65 | Reimagining Success from the Inside Out: Personal Style, Presence, and Possibility — with Pamela Shepard

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How do you dress for the life and legacy you actually want?

In this powerful and personal episode, Monique is joined by costume designer, educator, and style visionary Pamela Shepherd, as they unpack what it really means to show up in your full presence. From dressing bodies to shaping identities, Pamela reveals how style becomes a strategy for visibility, authority, and self-reinvention, especially for Black women in leadership.

Tune in to hear how Pamela navigated her leap from tech to fashion, what it takes to embrace your own definition of “executive presence,” and why asking for help is the real flex. Together, they explore fashion as liberation, style as storytelling, and the magic of taking up space without apology.

If you’ve ever questioned your image, doubted your voice, or wrestled with how to be both authentic and visible, this episode is your call to reimagine what success looks like from the inside out.

GUEST INFO

Pamela Shepard, Costume ​Designer ​and ​Stylist |  Website | Instagram | FlowWood Costumes (Launching soon!)

GEMS DROPPED

“For ​those ​of ​us ​who ​are ​designing ​our ​ambitions ​and ​creating ​futures ​that ​maybe ​we ​don't ​have ​an ​example ​for ​in ​our ​household. ​ ​Who ​are ​you ​not ​just ​asking? What ​doors ​are ​you ​not  ​just ​knocking ​on?” - Monique R. Shields

“Because ​​I ​work so ​collaboratively, ​I'm ​often ​working ​with ​different ​groups ​of ​people. ​And ​because ​the ​work ​requires ​your ​expertise ​and ​your ​expertise ​and your ​experience ​and ​your ​experience ​and ​your ​experience, I ​think ​that ​it further ​helps ​me ​to ​develop ​the ​muscle ​​when ​it ​comes ​to ​leaning ​on ​others ​for ​what I ​don't ​know. It's ​not ​indicative ​of ​weakness ​or ​lack ​of ​ability ​or ​​really ​anything. ​What ​it's ​indicative ​of ​is ​curiosity.” - Pamela Shepard

“One ​way ​that ​you ​signal ​to ​yourself and ​to ​the ​world ​that ​you ​take ​yourself ​seriously ​is ​by ​asking ​for ​help, ​​by ​actually ​leveraging ​the ​relationships ​that ​you ​have ​poured ​into. ​And ​it ​doesn't ​take ​that ​many. ​You ​don't ​have ​to ​know ​the ​world. ​You ​start ​with ​who ​you ​know, ​and ​then ​you, again, ​you ​don't ​know ​who ​they ​know and ​who ​those ​people ​know.” - Monique R. Shields

“If I were talking to someone about fashion, I ​think ​my ​first ​question would ​be, ​​where ​do ​you ​spend ​most ​of ​your ​time? Is ​it ​in ​an ​office? ​Is ​it ​at ​home? ​Is ​it  ​in ​transit ​and ​traveling? ​Like, ​what ​does ​the ​look ​of ​your ​life ​look ​like? ​Because ​​I ​think ​that ​sometimes ​we ​feel compelled ​to ​have ​all ​the ​things. Our ​lives ​don't ​really ​call ​for ​all ​the ​things.” - Pamela Shepard 

“There ​is ​part ​of ​the ​work ​that ​is ​just listening ​to ​people, ​checking ​in ​with ​people, ​seeing ​how ​they're ​doing, and ​listening ​to ​what ​they're ​saying, ​because ​I ​think ​that ​can ​help ​inform, ​the ​decisions ​of ​the ​pieces we're ​choosing ​and ​moving ​forward. And ​so ​​just ​encouraging ​people ​to ​be ​brave ​and ​trying ​to ​put ​on ​the ​things ​that ​embody ​how ​they ​see ​themselves.” - Pamela Shepard 

“Your ​clothes ​are ​not ​going ​to ​give ​you ​executive ​presence. ​They ​can ​be ​a ​reflection ​of ​the ​presence ​that ​you ​already ​​carry, ​that ​you ​already ​exude, ​but ​the ​clothes ​can't ​give ​it ​to ​you .” - Monique R. Shields

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