Pivotal Change (Aired 04-10-2025) Unlock Leadership Potential: The Power of Image

[00:00:00] Speaker A: SA. [00:00:26] Speaker B: Foreign and welcome to this episode of pivotal Change. [00:00:34] Speaker A: We've got a very fun episode. [00:00:36] Speaker B: We're going to be talking about image all day today. So I am your host, Ryan Khan from CS Business Consulting. And we are going to continue along this path where we talk about the leadership, the influence, the things that business owners or people with positions of influence need to make that one or two key pivotal change moments in their journey to success, to hopefully have all of the changes and all of the riches and pleasures of life that you can get in order to really substantiate yourself and move on. So in doing that, I'm gonna break the ice on this episode where we're focusing on image by taking you back a little bit to my days in law enforcement. I often like to really give definitions and define things before jumping into it too much. So when I talk about image, this is what I mean. I mean how you dress, I mean your posture, things like hygiene and grooming, fitness, your clothing in different occasions and different scenarios, the articulation of your speech, and even just the mobility and looseness or stiffness of your body. So the total image that you present of yourself is going to be the topic of today's show on leadership. One of the things I want to share immediately upon the significance of image and presenting yourself well is in my law enforcement days, we had a really staggering interview as a part of our training where they showed videos and statistical results where they have interviewed inmates, some really bad dudes. And all of these inmates have either committed a really highly violent assault on a law enforcement officer or even have murdered a law enforcement officer. So those were the categories of being in on this interview. And the crazy part is when those inmates were interviewed about all of the dynamics that happened in, in that encounter where they decided to violently assault or even kill a police officer, it boiled down to some very similar results from each and every inmate that gave the report. And here's the scary thing. They said that if that officer looked out of shape, that was one of the major contributing factors. If they appeared sloppy in any way, for example, their shirt was wrinkled or untucked, or their boots that were supposed to be shiny and nice were all scuffed up and worn out and muddy. If they appear to have any unawareness about them, like they weren't focused on the task at hand, at hand, any type of incapable message that was being sent from that officer, like I said, again, a uniform that is just out of place, sloppy, worn down, hasn't been replaced, your buttons aren't shiny Your duty belt is all beat up, the inside of your car was dirty. That sent a message to those people that said simply, I can take him, I can get out of this. And so those prisoners unfortunately decided to assault that police officer based solely on image. Now we train for this in law enforcement and we call it command presence. And what command presence does when you establish establish yourself, is it as soon as you enter the scene or get on to whatever the scenario is unfolding, you have composure, a tucked away uniform, a good stature, and hopefully you look formidable both in fitness and in stature and things like that. What this does, the number one things it does, is it establishes yourself to safety, it establishes yourself to prevent tax from a potential violent offender. Then if it's a non violent or potentially non violent scenario, the other thing it does is it establishes credibility and trust for the people on scene. You may simply just be responding to a victim, but that victim says, I can trust this officer, he's got himself put together or herself put together and I'm going to rely on them. It portrays competence and confidence, which are two things you've heard me talk about before. On the same token, in four and a half years of investigative work, we had detectives and we were required to wear a button up and a tie every single day. And depending on the type of interview we were doing, and of course going to court, we had to also wear a suit coat as suitable. So we always wanted to slack off a little bit and wear our polos and wear what we call our 5 11s, which is like the cargo style utility pants, because simply it was more comfortable but didn't look as nice. And it was not very long for me to realize that the better I dressed as a detective, the better results I got. So let's just take for a second. If you had your house broken into and beyond patrol, a detective is going to come in and they're working what has been a string of burglaries. Are you going to feel better if they're wearing some type of sloppy polo with an embroidered badge, with their shirt half untucked with some donut crumbs on their uniform, or their polo, wearing just some like utility cargo pants that looks like they bought at Walmart, or they show up in a suit and tie with a clipboard and pen in hand and they have a clean car and everything is groomed and nice, they look hygienic and they're focused and ready to go? I think the answer is obvious. We're going to trust and rely on that second One a whole lot better and be much more open and sharing with them as well, and assume that there's going to be a much better chance of our crime getting solved if that second person portraying that image shows up on scene. The other thing is there's some clear, undeniable feedback from court appearances. If you guys are not aware of this, but there are a lot of things called juror interviews, which is this simple. Generally the prosecutor or the defense, but more often the prosecutor, after a trial has concluded and a verdict has been received, guilty or innocent, lots of times they either personally interview or send out mailers to the jurors that were on that trial and say, what major decisions, what impacted you? How did you feel about the conduct of the attorneys, of the officers, of the witnesses, of the defense, of the judge? And they just get this huge report. And one of the big things that comes up in court appearances is what was the, the reliability factor of the officer who took the report and was primary on the case. And it came down to his appearance, his image. So the jury found the officer more believable, his facts more credible, and generally trusted him more that he had done his job well, simply based on how well put together he was sitting on the stand and articulating his responses. It goes the same for the attorneys treat you different. It goes the same way for the judge. They treat you different. And you get a domino effect of, of influence and credibility from nothing other than the image and how you walk and carry yourself, how you are calm in your demeanor and you have a very well put together outfit. The other thing that happens is you go into your vehicle in law enforcement is big and your desk space from where you're working is very important and you have a lot of clutter in these areas. There's a lot of stuff and a lot of equipment and a lot of reports and a lot of notes and papers that can build up really fast in law enforcement. And if you don't have a system to manage these and keep them organized, you're going to have things literally falling between the cracks of your car and not knowing where it's going to go. Sometimes on inclement weather or remote scenarios, you don't have the opportunity to go back to an office and conduct an interview. You do an interview in your car. So that office better look pretty clean and well kept. It better not stink and have McDonald's wrappers in the floorboard. So you need to keep the clutter clean. Same with your desk. Not only for appearances, because the image is the Main token of it, but for your personal well being, the clutterness of your space causes the clutterness of your mind. And I'm going to touch on that more later today. And we're going to talk to two fantastic ladies on today's episode that are going to help us establish and understand both our image physically in our image, in our spaces much better. So I don't want to steal from them, but let's carry all this law enforcement message that I've been talking just for a moment over to the business world where the vast majority of you live. So whether you're up and coming or you're already owning and running the place, as an executive, CEO or owner, how important do you really think your image is? And I'm not just talking an image at the Christmas party where you put on a nice outfit for one day a year. I'm talking about your daily image and your daily conduct. How you dress, how you carry yourself, the layout of your office, both in furniture and art and function, and the cleanliness of your office and workspaces, whether it be your work truck, whether it be the equipment and inventory room, whatever that is, says something about you as a leader. And that image is one of the major impressions that people rely upon in dealing with you. Do they respect you? Do they talk with you? Do they brush you off when you want to say something because they just can't buy into the image that you're selling? I think that if you work constructively on your image and you even go out there and seek out an expert or two to help you do it. For example, when I became an accountant, I wanted to be the comfortable, functional mindset. I still had a lot of cop in me, saying, well, I can't wear something too fancy, like a real tight restricting tie, because what if a customer gets really sideways on us and I gotta wrestle them? I gotta be able to wrestle at any period of time. Guys, I'm not a cop anymore. I can change my fabric and I can look a little nicer. And guess what? That has really done a nice turnaround in the client feedback and the way that we interact. They enjoyed police stories, but they enjoy accurate tax returns and consulting work better, I'll tell you that much. So in your business image, let me ask you about the accountant. Which one would you trust? Would you prefer to have an accountant when you walk in their office and you go have their meeting, that is well dressed, they're well groomed, and they seem to be put together when you glance at their physical image or would you rather have the one that's disheveled, where they're looking like their hair is being pulled out? They didn't comb their hair today. They haven't shaved in a couple of days. They seem flustered only on their appearance because they're outfit. They're wearing two different color socks. You go back to their office and there's paperwork and piles everywhere. Their lobby seems to be cluttered and there's all kinds of things that need to be mailed out, et cetera, et cetera. I think we all know that we're going to trust the person that even by image seems to be all put together. And I totally understand that. All of us have our chaos and our moments of panic, but just like a duck floating on the water, they are calm and smooth on the water and underneath their little legs are churning and turning and they're bubbling up the water underneath them just to stay afloat and in the right direction. So you may be struggling and a little chaotic underneath, but you should always project that confident and competent image. So we're going to stick a pin right here. We're going to play, we're going to play this image game for the rest of the episode. So stay tuned for a super special guest on this show. So we're going to talk about fashion and fitness and the way you present yourself and the impact it has on you and the world around you. We'll be right back with more pivotal change right after this. Welcome back. We have just passed the halfway point in this episode of pivotal change and we just had a wonderful conversation with Natalie Khan, obviously a very special guest. And I hope you took away a lot of that impact. What she was talking about, the fashion and the fitness and the ways that it can really transform your lives and be an impact on not just you, but your family, your kids and all of the people you influence in this world. Our next guest is another very good friend of mine. It's Kennedy McCall Nichols of Kennedy McCall Designs and she is a designer for both office and home for a lot of high net worth individuals, corporations that are looking to rebrand and reimage themselves. So she goes along perfectly with the theme of the show. Images is so Kennedy, welcome to the show. [00:12:52] Speaker C: Hi Ryan. Thanks for having me. [00:12:54] Speaker B: It is my pleasure. Now, the audience doesn't know this so I'm going to let them behind the curtain just a little bit, but a little bit. But you have completely redesigned two of my homes now and this current home, you come over, I think it's four to six times a year based on the seasons and the image that my wife is looking to produce throughout the year. And you're getting ready to do a pretty nice job on the new office that we're building. So in addition to that, I want to start picking your brain so everyone else can see why it's so important to use somebody like you. So a first question. Why does or how does a well decorated office or home environment influence the perceptions and the trust levels of anybody that might visit? Like clients, potential business partners, just anybody that you want to influence as outsiders? [00:13:41] Speaker C: Yeah, that's a great question, Ryan. First off, the biggest main thing is it just having a great workspace office space is. It's super professional. If you have a nice, designed, clean space, it gives off so much professionalism. It's tasteful, it's welcoming for all of your clients, customers that walk through your door, and it's super pleasing to the eyes. So that is one thing that's huge. It also makes your clients trust your competence. It displays that you're meticulous. It just shows that. Me personally, coming from a designer, if I'm walking into an office and I see that clean look it gives off, I would say it just shows that your office is very efficient. These people are on task. They strive for greatness, excellence. It's just something that is super important in your workspace. If. If you don't have that professionalism, when you walk into somebody's office in a clean, sleek look, it gives off that you kind of lack that professionalism. You don't care as much. It just shows off. It just having that look is just a huge, huge, huge benefit to being a business owner as well as having your office nice and clean. [00:14:55] Speaker B: I love that. I think you're making some. Some really good points. There's a couple of things you said in there about sleek and clean, and you said efficiency and trust. And I guess if I were to summarize that you want this optimistic, positive first impression instead of walking into an office that maybe is blanketed with clutter or blanketed with, who knows, divisive things like all kinds of political stuff and flags and things like that, instead of just a clean, simple, efficient look, which portrays professionalism and efficiency. So if you can have somebody walk in your door and the first impact that happens to them is positive and optimistic, that's kind of maybe a summary goal of what you do. [00:15:37] Speaker C: Yes, absolutely. So when you. I'd say, for example, if I'm walking through an office, I'm gonna see the first thing I'm gonna see is, like, what kind of desk do you have? What kind of artwork is behind desk? What kind of chairs do you have? Flooring? It's just. And it comes down to the most simplest, tedious things, like, do you have all the same brand and same style of one ink pen, or do you have. Is your countertop cleared off? Is the computer area cleared off? It's just little things like that are something that matter, but you would think that doesn't matter. And you're huge for a business. [00:16:12] Speaker B: I think the little things matter. Attention to details is a message. And Kennedy, I don't know if I've told you this before, but my audience is supposed to, if they're following directions, be writing down certain things that stand out. So hopefully that attention to detail matters that you just stated is something they write down. So when talking with a client, what do you look for? Like you mentioned just you kind of stepped into it. What do you look for and require to. When you first engage with one of your clients in order to, like, draw out their goals and what you know will be the right image that you two envision together? [00:16:44] Speaker C: Yeah, that's a great question as well. Um, so like you said, goals. Goals is one of the biggest things you have to have in life. And especially as a business owner or somebody that's wanting to design a space, which I would say we're leaning more on the business side. So for somebody that's got a business. [00:16:59] Speaker B: I want to know. [00:16:59] Speaker C: I'm like, hey, what are your goals for this? How would you like to make this work? See if we're on the same page. I'd like to see what your idea would be for design. So it's. Everybody has a different taste in design, but you have to have a goal. If you're not having a goal, there's nothing to achieve there. So that's my main number one. Also, I love working with clients that are really just kind of open to whatever. It makes my job 10 times easier. I can use my design skills and just put us to play where some people are, which it's okay to have in mind for something, but it's just if somebody has their idea and some people just get so fixated on what the design is, it's just easier if I can do what I freely like to do. So that's a huge one. It just depends on. Have an open mind. When you're going into a design project is one of the main things you need to do. Also, budget is like, one of the other than having to go. Budget is one of the huge main things. So you have to have a budget. That's one of the things that I do. We have to sit down, we have to plan out. I'd love. That's my main goal is to stay within people's budget because you don't want to go over budget and make a client mad. So that is definitely. Those are three huge ones. So that's. Those are good. [00:18:17] Speaker B: I really appreciate that, that you're drawing a vision together and you want to encourage. And I remember the first conversation we ever had to you. You literally use that phrase, open mindedness. So be open minded. And you're extremely selective in your client base for I think both the budget region and the type of person you want to work with that they can ebb and flow with the suggestions. And I can imagine that if somebody says no, it must be neon green, it must be neon green. Well, you might end up with some. [00:18:42] Speaker A: Friction and it might not be an ideal client. [00:18:44] Speaker B: If they say I want something that's modern and chic and you say it has to be neon green. We're starting to get some friction. So the exclusivity was really nice. The budget is a very important. We don't want to have surprises. Is kind of what I'm saying is like, hey, we're doing a 10,000 or $50,000 job and all of a sudden you're telling me it's going to be 25% more. Gulp. And now I'm halfway through it and I feel almost bamboozled. So don't surprise your clients. I really like that as well. And then just getting a vision that goes together. So those, those are pretty, pretty important things, I think just about business in general, right? [00:19:16] Speaker C: Yeah. Also to go along with that, you would have to. So when it comes to budget, your clients are also trusting you. And that is something as a client you have to put in perspective is you have to gain your trust for these clients because if they can't trust you with the money and budgeting, then that's not going to work out with them. So that is one thing I will say is trust and having a good relationship with the client as well. [00:19:41] Speaker B: Gotcha. I like that a lot. So that trust flows into that. Everything that you've said and started, envisioned is going to flow together. And that kind of leads me into a different mindset of flow. So you've got some pretty solid experience in doing this, even from planning and designing weddings all the way to homes and commercial spaces, which Are what you do a lot. Some other events as well. But how much is like just the visual coherence, just the balance and flow when somebody walks into one of those venues. And how much does luxury design play a role in reinforcing that this client wants to present a specific higher end or professional image. [00:20:17] Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. So one thing is the key word here is balance. You have got to have your balance. So for like when it comes to homes, you. If somebody has a black couch, then you have navy chairs. Black and navy aren't something that go together. So when I walk in and see that it. It's kind of. You have to have that balance there. And it just, it has coming from image, that person doesn't care. So it's like it doesn't give that professional look. So when you put your colors together, like a brown leather couch with some white and gold accent chairs, that is something that balance and flows throughout. Throughout your house or whatever it is. When it comes to wedding, you have to have those coordinations come together because when stuff's not flowing, it's chaos and it is not. It just doesn't give off a good luxury image. So when your stuff is not flowing, you're not having. Nothing's going together whatsoever and nothing balances. [00:21:17] Speaker B: I like that. So once you've established that balance and that flow with your client, what have you observed in the changes that happen to your clients lives both in just like their personal mindset? Is there an increase in productivity? How about like emotional well being or just in particularly like the space and the aspirations and the value that. That they get perceived with when they're done with Kennedy? [00:21:37] Speaker C: Okay, that's. That's a great question. That one's my favorite. So I would have to say, I'll give an example. I had a client in Louisville. She has a beautiful home and she did not realize it. She just, she was ready to sell it, she was ready to give up and she just was ready to move on. And I was like, hold up. You have probably the prettiest house. So we got to sit down, discuss budget plan, make that client relationship. We got to go out and have lunch, we got to go out and shop. You have to do those things together. And that is a huge important part of this. So she went away for a weekend and I got to put my hands on the house and give it that connection and flow and see the creation come to life. And once we got that step and came home, she. She was in tears because she just never had that design image that she could see herself where. That's where I come and play. I have, I have a. I can see things other people cannot see when it comes to creation. And so she never had people over. She was embarrassed of her house 24 7. She loved having parties and get togethers but she would be like, hey, can I use somebody else's house for an event? So now she's learned that she has the best house on the block and can host whoever she wants. And so it was also a, it was something good that she did for herself. It was like a self care. She wanted to spend money on this and it was something that made her happy. So seeing her dreams come to life with her house, being able to do what she loves, have all of her family gatherings there, that just gave me, it made me happy to see that I got my job done as well as seeing a client done. And then I do let me jump. [00:23:15] Speaker B: In about the getting the job done because that's a really important part is that you just said separate from all of the budget and conversation we just had that her happiness, her ability to have functions, her ability to use her home that she never thought she would, that's what resulted in you getting the job done. Now unfortunately, we're up against a hard commercial break. This has been fantastic. Now Kennedy, I'm going to put you on the spot just a little bit. I know you have an exclusive book of business, you are a referral only from the high net worth individuals and stuff like that. But if somebody said this is the woman for me, how would they get a hold of you? [00:23:48] Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. So I actually do not have any kind of social media platforms. Best way to get a hold of me is you can text me or simply email me. So I just do referrals only. So if anybody needs to get in contact, that's how we can get in contact. [00:24:03] Speaker B: That's perfect. Wonderful. Thank you very much. Well, Kennedy, we're going to cut to commercial. It's been a pleasure having you on the show. We learned a lot of little tips and tricks in there as well. Everyone else, you guys sit tight. We're cutting for our last commercial break and we're going to finish strong on the segment coming up right after this. We'll see you right after these messages. [00:24:19] Speaker C: Thanks Ryan. [00:24:49] Speaker B: You for sticking with us through the break. We are back with more pivotal change and we just got started talking about image, which is the whole theme for this show. So we talked about the image and the dire consequences it can have from examples in law enforcement to the positive impact it can have in the business world. And to dive further into that topic, we've got two wonderful guests on the show, and probably the most beautiful, important guest I've ever had on the show is Natalie Kahn. My wife. My wife has a couple of companies and one of them is called Forties Fashionable Fit and Fabulous. And it is a company all about keeping women 40 and up, fit and fabulous, and driving their image, brand and impact into this world. So she's going to really take us into a little bit more of a deep dive on how we execute having that image I just started talking about. So, Natalie, welcome to the show. [00:25:40] Speaker D: Thank you. [00:25:42] Speaker B: Well, what I like to do is. [00:25:43] Speaker A: I always like to jump into it. [00:25:45] Speaker B: And I may have told you this before, but our audience should be watching. [00:25:48] Speaker A: With a pen and paper. [00:25:49] Speaker B: So I'm going to ask you this first question, which is mostly about an impact question. How does maintaining both physical fitness and fashionable appearance influence a woman's self perception, her confidence, her daily attitude just towards life and towards challenges? [00:26:07] Speaker D: Yeah. So it's all about when you walk into the room, the impression that you want to make to the audience and to the people that are going to be seeing you. Because when you walk into a room, people are going to see you and they're going to get an impression of you and it's either going to be positive or negative. And you want it to be positive. [00:26:25] Speaker B: Gotcha. So when you recognize people having a positive image to you, what's the back and forth? What happens subconsciously when I look across the room, somebody observes me and smiles or feels relaxed, relieved or impressed when they see me, what happens to my inner self? [00:26:43] Speaker D: Well, it makes the person feel better about themselves and it helps the other people relate more to them. And oftentimes you get better service, you get better interactions with other people. If you are looking well and it's all in little details, you want to definitely keep the small things in mind, things like your nails and your hair and make sure you get that shower in before you go out. And dressing up, even if it's just to go to the grocery store, you'll see that people react to you differently and treat you with more respect than they will if you go show up at your local Walmart and a pair of pajama pants. [00:27:27] Speaker B: I like that. That's one thing that you and I have joked about a lot is that, you know, maybe not 10 years ago, but certainly not 15 or 20 years ago, you would never see somebody walking around in pajama pants anywhere, let alone Walmart, where you're likely to bump into everyone. And maybe there were some excuses for the late night ice cream or the late night pickle run where their husband has to get something for a pregnant wife. Okay, run in your PJs, we get it. But to walk around on a daily basis and go to school and go to jobs and go out in public and that, that has a negative self image. So I appreciate you pointing that out, that that makes a big difference. Now I know that you have taken, you've always been a beautiful and fashionable woman, but you've taken an interest in this in the last several years and you've really gone to the extra degree to help others recognize that as well. Give me just a quick tangent. So a different question. What has happened to your mindset, your image of your own self in life when you began to concentrate on Natalie Kahn's image? [00:28:28] Speaker E: Yes. [00:28:29] Speaker D: So as I got older, I realized that I was less fashionable and I felt worse about my self esteem and just didn't feel as good as I did when I was young and in my 20s, kind of have been through the childbearing years and raising kids and getting caught up in that and not really focusing on myself as much as I should. And I lost a lot of weight. I was heavier than this. And once I started losing weight, I obviously started dressing better. It really inspired me to look better and feel better and my confidence just soared. And I wanted to share that with other people so that they could have that same sense of self fulfillment. [00:29:16] Speaker B: I love that. And now you've taken that number, which it seemed to have been a domino effect. If you made one positive change, you saw the results of both how you felt personally and people treated you and made another change and another change until that became the image that you always wanted to present. And I've noticed that in you. And then I love your heart because you're like, well, if this makes me feel better and my life takes an upgrade because of the discipline and the action that you have, then I want other people to experience this as well, which made you create the business. So now you coach and you consult largely the high net worth individuals, kind of exclusive group of women who have gone through the same thing you have the childbearing years and stuff like that, and maybe have taken a slip or a step backwards and what they had that vision of themselves. So yeah, thank you for, for sharing that part. That's, that's really good. So let me talk back a little bit more about impressions. I know we, we dabbled in this just a moment ago. But what kind of impressions do you see people get or have you experienced? Like when a well dressed, a fit woman, typically when you're meeting a new acquaintance or you're having a new professional contact in the business world, or who knows, maybe there's the possibility of having a romantic partner. What are those first interactions? What is the significance that a well dressed, a good image bearing woman gets in those circumstances? [00:30:34] Speaker D: First impressions are everything. It really sets the tone of the meeting. If you're going into a meeting or if you're running into, you know, someone at the mall or anywhere, it really just sets kind of the tone of everything. [00:30:51] Speaker B: Yeah, I agree. I think setting the tone is a good point for people to write down. So if you've got that notebook, like I tell you, having the right image sets the tone of that first impression and you're going to get different reactions from people based on that image that you're presenting. So, okay, let's get into some things where we're talking about habits. How do we develop the habits and stuff like that? So let me formulate the question this way. How do consistent habits, you know, things like self care, like you said, just making sure that you go ahead and take the effort to shower before you go out into public. You know, some people, yeah, and just throw the PJs on. But how do the consistent habits of self care and then you reflect that into physical fitness and paying attention to style. How do they serve as like these silent signals that go out and just open doors like those, those career doors, growth doors, social networking, personal empowerment and the list could go on. Tell us about those habits. [00:31:46] Speaker D: So it's important to develop a daily routine. That's something that I teach and for me personally, I like to start the day with a good workout, get that done and over with and out of the way so you can shower and be well dressed the rest of the day. And from there just make sure you take your shower and do your hair, do your makeup, pick out a cute outfit, make sure you pick out a stylish one and just have your best day. [00:32:17] Speaker B: Got you so that, that routine. So this is one that I find very impressive. One of the most impressive things, your routine is you wake up before everyone else, you know, so I'm jokingly said, like, listen guys, my wife beats me up every day. She gets out of bed a full hour before I do. Right. And so you've already accomplished that workout by the time you're coming home and I'm getting my Lazy butt out of bed and you're already energized, you're already fired up, you're already getting ready to ramp on the other routines because you have your other business, which is the breeding of Pomeranians. So you're already in phase one of executing your business. When I'm stretching and going about my day because I do my workouts in the evening. And so that routine has been super important. And as a biased observer, but also true, I've watched you become more successful in your business as you stick to your routine. And then I really like your your moment because again, we're targeting a little bit more of the female audience, even though much of it goes with men too. Like wear a good suit, put on a nice outfit, but making sure your outfit is cute. Cute doesn't just mean I'm going to impress everyone, but it means I'm going to feel good in that outfit. Is that a fair definition of what you mean by putting on a cute outfit? [00:33:24] Speaker E: Yes. [00:33:25] Speaker D: Yes. I think fashionable outfit is more the appropriate word. Cute is, can be mean lots of things, but fashionable means that you are up for the times and you are aware of what women or otherware other women are wearing. You don't necessarily want to follow the latest trends. You want to be elegant. And that means more than just following the day to day trends that come and go and really investing in a wardrobe that is going to go the mile and investing in good hair. You know, nothing outrageous, nothing that's going to go out of style in a couple of months and then you're stuck with out of style hair. But the stuff that'll last. [00:34:13] Speaker B: I like that. Yeah, the stuff that's going to last. You don't want to be outdated. You don't want to be a decade or two behind in your wardrobe and things like that. So it is going to cost some money to probably do these things, but you don't have to break the bank either. But you do need to brace yourself that this is an investment. Your image is an investment. Now, we only have about a minute or so left, so I do want to mention something that something you do, kind of unique than other people, is as a part of your engine. Of course you consult and coach people on what brands to wear and what not to wear and what combination of outfits and how to project yourself, etc. Etc. But you have this Pomeranian business and you now breed Pomeranians and you have an exclusive bloodline with an exclusive luxury designer brand of Pomeranian. But does maybe a bonus. I don't want to say asset, but I'll just call it that. What is a bonus asset like a Pomeranian do to a lady like you? Image? [00:35:03] Speaker D: Well, it really enhances it. My Pomeranians are directly from Russia and I breed them and it just makes for good conversation and good contacts and you really meet a lot of neat new people. So it is an asset. It also helps boost the self esteem because it's something I love and enjoy and it's just another way of investing in myself. [00:35:31] Speaker B: I love that. So it can boost your joy, your self esteem to know that you have a specialized and again, I hate calling a dog an asset, but that extra item, it's another conveyance of your image as being special or unique or different than everyone else. You're not just the pajama wearing Walmart person. And so that's a good boost up. So my summary statement is that you're saying that your mindset and your attitude is going to change because you developed a routine of discipline, making sure you're up with fashion, making sure that you're presenting yourself the best way and it helps you personally and network and grow and the treatment you receive is all different. And I'm starting to see really positive, kind of almost jealous that I don't get the same ripple effect in my life. But let me say this so I know you basically are a person that works in people's black books. You are generally a phone number that is passed to other people in your consultation. You generally work with extremely high net worth individuals all over the country. But if somebody thought that they fit in that category and they wanted Natalie KH to help be their coach to mention to get them to be fashionable, fit and fabulous, how would they get a hold of you? [00:36:36] Speaker D: They can email me@con, natalie gmail.com or they can look at my Facebook page or my Instagram page. [00:36:45] Speaker B: What's your Instagram page? [00:36:47] Speaker D: It is Fortscore fashionable, fit and Fabulous. [00:36:51] Speaker B: And that's all one word, right? [00:36:52] Speaker D: Yes. [00:36:53] Speaker B: Perfect. Well, thank you so much for coming on the show. We're at a hard stop. We're coming on to our halfway point. We're going to have another great guest that's going to talk about image in your spaces as well. So stay tuned for more Pivotal Change right after this. [00:37:35] Speaker A: We are back for the final segment of the night on Pivotal Change and you may have noticed hopefully a little bit of Hollywood magic that we pulled on you. What we're trying to do with this episode is we're back with Natalie Kahn from forties Fashionable Fit and Fabulous. And we are talking about that influence, that personal image and how important it. [00:37:52] Speaker B: Is for the first impressions. [00:37:53] Speaker A: And we'll talk a little bit about second impressions. But here we are live on scene in Rosemary beach and we have the example of how do you present your image, how do you represent yourself and how do you do things like if you travel for business or as an influential family, an executive, when you roam around this globe, how do you do that when you travel? So, Natalie, welcome back from the break. Thank you. And one thing I want to ask, and hopefully everybody can write these answers down, is I think preparation is important and I think preparation is an area that people are possibly missing out on. Can you explain to us how important it is to prepare for your travel, whether it be a business conference or workshop, a vacation or just a quick weekend with maybe some influential business partners? How important is preparation and what steps do you take or recommend? [00:38:40] Speaker E: Yes, it's imperative to plan ahead in order to have a successful vacation or business trip. I usually recommend packing a day or two before. That way you make sure you have the right clothes, always overdress. It's better to look like the nicest person in the room, the most well dressed, formal, than it is to look like a slob that's just gotten out of bed. People will treat you better if you look nice and it just makes a difference in the service you get. [00:39:15] Speaker A: Okay, so let me dig a little deeper on the planning, like two days in advance. I think most people probably say, hey, we're leaving at 7am they wake up at 6, throw a suitcase together halfway on the trip, whether they're flying or driving. They say, oh, shoot, I forgot such and such. But when you say plan ahead, are you specifically talking about like packing the wardrobe and coordinating outfits and like how much is too much and how little is too little? Can you dial us in a little bit on that if we really want to pack a punch with our outfits? [00:39:43] Speaker E: Yes. So I would make sure about two days in advance that you have a list made up of the outfits that you want to bring. Start packing them. Maybe just have them setting out so they don't get wrinkled. And make sure you pack a steamer or fabric wrinkle release so that when you arrive at your destination you can have freshly pressed clothes. I also think it's important before you leave for vacation to make sure your hair looks fresh and your nails are fresh. If you do eyelashes, have your eyelashes looking newly done. And just that way you kind of present yourself well. [00:40:24] Speaker A: So I heard you talking to one of Your clients. And it was kind of a dual conversation that I really want to point out to somebody is you had said something in the fashion, in the, the personal representation business that I often point out, like in the accounting world. And you said the little details matter. When you were talking with this, this client of yours, and you were talking about the accessories and the shoes and the belts, and I think you had mentioned maybe like bracelets and jewelry, like, again, I was in the background just kind of eavesdropping. But when you were doing this, it kind of rung a bell in my head, is that you don't want to pack 20 pairs of shoes. You want to coordinate your outfits, but the details matter, like you said. So I now get haircuts before I travel out of town based on your recommendation and having speaking gigs and stuff like that where I might run around looking like a Chia pet. And I've noticed the fresh cut, the. [00:41:09] Speaker B: Fret, the fresh lashes, or like you. [00:41:12] Speaker A: Were just pointing out nails, that seems to have an impact. And does that kind of coordinate with that statement you made just a moment ago not to be the worst dressed person in the room, look like a slob? Those details help you look like possibly the best dressed person in your room. [00:41:25] Speaker E: Exactly. When you look like the best dressed person in the room, you're treated better. Service is a lot quicker, and you're just treated with more respect. I like to kind of plan my outfits around a certain color scheme, and that way I don't have to pack as many shoes and as many belts and purses. I like to have one purse that'll match all my outfits, maybe two. One or two pairs of shoes. And just base all your outfits around that. Maybe have a black pair of shoes and a black purse, and then all your outfits match that. [00:42:06] Speaker A: Okay, I like that. So you're, you're simplifying. So the planning stage helps you simplify. And like you were kind of saying, you don't have to pack 10 pair of shoes. [00:42:14] Speaker C: Exactly. [00:42:15] Speaker A: When you go into the planning as well. How important is it to look at the itinerary? So let's say you have a business. You and I travel to a lot of conferences, a lot of speaking gigs. You have gotten into a really good habit of saying, hey, look at the itinerary. What days are you speaking? What days are you just an audience member? And then what is the formality? What nights are there hosted dinners and cocktail parties? How would you recommend to somebody to look at the itinerary and plan accordingly? And how important is that it's very important. [00:42:44] Speaker E: I like to plan reservations at least two weeks in advance, know your schedule, and then create a schedule for me or for me and the kids, have our reservations, maybe make the reservation for a larger party than what you're traveling with. So if you meet somebody at a conference or meet somebody on the beach, you can invite them out to eat with you. That's always special and something people will remember. So I think that's very important to do ahead of time to have a schedule. But be flexible and if you need to change your schedule, be able to do that. [00:43:21] Speaker B: I like that a lot. [00:43:22] Speaker A: And I'm going to really, really draw something out that, that we've started doing in the past and I've heard other people doing is that you'll go get a reservation, you'll know that like, oh, Thursday's the open night, or there's nothing pre planned, let's have a date night, let's have something special going on. But instead of just getting a table for two, we might get a table for four or six and say, hey, this is networking night. So let's go ahead and find somebody that we've connected with on the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and take them to dinner on Thursday night. How impactful have you seen that be to people's lives, the way their faces are and the way that the relationships. [00:43:54] Speaker B: Carry on down the road? [00:43:55] Speaker E: Oh, people are extremely grateful. They love being invited out to eat. We've. I know we've made some of our best friends and best business partners just by asking people out to dinner, you and I. And another important thing I'd like to cover is investing in a travel nanny or a babysitter of some type. You and I did that when you started traveling a lot. And we took the kids and they were too young to be left alone. We have a travel nanny that stay with them at night. And that was just wonderful because it gave me the time to get dressed and ready and then you and I could go out and spend time with business people. And it was really helpful. [00:44:41] Speaker A: I think that's a really good point, is that you have somebody to help alleviate the burden for you. So again, if we're on a business trip where there's like, you know, a business vacation, there's gonna be some fun things that can happen. I need to kind of be, as they say, locked into the event, learning as much as I can, focusing on speaking or selling myself and networking. But I also want to spend time with the family because of course I brought you along for that purpose. But then you have an assistant, and you don't have to go to Florida and try to find some type of babysitter assistant on the cuff. You have brought one with you. And again, the added expense is there, but the expense versus the return on memories, not return on investment, I think is pretty substantial. I think it's a very good point to make. Let me talk about the dinner and the execution of these plans now. So now you're there, you're on site, and you take somebody out to dinner. I know you coach a lot of people on etiquette. Everything from, you know, not everyone drinks alcohol and not everyone eats high, luxurious meals or anything like that. But you want to take somebody to a decent restaurant, what do you do when they've been invited by you? And the question of the bill comes up, what's the timing on that? How is that resolved? [00:45:45] Speaker E: I would wait until the food has been served before announcing that you're going to pay for the bill. That way, people don't order, you know, a salad because they know you're paying. If you tell them in advance, they'll order what they want. And you can also prepare them before the bill arrives that you are going to be the one paying. And never argue over the bill with someone. You don't want to create a contest or anything like that while you're out. [00:46:13] Speaker A: I think that's really good, especially for, for the etiquette side of things. We've. We've made a point. Say, hey, well, we invited you to dinner. You wanted to be our guest. And let's say you say, hey, there's a great steakhouse here in this hotel conference center. We want to come eat with us at the steakhouse. You don't want them, like you said, to order a salad. Because at the very beginning of the meal, you say, oh, we've got this. We're going to take care of you. And now they all eat like rabbits instead of getting that, you know, that famous steak that they were hoping for. So I think the timing is good and the announcement of it isn't like a, hey, look at me, I'm so generous, I'm paying for your meal. But it's a quick. All the food's been ordered, all the drinks been ordered, appetizers have been set in place. And you say, oh, by the way, this is one ticket and we've got the ticket. And then you take the initiative from there. So that's a very good kind of sleight of hand to allow people to order the amount. Now let Me ask you this. Let's say they've got a family and they've got kids and you've got kids. We say, hey, let's get our families together and eat a nice meal. What prep and execution you do in packing for your kids or telling them what to pack and inspecting it and making sure that they look and act of the part when you're making this giant professional business networking meal. [00:47:17] Speaker E: Yes. So it's very important to help train your children how to pack, have them pack nice clothes. Never ever let your children travel in pajama pants or sweatpants. They need to look nice while they're traveling. They need to learn to do that at a young age. So they will do that when they're older and it will benefit them as adults. Also, go over at home when you're eating, go over manners, where you put your forks, where you put your knife, where you put your drink, stuff like that, and that all that will pay you back. [00:47:55] Speaker A: So part of your image is how well dressed and how well behaved your children are. The etiquette that they execute and help share and do things for others. So I think that's a huge point, that a representation of your image is your legacy and your children. So last question for the night. Kind of a quick answer on this one. But when you come down to that, that final etiquette and execution, if you had to say that there's one impactful moment that you could pass on to another person, maybe it's through service and holding doors or pulling out chairs, would you say it's better to try to force that or allow that to happen to you? If somebody else is doing that, what's the give and take there? When receiving and giving etiquette or service. [00:48:34] Speaker E: Don'T be the prideful one. Allow the gentleman in the room to make sure that you are comfortable by pulling out your chair, opening your door. As a female, you should do that. And as a gentleman, part of your job is to make sure that your guests and visitors are feel comfortable and just make sure that they feel comfortable by taking care of them. [00:49:00] Speaker B: I love it. [00:49:01] Speaker A: Thank you so much for all of this advice. This has really paid dividends not only to us as you've really coached our family into a much better position and more influential. But I've watched you do it with clients and other families as well. So I just want to, in summary, say, guys, take care of yourself. Pre plan, get the outfit set, get the itinerary set, get the children set on the expectations and the dress code. Invite people to dinner. Have those good manners, serve them well. And thank you, Natalie, so much for coming on the show today. It's been a true pleasure. And for everyone else watching Pivotal Change, I want you to go out there into the world, and I want you to see the change and be the change. And we'll catch you here next time on Pivotal Change. [00:49:40] Speaker B: This has been a NOW Media Network's feature presentation. All rights reserved.