Life Changes

House of Colour clients come from all walks of life and choose HOC for all kinds of reasons - the intangible (emotional, look good/feel good connection) to the tangible (practical, measurable, saving time/money/effort, to help secure jobs, promotions, relationships and sales). 
 

Whether people are successful, visible and happy with their life or feel completely disempowered or invisible, the overriding reason to decide to invest in themselves can frequently be defined as a desire to become more visible (noticed for the right reasons),  often triggered by a life event which focuses attention:

• Employment changes: finding that first job, making the transition from education, wanting more success as you climb the career ladder, moving to a position of self-employment and needing to secure sales, returning to work after a maternity break or moving into retirement.  People want to be distinguishable as an individual, looking professional, friendly and approachable, as though they can do the job in question – they want to look the part.
• Starting or ending a relationship often leads to a change in hairstyle and clothing.  The retail therapy element cannot be ignored but when making changes it’s far better to invest in things that will suit you to ensure you get full cost per wear and a return on your investment.  A major milestone is a frequent trigger - 18 and 21 may be welcomed with as much gusto as double digits or the teen milestone, but those blessed with youthful looks sometimes wish to look more mature to help career progression.  40 and 50 tend to be more resistant milestones, our pictures and reflections seem to defy how we feel, we know there must be a way to stay looking younger and slimmer for a bit longer without the need for surgical or chemical intervention as we prepare ourselves to embrace the ageing process; fear not, with HOC help is at hand!
• Recovery from any period of change can be a big deal - the varying levels of recovery from traumas or a period of illness (as patient or carer) also bring a need for a personal morale boost.
• Also included in this group are mothers - the impact of having children cannot be underestimated.  Every mother I would dare to say, without exception, will have experienced at some point a loss of power, self-esteem or self-confidence, which has a direct impact on our confidence when selecting clothes which suit us.  With time and space to think about ourselves for the first time in a long time, a change in lifestyle, body shape and budget, leaves us a little disorientated as we learn to find a new balance.   When life changes result in disempowered people and they want to pick themselves up, it’s something visual that needs changing – new hairstyle, outfit and/or accessories.  The power of the image is grossly underestimated but we need the image we see in the mirror to be a true reflection of who we are - we owe it to ourselves to be empowered, visible and authentic.
• From a business perspective a review of your personal appearance may be triggered by the company revisiting their corporate business strategy and recognising the value of bringing congruence to the staff, representatives and corporate brand.

All over the world, businessmen and women work hard to get themselves and their businesses ‘noticed’ (visible), seen for what and who they are (authentic) to customers.  One visit to a local business networking group will show you that, unfortunately, too often the focus is around getting the business card, brohure or product right, with little attention paid to the appearance and presentation of the person.

From a personal perspective we want to be seen for who we are, from a business perspective we also need to be seen to represent our company, product or service with authority and make sure that our personal appearance (brand) supports and reinforces the corporate brand while empowering us to be ourselves. 

The paradox of life is our conflicting need for both continuity and change.   Empowering people to embrace these changes by taking themselves on first is a real gift -  ‘chin up’, ‘best foot forward’, ‘tomorrow’s another day’ - it’s not what happens but our approach and reaction to it which will determine how we handle it – knowing you look your best is akin to knowing you’re as well prepared as you can be.