Global Image Group | Personal Shopper | Image Consultant

WHO: Image Consultant and Personal Shopper Michelle T. Sterling and Author and TV Personality Paul Murad

As a former fashion and style expert on the Advisory Board of Men’s Fitness Magazine and a reputable professional speaker, Michelle T. Sterling is frequently quoted, asked to speak and write articles as an authority in the fashion and image industry. Newsweek, MSNB, Fox News, Inside Edition, ABS CBN, Bravo TV, and VH1 have called upon Ms. Sterling’s expertise as it relates to image, fashion, style, etiquette, dating, and communication. Ms. Sterling has been featured in many media such as: Women’s Health Magazine, Men’s Health Magazine, The New York Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Houston Chronicle, BBC London, Business Week, Forbes, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Marie Claire Magazine UK, InStyle Magazine UK and Details Magazine. www.globalimagegrp.com

While many young and ambitious business executives jet set to 5-star hot spots around the globe, Paul Murad focuses his energies on making the world a better place. Paul is an internationally recognized entrepreneur and speaker, television personality, and author. He was featured on the Bravo’s hit series The Millionaire Matchmaker in 2008 and 2009. He’s not your typical self-made success. Paul is writing his new book, “How to Start With Nothing and Reach Success,” to help those starting out or starting over during tough economic times.

WHAT: Are hosting a 3 hour event with panel discussion, Q&A, fashion and makeup makeovers, a 15% shopping event discount, a cocktail reception, and gift bags

WHEN: August 13, 2009 7pm – 10pm

WHERE: Saks Fifth Avenue New York: 611 5th Avenue New York, NY 10022

CHARITY: 10% of all proceeds will go to the Dress for Success charity 

EVENT DETAILS:
On August 13th, 2009 at the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store in the heart of New York City at 7:00pm, a room full of 20 – 40 something’s from around the US will gather to hear from a celebrity stylist, an entrepreneur, and a panel of celebrities as they speak about how to project the paramount image in order to “land” a millionaire. It will be the event everyone is talking about this summer!

The evening will feature the image expertise of internationally recognized Image Consultant and Celebrity Stylist, Michelle T. Sterling, and entrepreneur and author, Paul Murad, who was featured in Bravo TV’s “Millionaire Matchmaker” Season 1 and 2. Ms. Sterling will discuss how women can further develop themselves into the total package and demonstrate how to develop a fabulous wardrobe that transitions from day to night to “land” a millionaire. With the panel members, led by Paul Murad, attendees will discover the qualities millionaires look for in their partners. The panel will feature celebrities as well as the most eligible millionaire bachelors sharing their personal preferences. This candid and entertaining event will be followed by a cocktail reception where guests can meet the celebrity panel members, receive style makeovers from the Sterling Style Academy Personal Stylists, and makeup tips from Makeup Artists.  Attendees are encouraged to take advantage of their 15% event discount at Saks Fifth Avenue for the evening. 

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
Women who are seeking to project an image of influence and excellence. You have campaign tastes, appreciate quality, and seek out luxurious yet affordable pleasures. You travel for work and leisure, enjoy upscale hotels, spas and night life, and know the value of maintaining your personal appearance. You are avid followers of Lip Stick Jungle, Cashmere Mafia, and Sex in the City.   And you frequent the nation’s hot spots and events to been seen in order to “Land a Millionaire”.

INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THIS EVENT, TICKETS ARE:
$65 before June 30th
$75 before July 30th
$85 before August 6th
$95 at the door

To register please click here.

We encourage you to come with your friends for a fun girls night out, to support a charity, and to invest in your future…

SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS:
1) Sponsor’s company logo prominently displayed at event
2) Sponsor’s company mentioned in all media, press, and web coverage of event
3) Opportunity for sponsor’s product to be promoted and included in attendees’ gift bag

PARTICIPATION OPTIONS:
1) Gift bag promotions
2) Cash contribution of title sponsorship
3) Sponsorship fee paid as title sponsor

INTERESTED IN SPONSORSHIP:
Only a few sponsors will be accepted for this event.
Contact Global Image Group before June 30th to secure your sponsorship
at +1.888.873.8017 or at info@globalimagegrp.com.

In such tumultuous times with companies laying off employees in flocks and those employed are concerned about their job security, having many friends in influential places and cultivating acquaintance relationships can be a benefit. Networking is an important job-hunting tool that is surprisingly often overlooked. In order to gain a strategic advantage in the job market- whether you have a job, are looking for one or wish to advance in your career, networking is key. An opportunity can come from anywhere; hence it is important to put yourself out there. At this point you might be wondering, ‘where do I start?’ Before taking your networking journey, you must first establish and hone your professional presence. Professional presence is basically your personal brand, which includes dress, grooming, body language, and etiquette. Self-promotion begins with overcoming nervousness or insecurities. Be confident in yourself and your abilities and this behavior will reflect in both business and social situations.

Tip # 1: Do Research and Identify Your Goals for Networking
Once you have established your professional presence, you should identify your professional goals and see who you can align with. Ask yourself the following questions, “Why are you networking? At what stage are you in your career?” Your research and networking strategy will be dependent on whether you are employed or unemployed, and/or shifting careers or further establishing one. Once you identify clear goals, you can do focused research. Some suggestions on where to start: industry organization websites, industry news websites, and career websites.

Tip # 2: Pull From Your Own Network
As you are building your network, reach out to a few people that you already know, like, and trust, and who also work in professions related to or in yours. Try to meet these people in person to market yourself, and indicate your knowledge of your industry and goals. Make sure that the person is clear about your objectives so that time is well used. Depending on your objectives, you can use the time to learn more about the industry or a specific position, and market yourself. Be prepared. Your contact may know someone who knows someone looking to hire.

Tip # 3 Attend Some Industry or Networking Events
Getting out and meeting new people in your industry is the easiest way to build your network, particularly since your conversations will be focused. While at the event, be sure to be accessible, come early for the “social hour” prior to an event and spend time mingling after a corporate dinner. If you come to the event with someone make sure that you two aren’t joined at the hip the whole event. This is a great opportunity to learn about new practices in your industry and key players in your area. Remember to bring plenty of business cards to the event.

Tip # 4 Take Risks and Be Creative in Your Journey
Be creative and assertive not only about how you build your network, but about how your personal brand will leave an indelible mark in others’ minds. Naturally, the more accessible you make yourself, the greater your odds of building a large network and gaining new opportunities. With the advent of high technology, ubiquity is almost required. It can be time-consuming, but professionals should focus on social networking sites like LinkedIn, a business-oriented site with over 37 million members. According to the company, requests from people using the service to find jobs are up 48 percent. Recruiters and hiring managers are using creative ways to find and evaluate qualified candidates, even social networking sites.

For further assistance with establishing your professional presence before your networking journey, contact Global Image Group. Also, look for future blogs specifically on networking for career changers.

Schedule an appointment with our London Personal Shopper today and take advatage of the savings.

So our Washington DC Image Consultants and Personal Shoppers have been shopping in Georgetown and noticed this really cute store where contemporary like Milly meets preppy like Ralph Lauren at relatively reasonable prices. As we know, DC is a relatively conservative town with up and coming style. So we recommend checking out J.McLaughlin.

Here’s the history behind the store: Brothers Jay and Kevin McLaughlin opened their first store 32 years ago at 74th Street and Third Avenue on New York’s Upper East Side. From the moment the doors opened J.McLaughlin established itself as a classic American brand featuring a flair for bold colors and signature prints.

The McLaughlin brothers share a passion for classical design and historical architecture, and, in partnership with Doug Larson of Larson and Paul Architects, they have created a different J.McLaughlin storefront in each town. Located in friendly neighborhoods where shoppers can easily stroll, each store is designed to become woven into the fabric of each tight-knit community while maintaining the distinctive J.McLaughlin look. Inside and out, the stores are architecturally inspired by the community, evoking a vintage atmosphere, and invitingly decorated with fine woodwork, antiques and comfortable furniture upholstered in bright florals, soft tweeds, animal prints and other distinctive fabrics.

For more information, please visit their website at http://www.jmclaughlin.com.

Image Consultant, Michelle T. Sterling, AICI, Founder of the Global Image Group and Sterling Style Academy, has been selected to join the exclusive network of the National Organization of Professional Women, www.napw.com.

NAPW is one of the most exclusive and rapidly growing associations of female executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs in the US. They span almost every industry, including health and medicine, education, advertising and public relations, manufacturing, publishing, communications, entertainment, law, and more.

“I am proud to have been selected for this exclusive membership and look forward to networking with the outstanding women within the NAPW group,” Michelle T. Sterling, AICI.   

Become the Total Package by Establishing Your Personal Brand Image:
Master The 7 Sterling Strategies to Style and Success
By Global Image Group

What is personal brand image? It’s you! Your presence is the total package, including how you dress, groom and communicate, and your image speaks to the world before you even say a word. Your image represents who you are and where you are going. Change your image and change your life!

Deepak Chopra states, “Self-power is permanent because it is based on the knowledge of the Self. It draws people to you, and it also draws things that you want to you. It magnetizes people, situations, and circumstances to support your desires.” The first step in developing your personal brand image starts with identifying your obstacles. Is it your appearance, your inner self-talk, or both? Developing your personal brand image is indeed a self-discovery and improvement process. Whether you need to overcome career, personal, or communication challenges, the solution lies within you and your internal dialogue.

Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, and Gavin Newsom all have presence and exude their own personal brand image. As successful public figures they magnetically attract those who respect them rather than judge them.

Almost all successful people set goals and timelines to achieve them. We achieve what we plan to achieve. Therefore, people who don’t succeed don’t have precise goals. Life gives us exactly what we expect. It’s a balance between persistence and flexibility, so it’s necessary for us to make clear decisions. Doubt leads straight into failure. If you’ve been procrastinating from doing something, do it now. There is no better time than the present; that’s the power of now! Learning to trust your intuition is an art form. Focusing on the negative can distort your judgment and paralyze your actions. Therefore focus on reasons for success! Good energy comes from a healthy and positive self-image. The better your self-image, the more likely you’ll see your possibilities. Trust your intuition. Thoughts of service, lead to abundance, which leads to success. Remember to focus on growth!

Proactive business professionals today view themselves as if they are incorporated and market their talents accordingly. Just as a solid, viable product will die a slow death without consistent marketing, talented contributors can be ignored, overlooked, or never fully utilized without effective self-promotion.

At work, you are your brand and your look is your logo – it should send a clear message about who you are, what you have to offer, and where you want to go. Your task is to pinpoint the identity you want to have within your working environment and then dress to express it. Decide to put effort into choosing a wardrobe that reflects who you are, and you take control of your career and your life.

You’ve often heard people refer to themselves as the total package. However are they really the total package? When you work with Global Image Group, we take the guesswork out of packaging your presentation. The process first begins with a self-exploration of who you are and where you want to be. You can look the part but if you don’t act the part, you’re not the total package. And conversely, if you act the part and don’t look the part, doors will close before you.

Global Image Group’s 7 Sterling Strategies to Style and Success TM will lead you toward the path of unraveling your authentic image and projecting an image of excellence. Please contact us for more information regarding our 1.5 hour seminar Become the Total Package by Establishing Your Personal Brand Image - Master the 7 Sterling Strategies to Style and Success.

Schedule your summer sale appointments with an image consultant, personal stylist, or personal shopper in New York, San Francisco, LA, Washington DC, Miami, Chicago, Houston and Dallas to help you take advantage of all the summer sales.

Economic spending will help stimulate the economy as well as your wardrobe for all of you who have been good about saving all year.  There is nothing better than a bit of retail theraphy to lift your spirits and feel good about yourself.  So treat yourself to some shopping.  There have never been greater sales and more selection on contemporary and designer brand clothing than now! 

There are still great things in the stores, so contact an image consultant, personal shopper or personal stylist to help you make the right decisions on what to buy, what to wear and how to put it together according to your personal coloring, body type and lifestyle.

As seen on channelconnect.com

If you want to ensure your long term successful, you have to surround yourself with the right people. I hope these interviewing techniques help you a little bit the next time you are looking for your next All Star!

Behavioral-based questions allow you to examine an applicant’s work style and skills. These questions illustrate the applicant’s ability to resolve conflicts, lead teams, and build consensus. To ensure complete answers and make good hiring decisions, you must learn how to compose behavioral-based questions and analyze the candidate’s responses.

Composing Behavioral-Based Questions
Behavioral-based questions should be founded on the requirements of the job. If a job requires good organization, the interviewer should ask questions which reveal the candidate’s skill in this area.

The best way to do this is to compose a mock situation which requires the applicant to demonstrate the skill in question. The situation should show how the candidate resolved or would resolve the issue. This allows you to examine the candidate’s problem-solving skills and shows you how the candidate may have used his skills in the past. Past behavior is the best predictor of future performance.

Effective behavioral-based questions start with a request, such as: “Describe for me a time when…” or “Give me an example of how you …”. These questions seek to examine what actually happened in each situation.

Analyzing the Candidate’s Responses
Behavioral-based questions are not about a candidate’s education or technical expertise. These questions illustrate how people apply their knowledge and skills to real-life situations. For example, a telecommunications account representative needs to have the ability to build team work and consensus between many different departments within the company. In this situation, you might ask the following:

“Tell me about a time when you had to work with a person you didn’t like.”
“Give me a specific example of how you made a quick decision.”
“Give me an example of how you led a team when you were not the person in charge.”
“Describe a situation where you were required to go beyond your job description to get your job done.”
“Tell me how you dealt with a policy you disagreed with.”

The answers to these questions should be firmly based in real-life situations. As you listen to the candidate, you should pick-up on the candidate’s skills and approaches to problem-solving. But to properly assess the applicant, you need to make sure the candidate’s answers are complete. A complete answer should include:
A situation or problem requiring that specific skill.
The actions taken to handle the situation.
The eventual outcome of those actions.

Effective behavioral-based questions reveal the essential skills and work style of the candidate. To provide you with relevant information, your questions should be based on the job requirements and should reveal a candidate’s real-life problem-solving skills. By learning how to compose and analyze behavioral-based questions, you will be able to make a complete and accurate appraisal of each candidate’s suitability for the job.

Today’s world is a fast-paced, hypercompetitive, and increasingly technology driven; one where leaders are few and far between.  During tough times, people turn to strong leaders to guide them.   According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, many firms are increasing their investment in leadership training to navigate through the current economic crisis.  In order for leaders to be effective they must invest their time not only in their team, but in themselves. Image Consultant Michelle T. Sterling, Founder of Global Image Group, states that there are three things that leaders can keep in mind during these times.

“The best leaders are those who know how to manage both upward and downward.  Effective managers must remember that people that are valued have presence charisma, charm, and most importantly, confidence.  To be a strong leader means to exude executive presence.”

3 Tips for Effective Leadership

1.  The best leaders are those who know how to manage upward and downward.  According to Ms. Sterling, the best leaders are team players. Rather than looking at the shortcomings of your team members, list goals that you want them to achieve.  Once you have an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each individual employee, mentor them and nurture their growth. In the 13 Fatal Errors Managers Make and How You Can Avoid Them, W. Steven Brown states that “Every forward-looking manager recognizes that the greatest untapped resource within a company is its peoples’ potential.” He also suggests that new employees receive classroom training in a group environment and continuous coaching and positive reinforcement of the desired behaviors. Just as you expect your employees to be accountable for their work, you must be personally accountable for your performance and manage it.  This leads to the next important tip.

2.  Valued employees have presence, charisma, charm, and most importantly, confidence.  A strong leader has the emotional maturity to recognize his or her faults. Mr. Brown notes that, “One of the essential attributes of a good leader is enough self-confidence to be able to admit his own mistakes and know that they won’t ruin him.” You can only be confident in what you know for a fact. Once you exude confidence in your abilities and knowledge, others will have the same confidence in you- it’s a simple science.  As Ms. Sterling states, “Presence, charm, and charisma along with confidence are characteristics of a well-rounded professional.”  It might sound like common sense, however being polite, developing good interpersonal skills and taking accountability for your actions are recognized and appreciated in both the business and social environments. People, particularly in business situations, develop confidence in leaders who are true to themselves and treat others with respect and appreciation. 

3. To be a persuasive, productive leader means to exude executive presence.  Executive presence combines image, communication, influence, behavior and authority to create a positive and memorable impression and impact in business situations. Your first impression should be your best impression, particularly since you only get one chance to make it. “Another important aspect of executive presence is developing your own personal brand image,” states Ms. Sterling.  “Create your own authentic brand that showcases your best attributes.” Also, when exuding executive presence you must be reliable and trustworthy. As aforementioned, effective managers have to earn trust and credibility from their peers and employees. Inherent in executive presence is consistency and reliability. Employees can concentrate on their performance and meeting your expectations when there is clear, consistent communication and leadership.

To learn more about effective leadership skills and improving your executive presence, register for Executive Impact.  This program uses an integrated approach to address the professional image and soft skills training management concerns of professionals worldwide. You and your employees will be able to convey authority, credibility, confidence and competence in all business situations.  Sharpen your leadership abilities through sessions on self-promotion and positioning, honing your image management skills and creating a strong and lasting first impression. Global Image Group offers additional corporate services that are designed to help your organization gain a competitive advantage through developing a unified corporate image and brand identity.

In this economy the productivity and output of a company is only as valuable as the people it employs. As the world is experiencing massive layoffs across a variety of industries, companies are using this opportunity to let go of under performers, those with poor interpersonal skills or those with challenging personalities.

Developing your executive presence and communication skills are vital to your success in any industry. The principles of being a good communicator and exuding executive presence are the same across all industries however the key in determining whether you are an asset or a liability to your firm is to first understand your behavioral communication style.

According to CEO Sales Solution, “Successful sales people value acceptance and they tend to thrive on being the center of attention. When someone else is advising or suggesting a different course of action, the spotlight is not focused on them. Change for them triggers a fear of failure or a fear of rejection. This person worries that the change may uncover their lack of skill or knowledge and cause them to be perceived as incompetent. They may be worried they will lose their job especially if there have been other factors (past poor performance) suggestive of termination. They may also feel slighted that they were not chosen to be the leader or if they are not directly brought into the mix early if they value power. Because they are consumed by their needs they cannot whole-heartedly see change as a positive step for the company or organization.”

Therefore the solution in developing this top sales performer is increased communication, incremental change, support and feedback. Little or no communication sets off the fear of the unknown and can make people feel out of control. If they are left with many questions and no answers, this can lead to panic and anxiety which can lead to revolt and insider back talking.

Global Image Group’s goal is to give you the tools you need to identify your strengthens and weaknesses as an employee and this begins with having a solid understanding of yourself. Many of our clients have dominant personalities, and while they do possess relatively strong interpersonal skills, their attention to detail - taking cautionary measures to ensure precision often times makes them empirical, frank and a challenge for those to work with who prefer a softer approach. At Global Image Group, our Executive Image and Communications Consultants are equipped to coach you on how to manage situations with others so that working with you is always a win-win for both parties. We encourage you to take this journey of self-discovery and perhaps you’ll find it will increase your communication success in your personal life too.