Sonya | Your Styled Collective (00:00.814)
Welcome to another episode of the Style and Strategy podcast. Today, again, I'm going to take a little bit of a different tact and I really want to talk about some of the problems that I'm hearing from many of my clients and give you some context around why I put together my program, Activate. So when I had
been working with clients one -on -one, what I find is that there are a number of challenges that they actually face day -to -day. And, you know, there might be comments like, I've got so many clothes for work, but when the weekend comes, I feel like I've got nothing to wear because the work clothes seem to be really easy and become a, a wood.
because the work clothes are really easy because it becomes kind of like a bit of a uniform as such. And yet then what happens is you start to compartmentalize your wardrobe. So it's like you know how to use that you can flex that muscle but when it comes to weekend, it then feels like boring as using their words and they just really feel really uninspired around that.
They also sometimes talk about, you know, that when they've got a big meeting or an event, they kind of go, oh God, they hit sort of panic mode because they are looking for wanting to feel really powerful and confident. You know, they're going to an event. Of course you want to feel great in the outfit that you want to wear. And so when they look in their wardrobe again, they might not have,
pieces depending on that type of event that's going to allow them to feel like that. And another one that I hear all the time is I used to love these looks or all these particular styles, but now that I've kind of moved up in my career or taken on a different role,
Sonya | Your Styled Collective (02:22.094)
they don't just seem to fit right anymore. And usually there's some element of, you know, your style has evolved, right? So it worked for you previously and whether that's got to do with body shape, age, you know, just that change in career that you feel like, well, actually, I think it's time for a shift. And so that's always my reminder that your style is never,
quite stagnant just because you found your style. You know, today doesn't mean that it's not going to evolve through through the years. And you know, I personally have seen myself go through that, you know, especially over the last decades, which really drove me to put together the podcast to end up studying style and then moving into
understanding personal brand and then how those two come together, which again, was my driver for getting certified in that space. So the more I was working with one -on -one clients around this, and the more themes that I was seeing really drove me to say, well, how can I support more clients in a different way?
And that was one of the reasons why I put together my group program, Activate. And I only launch Activate a few times a year, but predominantly so I could actually take women through that process of being able to solve some of these problems. And one of the things that I was seeing out in the...
marketplace was this real focus on particular areas and what was, you know, general style advice, which is great, right? You can, you can pick up a lot of hints and tips in that. But what I was finding is by the time clients were coming to me, they had worked on their those sort of general style tips, but they just found after a while, they ended up in these same spirals and they didn't know why.
Sonya | Your Styled Collective (04:43.886)
And so they really wanted to find a solution that would give them the skills that they needed to be able to identify, well, how do I fix this? Because this is going to be an ongoing problem that I'm going to have. It's not a kind of band -aid solution. So that was sort of the second driver of putting Activate together. I wanted to impart, well,
What are the fundamentals that we actually need to understand in building out your style, building out your brand, that if you don't sit down and take the time to look at those, then potentially you won't get that solution. And if you are looking for a root cause, a, you know, not a bandaid solution for today, but one that will take you long term, that is,
again, something that I've always loved to be able to figure out so we can actually solve things longer term. And those of you who, you know, know a little bit about my career in corporate and so forth, a lot of that was again coming and identifying the root cause and then being able to create true transformation. And so that a lot of that also comes into how I've structured.
the program. And so when I, you know, work with women through as a group through the activate program, so it is effectively, you know, six core modules that we go through, but it's not just about, again, leaving individuals so much on their own to work through that, because I will know, again, with my experience in change management, that
in order to create true success in the end that requires working in partnership with every individual. And so through the program, we've I've actually extended that out to be a 10 week program. So that way you've got, you know, someone really and myself being, you know, holding your hand all the way through, you know, there is content.
Sonya | Your Styled Collective (07:05.038)
and there is going to be learning, but then it's about that practical application of that content to ensure that you're getting a chance to test and learn and do that in your own time as you go through that sort of 10 weeks to make sure that it's really embedded and that you can figure out what's working for you, what's not, and then come back to someone who's been there and done that.
to really understand and identify where you might need a little bit additional support through that program. And then really at the end of it, being able to walk out knowing that you have clearly been able to...
Sonya | Your Styled Collective (07:56.59)
have a true understanding of what your brand and your style are, understand your body and your body shape and love the shape that you are knowing how to actually style that. And then, you know, going past the generic style advice that you might see. One of my clients that went through the Activate program really said,
something that resonated with me that I hadn't seen before. And that was she'd been following this generic style advice that was out there and she still felt like there was this gap and she couldn't quite work out. Why was everything in her feed suddenly, you know, very bland and plain and she had all the kind of core pieces there, but...
you know, she'd walk into that wardrobe and still feel like something was missing and Activate solved that for her. She was able to move away from those general recommendations and really develop her unique style. And I think, you know, just thinking about it now gives me goosebumps hearing her say that, but then, you know, most of all seeing her take these photos. So at the start of the program, you know, we, we,
get everyone as part of the program to take some selfies of where they are today. And then versus taking the photos at the end of the program and really reflecting on what that transition has been, what gives me goosebumps is seeing actually the facial expressions on my clients from before going, you know, this is the picture of me and I'm not sure.
I think I look all right and you know, this is one of my favorite outfits to seeing a photo of my clients with this beam of smile, this level of confidence and going, I feel amazing. And, you know, she'd actually said that, you know, coming towards the end of the program, one of her neighbors had called out and said,
Sonya | Your Styled Collective (10:14.286)
What have you been doing? You look very chic at the moment. So it's those tiny little things that can make such a difference in how you show up and how you feel about yourself and really giving you that additional confidence. But not only that, being able to have a true capsule wardrobe that works for you.
And you know, if you've listened to the podcast, one of my, really one of the biggest sort of beliefs that I'd like to challenge is that a, you know, capture wardrobe has to be this small, boring wardrobe. I certainly am someone who loves diversity in the wardrobe.
absolutely loves shopping. And so it was never about having a wardrobe with only a few key pieces. It was actually always about creating a capsule from my wardrobe. So that way, depending on whether it was work, whether it was travel, whether it was a mood I was in, I could create and have that versatility in my wardrobe to be able to suit the mood.
the area that I was actually feeling and in, and then being able to impart that knowledge and skills onto both my clients in working with them, as well as ensuring that they had the skills to be able to do that as well. So, you know, that gives you a little bit of a taste, but all the way through.
I am fundamentally all about trying to ensure that you have a personalized experience. And at the end of it, you don't have a cookie cutter approach. It is about you being able to go out whether you want to spend, you know, X dollars on your work wardrobe versus Y dollars, you know, at the high end, I'm not telling you what pieces in what
Sonya | Your Styled Collective (12:29.55)
particular brands to purchase, that will be entirely up to you and your budget, because you will have the skills to be able to mix and match out of those and have the choice and the flexibility. It is certainly not about putting my tastes and my preferences around.
particular brands and costs around that is giving you the skills and the awareness around how to do that, whatever price point you may be playing in and supporting you on that particular journey as well. So, you know, really, I, if you've got questions around Activate, please let me know because really this, we've just opened the,
waitlist doors. And so I'll be opening the program in a few weeks time towards the end of May. And if you jump in on the waitlist, then it'll be the waitlist participants that actually get some additional bonuses with Activate, if they decide to come and join me on that journey. But if you are really looking to
develop a streamlined style strategy that saves you time and boosts your confidence with every choice. You know, and you want to do that with a partner and that partner being me so we can redefine your entire wardrobe from work to weekend, making sure that every outfit enhances your personal brand, as well as your style. It's my tailored approach that will give you that empowerment to confidently express your
authentic self really in every aspect of your life and you know really pushing to make sure that that's aligned to your lifestyle as well as your aspirations. So I would love to see you there or if you've got any questions around Activate and you'd love to hear more come along and drop me a note and let me know and yeah I'd love to chat.
