As the saying goes, life begins at 40, but for Sarah, her new chapter started at 48. After dedicating seven years to being a stay-at-home mom, thereafter she embarked on a part-time journey as an admin assistant. Little did she know that her path would take an exciting turn towards personal styling.
Q: Hi Sarah, thanks for sitting down with me, am really looking forward to hearing all about the new chapter in your life you started at the age of 48, I would love to know, what did you do before becoming a stylist?
A: I was a stay-at-home mum for 7 years then I went back to work part time as an admin assistant
Q: That’s amazing to start a brand-new chapter later in life must have been very exciting. Why did you feel personal styling was the job for you?
A: It excites me and I find it very rewarding plus I can work it around family life
Q: it’s wonderful to hear that personal styling excites you and brings a sense of reward. Being able to work it around family life adds another layer of fulfilment. How does this fit in to your life?
A: Having turned 50 I can relate to women who are struggling with their confidence at the midlife stage I enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise
Q: It’s inspiring to see how your personal and professional journey aligns with your personal styling business. Turning 50 and empathizing with women facing confidence challenges during the midlife stage and being able to help these women with something you can relate to must be so rewarding. What’s the best thing about being a personal stylist?
A: As it’s my own business I work hard at networking and feel more involved in my community than I ever did before I have forged so many more relationships, with local businesses etc There is always something new to learn and opportunities to expand my knowledge and I find that exciting, I love the buzz I feel when I’ve helped someone through one of my services and given them back some confidence, I love that I can be creative writing blog posts and social media content
Q: Sarah I can really see the passion of what you do as a personal stylist and for your business really shining through, you definitely have a love for what you do. What’s been the greatest challenge in your styling career so far?
A: To keep going! I’ve wanted to give up so many times it’s taken ages to get paying customers but now I’m on a roll and my persistence with networking and putting myself out there is starting to pay off!
Q: Well done for sticking with it, as I know it can get really tough at times, your commitment is really paying off. How would you describe your own style?
A: Feminine with a touch of dramatic! I love bold accessories
Q: Love the touch of dramatic in your style! You’re part of our stylist community, what do you enjoy the most about this?
A: I love that it is so supportive and non-judgemental stylist’s supporting stylists, I find the business advice extremely valuable plus I really enjoy the opportunities for extra training and the meet ups in person I find these very uplifting
Q: Thank you for the positive feedback, I have loved creating a supportive community who can rely on each other. If you have completed any training courses with The Image Consulting Company. How did you find the training?
A: I completed the colour training and I found it enjoyable and informative
Q: That’s great to hear, providing a positive and informative learning experience is a key goal for us at The Image Consulting Company. What advice would you give someone who was considering personal styling as a job?
A: To not expect too much too soon it takes time to get paying customers and establish a name for yourself networking and putting yourself out there as much as possible is key
Q: Its great to hear you enjoyed the course and the on-going support is helping you in your styling career and we look forward to supporting you. What advice would you give someone who was considering personal styling as a job?
A: To not expect too much too soon it takes time to get paying customers and establish a name for yourself networking and putting yourself out there as much as possible is key
Q: Great advice! I totally agree, it takes time, consistency and at times putting yourself outside of your comfort zone. What do you know now, that you wished you knew at the beginning of your journey?
A: That it takes more time than you think you need to persevere with it.
Q: Yes you have to be patient and just keep on going, with time it will all fall into place. For the last question what does the future hold for you?
A: I’m excited as paying clients are finding me through events I have run and through networking I want to build on this. Recently I surprised myself by organising and running a fashion show as part of my city’s fashion week and I want to do this again it was so rewarding and I raised a lot for charity. I also formed lots of great connections with the charity shops in my city and we are planning lots more work together I see my future as working alongside local businesses and charity shops plus sharing more about my midlife journey to help like-minded women.
It’s truly inspiring to see the exciting developments in your journey as a personal stylist. The fact that paying clients are discovering you through events and networking is a testament to your effective approach. Thank you, Sarah, I want to wish you all the best for the future and I look forward to watching your journey and seeing you grow.
We hope that Sarah’s story inspires you on your own styling journey, whether you’re just starting or seeking to evolve in the field.
To connect with Sarah, you can follow her on Instagram here @stylesolutionsbysarah