Anna Soo Wildermuth

Welcome to Personal Images, Inc.!

Here I'll give you up to date tips on developing your personal and professional image to ensure your first impression will be your best impression. Also I will blog about current image and communication blunders. Feel free to join the discussion by leaving comments, and stay updated by subscribing to the RSS feed. Thanks for visiting my blog. – Anna

Change One Thing is a superb book that gives excellent advice to help jumpstart your engine." Stephen R. Covey, author, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

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Affiliations

Affiliations offer companionships, respect and safety which is why folks belong and groups grow. The negative side is when we become one voice and all yes people. We all want relationships that bring us the foundation pieces. How do we remain our individuality and keep the group strong and with integrity and honesty? It is a burning question I have. Hopefully, groups will keep this issues on the forefront.

 

Color is everything

My favorite colors are black and gray. When worn in in jackets and outerwear it gives me comfort and very easy to mix and match with other colors. However, when photographed wearing these colors, I look dreadful. Wearing reds and bright colors will always photograph well. How do I counteract this, is to wear brighter makeup and a bold lipstick?  I have many dull pictures of myself in these dark colors and learned a bold lipstick with make my skin look alive.

 

What will eye wear say about you?

Eye wear can say many things, authority, playfulness, drama or creativeness. Shape and color will also set the stage. Today’s eyewear continues to change in style daily and more folks have more than one set. Years ago, a well-known host of a cable show set her brand with the style of her glasses when heavy frames were just becoming the style. Now depending the person, their daily and special occasions eyewear has many looks for different occasions. Just be sensitive to the style of choice your audience will understand.

The Star of the Show

Especially now on Zoom. A person’s face is always the star of the show. Hair, jewelry and clothing choices are what should frame the face. How you look someone in the eye and smile will say it all. Yes. from a distance, we notice the posture, color and some style choices now in virtually more so.

 

How Do you Present Virtually?

The pandemic continues to prohibit individuals from attending live seminars. These days, webinars and virtual presentations often help bridge the gap. Presenting virtually comes with its own set of challenges though. Here are some tips to ensure a successful presentation.

  • Offer pre-work by asking virtual attendees to suggest three items for discussion: what do they want to walk away with having learned?
  • Allow for questions to be asked during the presentation.
  • Use visuals. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. PowerPoint presentations should have more pictures than words.
  • Use Zoom or Go to Meeting – these formats offer screen sharing and the opportunity for verbal interaction.

SMART Goals for New Years

The new year presents an opportunity to get a fresh start at working to achieve your goals. While New Year’s resolutions may be broken before the end of January, SMART goals are built to last. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based. These five criteria aim to help you fully realize and accomplish a goal. A good SMART Goal may look like this:
“To advance my C-suite presence [Relevant], I will attend two online seminars and attain one [Specific and Achievable] new certification so I can negotiate a 5% raise [Measurable and Achievable] at the end of the second quarter [Time-based].”

 

Setting SMART goals for the new year can help you stay on track and follow through with your personal and professional goals.

Customer Service is Key to Loyalty

Apple, Nordstrom, Warby Parker, and Kohl’s rarely disappoint in their service. Just yesterday, I needed a consultation on a replacement connector for my MacBook Air. I made a reservation with Apple, the service person was on time, and the item was replaced. Last week, due to an update on my iPhone 6S, my anna@personalimagesinc.com address was not receiving emails. I called Apple support and they were able to walk me through the steps to get Microsoft emails to work. Nordstrom provides consistently good delivery service and easy exchanges, as does Kohl’s with their curbside pickup or returns.

What is a Signature Brand?

A signature brand can be a color that is recognized as belonging to an item or person. Take McDonalds, for example. McDonalds’ signature colors are red and yellow. Apple’s signature is the apple with a bite missing. For Anna Wintour of Vogue, it is her hair cut. Eyewear has now become an easy way to make a statement and be a brand. For Simon Sinek, it is his colorless eye frames. Consider choosing a color or jewelry pieces that can be worn constantly.

Having a Sense of Humor

Humor goes a long way towards helping to relax difficult situations and to put everyone at ease. I am by nature a serious person, but I find adding a dash of humor makes the day and a meeting easier. Humor is not always about telling jokes; it is also smiling and looking at the lighter side of things. A laugh once a day makes life a lot easier. “Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing,” said author Mark Twain.

 

 

The Virtual Wardrobe

These days many people are working from home. Because their only interaction with colleagues is in front of the computer, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of wearing the same clothing items. For those of us who have multiple virtual meetings daily, keeping fresh on camera is an important aspect of engaging our audience and ourselves. Starting at the beginning of the week, use a clothing rack and hang up the outfits for the week. Include all accessories, just as we would normally do if we were working outside of our four walls. The camera can be a bit ruthless in pointing out our flaws. Taking a picture of the week’s wardrobe will also help to keep a mix of colors and variety.