Background facts
Let's talk about your job title
and industry:
My job title currently is a Fashionpreneur. I'm a fashion entrepreneur, so I am a stylist, the Editor in Chief of the site
Inspire N Style, and then I also have my own Fashionpreneur Institute where I teach other aspiring fashion industry hopefuls
on how to make it in the industry.
What initially drew you towards working in media, and then how did you decide to focus on style?
I started my styling company and it just dawned on me that I should have a blog on my website. It was at a time where blogging wasn't really oversaturated like it is now. I did that as a way to go out and go to the events and learn what the trends were, and then put that on my website so that potential clients could reference it and say, "Oh, she knows what she's talking about," or, "She's really in the know," when really I was just learning myself. The blogging took off for me and I was able to write for Examiner and CBS Local and Ask Miss A, and then DFW Style Daily. The media portion just grew into this crazy side career, but it really helped me to get the industry contacts that I have now and to flourish. I've always been obsessed with fashion and style, so it was a no-brainer that it would be the area I would focus on.
Who or what do you believe has been a strong influence of your style?
My mother. She has this amazing closet that as a kid I could walk through and just be mesmerized. It's all organized, from the shoes to the belts, and within seasons. She was always so very well put together. Whether we were going to the grocery store or if we had a function to go to, my mom was always polished and I've always wanted to be like that. Her mom, my Nana, was the same, so it kind of just trickled down the line.
When I worked for Chase, Marquea was my trainer and I couldn't focus on work because her style was so crazy good. We're literally best friends to this day. She was the one that got me truly interested in shopping and embracing my style, my body, and my silhouette. I became interested in the natural hair movement because of her. She's like my older sis. She is always polished, even at the gym. It's like Lululemon from head to toe. She inspires me to push the bounds and to always look my best.
Dress code
How do you determine what you are going to wear to work each day?
It really depends on my calendar. If I am going to meet with one of my personal shopping clients, I dress to make a strong first impression. I might wear a wrap dress or a high-waisted skirt with a button-down top, but I want to be very polished. If it's more fashion-related - meeting my fashion clients, or attending a fashion show or event for blogging, if I'm interviewing, I tend to be more trendy. I'll wear graphic tees with skirts, or leather leggings or the liquid leggings with some really cute heels and accessories.
My signature style is definitely a high-waisted skirt with a belt, and a T-shirt or some sort of blouse tucked in. That's my work uniform. That's my style.
So most days, do you prefer to wear a skirt or pants?
I prefer jeans. I'm not meeting with clients every day, so typically I will just be in jeans if I have to run around town, which is most of the time. I'll always prefer to do a dark wash jean because with a darker wash, you still look very professional and put together. You can wear a blazer or a nice blouse and still look very sophisticated and polished.
Heels or flats?
Heels.
Where do you like to shop for your wardrobe and when do you find the time?
It's hard to find the time, because during the week, I'm either running around doing interviews or meeting with my clients. I like to shop at Nordstrom Rack. Belk is really good. Their sales are absolutely amazing. I also like Saks Off 5th in the Shops at Park Lane. I take all of my clients there. They are amazing. I can literally just rack up.
What are your favorite clothing and accessory brands?
For my jeans, I love DL1961. A lot of my clients fit well in those as well. A lot of my dresses and my skirts are custom made by a Dallas designer whose name is Gege Gilzene.
For my work skirts, it's typically going to be Halogen. That's a Nordstrom brand. They fit me really, really well, and they've got great A-line skirts. For me, it's all about the fit.
Do you have anything on your wish list for an accessory or some clothing?
I would like to own a pair of designer shoes. Maybe a pair of Christian Louboutin's if he would make them in a size 11. There's just something about them - they are just a sexy shoe. Even if I'm in it for just an hour, I'd be okay with that.
What type of daily tote or bag do you carry every day and what is inside?
I typically try to carry handbags that I don't see a lot of people wearing. I'm not really tied to a specific brand - I simply like bags that are well made. I like the exclusivity element of the independent designers like Piermarini boutique in Snider Plaza, but for something functional, it's definitely London Fog. They look like the expensive brands, but cost a whole lot less.
What is something that you wear that instills more confidence on days when you are not quite feeling yourself?
My mom always told me that if I want to walk like I'm the fiercest woman in the room, to wear my best undergarments. So I'll wear my sexiest bra and I feel like I'm owning the room. Also, I let my shoes speak for my outfit because it's normally one of the first things people notice.
Lipstick or lip gloss?
I prefer lip glosses.
What are your favorite brands and shades?
Piermarini Beauty is one of my go-tos. The lip gloss
gives me the lipstick-quality color, but it's very glossy
and my lips feel soft. My favorite shade is almost a
strawberry-pink color.
What's your mani/pedi style?
When I go to a salon, I'm partial to Essie colors. If I'm
doing my own nails, I prefer the Ulta brand. When the
Ulta shades are on sale, they are like two dollars
apiece, and I buy up almost every single color. That's
kind of therapeutic for me. I think the Ulta brand lasts
a lot longer and it has a glossy finish to it. I still topcoat
because I'm very hard on my nails.
What hair product do you use most regularly?
It would have to be, because I am a natural,
Miss Jessie's Leave-In Condish conditioner. Black hair
typically dries out, so putting that in every other day
keeps it moisturized and it almost serves as a
detangler as well. And it smells great.
What's your approach to jewelry? Do you have standard go to pieces that you wear most of the time, or do you mix it up?
For accessories, I typically try to minimize everything to three areas of the body - so if I have earrings, a necklace, and a bangle, I'm not going to have an overage of rings and then a big gaudy bag or fancy shoes. I don't want to be over-accessorized, just stylish. I'm into layering a ton of different weights of bracelets together, but I try to keep it minimal. I keep my earrings simple (usually hoops) because I tend to throw a lot of necklaces on top of each other. Oh and I always wear a watch.
Is there anything that you have on your wish list for jewelry?
A local designer, Charmaine Marshall, makes very vibrant, almost African, exotic-inspired jewelry pieces, and they're huge. I would love to have a whole selection of her pieces because they make a "power woman," "boss" statement and that's who I am.
Daily commute
What do you do in the morning,
prior to your office hours, that helps
you prepare for the day ahead?
I like to get my mind set, so I will
do a short devotional, whether it's
reading some sort of scripture or
reading from Laurence G. Boldt's
book, How to Find the Work You Love.
It has all of these entrepreneurial
type quotes that can sink in my
mind and confirm that I'm doing
the right thing and I'm on the
right track. It sets the tone for the
rest of the day. Then I just make coffee.
What kind of transportation do you use to get to your appointments and events all over town?
I drive a BMW 328i.
Do you have a favorite song, artist, or playlist that you listen to on your way to work?
If I'm not talking to people and returning phone calls, I listen to my church or worship music. It just calms me and puts me in a totally different zone. If I'm driving to an appointment in the morning, I listen to The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show. I've listened to them since I was in the fourth grade. If something has upset me or I need to get that extra bit of girl boss, I play all my Beyoncé CDs. When I put her in, I just channel like this alter ego that gives me that extra bit of confidence to walk a little more fierce and have a little bit more edge.
You travel for work sometimes. What do you do while you are on the plane?
I really try to relax, because I'm already high-strung. Doing styling projects out of town is insane and my mind won't function so I'll read fashion magazines. Just something that's not intellectual. I can't sleep because I'm anxious. If I'm on my way home, I'll take a book to read, but it's more probably one of my funky entrepreneurial books. One of the books I took on the last trip was The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and it blew my mind.
Workday
What does your typical workday
look like?
My new virtual magazine,
Inspire N Style, is a top priority for
me, because it is a media website.
You have to make sure that you
get things posted timely for people
to see and click and read for the
day. So when I first wake up, I'm
focusing on what is hitting the site
for today and what needs to come
tomorrow. I will spend the majority
of my time first thing in the
morning working on editing
something I wrote the night before
and dropping in photos. Then the
next part is doing all the social
media for Inspire N Style and for
my personal brand.
And then the day varies from there. There's no set schedule. I could end up having an interview, going to go look at a boutique, or having a lunch meeting with somebody. Or I could be getting ready for a client, trying to map out her wardrobe plan, or working on a shoot for four days. I just never know when I'm going to scoop my next story, so I drink some coffee and deal with it. There's really no set day, but for the most part Inspire N Style will be at the top of the morning every single morning, every day.
At the end of the day, it's mostly some sort of fashion event and networking. Dallas is crazy with that, so sometimes it can be two or three events in one night.
What time does your morning start?
When I first took over as editor of DFW Style Daily last year, I was waking up at 4:00 am, because I was never happy with anything that I wrote. And now that I run my own media site, I give myself a couple more hours of sleep. So I'll typically get up between 5:30 am and 6:00 am to get my brain going. And I really try my hardest to have something live and running by 9:00 am.
What's your morning beverage?
Coffee. I was addicted to a Starbucks. I like a dark roast. I don't like medium and I don't like blond, it has to be super dark. But now I am a complete and total Café Bustelo fan. I haven't ditched Starbucks completely, but I am all about Café Bustelo. It's like a Cuban espresso -type coffee.
What the essentials do you have with
you for meetings?
I try to be as simple as possible,
whenever I have a meeting with
someone and not have too much
going on. I take a calendar, a note
pad, a pen and my iPad mini (just
in case I need to be electronic).
And water - I have to keep myself
hydrated throughout the day. I
really just try to devote all my
attention on that person.
How do you handle job-related stress?
I will walk away and do deep
breathing. I've also gotten into
essential oils. I spray my pillow
every night with lavender. So now
I sleep like a baby, no matter how
stressed I am. My car has a lavender
oil thingee in it. That way, I'm just
breathing in calmness. My soap in the bathtub is lavender. Calm, calm, calm. Because when you're entrepreneur, you're a small business owner and everything is up to you. So I just need that calmness. I'm trying to do more yoga ... trying.
What are some of your work pet peeves?
I do not like last minute requests - whether it's from a client or a publicist
needing an interview - because my days are so stacked. Maybe that's on me
and I shouldn't stack my days the way that I do. But nothing will get me
from zero to sixty when someone needs something and it's either that day
or within a couple of hours, because I literally don't have the time to give.
Don't get me wrong, I understand stuff happens. So I don't get upset if it's
something that there wasn’t any control over, but if it is something that
people knew about a week ago, or was within their control - that is a huge
peeve of mine, because it's inconsiderate. And I'm very considerate of
people's time.
Unfortunately I bet that happens to you more, because your clients are
also super busy and need a stylist to pull a look together for something
that just popped up on their calendar.
Right.
What is one of your happiest career moments?
I have a client who, when I first started working with her, literally could
not look in me in the face. Everything that came out of her mouth about
herself was negative. When she woke up in the morning, she was looking
in the mirror and saying those terrible things to herself. Now, she walks
with her head high. She credits me for teaching her about her worth. My
happiest moments are when my clients become confident women - to the
point where they don't need me anymore - but they choose to still have
me in their lives.
As an editor, or a fashion journalist, my happiest moments are about connecting with the interview subject. If I know that they are going deep with me, I truly appreciate that, because they are giving me something that is valuable for my readers. I had the opportunity to interview the designer Sam Edelman, when he was in town visiting Belk, and I asked him a simple question, "How are you doing on a personal level?" He was just so appreciative of that one question. He said, "Thank you for that because out of all the interviews I've done (and everybody wants to talk about my business accomplishments and awards), but no one takes the time out to ask me about myself." People are human. They want to know you care.
Desk drawer
How would you describe your office space?
I love it because it's open and there's so much
space for me to do creatively what I want to
do with it and to express my fashion side. I
have room to display all of the books that I
buy and never have time to read. But I love to
look at them, they're beautiful. So it's a very
open and inviting space where I can creatively
get in my zone. And it's very girly, which I like.
I'm truly in love with that space and hopefully
we'll have it for the next couple of years,
before I actually lease a space.
What is in your office that makes it more
comfortable for you?
I like the fact that I have my, not just my
fashion and style books, but I love the pillows
with the sayings on them. Because that's just
me. I wanted something that had "boss" on it and "xoxo", because I sign everything like that, little nick knacks and fun things to keep me centered and remember that it's not that serious. Love what you do, make it fun. So I wanted to my office to not be so serious and to keep the fun of my work in mind.
So, where do you keep the things of which you purchase for your clients or photo shoots?
I have a portable rack that I can set up, and tear down. I'm actually flying with it into San Diego. It's just one of those comfort items that I have to have. So, I use a rack if I'm doing a big shoot. As far as products that I need to test, I use little cubbies to categorize. I would have beauty in one, maybe fashion in another one, book reviews here. That way I can keep track of what was given to me. At one point in time, I had a spreadsheet going on. My sister was like my assistant to make sure, "Okay, you got this item on this day, the review needs to be done by this day, and a post needs to be up and running by so and so." It was very organized because I was receiving so many boxes of products a day.
At the beginning of this year, I decided my theme was, "Live simply." Because I get so many things and people want me to test products out that it can be a zoo. So, my Mom will test products for me and I'll donate pieces to Restored Hope or to women's shelters. So, I'm really just trying to live simply. Just do what is necessary and nothing above and beyond that.
Do you have anything on your wish list for your décor?
Yes - I want a custom made bookshelf to compliment everything. I have so many books and I keep buying more. I want them to be organized, but I want the bookshelves to be maybe in a distressed wood - something kind of fun and creative.
What would you say is your favorite office supply and why?
I love pens. I will collect pens and office supplies in general. But I love, love pens. There's something about the way that a good pen writes. It almost has to glide across the page. I'm a writer, so I'm writing all day long. It could be plain black pen, but if it glides in the perfect way, I'll buy 100 of them.
How do your organize your desk space?
Organized. I'm pretty simple. I just need my phone and my pens by me. The books on the left were given to me for inspiration by my mom or my family. So if something bad happens or I'm not having a good day, they remind me that my family is behind me. And on the right are more practical fashion or style books to reference, along with my writer's handbooks. I have pictures of family to keep me going throughout the day. But I like to keep the space simple because I have so many businesses going on at one time. I need to keep it clean. (laughs) Life is crazy, your desk shouldn't be.
What is your favorite office snack?
For drinks, I like Diet Dr Pepper and Coke Zeros, but if I were too munch on something, it would probably a trail mix. And lately I've been trying to go with the unsalted, but there's something about salty peanuts and almonds that's so much better. If I'm really having a rough day, I will binge on Flamin' Hot Cheetos. I know, not exactly the healthiest thing, but whatever. It puts me in a better mood.
What is a work tool that's a must-have for you (app, hardware or software)?
Because I run a website - I have to have my laptop and I have to be able to operate out of Google Chrome. Every site that I visit or every photo-editing tool that I use operates in that browser. I don't get the same functionality using Internet Explorer. App wise I have to have all my social media - Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and now Periscope. I'm on those apps all day interacting with people. People make fun of me, but that's how I keep my audience because I'm there and I like to interact with people. That's how I attract my followers, keep my base and the people that support me.
How do you prioritize and manage your email inbox?
So everything filters to one box for me, so I don't have to log in and out of different emails. I have folders and then sub folders inside of each one. So, I have a folder for Inspire N Style, another one for styling, and then another one for my personal brand, and I keep sub folders within each one. So Inspire N Style would have interview or fashion events sub folders. And then in styling I keep sub folders for each client. For my personal brand I keep speaking engagement and website development sub folders. But that's how I keep track of everything. Otherwise they would all come in together and be one big mess. I just try to keep it all organized, otherwise I'll go into my email box and I'm just overwhelmed.
Agenda
What's the secret for you to achieving
your daily objectives?
I have to have everything mapped out
ahead of time in my calendar. As far as
Inspire N Style is concerned, I have an
editorial calendar that I will sit and
work on every Sunday. I like to
calendar that ahead of time so I
already know who I'm interviewing
and what I'm writing. It's very specific,
even down to subject ideas and then
I pepper in what I have on my physical
calendar and that's how I go about my
day to day. So, I have two sets of
calendars and I just merge them
into one, like a to-do list. Now as far
as my personal businesses, I do have
a business coach and she gives me
a 7-30 day to-do list.
And so if I have the extra time, which I should because these are the things that are going to make my business soar, I tend to work on those, pepper those in, typically at the end of the day. Right before I go to bed, I'll be working on something that she's given me to work on and I have a little check sheet of all the things that she's telling me, "You need to do this, you need to do this, you need to do that." Everything is on to-do lists and calendars. I can't operate any other way. (laughter)
Are your to-do lists and calendar hand written?
My editorial calendar for Inspire N Style is on my computer in a Word doc. But my personal business calendar and my to-do list from my business coach are hand written. I write down items that I need to do on a simple legal pad and I make little check boxes by each action item and when it's done, I check it off and I work on the next one. If I don't have it written down to check off, life is so hectic, I'll forget about a very important piece.
If I need to go shopping for a photo shoot, I will write out what I need beforehand and check off the items as I find them throughout the day, that way I know for a fact I'm not forgetting anything for the shoot. Nothing virtual, though. I have to have it hand written.
How do you stay on top of industry news or your career?
I subscribe to so many newsletters. My must read every single day is called the Business of Fashion. Between the Business of Fashion and some other top rated sites, I get the bulk of what's going on in Europe which will eventually trickle down to the U.S. That's the majority of where I get my information.
I have a few style bloggers that I follow religiously (Courtney Kerr, Marti Diro, Blair Eadie, Folake Huntoon and Diamond Mahone) because they have such a great aesthetic that inspire how I would like to style my clients. I'm also on a ton of different press lists so I try to read press releases to find out about new events and new product releases. So, I'm typically reading a lot on my phone throughout the day when I can or right before I go to bed. Social media is huge. That's where I uncover my next story.
What is your method for networking?
When I first started out, I felt like I had to go to every single event to meet all the right people. And I feel like when you're a newbie, that is the way that you have to go about doing it. Now that I'm settled in this industry, I've become more comfortable with attending events. If I go out, I'm genuine. I don't ever go to a fashion event or go to a conference with the mindset of meeting a person to benefit me in some kind of way. I think having an agenda with meeting someone takes the realness out of the relationship. I go just to meet people, have it be very organic. That's how I network. I don't really have method for it. I'm just myself.
For this industry, though, I do have to put myself out there. So, if I realize that I'm working on a project and I haven't really been out and no one's seen my face, I will make a point to go to a fashion event or to support a local artist or something outside of the fashion scene. I love our music scene. My clients are different so I don't want to continuously be in a fashion circle when I could meet someone cool and eclectic in the arts realm or on the music scene. Those could be my next clients or potential business connections.
What advice have you received in your professional life that has really stuck with you?
My business coach says, "There is no traction without action." Another one is, "Success doesn't happen overnight." If you make this one milliliter of a step - that's still progress. Progress doesn't mean you have to be from point A to a millionaire. If you made one little connection and that helps your business boom, then that is a success and it's still progress towards your end goal.
Keeping those two things in mind helps to center and focus me, and keep things in perspective. When I feel like I'm in a rut, I will go to my check list and say, "Even if I don't do much today, I'm just going to do this one thing." That's still some sort of action part on my end to create that traction. And then, when I'm getting frustrated with the business, it helps to think about the progress I've made. I think about those two phrases quite a bit.
What is your work motto?
"Keep it real and get after it." I think fashion can be very materialistic. It takes on a life of its own and people have certain perceptions about it. As far as my business is concerned, I really try not to make excuses for myself. I get up, do the job, get it done, and just get after it. My dream is my dream and nobody else is going to achieve that for me. I could have the best coaching and advice in the world, but they can't physically come here and get me out of bed and make me do my action items or my work. All of that is up to me. It's so simple, but that's just how I live. That's how I live my life.
Downtime
What do you do during your downtime to
refresh and recharge yourself?
I honestly just like laying here on the couch.
Everybody tells me that this is the best
couch ever, that they have the best sleep
here. When my friends from out of town
come visit me, no one sleeps in my bed.
They always sleep on the couch. Even my
mom sleeps on the couch, when she comes
from the office.
Reading is good for me. I love to read.
I love to take baths and just chill out. And
I put a lot of those fancy, little bath ball
bombs, like aromatherapy. So, I do a lot of
that in my downtime. And then if I just
want to unplug and not think, I put it on
Bravo TV. (Laughter) I love all of the Real Housewives and Southern Charm, Blood Sweat and Heels ... the whole Bravo network. I just want to go into somebody else's world and escape this and maybe fall asleep.
I also like spending time with family. My nephews are 8 and 9 and they are the most hilarious kids. They just make me laugh. It's been really crazy. And just socializing with friends, having a drink and just being able to talk about whatever. That's what I do in my downtime.
How important has travel been for you, personally?
I love to travel. As far as being a well-rounded person in general, you have to go outside of your comfort zone. I went to school in upstate New York. I lived in LA for a little bit. So, I know what it's like to be cold. I have Canadian friends because we were so close to the Canadian border. I studied abroad in Paris for 30 days. So I was able to see that part of the world. I've been to Hawaii many times. So I think for what I'm doing and having to be around people, it's helping me to learn about different cultures, and how to deal with people in the fashion world. It's so important, because something that I would wear in Dallas, is not what I would wear in LA. It's definitely not what I would wear in Hawaii. I barely take anything with me to Hawaii. I don't even take makeup. I have a little Charlotte Tilbury compact I take. That's the only thing I wear.
And the aesthetic is so different in Europe, which is also different from New York. So if you're going to be in this industry, you have to travel. It helps me get a better sense of the world, of people, and where they are coming from ... and history. History is important. On my nightstand right now, I'm reading about Coco Chanel's life. There was so much I didn't know about her as a person.
Traveling and reading are probably the two most important things in educating yourself. They're probably the most important things anybody can do, especially if you're in fashion and you want to have a sustaining career in it. Those are things you're going to have to invest your money and time in.
Where do you want to travel to next?
I would love to go to Milan. But, recently I was talking to somebody
that got me all hyped up about Barcelona. And my mom wants to go
to the UK. So the next big trip is overseas. It's between those three.
I'm toggling between Barcelona and Milan right now. And I would
love to do it in a fashion capacity.
How have your parents influenced your career?
Well, I'll just speak of my mom, because it was one of those
situations. My mom is this strong woman that gets after it. Before
she remarried, she was raising three kids on her own. I don't know
anything else but to be independent, and to just make it happen.
And my whole thing is just getting after it. She is who I got it from.
There are no excuses. Wake up and do what you have to do. You
don't look at yourself like, I'm just a woman. That doesn't even
matter, and the end of the day you can still do it. She's this power
woman. And on top of that, she has the best clothes and style in
the world on a great budget. But that's where I learned, and that's
what my clients appreciate. I'm not trying to take them to the top
luxury stores. I can find you the same looks at Marshall's and
Nordstrom Rack and Saks Off Fifth because that's what I learned
growing up - how to look great on a budget.
My mom has influenced me every step of the way and now as I'm
kind of into this craziness, my mom is the one that backs me and
says, "What can I do to help you? I just want to see you succeed,"
and "No, I don't think you're crazy that you went to law school and
you passed the bar in California and you passed the bar in Texas,
and you got sworn into the Supreme Court and now you don't
want anything to do with it." She said, "Go, get after it and I
support you no matter what, I love you no matter what decisions
you make in your life, good or bad." And I think to have that in any
area in your life will sustain you. She's amazing and I want to work
so she doesn't have to work another day in her life. That's the goal.
Do you have hobby?
Fashion is my hobby. I guess I'm blessed enough where I just want to literally bathe myself in it all day. So if I'm not truly doing things to make me money, I'm getting inspiration from this book, The Big Book of Chic. Reading, going through fashion magazines, patrolling blogs online. Truly, my work is my hobby and I love it! If I really need to get out, I love going to the movies, getting my nails done, and socializing with friends. That gets me back to reality. If I'm able to have a cup of coffee with someone and talk to them ... it yanks me out of this mode, and I'm able to talk about whatever and not worry about fashion, fashion, fashion.
Leah's skincare routine includes (click on links below for more info):
Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturizer
Charlotte Tilbury Goddess Skin Clay Mask
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Moisturizer with SPF 30
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Night Moisturizer
Jan Marini Bioglycolic Face Cleanser
"My happiest moments are when my clients become
confident women - to the point where they don't need
me anymore - but they choose to still have me in
their lives."
Leah's styling advice for enhancing your confidence at work:
There are several things that will make a woman feel good about herself. If nothing else fails, have fabulous heels and invest in shoes that have personality -- funky prints, etc. Shoes are often the first thing that people look at, so why not purchase heels that can make your fashion statement for you? If you ever get stuck on what to wear to work, build your outfit by starting with your shoes first -- so build from your feet up.
Another confidence booster is a great handbag. Invest in a great handbag -- especially one that on its face makes a statement and says "she means business." There are times where I will wear jeans, a t-shirt, and basic pumps -- but if I have a great handbag, my confidence is through the roof.
Lastly, since most businesses are now jeans friendly, invest in an awesome pair of jeans. Do not go cheap -- get at least one great pair. Nothing makes a woman feel better than when she has a great pair of jeans on that are not only comfortable, but that hits every curve perfectly and makes her bottom look great. Top it with a basic blouse or tee and a blazer -- and you're good to go. The Blues Jean Bar at Snider Plaza is one of the best places to go for jeans and can instantly help in enhancing your look. As I always advise, start with a dark wash and then work towards a distressed look if your workplace allows for it.
Follow Leah on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Periscope at @theleahFrazier.
Follow Inspire N Style on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @inspirenstyle.
