A Fresh Start

I couldn't help but laugh at myself when brainstorming the name for this post. I've done this a couple of times over the 9 years I've had my business, where I've rebirthed my brand with a new look, new focus, or new services, with an accompanying post announcing the "New Direction" or that I'm "Starting Anew." I guess that's part of being a business owner - remaining open to change and, as Gary Vaynerchuck says, not being "romantic" about what you always thought your business would be. The Life Styled has gone through a few different identities. It started in 2008 as a styling business for individual clients where I helped people connect with their ideal authentic style, and teach them how to make their wardrobe reflect their core self through services like Fashion Feng Shui, Closet Detox, and Personal Shopping. Then it expanded to being a fashion blog, and then a lifestyle blog, with some wardrobe styling for TV and brands on the side. I always loved every aspect of it but had a hard time choosing between priorities, and therefore spread myself too thin at times.

If you've been around these parts lately, you know that this topic is no stranger to my blog. After becoming a mom, I quickly realized that prioritizing was about to take on a whole new meaning. No longer did I have the luxury of endless amounts of work hours in each day, the ability to take wardrobe jobs that stressed me out beyond belief just for the sake of not saying no to work, turning out countless blog posts that were really more of a hobby than a lucrative business, or doing styling services in a way that didn't feel the most efficient/beneficial for my clients (or myself). This year, I had a major moment where I realized I did not want to spin my wheels to keep up with the way things used to be, and something needed to change. So I started to dig deep, and learn what matters most for my life and for my business.

Reconnecting with Fashion Feng Shui was the first on my list. It's what started it all when I got certified back in 2008, and I really missed working with people to connect them to their ideal style from within. I have SO enjoyed the workshops I've been doing this year, and the way it has been bringing women together to validate themselves and learn how to live their authenticity in this way. Through that, I realized how much I have been missing working with personal clients. Well, I never exactly stopped working with personal clients, but I've been doing less of it these past two years. So, the next thing I did was take a long hard look at the services I had been offering and ask myself how they were serving my clients. There were some kinks to work out for sure. I won't bore you with too many details on this, but I'll give you an example. For personal shopping, I used to bring a car load of clothes to clients' houses and do an epic 3-hour fitting with them where they would have to decide on the spot what they wanted to keep and pay for it all at once. While this was a great way to give them options in the flesh, it gave them zero flexibility to shop at their own pace, space it out, or think about something for a few days before pulling the trigger. It was stressful! I realized that little issues like this were making me not enjoy my job, and I was distancing myself from it. But rather than let it fade out, I decided it was time to go back to the drawing board.

I proceeded to spend the next couple of months researching, brainstorming, reconnecting with past clients, working with an amazing business coach Heidi Stevens, and testing out new ideas. Life only gets more busy and complicated as the years go on. Like me, many of my clients have become moms since we last worked together and now have a whole new way of looking at their style. We need convenience, ease, flexibility, and efficiency. We want to feel beautiful even when we feel exhausted and bogged down, and we want our wardrobes to work effortlessly with our busy and complex, often unglamorous lives.

With these things in mind, I can finally say that I've come up with two new styling packages that encompass the best of all worlds, and give my clients the most ideal experience for their investment. Both options equip you with a new wardrobe that honors you and your goals, the flexibility to purchase pieces when you're ready, on-call styling assistance for a month, and the tools you need to create your own killer outfits with all your new duds. The best part? You don't have to live in LA to get it. Both packages are mainly virtual (though the second one does have the option for an in-person closet assessment if you are local). You can read all the details about them here. I'm also thinking of doing an Instagram Live (my first ever - eek!) where I'll talk more about this, and the background behind these new changes, answer any questions, etc. Would you join me if I did? Comment below and let me know if you'd be in, and feel free to post a question if you have any (don't worry, I won't name names)!

Of course, I couldn't be breathing new life into The Life Styled without a new look, could I? The entire site is completely brand new thanks to the talented ladies at Go Live. My favorite part, aside from being super pretty, fresh, and *finally* mobile responsive, is that it will always be up to date with the latest of what's going on - special offers on styling, upcoming workshops, a shortcut to the latest blog post, etc. Updating the pages with new info was something that was hard to do with my last site (if you're not a professional web developer or designer) which meant you guys had to search the blog for the workshop details - not ideal. Speaking of, workshop info is here! I've got an extra special one coming up in January for those of you in the midwest, and more being added soon in LA!

Lastly, if you're reading this it probably means you're already on my email list which is GREAT because I'm going to be sending out a lot of really fun stuff - exclusive styling tips, workshop announcements, giveaways just for the email squad, offers, etc. If not, you can get on it in the pink box at the bottom or side of this page.

I'm SO excited to be on this journey, and having you along for the ride makes it even better. Thanks for all your support! I hope you love it as much as I do! The fun is just getting started.

Photography by Ashley Burns