IAM2342 – Personal Stylist Helps Entrepreneurs Create a Unique Style that Boost Self-Confidence and Elevate their Brand

Title: Transcript - Fri, 03 Jan 2025 20:02:35 GMT

Date: Fri, 03 Jan 2025 20:02:35 GMT, Duration: [00:16:47.01]

[00:00:00.32] - Dejeune Harris

I really try to get to know them on a personal level. Like, okay, what are your goals like for yourself? Where are you in life? Where do you want to be? What are the things that you're drawn to? Not fashion wise, just in life. And I take those things and I bridge the gap between their personal life and then what their goals are, their lifestyle. And that's how I help them curate their personal style.

[00:00:26.71] - Intro

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I Am CEO podcast.

[00:00:53.96] - Gresham Harkless

Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh from the I Am CEO podcast and I have an awesome guest on the show today. I have Dejanaire Harris. Dejanae, excited to have you on the show.

[00:01:01.79] - Dejeune Harris

Hi.

[00:01:02.54] - Gresham Harkless

I'm super excited to have you on and talk about all the awesome things that you're doing. But of course, before we do that, I want to read a little bit more about Daijona so you can hear about some of those awesome things. And Daijana is an accomplished personal stylist with over 15 years of experience in the fashion industry. She specializes in helping black creative entrepreneurs create intentional, sophisticated wardrobes that boost self confidence and elevate their brand. With a passion for fashion and a mission to empower multi hyphenated black women, dejeuner believes style is a powerful tool for showing up authentically in the world. Her experience lies in guiding clients through style transformations that reflect their unique identity and professional goals. And her expertise and unique perspectives have led to multiple contributions to the Washington magazine where she shares her insights and fashion industry with a broader audience. She also has a phenomenal YouTube channel as well too, where she shares a lot about the insight of her journey and all the awesome things that she's doing. But I think one of the things that really stuck out to me more than anything else is her contribution and philanthropic and community service. She contributes to organizations like My Sister's Place, a domestic violence shelter, providing support and resources, and also the National Concierge Association. So, dejanae, excited to have you on the show. Are you ready to speak to the IMCO community?

[00:02:13.84] - Dejeune Harris

Yes, I'm ready.

[00:02:15.15] - Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Well, let's get it started then. So to kind of kick everything off. I know I touched on it a little bit. Let's rewind the clock. Hear a little bit more on how you got started. When I Call youl CEO Story.

[00:02:23.59] - Dejeune Harris

So I got started unofficially. I would be out. I used to work in a mall. I used to work in a mall at Starbucks. And then I would always shop on my breaks. And people started to come up to me and just ask me questions like, oh, what do you think about this? And I kind of unofficially started styling people. It wasn't really considered a career at that point in time, but I would be like, oh, you should try this. You know, I think this looks good. And I eventually got a job at the Banana Republic. And I was just a sales associate, but I stayed in the fitting rooms. I would kind of hide out in there, and I would help. When people would come in, I would be like, I think you should try this, you should try that. So that was the unofficial way and then the official way. I. My first, like, real fashion job, I was the personal assistant to a boutique owner and celebrity stylist. And that's kind of how I got my foot in the door.

[00:03:18.12] - Gresham Harkless

Nice. I absolutely love that. And I think so many times, I don't know if you feel the same way, but when we are trying to figure out, like, who we are, what lights us up, what's our thing, so to speak, sometimes we have those little seeds that are planted, like, over time, where we find out the thing that ultimately lights us up and kind of drinks us back to ultimately who we. What we should be doing, how we should be using our gifts.

[00:03:38.34] - Dejeune Harris

I agree. It's like little synchronicities that'll kind of nudge you to let remind you, like, okay, you're on the right path, you're going in the right direction. Keep going. I definitely have those moments.

[00:03:49.44] - Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. And I'm curious, did you notice that anything like that when you were, you know, younger as well, too? If you kind of be excited or that's something that lit you up?

[00:03:58.66] - Dejeune Harris

Yes. I was always excited about writing, creating stories, and just getting dressed, period. Going shopping. I was a Barbie fanatic. I had all the Barbie things. I went to be Barbie and just shopping, getting my Barbies dressed, everything associated with, like, art, clothing, creating. I've always been, like, really lit up by those type of things.

[00:04:23.37] - Gresham Harkless

Yeah, I love that. That's why I appreciate you so much and sharing that, because I think a lot of times when you see somebody that has, you know, reached success and has done so many phenomenal things, you don't see, like, all those again, those seeds that were planted year over year over year and Things that you've learned to help you be, you know, great at what you're doing. And I think that try to like hammer that home. Because I think there's a quote that says the secret to overnight successes takes like 10 or 15 years. And a lot of times that's because you've been doing it over. You've been obsessed about it. You've been, you know, so developed into it that it ends up, you know, coming out in all the work that you do.

[00:04:55.99] - Dejeune Harris

I agree. I definitely remind people of that when I came, like, it took, it took a lot of little things that, you know, seem stupid or tedious or don't align with what I'm doing. That all for me to get here.

[00:05:10.10] - Gresham Harkless

Yeah. And that's huge. I think when everybody, you know, sees and listens to this, you know, they're going to be able to kind of see that, you know, even more. So I want, I wanted to do was drill down a little bit more, hear a little bit more on how you work with and serve your clients. Can you say, take us through a little bit more on what that looks like and what that process is?

[00:05:25.56] - Dejeune Harris

So I, first of all, I connect with my clients. I kind of call myself an anti stylist because I'm not just like, oh, you need to go shopping, you need the latest things. I really try to get to know them on a personal level. Like, okay, what, what are your goals like for yourself? Where are you in life? Where do you want to be? What are the things that you're drawn to? Not fashion wise, just in life. And I take those things and I bridge the gap between their personal life and then what their goals are, their lifestyle. And that's how I help them curate their personal style. So people tend to your people. We are like creatures of habits. Like we, we do the same things, whether we know it or not. And we're drawn to certain things. And a lot of people like certain things or really love certain things, but they are not reflected in their personal style. So that's what I do. I bridge that gap.

[00:06:22.19] - Gresham Harkless

Nice. Absolutely love that. Because I think so many times whenever we're trying to do the thing, whatever the thing might be, style, you know, I hear it even related to marketing or strategies, all those things, we're automatically like, hey, you know, I need to pick out the clothes, I need to the thing. So I love that you start out with finding out who that person is because I imagine that like most things, like when you do it and do it well, you're really dialed into, like, the person, what they're trying to accomplish professionally, relationship or. I feel like all those things become synchronized, as you kind of said so. Well, when you're able to kind of.

[00:06:55.72] - Dejeune Harris

Tap into that, they definitely are more than people even imagine, too. You know, they are kind of, like, looking at one thing and then there's something else on the sidelines that's like, hey, hey, pick me. Like, put me in the game. So I have, like, strong pattern recognition. So it really helps me to see things that, like, the typical person would not see.

[00:07:20.91] - Gresham Harkless

Yeah. And I wonder if that is, like, part of maybe, like, what I like to call your secret sauce. The thing you feel kind of set you apart and makes you unique, that pattern represent or pattern. Being able to see those patterns. I feel like I hear a lot and I say a lot. Like, being able to kind of see the forest for the trees. You can see, like, everything because you're seeing the full picture. Is that part of, like, what you mean by that?

[00:07:40.25] - Dejeune Harris

Exactly. And as I, like, kept developing in my style career, when I would get trained by, like, coaches, masterminds, they will have us to look into what our human design was. I don't know if you're familiar with it. So my human. My human design is I'm a projector, and a projector is. I know this is, like, old school. I don't know if you remember in school where they would pull the card out and it would be that machine with the light almost look like a magnifying glass that has a small lens.

[00:08:11.25] - Gresham Harkless

Yes, I do.

[00:08:12.27] - Dejeune Harris

And you point it up at the whiteboard so it's a small lens, and then it creates a bigger picture. So as a projector, I can see something small, almost like a bird's eye view, but from a bird's eye view, but I can see everything. So, you know, a bird's eye view versus when you look at it, something straight ahead is going to be much different. Different. So that's how. That's actually how I look at, or that's how I approach when I'm styling my clients. Like, I'm not just looking at, like, what's trendy or, you know, the, like, latest designer. I'm looking at, like, okay, you need to look. You need to show up like this. So we need to get all of these other things to create the picture.

[00:08:56.32] - Gresham Harkless

Yeah, that. That's huge. To be able to kind of do that and see that and have that as your superpower. I almost feel like a lot of times when people hear words like branding and they say that brand, oh, it's just your logo or it's just the color of your logo or something along those lines. But I've always heard that it's something that's living and breathing, but you have to be dialed into all those things to really understand that. Is that a little bit of how you look at style as well, too? If it's not just something that's like, okay, I'm just doing whatever the trend, it ends up being part of who a person is, where they're trying to go. Just all those things combined to make out what your style could be.

[00:09:30.15] - Dejeune Harris

Definitely. So one of the things when I am talking to people doing the elevator pitch, I'm like, your personal style is so important because it's your. It's your business card. It is, like, what people are going to see. It's what people are going to remember. You know, people get business cards all the time, but there are only a few unique ones that you're really like, you know, what I'm going to call this person, or they're sticking in the back of your mind so that when an issue or, you know, service need arise, you're thinking like, oh, my gosh, I met this person with the. So that's your thing that helps you stand out. Some people will say, like, oh, I don't have a company or my own brand. I don't have a personal brand. But I'm like, you are your personal brand. So even if you work for a company, that's what you're representing. If you have a nonprofit or a charity or something, like, you are the brand or the personal brand for whatever that is. So that's why how you show up is so important.

[00:10:25.75] - Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely.

[00:10:27.00] - Dejeune Harris

So like I said, I don't agree with, like, you need to always be shopping. You need to always get the latest trends. You only should wear this designer. You only should wear black if you work in tech. Like, those type of style rules, I call them, you can't wear white after Labor Day. I don't agree with any of them. I like to, you know, kind of go against them just so that it makes sense for you. Rules and guides are really important for people because it kind of helps them, like, stay. It gives you a sense of security so you know, like where you're going. So I guess I'll take the basis for the rules, but then I break them and remix them so that they make sense for the client. Because we're all very unique in so many ways. And those things, those things affect what Your personal style is.

[00:11:14.69] - Gresham Harkless

Yeah. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an Apple book or a habit that you have, but what's something you lean on that makes you more effective and efficient?

[00:11:26.37] - Dejeune Harris

I am a forever student, so I, you know, I don't downplay my expertise or my experience, but I, I don't get so like caught up in ego titles that I'm like, well, I know everything or I can't be taught. I can't expand anymore. So I am definitely always trying to learn something and just grow personally and professionally in every aspect so that I don't stay stagnant and I content my brain and my business continues to grow.

[00:11:58.48] - Gresham Harkless

Yeah. And that's huge. To continue to kind of sharpen that. So. So would you consider that to be a little bit more of what I like to call a CEO nugget? So this could be like a word of wis or piece of advice. It could be something that you would tell your younger business self if you were to hop into a time machine. Or potentially something you might tell your favorite client.

[00:12:14.24] - Dejeune Harris

It is, especially as a black woman, like we are like, kind of instill at an early age, like, you have to be strong. You have to be, you know, dependable. You have to be like all of these things. So me unlearning that over the course of, like a long time, it really helped me in so many aspects. Like, okay, I wear a lot of hats, but I don't have to wear all of these hats. Or like, I heard someone refer to it as juggling invisible tasks. When I started to put those things down and like, say, you know, I do need help. I am, you know, worthy of getting help. I am worthy of investing in things, you know, that will help me and not the other way around. That would probably be the biggest nugget. It would have definitely cut my path to where I am down had I not been so like, I have to do all of the things and I have to show up this type of way. I don't deserve rest or breaks or help or support. I have to be really strong.

[00:13:19.86] - Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome, awesome. So you might have already touched on this, but I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And our goal is to have different CEOs on the show. So, Dejanae, what does being a CEO mean to you?

[00:13:31.71] - Dejeune Harris

Definitely being a good worker. I know. I don't think you can. My Opinion, I don't think you can be a good person in charge who can delegate, make decisions and, you know, be flexible if you have not actually been a worker. So I guess it's kind of like getting back to like going back to being a student in order to be a good teacher.

[00:13:53.11] - Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely.

[00:13:54.62] - Dejeune Harris

Awareness equals authenticity. So being definitely self aware of where you are and like where you want to go and what you need to do.

[00:14:02.99] - Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. Awesome. Awesome, awesome. Well, Daijanae, truly appreciate that definition. Of course I appreciate your time even more. So what I wanted to do now is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know and of course, how best people get a hold of you find about all the awesome things that you're working on.

[00:14:19.79] - Dejeune Harris

I'm Dajanae. You can reach me at your stylist forever. All of my social media handles are the same and my website is yourstylistforever.com Again, my goal is just to really help and connect with black women who are in their field but they're not showing up how they need to. I like to give them that boost and that support through style and strategy.

[00:14:43.25] - Gresham Harkless

So yeah, absolutely. And as you said, so, well, not only, you know, should you have, you actually deserve it, which I think is probably the even more, you know, impactful things. Daijona, for people that might be in different parts of the country, is it something that you can provide virtually or how do those conversations kind of happen?

[00:14:59.00] - Dejeune Harris

Yes. So my consultations are like over the phone or through Zoom, but I also have virtual services. I have digital products and I also travel too to my clients like I have clients in other states. So I do go and visit them and, you know, give them one on one style support in person.

[00:15:18.39] - Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Thank you so much for expounding upon that. But of course we're going to have the links and information in the show notes as well too, so that everybody can follow up with you and contact you. But I appreciate you so much for all the work that you do because I think as people we want to be seen, heard and valued. And I think so many times we don't get, we don't feel like we get that opportunity to do that. So I love the work that you do. Not so much because of, you know, just the things that you do, but because of what it represents. And I think by you helping people to be empowered and feel strong in terms of like being who they are and confidently is such a huge thing that affects them. And impacts them in a positive way, but I feel like it also impacts that boardroom and impacts the community, impacts their children. Packs all these parts of the community in so many different ways. So I appreciate you so much for all the work that you do, your time you took today, and I hope you have a phenomenal rest.

[00:16:07.45] - Dejeune Harris

Thank you so much for having me. You take care and hopefully we'll talk soon.

[00:16:12.29] - Intro

Thank you for listening to The I Am CEO podcast, powered by CB Nation and Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at im CEO. CEO. I Am CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Check out the latest and greatest apps, books and habits to level up your business@ceohacks.co. this has been the I Am CEO podcast with Gresham Harkless Jr. Thank you for listening.