Travel Packing Made Easy. Part 1 – Create your CARD

Hadrians Wall, UK

Are you the type of person that stands paralysed in front of your suitcase when you need to pack for a trip? Or are you the type to throw as much as you can into the case ‘just in case you need it’? Both if these situations can be remedied by some planning.

Introducing the Travel Packing – Wardrobe Wizard
I recently had a holiday in the UK. It was an ideal chance to put into action the travel packing guidelines I have been developing over the last few years.
The very first thing to do, even before you get the suitcase out, is to establish the guidelines for your trip. I recommend using the CARD system to make it easy.
You can create a CARD for each trip you do and have it ready to go for next time.

Considerations:
C – Climate/Culture? What is the climate or weather likely to be while you are there? Summer/Winter? Range of temperature from day to night? Are there any cultural issues of modesty to consider? For example, a bikini will not be suitable to pack when going to a orthodox Muslim country. Being clear on this aspect will help you choose the right types of clothing. Heavy coat vs light rain jacket? Skimpy singlet vs long sleeved top?

A – Activities? What will you be doing on your trip? Business meetings/visiting family/tourist activites/retreat spa. Being clear on this aspect will help you choose the style of clothing needed. Do you need to take business formal, smart casual, relaxed practical casual? Do you need a mix of smart and casual or can you just focus on relaxed casual? This will also help you choose what types of footwear, active wear and accessories to take.

R- Restrictions of travel? How will you be travelling? This will impact what size and weight of luggage you can take. If flying internationally, check the size and weight limits for each leg of your trip. It may vary between carriers. If travelling on a number of modes of transport, make sure you can comfortably carry your luggage yourself. Suitcases with wheels and pull-up handles, and back packs are good practical options. For security and practicality it is advisable to be able to carry your own bags. Once you have determined these restrictions, this does not mean you can fill the bags to capacity before you leave! Remember, you will often want to buy souvenirs or other items on the trip, so save some room.

D – Duration? How long will you be away from home? This will impact on aspects such as – Will you need to, or have the opportunity to, wash clothes? This will determine the number of items you need to pack. If you can launder your clothes then the number of items you take can be the same whether you are going for a week or a month.

As you ask all these questions start writing your list. This then becomes your CARD template for similar trips in the future.
Also, it is a good idea to review the list when you return from your trip to see how effective it was. Were there some items you didn’t use and can remove from the list for next time? Were there any items you needed to add for next time?
Give it a go. The more you travel the more time it will save you. But even if you rarely travel, it can take the stress out of the process.
I am happy to say that on my recent trip. I wore everything I took between one and ten times! Not bad for a suitcase half the size of what most women use when going from Australia to Europe. I am quite proud of myself.

Stay tuned for Part 2… Creating Your Travel Wardrobe Capsule (ie How to look good even if you don’t have each days outfit planned)

How The Wrong Choice Of Colour Can Ruin Your Personal Brand

Colour is such an important part of your Personal Brand expression. We have such a strong emotional and subconscious connection to colour that it cannot be ignored when deciding what to wear, how to decorate our environment and brand our identity.

I witnessed an excellent example of a wrong colour choice last week when I caught an episode of ‘Australias Got Talent’ on TV. A talented harmonica player had previously impressed the judges and audience with his skill and cowboy image. As we watched, out comes the contestant in a baby pink satin jacket accompanied by pink clad rock’n'roll dancers! My mind screamed ‘Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!’
Whoever advised him that baby pink satin was going to be a supportive choice for his growing brand value made a big mistake. The performance would have been far better received by the judges and audience if he had worn Red, for example, rather than pink. Red would have supported his masculine and energetic performance and been consistent with his previous presentation. One of the judges descibed him as looking like a gay Rod Stewart. I had to agree. It was such a change in image that it just seemed wrong and compromised his credibility as a performer, even if he is a talented harmonica player.

Building a strong brand is about developing a consistent image. That way, when there is an occasional inconsistency the viewer is more likely to give them the benefit of the doubt. However, for a new Personal Brand it is vital that the image is consistent until a track record is established.
Unfortunately, it is now going to be hard for the AGT contestant to shake off the ‘gay Rod Stewart’ image. He is talented, so I hope he does, but he will have to work at least twice as hard now.

It will be interesting to see the voting results…..

Get a Sense For Using Scent

The sense of smell is a tricky thing to manage. It can be very subjective, What smells pleasant to one person can seem unpleasant to another. There is also the issue that some people can be allergic to certain scent components. The nose also becomes desensitized over time to continual exposure. This is a good thing for unpleasant smells but means that if you wear a favourite fragrance continually, the perception and enjoyment of it will be reduced over time. That is the benefit of having a few personal fragrances to choose from and alternate.
There is the potential for us to collect numberous fragrances and have them gather dust on the dresser or in the bathroom cabinet. A number of years ago I decluttered my perfume collection as I do not wear much perfume and I was sick of dusting the bottles. I was also concerned with their shelf life.
I have since found out that if the fragrances are stored in a dark environment at room temperature, they can last indefinitely! Heat and light will affect the quality, so if you find that the liquid has gone thick and sticky or the smell is no longer pleasant, it is time to ditch it.
Smell is a powerful tool to consider as the messages from the smell receptors go straight into the brain and affect the emotional subconscious without first being processed by conscious thought.

When it comes to wearing fragrance in the working environment, the recommendation is:
1. Don’t wear too much – less is more.
2. Apply the fragrance before dressing to avoid the potential of staining clothing.
3. Wear a subtle fragrance to minimise any possible irritant or allergic reaction from other people in your proximity.
4. When choosing a fragrance. try two or three in different locations on the body and wear them for the day so you can test how they react on your skin and how the fragrance develops over time. The initial pleasant smell (the top note) may not be the one that lingers later.
5. If you have dry skin, moisture first and the fragrance will last longer. Or layer using a body wash and moisturizer with a matched fragrance. There is a growing range of products applying this principle.
6. Fragrances can also be used as room fresheners. Especially if there are any lingering unpleasant odours in a room. An old bottle with a little left in it can be used for this purpose.
7. If you work closely with someone with an unpleasant body odour and you cannot bring yourself to discuss the issue with them. You can manage it by reapplying fragrance to yourself during the day, spraying the room, or purchasing a fragrance for them as a gift
8. Use caution when buying fragrances for others. We can each prefer different kinds of smells. In general, go for a subtle fragrance that seems to be popular and has been around for years, or make a note of what flowers and foods they like. When in doubt, there are packs of small bottles of different fragrances available. These are commonly available at airports as well as large stores.
9. A spray of fragrance on a handkerchief can also be a pleasant addition to underwear draws.
10. It is not a necessity to wear fragrance, but it does add to people’s experience of us. Certain fragrance associations can become anchored, so that every time they smell that particular scent they think of you. This is a subtle form of Personal Branding that can be fun to explore.

So if you love a fragrance don’t feel guilty about getting a large bottle. Just store it properly. Then get small bottles of fragrances that you want to try or only wear on special occasions.

Happy exploring.

You Are The Best! I Am Blessed!

Recently I had the fortunate experience of being stopped by a policeman while driving. While this may not seem like a fortunate event for most people, it allowed him to inform me that I was driving an unregistered car. To my surprise, he was correct. My car registration was six months out of date and I had no idea. I have learnt my lesson now, that it is solely my responsibility to make sure the car registration is paid when due regardless of whether I receive a renewal notice of not.
The reason this stressful event at the time was fortunate, is that apparently if you have an accident the car insurance is not valid. This event potentially saved me much money and grief, regardless of the fine I had to pay.
For this reason, I appreciated the notification by the policeman and sent him a thank you card. I understand a police officers job cannot be an easy one and you would truely have to believe that what you are doing is necessary to deal with all the crap they have to deal with on a daily basis. It takes a strong and committed person to do that job.
This poor policeman was so surprised to receive a card from someone he had fined, that he came around and thanked me for the card. I certainly didn’t expect that!
That got me thinking. He must see and experience the worst that people are capable of on a regular basis and I truely felt sorry for him and all police officers. I on the other hand, get to experience the best of people on a regular basis. Clients come to me because they are taking control of their lives, because they want to improve, because they want to create a better self and world. This is such an inspiring environment to work in and the reason I am still doing it after ten years. I am humbled that I get to meet the amazing people that I do. I am truly blessed. I give all I can to help others, so that I can get to see them blossom and change the world they live in. Awesome!
Thanks to all the people who regularly deal with the crap humans are capable of. I hope you also get to take time out and spend it with people who make this world a better place. There are so many of them out there. They just don’t necessarily make it into the news.

“Pay the farmer, not the hospital.” Says a leader of tomorrow!

This is a great message and more powerful by being delivered by an 11 year old. Fantastic and inspiring.
Enjoy…

What if you knew your business would last over 200 years?

Looking at a list of firms and when they started made me wonder if the founders could have envisaged the business still operating hundreds of years in the future. They may not have envisaged the technology, but would they have made decisions based on their desire for the business’s longevity.
This list states that the Japanese company Kongo Gumi, a construction business, started around 578 AD. Many of the Eurpoean companies started in the last thousand years I had not heard of, but I have heard of Kikkoman Japanese soy sauce started in 1630, and Villeroy & Boch German tablewear started in 1748.
It got me thinking. In the current age of fast paced lives and technological advancements, can a business (or a person for that matter) make any long-range plans? Or do we have to just go with the flow and adapt to change as nature does. Levi Strauss clothing, started in 1853, has certainly changed its target market over the years from manual worker to the fashionable young. Some, however, just provide more product to more people. (I was surprised to see that Coca-Cola started in 1886)
Most of the oldest businesses seem to be product based. The few exceptions being banking and innkeeping. So what could a serviced based business do to maximise its chance of longevity?
I’m no business analyst, so this is just an open-ended question from me. I guess making some sort of product from the service would be one way. In addition to establishing a solid brand, of course.
What do you think?
Just some musing for the New Year

Merry Non-Denominational Holiday ;) Sing…

Thought I’d share this video. I don’t know about you but this happens to me all the time. Not.
Wouldn’t the world be a nicer place if it did. Hmm.

<a href="“>Hallelujah!
May your Solstace Celebration be fun and indulgent. Nicola x

Creating a ‘Capsule’ Wardrobe or visual shopping list…

Check out www.polyvore.com for a great tool to search and put together a ‘look’.
I have just created this one for a client to look at
incorporating the company branding.
Let me know how you use it?

SED Capsule by Nicola2000 featuring charcoal pants

By Malene Birger Violas mohair-blend cardigan
$350 - net-a-porter.com
Long sleeved tops »

Sandro Enflammee silk blouse
$193 - net-a-porter.com
Silk tops »

Vanessa Bruno / Asymmetric Washed Silk Blouse
$432 - lagarconne.com
Silk tops »

Stella mccartney jackets BLACK
735 GBP - matchesfashion.com
Tailor jacket »

Rag & Bone Perry Pant – Dark Charcoal
$325 - barneys.com
Charcoal pants »

Hermes shoes, ballerina flat shoes, Hermes Bolchoi | Hermes.com
$720 - usa.hermes.com
Hermes shoes »

PRADA East West Tote
$1,595 - barneys.com
Prada handbags »

Vintaged Bronze Chronograph Cream Dial Watch
fossil.com
Cream jewelry »

Vera Wang Crystal Medallion Necklace
$895 - bergdorfgoodman.com
Crystal jewelry »

KATHMANDU Extra Cashmere Red Scarf
75 EUR - pret-a-beaute.com
Cashmere shawl »

pictures 4 polyvore Home – pictures 4 polyvore
thereagency.com

Colour, Flavour and Personal Style

I am always fascinated by the correlations that get made between our personal style or personality and our preferences. Last week there was an article in the newspaper about a study of milkshake flavour choices and what that says about your personality. I won’t rehash the story but it would be interesting to test the theory.
I utilise the Extended DISC communication profiling tool in my practice to assist clients to understand their own and others natural style. It’s great in order to make business administration decisions, develop marketing copy, foster understanding of differences and help people build rapport more easily. It correlates very closely to colour preferences too. ( D=extrovert/thinker, I=extrovert/feeler, S=introvert/feeler, C=introvert/thinker )
It is said that The McCrindle Research survey determined that Chocolate was the most common flavour (no surprise there!). This group of 41% are likely to be playful, friendly, like to be on time and follow rules. In the DISC world this correlates to the ‘S’ profile well. They may also choose Vanilla or Coffee. In attempting to match the personality styles of the DISC system to the preferences, this is what it seems to show: The ‘I’s are more likely to choose Malt and Strawberry,plus the more exotic flavours, in addition to Chocolate. The ‘C’s are more likely to choose Coffee, Vanilla or Caramel. I’m not sure if the ‘D’s drink milkshakes at all! They may be too busy.

If you know of someone with a high D personality (Direct, goal/big picture focus, no nonsense, wants the bottom line, demanding, speaks there mind, states own opinions as facts, always in a hurry) please ask them their preference and let me know. Tell them it is a scientific study.

I’m not sure if there is any scientific use for this comparison but it is always fun to speculate on physical and mental correlations between groups of people and the different preferences we have.

In the meantime, enjoy whatever milkshake flavour you feel like. I’ll be having the chocolate or coffee thanks.

The job is not WHO you are, but your Attitude IS.

There needs to be a certain amount of flexibility in society so that people will do what is required for the situation, and not just because of who they see themselves to be. There is some evidence of this inflexibility now in young adults straight out of school, who refuse menial jobs because they think it is beneath them; Not realising that work is a journey – Learning life and social skills along the way, in addition to developing task based skills.
When a young adult enters the working world, there is no guaranteed that they are capable and reliable just because they have passed a few school exams. It is an opportunity to do, what may be considered, a low risk-low skill job to prove they can interact with people in a professional manner, can follow instructions, are punctual, and therefore reliable and trustworthy. Once evidence is established it is then easier to get a job that recognises their talents and skills. It tells employers “yes, I can be trusted with the basic stuff and am willing to do whatever is needed to get the job done.” I.e. ‘I can see the value of the small stuff in the context of achieving the bigger business goals’.

Professions that are considered low level by society, such as cleaners, waiters, shop assistants, are actually very important jobs. They make our environment and lifestyle more pleasant and efficient. Think about an office environment that never had the bins emptied, or floors and surfaces cleaned. Clutter and grime accumulates, the health and mental clarity of the workers will deteriorate; productivity goes down either due to individuals having to take time out to clean or due to being submerged mentally or physically. Studies show that productivity is higher if the space is uncluttered and aesthetically comfortable. If a cleaner knows that they have a very important job that contributes to the well-being and productivity of the organisation. Isn’t that a reason for pride and a sense of belonging?

Even for a more mature person entering or reentering the workforce attitude, commitment and life skills will be 80% of your appeal. Whatever the job, motivation and a sense of pride in the job will come across at a job interview. If you value the opportunity to contribute and communicate that value, not only will you stand out from other candidates that are only focused on the money but there may be other opportunities that the employer will consider you for by your demonstration of a motivated and high value attitude.

Remember, every contact and conversation can lead somewhere amazing. A positive outlook to any situation will attract possibilities and opportunities. Do whatever you can to develop and maintain your positive attitude. It may be reading a self-help or inspiring book. It may be getting some help from a social worker, psychologist, clinical hypnotherapist, coach or motivating friend to change some habits and beliefs. Whatever it takes, you are worth the investment. You will be happier, healthier and everyone else around you will benefit too.
Employers know that they can always teach a task but they cannot teach you to have a positive and productive attitude. Only you can do that, so they want to hire someone who already has it.
Value yourself and make a commitment to doing one thing this week that helps you improve your attitude and self-worth. Write it down, make it specific, and schedule it in the diary. Then tell someone your goal task, to make you a person of your word. (For those of us that are more externally motivated it helps to tell someone, in order to make us accountable for being someone who does what they say they will do)
Then when you achieve it, congratulate yourself for a task well done.

For those in the job search market, whatever you apply for consider the job important and know that you are going to make a great contribution by doing it. Enjoy the journey.
Ooh…and do dress for the interview as if you are going for a very important job, because it is.