Improving Your Image, One Bite at a Time

Why would an image consultant like me take the time and effort to share insights into healthy nutrition? The answer is because the results of good nutritional intake show up through an improved body figure, healthy skin, better digestion [which hopefully only you know about], and best of all you feel – and everyone sees – a significant improvement in your energy level and focus.

No doubt a lot of us aim to do the right thing when it comes to eating healthy. But over the weekend, my partner Kevin and I took in the documentary film Food, Inc. We now swear we won’t ever look at American food in the same way.

Both of us have been giving ourselves what you could call physique makeovers by changing the way we eat and revving up our workout regimens. Since taking ourselves to task, we’ve gotten in great shape, and lost significant weight relative to our proportions and ages. But even with our newfound ways of looking at food and how we eat it, we were aghast by the film’s many points about the American food system, as we know it.

Kevin and I have moved away from eating processed foods and doing so has helped us to lose weight. We avoid most starches, breads, potatoes, rice, and corn. But corn is broken down and is in so many food items, as Food, Inc. makes abundantly clear. We were shaking our heads at how many ingredients are created from corn. It’s become the centerpiece of the American diet, but it does not have to become the centerpiece of yours.

Corn, however, was practically the centerpiece of Food, Inc., because of its pervasiveness in the American food system. In fact, we really learned a lot about the corn-beef connection that will have you thinking about your diet once you read this.

Cows are meant to feed on grass, but big cattle companies are not feeding cows grass. They feed cows cheap corn to fatten them up. Cows cannot digest this corn, and as a result, corn fed cows are prone to illness. How do you suppose ecoli bacteria get into the food supply? This is how. The way to avoid this is not to avoid beef, but to buy grass-fed beef. My St. Louis friends may not like this, but the folks at Monsanto have essentially genetically engineered all American corn to be made of their seeds and have created a “cash cow” unlike no other – literally.

So even when we think we’re eating healthy and doing the right thing, we have more to learn. Here’s an illustrative story Kevin and I recently read about an American woman’s experience of going to live in Germany that makes the point:

This woman was concerned about living in a country known for its meat-and-potatoes diet and that she’d gain a significant amount of weight. She ended up living in Germany for several years, and during that time she met a man and they married. While living in Germany, she actually lost weight eating the local diet and her husband’s weight remained steady. Eventually, when the couple moved to the United States, both of them gained significant weight without altering their diets. What she learned was that the food they were eating was processed differently, highly salted, laden with sugars [high fructose corn syrup, etc.], and that is was fatty.

One of the people who really influenced Kevin and me on our journey toward personal wellness is an old neighbor and friend, Richard Nikoley. He writes a very informative blog about eating natural foods and I highly recommend reading up on his posts for more information because he’s so passionate about this topic. It’s particularly changed his life like it’s changed ours. And if you haven’t gotten the hint to get out and see Food, Inc., it’s a must.

Your personal and professional image is created by more than just how you dress. It also develops based on what you eat and how you care for yourself. You can make a difference in your image, one bite at a time.

Designing and managing your image is the secret science to your success.

Joseph Rosenfeld helps professional men and corporate workgroups create effective visual brands. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.

“Monster” Image Tips for the 40+ Jobseeker

A couple months ago I was interviewed for a spot on Monster.com about what aging men should do to appear competitive in the job market. Published late last week, I’m grateful for the exposure the piece provided. Since the article also included information about sprucing up the resume and using social media sites, the author could never have included all the tips and tricks I shared with her.

The tips the author did cover in the article are:
• Update your interviewing clothes if you haven’t been shopping in a while
• Maintain a modern hairstyle and visit a hair stylist before that interview
• Boost your confidence and mental acuity through physical fitness

I thought I’d give you a few more tips to help you score that job.

Use clothing to power you up or power you down.
The overall effect of your clothing and accessories’ style, fit, and color has an effect on your interviewer. You want to ensure it’s the right effect. Are you known as a go-getter? The right outfit will help support that attitude. But if the position you seek is executive level, you may have to power down the look that conveys you’re a doer deep down so you can show up to the interview looking like a director. So for instance, lots of color and pattern appears active to the eye and is emblematic of an active personality. But opting for an interview outfit with few colors directs the focus onto you and shows you as a person in control.

If you’re the quieter type, powering up your look is a great way to boost your self-confidence. Do a practice interview in a shirt and khakis and then put on your interview suit and accessories and get feedback about how you sound. Undoubtedly you’ll hear that you sounded better when you looked better. Why? Most likely, subconsciously, you felt better. Popping your outfit with a color accenting your eye or red skin tone, along with wearing a garment with strong a strong angular line will give you a bolder, more energetic appearance.

Visit your tailor if your clothing doesn’t fit.
Let’s face it. Not all of us have fared so well economically lately. As tempting as it is to just purchase new clothing for the job interview, it’s not always practical. So if your cash receivables are as tight as the fit of your suit pants, a visit to the tailor may ease the stress of unemployment and you’ll feel better at the interview, too.

Maybe you don’t wear a suit so often. One of the worst effects of wearing a garment you’re unfamiliar with is wearing one that’s not familiar with you either. By making sure it fits well before you need to wear it, you’ll sit properly and comfortably during the interview and you won’t be fidgeting over your clothes or wondering just how much your stomach protruded over the waistline of your trousers.

Don’t try to compete on looks with the 20-somethings.
Hey, your train left the station some time ago. Don’t get off track by looking back at what should have been because you notice a newer locomotive leaving the garage.

Looking age appropriate, while maintaining a modern, up-to-date style, is so important. You don’t want to be typecast as being ‘older,’ which happens when your clothing and hairstyle is outmoded. This points to the symbiotic relationship between you and your clothes. Old clothes equal an old “you.” New clothes equal a new “you.” So at the very least get your old clothes updated, as I all ready suggested.

If you do act on my advice and go on the hunt for something new, be sure it’s updated to reflect who you are today, not who you once were, or who you wish you could once again be. Avoid looking collegiate to appear younger. ‘Over compensating’ is a poor decision. Don’t dress for the job you’ve presently got or the job you’ve just had. Move forward in your mind and manifest it through your style.

Designing and managing your image is the secret science to your success.

Joseph Rosenfeld helps professional men and corporate workgroups create effective visual brands. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.

Why the Term ‘Business Casual’ Must Go

It was interesting to me as an image consultant attending a business conference where the expected attire was listed as “business casual” so, according to the conference flyer, “everyone can be comfortable during the conference.” I found this to be very strange language for a conference dedicated to making high-level business connections. Excuse me, but shouldn’t everyone know how to buy clothing that is at once the right size so it is comfortable and the right style so it is appropriate for the occasion?

The term ‘business casual’ is officially on my shit list and I am out to ban this term from use because there is nothing ‘casual’ about doing business. Since when is business to be done by chance or without prior thought or planning? The way you dress for business is part of the way you do business.

I have to wonder how much more productive meetings would be if people showed up looking like they were ready to engage with the other party. If you were interested in buying a piece of real estate, would you be comfortable visiting a messy home? Virtually anyone reading this would honestly answer, “No.” So why not take care of the most valuable piece of real estate you own?

Often, you just get one opportunity to make an indelible impression at an important meeting or interview. The meeting may not turn out as you’d prefer, but the least you can do is show up looking like you care about yourself, about the person you’re meeting with, and like you care about doing business.

There is so much confusion as to what ‘business casual’ is and what it means. Every author has a different spin on what it is because they want to sell books. Wikipedia even has a citation-lacking entry about ‘business casual’, full of statistics backing up misinformation in support of someone’s wardrobe imperative. Even OpenTable.com regularly lists ‘business casual’ among the dress codes of restaurants it supports. If you’re going out for a social dinner with friends, how does ‘business casual’ even figure into your game plan?

The truth is: when you inquire about the accepted style of clothing, you’re asking for the rules, for the “code,” so you fit in at the interview, or at the job, or for the business or social occasion. When the answer you’re given is ‘business casual,’ it only causes more questions than it does answers.

Answers are available, but getting meaningful insight requires unlearning bad information and wiping the slate clean in order to get clarity. Here are some key tips to keep in mind about relaxing the look of your professional attire without looking like you’ve gone out of business:

If you dress up every day in a suit and are looking to relax the look, opt for a sport coat.

If you regularly wear a sport coat, continue to wear outfits that are “jacket ready.”

If you commonly wear pant and shirt, combinations, show your personality and finish them with suitable accessories because shoes and a belt will really stand out with just a shirt and pant.

Don’t confuse these social attire items with business attire:
Jeans
Knit polo tops
Short-sleeved shirts

And never wear clothing in which to conduct business that is torn, stained, collegiate or sports themed, or athletic wear.

There is an appropriate time and place to wear all kinds of clothing. Knowing when and where to wear your wardrobe items requires planning and intention to accomplish your goals.

Designing and managing your image is the secret science to your success.

Joseph Rosenfeld helps professional men and corporate workgroups create effective visual brands. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.

Corporate Connections

In my ongoing efforts to expand my work with corporate clients, I attended Out for Business, a business conference sponsored by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) last week in Seattle to learn about doing business with corporations. I have much to learn about how a micro-business such as mine works with multinational corporations. But one thing is for sure: it all starts out with a relationship between me and just one other corporate representative.

Does this sound familiar to you? Navigating the corporate world is far less daunting when I think of it as striking a relationship with just one other person who is within a company versus thinking about relating to a corporate entity. It puts it on a human level for me.

This is why putting your best façade forward – from face to foot – is so important. When meeting someone for the first time, it’s important to appear authentic and be memorable to people who come into contact with so many people.

While at the conference, I met with several such corporate representatives and introduced my image consulting practice to them. In one situation, after explaining that I help corporate workgroups and executives develop effective visual brands to properly represent themselves and their companies through image development, the representative was stumped. “Maybe our Gen-Y’s could use your services, but I don’t see much of a need here,” said the representative, sounding anxious to have our 15-minute speed date terminate. I suggested that Gen X’ers and Baby Boomer employees feel competitive with the Gen-Y’s are just as likely to benefit from the same presentation, Anyone who has not updated their look in a few years would similarly benefit. Somehow, I knew the message was not getting through.

Then it hit me. How can I explain these values to a corporate buyer who does not personally adhere to them? My answer? Find another corporate buyer at that company and try again. Fortunately, many other companies sent representatives to this conference who do understand the strengths that come from developing personal presentation strategies and who see how their companies and employees would benefit from working with me. Those were optimal introductions.

One of the cool things about blogging is that it gives me an opportunity to share some of the ‘behind the scenes’ activities I’m involved in as a business owner. I’m dedicated to working with my private clients of executives and professionals. But I also enjoy helping groups of people create personal change for the benefit of themselves and their employers. Expanding how I help others is how I intend to grow my business and experience personal growth.

Designing and managing your image is the secret science to your success.

Joseph Rosenfeld helps professional men and corporate workgroups create effective visual brands. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.