Tag Archives: brand

Dress your brand – find out if you are getting it right!

When The Success Academy invited us to an Executive Breakfast on the 18th of February 2015 and their topic was “Dress your brand – find out if you are getting it right!” presented by Janine Starkey owner of the House of Janine, I was excited to be going. It’s no secret every room I enter I am (most of the time) dressed differently to all so I was looking forward to hearing what Janine had to say.

Janine impressed me a lot cause she approaches dressing your brand from an Individual perspective. Here are some of the quick notes I jotted…

  • 93% of first impressions is visual. What is your first impression, are you making the best of your physic?
  • We are our own brands. Represent your own brand.
  • If you look good you perform. Are you wearing your personality? It’s your fingerprint. If you are not wearing it its a disaster.
  • Style sells. What is fashionable is when an individual knows who they are and they are comfortable.
  • Black drains the colour from your face for both men and women. Wearing black is not successful.
  • In Business what image are you predicting. Corporate image rules – no open toes, no open shoulders, 
  • If you have a stomach, pleats are your friend in men, if you don’t then NO
  • Slim fit, fit shoulder otherwise relaxed fit is good depending on your body. Slim fit requires the right body
  • Don’t steam your collar when ironing.
  • You know your own brand better than anyone else and you should shop alone.
  • Never wear a short sleeve shirt with a Jacket, when you take off the jacket you lose all formality 
  • Don’t tuck your shirt into your shorts.
  • Choose clothing for your staff for who they are as people 
  • Self esteem – it’s about the interior. Understand who you are inside 

Janine Starkey

Janine Starkey, owner of The House of Janine. Her topic “Dress your brand – find out if you are getting it right!” You’ve heard it said – you never get a second chance at making a first impression. It takes 7 seconds to create a first impression and 17 repeat visits to correct a bad first impression!

Janine will help you put style back into your life and assist you to understand your personal brand and that “who you are” should be translated through what you wear.

Janine studied fashion design at the London International School of Fashion and spent 5 years as head of wardrobe on the popular South African soap opera Egoli. Speak to Janine

Personal Brand Just Walked Into The Room

“Personal Brand is What People Say About You, When You Leave The Room” –  Jeff Bezos, Founder, Amazon.com. This statement by Jeff Bezos got me thinking, How did I enter the room? What did I do in the room? and How did I leave? So I looked for the definition of Personal Brand and by definition Wikipedia says “Personal branding is the practice of people marketing themselves and their careers as brands”

But…..

Lisa Citroen says “Everyone has a Brand by Design or By Default”

Thus by default I have a brand. So if I am not in the practice of marketing myself and my career as a brand, what did I bring into that room?

Wikipedia continues to say Personal branding also involves creating an asset by defining an individual’s body, clothing, physical appearance, digital and online presence and areas of knowledge in a way leading to a uniquely distinguishable, and ideally memorable, impression.

When I walked into that room I brought in my body, clothing, physical appearance *Fair Enough* but get this I also bring in my digital and online presence! As well as areas of knowledge.

Did you know when you walk into that room, yes any room, you bring in your digital and online presence with you? So when you leave the room, you leave an impression of your digital and online presence. How memorable is that presence? With that said, Is Your Online & Digital presence different to the real you? The real you physically walked into that room but carrying with you your personal brand.

Personal Brand is in everyone by default, but YOU are in control of changing the default settings and constantly improving the tangible and intangible aspects thereof.

Wesley Madziva