Meet Kate Taylor… Stylist, Image Consultant and She Is Fierce! Mentor!
Scroll down to watch Kate’s full talk from our Women’s Wednesdays events!
Kate is passionate about partnering with women to help them achieve their dreams and reach their potential.
Kate’s image consulting career is the culmination of a journey through numerous related fields, and is a dream come true. She worked in the fashion industry as VP of Sales & Marketing for a clothing company and as a fashion designer. She learned the ins-and-outs of behind the scenes fashion… from styling to design to trade shows and fashion weeks. She has also worked as a professional makeup artist.
Through all of her career changes and opportunities, she realized that what she loves the most is helping people truly discover their image. Her passion is helping to fill others with the confidence to change their lives and follow their own dreams.
Kate has a Bachelor of Science in Health Science and Psychology and a Master of Arts in Organizational and Corporate Communication. The opportunities to work across a range of careers and work with wonderful clients have given her the tools and experience needed to ensure success at the end of her client’s journeys.
You went through a few career iterations before you landed where you are – have you always known that helping people and inspiring women was what you wanted to do professionally?
I have always known that I wanted to help and inspire others. I thought that meant I was going to be a doctor, but after working towards that dream for 23 years, I had my “AHA” moment where I realized that medicine wasn’t the way that I was going to do it. I tried to see if beauty was the way to do it, or designing fashion, and then finally determined that the way I am meant to inspire and build others up, was in a way that hadn’t exactly been created yet… so I started my own business!
What is the biggest thing you feel a young woman needs to have to become a force in the professional world?
The biggest thing that a woman needs to have is confidence in herself, streaming directly from a true understanding of her identity… who she is and why she’s here, what makes her the unique beauty she is.
How did you identify your passion for helping others develop their own personal sense of style?
Well I was always the friend that did others’ makeup or put them in fun outfits, I would take them shopping to pick out clothes that they would never pick on their own – and then I realized, ” wait a second… this isn’t natural to everyone, yet it gives them such an extreme sense of themselves and instant confidence. They hold their heads higher and walk with their shoulders back” They accomplished more and believed in themselves. I wanted that for everyone!
Do you think being so involved in the fashion world has given you more incentive to help women find confidence in their image?
Yes, I definitely think that seeing every facet of the fashion world has given me a clear view of how style can empower others. I have seen the power that one outfit worn the correct way can give one woman. I believe that every woman can experience it and I want that beauty for everyone. True confidence can change the course of one’s life.
To you, what are the most important tips to remember for any woman trying to define her style and hone her image?
The most important tips that every woman needs to remember when trying to define their style and hone their image is that they must be true to themselves, and they need to be true to their goals – how they want to be seen.
Look in your closet, and see where there are trends. You bought the things you bought for a reason, and maybe you don’t see how to put them together – but understand that those pieces lit you up, most likely, when you purchased them. So, decide what still lights you up.
When you pick up a top or a skirt that you own, do you still love it? Do you want to find a way to rock it? Or is it just so-so? If it doesn’t light you up, then it’s time for it to go. If it does, find 3 different ways to wear it. If it’s a great top, then pair it with jeans, with a dress pant, and maybe a great pair of shorts.
Also, ask yourself – is this outfit in line with the image that I want to be projecting? If your goal is to be seen as polished, put together, and smart – does that top say those things to you? If it does, then great! Let’s use it! If it doesn’t – then don’t keep it just to take up space.
When you keep items that you don’t need or that aren’t in line with who you are, you are creating confusion around your wardrobe. You open your closet and have to decide, who am I? Get rid of those pieces that are creating that confusion, and create clarity in your closet!
You will then be able to stop wearing only 20% of your wardrobe. You will maximize the 100% that is true to you and the image that you want to be projecting.
What is the most important advice you could give to a young woman looking to start her own business?
Buckle your seatbelt, because it is going to be a ride! You must, must, must be 100% clear on who you are, what you are here for, and what you believe your business is meant to accomplish. When times get tough, and they will, as long as you have that clarity (and have it written down), you can go back – read it to yourself – and set your steps to accomplish it. Keep making steps towards that goal and you will achieve it.
What woman do you look up to as a role model in your career or life? What are the characteristics you most admire in those women?
Role models professionally are Katie Couric and Oprah. And while those may seem cliche, those women have built empires and tribes of women that believe in them and support their vision. They have done that because they got really clear on their message and why they are here. They have set their paths to make a difference and be the cause of change towards the better. That is what I want as well – I want to empower women to make a change in their lives and see how empowered and effective they can become.
My role models personally are my mother. That woman told me as a very young child that I could become anything I wanted to – and while most of us have heard that before and even roll our eyes when we hear it, she has shown me the support and strength of truly meaning that. When times get tough, she reminds me of why I’m here and how much she believes in me using my skills to change the world. She tells me that I have tools and gifts that I can’t keep to myself, and I must make a difference. That’s who I want to be to myself, to my friends/family/clients, and the world!
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
The best piece of advice I have ever been given is to stop playing a small game. When you play small and have the mindset that there isn’t enough to go around, then you live a life of hoarding the few things and clients you have. But, when you play a big game and realize there is a big world out there, you see that there is more than enough to go around. You live a life with your arms wide and are able to accept all that there is available for you and your life. That’s how I want to live my life, both personally and professionally – as a person of plenty and abundance!
Get to know Kate better here: katetaylorstylist.com…
And benefit from her fabulous advice as a She Is Fierce! Member!
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