No matter how excitedly busy my image consulting practice becomes, my clients’ needs are always going to be my top priority. Typically each month several new clients hire me as their image consultant to guide them through the image development process. These past number of weeks have been a madhouse, though, as a dozen clients individually and privately, yet simultaneously, have been going through various phases of this amazing growing process. During these very busy times, coincidentally coinciding with the weeks immediately preceding the holidays, it’s been foremost in mind to keep everyone’s project goals in mind without losing my own mind.

The process is intentionally very methodical so each client has the opportunity for self-discovery. This also allows me the opportunity to learn about each client without making any initial snap judgments. What would that serve anyhow? Clients hiring me to undergo transformative change don’t need to hear criticisms about a current first impression when it’s bound to evolve. What clients want to know is that there is a way to evolve and then to be shown how. So after between two and four initial discovery sessions that include personal style identification and personal color profiling, we’re able to move forward to wardrobe building.

It’s an amazing experience to help clients understand more about who they are, just by explaining the principles of personal style and what they communicate about them. I have also become a keen analyst of color, and use clients’ custom created color palettes to help them understand fascinating personal qualities that we use as a springboard for personal branding purposes. In fact, we strategize how to dress to visually describe these particular positive personality characteristics.

Being entrusted with the responsibility of reviewing clients’ wardrobes and replacing less vital ones with thriving ones is a major undertaking. The styles and colors have to be on target. The clothing must be selected based on when it is to be worn. Then the messages of the clothing, based on when they will be worn, have to be correct. And yet, it’s so exciting to haul off to a donation center the clothes that no longer serve the needs of my clients so they aren’t encumbered by fifteen or twenty years worth of clothes that they’re not wearing anyway. This is the stuff that just clouds one’s vision of what’s really wearable in a closet.

Always one to help my clients make the most of their budgets, shopping sessions are one reason why this particular time of year has turned into very long work days on behalf of my clients. Given the in-store promotions and sales, it’s ridiculous not to take full advantage of them, either to extend clients’ buying power, or to provide them with valuable savings. Some clients want to take advantage of buying a level of quality they wouldn’t typically buy at the “regular price,” while other clients are in significant wardrobe building mode, and would buy more pieces upfront if the right assortment of items are available.

Some of the really fun recent moments with clients have included:

- Presenting 9 pairs of shoes and boots to a client who liked them all

- Creating 70 outfit combinations for a client out of 16 wardrobe items

- Helping a client begin to get in touch with her feminine side

- Showing a client that by tailoring his shirts how he looked 10 pounds slimmer

- Advising a hairstyle that a client never would have tried on his own and loves

- Preparing a dressing room full of a new wardrobe and the client took it all!

- A client telling me that I was successfully stretching his style to a new level

- And just last night – a client who hates shopping went for 4 hours and enjoyed it

It’s a blessing to be working with these amazing clients, watching them transform before my very eyes. As the year and decade draw to a close, I carry this current work forward, inspired to help everyone feel like a “10 in ’10.” Ask me how you can be part of the program!

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

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