Welcome to the Style and Strategy Podcast. I am your host, Sonya. And today, I really wanted to take you back on a little bit of a personal journey. I think you've heard a little bit around how I ended up where I've ended up, which is, How did I become a personal brand and stole coach from being a sort of corporate exec in financial services. So, you know, one of the questions I get all the time is, it just seems so left field. And while it does on the outside, the reason why I'm so passionate about these particular topics, is because actually, for those that really know me, well, I have known for many years, I have always had an absolute love of fashion overall. And if I turned back the clock a little bit, I always knew that I had planned to go into sort of fashion at the time. And styling really wasn't an option. Some of my favorite classes growing up in high school, were actually textiles and design back then.
And I'll never forget, being in my senior years, and walking up this staircase where I could smell, it was like the sewing machine smell and the fabric cutting a sound of that crisp cutting on fabrics, and just the smell of the fabrics in the room. And I still love absolutely love that. So I look back on those years really fondly. The only challenge I had back then was I couldn't draw. And so when it came to actually fashion design, it just wasn't at something that I felt I could pursue because we're talking a little while back now. And they didn't have the computer programs where you could just do it online, it was you physically had to be able to draw, and I would learn how to draw, but it just wasn't my forte, but I knew I loved that space. Fast forward after doing my HSC. And moving on. What actually then happened was, I had to find a inverted commas real job.
And that's how I ended up in financial services actually starting off in the superannuation world. And so, in that super world is how I found financial advice. But I will never forget walking into that very first corporate job that I had. And I had this amazing suit from cue, which was a soft gray with a baby pink pinstripe, and very 1940s inspired outfit. And I absolutely love to going into town and getting dressed up in those particular suits. And for me, I could remember every single suit. And most of all, it holds a really special place for me because shopping and going for those suits was actually something I used to do with my mom all the time.
Then, growing up through that, and learning my way through that corporate kind of landscape. I went through the journey that many of us have had, where I had my first child and then my second child and I really started to understand that being a mum and trying to juggle a what was at the time, a full time career was not easy. And pop by the fact that I'd put on probably close to 20 Odd kilos, especially after my first child and nothing I had fit me anymore the way it used to the skirts, the suits, all of that was parked to the wayside.
And I do remember at the time again, getting on eBay and having to sell a lot of those beautiful suits because there was no way I was going to be able to fit back into them. I vividly remember and I think this was after my second child turning up to work one day in sort of jersey fabric, black Ponte skirt, I think in a jersey fabric top and I felt completely deflated. I just felt like I was had lost myself and who I was and looked around. And at that time, I was still, you know, really climbing that corporate ladder, and so many amazing GMs around me at the time and thought, How am I ever going to get to that place if I'm dressed like this, and feel the way that I feel. So, being me, I threw myself into trying to work really, really hard.
And trying to demonstrate that I had the knowledge and the skills and studied my MBA, I fell pregnant with my third child whilst trying to complete my MBA whilst working full time. And throughout that time, I just felt like something was amiss. And that level of perfectionism that I perceived that was required, just felt completely out of reach. And I tried really hard to dress and try to be someone that I wasn't, and I can pletely fell out of sorts. So when I say I've walked in those uncomfortable shoes that I had, by, I really understand what that's like to wear those high heels and then flip over to run as and run home, pick up the kids from daycare, and I try to get dinner on and coordinate everything, and then log back on again, and feel like I am circling on this train that I couldn't seem to find my path forward. I think that I had the opportunity to work with some incredible managers through my time, who were extremely supportive of me.
And I think they know who they are. So it guidance really as mentors. Through my experiences with them, I learned and started to understand a little bit about what was required when we talk about personal brand, and how I didn't have to be what I thought and perceived I had to be. And again, I was lucky enough to be selected for development program. And as part of that I met some absolutely incredible people that really opened my eyes to a whole different world and a different way of doing things. And I think that started to really change the way I thought about brand. I thought about me and I thought about my own personal style. And it took some time to be able to sit and work out what that meant for me open to actually realizing that I could have a portfolio career of some sort, and that it didn't have to be boxed in as one thing was really important to me.
So I had the opportunity to again, you know, walk into the doors of the Australian style Institute, and reignite a passion that I had close to 20 years ago. And that was another turning point for for me to realize that the penny kind of dropped. I knew there was something but it wasn't until that point. That powerful connection between what I wore how I was feeling the impact on my confidence and the ability to step out as me and reconnect to my former self became quite obvious. And all those pieces fell into place that I then was on a mission to help other women to be able to do that
as well. spending years really leading large teams and focused on really high performing teams and spending a number of years leading large teams supporting the The female leaders in those teams, whether it was around career advice, and all other and seeing them go through transformation after transformation, it was really, for me a turning point to say, I want to be able to do this with individuals as a whole, because it's more than just that aspect of it.
It is about how they show up also at home. And style really does play both of those areas. I been behind the scenes and trying to do what I could to support those other female leaders and other team members really to reach that next level in their success. So how I it's all about working with those professional career women who are looking to unlock their next level of success through our of personal brand and style. And that is because I've been through that journey. I know what that's like and to come out the other side of it is really freeing and rewarding to be able to take that multifaceted process and make it easier for you. So I hope that you have enjoyed just hearing a little bit more about me and how I got to where I got to
