Illustra Image Consulting Blog

Brand and Image Expert Sarah Hathorn to Address Association of Image Consultants International During Major NYC Event

Sarah Hathorn — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:15:40 -0500

On January 29, 2011, I will be the Education Day presenter for the New York Tri-State Chapter of the Association of Image Consultants International (AICI) later this month. I will be delivering a dynamic, interactive program titled “Empower Your Company Brand.”

The program will be presented on January 29th, 2011 from 9:00 am - 5:00 PM at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. AICI members can earn 0.6 CEU’s and special discounts are available to those who register online on or before January 15th at the event website address (aicinytristate.org/events).

Advance Yourself By Advancing Your Leaders

Sarah Hathorn — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 10:00:00 -0500

Many leaders want to use their positions as a platform to selfishly showcase their expertise because in today’s world they may be afraid of losing their jobs to downsizing. When people on their team come up with a fabulous concept that gets implemented and is extremely success, the designated leader want to take all the credit. But real leadership – the kind that earns promotions to senior executive positions – requires that you become a platform and springboard for advancing your employee and team members not yourself.

TIP: People love to work for confident leaders who are secure enough in their own abilities to give credit to the people on their teams. When you celebrate your team’s successes and give recognition to tem members your superiors realize you know how to build and manage a talented high performance team. Trust me – all organizations seek that kind of gifted leader.

Getting your people positioned to move up the corporate ladder is crucial today. Are you giving your leaders the boost they need?

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You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:
Sarah Hathorn is a professional image consultant, certified personal brand strategist, speaker, and author. Her company, Illustra Image Consulting, works with high-achieving future leaders and large businesses by enhancing their corporate and personal brand image to take their businesses and careers to the next level.
Blog, Ezine & Website: www.illustraconsulting.com
Copyright © 2011, Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIP, CPBS

Do You Know Your Career Destination?

Sarah Hathorn — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 10:00:00 -0500

If you get on the highway without a destination in mind there is no telling where you’ll end up, and even if you do know where you’re going you need preplanned goals along the way. To make it a successful trip you need reservations for lodging, the right clothes for the trip, and maybe GPS coordinates. Your car has to be roadworthy, and your credit better be good unless you plan to carry a suitcase full of cash.

Career goals are no different. If you don’t plan every step of the way – or if you get distracted and take the wrong exit or stop paying close attention to the road – you can experience an unexpected detour or even an accident that leaves you stranded.

Being crystal clear about where you want to go and knowing what you want to achieve is critical. I often work with leaders and high achievers who have a single goal – they want to get promoted. But when the opportunity arises they are lost and confused because they weren’t prepared for it – or they seize the wrong opportunity and it distracts them from their ultimate goal and career dream.

Do you see yourself wanting to become the next Director of Sales, Vice-President of Finance, or the CFO of your organization? Whatever your career aspiration may be, it’s important that you first believe in it, understand it, and picture it in your mind as a cohesive vision.

When you know where you are headed, announce your intention to others – through specific actions, benchmarks, skill sets, and a distinct attitude and personal brand. Most people are afraid to claim this intention for fear that if it doesn’t come true they will have failed. But that is a self-fulfilling mindset for surefire failure. You’ve got to believe it and hold it alive in your mind, regardless of what the naysayers or negative voices in your head are telling you.

Some psychological researchers theorize that when we picture something as being real in our mind and really believe it, our mind has difficulty distinguishing that imaginary self from our real self. The mind begins to accept our imaginary vision and dream as reality. That causes us to naturally act the part and attract our goal to us until it does actually become real. Visualizing in this way is a very powerful tool that many leaders don’t utilize to really bring them success, but it works every time if you do your work!

Here are Six Daily Tips to help you implement this great resource:

1) Believe You Can Achieve It!
You have to really believe with complete confidence that you will receive your next promotion. There can be no negative doubts playing in the theatre of your mind to dilute determination or express weakness. Exude successfulness and attract success.

2) Practice Daily Visualization
Start by thinking about how it feels to “be” at the next level. Try to experience the emotional rewards of that prized promotion and use them to fertilize the seeds of your vision throughout the day. If you really want to get promoted it must become a vivid mental photograph that you refer to and add details to every single day.

3) Set Your Goals with a Strategic Plan
Knowing the end game is not enough. You also need a long game that gets you from point A to point B. What developmental feedback have you received regarding what you need to do to qualify for a promotion, and what steps are you taking to accomplish those things? Outline the goals, being specific, and break down bigger goals into more manageable bite-sized chunks. That way you’ll reach incremental goals along the way to give you a continual sense of accomplishment that fuels your momentum.

4) Don’t Quit When Things Get Tough
If I had decided to quit each time I faced a new challenge or setback I would never have worked at Macy’s. But I toughed it out and was rewarded with a fantastic 26-year career in an outstanding organization. Then I faced the bigger challenge of going out on my own to start my own company. Now I have the challenge of expanding that business to build on my recent successes, but I am more confident than ever because every time I’ve embraced the challenges they have prepared me to play a bigger game in life. Yes, you’ll be nervous and maybe a little scared – but harness those feelings and use them as impetus to push you forward and you’ll be amazed at how much strength you get as that brave “can-do” attitude distinguishes you from the competition.

5) Go the Extra Mile
Every week I talk to top management in Fortune 500 companies and they tell me that what they are looking for in today’s difficult economy is self-motivated people who go the extra mile to exhibit natural leadership without being asked. If you only do the minimum then you will be noticed and remembered for that. Show your organization that you are not mediocre but have unique value and are eager to assume more responsibility. Focus on those attributes and you won’t have to ask for a larger salary and prestigious title because those who are looking for great leaders will identify you and proactively seek you out for promotion.

6) Learn the Art of Getting Promoted
I’ve always enjoyed being a short-cut girl, so I love to work with people who have already mastered whatever it is I am trying to do. It’s like standing on the shoulders of giants. This saves me a lot of time and money in the long run. That’s why I offer my own unique blend of experiences and expertise to those leaders who want to advance quickly up the corporate ladder. I can be their champion or giant.

One thing I have completely mastered over the past 30 years is the process of getting promoted in record time, and if you want to enjoy the same kind of rapid success I can show you how. I went from the accounting department to a position as a top executive, and I did it in just 18 months – after being told that I was not management material. Then I brought lots of my colleagues and protégés along by showing them the same strategic process.

I’d love to hear from you if you have some other ideas you think are important for helping leaders keep on track, motivated, and successful about their next big career move up the ladder..

Do you want to use this blog article?

You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:

Sarah Hathorn is a professional image consultant, certified personal brand strategist, speaker, and author.

Her company, Illustra Image Consulting, works with high-achieving future leaders and large businesses by enhancing their corporate and personal brand image to take their businesses and careers to the next level.

Blog, Ezine & Website: www.illustraimageconsulting.com

20 Business Leadership Tips Every Corporate Leader Must Know

Sarah Hathorn — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 14:29:54 -0500

If you’ve been a leader in your corporation for any length of time, I’m sure you’ve experienced a few management blunders or embarrassing moments. I know throughout my career with Macy’s Inc I made more than just a few leadership mistakes. I quickly rebounded and learned my lessons, which is how every executive today learns to become a better leader.

Today leaders need to be aware of how to navigate this new complex and changing business landscape. Your professional presence is under heavy scrutiny every day. Yes, you are under the microscope daily and everyone is watching how you look, act, behave and communicate. It’s always the total package of how you exude real presence.

In the below link to Steve Tobak’s blog post on 12/9/10 entitled, 20 Business Truisms That Can Change Your Life he lists the 20 practical lessons.

This list of the top 20 tips is a great read for every leader to post somewhere in their office where they can refer to it daily.

Feel free to let me know your thoughts on this blog posts or refer to Steve’s blog to post a comment.

Courtesy of: Steve Tobak - The Corner Office

AICI New York Tri-State Chapter Education Day 2011

Sarah Hathorn — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:38:44 -0500

AICI NY Tri-State Chapter invites you to this easy step-by-step program to up-level your business. "Empower Your Company Brand” presented by pioneer and visionary innovator Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIP, CPBS, is tailored for your image business model– one-on-one, group or corporate.

Participants will leave knowing how to break through limiting blockages to achieve extraordinary results, and somersault challenges (e.g. economic conditions, etc.) into opportunities, and much more.

Join us January 29, 2011 (9AM-5PM, The Fashion Institute of Technology, 7th Ave. at 27th St., New York City) and earn 0.6 CEU’s.

Register online (coming soon) by January 15, pay only AICI Members & Students $115 / Nonmembers $135. After January 15, pay AICI Members & Students $135 / Nonmembers $175.

Failures are Just Detours on the Way To Success

Sarah Hathorn — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 10:00:00 -0500

I know every top leader I’ve personally coached in large corporations has experienced a painful career failure or two. I know in my own career that these failures were just detours on the way to success so I wanted to share with you how to look at these failures and learn important lessons for your future.

Highly successful leaders have all experience failure in some way, shape or form. But it’s important to realize that lessons learned from failure can catapult us to exponentially greater success. To review your disappointments, be objective and consider what went wrong, what you did right and how you might handle the situation if it arises again. Hindsight is always 20/20, but it can provide valuable insight to help us avoid making the same mistake twice. And all great leaders know that they have to accept responsibility for their failures, regardless of who is actually at fault.

Don’t become a victim and wallow in self-pity. Learn your lessons and change your perspective to leverage this failure to bring your greater success.

Do you want to use this blog article?

You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:

Sarah Hathorn is a professional image consultant, certified personal brand strategist, speaker, and author.

Blog, Ezine & Website: www.illustraimageconsulting.com

Will You Peer through the Peephole When Opportunity Knocks?

Sarah Hathorn — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 10:00:00 -0500

When career opportunities knock many people just peer nervously through the peephole afraid to answer the door. Others crack it open a little – but they leave the security chain on because of deep-seeded fear of success. But when yours comes around I want you to fling open the door and step across the threshold without looking back.

This month I heard a keynote speech given by Judge Glenda Hatchett, the author of the new book, Dare to Dream and the syndicated show, Judge Hatchett. As I listened to her story about changing her career path, it made me think about how true leaders can lead in any industry, regardless of title, position, or salary.

She tells of how she was the highest-ranking African American woman and senior attorney at Delta Airlines. During her career with Delta, someone asked her to become the Chief Presiding Judge of Fulton County, Georgia’s Juvenile Court. She struggled with this decision for some time, wondering whether it was an opportunity or not – until her inner voice asked, “What is your legacy?” She couldn’t answer that question.

Leaving behind a great compensation package and her familiar comfort zone was a big, scary step. But she wanted to reinvent herself as a leader in the judicial system in order to improve the lives of troubled youngsters. The rest is history – now her popular Judge Hatchett show is in its 8^th season.

I highly recommend her new book! (To learn more visit the GlendaHatchett.com website.)

When presented with a chance to change roles, accept more responsibility, or apply for a promotion do you sometimes question whether it’s the best career move? I think we’ve all experienced those moments of doubt and indecision. But natural leaders can feel when their work in one position is complete because despite the wealth and power something else essential is missing.

Glenda Hatchett knew that her ability to flourish as a leader at Delta was limited so she accepted it as a stepping stone to her real leadership legacy. Always listen to your intuition when opportunities arise. Don’t say “no” due to butterflies of apprehension. That nervousness is just excitement. Pay attention to your inner voice when it asks you to be courageous about broadening your scope and enhancing your career.

Have you ever had to make a lateral move that wasn’t on your career path the way I have done so many times during my career? Please share with me how you leveraged the experience to get you back on track for a leadership promotion.

Do you want to use this blog article?

You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:

Sarah Hathorn is a professional image consultant, certified personal brand strategist, speaker, and author.

Blog, Ezine & Website: www.illustraimageconsulting.com

Are You Conveying Confidence or Sabotaging Your Self Esteem?

Sarah Hathorn — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 10:19:14 -0500

Two weeks ago I spoke about image, brand, and executive presence at the Linkage Women in Leadership Summit in San Francisco and was asked tons of questions, including one that was wrapped around one of the best compliments I have ever received. Halfway through the presentation a woman asked, “How does one get more confidence?” Before I could answer she did a follow-up by adding, “How can I get what you exude in how you dress, speak and present?” As you can imagine I was really flattered. But I was also touched by the fact that this highly placed executive was – like many women in the corporate world – still struggling with a nagging lack of personal and professional self confidence.

Her question made me immediately think of that restaurant scene in the movie “When Harry Met Sally” when another customer overhears Sally’s passionate moaning and sighing and tells the waitress “I’ll have what she’s having!”

But I know exactly where she was coming from and how she felt. Early in my career with Macy’s I was a total introvert who lacked self-esteem and had a conspicuous lack of executive presence. Fortunately I had some great mentors who believed in me and taught me how to think bigger and push onward even when I didn’t believe in myself.

Superiors told me that I needed to step it up and exude more confidence when corporate executives visited my store, when I called on elite clientele, and when I addressed the 500 associates who worked in my store. I also needed that power and strength when I walked into the HR office or C Suite to convince decision makers that I deserved a promotion.

The problem was that I had a self-sabotaging mindset that held me back – and with that kind of internalized negativity going one nobody could impart to me the confidence I lacked. Like so many others in the corporate arena I was my own worst enemy in terms of career advancement because I was blocking my own path to success as a self-styled confidence saboteur.

But the turning point came when I made up my mind to enhance my personal brand and professional presence. I decided to empower my image in an authentic way because I was determined to accomplish my dreams. I realized that building my confidence was a vital component of my own unique individual and spiritual growth as a person – both in terms of my career and my own private life away from the office.

As I began to experience personal growth, my visibility increased and many more opportunities began to come my way. The transformation didn’t happen overnight because it is a process, not an acute event. But when it did my career leapt forward. I exuded confidence. I felt comfortable and authentic in my personal brand, dress, and communication style. My career acceleration was tangible, and my newly found professional presence was natural, genuine, and sustainable.

So if you hear those little negative or overly timid voices inside your head, know that you must first adopt a positive mindset. Just like when learning to play tennis or golf, it takes practice to develop confidence and poise – but you can do it and I’m living proof of that. Once I figured it out it was like the “secret passageway” to career success and an extraordinary life.

Do you also struggle with confidence? I’d love for you to share your thoughts.

Do you want to use this blog article?

You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:

Sarah Hathorn is a professional image consultant, certified personal brand strategist, speaker, and author.

Blog, Ezine & Website: www.illustraimageconsulting.com

The Intimacy Store: Foundations for a Slimmer You

Sarah Hathorn — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:00:00 -0400

As a professional image consultant I always love to share recommends whenever I find a great resource. Although I have heard great reviews from other women who have purchased their foundations from the Intimacy Store, I had not had any personal experience until this month when I decided to schedule a “bra fit” appointment. I visited the store in Phipps Plaza to see how it might be different in terms of their selection and customer service from the department store bra fitting events.

Outlined below is my critique of the service and selection based on my own visit to the store and my years of experience working in the department store business when I was with Macy’s.

Appointment Scheduling

They have an online appointment system where you can select your day, time, and input your information for any day/time that is available. Okay, that was super easy!

Professional Greeting

I arrived at my scheduled time and filled out a brief card outlining my challenges and exactly what I wished to accomplish. My main challenge was that I wanted my clothes to fit even better and I was willing to experiment with different types of bras and pay a premium not to have to replace my wardrobe. The person I worked with in the fitting room was extremely professional and made me feel comfortable. (As you can imagine a bra fitting is a very intimate encounter so you want someone who really makes you feel at ease.) My bra fit specialist here in Atlanta was Sheena Xayaseng. Within the first few minutes she assured me that she could solve my problem quickly while saving me money in the long run.

Knowledge and Expertise

Unlike the bra fit specialists in department stores – who use measuring tapes to determine your bra size – Sheena used several bras as her tools to best determine my size. I’m the image consultant, but she is the expert when it comes to making your bust line tie in with your body proportions and overall shape. It was amazing how quickly she looked at me in my current bra and then presented me with two new bras that fit me perfectly! Usually when I go bra shopping I feel like I am in the fitting room for hours looking for the wonder bra that will do everything I want it to do, only to leave the store frustrated because I couldn’t find it. As I was trying on various styles Sheena explained to me that I was wearing the wrong size bra, and she also provided educational rationale to explain exactly how and why a bra should fit in the back, on the sides and in front.

Bra Construction and Price

Like everything in life you get what you pay for. The bras at Intimacy are not cheap. The average price point is around $80. But the construction of the bra is worth $80. They are like a beautiful, expensive suit that is made of fine fabric, has finishing on the seams and elegant details that allow it to drape over your silhouette. In fact the bras at Intimacy are made of more seams than I have ever seen before on a bra – and those allow allow the bra to provide you greater support than those without all the detailed construction.

My Problem Resolved

Wow! I couldn’t believe how comfortable I felt and how great I looked. It was like a magical transformation. When I tried on the various styles of bras and then tried on my clothing over them I was amazed. Although I had to invest in my high-quality foundations, it saved me from having to buy a whole new wardrobe due to a gaining a few extra pounds – and that saved me lots of time, trouble, and money.

Plus I felt wonderful just seeing myself in the mirror. Sheena also explained to me how to care and launder my bras to extend the life of my foundations. I was so happy with the excellent level of customer service and professional education that I walked out of the store with three new bras. They instantly made me feel and look more slender and shapely. Yes, I am a perfect example of someone paying a premium price for the services of a professional who can solve my dilemma. But paying for the best ultimately saved me time and money and I now I feel great. How do you put a price on that?

Five Star Customer Service

I give both the Intimacy Store and Sheena Xayaseng five star ratings for outstanding, exemplary customer service and insightful, helpful knowledge. As every great salesperson should do, Sheena quickly accessed my particular needs and was efficient and professional as she answered all my questions. I definitely recommend a visit to the Intimacy Store if you are looking to increase your bust line to better complement your body shape – or if you would like to decrease your bust line due to the fact that you have gained a few pounds and want to look thinner and find your waistline again.
If you have ever been to the Intimacy Store, I’d love for you to share your personal impressions of it here on this blog. As always, I welcome your feedback.

Contact Information in Atlanta:

Intimacy Store
Phipps Plaza
3500 Peachtree Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30326
Phone: 404-261-9333
The Bra Fit Stylist: Sheena Xayaseng

Do you want to use this blog article?

You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:

Sarah Hathorn is a professional image consultant, certified personal brand strategist, speaker, and author.

Her company, Illustra Image Consulting, works with high-achieving future leaders and large businesses by enhancing their corporate and personal brand image to take their businesses and careers to the next level.

Blog, Ezine & Website: www.illustraimageconsulting.com

Copyright © 2010, Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIP, CPBS

Anti-Aging Enhancements: Natural beauty is timeless

Sarah Hathorn — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 10:00:00 -0400

Expensive surgical facelifts used to be considered a trendy rite of passage – and a sign of status and wealth – for American women crossing the threshold of middle age. With a little nip and tuck around the face they felt like they were in their 20s again, and facelifts were accepted as a standard procedure for dealing with a woman’s midlife crisis. But as New York cosmetic surgeon John Turk, MD explained in this month’s issue of More Magazine, “In the past, women could go into a doctor’s office and end up looking ‘younger,’ but it was rarely a natural look.”

As we have seen, that kind of treatment often leads to a conspicuously unnatural look – with skin pulled so taut that it looks like more like an expressionless mask than a youthful and beautiful face. So before you decide to go under the knife give some thought to the innovative skin care options that women have today. They can make us look and feel healthier and more radiant – instead of unrealistically flawless and desperately uncomfortable with our natural maturity.

The Goal is Not to Look Younger – Just Better!
There is really no reason to look like you are in your 20s if you are not, because as you evolve and mature you take on elegant, powerful, beautifully graceful attributes. I realize that as I coach my female clients who are leaders and executives that many of them lose confidence over time, just because they develop a few wrinkles and lines. Rather than resort to plastic surgery, however, I recommend that they can take advantage of innovative treatments such as Restylane, Jevederm, and Botox.
These fillers help to add a gentle lift to the skin for a renewed and enhanced look.

Looking Attractive & Pretty
Every woman I coach wants to appear more attractive and pretty, and we tend to evaluate our looks based on two things – our bodily shape and facial features. But I’m here to tell you that a few new wrinkles on the face is no reason to fret – and worrying about such insignificant details only invites a stressed-out expression and accentuated worry lines.

A recent survey of Hollywood directors revealed, in fact, that many women actors are so obsessed with having flawless faces that they go to extremes that rob them of their natural expressiveness – which keeps them from getting chosen during auditions. Directors complain that they cannot find enough mature women to cast in their films because a face with no wrinkles or lines is incapable of expressing feelings, emotions, and personality. You certainly don’t want to fall into that image trap. So remember that even by Hollywood’s standards an expressive face with luminous, healthy skin will always trump a few wrinkles – and is more alluring and unique.

Of course we all want to look our best and keep our skin radiant and smooth. So to tone down the darker spots that sometimes emerge with age you can try one of the great topical creams with extra antioxidants. The line of Olay Regenerist products is, for example, both affordable and highly effective at relieving dry skin and giving your face a lovely glow. You may also want to try an application of Retin-A. Use it in the evening three times a week to speed your cellular recovery and help alleviate more defined wrinkles or dark areas under the eyes. Then just exfoliate your skin every other day or so to keep your skin feeling and looking smooth and soft.

Aging gracefully is about exuding natural confidence to let your inner beauty blaze. With all of the great skin care methods and products available today everyone can boost their confidence through minor enhancements that ensure you look your very best all day, every day. So if you’ve tried any skin care innovations and found them beneficial I’d love to hear your reviews and recommendations.

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