Pod Insights The $100 MBA Show Personal Style Expert: How To Dress To Earn More! (Stop Making These Style Mistakes) About this episode What if the way you dress could change the way people see you and even the opportunities that come your way? Before you say it’s superficial, remember this: people are already judging you. The question is whether you’re letting them control the narrative, or you’re shaping it yourself. While traveling in Tokyo, Japan, Omar met up with executive stylist Cassandra Sethi. In this sit-down interview she shares the real reasons why style is often the “missing piece” for entrepreneurs and professionals. You’ll learn why investing in your wardrobe is more than just vanity, how style can become a practical tool for building your personal brand, and the exact steps to start shaping a look that fits who you are and the leader you want to become. Plus, discover practical tactics for keeping things simple, making style approachable, and even how subtle shifts in your closet can lead to bigger opportunities in your career. Ready to level up your presence and boost your confidence for that next big pitch, meeting, or stage appearance? Hit the play button at the top of this page and get the inside scoop on dressing for success made simple, fun, and totally doable! MBA2761 Personal Style Expert: How To Dress To Earn More! (Stop Making These Style Mistakes) Cassandra built a style quiz that tells you exactly what your style is communicating in the room — and more importantly, what it should be. This is your first step to elevate your style and you can do it by answering 5 simple questions. 👉 Start the quiz: nextlevelwardrobe.com/100mba Recommended episode to explore:How A Breadwinning Wife And Mother Of Two Built A Multi-Million Dollar Online Business Empire Watch this episode on YouTube: https://lm.fm/GgRPPHi to see Omar and Cassandra out and about in Tokyo, sharing in-depth tips to transform your personal brand and style! SUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcript 11,416 words · 3 speakers
0:00 Speaker 00 Small business owners, listen up. You started your business, but you can't do it alone. And that means you have to hire people to help. That's where Justworks comes in. Justworks is the payroll, benefits, and global hiring platform to unburden your brain from all the complicated small business stuff. They handle the things you can't afford to get wrong, so you don't have to worry. So you can focus on the parts of running a business that you enjoy, knowing everything else is running smoothly. You don't have to worry when it just works. Ever invest in something that seemed incredible at first, but didn't live up to the hype? For example, I really wanted to love the show Mad Men. I really tried to watch it and love it, but it just didn't do anything for me. As a marketer and businessperson, the show was a little bit of a disappointment.
0:45 Speaker 00 Marketers know that feeling. They optimize for the numbers that look great, like impressions. But then, we don't see revenue. LinkedIn has a word for that: bullspend. Instead, you can get the highest ROAS of major ad networks with LinkedIn Ads. Cut the bullspend, advertise on LinkedIn. Spend $250 and get a $250 credit. Go to LinkedIn.com/MBAShow. Terms apply. I'm in Tokyo, Japan, and I'm about to sit down with Cassandra Satie, who is the executive stylist to some of the best entrepreneurs in the world. And we talk about this idea of how do you present your best self? How do you make sure that that first impression is a good one? Now, I know a lot of people are thinking, is this superficial?
1:30 Speaker 00 Do I need to really invest in my clothes and the way I dress? The answer is yes, because people will judge you. So you might as well control the narrative. You might as well control the conversation. In that conversation, I'm going to sit down with Cass, ask her all the questions that we all want to know about when it comes to how do I make sure that I am authentic in the way I present myself? What are some of the tips I need to do so to make sure that my wardrobe fits my personality and who I want to become? I can't wait to sit down with her. Let's jump into that conversation right now.
2:03 Speaker 00 Welcome back to the $100 MBA Show. I'm your host, Omar Zenhome, where I deliver practical business lessons three times a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, to help you start, grow, and scale your business.
2:17 Speaker 00 If this show has helped in any way, it would be amazing if you could drop us a quick review on whatever app you're using to listen to this podcast right now. It helps me and my team bring new episodes every week, and more importantly, more entrepreneurs will be able to discover our podcast, so you can help someone else start their journey. Thanks so much. Sandra Sadie, thanks so much for sitting with me today here in Tokyo, Japan, as Nicole and I celebrate our 10-year anniversary.
2:45 Speaker 01 Congratulations.
2:47 Speaker 00 Thank you so much. No, but it's great to sit down, and I've been wanting to talk about this topic for so long. So I want to start with like, an honest question, okay?
2:57 Speaker 01 Okay.
2:57 Speaker 00 I feel like entrepreneurs fall into two categories. The entrepreneurs I see in the world, they're either like hoodie billionaire, or they're conference speaker from 2007. Why is style so rare? Why is the bar so low when it comes to entrepreneurs?
3:15 Speaker 01 That's a good question, and something I ask myself every day, because I think style is one of the most visual things that you communicate to the world. And it amazes me how entrepreneurs will spend $50,000 on a new website, or on a brand deck, but then they will forget the most visual thing, which is themselves. So I think that in America, at least, it is not okay to say, "I want to look good." And I think there is a lot of, people look down on that, whether it's with fitness, it's with style. And so, for men in particular, or women, to say, like, "I want to look good. I want to dress well
3:57 Speaker 01 and feel good in my clothing," people dismiss it because they think it's not important, it's frivolous, it's all about vanity, when it's so much deeper than that.
4:07 Speaker 00 Yeah. So where do you think that comes from? Like, why do they feel like this is a shallow thing?
4:12 Speaker 01 Honestly, I think it's because clothing has got a bad rap in America. I have been traveling for the past few months and experiencing other cultures. And it is so amazing to me, like in Europe, for example. It's a part of growing up that you experience nice clothes, that you mend them, that you talk about style and you take pride in that. And I find that's kind of missing in America right now. And it's a, it's a lost art form as well to appreciate clothes and to take care of them and your parents as well.
4:45 Speaker 00 I know the Italians have a saying, when you go out to see the world, the world sees you. I think about that a lot when I go to the airport and people are wearing pajamas.
4:53 Speaker 01 Yes.
4:53 Speaker 00 Like, what's up with that? Like, why are you showing up to the world, not your best self?
4:59 Speaker 01 Yes.
4:59 Speaker 00 Like, is it comfort over everything? Like, especially when it comes to somebody who has a personal brand or represents a company. Why is this like, there are disconnect here? Like, why are we not making an effort?
5:12 Speaker 01 Yes. Well, I think one of the biggest misconceptions that I see as a personal stylist is people think if I am stylish, I will be uncomfortable. And it's just not true. Those two things can live in parallel and be complementary towards each other. It's just that the fashion industry is a business at the end of the day and they want to confuse you so you buy more and you fill up your closet and it's just a never ending cycle.
5:38 Speaker 00 Okay, yeah, so you talked about what you do, but I want to kind of back up a little bit. What do people think you do and what do you actually do when it comes to the work you do with people and entrepreneurs?
5:49 Speaker 01 Yes. So, most people think that stylists shop all day and that's all that we do. And in stores, online, it's just about clothing and outfits and shopping and spending people's money. And it's not that. I was just telling you before we got on cam that there's so many layers deeper to style and that's what I find fascinating. So what we do as stylists at Next Level Wardrobe is we really personalize the service. We ask a lot of questions and we listen to what our clients say because we never want our clients to feel like they're wearing a costume because then they're not going to wear the clothes that they bought. So it has to be authentic to them. And again, that comes through asking a lot of questions and listening very carefully too.
6:33 Speaker 00 Deion Sanders, I know he's not known for style, but Deion Sanders has a quote that I love. And it's, if you dress good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. He was a football player. So if you dress good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. When you play good, they pay good.
6:51 Speaker 01 Yep.
6:51 Speaker 00 Right. Is there a correlation like what Deion Sanders has with football and dressing well and all that kind of stuff with entrepreneurship?
6:59 Speaker 01 I agree completely because at the end of the day, whether you own a company or not, you are your personal brand. You are selling yourself. Everyone is in the business of selling themselves, whether you have a boss or you are your own boss. And I think people forget that, like they fail to see themselves as a personal brand. And so a part, I always say a good, a great memorable personal brand should touch all the senses. So what you say, how you smell, what you wear, and clothing is so important in that because you can be so successful, have a multimillion dollars company, and then you walk into a room and you don't command the room.
7:39 Speaker 01 People don't look up from their phone. And so building the personal brand is so important. And it's something that is relatively easy to do. I think a lot of people make it out to be a lot harder than it has to be.
7:52 Speaker 00 Okay, so let's say I'm sold. Uh, you know, I hear what she's saying. I'm sold. I'm gonna, I'm gonna do better. I'm gonna feel better. If I get my style in order. What is the resistance? Why do people say like, okay, I don't actually do this. I don't actually seek out somebody like Cassandra. Like what's stopping people from leveling up their wardrobe?
8:13 Speaker 01 So number one, most recent one is AI. People think that they can go on chat GPT and type in a few little lines about their lifestyle and then it pops out this whole new wardrobe plan. It doesn't work because it's not completely personalized to them. And there's so many layers to clothing. There's seasonality, there's fabrics, there's color combinations that have to be considered. So that's one. The second thing is we work with a lot of clients who are in body transitions. So they're like, oh, I'm gonna. Gain weight or I'm gonna lose weight and I'll wait until X date. And so that really becomes a roadblock for them. And so we've worked with clients, executives,
8:52 Speaker 01 who have been on this body transition for years or even decades. And finally, they get to the point where they're like, okay, now is time, like, I need to do this. So there's a lot of roadblocks out there. The third is the fashion industry, because it wants to confuse people, so they buy more, fill up their closet. So there's a lot of things working against people in terms of making it easy to update their style. But we're all about just keeping it simple and implementing a system as well.
9:21 Speaker 00 I can imagine that because if it's not simple, it's gonna be hard to maintain. It's gonna be hard to kind of know what to wear every day. You know, we talked before we started rolling about even the last couple of years, I'm a little bit more aware about how I dress and how I present myself. But I think that more importantly, I'm thinking more about how do I feel when I dress a certain way versus another way? You know, whether it's, it's not even about looking in the mirror. It's about like, how do I feel in this clothes? Like, what am I acting as in these clothing?
9:51 Speaker 01 Yep.
9:52 Speaker 00 I find a lot of the entrepreneur friends I have, they still dress like they're in university, like a freshman in college or something, right?
9:59 Speaker 01 Yep.
9:59 Speaker 00 Why do they just kind of stick with that style? It's almost like, you know, I look at my dad, my dad, I love him to death, but he dresses like he's still 35. Like, he's just, that's when he stopped. Still wears the cargo pants with the sneakers and the Nautica shirts and, you know, the follows. And it actually looks pretty good for somebody who's 82.
10:20 Speaker 01 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
10:22 Speaker 00 But why do, like, why do we, as people, just like, have a time in fashion where we just stop evolving?
10:29 Speaker 01 Yeah, I think, one, what I just said, so it's like, there's so many forces working against you to update your style, to have it be fun and easy. So that's one. And two, I think people just look down upon it a lot. They think it's gonna be a lot of money. It's gonna take a lot of time. They think of what could go wrong, and they don't think about what could go right. Like, how would it feel if they were to pack in a carry-on every single time? Or to walk into a store and be like, I need one navy sweater. They buy the navy sweater and they leave. So they don't even know what's possible, but they're swirling around in this world of, I can't, I can't, I can't.
11:08 Speaker 00 Right. So I'm gonna give you the like the reverse argument. Okay, as you know, we had a software company for 10 years in the tech world. There's this whole idea of like minimizing decision fatigue.
11:19 Speaker 01 Yes.
11:19 Speaker 00 A lot of entrepreneurs are like, I'm gonna minimize my choices in life. So I can focus all my thinking and creativity into my business. So I'm just gonna wear jeans and a T shirt every single day. Or I'm gonna wear that hoodie that's issued by the company that has my brand on it. And that's my uniform and I'm not going to expend any energy on the way I look. Because my product is the most important thing. Why is that wrong if it is wrong?
11:42 Speaker 01 Uh huh. I think there's seasons of life, right? I think a lot of the clients that we work with are executives, CEOs, C suite. And they spent a good portion of their life going after their goals. So they wear all the hats as a parent, as a partner. They have professional goals. And so style is one of those things that gets pushed to the side really easily. And not for years, I've seen decades. And the problem is you get to the point where then you start running your own company. You're leading boardrooms, et cetera. And you look like you have just started your career. So your style is not aligned with your success. There's a disconnect happening. And even though people may not be able to articulate what's going on,
12:26 Speaker 01 you can feel it when you see someone who is so successful. But then their style is not aligned with who they are and their success. So it's important to really, you know, your style is going to evolve. So after that season of all birds and free tech videos and jeans, then you get to the point where what do I want to communicate? You have gotten to that point of success where you're like, who do I want to be in my clothing? And it can actually be a really fun experience and a really rewarding experience, too.
12:57 Speaker 00 Hmm. These days, you can get an answer from the internet, an influencer or AI in seconds. But when it comes to legal matters for your business or your family, a quick answer is not the same as the right answer. With 25 years of experience, LegalZoom knows how to start you off right. When you need a legal hand, visit LegalZoom. Go to LegalZoom.com to get started. LegalZoom provides access to independent attorneys and its law firm, LZ Legal Services. LegalZoom is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
13:28 Speaker 00 Today's episode is sponsored by Whatnot. You've probably heard about live selling and it's taking off on Whatnot. Sellers on Whatnot don't need a storefront or paid social media ads to reach customers. This is what I love about it because with live video, you interact and engage with your customers. You just need your phone and buyers can ask questions, they can make purchases in real time. On Whatnot, you can see people selling from living rooms and warehouses, selling sneakers, electronics, vintage, even a guy on a boat selling lobsters he just caught. Thousands of items are sold every minute because customers get to know sellers and see the products live. For many sellers, it's gone from side hustle to full-time job since they're selling 10 times here than on other marketplaces.
14:10 Speaker 00 I've personally shopped on Whatnot and found the whole experience actually pretty fun. I got the bid on a product that I was looking at, which was a little tripod for my phone. And when I won the bid, the seller gave me a shout out and gave me a little demo of how the tripod works. In a couple of days, the tripod was at my front door. It couldn't be easier. Search Whatnot, W-H-A-T-N-O-T, in the App Store, download and start selling right away.
14:37 Speaker 00 I have to say that it was a fun experience, surprisingly fun. When I went to see a stylist and she helped me shop for clothes and all that kind of stuff. And I thought it was going to be intimidating. I thought it was going to be like, I don't know, hard, like difficult. And I think it's the only reason I thought that because I didn't know what to expect.
14:55 Speaker 01 Yep.
14:55 Speaker 00 Right? What would somebody expect if they were on this journey, that first meeting with you and they're like, okay, here's my wardrobe, like this is what I wear every day. These are my values. This is what I do. Help me.
15:08 Speaker 01 Yeah. So I think of a great stylist as a coach. So you hire a personal trainer, you hire a media coach. And a stylist is just another one of those types of coaches that you hire and work with. And so I think first and foremost, bucketing them as a coach versus something that celebrities only do, or it's too frivolous to hire a stylist can help. I think from there, what happens with a good stylist is that we really Take you through a journey. And so we slow things down. We ask a lot of questions. And when I say a lot, I'm talking like hundreds of questions to get to know you because we never want our clients to feel like they're wearing a costume.
15:51 Speaker 01 And so from there, that's when the personalization begins. And so we understand your lifestyle, your preferences. Do you travel a lot? What do you do on weekends as well? Do you have small kids? Because if you have small kids, we're not going to have you, you know, spend in high quality clothing all the time. We're going to do some lower price points, higher price points. So the personalization is really important. A great personal stylist will ask you a lot of questions too.
16:16 Speaker 00 Okay.
16:18 Speaker 01 How was that experience for you, by the way, as with a stylist? And why did you decide to hire a stylist?
16:24 Speaker 00 Well, I was aware that I'm on camera a lot more. I'm trying to grow our media company through different channels, social, whatever it might be. I wanted to control the narrative like we spoke about earlier, like I want to control the narrative of what, how I present myself when I go out in the world. And I realized because my life is going to be documented so much that it would just be easier if I just instead of dressed up for a shoot, just dressed like that all the time.
16:51 Speaker 01 Yeah.
16:52 Speaker 00 So I, I kind of rationalized it in my head. I kind of like, kind of convinced myself this is actually a practical decision.
16:58 Speaker 01 Yep.
16:59 Speaker 00 And then when I went through the experience itself, I thought, oh, this is quite easy because a lot of the heavy lifting was done by the stylist. You know, ask me for some questions, what I'm looking for. I had a concept of what I like, the style I want to evolve into. And then pick some pieces out, know that doesn't work. Okay, we're going to need to like tailor that a little bit, bring that in. I think in a weird way, it encouraged me to continue to invest in my health and wellness. Because you always look better if you are fit and you're, you know, keeping in shape and the clothes just look better when you're doing that, especially when you're in clothes that actually fit you and sizes right and they're fitted properly and all that kind of stuff. So that was kind of a surprise. I was like, oh, wow. Like this is actually another incentive other than, you know, being healthy and not dying early.
17:43 Speaker 01 Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it sounds like the stylist was Curator for you as well. So instead of you walking into a department store being like, what do I buy? How do I put it together? She probably curated a special package of clothing where you can literally say yes or no in terms of if you like it, if you don't like it, and then she teaches you how to put it together. So going back to the decision fatigue you talked about a few minutes ago, this is one of the best things you can do for decision fatigue, because we work with so many clients that have hundreds of decisions every single day. And for us to be like, buy this, wear that, and wear it to this event, it's game changing for them. And so they can concentrate on that speaking engagement, they can concentrate on the sales pitch
18:28 Speaker 01 and not have to worry about what they're going to wear.
18:30 Speaker 00 Yeah, and I find that when you know that part is taken care of, you can really focus, like you said, like you can really focus on the talk on stage and feel confident that like, I'm presenting the best version of myself.
18:43 Speaker 01 Yes.
18:43 Speaker 00 And I think that for years I neglected that. I just kind of thought what comes out of my mouth is what matters and the content and how I present and my presence on stage, my confidence, all that kind of stuff. But we talked about earlier, like in the moments of they announce you, you walk on stage, you get to the center of the stage, those are like five, six seconds, people are making all kinds of judgments, like just by looking at you before even opening your mouth. This is applicable if you're on YouTube or on Instagram, if you're meeting somebody in person, there's a few seconds before where they're just even subconsciously making a decision. What has your experience been working with clients in terms of like the after picture? What do they experience once they start getting their style on order? And how do they feel? And how do they feel like people receive them differently?
19:27 Speaker 01 Yeah, that is one of the most rewarding things for me as a personal stylist, because they go from frustrated, overwhelmed to I got my first compliment in the past year, like today, and it made me feel really good. Or I had pants that fit me finally, and they didn't feel too tight. Like all those small wins make a difference. And so we have story after story from clients who are just like, really feel authentic in their style. And that's what great style is about. I always say great style should whisper, not scream.
20:02 Speaker 00 That's a good one. Well, that's a good lead up to a game I want to play with.
20:05 Speaker 01 Oh, okay.
20:05 Speaker 00 We're gonna play a game, alright? So I'm gonna show you a photo on the iPad.
20:09 Speaker 01 Okay.
20:09 Speaker 00 And you're gonna swipe through these photos and I want you to tell me, based on the photo and the person is a well-known entrepreneur that we all know.
20:16 Speaker 01 Okay.
20:16 Speaker 00 Okay? And you are gonna tell me if they're next level or they're game over.
20:21 Speaker 01 Oh, okay.
20:22 Speaker 00 I'll give you a sentence or two to explain why.
20:24 Speaker 01 Okay, great.
20:25 Speaker 00 So you're gonna swipe through and you're going to tell me again, next level, next level or game over?
20:30 Speaker 01 Okay.
20:31 Speaker 00 And why?
20:31 Speaker 01 Okay.
20:32 Speaker 00 So we're gonna have a little fun.
20:35 Speaker 00 And
20:36 Speaker 01 I have not seen these photos, by the way.
20:38 Speaker 00 And if anybody has any problems with this, I'm the one who chose you.
20:44 Speaker 01 Okay, here we go.
20:46 Speaker 00 Yeah.
20:46 Speaker 01 So you just flip?
20:47 Speaker 00 Yeah.
20:47 Speaker 01 Okay, cool. Oh, Jeff Bezos. Jeff Bezos has really, some people would say had a glow up. I disagree. I think he's trying too hard. And for a lot of men that I work with, that is their number one fear. And Jeff Bezos is the epitome of that now.
21:07 Speaker 00 Alright.
21:08 Speaker 01 Yeah, so no.
21:09 Speaker 00 So game over.
21:10 Speaker 01 Game over, Jeffy. Okay, next, Sam Altman. Sam is quintessential Silicon Valley with the free tech hoodie, t-shirt and jeans. And he's definitely wearing Albert's too. No go for Albert's. I would say this is a part of his personal brand. If he were to dress in a suit or something formal, it would be weird because ChatGPT is innovative and up and coming. So I think this is a part of his personal brand. So I would say it's next level.
21:42 Speaker 00 Okay.
21:44 Speaker 01 Sarah Blakely, okay, she is one of my CEO idols. And I would say that she has fun with her style because she plays with color, everything fits her properly. She definitely has a stylist for sure. And I appreciate that she plays her textures, colors, and she has fun. That's what style is supposed to be. So next level.
22:06 Speaker 00 Okay.
22:08 Speaker 01 Oh, God.
22:12 Speaker 01 Where do I even start with this? This is just game over. Are you going to show the picture?
22:18 Speaker 00 Yeah, of course. It's Alex Hermosy.
22:19 Speaker 01 Oh, yeah, game over. Enough said.
22:23 Speaker 01 Enough said. He's very in shape, though. You can tell by his quads. Very impressive. Stephen Barlett. Okay, so this picture of him is on the Jimmy Fallon Show. He's wearing a suit. And it's a departure from what he wears on his podcast. It feels a little misaligned to me, and it feels like he's trying too hard in a way. So I would say, yeah, no go.
22:49 Speaker 00 Okay.
22:49 Speaker 01 Yeah. Oprah. Okay, she is one of my favorite style role models because she is very intentional about what she wears. And if you look at her timeline of when she had her talk show to today.
23:04 Speaker 00 Evolution.
23:05 Speaker 01 Incredible style evolution. I always recommend to study the best when it comes to style evolutions to see kind of what you want your style to be. I love how she's playing with proportions, with silhouettes, with colors, with up and coming designers. So she is next level.
23:21 Speaker 00 Okay.
23:21 Speaker 01 To me. Oh.
23:26 Speaker 01 Rami Sati, he is so stylish. He looks really good. One of my favorite things about styling him is the evolution that I've seen him go through. He really has fun with his style now. And one of the things that we are experimenting with is wider pants.
23:44 Speaker 00 Okay.
23:44 Speaker 01 So he was a tapered guy for a very long time, tapered pant, and now he's into the wide pants. So we are really having fun with that.
23:53 Speaker 00 And what were some of the, like, the positives that came out of his evolution?
23:58 Speaker 01 Oh, I would say a curiosity from him in terms of wanting to know more about how do you put outfits together? And what do you think would be best for stage or podcasts, etc.? And when I think about his style, it's really him now. Like, he has pieces that are, like, he's known for his sweaters now and his cardigans. And that was intentional, actually. So it's been fun to kind of curate his look and think about, okay, what do we want to communicate with your clothes? And what do you want to be known for as well?
24:30 Speaker 00 Said.
24:31 Speaker 01 Next level. Next level.
24:33 Speaker 00 Thanks for playing along.
24:35 Speaker 01 Thank you. That was fun.
24:36 Speaker 00 Yes, yes. And I want to have a little fun with this because I think that sometimes we take ourselves too seriously and but also just through that exercise and a little bit of a game, we learn a little bit about how people are perceived immediately. You know, like as soon as you see a picture of somebody, you have all these ideas about them based on how they present themselves. You know, I saw how you go, you know, you kind of like lit up when you saw Oprah, you know, and the visceral reaction of other people as well. Like, what is this? You know, like, so I think that we can definitely, as a receiver, get it. But for some reason, we don't see it when we're the subject, like when we're the person that's actually presenting ourselves. And I think that's like kind of a fun exercise, even
25:20 Speaker 00 if you want to, those who are watching on YouTube, just watch back and be like, oh, how would somebody perceive me if I was on one of those slides?
25:29 Speaker 01 Yeah. And I think it's fun to dream with your style. That's the thing. Like, the fashion industry does an amazing job at making people play small with their style. So what do I buy? And do I have to follow trends? And can I wear navy and black there? And it's like, okay, let's calm down, let's breathe, and let's start to have fun with your style. So one of the things I always recommend people do is to create a Pinterest board. So take 30 minutes and just pin stuff you like, anything you're drawn to, colors, silhouettes, whatever it may be. And then step back after that 30 minutes and zoom out and think, okay, what am I going to communicate with these clothing? And you can even ask friends or family, like, what do you think? What are three adjectives that come to mind when you
26:13 Speaker 01 see this board? And then that will put you on your style evolution.
26:17 Speaker 00 Yeah. And if that's too complicated, what I find is just easy is to create like an album on your phone and just take photos of things that you see. I remember Nicole and I were, I think we were at a train station or airport, and she was looking through a magazine that they had there. And I saw a picture of an outfit that Ben Affleck was being interviewed. And he was wearing this like outfit, this like a 70s kind of sweater, blue pants combination. Like, I don't know why I like this, but I like it. I'm just going to take a picture of it so I can analyze it later. You know, and just have that mindfulness of like, you see something that kind of resonates with you, take a photo, put it in the album, and then figure it out later.
26:53 Speaker 01 Yeah, that's so important because style is so visual. Like, it's so hard to be like, I like blue sweaters if it's not in front of you. Like, you really have to start signing visuals to it so it becomes alive and exciting, too.
27:06 Speaker 00 I want to talk about the psychological side of leveling up and wearing clothes that maybe have people receiving you as somebody that's established financially, has it together. Because I know that was a resistance for me because I grew up, my parents were immigrants. We grew up lower middle class. I was probably the poorest kid in my high school. I went to a good school, but I was not doing as well in the fashion department as everybody else. And I blessed my parents. They tried the hardest. And I'm actually so happy that I grew up in that environment because I have so much gratitude. But there is a level of like, this is not me, you know, like, I'm not a fancy guy. I'm not a, I'm not a person that splurges on these things, even though, you know, somebody could be in that position where they can do that, you know, like, how does somebody break these mental models of
27:51 Speaker 00 like, this is not where I came from, or I'm not comfortable spending on myself?
27:58 Speaker 01 Yes, yeah. And that's a big roadblock a lot of our clients go through as well because when they come to us, we are the first personal stylist that they have ever hired in their life. And to spend that type of money on a stylist and on clothing, it's scary. Like, I get that. I think culturally, there are rules of the game, right, that we know and that we're aware of. And with style, it's either like, you need to know the rules of the game and decide if you want to play or not. For women in particular, like, we get judged more harshly than men on our appearance. I heard your interview with Tina Tower and you were talking about that a lot. And for me, I'm like, okay, I know the rules of the
28:42 Speaker 01 game. I'm not going to change them, unfortunately, but I want to play the game and I want to win. So I think that's a question that a lot of people have to ask themselves, especially if you are a business owner, because you are most likely the face of your brand and you are front and center. So the beautiful thing about style, though, is that you can control it. And there's so many things you cannot control, especially as a business owner, as we both know. And you can hire a stylist, you can hire a personal shopper, you can get it done relatively quickly and move on with your life. Why not play the game and win it? Why not?
29:17 Speaker 00 I like this attitude of, you know, here's the game. You're going to participate in it whether you like it or not. You're the world, you know, so you might as well learn the rules. And when it's your turn to give your best shot, you know?
29:31 Speaker 01 Right. And so the people that say, oh, I could never hire a stylist or I'm not going to update my style because it's just not me. They should like me for me. That's the game they have chosen to play. And I choose to play a different game and my clients choose to play a different game. And we win because of it.
29:50 Speaker 00 Love that. You want to go for a walk?
29:52 Speaker 01 Yeah, let's do it.
29:54 Speaker 00 Today's episode is supported by Cash App. When it comes to Bitcoin, you may be surprised to learn that it was invented way back in 2008. But you still haven't made the jump to Bitcoin yet? Cash App makes it easy. When you buy Bitcoin on Cash App, they hold real Bitcoin for you one to one, and you can withdraw it anytime. It works more like real money and less like something locked in an account. No extra steps, no restrictions, just access and control when you need it. With Cash App, you can actually do that. For a limited time, new customers can get $10 added to their balance. Just use code BITCOIN10 when you sign up. And don't forget this part, send at least $5 to a friend in the first two weeks. Terms apply.
30:37 Speaker 00 Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partners. Bitcoin services provided by Block Incorporated brand. For additional information, see the Bitcoin disclosures at cash.app/legal/podcast. Today's episode is supported by Rosetta Stone. I absolutely love Rosetta Stone because it's helping me learn Italian faster than I can ever imagine. Why do I want to learn Italian? Well, who doesn't love Italy? But of course, Nicole's family is Italian and I'd love to have some quick Italian conversations with her mom. And Rosetta Stone just came out with Rosetta Stone Sapphire, their biggest launch in over a decade. One of the coolest features is chat missions, which turns conversation practice into a game.
31:22 Speaker 00 With chat missions, you're put in interactive scenarios and given three objectives. A mission to accomplish, like asking how much something costs, ordering a cold brew coffee, or getting a wifi pass. Along the way, you get real time corrections and feedback to help you sound more natural and confident. It's a supportive way to build confidence before putting your language skills to use in real life. I've been using Rosetta Stone for over two years and I actually can have some small Italian conversations with Nicole's mom now. Just the other day, she asked me, when are you traveling? And I said, dopo domani mattina, which means after tomorrow morning. She was incredibly impressed I was able to answer in Italian. How could you put a price tag on a happy mother-in-law? If you want to take your language skills to the next level, don't wait to try Rosetta Stone Sapphire.
32:05 Speaker 00 The $100 ratio listeners can get 20% off the Rosetta Stone Sapphire subscription when they sign up today. This gets you access to Rosetta Stone Sapphire in 25 languages.
32:17 Speaker 00 So we're talking a lot about identity beforehand. I have a question that I know a lot of people reply thinking in their heads. Do you become the person first or do you dress like them first?
32:28 Speaker 01 Hmm, I think you dress like them first and then you become that person. I think it's like we were just talking about your dad, right? And how he was a successful car salesman.
32:40 Speaker 00 Yeah.
32:40 Speaker 01 And he would put on his press suit every day, get the manicures. And that helped him step into what he was going to do for the day.
32:49 Speaker 00 Yeah.
32:50 Speaker 01 So yeah, I think that's, that's the way to do it.
32:53 Speaker 00 And I think that even extends beyond just the clothes. I, I remember he used to, his car is always meticulous and clean. And like, I think I got that from him, my car is always cleaned inside. And it's like, he always says like, if you feel good, if you're wearing your cars clean, your clothes are clean. You just feel like you took in a shower, a fresh shower all the time.
33:12 Speaker 01 Yep.
33:12 Speaker 00 I think that's a good kind of thought of, you can actually produce confidence by dressing in a certain way. So like, if I want to take that first step, how do, I have to first identify who I want to become? Is that what, how it goes?
33:26 Speaker 01 I think so, yeah. That's the first and most important step and a step that a lot of people do not do. They rush to buy out, buy more clothes because they think that is going to solve all their problems. It does not. And you really need to slow the process down so you can become intentional. You can do that Pinterest board and then you bring it to life from there.
33:49 Speaker 00 Yeah, I love that. One of the things that I went through is asking myself that question like, how do I want to be received? How do I want to be able to show up in the world and become? And it was not like one single idea. It was like a little bit of this, a little bit of that. And this feeling of like, I don't need to prove myself anymore. But at the same time, I don't want to be afraid to dress in a certain way. And it was kind of nice to just express that verbally.
34:17 Speaker 01 Yeah.
34:17 Speaker 00 You know, I know that we're talking about clothes and some people think it's materialistic, but it's also a sense of pride.
34:23 Speaker 01 Yes.
34:23 Speaker 00 So in that process of asking yourself the question like, who do you want to become? What are some of the things that you have experienced yourself or your clients have experienced where they decide, okay, this is who I want to become? And then that actually manifests by the way they present themselves?
34:38 Speaker 01 Yes, so I think of a story of a client we recently worked with. And she is a software engineer, leading teams in SF area, San Francisco area. And before she worked with us, she was very unsure about herself. But she's very successful and that manifested day to day in her leading confidently. After she worked with us, she, we got an email from her one day and she said, someone asked me for a meeting and I said no for the very first time. And she's like, I never had the confidence to do that because I was unsure of what I was wearing, how I felt in my clothes, what I was projecting, and it felt really good.
35:18 Speaker 00 Just to be able to say no.
35:20 Speaker 01 To say no, it's so powerful.
35:23 Speaker 00 I think that's a, just that topic alone could be a whole podcast episode of saying no. But I think there's also this idea of like, I gotta start saying no to myself of like, I can't keep wearing these things. I can't keep showing up this way. And when I say wearing these things, it's more like, I kind of see it as like,
35:43 Speaker 00 I don't want to, my external self to not match my internal self.
35:47 Speaker 01 Yeah.
35:48 Speaker 00 And I feel like often we deny ourselves that and we just keep doing what we always do because it's easier, like you say, and things like that. So what I want to just continue to do with myself and encourage other people that are watching and listening is what are some of the things that you need to start saying no to in your wardrobe? What are some of the things, what does that selection process look like? Is it like something that doesn't give you joy like you hear all the time? What does that look like?
36:13 Speaker 01 Yeah, so one of the things that fascinates me about style is there are so many layers that go underneath the clothing and style really uncovers that though. So for people who avoid it year after year, decade after decade, they are not choosing to confront what is really happening for them. And style has a way of kind of revealing what is really going on in terms of how you see yourself. In terms of no, there's a lot of things you should say no to. Fast fashion is one of them, so no fast fashion. We are at a point where it is everywhere and everywhere. I am so into buying the best, keeping it for a long time, outfitting it in different ways and really appreciating it.
36:58 Speaker 01 The other thing we should say no to is to follow trends. Going back to what I said, that great style whispers, it doesn't scream. Elevating your style does not mean you have to follow trends or you have to wear bright colors or do something that makes you feel extremely uncomfortable. It is about really owning who you are, knowing what you like and then going after it. And trends usually are the opposite of that for many people. So say no to trends is a big one as well.
37:29 Speaker 00 Are there any like big no-nos that people should try to steer clear from? Whether it's the hoodie, whether it's sunglasses indoors. Like what are some things that people should be like aware, like maybe I should stop doing that?
37:41 Speaker 01 Yeah, so a lot of people have this thing about getting items tailored. They don't want to do it because they think clothing needs to fit them off of the rack.
37:51 Speaker 00 Hmm.
37:52 Speaker 01 And I'm here to say tailor your clothing. Usually it's like hem that you need tailored, a sleeve you need tailored, maybe the body needs to be taken in. It's so easy. There are many people out there, many talented tailors who could do it. Tailor the clothing. It is so worth it.
38:09 Speaker 00 Yeah, and a lot of department stores will do it for you.
38:11 Speaker 01 Oh, yeah.
38:12 Speaker 00 You just ask, you know, just something that they do and then they'll do that as part of the purchase.
38:16 Speaker 01 Yes, yeah. Do you tailor your clothing now?
38:17 Speaker 00 Yeah, 100%.
38:18 Speaker 01 Oh, I love it.
38:19 Speaker 00 Yeah, so a lot of the shirts, a lot of the suits, I get, you know, they're not gonna fit perfectly or off the rack, so you gotta get it done. But even if you go to any kind of, not even like super high end, but you go like to like Lost, for example, they'll do it for you. Like they'll just take your measurements and all that kind of stuff, where you try it on and like, hey, we need to do this, do this. Or they'll tell you straight up, like, we can't tailor this to fit you properly.
38:39 Speaker 01 Yeah.
38:39 Speaker 00 So you gotta get something else.
38:40 Speaker 01 Yeah, and the funny thing is about when you buy nicer clothing, you get to keep it for a long time. You're gonna take care of it properly. But also, if there is a zipper that breaks or a thread that comes undone, you usually can take it back to the retailer and they will fix it for you. Whereas if you go to H and M or Zara, they definitely are not gonna do that. So there's all these benefits to buying higher quality.
39:03 Speaker 00 Okay, so let's get a little practical, okay? Let's say for example, somebody that's watching, listening right now is like, I'm going to a conference and this conference is gonna be three days. Okay, like practically, like how much money should they be spending if they wanna show up as their best self in these three days? See this as an experiment, you know, let's just talk about clothing for a moment, just without the advice and the stylist. You know, how many outfits do they actually need? Can they mix and match and save some money? What does that look like?
39:31 Speaker 01 Yes, so say you were going to a five day conference and you need an outfit for the daytime, evening, you could say you need 10 outfits. Now, do you need completely new outfits the whole time? Probably not, but the biggest mistake that I see is people think they need to buy new stuff all the time. So I have people in my community that will see an event on their calendar and they will panic shop. They'll be like, they don't even look at their closet, they run out to the stores, shop online, and I'm like, no, you actually should start with your closet. Shop your closet first and then if you do need anything, you go out to the shops and stuff, but always, always, always start with your closet. 10 outfits for those five days. You can mix and match. Everything should go together.
40:15 Speaker 01 And another way to kind of elevate your look is to play with accessories. People forget scarves and earrings and for men, bags and jewelry too is really an eyeglasses, sunglasses. Those are areas you can explore.
40:27 Speaker 00 I was just gonna say that everybody that I know is stylish, like they leverage accessories in a big way with their scarf or even a wash or something like that. And I think that some people forget about this option, even a pocket square or something that just shows a little bit of effort.
40:41 Speaker 01 Yeah.
40:42 Speaker 00 And I think that that's all you need to kind of aim for is like, am I making an effort? You know, because most people don't. Most people just phone it in. I'm just gonna wear the Crocs and wear my jeans or whatever and or my Lululemons and just see what happens at the conference.
40:57 Speaker 01 Yeah, yeah. And leave it up to chance and see what happens. But again, we were talking about when you walk into a room, you can have a presence, yes, through what you say and all this stuff, but also what you wear. Control it.
41:10 Speaker 00 Totally.
41:11 Speaker 01 Let's control it.
41:11 Speaker 00 Yeah, yeah. Have you ever had a situation where a client just told you straight up like, now that I've embraced my new style, I'm making more money?
41:23 Speaker 01 Yes, that has happened. I have had clients with that story. I've had clients who have found a partner because they had great outfits for dates and it led to something more. I have had clients who got promotions as well. It kind of like signals to the universe that I am ready, I am like abundant and I am ready to like take everything you have.
41:45 Speaker 00 Okay.
41:45 Speaker 01 It's a really amazing signal. Yeah. Now we're getting into life advice, but yes.
41:50 Speaker 00 No, but that's great. That is great because I do think that people think. That things are just gonna fall in their lap. If I work hard enough, it's gonna happen. You know, like, it's okay to grease the wheels a little bit. And make it easier for you to be, you know, approached, to, you know, somebody come up to you, comment on, oh, I love my scarf. What's that all about? Tell me, where'd you get that? You know, and that can be just the start of a conversation at a conference, at a meeting, you know, on the train, whatever.
42:14 Speaker 01 Yeah, and again, it's going back to the rules of the game, right? You're either gonna play it or you're not. And play the game and win.
42:22 Speaker 00 Yeah, I love it. Do you recommend somebody has like a signature move, a little bit of a flair that's theirs? Like, they cultivate? Like, whether, you don't have to go to extremes and, you know, wear sparkly socks like Michael Jackson. But like, there's only one MJ. But do you, do you think that somebody should be like, okay, that's your thing? You know, you were a brooch or you, you know, like, and just cultivate a, a signature move?
42:47 Speaker 01 I love that, yeah. I, I really encourage that with my clients and my community because that is what makes style fun, makes your style you. First and foremost, though, you gotta get the right pieces in your closet. You gotta get the right fit. You gotta like develop those skills. It's like learning a new language, right? You gotta learn the basics and then you can expand to that eventually.
43:08 Speaker 00 Maybe a beret for me.
43:09 Speaker 01 Yeah, a beret, or, yeah, maybe earrings too.
43:13 Speaker 00 I don't have the hair for the beret.
43:14 Speaker 01 Yeah. Also, I have a question for you.
43:16 Speaker 00 Sure, go ahead.
43:17 Speaker 01 Who is your style role model? Is there a man whose style you admire? Or a woman or?
43:23 Speaker 00 Yeah, that's a great question.
43:28 Speaker 00 That's a great question. Probably, top of my head, George Clooney.
43:34 Speaker 01 Oh, okay, how come?
43:36 Speaker 00 He doesn't feel like he's trying too hard, but everything fits nicely.
43:41 Speaker 00 He's also not acting, like, he's acting his age. You know, like, he's kind of embracing the fact like he's getting older and, you know, he's, he's resting the part a little bit.
43:51 Speaker 01 Do you have like a signature piece that you like? Like, are you into sneakers or?
43:56 Speaker 00 Yeah, I'm into sneakers.
43:57 Speaker 01 Oh, okay, cool.
43:58 Speaker 00 I'm into socks. I like different kinds of socks. I find it hard to buy clothing in most stores because the style now is oversized. And I don't like oversized. Like, it doesn't look well with a tall person as much.
44:10 Speaker 01 Oh, okay.
44:10 Speaker 00 I just don't like it on me.
44:12 Speaker 01 Wait, who, do you think that? Or did someone tell you that?
44:16 Speaker 00 I think that I like whenever I wear, I just feel like I'm swimming in it like it don't feel.
44:19 Speaker 01 I think you would look so cool.
44:21 Speaker 00 With like an oversized sweater or like a.
44:23 Speaker 01 Oversized pants and not.
44:24 Speaker 00 Maybe pants, but T-shirts are so big.
44:27 Speaker 01 But I think you would look great.
44:28 Speaker 00 Okay, I'll try the pants thing.
44:30 Speaker 01 With all your cool sneakers you have.
44:32 Speaker 00 Yeah, I love.
44:33 Speaker 01 Yeah, yeah, you should try it.
44:35 Speaker 00 Okay, so we're gonna take a moment and not be serious for a second.
44:40 Speaker 01 Okay.
44:40 Speaker 00 But also serious.
44:41 Speaker 01 Okay, love it.
44:43 Speaker 00 And I want you to feel free to tell me what impressions I put out there in the world by the way I dress.
44:51 Speaker 01 Oh.
44:52 Speaker 00 Even what I'm wearing right now.
44:53 Speaker 01 Omar, put me on the spot here.
44:57 Speaker 00 You can grill me, you can roast me, you can do whatever you like.
45:00 Speaker 01 Okay, give me two seconds.
45:05 Speaker 01 Okay, you come across very approachable.
45:10 Speaker 01 And you have like a nice smile and like grooming is on point and I think that all plays into like the approachability like. Like what if I didn't know you and saw you online, I'd be like, I'd wanna be that guy's friend like he seems really cool. We were talking about how you like sneakers, so there's like an athletic component too, which is like, oh, I wonder what's behind that. And then I know in some of your YouTube videos, you have a record in the background, so your love of music and stuff. So you're warm, you're friendly, approachable. Those are kind of the main words that come to mind.
45:48 Speaker 00 I like that.
45:49 Speaker 01 Yeah.
45:49 Speaker 00 I like the fact that you say that because that's what I'm trying to do.
45:51 Speaker 01 Yeah.
45:52 Speaker 00 And I I'm actually trying to become the person I needed when I started out in entrepreneurship. I needed somebody to just tell me like, just forget all this jargon right now and all this business talk. This is what matters, you know? And I feel like it's hard to do that if I'm not coming across as like an ally. As I'm getting older, I even call myself Uncle Omar sometimes like, don't tell, don't tell me that Uncle Omar didn't warn you about this, you know? That type of thing, but I'm glad that I to hear that because that's what I wanna portray in the world.
46:24 Speaker 01 Yeah, I think you do a good job of that. Some, do you want some suggestions?
46:28 Speaker 00 Yes, please.
46:29 Speaker 01 So I think you should try a wide leg pant.
46:32 Speaker 00 Okay.
46:33 Speaker 01 And the reason why I think you should try this is because it's just cool. Like you, you have a cool factor about you, like the athletic.
46:41 Speaker 00 I can pull it off.
46:42 Speaker 01 Yeah, yeah. So I think you should do a cool wide leg pant.
46:47 Speaker 00 Like a Japanese style.
46:48 Speaker 01 Yeah.
46:49 Speaker 00 Oh, I'm in the right place.
46:50 Speaker 01 Yeah. With some cool sneakers, I'm sure you have in your collection. You can do like a nice sweater, kind of like jazz it up a little bit, more fitted. I think it would look great.
47:00 Speaker 00 Okay, and do you have any suggestions? Thank you so much. Do you have any suggestions of like, where do I go? What kind of store would have that? Like, what, what do, like, I know I'm asking a very basic question, but.
47:11 Speaker 01 Yeah, so if you are ever looking for a specific type of garment, always start at a department store because they have so many brands under one roof. So it's kind of, it could be a one stop shop versus going to boutique after boutique after boutique and hopping around the city. Start with a department store, I'm sure you'll find something.
47:32 Speaker 00 So I want to push the boundaries a little bit with my style. Like, and I'm going to give you some ideas I have and you tell me if that's like too much. I'm trying too hard or like go for it.
47:43 Speaker 01 Okay.
47:43 Speaker 00 Okay, so like, we're going to put the wide legged pants in the equation. But like, what if, like, a little bit of a funky kind of like jackets that I would wear to the Grammys or something like that, like something with a bit of, you know.
47:58 Speaker 01 Bazaar.
47:59 Speaker 00 Bazaar spikes or maybe like a little bit of sparkle or something like that.
48:04 Speaker 01 Oh, are you into that?
48:05 Speaker 00 I admire artists that wear that.
48:08 Speaker 01 Okay.
48:08 Speaker 00 And I'm like, can I pull that off? Because I love it like that piece that kind of, you know, you could be kind of the solids and then wear something like that and it's just like, okay, that person showed up.
48:17 Speaker 01 Yeah, I think you should try it and explore it. But maybe you start with day to day wear.
48:22 Speaker 00 Okay.
48:23 Speaker 01 So maybe it's like a cool hoodie with some hardware on it, like a cool zipper. So you get comfortable with it before you spend a lot of money on like.
48:33 Speaker 00 On like Ed Hardy or something.
48:35 Speaker 01 For John Barbados or something.
48:36 Speaker 00 Yeah, yeah.
48:36 Speaker 01 Yeah, so I always encourage like you and clients to start small and lower price point because you're kind of trying to figure out if you even like it.
48:44 Speaker 00 Yes.
48:44 Speaker 01 If you like it, if it proves itself, then you go further.
48:48 Speaker 00 Okay, I'm going to get even more practical. I know a lot of people. They're not really sure where to shop. They don't know because it's a good idea, bad idea. Let's talk about outlets.
48:57 Speaker 01 Hmm.
48:58 Speaker 00 Is it a good idea to go to outlets? Are there better outlets to go to, high-end outlets that are worth it? Or it's like, if it's an outlet, then it's not going to be good.
49:06 Speaker 01 Yeah, I think outlets could be an interesting place to shop, a good place to shop. But most important is you have to have a plan before you shop.
49:15 Speaker 00 I like that.
49:15 Speaker 01 Because this is the problem, the biggest problem, the number one mistake that I see is that people don't have a plan. They buy stuff that they don't need and then they don't wear it and then they feel bad about it. And then the cycle continues over and over and over. So I'm always like, start with your closet, do the edit, assess what the gaps are, create your shopping list. Then you can go to the outlet, you can go to the department store, whatever store is best suited for your budget.
49:42 Speaker 00 Do you recommend like taking photos of what you and your wardrobe? So you don't like, because I, I think a lot of people, including myself, buy things they already have.
49:50 Speaker 01 Yes, yes, I see that all the time. So a good example of this is for women is black pants.
49:58 Speaker 00 Hmm.
49:58 Speaker 01 I see women's closet and they have 10, 20, 30 black pants from the same retailer. They feel like they're buying something new and they get the rush of buying. It's literally the same thing, maybe in a new size or a new fabric, same, same, same. And there's nothing wrong with having like a few pieces that are the same. When I say a few pieces, like two pieces that are the same. But you have to understand what is going on in your closet first and foremost, before you go out shopping. Same with business, right? Like you would never do a podcast without the preparation and it's the same thing with your closet.
50:31 Speaker 00 I like that. I really do. And I think that kind of goes hand in hand with like, understanding like, you want to be efficient with what you're spending on, but also at the same time, you don't want to just continue to do the same thing over and over.
50:46 Speaker 01 Because that's how you get stuck and that's how you don't evolve too. So I always recommend doing a minimum of two closet edits a year.
50:53 Speaker 00 Okay.
50:54 Speaker 01 Minimum. And though that is a real opportunity to be really honest.
50:59 Speaker 00 Yes.
50:59 Speaker 01 With yourself. Try stuff on, have a friend there, a stylist. And get rid of stuff that is no longer serving you. It's so freeing to do that.
51:08 Speaker 00 It is freeing and it feels like you're taking action. It feels like you're taking control. Nicole just reminded me recently that I need to do a sock drawer edit.
51:16 Speaker 01 Oh.
51:19 Speaker 00 So I think I'm gonna need to see which of these socks are over two years old.
51:24 Speaker 01 Yeah.
51:25 Speaker 00 And then maybe give it to somebody who needs it.
51:27 Speaker 01 Yeah. When's the last time you did a closet edit?
51:30 Speaker 00 Oh, recently. I think it was about four or five months ago.
51:32 Speaker 01 How was that for you?
51:33 Speaker 00 It was great. The best one was like about two years ago when we sold over our ninja. And I was like out of the software tech world. And when you're in the tech world, you go to a lot of conferences. You go to a lot of meetups and you get a lot of free swag. And as again, immigrant household growing up, like a free t-shirt's a free t-shirt. I can work out in it. I can use it as a pajama.
51:53 Speaker 01 Yep.
51:54 Speaker 00 I can do all the stuff, an undershirt, you know, I can do something with it, right? And I went through my closet and my drawers and I got rid of so many free hoodies and sweater shirts and, and t-shirts and all the stuff that like, I'm like, I'm not gonna wear this other person's brand or whatever. Uh, and I just, uh, yeah, we just cleaned it out. And then I went through like the old jeans and the old stuff that like, Nicole and I call the old Navy days.
52:19 Speaker 01 Oh, yeah.
52:19 Speaker 00 Whereas it's like where you, where Old Navy was an option.
52:22 Speaker 01 Yeah.
52:22 Speaker 00 Like, you know, and no, no knocking Old Navy, but it's the lowest form of fashion. It's the lowest form of quality.
52:28 Speaker 01 Yep.
52:29 Speaker 00 It's the lowest form of actually that brand, you know, like it's like Old Navy, isn't it like Old Navy Gap? Benetton Republic.
52:35 Speaker 01 Yeah.
52:36 Speaker 00 Uh huh. So we had to kind of say goodbye to the old Navy days.
52:40 Speaker 01 Yeah. And you hold your closet to a higher standard. And it's fascinating to me because I work with so many successful professionals of all levels. And they have their life in order, like they work out, they have trainers, like food, everything is dialed in. But their closet.
52:57 Speaker 00 Mmm.
52:57 Speaker 01 And it is wild to me because they're so successful in one area, but their closet tells me so much. It's usually packed. It's usually the same things. And it's like weights that they carry every single day.
53:10 Speaker 00 I want to talk about travel and shopping because I find that when I travel, I, I find some really good stuff, even just like in the, in the airport.
53:20 Speaker 01 Mm hmm.
53:20 Speaker 00 Like, I know, like, there's this like meme online, like, who shops at the airport? Some of them, some really cool stuff in the airport.
53:26 Speaker 01 Really? Like, what do you sound at the airport?
53:27 Speaker 00 Like, we were in Milan and there was a store called Boji Milan.
53:30 Speaker 01 Oh, nice.
53:31 Speaker 00 And it's got some like really cool basics, but nice cuts. And I got a jacket there, I got a sweatshirt, you know, like, it was, it was just like, I never considered it.
53:41 Speaker 01 Yeah.
53:41 Speaker 00 But I know I can't find that anywhere else because like it's specific to Milan.
53:46 Speaker 01 Yeah.
53:46 Speaker 00 You know, and do you recommend people like to have that like as a part of their itinerary when they go traveling? Like you're gonna, you're gonna go to Rome, you're gonna go to, you know, Japan, you're gonna go to Paris, you know, London. Should they do a day of like, hey, explore, buy a piece or two that you might, might work for you that's unique to that area?
54:06 Speaker 01 Yeah, I think that's a fun thing to do and a fun way to honor the culture that you're visiting. So right now we're in Japan and they have incredible vintage stores here. So do I need anything right now? Not necessarily, but do I want some vintage stuff? Yes. And so I've been doing a lot of vintage store visits just to see what is out there. But I know what I'm looking for. So outerwear, maybe some pants and that's it.
54:33 Speaker 00 Yeah.
54:33 Speaker 01 So always having a plan before you go to those stores.
54:36 Speaker 00 Yeah.
54:37 Speaker 01 So important.
54:38 Speaker 00 My Japan plan is there's a lot of nice vintage watch shops.
54:41 Speaker 01 Yes, there is.
54:42 Speaker 00 Um, where you can get some really like, the thing about the Japanese is that they take care of their stuff. So even though it's, you know, pre-owned, it's like new.
54:51 Speaker 01 It's crazy.
54:52 Speaker 00 Yeah.
54:53 Speaker 01 I know. Oh, and you have to put wide leg pants on your shopping list.
54:56 Speaker 00 It's on there, it's on there. Definitely watch than that.
54:59 Speaker 01 Yeah.
54:59 Speaker 00 Um, but I also find that like, we were at a vintage store the other day and I was looking at the shoes. It's like, there's no creases in the shoe.
55:08 Speaker 01 I know.
55:08 Speaker 00 What is happening here? It's literally. Definitely an old shoe, like.
55:11 Speaker 01 Yeah, it's a brand new. I, I've been to a lot of countries, a lot of vintage stores, Europe, Asia, America. Japan has some of the most pristine product that you will ever see in vintage.
55:24 Speaker 00 Yeah, and I, I do want to warn anybody that does go to like a vintage shop in Japan, like the price reflects that quality.
55:30 Speaker 01 Yeah.
55:30 Speaker 00 Like you're not going to get the goodwill. You know, five dollars for sure, you know, or like a dollar for a tie.
55:37 Speaker 01 But even the lower price point vintage shops here, pretty good.
55:41 Speaker 00 Yeah.
55:41 Speaker 01 I have to say, like, very impressive. Yeah, so vintage shopping here in Japan is really cool. But also, I want everyone to know, like, you don't need a ton of money if you want to update your style. You need a plan.
55:56 Speaker 00 Okay. I want you, as we wrap up this conversation, to send a message to our listeners, to our viewers that are sold. They're like, I love what Cassandra said today, and I want to get on this journey. What do they need to hear to allow them to allow themselves to go on that journey?
56:17 Speaker 01 Hmm. Have fun with it. I think a lot of people forget that style is actually a creative expression of you, and it's actually meant to feel good. It's not meant to feel like a chore or a drag or you feeling overwhelmed all the time. So if you start with creating your vision of what do I want to communicate? How do I want to feel? All those high level things? The tactics will come and you will get there, but form your vision first and have fun.
56:49 Speaker 00 I love it. Thanks so much for being here.
56:51 Speaker 01 Thank you.
56:52 Speaker 00 Thanks for the convo.
56:52 Speaker 01 Yeah, let's go shopping.
56:54 Speaker 00 Yes.
56:57 Speaker 00 I hope you enjoyed that conversation with Cassandra Satie. I sure did. Now it's time for you to take action. It's time for you to get your style in order. Now Cassandra's made it super simple with her easy to take quiz to find out with your style, what are you projecting out in the world? Now, you want to take that quiz? It's super easy. Just go to nextlevelwardrobe.com/100mba. Go ahead and take the quiz and get started.
57:26 Speaker 00 If you found today's episode helpful and you want more practical business lessons to help you start, grow and scale your business, the best thing you could do is subscribe to this podcast. Hit subscribe or follow on your favorite podcast app, the one that you're using right now, whether it's Apple or Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. By hitting subscribe, you get our next episode automatically, and it's the best way to support the show. It's absolutely free, and it's a way for you to commit to growing your business. And now that you've subscribed, I'll check you in the next episode.
58:03 Speaker 02 Mazda has been named Consumer Reports' safest new car brand. It starts with our approach. Every Mazda comes standard with proactive safety features. So you're more aware of what's around you, more focused on the road ahead, and ready before problems ever start. Mazda, more of what matters most to you. Go to MazdaUSA.com to learn more. Consumer Reports does not endorse or promote any product.
Previous The REAL Reason CEOs Hate Remote Work/Want Everyone Back In The Office And Why I Am Doing The Same! Next If I Wanted To Turn $100 Into My First $100K In 2026, I'd Do This Page updated November 6, 2026 · transcript and summary are machine-generated
