Stop and stare. Yes, Rita Hayworth had this power over millions. The personal style that she developed for herself, created a feeling of blissful dizziness among those who were lucky enough to know her. Developing her personal style didn’t happen in a vacuum…Rita made it happen…and each of us can create our own campaign to relay our own, albeit unique, personal style. No need to copy anyone else; your style is your own.
From Wiki: “Appearing first as Rita Cansino, she agreed to change her name to Rita Hayworth and her hair color to dark red to attract a greater range of roles. Her appeal led to her being featured on the cover of Life magazine five times, beginning in 1940.”
Notice, that Rita purposefully created her own image. And once again, she agreed to change. The agreement with yourself to change can be ground breaking and exciting! Using her imagination, Rita looked at her body and behavior as a blank canvass that she could paint however she liked. What a beautiful thought that each of us can express ourselves how we like as well!
Here are four ways to create your own powerhouse image (whether you are a woman or a man) :
- Be Notable! How are you different? What makes you a stand-out? Be able to recite the answer to these questions upon a second’s notice! And be able to tell your story to anyone that wants to know, about how you are different. Perhaps you have the sought after ability to rally a group into action…when everyone else on a team is ready to give up, you can give an impromptu speech and turn the tide from a general sense of apathy to real group aspiration. In a nutshell, BE MEMORABLE. And, take it one step further, have one physical feature that defines you. Rita had her red hair. Maybe you have amazing lips, piercing eyes, unique nose, perfect posture. Name your favorite feature about yourself, and don’t let a day go by when you neglect this one defining facet of yourself.
- Have at least one Mind-Blowing Success Story Perhaps you were and apprentice under a phenomenally accomplished person (success by association). Or maybe you pulled off a project successfully that no one else seemed to be able to handle. Perhaps you were a beauty queen of your small town. Or maybe you won almost every spelling bee you ever competed in during your life. Other accomplishments include being a patent holder, making a speech or performing at a major venue, you get the idea. Put your strengths out there, and don’t be shy to share the stories behind them upon a moment’s notice.
- What is the RISK of doing business with you? This is an area where you must know yourself and identify that one weakness of yours that could get you in trouble. Perhaps you have no experience with almost anything in life…you are a complete neophyte. Or you are a procrastinator, someone who doesn’t finish what you start, a late-starter, moody, or struggle with an attitude. Now, once you know your weakness, it’s key to identify the strengths and differentiating characteristics that best minimize the risk. For example: If you have no experience (Risk: UNPROFESSIONAL), you’ll want to highlight the past project that you have worked on to show that you are DEPENDABLE. Notice how you can focus on your dependability to negate your unprofessionalism?
- Dress To Kill This is the number one, easiest way to have an advantage on 95 percent of the population. And so, other than laziness, why not make the effort? There is no doubt that you will feel amazing when you dress amazingly. And, the incredible part about dressing well is observing how others suddenly react more positively towards you. One way to achieve dressing well, is to dedicate a 5-foot section of clothes in your closet as your “best of the best”. This is called “space organization”. Go to this 5-foot space regularly to dress and present yourself in the best possible way.
To review, be notable by telling your story and highlight one key physical feature about yourself, be able to tell your mind-blowing success story, and know the key risk about yourself, and be able to balance it with a key strength. Finally, of course, if you want to make a big impression, you must dress to kill.
Sonya Nicholson
