Founded in 1903, the City of Irving has a
population of nearly 200,000. Though most know Irving as the
current home of the Dallas Cowboys, the thriving business
community of Las Colinas and the University of Dallas are
also located within its city limits.
The Opportunity
Ms. Linda Thomas delivered a 45-minute program
titled “Defining Your Image by Color and Design”.
The program was filmed before City Of Irving employees and the
local Irving Cable channel (Irving Community Television Network).
Stephen Booher, a Senior Training Specialist for the City
of Irving, previously heard Linda speak at La Cima Club and
was delightfully surprised with the quality of the presentation.
He subsequently lobbied for Linda's presentation to be included
in a TGIF series for city employees. She was one of six speakers
to address pertinent workplace issues. To further promote
Linda's presentation to City employees, Stephen designed a
window display of out-dated clothes from past decades.
Issues
The City of Irving has a Business Casual dress code,
but over time, employees have become more and more relaxed
with the standards.
In general, City employees were dressing in a much too
casual manner. They did not understand the ramifications
for the City's image or for their respective careers.
Further, on casual Fridays, some employees were coming
to work in clothes more appropriate for yardwork.
The objectives for the program included:
Marketing the individual for career goals
Dressing for credibility
Dressing appropriately within the business casual framework
Considering how citizens view City employees as individuals
and as a governamental entity
Realizing how peers view each other in the workplace
Creating a more positive image for the individual
Encouraging an individual to dress in a manner that appears
most flaterring to his or her current body type, rather
than the body which he or her hopes to have in the future.
Results
“I would like to highly
recommend Linda Thomas for any future events or workshops that
you are planning involving her areas of expertise. Linda is
a thoroughly knowledgeable image and fashion expert who comes
across with great warmth and sincerity. Her speaking style is
pleasant and entertaining, and her approach is one of constructive
feedback for personal improvement and growth,”
Stephen writes in a letter of recommendation.
“I
had employees who told me afterwards that they couldn't wait
until payday so they could go out and boost their wardrobes
up a notch or two. It really is helpful to have someone honestly
tell you that things you thought were acceptable, really don't
have any place at work, or sometimes anywhere else in this
decade!” Stephen continues.
Feedback from Seminar Participants
“I found all of the seminar very
useful, especially talking about colors and the psychological
thoughts. Excellent!”
“Learning about how colors affect
how people perceive you was particularly interesting.
I liked looking at the before and after pictures it helped
to have a 'visual.”
“She looks like someone real! I like
that. She's honest and this was a good topic.”
“The color tips and especially the
CLOSET tip were both very useful!”
About Powerful
Appearance
Powerful Appearance shares proven
concepts with its clients enabling them to exude an up-to-date,
powerful image that will help them achieve their business and
personal objectives. Clients range from small business owners
to Fortune 500 companies, including Sun Microsystems
and Merrill Lynch. Other notable clients include SMU, Flextronics,
and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Linda Thomas, principal of Powerful
Appearance, is the author ofMy
Closet My Boutique: How to Organize Your Image.
She is a popular speaker, providing programs in the Dallas
area and around the U.S.
Linda can be contacted by phone at 940-321-2594 or by email
at Linda@powerfulappearance.com.
Also, visit her Web site at www.powerfulappearance.com.
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