IAM685- Founder Helps Women Determine Their Unique Body Shapes

Christen Johnson is the CEO and founder of a couple of different entities. At SophisticatedChic Brand, she is the Personal Style Coach for professional women helping them to determine their unique body shapes in order to hone in on a personal style that makes them feel the most confident. At Project Style University she coaches aspiring and emerging wardrobe stylists through the growing pains of building a successful styling business in the fashion industry.

When she's not coaching, or speaking to individuals about elevating themselves in style, she's figuring out new ways to expand her knowledge in business, spending time with family and friends or jamming to some of her favourite songs.

• CEO Hack: LinkedIn for reaching out
• CEO Nugget: Everything will be okay
• CEO Defined: Wearing multiple hats

Website: https://www.sophisticatedchicbrand.com/

IG: @sophisticatedchicbrand – business
@sochicchris – personal

Linked-in: Christen Johnson

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Transcription

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[00:00:02.20] – Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

[00:00:30.10] – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast. I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Christen Johnson of SophisticatedChic Brand. Christen, it's awesome to have you on the show.

[00:00:40.10] – Christen Johnson

Hi, everybody. How are you?

[00:00:42.89] – Gresham Harkless

Doing good. Feeling great, I usually like to say, and super excited to have you on the show. And what I wanted to do is just introduce you to Kristen so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. And Kristen is the CEO and founder of a couple of different entities. As a sophisticated chic brand, she is a personal style coach for professional women, helping them to determine their unique body shapes in order to hone in on a personal style that makes them feel more confident. At Project Style University, she coaches aspiring and emerging wardrobe stylists through the growing pains of building a successful styling business in the fashion industry. And when she's not coaching or speaking to individuals about elevating themselves of style, she's figuring out new ways to expand her knowledge in business, spending time with family and friends, or jamming into some of her favourite songs. Christen, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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[00:01:26.90] – Christen Johnson

I am ready.

[00:01:28.09] – Gresham Harkless

Let's do it. So to kick everything off, I wanted to hear a little bit more about how you guys started. Could you take us through your CEO story? What led you to get started with your businesses?

[00:01:36.09] – Christen Johnson

Yeah. So I've always been in fashion. I feel like that's cliche to kinda start off, but I just loved getting dressed every day. And when I was in college, I didn't really have anything to do outside of schoolwork, and my extracurricular activities. I really wanted something that I could call my own. So I started a blog, a fashion blog, a lifestyle blog, an entertainment blog, however, you wanna explain it. But I pretty much just talked about what I did every day, what happened when I went shopping, some of my shopping trips, and different events that I went to. And that blog kinda led to me starting a styling business. The following year, I began to build my portfolio. For some reason, I had a lot of friends who were models, photographers, and makeup artists, so we always got together and kinda, of created magic. And, of course, I was the stylist, the one providing the outfit ideas and the, the looks.

So that's how I got started in that. I really started off in the editorial creative industry of styling, but now I'm focusing on more professional, everyday lifestyle styling. I started doing that back in twenty sixteen. Post college, I ended up landing a position at an industry or I'm sorry, a company called Trunk Club, which was, at the time, a styling company for men. We shipped men clothing, and they sent back what they didn't like, and they kept what they loved. We also had a location in DC. I'm from Baltimore, so, I had to commute every day to work in DC, which was a lot. But I love the job. You know? It was really, really fun. I was able to meet people in person, and really connect with people one on one and on a more personal level. As I was there, of course, it was a start-up, so I got a chance to style women and men.

We started styling women. We got a lot of women, to come into our showroom and just really, you know, style them and learn more about them. So that kinda stuck with me. And since then, I took everything that I pretty much learned from that one position and put it into my business. So it's just been really fun to just connect with so many professional women, on a more personal level and just help them to really be confident in themselves. Because a lot of them, I've learned, just forget about themselves because they're so busy running businesses or so busy, connecting with people, meeting with people, but they kinda forget about themselves. So that's where I came in. So that's pretty much how I got started.

[00:04:09.80] – Gresham Harkless

That makes so much sense, and I definitely appreciate you, you know, for the reminder as well too of, you know, so many times where, like, the women you work with as well too are so busy keeping everybody else cup full, they sometimes forget their own cup. And I think it's so big to be able to have that opportunity and to be recognized and to see kind of somebody that can help them to do that. And I think it's big as well. Like, kinda through everything that you do through your story, it's kinda like that consistent theme that has gone throughout it. And I think so many times when you're able to do that and you're wondering if you're in alignment, when you can see, like, no matter, you know, what quote, unquote job or position or business you're running, when you have that consistent theme, it lets you know that you're right in alignment with who you are, and then you start attracting those like-minded people as you've been able to.

[00:04:52.00] – Christen Johnson

Exactly. Cool.

[00:04:54.60] – Gresham Harkless

So, I know we touched on it a little bit, but I wanted to hear a little bit more about what you're doing for your clients. Could you take us through exactly, like, what that looks like and how exactly that process goes?

[00:05:04.80] – Christen Johnson

So, I offer a variety of different services that are, like, in packages, so in package forms.

[00:05:13.00] – Gresham Harkless

Mhmm.

[00:05:13.30] – Christen Johnson

But, mostly, we start off virtual, which is kinda perfect for what we're going through now.

[00:05:18.10] – Gresham Harkless

Right.

[00:05:18.50] – Christen Johnson

But, you know, I connect with them over a phone call, really listen to them and see what they need, why they're reaching out. Have they ever worked with a stylist before? Pretty much just learning about them. And then we do a consultation, which is virtual. I get to see them in person. I show them how to take their measurements, and I really just learn more about them, what they like, what they don't like, you know, where they shop, where they don't shop, and different things like that. Of course, their body and what they're comfortable with showing and what they're not comfortable with showing. So it's really just, the process of building a relationship, which is what we pretty much do on a daily basis. Regardless if you're a stylist or, you know, a business owner, you're always building relationships with individuals.

So that's pretty much what my job consists of, and really just getting to know that person so I can best provide them with the best services and really just help them with what they need. I would hate to work with someone and not help them or not provide them with what exactly they're looking for. And it also gives me an opportunity to educate, and that's really what I'm all about. A lot of people still don't really know what a stylist is or what a stylist does. So that's where I come in as well, and I kinda educate them and let them know this is what I do. This is what I provide. Is this what you're looking for? Some people don't even realize that they need what I offer until it's brought up. You know? So that's always a cool situation. But other than that, it's really about relationship building, and getting to know the client, and then providing them with exactly what they're looking for.

[00:06:53.60] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. That makes so much sense. And I'm glad you kinda preface it with that because I think so many times that relationship aspect is so big. I think, you know, all throughout life and business, obviously, as well too. But I think that, as you said, when you really are listening, you're engaging, you're hearing what somebody has to say, what they're looking for, and you have that opportunity to provide, you know, something that can help out. A lot of times, people may not know it's a stylist. They may not know exactly what it is. But when they get that solution, it definitely makes a tremendous impact because it's exactly what they're looking for because you listen, you engage, and you are kind of the person who provided that solution.

[00:07:25.80] – Christen Johnson

Exactly. Nowadays, I feel like a lot of people don't do as business owners. We're so, like, I don't even know the word, but we're so, like, excited to just make a sale or just get business, and it is levelled. You know? When I first started, I used to be like that. You know? I was excited to work with people when they reached out to me. But after a while, I realized that a lot of those people weren't even the type of people that I probably should have worked with in the first place. They weren't really my client. They didn't really understand what I had to offer. A lot of them didn't even allow me to do my job at one point, but I was, what's the word? I don't know why I'm having a brain fart.

[00:08:03.50] – Gresham Harkless

No. You're fine.

[00:08:04.50] – Christen Johnson

Like I felt like that was all that I was getting at one point. Mhmm. But now I've kinda learned yeah. And I was just settling. You know? But now I've learned how to deal with those individuals, and how to attract the right people. And that's why I started coaching stylists to really show them, you know, what I did to get where I am now and how they can avoid some of those, trials and setbacks. So

[00:08:28.19] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. That makes so much sense and kinda given that opportunity to be able to give back. But it's so funny you said that because I've been through, like, you know, sales training, and I think went through, like, a three-week sales training. And I remember the lady during the training, she basically said, you know, what people do when they get all this information, the first time they sit down with that very first client, they just do, like, the vocab throw up of all the things that you learn in training, not actually building that relationship and getting that engagement. And I think, as you said, there are levels to it. I appreciate you talking about the process of that. Because I think so many times as you get more comfortable in what it is that you do, you have more awareness. You get to turn it from what you know to what the person is actually looking for have a conversation and then actually engage.

[00:09:10.00] – Christen Johnson

Exactly. Exactly. And it helps you in the long run because you can easily just create exactly what they're looking for if you don't already, you know, offer that.

[00:09:18.20] – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. That's a very true, very valid point because I think so many times when you have that listening ear, sometimes opportunities that you didn't sometimes see come out as a result of you just listening, engaging, and having a conversation. Mhmm.

[00:09:29.10] – Christen Johnson

Exactly.

[00:09:30.29] – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call your secret sauce. So you might have already touched on this, but this might be for you or your businesses. What do you feel kinda sets you apart and makes you unique?

[00:09:40.60] – Christen Johnson

I feel like it's a couple of different things, with me helping women to determine their body shape. I feel like there are other people out here doing it, but not in the way that I'm doing it. I actually show them how to do it. I give them the resources, the tips, and the tricks on how I do it. So, and with that, I help them to determine their body shape with the body shapes that I actually created. A lot of stylists pretty much go off of what's already out there. I realized that when I first created the body shapes, I did that because a lot of the women in the audiences of the events that I was speaking at or some of the women that I connected with, weren't really intrigued by the body shapes that were already invented as far as, you know, bananas and apples and pears. Like, no woman wants to be compared to a fruit. Okay. And sometimes women don't like being compared to shapes either as far as triangles and rectangles.

So with me actually, you know, inventing my own shapes and really teaching women about that. I think that definitely allows me to stand out, and also my creativity when it comes to events and how I really adapt to my surroundings. So being in a smaller city, Baltimore, a lot of people, like I said before, don't really know what a stylist is. So pretty much in the beginning of twenty nineteen, I started hosting my own workshops. Most of them were free and provided food, drinks, and all of that, but it was literally me building my platform and showing people who I am, what I have to offer, and what exactly it is that I do. I feel like a lot of stylists don't do that, or they don't really know how to go about doing it. So I started doing that, and that was just practice for me to just get more comfortable speaking to people, different types of people, and handling situations differently. And the last thing I would say that makes me unique is I feel like my approach when it comes to things.

So now that we're going through COVID nineteen and quarantine and all of that, I feel like a lot of stylists or even a lot of businesses, in general, are kinda shutting down. But with me, I know women aren't necessarily looking to spend a lot of money probably right now. So I decided to create a virtual event that allows me to still do what I do as a stylist, but speak to multiple people at once, and really give them a personalized experience that they may not get anywhere else. So I'm doing a virtual closet cleanse, event, for the spring. So it's perfect timing. And then it's cool because everybody's inside anyway. So just showing women how they can use their time wisely, but still allowing them to see what I have to offer, and really just branching out and doing something different. So that's what being a business owner and an entrepreneur is all about, just trying new things and seeing if it works. And if it works, great. If it doesn't, then just take it

[00:12:35.00] – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. 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 app, a book, or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

[00:12:48.60] – Christen Johnson

I would say LinkedIn. I don't know if that's, like, considered a hack.

[00:12:55.79] – Gresham Harkless

It's not how you use it. Right?

[00:12:57.50] – Christen Johnson

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I know for everything that I do, I'm always on there promoting myself, messaging people. You know? And it's so easy to just reach out to people, whether they respond or not. You know? They may see it, and they may react to it, and others may not. But it just gives you the opportunity to just reach out to people and just see what happens.

[00:13:19.29] – Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. No. I think that's a phenomenal hack within a hack. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So that could be a word of wisdom or piece of advice or something you might tell yourself if you were to hop into a time machine.

[00:13:31.89] – Christen Johnson

I guess that everything will be okay. Sometimes I feel like I'm not working hard enough when I'm doing what I do. And I feel like, of course, everybody's always their own worst critic, and we're just, you know, terrible with ourselves. We treat ourselves really badly when it comes to business and when it comes to just creating. But, you know, when other people are looking at us and they see what we do, they see something completely different. They see amazingness. They see brilliance. They see, everything that they wanna do or everything that they would love to be a part of.

[00:14:07.89] – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. So I wanted to ask you now my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on the show. So, Kristen, what does being a CEO mean to you?

[00:14:17.60] – Christen Johnson

It means wearing multiple hats. I literally do everything and have been doing everything for a really long time. And it made me kinda humble myself because this industry isn't for everybody. And they always say, you know, it's always great to have your own business or own something, own something of your own. And it's just always been a thing for me to want to do that. Like, owning a business or just having a business mindset is really in my blood, but it's not for everybody. Everybody can't wear multiple hats.

[00:14:50.79] – Gresham Harkless

I definitely appreciate that. And I appreciate your time even more. So what I wanted to do is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you want to let our readers and listeners know and, of course, how best they can find out about you and get a hold of you.

[00:15:02.79] – Christen Johnson

Yeah. Is there anything I want you guys to know? To definitely support small businesses, small female-led businesses, and small female-led black-owned businesses, please support us, and allow us to provide you with amazing service. I feel like some of us sometimes are a little overlooked, and forgotten about, but we really do really great work. So definitely support me the best way you can, and you can connect with me and find me, on LinkedIn. My name is  Christen Johnson, c h r I s t e n, and, of course, sophisticated chic brand on LinkedIn and also Instagram, sophisticated chic brand. You can also find me on my website, sophisticated chic brand dot com.

[00:15:50.20] – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. We will definitely have those links and information in the show notes, and I definitely appreciate that reminder because I think so many times, you know, there are businesses and segments of, you know, individuals as well too that are definitely overlooked. So I think we all would have within us the power to kinda use our dollar to support businesses or not support businesses. So I brush you I definitely appreciate you for, you know, bringing that to attention and reminding us of that, you know, we can definitely do a lot with the effect that we have and things that we wanna see in the world by the dollars and where we use them. So we appreciate you, and I hope you have a great rest of the day.

[00:16:22.60] – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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