Why Personal Styling is an AMAZING Second Career
Chances are, if you are a personal stylist or a part of the BEYOND community, you're coming to your career as a personal stylist by way of another career, job, or educational background.
That's my own story and I think it's freakin fantastic. But what happens when you feel that it's not so fantastic? One BEYOND member said that her biggest challenge was getting her business up and running and feeling embarrassed about having personal styling be her second career.
Girl - my heart went out to you and I KNEW I had to do a style chat on this subject. For some reason, there is a misconception that when you work in the fashion industry, that you are somehow working in an industry that is "less than" or frivolous. Some consider it to not be a "real" job. Well, I call BS on that. Anyone who has ever run a business knows that, no matter the industry, when you're the boss you are actually also the: book keeper, social media manager, publicist, marketer, blog writer, stylist, face of the brand and so much more.
My story
I have two masters degrees and left the "respectable" field of nonprofits, mental health and grant writing to do this "fashion thing." Never in a million years did I see myself working full time as a personal stylist, but as I came to realize that I possessed some serious skills when it came to helping people figure out their personal style, I realized that I had something not everyone has. And that's worth something. BUT, because I didn't have a background in fashion, I knew that obtaining a certification that would "legitimize" me was very important. In 2014 I graduated from the School of Style with the styling skills I wanted under my belt to get started. Over the course of my years as a stylist, I've come to believe in three distinct things you need to cultivate so that you too can confidently say that you're a personal stylist.
3️⃣ tips to avoid those “you work in fashion” eye rolls 🙄
- Educate yourself. Go to school, get a degree, get a certification. Take a BEYOND course so that you are confident in your business skills. This part is not so much about where, but it's about educating yourself, arming yourself with skills, and gaining the confidence to know that you are a badass business owner and you've put in the work to know what you know.
- Believe in yourself. It all starts with your mindset. When YOU believe you are an amazing stylist and business owners others will too. That's why education is tip 1 - it gives you confidence to believe in yourself.
- Own your shi*t and take yourself professionally. You own a business. Get it together and start treating it, and yourself professionally. When you show up as professional, others will treat you that way and you'll gain respect.
Finally, I want to leave you with this: Do not wrap up your identity in what you do. If you do that, then no matter what you do, or don't do, you'll never have that confidence in yourself. Instead, think of your identity in terms of the value you bring to the world, how you can impact people. Those things will ring true no matter where you find yourself. <3
Watch the video here!
Sydney is a personal wardrobe stylist with over nine years of experience in the fashion industry. She specializes in helping women create sustainable and timeliness wardrobes that work for them, not against them. She is also the creator of BEYOND, the premier business school for personal stylists giving them all the biz skills they didn’t know they needed to know to take their styling hobby to a full-time business.
Sydney is a graduate of the Los Angeles-based School of Style, holds dual masters degrees and currently lives in Richmond with her husband and three cats. She loves black coffee, vintage, and the great outdoors.
For styling or coaching inquiries: please contact: sydney@chicstripes.com.