part 2 Presentation Mastermind - EDITING
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[00:00:00] Welcome to the Style and Strategy Podcast, where personal brand meets leadership and style. I'm Sonya, a personal brand and style coach who's been exactly where you are juggling career and business success. Personal growth and finding a style that truly fits. After decades in corporate leadership, I've learned that showing up isn't just about what you do, it's about how you align who you are and how the world sees you.
This season, I'm bringing you practical strategies, bold insights, and honest conversations to help you amplify your presence, unlock your next level, and lead with clarity and confidence. Let's dive in. Welcome back to another episode of The Style and Strategy Podcast, and this week we are going behind the scenes again, , for another little snip [00:01:00] from a masterclass that I ran recently. I really hope that you enjoy, , this little takeaway.
Now I'm gonna talk about style. ~So, ~style can sometimes be dismissed as superficial, right? Oh,~ like,~ don't worry about your star. Who cares about that? These days it doesn't really matter. But in reality, if you actually, you know, park those sort of comments and, and feedback to one side.
And you think about it a little bit differently, it can actually be one of the most powerful nonverbal branding tools you can have in your toolkit because there is hundreds of pieces of psychology backed research that shows how you present yourself affects not only how potentially others perceive you, but most importantly how you feel when you show up.
Because that is then gonna play [00:02:00] out to the energy that you bring to a particular room, right? Going back to your energy drivers. So there is a quote I've got from, Dr. Adam Galinsky from Columbia University, so it's actually part of a psychology known as a psychology of enclothed cognition. And so here he says.
What you wear can change the way you perform. It can change the way you think and the way others respond to you. And so when you think about that, maybe reflect back to when you, um, maybe when we're in COVID and we were always wearing our leggings and, you know, our gym gear and you'd sit in front of the computer, how did you feel?
Uh, like it might've been really comfy, but did it change your demeanor? What about,~ um,~ you know, uh, Sarah, you talked about when, uh, it was actually no, Sarah, um, it was one of the other ladies had talked about when she was working in regional versus [00:03:00] them going into the, the city and different, yeah. And so different styles.
Thank you Jess. And different styles that she would wear. How would she feel in those different. Environments, would it change how you are working? Have you ever come and sat in, maybe come to a Zoom call or come to sit at your desk after, you know, maybe you dropped off the kids or done, you know, caught up for coffee and you've started to do work and you are wearing something.
How does that make you feel? Does it shift, okay, yep. I'm ready for work today versus not? Again, there's some stats around this. When we originally, back in corporate had, introduced casual Fridays, what actually happened was an increase in collaboration because more people were having conversations and felt more relaxed around that but we didn't seem as much.
Productivity was happening in terms of output on a Friday. So really interesting, the way that that's kind of shifted around. So how can you use style as a strategic brand, [00:04:00] tool? So number one, dress in a way that makes you feel powerful. Now, when I use the language powerful, some people automatically go to visuals of power suits and you know, all of that sort of stuff.
Again, I'm gonna come back to what makes you feel powerful, and if that means jeans and a t. ~That's, ~that's what makes you feel powerful, right? And we don't necessarily spend a lot of time thinking through that. But what is that definition for you? I don't want, um, you know, especially when I work with my clients or, some of my group programs, it's never about putting someone in a particular mold because it's actually drawing out, coming back to, the circles.
It's what's, what's important to you? And then how do you start to get clarity around that? Because I think we all know that feeling when you put on an outfit and then you instantly feel much more confident. That is not [00:05:00] just in your head, that is science. Right? And that is the power of enclothed cognition.
~So. ~What you wear can also really impact how you think and behave like I've talked to you, so if you wanna feel more authoritative in a particular situation, maybe you wanna feel more confident or creative. Have a think a little bit more as you walk into those particular rooms. What am I gonna wear? What am I gonna wear that's actually gonna start to help drive those things?
So as an example, a lot of the time when we are talking about, I actually wanna feel more creative. So what does that mean from a style perspective, it could be more flow, right? And so when I say flow, I'm not in flow today, I'm actually in very structure, right? But more flow could be, you know, more movement in a particular outfit.
It could mean more,~ um,~ prints depending what kind of prints that [00:06:00] you resonate to. So it might be, you know, more diagonals, that sort of thing can actually help create that creative feel. ~Um, ~versus something more structured like what I've kind of got on today. With a collar, you know, sharper lines, less movement in a fabric help to actually act as more confident, more authority, that, that type of thing as well. So I'd love you to think about an outfit that makes you feel unstoppable. So when you go to your wardrobe ~in, ~in, in the mornings or whenever you are going to go wear something, what is an outfit that you today actually, if you think about it goes, I feel fantastic in that whenever I wear that it really hits the mark.
What does that look like? ~You know, ~what, what is it about that outfit that actually gives you that feeling? And so then how could you actually channel that feeling every day rather than, you know, a lot of the time it's [00:07:00] an outfit from a special occasion that makes you feel like that. And so, you know, one of the big things that I like to promote is that it's not just that special outfit, right?
I wanna be able to see you wearing those things much more often. So you are starting to show up and feel like that on a regular,~ um,~ basis. So then if I think about, reinforcing your brand message through style, as I said before, you could be thinking about,~ well,~ how do I now create those three energy words?
How can I now link that back to my style? Because they're important to you, right? So it might, as an example for you, if your brand is about warmth and trust, then is it that soft fabrics, maybe some of those neutral tones, maybe some of those sil more approachable silhouettes are your, you know, some of the things that you will lean into more.
[00:08:00] Maybe if it's more authority and expertise, it might be mixing in more clean lines, might be more depth of color. If you think about example, Brene Brown, again, she's actually got, when you look at how she dresses, um, she's got some neutral colors. Her fit is much more relaxed and inviting. If I think of Oprah, what do I think of Sharp tailoring.
But even if she's in her, I've seen her lately in, some of her knitwear, you know comfy, uh, trackies and, and top like hoodie tops. But they're in these amazing colors. They're jeweled colors, right? Which really represents her brand. ~Um, ~and then if you're familiar with sort of Marie Folio, she likes her bright colors more, more fresh styling, a little bit effortless chic around her.
And so, as I think you said, Heidi, you know, there was. If I think about, you know, do you have a signature color? Is there a signature style? What would that be for you? [00:09:00] Again, it's not about necessarily saying, this is it for my brand. It's about how do I bring that seamless interaction between work to weekend to you altogether to actually make getting dressed easier as well, right?
Because then you're more likely to become your authentic self. ~Um, uh, ~as I think you said, Sarah, you, you, um, talked about a, um. A challenge around colors. Right? And when I think about that, my philosophy around it is, look, some people are gonna really want bold, bright colors, and that's fine if that's part of their, their personality and others.
Like myself, I prefer a mute, muted tone and that is just who I am and it is part of my brand. I will throw in pops of color here and there, but that neutral, calming and relaxing part is just part of who I am. I'll never be one wearing a hot pink suit. It's just not me, right? Because it would feel fake to [00:10:00] me.
And then think about your current wardrobe. Have a look. What does your current wardrobe say? When you think about that signature color or style? Maybe you've already got a through line in there. Um, and what would that maybe be? Because if you really think about it, style is a form of nonverbal branding, right?
So the right look for you is actually gonna reinforce the message you want, but actually most importantly, will make you feel really comfortable in any situation. So if I just, um. Go finally down to virtual style. So sometimes we get on a zoom call and obviously if it's people that you're really comfortable with, you know, it might be in your gym gear, all of that.
But just don't forget about virtual style as well, right? And so things to think about. Um, it's about really owning your presence on screen. So it's not only [00:11:00] potential impact of your clothes, but it's, it could also be, well, how's the lighting? What's the energy you're putting through? Is it warm? Is it cool?
Um, you know, what's the framing you've actually got around yourself in that particular screen? You'll notice that if I go stand all the way back here, yes, you can see that there's a distance, but what's that creating for the other person? I've got on the call with me versus if I'm all the way up here, ~you know.~
Feels like, oh, that feels a little bit too close. It feels like a bit of an intrusion. So it's thinking about those little things as well. 'cause it all becomes part of creating that experience and that environment that, um, really can give that holistic view of your brand. So as I move away from style, now I just kind of leave you with, when you think about your signature style, [00:12:00] what is one thing that you think that will form could form part of your signature style?
Is it an accessory? Is it potentially a color? Is it a scarf? What is it? Is there something that maybe you wanna make sure that is part of your brand kind of going forward?
And then finally, which was that third element of crafting your brand is really around what I talk about is leadership presence. So presence is not about being the loudest in the room. It's about how you make people feel when you speak. It's the confidence, trust. It's that silent sort of influence that comes through from what you say and how you say it.
So I, I think many of us have heard, um, you know, Dr. Amy Cuddy talk about, you judge people, uh, get judged within the first seven seconds of them, you know, uh, walking into a room. So before you even had [00:13:00] a chance to open your like mouth and say anything, right? So thinking about that. ~Um, ~have a think about things like, well, how can I change that narrative?
Or how can I use that to my advantage? So things like, body language, posture, that type of thing can actually adjust and change how you take up space, right? You may have heard of little things like,, hunch posture, crossed arms fidgeting, things like that is sending a nonverbal cue as well.
So, things like that can actually impact your presence. So if you are trying to be more open and, especially if in your, you are in a face-to-face room in a meeting, it's where are you sitting? How are you sitting? Have you got your computer and laptop open, in front of that person? So it feels like a block in some way.
How do you create that open, uh, energy? And as a bit of a practical example, if you think about [00:14:00] right now, how are you sitting? Can you, you know, straighten your shoulders, roll your, shoulders back, plant your feet, that type of thing, taking a big, deep breath and going, okay, let me feel more centered, right?
Because that, will help the voice and the message that you are getting, out there, right? 'cause we're not squishing a diaphragm in our lungs and, and all of that. So many leaders that you see, or people who are quite influential in their space, if you start to take note, how are they actually carrying themselves?
~Um, you know, ~what kind of shoes, going back to sta for sake, what kind of shoes are they wearing that makes them most feel comfortable and powerful in, for me, it's a pair of sneakers, right? Because I'm flat and grounded and I can, and I feel very comfortable in, in that. What is that for you? Especially if you are having to do something maybe offline, uh, versus online as well.
One thing we forget about with virtual kind [00:15:00] of presence and, speaking with authority is that when you are actually in that virtual room,~ you,~ you need to own that zoom screen as I touched on both before, because your energy will actually translate through , the screen. And so if you go back to your three words again, I want you to think about how, what am I doing, to create the energy of my three words when I'm on a Zoom call, when I'm with a client, when I'm, posting video maybe on social media.
So a couple of quick tips on these for you to take away. So one is around positioning your camera on eye level, right? So I know a lot of the time we might, we are looking at the screen. Um, but remember when if you are doing a one-on-one with a client or anything like that, in order to make it feel like that other person is looking at you and you are looking at them, you've actually gotta [00:16:00] talk to this section of the screen up here, right?
Which is where the camera is. So, I know it's not always easy, but it's something that uh, can happen with practice and some, sometimes if you're putting your screen a bit lower can actually help with that as well. Um, using your hand gestures, appropriately taking pauses and breaks, throughout, which I know even myself still have to remind myself of 'cause I'm quite a fast talker as well.
And then of course, engaging your audience, whether that is on, you know, again, social media or whether you are speaking in a crowd, how are you pulling in and engaging, your audience throughout whatever it is that you might be doing? And so what I'd love to challenge you with the next time, maybe you are all together as part of the mastermind, is, remember I talked about your elevator pitch, for example.
And I've got templates on that if, if you [00:17:00] want that. But, you know, maybe coming together and doing a really short elevator pitch together, but where you are actually practicing your three words and your presence on screen, right? ~And, ~and seeing how that actually goes. So checking your eye level, your lighting, your posture, ~you know, ~all of that.
And then picking one thing that might, you know, help to improve, owning that virtual presence.
So before I wrap up what I've been talking about today, I want you to have, have a think about this one question. If you stepped into your business tomorrow with absolute full clarity around your brand, your style, and your presence, what changes for you or what has the potential to change for you? And really think about it.
How would your business feel different? How [00:18:00] could you potentially show up differently? How might others respond differently to you? But most importantly, how much more powerful, confident, and recognized would you actually feel? That is just some something I really want you to think about because again, coming back to this day and age, we are so busy that we don't always take a moment,~ um,~ to sit back and think about these things.
So the key difference between where you are now and where you want to be isn't talent. It's not luck, it's not time. It's the opportunity for you to fully own and step into your presence, your leadership. Your brand. So from really my perspective is, and everyone I've, I've worked with is your brand is inside of you.
It's just a matter of stepping in and [00:19:00] owning those pieces really in full.
I'm challenging you with some of the things that I've talked through today just to think about personal brand a little bit differently and think about it in those three key areas, visibility, style, and your leadership presence, and start your transformation really now So I hope you've all enjoyed and grabbed a few takeaways, from that.
I hope you enjoyed part two of the behind the scenes, , of the recent masterclass that I ran. And I will see you then.
