Newsworthy: Introducing Truly, LLC
/
Truly, LLC
I'm very excited to announce the formation of my new creative consulting and wellness company, Truly, LLC. It's where I provide wardrobe and interior consulting, conduct related workshops for organizations and companies, and of course, write this blog. And oh boy! has it been a long process to get to this point. Let me explain.
As you may know by reading my sidebar or About page, I have a doctoral degree in counseling psychology, and getting that degree was in itself a process. You see, I tried several years to get into a doctoral program before I was accepted into one. Why didn't I get in? I really don't know. There could be many reasons— too nervous in the interviews, lack of clarity, or maybe it just wasn't God's timing. With each rejection I was demoralized but also driven to try harder the next time. People kept telling me to stop trying, but I just couldn't stand the thought of looking back and wishing I hadn't quit. I was driven by a pure desire to succeed and to prove I could do it. And I did.
But if you had asked me at the time what I wanted to do with my degree, I may have mumbled something about working with adolescent girls. And while this was (and still is) true, I hadn't fully realized what my career would look like. I hadn't yet considered that a doctoral degree doesn't = a career. Fast forward to my first exposure to blogs. I believe the Paris Apartment was the first blog that captivated me. I was so enthralled with all that beauty captured through graphic design and photographs. Reading blogs became a favorite pastime— a way for me to indulge in my love for fashion and design without being a part of the fashion and design world. I had already decided in college that I would choose psychology over a creative career. And I certainly wasn't going to leave psychology after all the hard work I poured into it. I didn't know I could change, or choose both.
I actually got the idea to start Truly 10 years ago, but it didn't come to me in the form of a blog (I didn't know much about blogs then) or creative consulting. It was the name of my clothing store. I always thought I would open up a store, but never knew how that would fit into my plan to be a psychologist. It took lots of jobs, and a lot experiences— the good, the bad, and the ugly, to figure out that I could make my career what I wanted. That I didn't have to follow the rules. That God gives us passions to clue us in on our destiny.
Eventually I began to reimagine Truly as more than just a store. I realized that I could use my psychological training to inform my passion for fashion and design, and perhaps set myself apart from other psychologists in a fresh, nontraditional kind of way. So I started a blog. And I began reading and studying the psychology of fashion and design. I even did a short stint as a personal stylist for Anthropologie to learn more about retail. Through the entire process, I started feeling more like myself and not some version of who I think I'm "supposed" to be.
Let me interject here to emphasize that this is the succinct version of my story. It took a lot of tears, sweat, rejections, and did I say tears before I finally realized my idea to start a creative consulting and wellness company. But thankfully those tears got me here. So without further ado, let me explain a little bit about the company. I figured you may have basic questions about my services, so I decided to share information in a "Frequently Asked Questions" format. Here it is:
What iswardrobe consulting? Wardrobe consulting addresses a person's emotional issues as it relates to clothing. Clients who have concerns about their dress work with me, the consultant, to improve their wardrobe behaviors (i.e., anything from shopping to storing clothes, to creating outfits) and use it to facilitate emotional growth.
What's the difference between a wardrobe consultant and a stylist? A stylist focuses on a person's external image only, whereas a wardrobe consultant goes a little deeper to address the impact that self-perception, self-esteem, and other emotional issues have on a person's external image.
What is interior consulting? Interior consulting uses principles of psychology and interior design techniques to create spaces for clients that trigger high positive associations. I, the consultant, use a number of assessment tools, including a detailed interview to help clients envision their ideal space. The results of these assessments are used to guide the design of the space.
Is consultation therapy? No. consultation is not therapy, although it may be therapeutic. With wardrobe consultation in particular, I only address emotional issues as it relates to clothing, and if any serious emotional difficulties arise, clients are advised to address it in therapy.
What type of workshops do you offer? I call them wellness workshops, and I speak on a number of topics including design psychology, fashion psychology, self-esteem, and other topics that encourage a healthy and purpose-filled lifestyle.
Have you started offering services? Wardrobe consultation is being offered in a limited capacity, and workshops are being scheduled now. Interior consultation will be offered after fall 2015. I'll be sure to update my readers on the status of my services.
Do you have a website? My website is not up yet, but my readers will certainly be the first to know when it is.
I hope this answers some of your questions. And feel free to share any other questions or comments you may have. I'm thrilled to share this news with you and hope you will be inspired as embark upon this challenging but exciting new phase of my career.
