, the sisterhood would love to hear it, please share.

SISTERHOOD OF STYLE NETWORKING CHERRY POPPING TIPS

Tip 1: Don’t drink.  Despite loving seeing a glass of wine waiting for me at an event, I appreciated that I didn’t drink. A large group of women in a room have a an incredible energy (and noise) and don’t need alcohol (sometimes we do) to fuel it.  Without the booze (it was a dry event) I had no dutch courage, I just had me and that ended up being ok.

Tip 2: Force yourself, whatever you do, to introduce yourself to someone you don’t know.   I was a bit giddy to meet a lot of women I’ve only known via social media and coaching groups I am in.  So to meet them in person, to realise that some of them knew of Sisterhood of Style, was incredible and mind-blowing and just bloody awesome.  But I wouldn’t have found that out, unless I had forced myself to be brave in the first place and buy a ticket to the event and then say hello to strangers.

Tip 3: I can’t let a tip and trick slip by without sharing my style advice.  Wear something that makes you feel fantastic.  Don’t wear anything that you need to pull, push or alter during the evening.  Wear colour.  Stand out if you can.  Women appreciate good style, they know when they see it.  You are in a room of like-minded business women, all putting their best selves forward, you should too.  Wear something that someone will comment on – its a great icebreaker.  I fell in love with a million pairs of shoes at the event and spoke to the women wearing them, telling them so.

Snippets of kick-arse awesome advice from the speakers:

JFDI – Just fucking do it – Belinda Tuki from Honest Food Company

Shed your shit and shine – Dr Martha Nessler

Life is about stepping stones and stopping points – Dr Martha Nessler

Set a bold money goal – Catherine Newton 

You can’t unlearn that – Amanda Betts from Bridge the Gap 

I don’t want to be famous, I want to change the world  – Natalie Cutler Welsh from Go to Girl NZ and the event host

Mmmmmmwah,

EJ  xx  The mother of the Sisterhood.

 

This is the outfit I wore to the event.