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Welcome to Jon Michail’s Personal Branding Masterclass. Jon is the founder and CEO of Image Group International, an award-winning image consulting and personal branding pioneer established in 1989. This podcast will bring you old-school wisdom, inspiring ideas, strategies, and hacks for the new tech world. Here, you will learn everything about personal branding: the system, the techniques, and the right mindset to have a successful personal brand, image, and reputation.

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Hello and welcome to my personal branding master class. I'm thrilled you join me again. If you were here last time you remember how we explored our clothing impacts personal branding and the power of first impressions. Today we're going to build on that by focusing on the six steps of wardrobe management and, of course, the value of investing in quality pieces. So let's start by redefining what quality means. Quality isn't just about price. It's about durability, craftsmanship and how a piece makes you feel. And research by Forbes indicates that 62% of professionals believe that wearing high quality clothing enhances their credibility. In my lived practitioner experience, I certainly agree. I had a client once who was always buying the latest fashion trends. To be honest with you, I've had many clients like that, yet they found themselves frequently replacing these items. In other words, they were looking good and virtually going nowhere. Why? Because a lot of the pieces were fashion orientated and were trend orientated, meaning, when you're buying fashion trend orientated pieces with short lifespan. They could last from anything from three months to maximum, 12 months, a little bit longer. But the point was, they have no longevity. So you invest all this money, and before you know it, you're sick, old. Oh, they're out of fashion. So we shifted their focus to investing in timeless neoclassics with a twist. In other words, high quality pieces. They're not only elevated the brand, but also reduced long term costs. Because this is the crux of it. You don't need five average outfits. You only need one winner. So this is essential when you're looking at choosing your essentials wisely, and that's number two. So this is the core of your wardrobe. You might wonder, How do I decide what's worth investing in? Well, look brands and so on. Have definitely a play on that, and price does to a point, but that doesn't mean you can necessarily, just because you're buying price and big brand, you've got what we're looking for from the point of view of quality, I can tell you, having worked with luxury brands, that's not always the case. And I remember doing a makeover with a client once where we threw out a Giorgio Armani suit that was inappropriate from a color perspective and a fit perspective, and we kept the target t shirt. So it's not about just brand, per se, it's incorporates all sorts of other things as well. But first of all, start identifying the staple pieces in your wardrobe, so you can do your own audit here. These are items that you can reach for repeatedly because they fit well align with your brand, in other words, who you are, and of course, serve multiple purposes. Some practical advice is this focus on items, and this could be for men and women, like a well tailored blazer, for instance, versatile shoes and classic shirts or blouses for women, that could be one way to get started, especially from a classic simplicity perspective. According to Harvard Business Review, a study showed that professionals who focus on essentials rather than trends are perceived as more reliable. And this is important. I'm going to explain this in a second, because although you I'm not saying don't look at fashion at all, but you know, most fashion is perceived as flighty, unless you're attending the races and you have, you know, you want to look like a peacock, and that's great as well. That's a fun concept, right? But when I'm talking about business, no, it's about sticking to timeless Neo classics that also, by the way, if you were going to go to the races, they would work there as well. You just change some of the accessories, and before you know it, you've got a great look that works everywhere. Next, we'll discuss number three. And number three is about versatility. It's about maximizing value with fewer items. Now, when you think about this, who wouldn't like to maximize value, even if you've got unlimited money and wealth, everyone is looking at maximizing value. That's my experience, and actually even more so when I work with my Uber wealthy clients. So a quality over quantity mindset isn't just about durability, it's about versatility, the ability to mix and match. Key pieces allows you to have endless combinations that also, of course, save you time and reduce what we call is decision fatigue. For example, a well tailored blazer can be paired with jeans or chinos for a business casual meeting or dress pants for a formal event. So as you can see, it's very flexible and also very versatile. 

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From that perspective, you've got it for many, many different situations. So investing in versatile pieces keeps your wardrobe streamlined while enhancing your personal brand. But it's also great because it's investment dressing, and who would not like to get a return on their investment. We certainly regard the right dressing as definitely an investment, because it's an investment in your career, your business and, of course, potentially, your relationships. Number four is signature pieces. So making your mark, as we've discussed in the last episode, signature pieces can elevate your personal brand, and now I want to share with you how to incorporate them effectively. Signature pieces aren't just accessories. They visual anchors that reinforce your identity, and that can include your watch jewelry, cufflinks, etc. And of course, one client I coach always wore, for instance, as an example, a classic watch, and it became part of their brand story, symbolizing time management and punctuality. This small detail made them memorable in every boardroom they entered. It also created great conversation, because most leaders understand it's the it's got an unspoken power. And of course, most men, especially influential men in the influential positions, also know it's a great tool for rapport building, because you also going to have a conversation with it in many cases, by the way, also a lot of women have discovered the power of that, certainly in the last 10 years. And if you don't believe me, just look out for some of the additional jewelry pieces here that might also be a well branded watch that is also high quality. But again, I don't mean you gotta spend your life savings on this. You just gotta be really smart in how you pick em out. And number five is my next one. That's this is one of my favorites, and certainly something that I practice as well. So here comes my bias, minimalism and sustainability, and what I saying about that is, how do you do that with a thoughtful approach? So our quality over quantity approach also aligns with sustainability. I can't tell you how many young people I've met that talk about sustainability and are wearing cheap polyester clothes. In other words, they've got no idea what they're talking about. In other words, they picked up a concept or sustainability but don't understand what it actually means. So they're wearing cheap synthetic fabrics that are really bad for the environment, and then start prophesizing how important it is to look after the environment, etc. No different to carrying cheap plastic bags, all that. It's really important that we will become aware okay and self educated here, because sometimes the mixed messages we get from the world are totally opposite to reality. So quality over quantity approach. I think this is very important. The fast fashion industry says is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions, including to the UN and it's really interesting. When I was writing recently for a big media organization that didn't allow me to name some of these companies, because it's multi billion dollar industries here, right? And of course, media companies depend on them for advertising. So by investing in fewer high quality items that are mostly natural or sustainable microfibers, you're not only building a timeless wardrobe, but also making a conscious choice to reduce waste. So the king's in. So the key insight is this, minimalism isn't just about being plain, it's about being intentional. When you have fewer items, each one carries more significance and clarity, adding depth to your personal brand. 

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And finally, I'd like to cover number six, and this is important because it's also a big decision maker in getting you a return on investment, and that is maintenance, taking care of your investment. So let's talk about wardrobe maintenance. Your clothing is an extension of your personal brand. It represents your external image, because it's your packaging, no different to a product in a supermarket shelf. Sorry to sound a little bit crass, but that's the reality. People buy you an image matters, so I recommend you treat it with the same respect. And if you don't want to do that's fine. Go and do whatever you want. It's your life, you know? Don't complain when you don't achieve some of the outcomes you're looking for, because people have so called discriminated against you. It is a game. Life is a game, business is a game, career is a game. So depending on the fabric, regular dry cleaning. This is important, because when it's super fine fabrics, ie super fine Marina wool, too much dry cleaning will kill the fiber, so regular dry clean matters. But of course, for something like that, you might only and that's just the beauty of buying quality. You might a suit like they might only need dry clean once a year, twice a year, Max, proper storage comes into play. And of course, repairs will also extend the life of your garments, keeping them looking sharp for a long, long time. So I reiterate, forget fast fashion, a neoclassic wardrobe becomes a positive return on investment and also save cards the environment. And according to the Guardian you know, well maintained clothing can last up to five times longer than items that are neglected, reducing overall wardrobe costs by 40% in my experience, that figure also is a lot higher. I once had a client who never prioritize garment care, and it's not like he had unlimited wealth, but after implementing a maintenance routine, they noticed not only a long lifespan of the clothes, but also an improvement in their overall confidence. That's because, as a first impression, looking good and groomed, of course, and of course that means also well groomed clothes made him feel good. And as I known in the past session, feeling good, looking good, they work together. It's like it happens simultaneously. When you look good, you feel good. When you feel good, you sort of look good. It works together so your wardrobe speaks before you open your mouth. And that's the power of the image and first impressions. So, oh, I'm going to take a deep breath now. So that's all for today. But remember, by focusing on quality over quantity, you build a wardrobe that's aligned with your authentic personal brand, reflecting your confidence, care and consistency without breaking your budget. And by the way, if you don't feel confident, this is a great way to fake it till you become it, because first impressions matter. If you enjoyed today's episode, subscribe to your favorite podcast platform, and don't hesitate to reach out to Patricia at patricia@image group.com.au - For further information, personalized and confidential coaching, consulting or advice. So until next time, keep on building your personal brand with intention. Cheerio

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Jon Michail’s Personal Branding Masterclass Podcast is sponsored by Image Group International, a global team of practical, digitally savvy personal brand and image strategists based in Australia, committed to maximizing your impact, influence, and authority in the business world. To learn more and apply for personal coaching, seminars, and group workshops, please visit imagegroup.com.au or call 1800 631 311.