The Chiang Mai Night Bazaar is minutes from our apartment and we frequently pop down for dinner, yes our family of 3 can eat a delicious meal including drinks for around $12, so it is an easy option!
We weave through the night market stands and street sellers with their fake brand handbags, electronics and trinkets (yes we’ve bought a few too) and of course often see the very glamorous and glitzy ‘show-girls’ promoting the nightly cabaret.
I got to chat with them briefly the other night and yes, for a tip I also got photos and a video (watch below) to ask them about why it’s so important to look so good.
It takes about an hour for them to get ready for the show (shorter time than I thought it might, which goes to prove, once you know your style, you can look great in an instant) and it’s a lot of fun, making them feel very 'happy'...
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They are so confident and self assured, it’s a real lesson in owning your look and having a personal brand style that makes you look and feel great too.
I felt very frumpy standing next to these glorious creatures, but loved the vivacious and infectious excitement and the personalities each protrude with their own unique style.
The personal branding lesson was that you need to find your own style and be comfortable to really ‘rock it’ and it will give you all the confidence you need to create a fabulous brand image.
Take a look right now at what you are wearing…
OK, so you might be taking a look at this at night in your PJ’s, but if you are reading during business hours, please do, just take a moment to consider what you are wearing.
- Is it comfortable?
- Is it clean?
- It it ‘you’?
Even if you work behind the scenes or in a home based office, your personal style is vital to your self esteem and productivity level.
International style guru and personal branding image consultant Lynne Stockade shared her insider secrets in an interview with me and the #1 insight was not about dress sense, it was about how your style can change your mindset.
Lynne, who has mentored global clients in developing their own style to stand out and be instantly recognised, said that “your productivity and confidence is directly related to what you wear”.
It’s vital that you represent your industry, ensuring you “look like the profession you are in”, however Lynne also suggested that your personal brand has to “stand out and make an impression too”.
It doesn’t need to be your entire outfit, it could just be your watch, colour of lipstick or quirky earrings can be enough to generate a unique look, although Lynne warns that you are careful your style ‘doesn’t distract your audience from your brand or message”.
Lynne suggest that what you wear ensures “your day is set up the right way” with a clear mindset about what you want to achieve.
What you wear ensures “your day is set up the right way” with a clear mindset about what you want to achieve
She set a challenge for you see for yourself what happens by dressing down one day and getting more prepared the next and take note of how you feel and what you get done.
There is a fine line between comfortable and stylish, but Lynne warns never to simply wear something because of it’s look and to ‘keep shopping around’ for the right outfit that makes you feel great.
One neat trick is to make all the hangers in your wardrobe face the same way, and when you wear something to turn the hanger around, so that at the end of the year you can see what you haven’t worn in 12 months.
A great tip Lynne shared is to read The Life Changing Art Of Tidying Up of by Marie Kondo and help yourself clear the clutter and overcome separation anxiety or buyers guilt for the items you get rid of.
The first step to get started in developing your personal brand style is to “check out Pinterest and check out new stores you wouldn’t usually go to to research and try out what you think will suit you.”
And of course get an image consultant to help you, as your idea of how you look can be different from the way other perceive you. Lynne suggests finding one who “impresses you with their style.”
Whatever you decide you want your style to be, continue to admire fantastic dressers and personal brand images that totally own their look, learn what suits you, decide what single message you want to generate with your first impression and then step out in style and own your mindset too.
You can watch the interview replay here or contact Lynne Stockland for a consultation by clicking here.
If the video isn’t available, that’s because the replay has expired and it’s disappeared into the Brandworking Booster vault. Good news though, you can access it and $1000’s worth of expert guru tips, tools and advise from the entire Brandworking Series by CLICKING HERE.