Listen to Michelle T. Sterling, AICI, Founder and Training Director for the Sterling Style Academy as she speaks candidly about her image consultant career and client success stories as an internationally recognized Image Consultant and Personal Shopper.  Ms. Sterling is interviewed by Karri Ann Frerichs, Admissions Director for the Sterling Style Academy.

The Sterling Style Academy Certified Image Consultants receive our valuable and industry-proven Personal Style Evaluation Books to utilize with their clients.  It is now available for purchase in Spanish and will be available in additional languages upon request.  This benefit is available to Sterling Style Academy Alumni only. Want to learn how to become a member of this elite group?  Inquire today.

Purchase the Personal Style Evaluation Book in Spanish for US$247

US$13.50 in shipping and handling will be billed in addition to your investment outlined above. All Sterling Style Academy training programs and consultant resources are non-refundable and billed through Global Image Group.  You will receive the package within 10 days of your purchase if in the US or with 2 – 3 weeks internationally.

There are certain non-verbal clues that others pick up about you through your dress and behavior that cause them to make snap judgments. The “rules” about professional behavior and dress are not as clear cut as they used to be and are changing rapidly. This is where the help of an Image Consultant becomes invaluable.

Image Consultants have specialized knowledge and training in matters of dress, etiquette and professional presentation. Starting with your current wardrobe, an Image Consultant will make suggestions on color, fit and additional investment pieces that will help you present yourself in a more confident and successful manner.

Working with an Image Consultant is investing in you. A great personal stylist will take your current challenges and turn them into opportunities with confidence. The return is noticeable, as you will feel more confident and able to present the proper image for any occasion and will save valuable time coordinating and purchasing your wardrobe.

Most of our prospective, current and graduated students expressed their personal desire to “Help People” and to parlay their “Natural Talent and Eye for Style and Fashion” into a career.  Training sessions are geared to ensure Image Consultants are able to tailor their knowledge and services to fit each client’s specific lifestyle and needs. For further details, please contact the Sterling Style Academy.

“Dear Sterling Style Academy,
Thank you so much for the tickets to Confessions of a Shopaholic! The movie was pure eye-candy and really made me think about my wardrobe. I could relate to Rebecca in feeling flustered and overwhelmed with her wardrobe. I laughed to myself because I’ve TOTALLY been there. What I need is to hire a personal stylist to help me get my closet organized and my wardrobe more together. I tend to buy what I like and what is in-trend at the moment. I am left with are pieces that don’t match.  I hate to say it, but I have tops in my closet with tags still attached to them because I don’t know what to wear them with.  I also, would love to learn what looks best on my body. I want to look like I’ve lost ten pounds without having to jump on the treadmill : ) .

Thanks again for the tickets.  Loved it even more second time around.

Sharon Hope”

“What are the actual job titles a student can expect once they receive the right styling training?” asked one audience member.  Jill Siefert, styling instructor at the Art Institute of San Francisco, discussed corporate opportunities including prop stylist, food stylist, location stylist and creative director for major fashion houses.  Ms. Sterling further expanded the upon the subject by discussing the many consulting positions available as personal shopper, executive stylist, image consultant and personal stylist.  “San Francisco has one of the highest concentrations of stylists in the U.S,” she explained.  Ms. Siefert added by stating, “We welcome the competition!  There is a client for everyone.”

Each panelist discussed their successes and lessons learned in their careers, which further informed the audience on what to expect in a styling career and how to position yourself according to the clients you want to work with.

Teresa Morisco, owner of Wardrobe 911, described her first “Aha!” moment when working with the wife of a man who called for wardrobe help.  She learned that even though some clients express they want change, many aren’t actually ready to adopt needed changes into their wardrobes and, in turn, their lives.  “It is so important to express to each client WHY something works or doesn’t work on them in order for them to move beyond their old habits.”

Ms. Siefert shared an experience of setting boundaries when she explained how she was able to develop a needy, time-consuming client who would contact her at all hours of the day into one of her best repeat business clients who has learned to respect the stylist’s terms.   “This is someone who was once the joke of the office and is now one of the most respected people in her firm when it comes to style.”

Ms. Sterling discussed the client she consulted with earlier the same day.  “He is from Southern California and the CEO of a major swimwear company, and because his background is in corporate finance, he sought out my services because I come from the financial industry as well.”  She further explained his interest in locating a nation wide consultant who could offer follow up services in additional cities including Miami, Los Angeles and New York.

Each stylist also explained what they would be doing if they weren’t an image consultant or a stylist.  Most agreed with Ms. Sterling when she explained that, “For me, there is no plan B.  Failure is not an option.  It’s all about making plan A work.  If you are passionate about your career then it is within your power to harness your talents and create a profitable business that best suits you.”

For more information on training to become a successful image consultant, contact Sterling Style Academy, info@sterlingstyleacademy.com.

-Karri Ann Frerichs-
Admissions Director, Sterling Style Academy

Pictured from the left:
Sterling Style Academy Certified Image Consultant, Jeunesse Ali – Trinidad/Tobago;  Sterling Style Academy Certified Image Consultant, Amy Inglefield – Trinidad;  Michelle T. Sterling, Sterling Style Academy Founder;  Sterling Style Academy Certified Image Consultant, Vida Cibic – Slovenia.

Each student set forth and achieved their training goals for launching successful careers in their respective fields:

With extensive experience in the hotel and hospitality industries, Jeunesse Ali will establish a personal concierge service in Trinidad and Tobago where she will employ her newly acquired skills in image consulting and personal styling.  As her passion lies in image, hospitality and customer service, she is confident her company will thrive in Trinidad and Tobago as it is a necessary and highly sought after service.

With a background in advertising and wardrobe styling, Amy Inglefield plans to open her own image consulting business upon her return to Trinidad.  “I hope to give the same satisfaction to others by providing them the opportunity to look and feel their best in their own skin.  I believe that confidence is the key to success and I am certain that I can give both men and women that confidence so they may achieve their own goals.”

With a very successful family business in Slovenia, Vida Cibic has turned her passion for fashion into a career she loves – shopping!  She will work with A-Level executives and prominent people in her home country of Slovenia offering style consultations, wardrobe evaluations, and plenty of personal shopping!

Create your own success story by enrolling today!

One strategy is to set yourself apart from the competition through displaying a poised and professional self image.  So many levels of business professional and business casual wardrobe exist, so which style is right for your office environment?  What is the best way to store and carry all of those personal belongings that you reach for everyday?  Presenting an image of organized confidence could be the key to keeping your job.

Are you one of the hundreds of thousands of people looking for work right now?  As image represents 55% of the first impression, you may have already answered that opening statement - “Tell me about yourself,” before even opening your mouth.  Did you put as much planning into your image as you did preparing your answers?

Not only can the graduates of Sterling Style Academy ensure their clients are poised and ready for these situations, but they walk the walk and become indispensable contractors and consultants as their own image supports the services they offer.

For more information on becoming indispensable, please email Sterling Style Academy at info@sterlingstyleacademy.com.

Professional personal shoppers and image consultants experience images like this on an everyday occurrence.  They are commissioned to shop for their clients because they offer the know-how and expertise to provide exactly the right fashions and accessories within each lifestyle and budget.

Client services are literally endless.  Consultants can offer wardrobe expertise for careers, dating, special events and vacationing.  They can shop for the largest budgets and completely revamp a wardrobe without buying a thing.  Consultants know how to update a classic wardrobe from season to season just by adding a few key pieces, and they know how to give a classic feel to the most trendy of wardrobes by simply adding a few staples.

Learn to shop for different body types and facial features, careers, lifestyles and budgets.  A certification from Sterling Style Academy will get you started in your new shopping career!

Trained by Sterling Style Academy in San Francisco, California, Carmen helps women and men look and feel confident, complete, and appealing through attire and appearance, whether in professional or social circles. Client-specific tips, tricks, and yes, secrets, too, are tailored around an individual’s personality, body type, lifestyle, concerns, likes and dislikes. “I am shocked at how much I learned about myself through working with Carmen,” says a client from Google.

The services offered are, indeed, exercises in self-discovery. Style assessments reveal an individual’s personal style and traits. Wardrobe evaluations ensure that clothing is wearable, suits the individual, and is easy to mix and match. Personal shopping services fill gaps in a wardrobe, or create a fresh and highly functional one. Image consultations provide valuable information on how to reach maximum potential in head-to-toe presentation.

Matching a person with the right attire comes naturally to Carmen. “I feel that I was preparing to become a personal stylist my whole life,” she says. Six years as a writer/reporter informing readers about fashion and lifestyle trends worldwide, and several years of working at a fashion accessory company and running her own home decor business, contribute to her expertise in selecting the appropriate products for various markets. Having lived and worked throughout the world, Carmen understands diversity and easily adapts to different personalities. Clients praise the comfort level she brings. “I must admit that I was somewhat nervous about working with a personal stylist,” explains the Google client, “but Carmen makes me feel completely at ease. What a relief!” Keeping true to a client’s inner essence is of prime importance. “Each individual possesses a unique style,” Carmen explains, “I help bring it to the forefront, express, and enhance it, all within a person’s comfort zone, of course.” Hence her mantra: “Transforming your look should be a way of life.”

Carmen H. Petrossian is trained by Sterling Style Academy. Based in California, she serves clients throughout the state. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Haigazian University in Beirut, and has completed courses at the University of California, Berkeley. Her articles and editorial work have appeared in numerous print and online publications worldwide.

If your personal styles are relaxed, romantic and dramatic. You can reflect this in your home by choosing a low slung slouchy sofa (your relaxed side) in a soft velvet finish (your romantic side) with some red silk throw cushions (for your dramatic side). Similarly, you pair your boot-cut jeans (relaxed) with a cute silky blouse (romantic) with a black patent tote( for a little drama). A design and image consultant can help you achieve this harmony between you, your home and your wardrobe.

Cliona Dempsey has spent the last 10 years delivering innovatively designed homes and interiors for her clients through her work as an architect. Outside work, Cliona has creatively assisted friends and family on their clothes and personal style. Combining her passion for fashion and her eye for style Cliona is adding Image Consulting to the services offered by her company clionadempseydesign. After meeting her client’s space planning needs through architecture and interior design she could not resist overhauling the old clothes in her client’s new wardrobes. As an Architect Cliona will give you tips and tricks and organisational solutions for your home and as an image consultant Cliona brings her knowledge of colour and fashion styles together to craft a fresh and stylish look for you. Cliona believes her background in design dovetails her work as an Image Consultant. A strong image that reflects your personal style will be an asset that you will feel and others will notice. Consultations are tailored to your individual needs, style evaluation, colour consultation, wardrobe analysis and personal shopping. Cliona will leave you with the tools to continue to evolve your image for the rest of your life and promises to make the experience fun and the result turn heads.