E197: How Effective Is Your Personal Image?

UN-Market Your Business Podcast — Clean Transcript

CAROL: Hey everyone, welcome back to the UN-Market Your Business Podcast. Today I have a super special guest. All my guests are special, but she is super duper special. I’m telling you, because she’s going to tell us all about our image. Is it effective? Is it working? What can we do? I need your help, Valencia! When you get on here and talk to us, it’ll be good. It’ll be good.

So I’ve known Valencia for a while. I think she was on one of my summits. I’ve talked to her several times and I’ve been on her stuff. We are getting this thing together because your image is important. How you present yourself is important. How you look is important, because it helps people go to the next step with you. So I’m going to bring on someone who knows exactly what this is all about. Hey Valencia, how are you?

VALENCIA: Hi, I am good! How are you?

CAROL: I am amazing. Another day above dirt is always good.

VALENCIA: Yes, absolutely. I agree, I agree.

CAROL: Okay, okay. Before we get into the how-effective-is-your-image conversation and all that, I would love for you to tell everyone a little bit about you, your business, what you do, and anything else you’d like to share.

VALENCIA: Absolutely. Thank you again for this opportunity — Carol, it is always so good to see you. Hello everyone! My name is Valencia Holland. I am a certified image consultant, better known as the Style Educator. I provide women with wardrobe solutions who struggle to get dressed. Maybe you or somebody you know struggles with getting dressed. What I do is come in and help them identify their body shape, discover their personal style, and build their wardrobe so that they can be more confident and live their lives. That’s what I do on a professional level.

I always like to joke and say that I have been doing this passionately for a very long time. I used to be the go-to girl for friends and family — I still kind of am, even though I’ve launched my own business and have been in business since 2012. I would get text messages, you know, pictures of shoes — “Hey, my birthday is coming up, I have somewhere to go, what should I wear? How do I pull myself together?” I even remember being one of the very first ones to get my outfit together when we were out shopping in a group. They would always look at me and say, “How do you do that? Every time we go shopping, no matter where we are, you’re already ready to go. I’m checking out, I got it.” I was the one they would go to for advice on what to wear — and even what not to wear. So yes, it’s been something I’ve been doing for a very long time. It’s 2025, so yeah, it’s been a minute — well over ten years.

CAROL: You should be getting a round of applause for that. Some people don’t last ten minutes, so ten years is a long time.

VALENCIA: Yeah, and it’s definitely been a journey. I tell people all the time, when you’re doing something for yourself, it has to be something you enjoy, because you’ll be able to ride through the bumps. Otherwise, that first bump comes and you’re like, “Oh no, I give up. I don’t know what to do.” You go through that a couple of years in, then a couple more years, like — did I pick the right thing? Am I doing the right stuff? And then somehow or another, you get those awesome clients who are like, “Oh my God, where did you come from? I’ve been waiting on you for my whole life!” And then you think, okay, I’m doing the right thing. Yes, we’ve all been through that.

CAROL: I’ve been through the “what do I wear?” struggle myself! I have things in my closet that I really do wear, and if I haven’t worn something in a while, I learned from you — that thing is going away. When I do the podcast and stuff like that, I’m not standing in front of a closet going, “What do I wear today?” I have you to thank for that!

VALENCIA: Oh, thank you! Yay!

CAROL: So before we go down the road of image and all of that, this is a question I ask all of my guests — how do you get traffic to your website? What do you do?

VALENCIA: My goodness. So I’ve been able to get traffic to my website in a few different ways. One is the super popular way we’re all familiar with, and that’s social media. We’ve all become part of this virtual world of Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and all of that. Social media has definitely been one of the main sources for driving traffic to my website — just posting valuable content, what I like to refer to as style education. People flow in depending on what the video is or what I’m talking about. Things like this interview also allow people to go to my social media or directly to my website and say, “We love what she said. We want to check her out, we want to learn more about her and how she can help us or collaborate.”

The second way is good old-fashioned networking. I love in-person networking. Any sort of networking event I go to, I still carry business cards.

CAROL: Oh, I like that!

VALENCIA: Going out and meeting people face to face is really good for my particular business and also good for my personality. I like to interact one-on-one with people and talk to them — I’m definitely not shy. It gives me that more personal introduction to them. So when people meet me at a networking event, it sometimes circles back to social media and they take it from there. Those two ways are generally the main ones for me in terms of getting traffic to my website initially.

CAROL: I can see you getting traffic from in-person stuff, because the first thing people are going to do is look at your image, check you out, and then when you say “I style women” — or what I love how you said it in the beginning, you help them get dressed — people are immediately curious. They’re looking at you like, “Oh, so you don’t have to say a whole lot!” When you say style, they’re digging in. “What does that mean?” And then they’re like, “Oh, don’t look at me! Are my clothes right?”

VALENCIA: You know what’s so funny that you say that? I get that so much! I’m not judging them. In their heads, they probably think I’m judging or assessing them, but honestly it’s the opposite. I’m more so just visualizing how the outfit could look better — things like that. So if you’re watching or you know me, I’m not judging you. Not judging, just looking.

CAROL: It’s so natural. We all look. It’s a natural instinct.

VALENCIA: Yes. Because we’re visual people — we’re always looking around. It’s just part of how we are and how we’re created. You remind me of that magazine — I think it was Glamour — they used to have in the back this section where they’d show people with black bars over their faces and talk about what was good or what wasn’t. “Dressed like this? Don’t dress like that.” That’s what you remind me of, because you’re doing that in your head, but you’re not telling anybody.

And I wanted to know this — do you recognize your client or potential client when you see them? Do you look at someone and say, “Oh my gosh, I could really help her”?

CAROL: That is a great question. I’ve never been asked that before, but I’m glad you did!

VALENCIA: After several years of helping all sorts of people with different body shapes and different backgrounds, now I can identify a potential client. I never really used to look at it that way. I tell people all the time, when you’re starting something of your own — especially something you like — you definitely have to learn the business side, because it’s not just, “Oh, I’m starting a business and because I enjoy doing this, the clients are going to come and I’ll know who’s for me and who’s not.” I kind of went through that in the beginning where you think everyone’s your client. Everyone is not, and you think you can service and help everyone — and you can’t. That’s just not how it should be.

So yes, I can definitely now say with confidence, “Yes, that person is for me,” or “No, that person is someone I can’t help,” because honestly, some people can look like they need my help but they don’t want the help. You know what I mean?

CAROL: Exactly. They don’t want it!

VALENCIA: So yes, I can tell now.

CAROL: Well, that’s good — that means you’re a seasoned professional!

VALENCIA: I’m like that in a different kind of way, because when I talk to people — most of the time it’s on Zoom, because virtual is my world, honey, or I’m on the phone. Even though I am outgoing, I love people, I love to be around people, but I love virtual even more because I can sit in my own office. When I talk to someone and they tell me what they’re doing or whatever, I can tell — they’re my client, they’re not my client, I know my lane.

And I know that when you’ve been in this for ten-plus years, you know your lane. And when somebody tries to steer you off course, you have to course-correct and stay in your lane. Because if you go outside of it, you won’t get the results that either of you thought you were going to get. And that doesn’t help either person — it has to be beneficial for both.

CAROL: I was thinking about this. Do you specialize in a specific area like personal shopping or wardrobe editing, or are you just like, “Come on in, I can help you”?

VALENCIA: I’ve definitely had to learn about having a niche and knowing what my strengths are as a style educator. Because I don’t do everything. I remember a time I had a client who wanted me to style her a particular way, and it went against my experience and better education when it comes to how she would look. I honestly had to “break up” with that client, so to speak, because it just didn’t work. In that moment, I realized she needed more of a personal shopper — not someone to educate her on what would really work for her.

That experience made me ask: is my marketing showing that I’m a personal shopper? Because I’m the Style Educator. I educate you on what to wear, what not to wear, but also making sure it’s personalized to the person. We’re in 2025, and you have the fashion industry screaming at you what’s in and what’s not. My job is to individualize it to you — to help you dress for what’s actually going on in your life.

So I had to make sure my marketing clearly says: I am an image consultant, aka the Style Educator, and I’m here to educate my client on what is the best thing for them — what’s best for their lifestyle, where they live, what the weather is like, what they do for work, what other hats they wear. Because women, we wear multiple hats.

The specialization is really in identifying the body shape, discovering personal style, and helping clients build a wardrobe to live their life and be more confident. I believe knowing your body shape is the cornerstone of every woman’s wardrobe. A lot of women see clothes on social media — before it was movies and magazines — and they see what someone else is wearing. Sometimes just because something looks good on someone else doesn’t mean it’s going to translate on your body the same way. It’s not that there’s something wrong with you, it’s just that the way those clothes laid on her are not going to lay on you the same.

We can take inspiration from it, but we have to figure out how your body is naturally proportioned and how to properly place clothing pieces on your body to make everything look smooth, polished, and accentuated. And of course we add in other elements like proper color, because color can help or hinder your outfit. Again, it’s really specific to who you are as a person.

That’s why I changed my language around what I do — so people know from the beginning: we’re going down this road to build the wardrobe that you need. I use the word “build” intentionally, because sometimes women think it’s a sprint. They’ve been struggling to get dressed for a long time and now they want an immediate result. You can get some results immediately, but building your wardrobe does take a little bit of time. So I try to be very intentional with my words, because people may hear “image consultant” or “personal stylist” and try to push you in a direction that’s not really aligned with what you do.

CAROL: That just made me look at it a whole new way. And when you were talking, I hope this helps someone out there — if you’re confused about the difference, it helps to understand exactly who you should be working with. I think working with you would help someone not be as critical of themselves, or even open them up to something they didn’t think they could do.

Okay Valencia, we’ve been talking about this image thing and how you look at people and how you don’t judge people. But what I — what we all — want to know is: what is your process for assessing a new client and understanding what their needs are, whether professional or personal? What is your process around that?

VALENCIA: So all prospective clients are encouraged to book a consultation with me. They do that on my website. Once they go through the booking link, they receive a questionnaire. That questionnaire has a series of questions that I ask them so I can review it prior to us getting on our Zoom call. We then go through those questions together, and the questionnaire is designed to give me almost like a snapshot of where the client is and some of the things they’re struggling with, as well as their goals — what are they looking forward to getting out of working with me, and what would let them know they’ve reached those goals? There’s also a dropdown box that lists the services on my website, so sometimes clients will look at the service page, read the descriptions, and try to determine what they think they want. But of course I always recommend what’s best for them during that conversation, because that conversation is really an introduction for us. It gives me that snapshot of where the client is, and then I say, “This is how I can help you get to those goals.”

So the initial consultation is super, super, super important. It gives you the roadmap to go forward. Even when they come from networking events — if we’re chatting at the grocery store and get to talking — I say, “Go to my website and fill this out, I want to talk with you.” They book on my calendar, the questionnaire pops up right at booking, they fill it out, and everything comes to me — the time, the date they selected, and the questionnaire — all to keep that process smooth and efficient.

And then depending on what they say in the questionnaire, I may speak to them in that moment and ask, “What are you struggling with? What’s the issue? Why did you respond like that?” Because sometimes people will see me and say something nice about my outfit, and then share something self-critical about themselves. I’ll say, “Why are you talking like that about yourself? What are you struggling with?” It just kind of depends on where we are and what’s happening.

CAROL: I love that process. I love how you’re doing that. I know your clients must just love you!

I’m glad you were here to tell us all about this. Now, I know you have a challenge for our audience, because most women need some help choosing what they’re going to wear — maybe even to go to breakfast! I know you have a challenge. Could you tell us a little bit about it?

VALENCIA: Absolutely. My challenge is called The Closet Uncluttered. Women always have these moments — “I’m tired of struggling with my wardrobe. I really want to dress the best for myself.” And then they think, “Okay, I just need to go shopping.” Or many women who struggle to get dressed just keep shopping, thinking if they buy more clothes or get new things, that’s going to change it. But that is so far from the truth.

So when it comes to The Closet Uncluttered, the most important thing you want to do is get things in order. In order to have an effective image, you need to take everything out of your closet. You need to make room for new things — out with the old, in with the new. But in order to do that, you need to do a Closet Uncluttered wardrobe assessment.

Get in your closet, start taking things out, and really start to look and ask: When is the last time I’ve worn this? Did I enjoy wearing it? How did it make me feel? Can I still fit it? Does it still work for who I am as a woman today, and where I want to go in my life?

Get rid of things that don’t fit, get rid of things that are not going to serve you for where you are and where you want to go. Keep those things that make you feel good, feel confident, look great on your body, and fit you well — because those can be “rinse and repeat” pieces. I’m not someone who says you can’t keep something you’ve had in your wardrobe for several years. If it matches who you are and your personality, why not remix it and create a new look? There’s nothing wrong with making something old into something new.

Starting with that closet unclutter is super, super important — because you want to get rid of what you don’t need to make space for what you do.

I always tell women, if you struggle with giving things away, just look at it as a way to bless somebody else with it. There are a lot of great organizations where you live — you may have to do a little research — but there are churches, nonprofits, places that love gently used clothing and will give it to people who are in a season where it will absolutely bless them. If you change your mindset from “releasing it” to “gifting it,” it makes it a lot easier to let go. Because you’re looking at it like: this served me for the time that it did. Now let me give it to serve someone else in their life. There are women in seasons where they can’t get certain clothing or certain things. Why not be a part of giving back to them in that way?

And then you’re stepping into new things for yourself. You get a double blessing — you’re blessing somebody else while also investing in your wardrobe and your image and preparing yourself for what’s next.

CAROL: Oh, I love that declutter mindset. Because we had to do that when we were moving — we had to get rid of clothes. My husband, he lost so much weight. He looks great, by the way! And he had all these clothes that were so huge, and when he put them on they were just dragging on him. I was like, “We’re getting rid of these, right? Throw it out!” Some things we did throw away, but for the majority we gave it away. People were so happy and grateful to get them, because they were good clothes. We had spent hundreds of dollars on suits and everything. So yes, bless someone else and let them experience the love that you had for those clothes, because you don’t need them anymore, or you can’t wear them, or they’re out of season.

VALENCIA: Absolutely. We can just give them to somebody else. Right, right!

CAROL: I love this. I am so happy that you came on today to talk about image, because I don’t think we think about it as much as we should. And now I know — hey y’all, I got a lot of information from the Style Educator a couple of years ago, and I still use it even now. So I know you’re all going to be able to do this.

But Valencia, before I let you get out of here, I know you have a gift for our people out there. And I also want to know — how can people find you in these internet streets?

VALENCIA: Absolutely! So the gift I wanted to share is the gift of style education. I have my style community, which is very personal to me, where women come together and I continue this conversation of adding value. I like to add value to everything I do. In the style community I provide a lot of helpful style tips, wardrobe hacks, shopping advice. I’m also going to be doing some challenges, which is new for me, and some style education classes — and so many other great things.

That’s also where people can get more information or be the first to know about those challenges. And if anybody is looking for me, you can definitely find me on social media — Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube — at The Style Educator. And if you want to know a little bit more about me and the services I provide, you can definitely visit my website at ValenciaHolland.com.

CAROL: Awesome, awesome, awesome! We’re going to be going over there. The community — if we go to the website, we’ll see how to get in there?

VALENCIA: Yes it will!

CAROL: Good. Awesome. Because I need to get in the community. I haven’t been in there in a minute — don’t judge me!

VALENCIA: No judgment here! We gotta stay looking good in these streets, you know?

CAROL: Yes, yes! Thank you so much for joining me. Thank you so much for your patience and being a part of this. It has been wonderful. And I want everyone out here — if you’re listening, watching, reading, and you’re on the show notes page — go follow Valencia on her chosen social media handles, get in the community, and learn how you can be more effective with your image, so that it can hopefully make you more money in your chosen career or industry.

VALENCIA: More confident, right?

CAROL: Yes! More confident. When we feel good, we do good. No matter what it is that you have to do.

VALENCIA: Definitely, definitely. Thank you so much.

CAROL: Bye everyone. We will talk soon, Valencia!

VALENCIA: Thank you. Bye everyone!

UN-Market Your Business Podcast with Carol J. Dunlop Guest: Valencia Holland — The Style Educator | ValenciaHolland.com | @TheStyleEducator