Sally Smy - Retail Buying Manager to Personal Stylist
"It took a long time to build my own confidence as I felt too shy to say that I have ‘my own business’ when it was really just me, the kitchen table and not many clients!"
"Action results in confidence. It’s so easy to stay behind the computer but you need to get out there and try things in the real world."
Overview of earlier career.
Over an 18 year career, Sally worked her way up to a management buying positions for major retailers including Debenhams, Arcadia Group and Tesco.
The trigger for change?
“After my daughter arrived I found work pretty intense. Over the last 10 years of my career, buying trips involved long visits to Hong Kong and India. I'd always previously enjoyed these but knew they would be difficult after my second child was born. Whilst on my second maternity leave, my request to work part-time was refused and I was offered a 9 day fortnight.
I considered it but long haul travelling would have meant that sometimes I might have been away for multiple weekends in a row. I didn’t feel I could commit to that schedule so I resigned.”
First steps?
“I had an inkling during my first maternity leave that I might set up my own personal styling business but as soon as I went back to work the idea faded. In my second maternity leave knowing that I wouldn’t be able to go back full-time I really began to focus on it. I filled many, many notebooks with those ideas in an attempt to think through options.
It took a long time to build my own confidence as I felt too shy to say that I have ‘my own business’ when it was really just me, the kitchen table and not many clients!
It was hard giving up the security of that monthly pay cheque and it’s very tough doing everything, especially tech, yourself! I got a real sense of achievement, however, from creating my own website and doing lots of activities that would have been done for me before when working for a large corporation.
There’ve been lots of ups and downs and experiments. For instance, I trialled a partnership with someone who specialised in vintage clothing but realised pretty quickly that I really wanted to help people like me, professionals who needed a bit more confidence and they could get that from dressing well. So, I had to have a difficult conversation with that partner. Not a highlight for sure.
Then I started off working with women returning to work which I absolutely loved. I understood their situation because I had had what I call my “beige moment” on maternity leave.
I caught sight of myself in the window of a shop, many, many months after the birth of my first child with no make-up, still wearing my scruffy maternity clothes and it was a real wake-up call. I felt I needed to get myself back on track and feeling like 'me'.
When I shared this experience with friends, it really resonated with them. I empathise with the situation of going back to work and not feeling confident in your own skin. I understand these feelings because I've been there. I’m not some scary fashionista and have definitely suffered from imposter syndrome in the past. I didn’t feel trendy enough, thin enough or fashionable enough to be the stereotypical idea of a fashion buyer!
Now as a personal stylist, I simply want to help people have confidence in how they look.”
What Sally has learned? Advice she might offer to others in a similar situation?
“Action results in confidence. It’s so easy to stay behind the computer but you need to get out there and try things in the real world. Networking for instance. I’m getting better at it but I’m not a natural. I have to keep reminding myself that people are not focussed on you when you are networking, they are focussed on themselves. It’s easier if you just ask a few questions and fill in the gaps. You don’t actually have to say much if you don't want too.
Don’t underestimate the power of marketing and the need to learn as much as you can about marketing especially if you are doing everything yourself.
Know your worth and be brave with pricing. I worked with friends for free in the beginning and got great feedback and satisfaction. After that I priced myself extremely low (£30 per hour) which didn’t reflect the fact there is so much preparation and follow up work to my job - I calculated it at about £4 p/h in real terms! I felt a great deal of angst about increasing my pricing but realised I had to in the end. I feel that my pricing now gives very good value for the help I am offering and my years of experience.
There is no perfect. It’s a continuous journey where you are constantly learning. We need to remember to enjoy the journey and the process not just aim for the goals.
You don’t need lots of clothes – you just need a collection of well chosen pieces and to know how to create outfits with them.”
What would Sally do differently if she had to do it all again?
“I would have probably attended a social media course earlier. I was late to the party with it and still haven’t mastered it!”
How it feels on the days when she knows she has made the right decision?
“I absolutely love it! It’s an amazing feeling when I help someone dress with confidence and look great. I love seeing that change. I love receiving positive emails from my clients!
My family say that I am definitely less stressed and also…I dress better! There’s no slumming it in the playground anymore. I always have my face on and consider whatj consider what I'm wearing!
Also, I am dressing more for me now than ever before. No head to toe black and no slaving to trends. I have less clothes than I used to but I can do more with them and as a result am far more creative with my outfits.”
Regrets?
“No – but 8 years on I’m still learning. It’s all a learning process. I don’t get it right all the time – I have really busy periods and then really quiet periods. There’s lots more I can do and learn but I'm thoroughly enjoying it!”
Find out more about Sally's Queen Bee Styling
M: 07956 293845
W: http://www.queenbeestyling.com/www.queenbeestyling.com
T: @Queenbeestyling
