It’s Your Colour & Style’s 10th birthday on 1st September 2023! What a lot I’ve experienced in ten years as an independent Personal Stylist and independent Personal Shopper.
The ups and downs of running a business
I’ve learned a lot about running a business in the last ten years, including functioning through a pandemic and lock downs, economic ups and downs, introductions of legislation like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and Brexit! I’ve also learned a lot about my craft and my wonderful clients.
Professional Membership/Benefits
I joined the Federation of Image Professionals International (FIPI) a few years ago and was honoured to be selected for complementary mentoring by a lovely very experienced Master Practitioner. I’m also lucky to have an ongoing relationship with another image consultant with over 30 years in the industry who has also taught me so much. I’ve also invested in lots of things for my personal development: from using Canva, LinkedIn, marketing more generally (thanks Victoria Vickery and Claire Payne of All Star Marketing). I’ve invested lots of time at networking events and having follow up meetings with many interesting business entrepreneurs, some of whom I’ve been able to use or recommend, and who have recommended me.
Having a website to confirm legitimacy
I’ve created one website and then updated it (thanks to Rob Dewing of Northerwood and Tricia Charles of Charles Design). These days Claire Sutton of Minerva Marketing helps me as well, and I’m now investing in a special VA, Kara Birrell (The Passionate PA) who’s already making an impact in my business. I’m also blessed to have met Christina Dolding of The Colleague Experience Company who is helping me understand my customers’ journeys. Over these ten years, social media has played a bigger part in business and our lives than most of us could have imagined, and the pace of this technology – now including AI – increases daily.
Collaborations are fun and fruitful
I’ve had some brilliant collaborations with lots of different people and businesses, including other stylists in Hampshire. They have included:
Adie Saunders ‘Yes You Can Training’
Sally Golden Photography
Wendy Martin owner of Peter Green furniture store
M&Co (Jess Findlay);
and more recently Louisa Keats of The Dressing Room.
Developing my offering
I’ve designed and delivered several different Workshops, talks, demonstrations and my latest demonstration (colour analysis) will be on 16th September in Ashurst at The Dressing Room (tickets here).
I’ve worked out my own way of consulting through Zoom, thanks to the pandemic, so I can consult more widely geographically, as well as in person. I never would have guessed that I would be able to do colour analysis through a computer when I was trained 15 years ago. How the world has changed!
Creating a new product
I’ve also taken the plunge to develop my own unique product to help ladies move forward with their colour and style journey to looking their best, effortlessly, every day. (Watch what some people have to say about them here: Nanette’s view and Susan’s view.) At the launch party nearly two years ago we had my first ever hybrid meeting – some in person at The Potters Heron and thanks to Lex McKee we linked up with several on Zoom to bring the party to them too.
Fortune helps but some say you create your own luck!
I was lucky to feature on Radio Solent not once but twice and have appeared in my local paper, The Romsey Advertiser, and other local publications several times now.
Summary
So, I’m proud to have weathered a few storms and to still be here, serving my wonderful clients and helping them dress without stress, making the most of themselves and their wardrobe items (be they old, new, recycled or preloved). I’d like to thank all my wonderful clients for trusting me to be their stylist, and coming on this journey with me. You are the reason I keep going – I just love helping one person at a time improve their look, dress effortlessly, and get compliments. It is the most wonderful job.
I’m looking forward to the next decade with the same enthusiasm that has kept me going to this point. I still love it and I’ve still got more plans for new things in the future.
If you want to find out how I can help you, please call, text or email to arrange a no obligation chat.
Fiona
Your Colour & Style Consultant
#dresswithoutstress
07469 246722
