How Your Style Shapes Your Brand Authority | The Branded Impact Podcast

Your brand is speaking before you ever say a word.

In this episode of The Branded Impact Podcast, Jo sits down with Sophia Rodriguez, Founder & Head Stylist of The Style Studio, to break down how what you wear directly impacts your credibility, confidence, and client perception.

This conversation goes far beyond “what to wear.” It’s about alignment, intention, and building a brand that visually communicates the level you’re stepping into.

🎧 Listen on Spotify | YouTube | Your Favorite Platform

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Key Takeaways

• Your appearance is part of your brand experience, not separate from it
• Intentional styling builds trust and strengthens brand recognition
• Planning outfits for brand photos and events is essential for alignment
• Confidence comes from wearing outfits that feel as good as they look
• Consistency in your visual presence eliminates confusion for your audience

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Episode Highlights + Guest Insights

You Are the Brand Packaging

Sophia reframes personal branding in a way that immediately clicks:

“Just like any brand, your packaging—you—should be purposeful and intentional.”

For service-based entrepreneurs, you are the brand. That means how you show up visually becomes part of your marketing, your positioning, and your perceived value.

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The 4 Questions That Change Everything

Before choosing any outfit, Sophia recommends asking:

• What message do I want to send?
• How do I want to feel?
• How do I want others to perceive me?
• What is the goal of this event or photoshoot?

This framework turns getting dressed from a daily habit into a strategic business decision.

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Why Inconsistency Is Costing You Clients

One of the biggest mistakes female founders make is inconsistency.

Showing up polished one day and completely different the next creates confusion. And confusion weakens trust.

Consistency does not mean being boring. It means being recognizable.

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The Hidden Reason You Hate Your Photos

Most people think bad photos come from posing or lighting.

In reality, Sophia shares that styling is often the issue.

“Nine times out of ten, it comes down to the outfits… there’s a disconnect between the outfit and the message.”

When your outfit doesn’t match your brand positioning, your audience feels it immediately.

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Confidence Starts Before the Camera

A standout tip from this episode:

Try on outfits without looking in the mirror first.

Focus on how they feel.

• Is it tight?
• Is it uncomfortable?
• Are you adjusting it constantly?

If it doesn’t feel good, it won’t translate well on camera or in person.

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Styling for the Client You Want

Your appearance should reflect the level of client you want to attract.

If your ideal client is polished and high-level, your presentation needs to match that energy.

Not by copying them, but by aligning with the same standard.

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Intentional Doesn’t Mean Losing Yourself

There is a balance between:

• Authenticity
• Elevation
• Strategy

You do not need to become someone else. You need to refine and elevate who you already are.

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Guest Resources & Links

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestylestudio.sophia/
• Email: sophia@thestylestudio.me

🎁 Special Offer:
Listeners receive 20% off styling services when booked within 30 days.

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About The Branded Impact Podcast

The Branded Impact Podcast helps women entrepreneurs build bold, strategic brands that attract, connect, and convert.

Hosted by Jocelyn Espejo, Founder of Branding by Jo, each episode blends real conversations with actionable strategies to help you align your brand, elevate your presence, and scale your business.

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Ready to Elevate Your Brand?

If this episode made you realize your brand isn’t fully aligned yet, this is your next step:

👉 Book a Visual Brand Audit
👉 Explore the Brand Amplifier Framework

Or connect with Jo to start building a brand that actually works for you.

FULL TRANSCRIPT:
00:00 The Power of Personal Branding Through Style

02:56 Intentionality in Fashion Choices

05:59 Crafting Your Visual Message

08:34 Overcoming Style Insecurities

11:20 Aligning Outfits with Business Goals

19:48 The Importance of Trying on Outfits

21:01 Establishing Your Brand Through Styling

21:38 Intentional Branding and Fun in Fashion

23:16 Aligning Outfits with Your Brand Story

24:07 Choosing the Right Outfits for Branding

25:38 Outfit Planning and Brand Colors

27:01 Incorporating Seasonal Elements in Branding

29:14 The Role of Details in Branding

30:10 Reflecting on Branding Lessons Learned

32:41 Finding Your Stylist and Rebranding Journey

Jo Espejo (00:01)

Did you know your outfit is already saying something about your brand? If your style hasn’t caught up to the level of business that you’re building, this conversation will help. Today, I’m sitting down with Sofia Rodriguez, founder and head stylist of The Style Studio, to talk about how aligning what you wear with who you’re becoming changes everything from confidence to credibility. And Sofia, thank you so much for joining us today.

I’d love for you to start with a little bit about why you started your business and why you love what you do.

Sophia Rodriguez (00:31)

Well, first of all, thank you so much for having me. I could talk all day on this subject. You know, I think in my journey for styling, you know, with styling, I found a big need that women had just by speaking with them and just trying to understand, you know, that question. I have nothing to wear, right? Especially.

We are positioning ourselves for our business. We are maybe trying to attract the ideal client. Maybe we have a speaking event. So kind of hearing that need from clients, it really just kind of sparked the idea, you know what, I don’t see anyone in this space in my area. Why not? Why not just help the women entrepreneurs that are out there position their style and align it with their business.

Jo Espejo (01:20)

and in a world where you

were already passionate, because fashion was your thing. You love it.

Sophia Rodriguez (01:23)

I

like this all it’s literally all I

Jo Espejo (01:29)

Okay, so

one of the things that you say is you’re packaging you. So you should be purposeful and intentional. But what does that actually mean to a business owner?

Sophia Rodriguez (01:33)

Yes.

Yes, okay, so just like any, let’s say Coca-Cola, right? Their marketing team, I’m sure, spent so much time thinking of the right color red, the right fonts, the right everything, right? Well, for us, the packaging, it is us, right? It is how we show up, especially if we’re not.

product based, you guys, that we’re service based. But we should be purposeful and intentional. what I mean by that is let’s not just throw on anything and go to the networking event. Let’s not throw on anything and go take brand photos. Let’s try to understand what are the brand colors? What is the goal of the business? What is the goal of even the networking event or the photo shoot?

What I really mean is find a style, right? I want to style, art type, and then stick with it. And again, what does that mean? You know, we can’t show up one day representing our business, whether you have a booth, let’s say you’re, you have products to sell, it’s jewelry, candles, pottery, whatever. We can’t show up one way to sell our products and then go to a networking event.

and a whole different thing. We can’t show up polished, cute, all the, you know, very, let’s say preppy and then show up all in black and goth spikes. Like that doesn’t make sense, right? And we’re, you know, you’re not creating that trust with your clients. I think it’s very important that we choose something and we stay consistent.

Jo Espejo (03:20)

you’re creating a disconnect. And I think that’s where people don’t realize. And a lot of times when I talk to people, they tell me that branding is the logo, the colors, the fonts. I’m like, cool, but that’s a piece of it. And to me, branding is really like, what is your client experience? What are people saying about you when you’re not in the room? And I don’t know about you, but I’ve never gone to refer to someone and be like, you should work with so-and-so. Their logo is amazing. It’s always, you should work with so-and-so because of X, Y, Z of the experience.

Sophia Rodriguez (03:30)

Thank

you.

Jo Espejo (03:49)

And then the consistency. So you’re talking about networking, how you show up in public. And I guess there’s also, to you guys, a caveat, right? Like, you don’t have to always go to the store. Publics, if you’re grocery shopping, you don’t have to be on brand. But I think if you’re going to places that are business related, this is what Sophia is talking about. Be intentional. So you don’t just get to wear whatever you want to wear because you like it. It’s being intentional. So what are some of the things that you recommend that make this easier?

Sophia Rodriguez (04:06)

Yep.

Jo Espejo (04:19)

women. So picking a style archetype and then that’s what translates into the brand photos, into what you wear on a networking… But any recommendations? guess staples, like having staples that are on brand.

Sophia Rodriguez (04:21)

Yep. Yep.

So first, know, before anything you want to try to think of what message do you want to send? What is, you know, what story do you want to tell? Unfortunately, and I hate saying this, I really do, but we are being judged on what we wear, right? Like people are going to make that first impression of you. I think they say something like three seconds. I want to say it’s a five-second. Yeah, yeah, exactly. So they’re going to stay in the room.

Jo Espejo (04:58)

I don’t even think we have that long.

Sophia Rodriguez (05:04)

see you standing on the crowd and they’re going to make a decision, right? So I think before anything, before picking out staples, what is the story that you want or what message do you want to send? Then second, how do you want to feel? Because it’s you, you’re the one who’s wearing it. You’re not wearing this for, you’re not wearing these clothes for other people. You want to still feel like yourself. You still want to feel comfortable.

This is not to say, hey, if you’re a jeans and a t-shirt kind of girl, then you need to be all buttoned up. You know, that doesn’t translate either. You don’t want to be fidgety. You don’t want to be, you know, you still want to feel good. And then another thing is how do you want others to see you? We can actually alter how people perceive us. So if you want to be perceived as this strong, elevated, you know, business woman, okay, then.

Don’t show up in sweats and a t-shirt, you know, save that for running errands, go to Publix, Target, whatever your store is, you know, save that. know, I love a good Junes and T. I do wear that on the regular. But you know, how do you want others to see you? let me back that up a little bit. In your business, how do you want people to see you in your business? Do you want people to mistake you as the intern?

girl know you worked too hard for that, you know, work too hard to stay looking like that. And I have come across that to where I’ve been at a networking event. I’ve seen, you know, the people and then I’m like, wait, that’s a speaker. Oh my gosh, she runs a big business. I would have never known if I was she had on it was way too casual. I, it just, it didn’t match, you know? And then of course, what is the intention? What is the goal?

Jo Espejo (06:31)

Great, yeah.

Sophia Rodriguez (06:56)

What is the goal behind going to the networking event? Is it to find or attract ideal clients, new clients? Is it to bring awareness? You know, those are two different goals. Maybe for another whatever for the photo shoot, what is the goal of the photo shoot? Is it going to be a, you know, one photo shoot a year? Is this a quarterly photo shoot? We have to understand what these things are for and then dress accordingly.

I hope that helps. Yeah.

Jo Espejo (07:25)

With intention. Yes, I think that’s the intentional piece. it’s,

I have found personally that starting to morph my wardrobe into things that are comfortable, that I feel confident in, but that I can also wear because I’m like, I’m gonna be on brand-ish, right? Like how do I wanna come out? And sometimes for my brand photo shoots, I step it up a notch. I don’t always, I have a look and a feel and a thing I’m trying to portray, but then I try to carry that over.

Sophia Rodriguez (07:44)

Thank you.

Jo Espejo (07:53)

into my networking events so that there’s not a complete disconnect. Because if you see me on socials and on the website and then you see me in person, I want it to feel cohesive. And it’s finding that balance between authenticity, right? And then how do we show up? So for the jeans and t-shirt gals, if they’re coming for like a brand photo shoot, I’m like, let’s just dress it up a little bit. Like if you’re a jeans and t-shirt gal, cool. Let’s get a nice t-shirt. Make sure it’s…

Sophia Rodriguez (08:03)

Yes.

Yeah.

Jo Espejo (08:21)

and steamed and all the things, maybe some trouser jeans, right? There’s a way to make it feel. So I think you have a few questions that you recommend that we ask ourselves when we go to put on an outfit. So what are those?

Sophia Rodriguez (08:22)

So, I’m going to go right away.

Yes, so kind of like what I had already mentioned, like what message do you want to send? How do you want to feel? How do you want others to see? What is the goal? And then like, know, so decide that image, right? So your jeans and a t-shirt kind of go, okay, so let’s make sure that it’s a brand new t-shirt. It’s not dingy, it’s not pulling, it’s not wrinkling. We’re pressed and ready to go, right? But now we’re going to add, we’re going to start layering with that. I, you know.

It’s fine if you have a more casual business, right? So we gotta also make, we gotta decide what the image is. Ask yourself, is my brand formal and polished? Am I quirky, fun and out there? And then once you decide, sorry.

Jo Espejo (09:20)

No, it’s okay. Definitely figure out what it is. And then I’m going to say, this is a caveat, because I have a client who she develops gardens and we were talking about her brand photo shoot and she goes, girl, I’m not going to wear these like colors while I’m digging in the dirt. I’m going, okay, cool. So let’s figure out that. How do we bridge that gap? And I think that was something that you said earlier too. It’s like, if this is what you really like to wear and this is a, I call them power outfits. like, let’s think about the outfits that when you put on, you stand taller. You’re like, this is me.

Sophia Rodriguez (09:28)

I don’t know.

Jo Espejo (09:50)

I am 100 % confident to then walk into a room where maybe I’m not so comfortable because the last thing you want to do is walk into a space where you’re not comfortable wearing something that you’re not comfortable in. Just go home.

Sophia Rodriguez (09:50)

Uh-huh.

Yes.

Yes, just go home. might as well because you’re not going to be able to deliver, let’s see, a sales pitch, being uncomfortable, feeling uncomfortable, being in a room that you’re like, don’t like, know, at least what you have on. Wanna be comfortable. And also not to say, you know, let’s say your client is, know,

a gardener, right? And she’s digging in the dirt. Hi, I’m a plant lady. Okay, like I’m not going to be digging in this, you know, but also, what do you show up to the networking event? I or let’s say your photo shoot, you shouldn’t be in a full on suit, right? Like that doesn’t make sense. Like if you’re not going to wear a blazer anytime, if you hate the blazers, do not wear it to the photo shoot. Do not wear that.

Jo Espejo (10:39)

Correct.

Exactly.

And there’s this balance between like being authentic, stepping it up a notch, but then also not leaning into something that you’re never going to be in.

Sophia Rodriguez (10:57)

Yeah, you’re in it. mean, for photos, it’s going to translate. It’s going to be all over your face, no matter how hard you smile with your mouth or your eyes like this. And you’re going to feel and look at the end of the day, you’re going to hate the photos. You’re not going to love it. It was you’re going to find that it was a waste of time. Not only your time, but photographer, everyone else involved, you know, hair, make all that.

And then it was a big waste of money because you hate photos. I have a lot of clients that come to me and be like, why did I work with the stylist sooner? Because I hate all the other photos and I wasted thousands of dollars because I hate it.

Jo Espejo (11:35)

Well, and there’s

an intentional piece. So I often hear people come to me and say, I’ve had photos taken, but I can’t use them. And I go, OK, so pull up the photos. Let me see. Like, what is it about? Was it maybe the posing or the styling? Nine times out of 10, it comes down to the outfits that they’re wearing, because there’s a disconnect between the outfit that they’re wearing and the message that they’re trying to send. And so perfect example, I have a client who’s building a luxury VIP concierge service.

So everything is luxury. She wants to target these people who want to rent the mansion, want to have the Bentley in the parking lot, want to have everything taken care of for them when they walk in the door. And then she had a photo shoot done and it was a Sunday dress on the lake. And I’m like, they’re beautiful photos. You look beautiful in your Sunday dress on the lake, but that doesn’t translate to the business that you’re building. So we have to figure out how to make sure that the message matches visually.

And guys, we are a visual society. That is just who we are. A picture is worth a thousand words is not something that people say just to say it. Like there is truth to it. So I’m always telling people like you want the photos to stop the scroll, but then it has to match the words that you’re saying because there’s a disconnect.

Sophia Rodriguez (12:50)

Absolutely, like I probably would have put her in something a little bit more powerful a little maybe something structured I think for that clientele you almost have to match what they’re wearing not exactly the match the vibe so for example Let’s talk grooming for just a few minutes. So if you If you are trying to attract that high dollar clients

Right where you that client always has her nails manicured and done Her hair is always done. She just always looks polished Well girlfriend, we cannot show up with and gird underneath her nails our hair and a top knot like a messy top knot That’s not a cute messy top knot. You know what I mean? Like we almost have to match Not exactly like i’m not saying like let’s find out the same in nail color and

Jo Espejo (13:33)

You

Sophia Rodriguez (13:42)

paint our nails that color, but it’s the same vibe. Like the grooming has to be there. Like we can’t be showing up unkempt, right? Because how am I supposed to trust you with my project or whatever when you looked like you rolled out of bed? You know, maybe that’s a group for a phone call, but not for a video chat, not for like, would you be able to trust me if I looked crazy? Like I rolled out of bed and had no, like my hair’s undone, no makeup and I have like.

PJ’s on. Boy, that’s not gonna end.

Jo Espejo (14:10)

No, complete disconnect,

a complete disconnect between what you do and what you offer. So I’m going to shift the subject just a little bit because this is also a common thing I hear is that women tend to be very uncomfortable just in general with their weight or their body or their outfits that they’re wearing. So what are some of the things that you do to help people overcome just the discomfort? And I will say too for brand photo shoots,

Sophia Rodriguez (14:14)

No thank you. No mail. Don’t touch me.

See you later.

Jo Espejo (14:37)

99 % of my people don’t like to be on camera. So then it’s like, you know, they’re already in this place where they’re uncomfortable. And I don’t know, everything is just uphill battle, right? I’m like, guys, it’s fine. We’re going to make it. But I do know for me, it starts with the planning and outfits. I tell them there’s so much that goes into the outfits, but to know the right outfits to wear, we have to know who are you targeting? What’s the message you want to send? what are some of the things that you do to help people overcome?

if they’re uncomfortable with their looks, their style, whatever they’ve got going on.

Sophia Rodriguez (15:08)

Yeah,

I get a lot of these and I I’m gonna be honest, I don’t like being a friend of the camera. I don’t even like the sound of my own voice. So I get it. I relate. So I mean, so first, I think planning is key because when we have a plan, we feel better, right? Kind of having you know, okay, we plan, we strategize, we hopped on all the calls together. We planned out the outfits, like literally step by step knowing

to the two what accessories we’re gonna put together. But here’s one thing I like to do, especially if I’m taking a client shopping, is that I will have them. And you don’t even have to be in a fitting room. You can be trying on clothes in the comfort of your own home because trying on clothes in a store is a whole different, you we can go down that rabbit hole another time. But when you’re trying on the things, I have them turn away.

from the mirror, put on the clothes and I don’t even want them to look at themselves first. I want them to kind of take a deep breath and just kind of feel the fabric, move around a little bit and see what they don’t like about it. Is it pulling here? Is it pulling in the armpits, maybe across the breast or maybe it’s around the thighs or.

the waistband is too tight before looking at themselves. I want to identify the feeling first, because if we’re putting on for some women, not all of we’re wearing things that are too tight, but then we’re trying to be well, okay, I kind of like this. we’re sucking in in the mirror. Like I can, I can kind of make this work. But maybe if you, no, no, no, no, let’s not look at anything yet. Let’s get all the feelings. Like what, like, do we need to

Possibly go up the sides. Do we need to like just take this itchy top or sweater off? Like what is it that is making us feel uncomfortable? Before we even look in the mirror and I feel like for a lot of my clients that helps a lot Then when we kind of identify that then I have them turn around and be like, okay Actually now we can look at this knowing what we already feel and then like okay

Should we change? Should we not? How can we adjust? Maybe it’s unbuttoning if it’s, if we’re unbuttoning a shirt, if it’s maybe too tight across the breast or maybe the sleeves feel weird. Let’s roll these up. Do they feel any better? You know, kind of working with that. I think that helps.

Jo Espejo (17:46)

I love that tip because I’m trying to think back and

I’m like, how many times have you tried on something and then you’re looking in the mirror and it’s not even whether or not it looks good on you. It’s that it doesn’t, you don’t like how it feels, but now all of sudden you’re like, this outfit isn’t going to work. And then we’re internalizing the fact that the outfit isn’t going to work. And it has nothing to do with how we look. We just don’t even like how it feels. And I love that. I’m like, my goodness, next time I go to try on clothes, turn away from the mirror. And if I would even like how it feels before I look in the mirror, I’m just going to take it off.

Sophia Rodriguez (17:58)

you

⁓ huh.

Just take it off. Yeah. Yeah. And we don’t need to make it work. Like, no, it’s never going to actually work.

Jo Espejo (18:15)

Thank you.

And I go back to the power outfits. There’s outfits that I know I confidently can go to because I love everything about it. The jeans don’t bother me. The pants don’t bother me. The top, I’m not fidgeting with the sleeves. All of those pieces. And so I have a set number of outfits that I know if I’m going to go into a situation where I want to feel my most confident, I pick those outfits and it all comes down to I look a certain way.

Sophia Rodriguez (18:30)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Jo Espejo (18:49)

I am allowed to look that way because I’m comfortable in the clothes versus I’ve put on some and maybe they are a little snug. And now I find if I’m wearing like the little snug pants, I don’t know about you, but everything irritates me all day. All of the little things that like probably would have never irritated me are starting to irritate me. And it’s really nothing to do with that. It’s probably the fact that my pants are too tight and I’m just irritated in general, but that would probably… So that’s a huge tip. I love that. Where you just try it on and see how you feel in it.

before you even look in the mirror.

Sophia Rodriguez (19:21)

Give it a try, everyone.

Jo Espejo (19:21)

And this is

another key tip too, a size up, a size down. Like we have had so many issues. I’ve had clients who show up literally taking things out of the bag, they didn’t even try it on until the photo shoot day. And I don’t know about you, but there are certain things that look amazing on a model. And then I put them on, I’m like, that’s not going to work for me. Like it’s just not working at all. So there is definitely one.

Sophia Rodriguez (19:44)

They’re living on the edge. Wow.

Let’s not do that let’s not do that i’ve definitely tried on before you go to the photo shoot because yeah what if you hate it and then you’re stuck with it right yeah ladies try everything on because yeah you’re gonna hate life after.

Jo Espejo (20:03)

So many beautiful things about styling and

please know if you did not already know that there are stylists out there. So if you are the person that has walked into stores and always gravitates to the same type of shirt, the same color, the same outfits, but then you come out feeling like it still doesn’t work because I know that was me. And then I started working with the stylist a few years ago and I’ve incorporated that into my brand sessions. But I can tell you that she’s pushed me to try on things I wouldn’t have tried on initially.

And then now I’m like, absolutely love it. Like I can’t tell you the number of things. I’m like, I don’t know, but I’m open. Like, cause I went in saying I want to try something new because I have an entire closet full of things that I’m like, I got nothing to wear because I kept gravitating. So if you’re one of those people, there are stylists like Sophia who can help you shop your closet, shop new, help you pair new things together so that you can walk into rooms feeling confident.

Sophia Rodriguez (20:46)

Yeah.

Yep.

Jo Espejo (21:01)

I want to shift the conversation a little bit though. Let’s talk about your own business and your own branding. What are some of the things that you have done to help establish your brand as a business?

Sophia Rodriguez (21:11)

Mm. Well, all the things that I’ve already like, I created these steps because I didn’t do this before. Like I remember back in my first shoot, 2021, I, I love the photos. Don’t get me wrong. And some outfits on point, right? But I looked back and I go, what was the point of this outfit? What was the point of that dress Sophia? Um, and you know, I think that’s a mistake that I made that I was just trying to have fun.

right, I wasn’t really positioning myself. So the next time and I’m doing another rebranding. So like this time around, you know, it’s just kind of elevating everything a little bit more. Now I’m going to be changing my colors a little bit. I’m going to make it a little bit more movie or I’m going to, you know, not to say that I wasn’t being intentional with my outfits, maybe in my second photo shoot, you know, I definitely learned.

But yeah, literally making sure that I have everything as organized as I can have it. Just being intentional with every single look and not forgetting to have fun. think some of the times before I was like, let’s just get this done. Let’s not have like, we don’t have time for fun. No, we can have fun. We can have fun. It can be a fun outfit, you know, depending on how long the photo shoot is. But I think

You know, have fun. Like, this is still a fun, we can have a good time with it. Like, it doesn’t have to be a stressful situation to answer your question. ⁓

Jo Espejo (22:46)

feel like it did. The personal brand. I mean, it does, ties into the outfits. And I think that’s so key is being intentional with

what you’re planning, what you’re wearing. And there’s something I want to point out here though, because definitely fun guys, like you should have fun. And at the end of it, for me, like in a brand photo shoot or walking into a networking event or whatever, like we got to find joy in the journey guys. Otherwise, why are we even doing this? But there was something else that you said, just because you love the outfit.

Sophia Rodriguez (23:03)

you

Jo Espejo (23:16)

doesn’t mean it necessarily belongs in your professional branding photos. And this is where that’s something I’m going to encourage you to ask yourself. And it all comes into the planning. And Sophia and I both use stories. What story are you trying to tell? What are we capturing in that section? And then maybe it is a great one for a date night or going out with your girlfriends. You just have to decide. What does that look like?

Sophia Rodriguez (23:20)

Absolutely.

Thank

Jo Espejo (23:41)

what is it going to be? And then it could be a fun outfit. I love to incorporate fun. I’m like, throw in some color, bring in some pattern, something, live on the edge a little bit, try something you may not have tried before. But ultimately, at end of the day, does it still align? Because when it comes to our brand photo shoot, or if you’re networking, or you’re just dressing for the CEO that you are now, it’s

Sophia Rodriguez (24:06)

Yes.

Jo Espejo (24:08)

Does it align? Does it work with the story I’m telling? And can I use it? Am I going to wear this? Because that’s the beauty of it. Would I wear it again? You guys don’t invest in an outfit that you’re only going to wear for the photo shoot and never touch it again.

Sophia Rodriguez (24:13)

Yeah.

Yes. Can I touch on this point really quick? Okay. And this is something I probably shouldn’t mention before. So when we’re choosing outfits, right? I want to figure number one, are we going to rent it? Because we can rent it. If you decide if you only want to wear it once, just rent it. Okay. Send it back. And then are we going to buy it? Or are we going to shop from the closet? We need to figure that out.

Jo Espejo (24:23)

Yes, please.

you

Sophia Rodriguez (24:45)

or we can do all three. I’ve had clients say, you know, I’m going to rent this blazer because it’s way out of my price range and I don’t want to spend $500 on a blazer, but I love this blazer. So I’m going to rent it and then I’ll send it back. Okay, great. But then I also have this blouse in my closet that I already pants, let’s say pants because pants are tricky. Bottoms are very tricky. So if you have a pair of jeans that still look good, they don’t look fratty, patty, um, and you want to use them for the photo shoot because they look amazing. Okay, friend, then let’s

Jo Espejo (25:05)

Mm-hmm.

Sophia Rodriguez (25:14)

love to use those or maybe it’s a pair of trousers that you’ve got tailored. We can use that and then maybe we buy the blouse. Okay, so we can do all three. Then another thing is we need to figure out how many outfits do you need? Like what we can I’ve had clients, I want to wear all seven of these outfits, but I only have one hour. Okay, no, we cannot do that.

Jo Espejo (25:36)

gosh.

Sophia Rodriguez (25:39)

Unless you are like Speedy Gonzalez, there’s no time for all of those. So then we kind of want to say, okay, let’s like, let’s tap it at four. When I say four, mean, even that’s a lot for one hour. So make sure you have one outfit, one topper that can have you changed in 60 seconds or less. So maybe you start off with a blouse or a top with some kind of trouser jean, whatever the bottoms are skirt.

And then real quick, we’re going to add a blazer or we’re going to add a cardigan because now we’re changing up that look really quick. And maybe say you’re adding the cardigan and we’re changing out the earrings. That’s 60 seconds. That’s two seconds, right? Like very quick. And now we have a whole new, say look, you know, so easy. So you can get in those four looks without having to change everything. Or maybe we’re changing, from there than just the whole top.

Jo Espejo (26:20)

Yes.

Sophia Rodriguez (26:33)

situation, but then we’re keeping the jeans or the bottoms, whatever it is. So think through that. And of course, that is what we’re here for. Then we want to think about your brand colors. we do you want to wear a brand color? Do you want it to be cohesive in that way? You don’t always have to wear a brand color. But I do suggest it if you’re only going to do one photo shoot a year, maybe it’s just the top. Maybe it’s a lip color. Okay, it could even be the shoes. It could be a nail polish.

Jo Espejo (26:56)

Yes.

Sophia Rodriguez (27:03)

think through that, how can we incorporate the brand completely? Because if you’re going to only have, if you’re only doing the one photo shoot and we’re using this for marketing, for Instagram, know, socials, and then we’re also putting this on, you know, your website, we might want to incorporate in some way, shape or form the brand color, okay? And then we want to make sure that what’s in the background, where are you shooting?

You don’t want to be, you want to be the center. You don’t want to be competing with this really crazy wall that’s really cool, but then you have something like what I have on. It’s competing, right? We want to, okay. Maybe we wear the solid in front of that fun wall, that printed wallpapered area. And then maybe in the, you know, maybe we change, you know, for another wall, we want to make sure that you are always the star of the show.

Jo Espejo (27:29)

Mm-hmm.

Sophia Rodriguez (27:54)

Then let’s say, like the color palette. That’s another thing. Not just the prints and everything like that. Not just the brand colors, but what’s the color palette of the entire room? Let’s say you have crazy colors in the background, but then you’re just kind of ho-hum and nothing that exciting. Or maybe you have all nice and neutral, kind of like what you have in your background. It’s very calming. It’s very, you know.

very neutral. love it. Like it’s like a breath of fresh air, right? But then you come in wearing like bright magenta and yellow and all these things. It’s not translating. And then of course, make it seasonal. Again, if you’re only doing the one photo shoot per year, you might want to think about incorporating a sweater for the fall or the winter. You might want to incorporate maybe something for the holiday. Maybe it’s a quick

Jo Espejo (28:46)

Bites.

Sophia Rodriguez (28:50)

blouse that we changed that’s more as more of like a holiday s kind of feel so that when you come into doing marketing or whatever you’re like yeah I didn’t wear that one sparkly shirt for like a whole five seconds you know we have that shot so making sure that we’re kind of planning kind of getting into the details because details matter

Jo Espejo (29:08)

planning.

Details matter. And I think you have to decide how

often are you going to want to shoot. And I love what you’re talking about. So if you are only going to shoot once a year, you definitely need to be very intentional about either making outfits that are going to span the entire time. love to brand colors for sure, or complementary too. And that’s what I always tell people. I’m like, you just don’t want to clash whenever you’re showing up in your branding and your marketing. So that’s everything. And then I like to tell people, I don’t want you competing.

Like I want it to be about you. So let’s not compete with the outfit. The eyes, like our eyes gravitate to lots of fun things. So like if you were going to wear a very busy top, then the bottom has to be solid. We’re going to pick a very neutral background. Because at the end of the day, my goal is that you become the feature of your images with the story that we’re telling, but all of that. So I think obviously we have a lot to say about brand colors and outfits and

planning and being intentional. think that theme came up throughout this conversation today. I would love to ask one more question. If you could go back and do one thing sooner for your branding, what would it be?

Sophia Rodriguez (30:12)

Thank

What things?

I think I would probably plan out more photo shoots throughout the year. I’ve been, even though I work with tons of photographers and I’m doing this all the time, I don’t think I’d take enough. I tend to be a creature of habit and I will reuse the same stuff forever. I think that’s something that I would change. I probably need to get in front of the camera more. I think that’s really like, okay, time out. Is that good enough?

Jo Espejo (30:50)

That translates to me.

Yeah, that translates to me as far as just becoming the face of your brand and being confident. And I think this is where sometimes I have found that clients, if they are not actively posting on a regular basis, if you are someone that only posts once or twice a week, maybe you don’t post on Instagram at all. You’re just updating your website. You really don’t need that many images. But if you are someone who is going to be actively engaging and you are emailing and you have your website and

Sophia Rodriguez (30:56)

Yeah.

Jo Espejo (31:18)

you are doing social media and the things, then updating your photos is helpful because photo fatigue is real, not only for ourselves, but like for people. Like they start to see that like, oh, we’ve gotten used to seeing that and they don’t realize it, but like it’s not new. Whereas I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but if you ever post a new photo of yourself, all of a sudden there’s engagement again. People are stopping and they’re paying attention and they realized like, oh, it’s a new photo. It’s because we’re not used to seeing it. And then we’ll stop again.

And then there’s also all these things guys where photos tying into like updating your website with new photos actually boost your SEO. So it’s updating your website. It’s being intentional about what we’re creating, what we’re doing. So yes, I agree with you 100%. When I look back to, I spent a long time in business before I had my own professional photo shoot done. And that is something that I wish I would have done sooner.

Sophia Rodriguez (31:55)

Wow.

Jo Espejo (32:13)

But for me, it was two things. One, it actually gave me the confidence to start showing up in my work. But the side effect of my branding shoot is that I was starting to walk into rooms different because all of a sudden I had a professional headshot. I had professional images. I felt like the CEO and I started saying and introducing myself different. I wasn’t, hi, I’m Joe or Joseline and I have this business on the side. I’m like, I have a brand base. Like this is what I do.

Sophia Rodriguez (32:23)

Yep.

Thanks.

Jo Espejo (32:42)

I could walk into

rooms confidently because I had the images to back up to show up in my marketing. So hopefully that helped.

Sophia Rodriguez (32:49)

Absolutely.

Jo Espejo (32:50)

Sophia, if anybody has been listening and now they know that styling or working with a stylist is a must that they need and they want to reach out, where can they find you?

Sophia Rodriguez (32:59)

Okay, they can find me by going to my website. It’s thestylesstudio.me. And then of course there’s always the good old Instagram, right? It’s thestylesstudio.sofia. Or if you just wanna email me, that’s fine too. you can email me at thestylesstudio.sofia as well.

Jo Espejo (33:19)

I love that. Okay. Last piece. the one thing that you want someone

to take away from this conversation, what would it be?

Sophia Rodriguez (33:25)

Girl, there’s so many. I think, intentional, be purposeful. You are the brand. You are the package, right? And one more thing. It’s my favorite quote. by Jen Bresson. she says, be kind to yourself. This process of finding clothes that speak to us should not be a process of guilt and shame.

but a joyful exploration and evolution. Be kind to yourself, be kind to your body, be kind to who you see in the mirror staring back at you. I think that is so important.

Jo Espejo (34:02)

That is so important. What a beautiful way to end that conversation. Well, thank you so much for joining me today, Sophia. And if you’ve been listening or watching

and you know of somebody that could benefit, please share and subscribe for future episodes. And as always, continue to go out there and make your branded impact.