laneimageconsulting
I was interviewed recently about being a coach to image consultants and personal stylists. Here are the questions I was asked and my very honest answers.
Q. I understand that you are an image consultant business coach. Can you tell me more about that?
A. Yes, I help image consultants and personal stylists take their image business online, get more clients and be financially independent. I do this through online group training programs. I help consultants take their colour analysis business and their styling business online.
Q. Did you start off with a niche proposition or did you start broader and refine down when you found what the ‘sweet spot’ was in terms of clients?
A. I was much wider when I started out as an iamge consultant offering everything to everyone but I only really started making money when I got really specific. Its a scary step because it feels counter-intuitive but now I know its the only way to go as you can be super focused and clear in your message and people get what you do and how you can help them much faster.
Q. Do you find that it gives you enough variety?
A. Yes, I have more than enough variety, as along with working with colour, I have to run a business. That provides more than enough variety!
Q. Do you ever find conflicts of interest, given some of your image consultant clients will undoubtedly be competing with each other, or at least will view each other as competition?
A. I don’t believe any of us image consultants have competition if we work at what we love and show up as ourselves. I have built a community of consultants who trust and support each other. I have seen no competition within my group so far only comraderie and support.
Q. What is the best and worst thing about your role as an image consultant coach?
A. Mindset is the biggest challenge as you are continually required to be open and grow and learn from your mistakes as an entrepreneur. You have to keep moving forward despite the fear, despite the criticism, despite everyone not loving you or what you do.
Q. I can see you previously worked in the corporate world (as I do now) – what was the biggest or most challenging part of the transition into self-employment as an image consultant?
A. I was young and passionate and clueless when I left corporate and to be honest the biggest fear was letting go of the big pay cheque. I was very ready to break free so I just too a chance and did it. The mind will try to stop you to keep you safe. It goes back to mindset again. This will be your greatest challenge so work on this everyday. My biggest influencers have been Tony Robbins, Eckhart Tolle, Denise Duffield Thomas, Susan Jeffries and more recently Marie Forleo.