Personal Style, Midlife Wardrobe Capsule, and Taking a Chance on Yourself...
Kim 00:00:00 When I turned 50, I was like, it's over. Like I felt like I had, like, hit this hill. And then everything was just going to go down. There's so many women out there that are proving otherwise that we have to, like, listen to them.
Sarah 00:00:17 Hey peeps, welcome to the Flexible Neurotic Podcast. I'm your host, doctor Sarah Milken. Yeah, you heard that right. I'm a real PhD doctor. Long, long ago, like last fucking year, I was sitting in the midlife funk wondering, was this it for me? That day, I realized I needed to get off my ass and start my midlife remix. I dusted off my PhD, wiped the menopause sweat off my forehead, grabbed my golden shit shovel, and started digging deep to all my midlife bitches. It's not just luck, coffee, and hormones that get you through your midlife remix. It's action steps. Let's do this. Welcome back to the next episode of the Flexible Neurotic Podcast. I'm Doctor Sarah Malkin, the flexible neurotic.
Sarah 00:01:09 This is the Midlife Self Reinvention podcast, where we go through all the Uggs and fabulous cities of midlife. Today, I have a rad guess this is like a blind date. Okay, I saw this woman on Instagram started following her, buying her shit on her legs and I'm like, I just love her energy. I want her on my podcast. So I DM'd her and she said she was going to be here another week, a different week, because she lives in Chicago. And then she happened to say, oh, I'm here this week. And I'm like, can you come tomorrow? Like at 1130? And she was. Yes. So I don't know anything about her, but I'm going to tell you the following. She lives in Chicago. She's a wardrobe stylist. She was on Shark Tank. We're going to get into that. And she puts together the most amazing fashion look books. You're going to love her. Her name is Kim Price.
Kim 00:02:04 Hi. Hi.
Sarah 00:02:05 I'm so happy you're here.
Kim 00:02:07 I'm so happy.
Sarah 00:02:08 And your Instagram is where. With jeans?
Kim 00:02:10 Yes, where with jeans. So like where? As in we're with jeans. Genius.
Sarah 00:02:16 Yes. Okay. Love it. Tell me. Like what that's about? How did you get here? Who are you? Why are you here?
Kim 00:02:24 Oh, wow. Oh my gosh, I love it.
Sarah 00:02:25 Let's get into it.
Kim 00:02:26 Let's go right in. Yeah. so welcome to LA.
Sarah 00:02:30 You're staying with your sister?
Kim 00:02:32 I am, my sister lives here, so I decided to stay the week. It's her 50th birthday. Oh my God. Yeah. So she had a party on Saturday, and then we're headed to Ojai next. Oh my God.
Sarah 00:02:44 Amazing.
Kim 00:02:46 Yeah. Wow.
Sarah 00:02:47 It's like it's a little midlife mania. Yeah, some bumping it if they're teed up. If you guys are a church, you know. Yeah. So tell me how you got into all of this.
Kim 00:02:59 Yeah. so I have sort of been rooted in fashion.
Kim 00:03:06 I want to say, like, since I was, you know, in grade school, like, laying out the clothes in, like, mannequin form on the floor for school the night before. so I've always been kind of like a fashion girly. and I spent some time in magazines, so I worked for Conde Nast, for self magazine and did some, like, more advertising selling, and then following the 12 year stint in advertising, I, started a business which was a maternity clothing line business. So it was like novelty t shirts, that at the time it was like early 2000, like 2004 or 5 when like the maternity boom was happening, like all the like.
Sarah 00:03:57 When the seven jeans and those brands. Yeah gets aren't getting the maternity. Yeah.
Kim 00:04:01 And it was like the Julia Roberts was pregnant. Sandra Bullock was pregnant. Britney Spears like all.
Sarah 00:04:06 Of that trade.
Kim 00:04:07 I wrote it, I wrote it, yes. And created this like sort of high end novelty T-shirt line, that I sold out of my home for seven years.
Kim 00:04:19 And it was just it was a very simple business model produced to sell, didn't have any overhead, sold over like 1.5 million out of my basement.
Sarah 00:04:30 When I read that, I was like, what?
Kim 00:04:33 Yeah, like.
Sarah 00:04:33 Crazy. But how did you market it? Like, how do people know about it? Yeah, I.
Kim 00:04:37 Literally just called boutiques across the country. I really just wanted to hang with higher end brands. I wasn't going mass. I wasn't going like to the targets of the Walmarts of the world at that point.
Sarah 00:04:49 So how much were the t shirts?
Kim 00:04:50 So they retailed anywhere from like $38 for a tank to like $65 for a long sleeve. And they it was like a custom fit. So it was meant to be form fitting kind of show off your pregnant figure. And I got it. I did like all my own PR, I got on celebrities, I got on E! News. so it was really just sort of a grassroots.
Sarah 00:05:15 And how old are you?
Kim 00:05:16 So, so 2004.
Kim 00:05:19 I was like 30. Yeah, it was like 3130.
Sarah 00:05:23 Yeah. Were you married at that time?
Kim 00:05:25 I just had gotten married in 20 and oh two and, got laid off from my advertising job and spent some time just sort of figuring out what I was going to do. I worked for a girlfriend of mine who had a jewelry line so out of her basement and sort of learned the ins and outs of running a small business and, yeah, launched it in 2004 War and it was doing really, really well. Like the trajectory was, you know, onward and upward. And I was really getting like some big accounts. and then in, in 2008, everything sort of combusted, you know, boutiques, the high end maternity boutiques were closing. So a lot of my core business, my core accounts were kind of vanishing into thin air, and my production costs got super high. And Shark Tank had just aired their first season, and I was like, I don't know if I want to continue to fund this business.
Kim 00:06:22 It's no longer funding me the way that I need it to. And my dad was like, why don't you just apply? And so I at that time, it was just a very scrappy, like application process. You know, I sent in an email and they called me the next day, and I went through about six weeks of prepping with, like, the producers, you know, over the phone, sent in an audition video, and then next thing you know, I was here in L.A. shooting for crazy.
Sarah 00:06:53 Yeah, it was crazy.
Kim 00:06:55 It was really crazy. And you don't know you're going to be on air even though they send you out to do the pitch. You know, I think 24 pitches. But there was like maybe 60 plus of us that were out here. And I remember it was like my youngest son's like first Halloween and I missed it. And I was so sad.
Sarah 00:07:18 And mom. Yes. Totally.
Kim 00:07:21 Totally. And yeah, I didn't know I was going to be on air.
Kim 00:07:24 And truthfully, I was hoping I wouldn't be after the taping. Yeah. And then found out about four months later that I was on the season finale of season two. Yes.
Sarah 00:07:34 Wow. So what were what ended up happening there? And like, what were your takeaways from that whole experience?
Kim 00:07:40 Yeah, it was very humbling. I think you go in like as a business owner thinking like, well, this is my baby. And I in my head was like, I have a really good story. I sold, you know, a good amount of product. And some of the other pitches I had seen in the first season were prototypes, right? Hadn't even been on like out in the market for a year and you're.
Sarah 00:08:02 Like, I got this.
Kim 00:08:03 I know I was like, I've got a story. And my pitch was really to go mass. So at this point in time, I had to shift and pivot and learn how to produce more inventory to go into like Target or Walmart and then decrease my production costs in order to do that.
Kim 00:08:19 So I was hoping for connections. Really, I didn't really it wasn't about the dollar amount in terms of the deal. and I just underestimated the reality TV piece, because it's for television.
Sarah 00:08:35 Yeah, but it was my.
Kim 00:08:36 Baby, so I was like, what do you mean? So, I definitely got pummeled a little bit.
Sarah 00:08:44 But in what way? It doesn't maternity clothes doesn't seem controversial.
Kim 00:08:50 Right. And it was actually interesting because there was another pitch around maternity gowns, like, like somebody had created like a line of maternity gowns. And the the objections she received were a lot different than the objections that I received. The main thing was I like I said, I was on like a huge trajectory to 2005, 2006. I was like soaring. And then just as 2008 hit, it was starting to decrease. And so they sort of honed in on that piece, like, do we really want to jump on this train when you're not, you know, at your highest point? And then I got some objections.
Sarah 00:09:30 So that's what the judges were saying. Oh, so you're being grilled by the judges?
Kim 00:09:34 Yeah. Yeah, by the piano, by the investors.
Sarah 00:09:37 And you're like, fuck you. I just chose yes, yes. Oh, my God, that's so hard. And like, there, I mean, there has to be some formula to the reality TV where one or 2 or 3 people have to, like take one for the team or it's not interesting TV 100%.
Kim 00:09:55 And it really was just like I later learned, you know, all the calls that I had with the producers, they were really trying to find your weak spots and your hot buttons. And then that's how the questions were delivered.
Sarah 00:10:07 To you.
Kim 00:10:08 Because they want the reaction.
Sarah 00:10:09 I mean, girl table was wow, right?
Kim 00:10:13 Yes. But honestly, it was the coolest experience. I mean, like now just having like to hang my hat on that is, is very, really cool. I mean, there were 22,000 applicants and 24 people made it to air.
Kim 00:10:28 So, and if you see the episode, it's actually like Kevin O'Leary kind of comes hard at me at the end and I just holding back my tears, I said something like, well, thank you. You know, thanking them for listening to my pitch. And he's like, why are you thanking me? I'm like, Because I'm a lady. Yeah. I said, Because I'm a lady and like, walked out just like yours. No. That's awful. Yeah, it was crazy. And then I left there thinking like, God, I really hope I'm not on television. I mean, that's humiliating. And then I got, I remember I was like, running errands or shopping at the Gap and I got this email. Congratulations. You're going to be on air. And and you're like, oh.
Sarah 00:11:09 So publicly, like I'm.
Kim 00:11:11 Pregnant. And you, they don't show you the episode before it airs. Oh. So yeah, it.
Sarah 00:11:17 Was just so then what happened from there? Like the the company closed down.
Kim 00:11:22 Yeah. So honestly, I had kind of had in my head like, you know, it was great exposure. I 2% of those pitches actually get a deal. I knew obviously at well before I aired that I didn't have a deal. But I was kind of writing it out and then just kind of decided, you know what? I'm going to start looking for a job. and the exposure was amazing. I, I opted not to produce any more inventory, but I still had my website up. So from the show, I did get a lot of traction. Tried to blow out a lot of inventory. You I mean, the people that reach out to you, life coaches, marriage proposals like you want to. I mean, it.
Sarah 00:12:06 Was yeah, gosh, what an experience. I know it was total experience.
Kim 00:12:10 Like things like handwritten letters on LinkedIn like people are I it's amazing. I know really like festive. And then they like looped it on CNBC for years. So I'd be at the gym and like the big, you know, the big screen TVs, like while people are on the treadmill, I'm like, oh my God, oh my.
Sarah 00:12:30 God. And I was like, the shit that keeps on giving.
Kim 00:12:33 Exactly, exactly. And I would always see like, oh, it must have aired. Like all the sudden I'd get this spike in like LinkedIn views or like random just. And at this point I didn't I hadn't, you know, had a social account. I mean, social media really wasn't a thing. I don't know.
Sarah 00:12:48 I didn't have it until three years. Yeah.
Kim 00:12:49 I mean, yeah. So it really wasn't I, I mean, the way I grew my business was, you know, phone calls and emails.
Sarah 00:12:57 What a concept.
Kim 00:12:59 Yeah, right.
Sarah 00:12:59 Exactly, exactly.
Speaker 3 00:13:01 Talk.
Sarah 00:13:01 Oh, yeah. Leave a message with a receptionist. Yep. Wait for a call back. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Yeah, yeah, those were the days. Those were the.
Kim 00:13:10 Days. Yep. Yeah.
Sarah 00:13:12 That's crazy. So then what happened from there. So you basically sort of went like your business kind of went into.
Kim 00:13:19 Yes. Into like sort of it was.
Sarah 00:13:22 Selling off old inventory.
Kim 00:13:23 And I'm like, you know what? I I've got to just go out and get a job. I was, you know, my personal life was a little volatile at the time. I had just had my second baby and he was now around two one, maybe even not even two. And, I'm like, I just got to like, get back out there, like, get out of my house. Like, start working again. I was 40 at this time, so I was like 40. And there was a startup called Trunk Club that was starting in Chicago. It was a men's clothing service. and I was introduced via a friend to the founder. And so in November 2011, I started with them as a, as a stylist. And, you know, it was it was very conducive to what I like to do. But it was it was primarily men or exclusively men at the time. And at the time it was I was, I think at number 27 of, 27th employee hired.
Kim 00:14:24 And I spent seven years with that company, as a stylist. And Nordstrom then later acquired Trunk Club in 2014. So we saw that like pretty incredible acquisition happen. So that startup culture was, you know, deep in my roots between having my own business and then watching this kind of flourish into just like something we would have never imagined, but later moved into styling women as well. And so, yeah, spent seven years there and then moved on to the real real for a for a hot minute.
Sarah 00:15:02 Did you like that? Mixed bag?
Kim 00:15:05 Yeah. Mixed bag. It was. You know, I love the the idea of luxury resale. sustainable fashion. I have some.
Sarah 00:15:13 Friends who are obsessed with that whole thing. Yes.
Kim 00:15:15 And it's amazing for the customer who wants to buy, but from an employee or for a seller, it's it's pretty challenging. Yeah. Yeah. And you know I like just kind of Continued working with some clients on the side. I'm not sure if I really wanted to continue styling.
Kim 00:15:35 I think I had been really burnt out. Trunk Club was a hustle. I mean, we were there from seven in the morning till nine at night. Every day I had, I was a single mom. I had two little kids. I was like, so who was.
Sarah 00:15:49 Taking care of your kids?
Kim 00:15:51 Like nannies, like babysitters.
Sarah 00:15:53 So you were basically, like, working to pay the nanny 1,000%?
Kim 00:15:57 Yeah, yeah. and then I kind of left fashion for a minute and did some digital marketing and corporate. And at that time, I had decided in 2020, like beginning of 2020, I always wanted to start a social account. Everyone always said, like, you really should. People are always asking like where I would get things, buy things, how to style things. And so I pulled the trigger reluctantly. but I was the best.
Sarah 00:16:26 Way it was doing it.
Kim 00:16:28 Yes, it was the best way. And the reason why I came up with wear with jeans is because at that time, you know, I was almost 50 and I was like, am I too old to do this? Like you constantly ask, oh my.
Sarah 00:16:40 Gosh, it's like the famous question.
Kim 00:16:43 Yes. Like, is it over? Like. And I was the oldest person to work at Trunk Club for a long time. I mean, my you were like.
Sarah 00:16:52 Yeah, Grandma Kim.
Kim 00:16:53 I mean, it was like 27, 28 year olds, 25 year olds, you know, the oh my God, my parents are your age, like.
Sarah 00:16:59 Together. Yes.
Kim 00:17:03 so when I started it and I thought, like, where would jeans was kind of cool because I don't like to subscribe to the idea of having to dress, you know, your age. I like the idea of dressing based on how you feel like what you feel on the inside. So like your jeans, like your inner self, your are and so and it's, you know, a very common thing to say as a stylist, like, oh, that top, so cute. You can wear it with jeans.
Sarah 00:17:30 Yeah, totally.
Kim 00:17:31 So it was sort of a play on words and that's kind of how it came about.
Sarah 00:17:35 I love that. And so you just started an Instagram account. I started and was the original Instagram account, what it is today and what year was that.
Kim 00:17:44 So that was 2020 okay. And I at that point in time, I was working for a digital marketing startup, and was doing this on the side. So I had like kind of decided, you know what? I'm going to do a little side hustle, start building some clients back, using social media as a tool to get people to, you know, find me again. And, I have some friends that have been doing blogging for a long time. So, some really valuable help. And I really just, I immerse myself into, like, how to build a social account and, you know, how did, like, photography and, just social media strategies and SEO and all the things.
Sarah 00:18:25 All the things I don't do. Yeah, mine is more just like, throw shit at a wall and see what sticks. Yeah, well, I still do that too.
Kim 00:18:34 and yeah.
Sarah 00:18:35 Just sort of evolved.
Kim 00:18:37 Over time. And it's very humbling. It's, I feel very vulnerable, like 99% of the time, just like putting myself out there. But, you know, I've seen a lot of really good traction. It's now a little over four years since I've been doing that. And then my styling business has really, you know, taken on a life of its own and become my full time. Wow.
Sarah 00:19:04 Yeah. Okay. So you're styling business is how old now?
Kim 00:19:09 So I started as a side a true side hustle in 2020. Okay. And then I was laid off again from another corporate job. And.
Sarah 00:19:22 You weren't meant to be there.
Kim 00:19:24 I wasn't meant to be there.
Sarah 00:19:24 To creative? Yeah. To fun.
Kim 00:19:26 Yeah, I worked for. I worked in, for Grubhub. It's like, you know, in, like, as an account manager. And at that point, I was just like, I just need a steady paycheck, like, you know, try to get, like, my footing and use it sort of to fund my little side hustle.
Kim 00:19:46 got laid off last June, so it's been a year. And there was some runway there with severance, and I'm like, this is the universe telling me to do it. I just hit ten k followers on a Friday and got laid off on a Monday. And I was like, okay, I'm doing it like, this is like.
Sarah 00:20:03 I love that.
Kim 00:20:04 And, I just kind of put my like, head down. I cried a lot. I was like, am I going to have to go back into corporate, you know, what am I going to do? Fashion jobs are really, you know, they're like a solid fashion and job. They were like hard to find, especially in Chicago. and the advice I was given is give it till April or May. And then if you feel like you're really not making any headway, like kind of reevaluate. And April was my best month. Wow. So yeah, I'm just like being a little bit more aggressive about reaching out to old clients and being more proactive about putting myself out there.
Sarah 00:20:45 So are these in-person or zoom consults? Like what's the structure of it?
Kim 00:20:50 Yeah. So it's everything. I do in-person closet edits. So like a full edit, where we'll go through your closet, kind of talk about what you own, how to wear it, what you should purge. and I'm a hoarder. Oh, yeah.
Sarah 00:21:08 So we should do a closet. It's. It's like it's not a good scene. Yeah, it's just not a good scene. Yeah. So I'll do.
Kim 00:21:14 In-person. And I've also done virtual sessions, which are really fun. We set up like a FaceTime call or a zoom call in a client's closet, and we'll kind of talk through things. and then the logical step beyond that is doing these virtual look books or custom look books. where I will lay out what you you, I think you've seen. But I'll lay out like pdf, a PDF document of like how to wear and style.
Sarah 00:21:40 It's very technological. Oh, I'm like nice. Yeah. I mean, maybe it's easier than it looks.
Sarah 00:21:46 Yeah, it's like a Pinterest thing. I don't know, because I'm not skilled enough, but I was like, oh, that looks good. Yeah.
Kim 00:21:52 It's fun. It's really fun. And so I'll do anything to like, you know, like I said, in person virtual styling sessions, I can digitally catalog your closet through an app, which is like clueless a lot of people.
Sarah 00:22:05 Yeah. I'd be like, are you really sure that you want to catalog all my shit from 1984? Yeah, well.
Kim 00:22:11 I think that there's this misperception or that, you know, working with a stylist means you have to go out and buy.
Sarah 00:22:17 Only.
Kim 00:22:18 Clothes? And that's not the case. I think ultimately, if you learn how to wear like your workhorse pieces or your core pieces are the ones that you really feel like, you know, bring you the most joy, you'll learn that you only need a few things to supplement.
Sarah 00:22:33 Here and there. You can tell my husband that because he thinks that you know, he thinks I overbuy why do you need six of everything? The whole thing? And I'm like, I don't know.
Kim 00:22:43 Yeah, yeah. So yeah. So I have that offering as well. And I've done styled photoshoots, I've done event styling. I work with like brides, mothers of the brides, grooms and like planned trips, packing trips.
Sarah 00:22:59 So if you do a virtual thing, you're going through their own stuff. But then are you like, okay, wait, you don't even have a white shirt? Yes.
Kim 00:23:08 Like, yes. So we'll make a list. typically what I like to do is following an edit whether or not they want to move forward with like a curated lookbook, I will sit down with them and make my suggestions of like where there are some gaps that could really round out your wardrobe and either take, you know, take that and create a lookbook and give them some shoppable links. I don't sell product. I don't want anyone to ever feel like they're being pushed merchandise. For me, that is not so.
Sarah 00:23:38 You don't make a commission on the clothes.
Kim 00:23:40 I do through Commissionable links.
Sarah 00:23:42 Oh, I see, but not if you have a client.
Sarah 00:23:44 Exactly.
Kim 00:23:45 Exactly. But my goal is really just to teach people how to, you know, get reacquainted with their closets, you know, find their personal style, use what they have and not, and kind of eliminate that mindless spending.
Sarah 00:23:59 Oh, that's my specialty. I mean, I've mastered that. apparently, like I was saying to my friend yesterday, I wonder how much money I would save if I didn't have Instagram.
Kim 00:24:11 Oh Instagram is like like.
Sarah 00:24:12 It's a killer. Like killer. Change my spending, like, incrementally. My husband's like, do you think Instagram is free? Yeah. Do you think Amazon is fucking free? Yeah. I'm like I don't know. Yeah. It's it's very hard to not get that dopamine hit of shop pay click shop.
Kim 00:24:32 It's so easy.
Sarah 00:24:32 It's just a tap tap. You can then all the shit comes that I'm like yep yeah, yeah. And then the returns. The returns. Oh my God, kill me I know I do. You do returns for people I will do.
Kim 00:24:43 Returns for people I do like I've done like in-person fittings where I'll bring all the, the merchandise to your house and we'll do like, a fitting and then I'll take it back into the returns for them. So, yeah, I know returns are the worst. They are. Oh my God.
Sarah 00:24:56 Yeah.
Kim 00:24:57 Oh, yeah.
Sarah 00:24:58 So what would you say your style is?
Kim 00:25:01 So my style I, I like to kind of lean on, like your, like, capsule pieces just like stuff you'll never get sick of, like a black button down or like a great pair of denim. Or I'm a big blazer person. I think a blazer can round on an outfit.
Sarah 00:25:20 But do you have three blazers or 30?
Kim 00:25:22 I have a handful of blazers. I think every, you know, I think everyone, every one of my blazers has a different purpose, so to speak. But I feel like, I'm like pretty classic and, minimal. Okay. and then sometimes I have my days where I'm like, I want to be, like, a little more edgy or, you know, I hate to use the word trendy, but, like, it's fun.
Sarah 00:25:46 To kind of dip in the mesh shoes that everybody's wearing.
Kim 00:25:50 Yeah, I think there's ways to to style things that don't look so out there that you're like, what am I doing? Am I wearing a costume? Like, but I would, I really like I a white button down is like my best friend, you know, a great pair of flats, a great pair of, like, black boots. So I lean in on on like those capsule pieces. And I really like to encourage clients to build out a strong capsule wardrobe, because that will never steer you wrong.
Sarah 00:26:21 But do you feel like then you're wearing the same six outfits all the time?
Kim 00:26:24 No, no, I really don't because I think there's so many great ways to style with accessories, with shoes, you know, belts. There's ways to kind of, you know, switch it up. You can add dimension by layer, like layering is like fall's my favorite season right.
Sarah 00:26:43 Now because you live in Chicago. I know you layered in LA.
Sarah 00:26:45 I know you would melt.
Kim 00:26:46 I know, I know, but you know, even simple, simple elements like throwing a sweater over your shoulders when you've just got a tank top in, jeans on. There's just ways to make things look really polished and put together.
Sarah 00:26:58 And what would you say? Like women in our age range. You said you're 53, 52, 52. I'm 49. Okay. What would you say are like the major things or issues that women are having, like wanting to address with you. Like is it? Wait, is it like I can't keep up with skinny jeans versus wide leg jeans? Like, what's going on there?
Kim 00:27:22 Yeah. well, I think there's like a handful of things. There's, you know, we're all kind of, Covid fatigued when it comes to our closet. So I'm starting to see kind of an uptick in people, like walking into their closets now, and they're like, I can't wear this stuff anymore. I'm either back at the office or I'm going out again or, you know, I'm dating or I'm traveling and they're closet has become just sort of, you.
Sarah 00:27:52 Know, sweatpants.
Kim 00:27:53 Sweatpants. Lululemon. No, no shade too. Yeah.
Sarah 00:27:56 Yeah, yeah.
Kim 00:27:58 and so they're looking for kind of an update to feel more polished, more elevated. So I have that piece which which is working really well for me at this moment. I think like it's taken that four year period, like 2020, end of 2023 into 2024 is really starting to see people like, I need, I need to really address this, this closet of mine. Yeah. and then yes, I do have a sweet spot of clients that are, you know, probably in their late 30s to early 50s, many of which I hear, oh, I'm too old to wear that. Yeah. And that is like, I will never tell you you're too old to wear something, because that's really the premise of why I started my business. I mean, I love to wear shorts. I have clients that hate to wear shorts because they feel like, well, I'm too old to wear shorts.
Kim 00:28:49 And I try to teach them to wear, like, find new confidence in what they're wearing. and yeah, I think that the whole idea of our bodies changing, it's it's frustrating. I mean, I think, you know, many of the whole thing.
Sarah 00:29:06 I mean, I have like some genes, I have like three different sizes. Yeah.
Kim 00:29:10 It's a whole thing like, you know, really teaching people don't pay attention to the size.
Sarah 00:29:15 Oh, who gives a shit honestly. Right. Like I'm a 24 and a 29, right? Like, exactly.
Kim 00:29:20 Exactly. but you know, with regard to something like skinny jeans, when people are like, why am I not supposed to wear skinny jeans anymore? If you love your skinny jeans, let's find a way to style them more updated and like more current. So if you're wearing your skinny jeans like, let's put a tall boot over them, you know, or if you're wearing you like something more skinny, let's do something with a little bit more of an opening at the ankle where it doesn't feel like a legging.
Kim 00:29:49 You know, there's there's ways to update it and not fully depart from the places that you love.
Sarah 00:29:56 Yeah. No, I get that. And do you feel like women In our open to this capsule idea, because I feel like we're in a society right now where more is more is more is better, you know, or it's like, let's get in every color and blah, blah, blah. Capsule for a hoarder is really hard. You know what I mean? I'm like, don't fucking tell me that I have to scale down my shed. Yeah. You know. Well yeah it's hard. but I see my husband dresses very capsule like I call it a very upscale U.P.S. uniform. I love.
Kim 00:30:32 That.
Sarah 00:30:34 because it's like the same shirt in 12 colors, the same shirt in the same color, and then the same with the pants, like the three vests. And it's like, you don't even know it's a different outfit. And he's like, how's this blue jacket? I'm like, it's the same as your other four, but whatever.
Sarah 00:30:52 Yeah. And he just doesn't understand that that doesn't work for me. Like, I, I enjoy clothes, I want to wear different clothes, but I do see the need for the capsule piece of it. So you're not just constantly buying more and more and more and it never ends.
Kim 00:31:09 Yeah, I think that if if, you know, a capsule should kind of serve as, you know, what I like to call like your workhorse pieces, like the pieces in your wardrobe that are working the hardest for you, like your favorite jeans, like I said, or a great pair of flats or heels or a blazer. But that shouldn't deter you from, like, integrating your personal style around those pieces. So I think if you have those strong capsule pieces that you love, you feel great in, and that could look very different from one to the next, like a leather jacket could be in your capsule, but a denim jacket could be in another capsule. Right? And it really just depends on the client and their personal style.
Kim 00:31:51 And then I like to say like, let's sprinkle in the things that make you, you, you know, whether that's like the pops of color or, you know, the fun accessories.
Sarah 00:32:01 Like, I love leopard. Anytime there's a moment, I'm in.
Kim 00:32:04 Me too. I love leopard.
Sarah 00:32:06 I know that's like my mom. Yeah, I love it.
Kim 00:32:09 I love a great pair of leopard pants. But just because you have a capsule wardrobe doesn't mean you can't integrate a pair of leopard pants, right?
Sarah 00:32:17 But they're not part of your capsule.
Kim 00:32:18 No, I would never. I wouldn't put, like, a strong, like, dominant print in a capsule, but I would pair the leopard like leopard pants with a great black cashmere sweater that would be in the capsule.
Sarah 00:32:30 Items like, do you have a spring capsule, a winter capsule?
Kim 00:32:34 Yeah. So what I, what I tend to do is, I'll put out, like, a strong spring capsule and a fall capsule, as a download on my website.
Kim 00:32:46 And so for those who, you know, it makes styling a little bit more accessible. It's like a $45 download. You have like 70 links, 25 styled looks with like 18 pieces.
Sarah 00:32:58 How long does that take you to do? It's,
Kim 00:33:00 It it's a it's a good project.
Sarah 00:33:02 Are you. But what's your what's your way of doing it? Like, are you deep diving into, like, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom's and gathering all the links? Yeah, yeah. Wow.
Kim 00:33:11 And I'm trying to give people options at all price points.
Sarah 00:33:15 Yeah, that was gonna be my next question.
Kim 00:33:16 Yeah. Because you know it. You know you can want to invest in your in a great pair of shoes, but you may not want to spend $100 on a t shirt. Yeah. So I like I like clients to feel like they have all different options at every price point. But is it.
Sarah 00:33:33 Hard to cater to different price points all at the same time? Not like your.
Kim 00:33:39 Classic.
Sarah 00:33:39 Like staples?
Kim 00:33:40 I don't think so.
Kim 00:33:41 I think, and I'm like, all about the hunt. And I love a good high low outfit.
Sarah 00:33:46 Oh my god, me too. People are like, why don't you post all your stuff? I'm like, because I feel like I'm like wearing thousand dollar shoes in like a $6 tank top and like, nothing makes sense. You know what I mean? That's the beauty, I know, but it just feels weird when you go to post it and you're like, this doesn't make sense.
Kim 00:34:03 But even so, like, women are so funny and I do this all the time. But if I'm at Starbucks and someone's like, I like your shoes, I will quickly tell you, oh my god, they're H&M. They were $20 to I love me like my husband's like.
Sarah 00:34:16 Why are you telling people? And I'm like, because women want to know. But not every woman will actually.
Kim 00:34:21 Ask, right? Right.
Sarah 00:34:22 I ask and I tell.
Kim 00:34:24 Him, and I think I would be far more inclined to be like, these were $30 shoes.
Kim 00:34:29 I wouldn't tell you. Oh, they were $1,000, like run to Neiman's and grab them, you know, but you're more proud of like those, like little gems that you see.
Sarah 00:34:37 Someone wearing something. I will literally chase them down the street, I love that. Excuse me, excuse me. Like, I was in New York and this woman was wearing these green linen track pants, and I have a million pairs of track pants, but they're polyester, which is like a crotch swamp situation, you know, in the summer. So I'm like, oh, I love these linen. I was like, excuse me, where did you get them? And she's like, oh, this Australian bread. I'm like, no, no, no, I need like the specific link. They don't tell me Australia. Yeah tell me exactly and I'm going to find them and I did. Yeah. But I'm just saying it's like I want what I want.
Kim 00:35:12 Yeah. And, and that's, I mean like if you love clothes.
Kim 00:35:15 Yeah. Like that's, it's, it's such a, an amazing way to express yourself. And like if you see somebody wearing something that you love, like find out I know I love, I, I love to share. I worked with people that didn't. Yeah. They didn't want to tell you. Yeah. And I find it to be and I think that's what brought me into having like, you know, a social account because I'm like, I'm wearing this. I want you guys to have it to wear.
Sarah 00:35:40 It's funny because women tend to be gatekeepers. And I think the influencer space in social media, if you think about it, has like kind of un gatekeeper, a lot of things. Is that even a word? You know what I'm saying? Yeah. UN gate opens the gate and the gates. yeah. Because they want to sell you what they're wearing, so they're happy to tell you. Oh, this shirt is from wherever. Yeah. Whereas before it was like, oh, I don't know, I forgot, I don't remember, you know, it's kind of funny if you think about it.
Sarah 00:36:13 It is, it is.
Kim 00:36:14 It's very funny. I'm like, why don't you want to say but I understand, I mean, I understand if it's like in a close knit circle of people that all of a sudden you're starting to see this trend where everybody's like dressing alike and you want to kind of, you know, maintain your individuality. But still, I just I have always been like an overshare. Yeah. Like, I love to I love to spread spread the wealth.
Sarah 00:36:38 And where are you willing to spend your dollars? Like, are you diving into the expensive shoes or are you diving into the like, where is your.
Kim 00:36:45 Yeah, so I. I think that where I am willing to invest is outerwear obviously, because in Chicago I mean, yeah, I mean we live for our outerwear. It's like the biggest perk for living in Chicago is because you can have so many jackets if jackets too. Yeah, yeah. So I think a great outerwear piece, I love a great pair of boots.
Kim 00:37:10 I think like boots and.
Sarah 00:37:12 Like knee high boots.
Kim 00:37:14 It depends. Like I have a pair from last season that were just like kind of an ankle, an ankle boot, but had just like the perfect heel height. And you could wear them dressed up or dressed down. And to me that was like worth an investment because I'd wear them so many ways. Yeah. I think premium denim is great. I mean, yeah.
Sarah 00:37:35 Yeah, the premium denim thing is crazy beans too. I know, it's like I went to RedOne the other day.
Kim 00:37:41 Oh, I know.
Sarah 00:37:41 And I tried on a pair of Levi's and they were $800. And I was like, I know what, I know.
Kim 00:37:48 The vintage Levi's are like, you know, I.
Sarah 00:37:50 Didn't even know.
Kim 00:37:51 $300.
Sarah 00:37:52 Yep. I didn't even know you could get $800 jeans. I was like, okay.
Kim 00:37:58 I wouldn't go that high. But if I'm working with clients, yeah, like if I want, I'll tell them, like if they're want to invest in like a couple pieces and they feel like denim is a staple in their wardrobe, then I would add maybe some that are hovering around two 5300.
Sarah 00:38:15 Yeah, I get that. Yeah.
Kim 00:38:17 Yeah. but I would say those are like really where I would go in with like a heavy investment if my wallet looked it a little different. And those answers might change.
Sarah 00:38:30 Yeah. But. Right, right, right. So do you feel like you buy stuff every month? Do you feel like you buy stuff like how do you keep it in check? I need to get better about that. Yeah, according to my husband.
Kim 00:38:42 Yeah. I mean, listen, like, I'm by no means like a minimalist. I like to encourage people, like I said, to kind of build a foundation in their wardrobe. But it is. It is my passion and I feel obligated to share more and more. So people are inspired or have ideas. but I try. I think my rule of thumb is if I cannot wear something three ways, it is just really not worth buying, okay? And I try to tell that to my clients to like, let's let me show you three ways to wear this.
Kim 00:39:17 You should be able to wear it like casually dressy and sort of like middle of the road.
Sarah 00:39:23 Okay. So give me an example.
Kim 00:39:25 So I would say like a leather jacket is a great example. Like if you're going to invest. Oh yeah I feel. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I think a leather jacket is a great example because you could wear it over like a great slip dress with I love that with a heel and out to dinner, you could wear it with a t shirt and a jogger with sneakers during the day. Or you could wear it with a great pair of denim and a bootie and like a a cashmere sweater for like, work.
Sarah 00:40:00 Now, is that an H&M leather jacket or is that.
Kim 00:40:03 If you're it could be either one. Okay. But if you are going to invest, that's a great way to justify an investment. Got it.
Sarah 00:40:10 Okay. Yeah. Because I sometimes I'm like, do I want the trendy leather jacket that like doesn't have the collar, like am I.
Sarah 00:40:18 Is that like a long term purchase for me. Like I don't know, it's it's this kind of back and forth. Yeah.
Kim 00:40:24 Well and that's again goes back to the high low. Like if you want to dip your toe in something but you're not really sure how you're going to integrate it into your wardrobe, then do it at a lower price. And if you decide, oh, you know what, I'm really wearing this a lot. I think I want something a little nicer right? Then you've already kind of experimented.
Sarah 00:40:43 And how do you deal with the handbag thing? Honestly, it's like.
Kim 00:40:46 Well the again, luxury resale is is like everyone's best friend. Now you can find some great handbags like on a resale site or a like on eBay or, you know, vintage is, you know, obviously all the rage. So there's there's definitely ways to, to get that, luxury element without like going five grand on it right now.
Sarah 00:41:11 Do you feel like you buy handbags that are like for the whole seat like that you could kind of wear all the time? Or do you feel like you have like summer handbags? You know, some pieces are kind of year round.
Kim 00:41:23 Yeah. I, I again like I think if you're going to invest in a bag, it should be something that you could get the most use out of. you know, like taking like a great suede tote. that you can wear all year. I mean, you really can integrate suede all year.
Sarah 00:41:43 I'm not even in Chicago when it's wet.
Kim 00:41:45 Yeah, okay. I don't I don't subscribe to that.
Sarah 00:41:48 Okay. No meaning like the like it's wet outside.
Kim 00:41:51 Yeah I don't subscribe to that.
Sarah 00:41:52 Okay.
Kim 00:41:53 I'm like that's fine. Just spray it. There's plenty of like yeah, there's plenty of ways to protect.
Sarah 00:41:57 Your chemical yourself up.
Kim 00:41:59 Just, you know, bring it on. but I think, like, when you're gonna really dive deep into an investment bag, it should be something that you're going to have for a while and can take you year round. And it's super versatile. I, you know, I, I, I love a great handbag, but I don't think that it necessarily needs to break the bank to look luxury, to look, elevated.
Kim 00:42:27 I think there's ways that, you know, you could integrate less expensive if you're willing to do the work. And look, do.
Sarah 00:42:33 You have favorite brands that are like 1 or 2 steps down that kind of give you the look but aren't necessarily $5,000.
Kim 00:42:42 Yeah, yeah, I do. I love I have a bag from a brand called DeMille London, and they have beautiful, beautiful bags that are priced under $600. I have a bag that I got. It's sort of like just kind of a handle bag that I probably got two years ago. It looks brand new. I get compliments every time I carry it. It's like weathered every storm. And I'm not nice to my.
Sarah 00:43:10 Neither am I. I'm like, yeah, disgusting. I'm like, I have a water bottle and gummy gummy bear. It's not good. It's not good.
Kim 00:43:17 Yeah, I do really, really love their bags. I'm trying to think of I mean, Ganni has some great bags, I think, like some really great little, like, evening bags or smaller bags.
Kim 00:43:34 I'm trying to think of who else that I sort of gravitate towards. Little listener.
Sarah 00:43:40 I love I don't know that that's a great brand. is that like Parker? That kind of. Oh, I love Parker. Yeah.
Kim 00:43:46 Yes. One of my favorites. I have their little suede.
Sarah 00:43:50 Yeah. Charlie. Great bag, which is a great bag.
Kim 00:43:53 but, yeah, little lifter is, like, great leather. Suede. Totes like shoulder bags again. Like under, I want to say under $600. Yeah.
Sarah 00:44:05 And jewelry. Are you like, everything's real. You don't care. You're ordering hoops from Amazon. Like, where are you on that?
Kim 00:44:13 Yeah, I'm sort of like, not everything is real by any means. I, I love, I mean, I love a good, you know, me too.
Sarah 00:44:21 I don't give a shit if it's from Amazon.
Kim 00:44:23 Yeah, I don't either. And, you know, I love finding, like, Etsy has great finds, like vintage earrings.
Kim 00:44:31 you know, there's there's a lot of amazing jewelry brands out there that you could get, you know, for under $300, like a beautiful necklace or some stacking rings or some bangles. I don't think it has to be real.
Sarah 00:44:44 Yeah, that's how I am too. Some of my stuff is so mixed together that sometimes I question. I'm like, I don't even know which ones are the Amazon ones, right? I'm good. Yeah. I'm like, oh no, what's happening here? And I'm also like, not the most organized person. So yeah, things tend to like make it into different drawers and whatever. That's definitely something that needs to be worked on. Yeah. For sure. Yeah. do you find that packing like, I have packing unpacking disorder for sure. Yeah. It goes hand in hand with the hoarding. I need to have everything. And the kitchen sink in my suitcase. My husband has, like, a mental breakdown. Every time we travel, I see that you do some packing stuff, like what is the strategy there? Like can you help someone as debilitated as me?
Kim 00:45:36 And it's funny because my girlfriends are like, the way you pack is not the way you teach your clients to pack.
Kim 00:45:43 Oh, really? And I thought, yes, which is hilarious. I am the I am the girlfriend that goes on trips and checks my bag when everybody carries on. And, you know, it's like, for those who can't do teach.
Sarah 00:45:57 Yes, exactly.
Kim 00:45:58 I love doing packing lists with people. I think it's great to and in this app that I use, you could literally map out like outfits, like put.
Sarah 00:46:08 Them I saw that is so cool. Like, I don't feel like I would follow the fucking rules.
Kim 00:46:13 It's really I mean, I think people really like to adhere to that if they want to, you know, travel light. Yeah. and I like to talk about the itinerary. What are you doing on the trip? Do you how many dinners do you have? And let's pack it by outfit and see like where you could do some overlapping. So you can kind of get rid of the excess. and if you map it out and really do it by day, you really start to eliminate and end up with, like you.
Sarah 00:46:43 Pack it by day. Like.
Kim 00:46:45 I mean, you can pack it by day, I think. I think the idea is to really map out what outfits you're going to wear. If you're if you've got very specific events, for instance, if you're going like away for a wedding. Yeah.
Sarah 00:46:59 That's different. You know, that's different.
Kim 00:47:01 But if you're going, you know, to Italy for a week, I think there's a lot of ways where you can integrate like a linen set. And then you wear the linen shirt separately from the pants and wear the pants on their own with the tank, and then the tank could go, you know, everything could sort of be mix and match. But I feel.
Sarah 00:47:19 Like once you've worn a linen item, it's fucked. Yeah.
Kim 00:47:23 I mean, I guess, I mean, I traveled in this and I'm wearing it today.
Sarah 00:47:26 but that's not super linear. Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah. I'm wondering, like, well, because we travel with a steamer.
Kim 00:47:33 Oh, yeah.
Sarah 00:47:33 Like, that's a really big deal for us. Like, my husband and I are, like, obsessed with the steamer. because he, he's like I'm not paying for hotels like steam my shit no matter how I pack. To be totally honest, it's always wrinkled. You know, like some people are like lay the dress over the suitcase, put it in a pack. Like, no matter what I do, it's always wrinkled.
Kim 00:47:55 Yeah. No, I agree. And there's some really great steamers, like travel steamers that are super tiny that, like, can do wonders. I think that's like critical when you travel.
Sarah 00:48:05 Oh my God. Like I would 100% die. Die without it. Like we took it into Europe. We had like convertor. It was a whole thing. It's like a science project. Yeah. For sure. Yeah. but it's so life changing. Even my son in college with, like, if he has to do dress shirts and stuff, I was like, here's the consumer.
Sarah 00:48:24 Yeah. You know. Exactly. It's so easy. It's so.
Kim 00:48:27 Good. It's great. And it it brings. Honestly, you could, like you said, like you could wear a linen piece and then just steam it out, I mean, yeah.
Sarah 00:48:35 And then the crotch wrinkles are hard to get out sometimes. That's my issue with re wearing linen sometimes is the crotch wrinkles. Yeah.
Kim 00:48:42 And I have some clients that just won't even wear it and find I'm.
Sarah 00:48:46 On the fence.
Kim 00:48:47 Yeah I love a good linen.
Sarah 00:48:48 I know, so do I, I just don't like the next day crotch ring. Yeah, that's hard for me. now, in terms of the unpack, do you have any, like, when you come home and there's that suitcase staring at you? Like, really.
Kim 00:49:05 I know, I know. Well, packing cubes are great.
Sarah 00:49:08 But do you actually put the shit back in? I just throw it all back in the suitcase and slam shit I do. I think that my husband does.
Sarah 00:49:16 It's so he does what you do. He, like, puts it all back in. He's like folding dirty underwear. I was like, what the fuck is the point of folding dirty underwear. Just throw that shit back in and slam the door. Right.
Kim 00:49:26 Well, I don't necessarily, like, fold my dirty stuff, but I do like to reserve a cube for the dirty stuff.
Sarah 00:49:33 That I get.
Kim 00:49:34 And then you. And then you can put all your dirty stuff there. And then when you unpack, it's just like, throw it in the laundry room, and then it's that much easier where you're not like deciphering what needs to be cleaned or what you didn't wear. it keeps your dirty stuff away from the clean stuff. Yeah. I'm I am definitely of the mindset that as soon as I get home, I gotta unpack. I can't look at a suitcase.
Sarah 00:49:55 I can't put it in another room.
Kim 00:49:56 Yeah, I 1000.
Sarah 00:49:59 My husband is like, unpacking. Shit. It's like 2 a.m..
Sarah 00:50:02 I'm like, you are a freak, and I'm going to bed.
Kim 00:50:05 Yeah, I absolutely have to unpack.
Sarah 00:50:07 That's so funny. But then you have to go find all the places it's supposed to be. And then there's the steaming that needs to be steam stack and all of that. I know it's a lot.
Kim 00:50:17 I know.
Sarah 00:50:18 okay. So what's your favorite part of your whole gig, your whole platform.
Kim 00:50:24 Like my everything that I'm doing. Yeah. Like, I think the client experience is my favorite part. I don't think it ever gets old when I get a screenshot from a client that said I was just stopped on the street because they loved my outfit and it was something that I put together for them.
Sarah 00:50:41 I love that.
Kim 00:50:42 Or it's like, you know, especially when I worked with men. Men like are so much fun to work with because it's such a simple formula and it's all about their clothes fitting properly, and all the sudden they feel so much better about themselves when they're wearing clothes that fit.
Kim 00:51:02 And I have gotten I mean I even like very recently received a message from an old client from Trunk Club who was probably, you know, he was, he was a client that was not local. So someone who I would like send clothes to And I was sharing something about my business on LinkedIn, and he wrote to me, you change my entire life when I was building my career. and he was kind of starting his, his corporate trajectory and just said how much it changed him and how it brought so much confidence to his life. And those never get old. Yeah. I feel like the feedback is just it means so much to me.
Sarah 00:51:50 I feel the same way about my podcast too. I'm like, oh my God. Like the fact that that meant this means so much to them. Yeah, it makes it worth it.
Kim 00:51:58 Yeah. I mean, like connecting with people. I again, I'm not, you know, because I don't like to sell people things. I want to have a relationship with you.
Kim 00:52:06 I want you to feel comfortable sending me an outfit and saying, like, does this look okay? Like, can I wear this to, you know, a work dinner? Like, those relationships are like, you can't really, you know, put a price on that. It's just amazing. So I say that's my favorite I love that.
Sarah 00:52:23 Now what about the link situation? Like I get a lot of DMs like you never link your stuff. So I'm, I'm, I haven't announced this yet, but I'm going to try to do a little shop. My okay. But I'm scared of it. And I haven't done it for three years because I was like, okay, my focus is my podcast, my focus, my content is not necessarily about clothes, but it's just about like midlife self reinvention. Clothing is a fun thing for me that I enjoy. but then I get like a million DMs, like, where's your visor from? And then I'm like, And so now I'm like, okay, should I just bite the bullet and do it? How do you streamline it so you don't feel like you're spending the whole day like looking for links? And, I mean, I don't know.
Kim 00:53:14 Well, I think the reason why I, I spend time on it is, you know, my business really, has so many streams of revenue, and that's an important stream of revenue in terms of how I build my business. So when I'm posting something and sharing something, it's, it's it's part of my business formula, right? and yeah, it is labor intensive. But I do find that when people can kind of trust my purchases, they'll come to me for more and more, right? And hopefully, you know, that translates into working together on a more personal level. So I kind of look at it as like baby steps into working with me one on one. it is a lot I think, you know, I find I dedicate, you know, certain times of day where, where I build it out but it becomes sort of second nature. What are you really doing like.
Sarah 00:54:13 You're whatever you're doing the next day, like, do you know you're wearing that? So you've already gone into shop my and like found all the things like that's like a like that is a lot of.
Sarah 00:54:25 Yeah.
Kim 00:54:26 Yeah. No I don't oftentimes know like if I'm going to share this outfit I it's not linked yet. Like I'll have to and and in many cases it might be something old. So I might have to do like the digging for something similar.
Sarah 00:54:39 Right. And do you find that women want to buy the something similar? Because I'm sort of annoyed a little bit when it's something similar. Yeah, I.
Kim 00:54:46 Mean, I.
Sarah 00:54:46 I'm like, look, bitch, I want those exact.
Kim 00:54:48 Shorts. I think, like for something that's a little more basic, it's, it's easier to swallow. But like I wore a top the other day and, you know, I hadn't worn it yet and I posted it and so many people were like, where's your top from? Like, I'm sorry, I got it like three months ago. Yeah, it's no longer around, but I'll try to find the alternatives. Some people will be okay with that, some people won't. but at least I'm still trying to provide.
Sarah 00:55:16 Sometimes you'll go to the person's shop. My. And there's only a size extra large left. Yeah. And you're like, yeah, that's helpful.
Kim 00:55:25 Yeah. Sometimes what I'll do if I notice that I'll, I'll put alternatives in there. Okay. And like indicate this is my actual loan stock. But here's another one. And so in short my you're able to kind of add little comments under each product. So it becomes like more of a conversation.
Sarah 00:55:43 So you feel like you make enough money doing the links where it's worth it because a lot of women say they don't and it's not worth their time.
Kim 00:55:52 I think you have to do it in massive quantities to see its monetary reward, but I am not in the mindset where I would relinquish that piece of my business. Got it, I think. I think all streams of revenue right now as an entrepreneur.
Sarah 00:56:10 And like you said, you're using it to bring them ultimately to your higher ticket items, which makes sense. Yes.
Kim 00:56:18 And it's a great way to establish relationships with brands.
Kim 00:56:22 If brands see that you're wearing their pieces and you're tagging them and linking them and generating sales.
Sarah 00:56:28 So if you wear like, I don't know, let's say you were a store dress, right? Are you putting the shot my outfit link on there and tagging stored. Yes. Because don't you feel like viewers might just go directly to store and not go to your shop? My link.
Kim 00:56:45 It's possible. Yeah. I mean, I think like, the more, internet savvy would be like, oh, you know, I'll just head over to the store and see if I can find it myself. sometimes I'll hide the tag, but I think it's. I actually think it's more important it's building that relationship. It goes back to gatekeeping. Yeah. Like, I love these pants. And you know what they're from, you know, Shopbop and they're, you know, Lisette, like, if you want to find them, they're yourself. Great. But I'm making it easier for you and Lincoln. Yeah.
Kim 00:57:15 So but I do I like the idea of building relationships with brands. Them knowing that I am, you know, wearing their pieces.
Sarah 00:57:23 How has that changed for you and how has that grown?
Kim 00:57:26 Yeah, it's grown a lot like, I, I, I do feel you gain a lot of traction in your attraction with your brand relationships. When you share outfits on body, like you're actually wearing it, you're not just sharing like a link. and I've worked with brands, you know, at various partnership levels, whether it's like as an ambassador or like a partner or to a, you know, a paid partnership. and again, that's, you know, more revenue generating and it helps kind of.
Sarah 00:57:56 Do you ever feel like, oh, I don't really love that item, and I really don't want to do a whole thing about, like, I won't do that.
Kim 00:58:04 I really won't. I really only want to work with brands that I know I'll wear. if if I have brands, reach out like we want to gift you, you know, X, Y and Z, and it doesn't.
Kim 00:58:17 I know I'm not going to wear it. I really kind of, like, politely declined.
Sarah 00:58:22 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now, going back to what we were talking about a little bit more in the beginning, obviously there's going to be a lot of women watching this or listening to this who are like, I want to do something to I don't know exactly what it is. Or maybe they do. What would your biggest piece of advice be for kind of jumping off the hamster wheel and saying yes to yourself and becoming like putting yourself in a vulnerable place like you referenced a few times?
Kim 00:58:51 Yeah. you know, it seems so cliche, but I am. You have to do it like you got to listen, sort of to like what your passion is. I? For me, I would have been so sad. You know, my future self would have been so sad had I had not just taken the leap. Because this doesn't feel like work to me. It feels like I am spending my days doing something I love to do building relationships, you know, working in fashion and the fact that I did it, it's yeah, it's scary for sure.
Kim 00:59:29 And there are days where, you know, you worry if it's even gonna sustain itself. but a lot of things that I've listened to and a lot of people that have really inspired me, it's you got to trust your gut and it's it, it's going to lead you in that. Like, if you love what you do and your passion is leading you in that direction, it's gonna work. So why not take the leap? You know, I hated the idea. When I turned 50, I was like, it's over. Like, I felt like I had to, like, hit this hill and then everything was just going to go down. And there's so many women out there that are proving otherwise that we have to, like, listen to them.
Sarah 01:00:11 And how do you stay out of the social comparison thing where it's like, well, she has a 600,000 and she has blah, blah, blah. Like, how do you kind of stay in your own lane? Because I think that that is definitely one of the things that keeps a lot of us from actually taking that step of what we want to be doing.
Sarah 01:00:30 Yeah.
Kim 01:00:31 I, you know, I wish I could say I'm really good at it, but I'm not. I do have days and I think, you know, maybe the days are a little fewer than they were earlier when I started. Maybe four years ago. Two years ago, a year ago. It's really hard not to compare. Yeah, but I keep telling myself, like, comparison is the thief of joy. Everybody has like their own trajectory. Everyone has their own path. You know, social media is very deceiving. Just because it looks easy for someone else doesn't mean that it is. and, you know, I find the days that I really focus on my small wins, my baby steps forward. More good comes of that then those days where I'm focusing on everybody else's successes. Nothing good is coming to me, and there's so much there's room for everyone. Someone else's success does not mean you're not.
Sarah 01:01:21 Going to be successful. That's what I always say to people. I'm like, there's so many other mid-life podcasts.
Sarah 01:01:26 It's not like I'm doing something that's so fucking unique. It's just my voice, my spin, and that's it. Like there going to be people who want that. There are going to be people who prefer something else, whatever. But you bring your own spin to it. I mean, there's so many fashion influencers. Everyone has their own sort of style. Yeah. And you have to kind of find who your people are.
Kim 01:01:51 Yeah, I mean, it would be boring too. It's just like, I like to listen to a hundred different podcasts. Why do I only have to listen to one, you know, and it's the same like I, I get I'm influenced by so many different, you know, style icons, celebrities, like influencers. It's that's the beauty of it. There's so much to absorb. And but doesn't.
Sarah 01:02:16 Instagram just make you want more things that you don't really need? Yeah. I'm like, yeah. I'm like, I would have so much less stuff.
Kim 01:02:23 I know, I know, and you know, I've started to lean heavily on Pinterest where, where I'll create like mood boards and things that like inspire me and then try to take those looks and see how I can recreate them.
Kim 01:02:37 And then it feels like, okay, I don't need to.
Sarah 01:02:39 I've even done that with your style. Oh, or like I screenshot it, it was like a white skirt and shoes or something. And I was like, I have all this shit. I'm just going to like, do it in my closet, you know?
Kim 01:02:51 And and honestly, we, you know, many people would surprise themselves if they, you know, did that challenge and just looked at some inspiration and then went into their closet to recreate it. You don't need the exact same denim shorts, the exact same linen shirt you can find, you know, probably, you know, very similar pieces in your own closet.
Sarah 01:03:12 And you get into a lot of those things, like, like some women are like the length of jeans is important. And I have a friend who works is also a fashion influencer. And she's like, Sarah, people don't understand that the length of jeans is everything, and she'll show me like a picture of different girls wearing the same jeans at different lengths.
Sarah 01:03:33 And it's like, then it becomes like a tailoring project. Yeah. Where you're like, okay, do these are the jeans that you show ankle? These are the jeans that you don't show ankle. So I started like writing with a Sharpie pen on the tag I love that. Or I'm like, okay, these are the low waisted Levi's that require heels. Yeah. yeah, because I have like 100,000 pairs of jeans. There's no way to know what's what without going through the entire closet. Do you have tricks for that?
Kim 01:04:02 I think there are. There are some tricks that you can do with certain jeans. I mean, certainly, like, you know, there are pieces that are a bit more pigeonholed for a heel. but I think that if you tailor them based based on a shoe that you're going to wear most often with those jeans, you can also there's ways to kind of tape them up.
Sarah 01:04:27 I'm not good at that. You know, I've tried I'm like using a stapler. Then I'm using a Sharpie pen to block out the stapler.
Sarah 01:04:33 Yeah. Like,
Kim 01:04:34 But you can't go wrong.
Sarah 01:04:36 And when you're.
Kim 01:04:36 Short, I.
Sarah 01:04:37 Know it's a project.
Kim 01:04:38 I know I'm with you. I'm the same.
Sarah 01:04:40 I have to have almost everything tailored. And so I wait till it stacks up and then it's okay. I gotta hit the tailor now. Yeah. And it's worth. It's such a pain in the ass. But it's worth every penny. Because the shit that you tailor, you wear the.
Kim 01:04:55 The tailor is your best friend.
Sarah 01:04:57 It's crazy.
Kim 01:04:58 1,000%. It makes everything that much better. And it goes back to, you know, how close fit you feel better when you're close fit, right?
Sarah 01:05:06 Yeah. It's just it's life changing. And I'm so happy that there are people like you who are making that easier for women, because it's not it doesn't come easily to to all of us. Yeah. You know, and I love clothes, but like, I have stylist friends who help me and they're like, okay, well, maybe if you wore like a taller heel, the jean would look better.
Sarah 01:05:30 And I'm like, thank you. Yeah. You know, yeah.
Kim 01:05:34 It's funny because I think so much of what I say is very obvious.
Sarah 01:05:38 I know she, my friend who runs has something similar to it's called Love of Good Stripe. She feels the same way. She's like, sometimes I feel like I'm just like saying the dumbest thing. Yeah, but they're not dumb. It's the details. It's the shit that we don't always think about. Like sometimes a belt with a certain outfit cuts you off. And sometimes you need the bell. Like, it's like it's all these little things. Yeah, and they seem silly, but they're so important.
Kim 01:06:04 Yeah, I know, it's almost like you have to just speak the basics, because people really appreciate the basic tips that will get the most. They get the most mileage. Totally. I think they're very, you know.
Sarah 01:06:17 Like I'm like, how do you roll up the sleeves properly? Like, do you scrunch it? Do you lay it flat? How many folds is it? You know what I mean? I'm like, why am I thinking about this shit? But it changes the outfit.
Sarah 01:06:29 It does, it does.
Kim 01:06:30 That's why I like to do a lot of, you know, whether it's. I could see you virtually or I'm with you physically. I like to really go in and offer those styling suggestions because it makes just a world of difference. World of difference versus just like throwing on a, you know, a denim jacket. I like to roll the sleeves of the denim jacket and pop the collar and I'm like.
Sarah 01:06:51 Okay, when do I roll the. Yeah. And then it's like, well, when do I wear an oversized jean jacket? When do I wear a fitted watch? You know what I mean? I'm like, there's too many options here.
Kim 01:07:02 I know.
Sarah 01:07:03 But you can change the whole thing now, what's been the hardest part of this thing for you?
Kim 01:07:10 the hardest part is, learning to get comfortable selling myself.
Sarah 01:07:17 I know.
Kim 01:07:18 Yeah, I, you know, for, for the first few years when I was at Trunk Club, we were, we were very scrappy at building our books of business, and that's how we that's how we work.
Kim 01:07:30 yeah. I mean, we were just, like, reaching out to everybody and sending emails like, come shop with me, come shop with me. And I may even have a little PTSD around that book because it was like salesy, too. and so now I have to get comfortable again. Learning how to promote myself and, you know, be more direct about what I'm doing. I just recently shared, I posted, I need to stop saying this as a side hustle. This is an actual job. This is my job, you know, to stop downplaying and passion project.
Sarah 01:08:05 It's a vanity project. Exactly. Time filler. It's a fucking hobby. Yeah, I get it.
Speaker 4 01:08:10 It's like.
Kim 01:08:10 You know, say what you want it to be and treat it. I, I need to treat it like a real business because it's not going to be a real business. If I call it a side hustle, it's it's just not.
Sarah 01:08:23 And you're kind of belittling it and belittling yourself. Right.
Sarah 01:08:27 And I feel like it is true that like the words that we say to ourselves and out into the atmosphere become things.
Kim 01:08:35 It's a huge it's it's a huge thing. And I'm really starting to get better at that. I'm starting to get better at not catastrophizing. Like what? What if this doesn't happen? What if this goes wrong? What if instead like, what went right today? And I focusing on the good and the little wins? It really does bring in more wins.
Sarah 01:08:59 Now do you have a team or it's just you? It's just me that's like me. Yeah, yeah, I have a VA who does like some, like some of the podcasts or whatever, but like the Instagram, it's really a lot of me. Yeah. And a lot more of me. And I'm like, oh my God, I'm so tired. I'm like dying. Yeah. You know. So and then certain days I'm like, want to burn the house down certain days and fucking love this. You know, it's.
Kim 01:09:25 Like the beauty of being an entrepreneur, right? I always say it's like, takes a special person. And I don't know if that is a good thing. No.
Sarah 01:09:33 No. What? You don't even have to call it anything. Yeah. Like you're either in or you're out because you have to, like, be in the willing to, like, burn the midnight oil. It just keeps going and going and it never ends. Yeah, that's that's the hard and good part of it I think. Now, before we wrap up, where can everyone find you and what are the services that you offer?
Kim 01:09:52 Yeah. so I offer everything from, full closet edits, virtual styling sessions, curated look books, packing lists, digital wardrobe cataloging. And you can find everything on my social. So my Instagram is at wear with jeans and it's spelled w e a r with jeans, jeans and my website same w e a r with jeans. yeah. You can find all of my services there, email me directly through the website or DM me through Instagram.
Sarah 01:10:33 So fun having you. Glad we can work this out. I'm glad we had a good blind Date podcast. We really knew nothing about each other. And that was fun. That was so fun. Thank you.
Kim 01:10:43 So much. I'm like so honored.
Sarah 01:10:45 Oh my God, I'm so happy. We could, like, make it all work out. Hey peeps, it's me again. I listened to this episode with personal wardrobe stylist fellow midlife her and former Shark Tank contestant Kim Price. So I could summarize the golden nuggets for you to have actionable items to start using today. I know that when I listen to a long episode, I'm like, oh my God, I love that. But then I can't even fucking remember the specifics. This is why I come back and do a golden nugget. Summary. In this episode, we dug deep with our golden shit shovels in a conversation about starting businesses, fashion, midlife capsules, and basic midlife exploration and pivoting. Golden nugget number one Kim's fashion journey Kim started a novelty T-shirt business that she ran out of her basement in the early 2000.
Sarah 01:11:39 She did her own PR and got celebrities wearing her t shirts. After several years in some business bumps in the road, she decided on a whim to apply to be a contestant on Shark Tank, where she was then selected to pitch on season two. Wow. True entrepreneurial spirit. After her second baby, she worked as a stylist at Trunk Club for seven, and in 2020 she started her company where With jeans, a styling business based on the concept that we don't need to dress our age but dress how we feel inside, I love it. Her Instagram's amazing. Her company grew and thrived off social media, and as a midlife woman and mother, she didn't let layoffs or change in plans stop her from putting herself out there and going after her passions. Golden nugget number two midlife style. Do you ever feel like you're too old to wear something? Kim hears this all the time, and the premise of her company is to help her clientele build outfits in capsules that promote confidence. It doesn't need to be defined by age.
Sarah 01:12:42 There's always a way to wear something, she says. It's all about how you pair things. And speaking of pairs, Kim even suggests having multiple sizes of things. She acknowledges their bodies are changing. Why not have four different sizes of jeans to accommodate the day? Don't pay attention to the size. Golden nugget number three building a capsule wardrobe. When Kim is building a wardrobe for her client, she likes to highlight the clothes they already have by cataloging their pieces, as well as leaning into the capsule items items that are timeless and can be paired in many different ways. Think black button down a great pair of denim or a blazer. And no, this isn't just repeating the same outfits. This is really learning how to style things and mix and match. Kim says that you can never really go wrong when you build a strong capsule wardrobe because you wear to style things differently, and relying on adding accessories like belts and shoes and jewelry, layering all of it. Golden nugget number four. Kim's advice to midlife women go after your passions.
Sarah 01:13:49 Yes, it's simple and cliche, but it's so true and amazing things will happen if you do go after your passions. She and I talk about how social comparison is a real killer and how you at some point you got to put that aside and just do you. There's always going to be someone doing something bigger or what you perceive is better. Kim said that her future self would have been so sad if she didn't stick to her passions and go after them and all the ways that she did, because doors did open for her, even when she didn't know when or how they would. She said that she took the leap of faith and knew that even if things didn't work out, she would have been spending her days doing something that she loved, which for her was building relationships and working in fashion. So people trust your gut even when it feels unknown and scary. The gold is dripping off these nuggets. Grab it, use it. There are three things you can do. First, subscribe to the podcast.
Sarah 01:14:47 Second, share it with some friends who like midlife shit. And third, write an Apple review. Writing reviews is kind of annoying. It's an extra step. You think your little review won't matter, but it does. Okay, you guys, not only have you listened to this episode, but you can go fucking watch it on YouTube. Yes, I'm on YouTube now. You asked for it. I'm doing it. So if you want to watch us go back and check that out, you can see our outfits, the whole thing. The gold is dripping off these nuggets. DM me. You know, I always respond and of course follow my Instagram at the flexible neurotic duh. Love you talk soon.