July 10, 2025 • 36 mins
In this style-meets-leadership episode, we’re talking about what your outfit says before you even introduce yourself.
Bonnie is joined by certified image consultant and color specialist, Heather Riggs, who shares expert tips on how RNs, APRNs, and nursing leaders can align their personal style with their professional goals. Whether you're stepping into a boardroom, a Zoom interview, or a networking event—your wardrobe is speaking for you. Let’s make sure it’s saying the right thing.
Key Takeaways:
- Why professional image matters in nursing leadership
- What to wear (and avoid) in interviews, presentations, and virtual settings
- How to build a capsule wardrobe without overwhelm
- Simple ways to dress with confidence—even in scrubs
- How your personal style can boost your credibility and visibility
👉 This episode is especially for nurses who want to lead with presence—and style.
Heather Riggs Info:
Join HER Style community on Facebook - https://herstylellc.com/community
Take the free Personal Style Quiz - https://herstylellc.com/quiz
Listen to HER Style Podcast - https://herstylellc.com/podcast
Want to continue the conversation? Send me a text right here.
Trying to figure out your next career step?
The Nursing Career Growth Roadmap gives you proven strategies to move past uncertainty and advance with clarity.
Grab your free roadmap today! Click Here
Join me for a **1:1 Nurse Career Clarity Coaching Call**—a 1:1 coaching session where we’ll get you unstuck and find clarity to make the next move in your career.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Bonnie (00:03):
Are you feeling stuck in your current clinical
environment?
Do you want to make a change inyour nursing career, but not
sure what to do next?
Exhausted, burnt out, and maybeeven ready for different
leadership?
I'm Bonnie Meadows, a boardified clinical nurse specialist,
influential leader, careercoach, and wellbeing coach.
(00:24):
Being in the nursing andhealthcare profession since
2004, I have felt stuck andunsure about what was next for
me.
I wanted to be fulfilled in mypurpose, to have a voice at the
table and to be a resource forothers.
I kept telling myself I wantedmore, but didn't have the
direction I needed until I foundclarity and career growth
(00:47):
strategies for experiencednurses like.
Me.
In this podcast, you will findsimple tactical steps that allow
you to gain the clarity you needsolutions for how to grow even
without supportive leadershipand guidelines for setting
boundaries at work so that youcan grow purposefully in your
career as a nurse with agraduate degree who makes a huge
(01:11):
impact in the profession.
So get ready to trade yourscrubs for yoga pants, pop in
those earbuds and let's chat.
Welcome back all of my ambitiousnurses.
I have a treat for you today.
This episode is going to be alittle off the cuff.
(01:32):
We have a guest today, and weare going to be talking about
fashion and, showing up well foryourself in professional attire.
So I hope you enjoy thispodcast.
I enjoyed the conversation, so Iknow that you will gain
something from, the informationthat Heather provides.
(01:54):
We have Heather Riggs.
Founder of her style LLC, andhost of the Top 10 Fashion and
Beauty show, her Style podcastas a 17 year certified image
consultant and color specialist.
Heather empowers ambitious womento show up and get dressed every
day with confidence.
(02:16):
So I am getting ready to dropyou into our conversation as we
about and talk about, um, how toshow up well for yourself as a
professional.
So how are you doing today?
Heather Riggs (02:32):
I'm amazing.
How are you?
I'm
Bonnie (02:41):
I appreciate you coming and sharing some of that with
the nurses that I engage withand that listen to this podcast.
My goal for the ambitious nurseis to not only, feel confident
in growing their careers, but toeven look confident in growing
their careers.
(03:02):
I would love for you to share,Who you are, what you do, what
audience you serve, and then wewill go from there.
Heather Riggs (03:11):
Absolutely.
I am so honored to be here andtalking with you and, all of the
nurses in your audience.
I know it is so important toshow up as the best version of
ourselves.
At work and in all the areas ofour life.
So I think this is a reallyimportant conversation.
I appreciate you bringing me into have it.
My name is Heather Riggs.
I've been a certified imageconsultant and color specialist
(03:31):
for the last 17 years.
Really, My goal is to empowerwomen to be able to show up and
get dressed every day withconfidence.
In addition to that, I'm a wifeand I'm a mom.
I have one six year old son.
So they definitely keep me busybetween, home life, work life.
So I understand the balancingact of juggling all of the
things and trying to look andfeel our best while we do it.
Bonnie (03:53):
Heather, how did you get into this work?
Heather Riggs (03:56):
That's a great question.
I've always loved fashion fromthe time I was a little girl.
I am a child of the eighties, soI loved playing with the paper
dolls and the fashion plates andmall madness and all of those
toys as a kid.
I always had an interest in artas well.
I originally thought I was goingto study costume design in
college, but I started down thatpath and realized very quickly
(04:19):
that you have to be able to sew,which is not one of my skills.
I was really struggling withthat, particularly in college.
So I decided to switch my major.
And then not long after, Istarted doing fashion design and
merchandising, which is more ofthe business route.
My mom was the one who told meabout image consulting.
She had read an article.
There was an interview in one ofher magazines with an image
(04:41):
consultant, and she just knewthat that was right up my alley,
and she was right.
So right after college, Ipursued image consulting and my
certifications, and yeah, it'salways, I think, aligned for me.
So it's been a real joy to getto do this work for so long.
Bonnie (04:56):
What do you think is the biggest misconception about, the
thought process of, oh, she's animage consultant.
Do people just kind of like, oh,that's not for me.
Or are people usually runningtowards it?
Heather Riggs (05:12):
Well, I think most people don't really know
what an image consultant is, tobe honest with you.
If you hear the term personalstylist, I think that's more of
a household term that we're allfamiliar with.
And really the biggestdifference there is that
personal stylists, while they dosimilar work in helping women
to, choose outfits and thingslike that, they're a little bit
more trend focused and wantingtheir clients to look current to
(05:37):
wear the latest things or tomaybe push certain labels.
And I think there's absolutelyvalue in looking current.
We all want that undoubtedly.
But where I see the differencesin image Consultant is that
we're looking to narrate anaccurate story about who our
clients are from the inside out.
And so It's helping you tofigure out how you want to show
(05:59):
up and present yourself in theworld and making sure that
you're doing that through theclothing in which you wear and
ideally in a way that feels athome and natural for you and
that brings out your best.
So it's more about who you areas a person more so than what's
happening in fashion.
And while they're bothimportant, that's the
distinction that I like to makeand how I choose to work with my
clients personally.
Bonnie (06:20):
Really, the image consulting is more so
personalized based on who youare versus this is the trend.
And here's where we're goingwith what you're going to wear
for this season or whatever thecase may be.
Heather Riggs (06:33):
Like I said, both are important and I do teach on
trends and I want my clients tohave the information about how
to look current, but I thinkthat's putting the cart before
the horse.
It's really important first todial in what styles do you like
to wear and what's going to makeyou feel your best and having
you discern which trends tobring into your wardrobe based
(06:53):
on that I never want someone tolook back at pictures of
themselves in 10 years, 20 yearsand say, What was I thinking?
It's so much more important tochoose the pieces that you love
and that make you feel good.
And if you want to bring in acouple of trends for the season
that align with your personalityand your preferences and your
lifestyle, that's great.
But we really want to focus yourbuilding out your wardrobe on
(07:13):
what you actually need to getthrough your day to day life in
a way that just makes you feelgood and enjoy the process of
getting dressed It is somethingwe have to do every day so we
might as well make it moreempowering for you.
Bonnie (07:24):
Even if we have scrubs on, there's a way to do that to
where fun.
It meets your personality.
Looking professional is veryimportant for me.
And important to me.
It reflects, how you think ofyourself.
To me, that shows me, what doyou think of yourself?
How can we present our bestselves and feel comfortable to
(07:46):
be able to save a patient's lifeif we need to at the same time?
Heather Riggs (07:50):
I would say that's the most important thing,
right, that you're ready to showup and do your job and certainly
don't let what you're wearingdistract you from that in any
way.
Your superiors do take notice ofhow you're showing up and how
you're presenting yourself, notonly in terms of how you're
engaging with people in yourbedside manner, but also in your
visual presentation.
(08:12):
The way you present yourself istelling a story about who you
are and research shows it usedto take seven seconds to make a
first impression, but now in ourswipe left, swipe right, quick
scrolling society, it actuallyonly takes one tenth of a second
for someone to form an opinionabout you based on your visual
appearance and I know it's likewe all want to get to the heart
(08:32):
of who people are but whenyou're, in a quick moving world,
you've got to think about thestory that you're telling in the
way that you show up, especiallyat work, because if you are
looking to gain a promotion,gain respect, it matters that
you are paying attention tothose little details.
Even expressing yourself in away that feels unprofessional.
If you're maybe wearing too muchjewelry in a way that's
(08:55):
distracting or keeping you fromdoing your job to the best of
your ability, that is somethingthat your employers are going to
notice.
A lot of my clients end upgetting unexpected promotions
just because of the extra timeand thought that they're putting
into their presentation at work.
It really does make such a hugedifference and go hand in hand.
It does really make it that muchmore important to think about
(09:16):
how you're styling your hair andyour makeup and the jewelry.
That you're choosing not thatyou have to spend hours getting
ready in the morning but justsome of those little touches can
really go such a long way inmaking your look feel more
polished.
Helping you to show up more puttogether and it really does make
you look more trustworthy,credible and show that you do
take pride not only in yourappearance, but in the job that
(09:38):
you're there to do.
Bonnie (09:39):
What should be the bare minimum of what we could look to
say these are the things that Ishould probably do every day to
show up well at work.
Heather Riggs (09:49):
You said it first, Bonnie, and it's making
sure that your clothes arepressed and that they look neat,
so not showing up with stains onyour clothing or things that
look like you maybe pulled themback out of the hamper, right?
So just having a neat and freshappearance is really important.
I think it's great, especiallywhen you're working in health
care, to make sure that yournails are trimmed and clean I
(10:10):
don't think that you need to gofrom not caring much about your
appearance to spending hoursgetting ready.
But what I would encourage ismaybe look up a quick five
minute hair and makeup routine.
Just something really simple tostart.
You don't have to take a bigleap and do a gigantic makeover
of your whole wardrobe andappearance, but start small.
Spend a few extra minutesthinking about maybe styling
(10:33):
your hair in a more polished wayor doing a little bit more with
your makeup again, not to lookoverly dramatic at work unless
that's your personal style, justmaking some small little changes
along the way can build up overtime and make such a huge
difference not only in howpeople are perceiving you, but
in your confidence, too.
You want to feel your best whenyou go into work and feel
(10:55):
equipped to do the job.
And what's really interesting isthat there have been studies
done to show that people performbetter when they are dressed
better and really showing up fortheir work.
In fact, NorthwesternUniversity, did a whole study
around this and they came upwith a term called enclothed
cognition, which shows thatclothes really do have an
influence on our psychology.
(11:16):
When you step into your scrubs,you probably feel a mental shift
of, okay, I'm ready to work now,and I'm here to show up for my
job, versus if you were to comein in your daytime clothes, or
your weekend clothes, youwouldn't feel like you were
really a nurse, right?
There's something mental thathappens with that shift of
putting on the uniform, andlikewise, when you put some more
attention into how you'representing yourself and showing
(11:38):
up, you really will see theconfidence follow suit.
Bonnie (11:41):
A great point because if I can have an opportunity where
I don't have to wear scrubs,then I won't.
But once I put on scrubs, mymindset shifts totally.
It's almost like I'm putting mygloves on and I'm ready to get
down and dirty if I need to.
As we talk about that and thescrubs, let's transition to
(12:01):
exhibiting their personal styleoutside of that clinical
environment.
There may be a nurse who isgoing to a conference or
sometimes they're coming in fora one or a two hour class if
it's in person or even showingup virtually.
And sometimes it's like a basiclife support class or an
(12:22):
advanced life support classwhere you're learning how to do
CPR, or you're just rehearsingthose skills.
You're not working in a clinicalsetting that day.
How can they best transitionfrom, scrub life to, personal
style and it's professional?
Cause I've seen leggings, I'veseen yoga pants.
(12:43):
That's a great question.
I just thrown scrubs or eitherthey just thrown scrubs cause
it's easy.
Heather Riggs (12:49):
And it's more socially acceptable.
Now I think, post COVID peopleare wearing leggings out of the
house and athleisure has becomehuge.
So it feels more acceptable towear those clothes in all
different scenarios.
So I understand the thoughtprocess behind it.
I think the first question thatwe need to ask is what is your
(13:09):
signature style.
Do you know clearly what thingsyou prefer to wear?
And I think it really does startthere.
Figuring out what your personalstyle is.
The question is, how far is yourpersonal taste from the
professional image that you wantto portray?
If they feel light years apart,if you are someone who's like,
I'm wearing leggings every daywhen I'm not at work, or I'm
(13:32):
someone who likes to be reallycreative and artistic and
expressive in my style, maybe Ihave more of a Gothic or
Bohemian edge to my style,whatever it is, things that
maybe don't feel like they havea place in a professional
environment.
That's when we need to be alittle bit more creative and how
we bridge the gap there.
And what I would recommend ismight be really smart to invest
(13:52):
in a really small professionalcapsule wardrobe, and you don't
have to spend a ton of money onthis, but maybe you just need
two or three outfits that youcan switch out the pieces and
wear to those things.
So it's not that the bulk ofyour wardrobe has to feel
polished and professional.
And when you're completely offthe clock when you're just at
your house, when you're hangingout with your friends, you can
really lean more heavily intoyour personal style, but when
(14:15):
you are still showing up torepresent your company to
represent yourself as aprofessional, you do want to
marry that difference a littlebit more and still make sure
that you are showing up inappropriate attire that you are
looking a little bit morepolished, that you are showing
that you do care about your joband how your patients perceive
(14:35):
you, and that you're there to doyour job seriously.
Because again, the psychologyjust makes such a big difference
in how you feel and show up todo the work, and also how your
superiors are seeing you showup.
I hope that answers yourquestion, but I think it's just
kind of figuring out thedifference there.
Some people have a reallyclassic style.
They're comfortable wearing,nice, crisp straight leg jeans
and a button down shirt and theycould go into a class and they
(14:58):
would look great and otherpeople just don't have that as
their personal preferences andso they may not own those pieces
but it might be smart to investin just a couple of things that
you can wear to those settingsand really still feel your best.
Bonnie (15:10):
I love all of those ideas.
I've seen, the wording aroundcapsule wardrobe can you go into
a little bit more of what is acapsule wardrobe?
You don't necessarily have to goin depth but just give us some,
for those who may not know.
Heather Riggs (15:26):
I appreciate you asking that because my
perception of a capsule wardrobeis probably different than a lot
of people's or what youraudience might even be thinking
of when they hear about acapsule wardrobe.
I don't see it as, an allneutral wardrobe of 33 pieces.
Creating capsule wardrobe isreally simple.
It's just that you're building acloset or a collection of pieces
(15:47):
that are interchangeable, thatmix and match easily, so that
you can do a lot more with less.
It's just being intentional.
I think a lot of times as women,partly because we're busy and we
don't have time to think thatmuch about our wardrobes, we
might need to get an outfit foran occasion and we're just
running out and buying randompieces, but we're not thinking
about how things workcollectively together.
(16:09):
So we often might find that wehave a lot of pieces that we
like, or maybe a lot of pieceswe don't like in our closet, but
it's hard to put them togetherinto outfits.
And so when you're thinking moreabout a capsule wardrobe, it's
looking for pieces that areversatile, that coordinate in
color, and that you can reallyjust do a lot with less.
And that's why I suggest thatspecifically if you are looking
(16:30):
for a few professional polishpieces for your wardrobe, it's
going to be that much moreimportant that they are a little
bit more timeless and that theydo mix and match really easily.
So let's be strategic in maybejust get a couple of different
blouses and a couple ofdifferent pants and you can mix
them up and you might only needtwo or three of each piece, but
you could wear them to a classor to a conference.
(16:50):
You've kind of got that setlittle wardrobe ready.
And then to bring in yourpersonal style, maybe it is
adding different jewelry to itor the way that you're styling
your hair and makeup or thecolors that you're choosing.
Maybe if you have a really bold,dramatic style, you're going to
pick some fun colors and prints.
Versus someone who is a littlebit more elegant and reserved,
might want to choose moreneutrals or stick to some,
(17:13):
simple jewel tones, so it'slooking for little ways to
infuse your personal style, butmaking sure that your pieces are
going to mix and match well,just so you don't have to spend
too much money or buy too manypieces for your wardrobe.
It's great when you can haveless, but better.
Bonnie (17:26):
Awesome.
Everyone, please make sure yougo and take Heather's quiz.
The quiz answers, the questions,and then it gives you based on
your answers, what your personalstyle would likely be and then
she has some Pinterest boards togo with it for you to really see
how the pieces go together.
And she.
also sends out great informationeven beyond that.
(17:46):
So, it's not just about thequiz, but it's just about
connecting with her.
So what are some common fashionmistakes professionals make when
dressing for interviews,networking events, or leadership
opportunities?
I think those would probably allgo together in the same bucket
Heather Riggs (18:03):
You touched on a big one, which is really
nowadays just showing up toocasually or a little bit sloppy
Maybe especially because a lotof us we don't really have the
need to buy suits if that's notthe basis of your wardrobe It
could be easy to show up lookinga little bit unprofessional in
that way.
I also think as women ingeneral, maybe not prioritizing
our best colors and fits, andchoosing pieces that are the
(18:25):
most flattering for us, and thatdo work to bring out your best.
Ignoring the details, so nottaking the extra five minutes to
steam your clothes before youhead to your interview, or, not
making sure that things aremaybe tucked in in the most
flattering ways.
I think one of the biggestopportunities that you have is
you hear this all the time, notdressing for the job that you
(18:48):
have, but the job that you want.
Even as I mentioned for myclients, a lot of times, the
reason why they get unexpectedpromotions is because they're
starting to invest a little bitmore.
And it really does triggersomething in their supervisors
that, Oh, this person's serious.
Like this person's showing up.
Yeah, they're ready.
And they notice that.
(19:09):
And you don't think sometimesthat people are paying attention
to those little details, butthey really are.
And as I said, it takes just afraction of a second to make a
first impression.
So it's even more important whenyou're going in for an interview
that you are putting yourabsolute best foot forward.
So if there's one day a weekthat you are going to spend time
getting dressed and fixing yourhair and makeup and all of that,
(19:29):
make it your interview day sothat you can really show up and
shine.
Bonnie (19:33):
I love that.
That's definitely quiteimportant.
Usually on peer interviews, notnecessarily a main interview I
really just recently went to onethis past week where, it was a
networking event, but it wasalso an event where we were,
networking with legislators.
It's not a casual event.
It is a advocacy event whereyou're more so just talking
(19:56):
about yourself as the work thatyou do as a nurse.
Now, I'm in a leadershipposition within my organization
who hosts it, so I had to levelup for the role I'm walking into
versus the current role that Ihave.
then I would But even beforethen I would show up in just
business casual, and I hadthrown something together in my
(20:16):
wardrobe that, I've probablyworn different pieces of in
different times, but I got somany comments on that one outfit
and I was like, oh, okay.
I'd never worn that combinationtogether.
So I knew it was going to lookdecent, but, I'd received a lot
of comments from that particularoutfit.
So, definitely know people justprobably look at me differently
(20:39):
just because of how we show up.
Heather Riggs (20:43):
And I feel like you just said something really
key, which is you notice thatpeople gave you a lot of
compliments and acknowledgementover that outfit, so for anyone
listening, when those thingshappen, take note, what
silhouettes were you wearing?
What was the color comment?
Do more of what's working.
I think as women, sometimes it'slike, I don't know what to wear.
I don't know what looks.
(21:03):
Good on me, but you do and youdo know the things that people
tend to compliment you on.
So I really want to encourageeverybody.
You've got to learn how to trustyour own style intuition.
And when people arecomplimenting you, when you wear
a certain color or when you putyourself together in a certain
way, you probably want to leanin and do more of those things.
So don't reinvent the wheel,don't overthink it.
(21:24):
Gravitate towards the piecesthat are already working well
for you and that you feel goodin.
Bonnie (21:28):
I never thought about like, as I'm getting compliments
on a, on a particular thing,just kind of lean into and make
note of this is a stylecombination that works for me.
So I thank you for that tip.
Heather Riggs (21:39):
One of the key differences, too...
you always want people to sayyou look great before they say,
I like that shirt.
It's great if people like theclothing that you're wearing, if
you get compliments on specificpieces, but it's even better
when people say, you look great,or you look so professional.
That's more of my goal for you,is that you would stand out
above the individual pieces ofclothing or jewelry that you're
(22:02):
wearing.
But it's still worth noting whenthose individual pieces do work
well together, but we alwayswant to make sure that you're
taking center stage and thatyour outfits are working to
bring out the best in you.
That's something else to thinkabout what are the outfits that
you've worn that people justsay, you look great, you look
really refreshed today becausecolors have such a huge
potential to do that for us, tomake us look more youthful and
(22:24):
radiant and alive, so just asubtle distinction that I wanted
to point out.
Bonnie (22:29):
We're going to come back to interviewing but real quick
I'm gonna match the two up.
I'm sure there's a differencebetween you're going in for an
interview, as far as how you'redressing and colors if you are
interviewing for a more soleadership managerial director
position, manager, director...
(22:49):
so what are the best colors thatpeople should, and I'm thinking
about this from two levels, onelevel you're already in a
leadership mindset, but you'rewanting to either interview for
a manager position, a directorposition, or a little bit more
of an executive level position,versus you're fresh from
stepping away from the bedsideand you're interviewing for a
(23:13):
position right out of gradschool or you're interviewing to
get into grad school.
A lot of times that happensdepending on the graduate degree
that you're going for.
Heather Riggs (23:22):
I would recommend the same colors where I think
the difference would be betweenkind of an entry position or
that initial transition intosomething more administrative
versus the higher up managerialrole.
I think that difference would bemore in the formality of the
clothing that you're wearing.
So, making sure that if you arestepping into more of a
(23:43):
leadership role, that you arepresenting yourself as such,
that you look really polished,that you're, maybe investing in
a little bit of tailoring tomake sure that your clothing
fits you beautifully, justtaking the extra step there with
your outfit.
But in terms of the colors thatI would recommend for an
interview, there's two thingsthat you can think about.
One is just general colorpsychology, and that is the fact
(24:06):
that blue, for example, is acolor that symbolizes trust.
You think of true blue.
So wearing a great navy, whichis also a universally flattering
color, so that's kind of a good,safe way to go is to get a great
navy.
Trouser or blouse or suit,whatever feels best or most
appropriate for the interviewsetting for the position or,
academic, role that you're goingfor.
(24:28):
But blue would be a really greatgo-to color and something
classic, not a vibrant ian orsomething offbeat, but just a
classic Navy, classic, crispblue, something that feels
really timeless is a great colorto instill trust.
Also brown is a great color.
That's one you might not thinkof for an interview, but if you
(24:49):
think about what can brown dofor you?
Brown is a color at LouisVuitton.
It's about quality.
It's about reliability.
So anytime that you want to showup and you're like, I am a
reliable candidate.
I am a trustworthy candidate.
Those neutrals are really goodoptions for you going with a
basic classic blue or brown.
Your personal coloring, thinkyour hair color, your eye color,
(25:10):
your skin tone, those colors toalso communicate something
psychologically.
And the coolest one that I loveto recommend for an interview,
and sometimes this is going tobe the same colors I already
mentioned, but is if you wearyour eye color.
What's really great about thatis it also helps to build trust
and rapport.
But if you think about it, whenyou're wearing your eye color
it's almost impossible forsomeone to not be immediately
(25:32):
drawn back to your eyes.
So it's a really powerful colorto wear when you want to have
great communication withsomeone, when you want to
maintain good eye contact.
So I definitely recommend thatyou consider wearing your eye
color to an interview as well,whether it is blue, brown,
green.
But that's a great color to wearfor an interview.
I also recommend it for a firstdate.
(25:52):
Anytime that you kind of want tobe able to build some really
good rapport and have goodcommunication with someone.
That's a great go to color.
Bonnie (25:59):
Oh, I never thought about it like that.
Heather Riggs (26:01):
And it's great because you can just look in the
mirror and see what your eyecolor is and know confidently
that that's going to be aflattering choice for you.
Bonnie (26:08):
And now I'm thinking back I had on Navy at the event,
the networking event.
Heather Riggs (26:13):
Case in point.
Bonnie (26:14):
But I'm also thinking of certain outfits that I've worn
like, my eyes are brown and Ithink I had like a gold on or
like an autumn color.
Heather Riggs (26:23):
Yeah.
Bonnie (26:24):
And I've gotten compliments there too.
And I'm like, yeah, it looksgood.
All right.
Heather Riggs (26:29):
Yeah.
Well, most, people have a lot ofdimension to their eyes too, so
it might not even be, like achocolate brown or something
that you're thinking of.
It might be more of an amber,kind of a golden, you can play
with that and try some differentthings and see what makes you
feel your best.
And also wearing your hair colorcan be a great choice,
especially for pants, shoes,belts, kind of those grounding
(26:49):
pieces.
It does help to create some nicevisual repetition in your
outfit.
When you're incorporating yourhair color in other places, it
kind of helps keep the eyemoving up and down.
It creates some visual interest.
It can also make you look alittle bit more down to earth
and approachable.
I don't know that that would bemy first choice for an
interview, unless if you havereally dark black hair, that's a
more professional one.
(27:11):
If you have lighter hair likemine, you may want to do
something that's a little bitmore formal for an interview,
but it's just another greatpersonal neutral to keep in mind
for your overall wardrobe.
Bonnie (27:20):
Many nurses, struggle sometimes even working three
days a week, I would say thisprobably happens more so with
those of us who work five days aweek.
We have a little bit more timeconstraints and energy, when it
comes to shopping for clothes.
I know for me.
I probably hadn't shopped forclothes since COVID I love
shopping.
I just don't have the time to doit.
What are the best tips forbuilding a stylish and versatile
(27:43):
wardrobe with minimal effort?
Heather Riggs (27:46):
No matter how many hours a week you're
working, I think everyone canrelate to just feelings of
busyness.
We're so pressured to do all ofthe things these days, and
there's so many things we can doand fill up our time with.
I completely relate to that andit makes it even more important
to be strategic because we don'twant to waste time shopping.
You don't want to be wanderingaround the mall for hours.
(28:08):
You don't want to be browsingthe myriad of options online
either.
So my best advice to do thiswith minimal effort, and this is
maybe going to sound like it'smore work, but I promise it's
worth it in the long run, Beforeyou start doing any shopping do
a little bit of prep.
First, figure out what yoursignature style is so that you
can narrow down a little bit andknow more clearly what you want
(28:29):
your wardrobe to look and feellike.
But then you've really got tothink about your average week
and what you have going on andwhat you actually need to get
dressed for.
If you thought about your weekahead of time and what you have
going on to make sure that youhave the right outfits for those
occasions, you're going to feelso much better.
It's going to be a lot easierand you're going to save time
when you go to get ready.
What special occasions do youhave going on?
(28:51):
And then how would you like toshow up for those activities?
You've got to think about whatclothing pieces you need and
what the gaps are in yourwardrobe before you start
shopping because we need to knowwhat to look for.
I think it's going to save you aton of time if you can build out
a quick shopping list.
I know I need these pieces everytime I go to get dressed.
I wish I had a belt or I wish Ihad, this color t shirt, there's
(29:12):
always these little gaps thatyou've just got to take a few
minutes and write out your listand then figure out what your
budget is.
And my best advice is instead ofbrowsing, you've got to hunt for
those pieces.
The more specific that you canbe especially shopping online,
the more specific you can get inthe search bar and look for
those specific pieces in yoursize at your desired budget, the
(29:33):
faster you're going to find whatyou actually need.
There's so many options andthere's so many distractions
too.
And then you're going to end upfilling your shopping cart with
stuff that you don't reallyneed.
It's just like going to thegrocery store.
The times I go to the grocerystore and I don't have a list of
things, I come home with themost random stuff and then I
don't have anything to actuallymake dinner for the night.
It's the same way with gettingdressed.
(29:54):
It really is so important tohelp you stick to your budget
and also maximize your time.
Go to the store, find anassociate, and tell them what
you need.
They can help you find thosepieces and not be wandering
around aimlessly for hours.
So it's all about huntinginstead of browsing.
I think will make a hugedifference.
Bonnie (30:10):
Hunting instead of browsing.
Any advice for showing up bettervirtually so that we have more
confidence, in virtual settings.
Some may not want to turn thecamera on, some just don't turn
the camera on because they'renot ready or some are required,
to turn the camera on.
So how do you show up as yourbest self?
Heather Riggs (30:31):
Two things.
The first thing is don'tunderestimate the importance of
wearing your best colors,especially by your face.
When you're on camera we talkedabout personal color psychology,
actually wearing a color that'skind of related to your skin
tone color can actually make youlook more awake and rejuvenated.
Wearing your blush color.
is going to make you look moreapproachable.
(30:52):
Obviously we talked about howpowerful it is to wear your eye
color or just thinking aboutsome of those good basic
neutrals that will make you lookreally polished and professional
that you don't have to put a tonof thought into.
Those could be easy go tos ifyou're choosing your best ones.
I have clients tell me all thetime after they get their
personal colors done that it'sso much easier to show up for
zoom calls because they knowwhat's going to make them look
(31:12):
great on camera.
Now my second piece of advicemight surprise you because you
probably think I'm going to saydo your hair, do your makeup, do
your jewelry.
Please wear appropriate bottoms.
I know you're showing up oncamera and you might think no
one's ever going to see, and youcan wear your pajama pants and a
great blazer.
If you have to get up forsomething unexpected.
(31:33):
I can't tell you how many timesI've been on a Zoom with someone
and they have to get up forsomething they weren't expecting
and then they're apologizing forwhat they're wearing.
Don't do that to yourself.
Just dress, look good, feelgood.
Show up as if you were in personwith someone.
You can get changed and put yourcozies on after your meeting's
over.
But put the nice jeans on.
Put actual pants on.
You will feel more empoweredwhen you show up to the call.
(31:55):
You won't have to make anyexcuses for yourself if
something happens and you haveto get up.
So just come prepared.
Bonnie (32:02):
You got my number on that one.
Usually virtually I'll have anice top on.
I won't have pajama pants on,but I will have some gym clothes
on like, oh, I can just easilygo out for a walk.
Heather Riggs (32:11):
Believe me, the days I don't have meetings, I'm
often in leggings.
I wear casual clothes when Idon't have to show up for
something.
But when you know you have ameeting and you're going to be
with someone, take the extra twoseconds to put real pants on,
just in case.
Bonnie (32:23):
It's never anything that I would be embarrassed to show,
but sometimes it's a little bitbaggier or sometimes it's a
little bit tighter.
So you got me on that one forsure.
Anything else on the top of yourmind related to our own self
confidence when it comes tostyling, dressing, color
analysis that we haven't touchedon?
Heather Riggs (32:45):
When you're showing up with confidence, I
know thinking about yourclothing and spending more time
and maybe even a little bit moremoney on what you wear can feel
really superficial or reallyunnecessary.
But if you think about it, whenyou are showing up with
confidence, when you know thatyour clothing fits you, you're
not tugging on pieces, you'renot uncomfortable, you're not
(33:06):
cramming yourself into clothingthat's too tight, or trying to
hide your body in clothingthat's way too big and baggy.
When you're showing up and youknow that you look good, you
feel good, and you can go aboutyour day, it allows you to be
able to really fully focus outon others and not be in your
head about what you're wearing,not be feeling self conscious.
So, I just want to say I know itcan feel silly sometimes to
(33:29):
think that much about ourclothing, but it really is a
selfless act to show up at yourbest for the people in your
life, for your colleagues, foryour bosses, for your patients.
After you're dressed, you moveon.
You go about your day, you'regood with how you look, and you
can truly focus out on otherpeople.
I think it's such an impactfulthing that we don't give enough
(33:49):
credit to.
Just put yourself together sothat you can be your best self
and really show up and do yourthing.
Bonnie (33:56):
All right.
This has been an awesomeconversation.
It's just a reiteration of thisis just how important it is when
you're working on growing inyour career, It's not just about
professional growth, but thisalso impacts your personal
growth.
Where can our audience find youshould they, choose to continue
to follow you wherever you maybe?
Heather Riggs (34:19):
I would love to connect and if you have any
follow up questions, I'm morethan happy to answer them.
The best place to reach me is,through my free Facebook
community where you can come andhang out, get a lot more daily
tips in there, connect withother women who are working to
uplevel their, personal style intheir wardrobes.
You can, join the community.
It's at HerStyleLLC.
com slash community.
(34:39):
I would love to connect with youin there.
And then of course, you can alsolisten to my podcast, which is
Her Style Podcast.
Wherever you're listening toBonnie's show, you can find mine
there as well.
There's over 200 episodes.
Again, I really think it'shelpful to just start small.
Don't feel like you need toimplement a ton of changes
overnight.
Maybe listen to one episode,find a title that speaks to you
(35:00):
and then just try to implementone small change at a time.
It will make a huge overalldifference.
Bonnie (35:04):
Heather's usually talking about trends.
She's talking about colors.
By the time you hear thisepisode, she will have, her
spring trends episode.
Definitely go and check thatShe's a great person to follow.
Y'all go and find her podcast.
Heather, thank you for beinghere with us today and, helping
us to level up.
Hope to see you soon.
Heather Riggs (35:25):
It was my pleasure.
Thank you so much for having me.
I hope you enjoyed today'sepisode.
If so, would you take 30 secondsand share it with another nurse
who may be unsure of where to gonext in their career or maybe
need some career clarity?
Also, please leave a quickreview for the show on Apple
(35:47):
Podcast.
It brings me so much joy and somuch encouragement to know this
podcast is helping you now goget the career you want and not
the one you settle for.
And I'll meet you back here nextThursday for another episode.
See you soon.
Are you feeling stuck in your current clinical
environment?
Do you want to make a change inyour nursing career, but not
sure what to do next?
Exhausted, burnt out, and maybeeven ready for different
leadership?
I'm Bonnie Meadows, a boardified clinical nurse specialist,
influential leader, careercoach, and wellbeing coach.
(00:24):
Being in the nursing andhealthcare profession since
2004, I have felt stuck andunsure about what was next for
me.
I wanted to be fulfilled in mypurpose, to have a voice at the
table and to be a resource forothers.
I kept telling myself I wantedmore, but didn't have the
direction I needed until I foundclarity and career growth
(00:47):
strategies for experiencednurses like.
Me.
In this podcast, you will findsimple tactical steps that allow
you to gain the clarity you needsolutions for how to grow even
without supportive leadershipand guidelines for setting
boundaries at work so that youcan grow purposefully in your
career as a nurse with agraduate degree who makes a huge
(01:11):
impact in the profession.
So get ready to trade yourscrubs for yoga pants, pop in
those earbuds and let's chat.
Welcome back all of my ambitiousnurses.
I have a treat for you today.
This episode is going to be alittle off the cuff.
(01:32):
We have a guest today, and weare going to be talking about
fashion and, showing up well foryourself in professional attire.
So I hope you enjoy thispodcast.
I enjoyed the conversation, so Iknow that you will gain
something from, the informationthat Heather provides.
(01:54):
We have Heather Riggs.
Founder of her style LLC, andhost of the Top 10 Fashion and
Beauty show, her Style podcastas a 17 year certified image
consultant and color specialist.
Heather empowers ambitious womento show up and get dressed every
day with confidence.
(02:16):
So I am getting ready to dropyou into our conversation as we
about and talk about, um, how toshow up well for yourself as a
professional.
So how are you doing today?
Heather Riggs (02:32):
I'm amazing.
How are you?
I'm
Bonnie (02:41):
I appreciate you coming and sharing some of that with
the nurses that I engage withand that listen to this podcast.
My goal for the ambitious nurseis to not only, feel confident
in growing their careers, but toeven look confident in growing
their careers.
(03:02):
I would love for you to share,Who you are, what you do, what
audience you serve, and then wewill go from there.
Heather Riggs (03:11):
Absolutely.
I am so honored to be here andtalking with you and, all of the
nurses in your audience.
I know it is so important toshow up as the best version of
ourselves.
At work and in all the areas ofour life.
So I think this is a reallyimportant conversation.
I appreciate you bringing me into have it.
My name is Heather Riggs.
I've been a certified imageconsultant and color specialist
(03:31):
for the last 17 years.
Really, My goal is to empowerwomen to be able to show up and
get dressed every day withconfidence.
In addition to that, I'm a wifeand I'm a mom.
I have one six year old son.
So they definitely keep me busybetween, home life, work life.
So I understand the balancingact of juggling all of the
things and trying to look andfeel our best while we do it.
Bonnie (03:53):
Heather, how did you get into this work?
Heather Riggs (03:56):
That's a great question.
I've always loved fashion fromthe time I was a little girl.
I am a child of the eighties, soI loved playing with the paper
dolls and the fashion plates andmall madness and all of those
toys as a kid.
I always had an interest in artas well.
I originally thought I was goingto study costume design in
college, but I started down thatpath and realized very quickly
(04:19):
that you have to be able to sew,which is not one of my skills.
I was really struggling withthat, particularly in college.
So I decided to switch my major.
And then not long after, Istarted doing fashion design and
merchandising, which is more ofthe business route.
My mom was the one who told meabout image consulting.
She had read an article.
There was an interview in one ofher magazines with an image
(04:41):
consultant, and she just knewthat that was right up my alley,
and she was right.
So right after college, Ipursued image consulting and my
certifications, and yeah, it'salways, I think, aligned for me.
So it's been a real joy to getto do this work for so long.
Bonnie (04:56):
What do you think is the biggest misconception about, the
thought process of, oh, she's animage consultant.
Do people just kind of like, oh,that's not for me.
Or are people usually runningtowards it?
Heather Riggs (05:12):
Well, I think most people don't really know
what an image consultant is, tobe honest with you.
If you hear the term personalstylist, I think that's more of
a household term that we're allfamiliar with.
And really the biggestdifference there is that
personal stylists, while they dosimilar work in helping women
to, choose outfits and thingslike that, they're a little bit
more trend focused and wantingtheir clients to look current to
(05:37):
wear the latest things or tomaybe push certain labels.
And I think there's absolutelyvalue in looking current.
We all want that undoubtedly.
But where I see the differencesin image Consultant is that
we're looking to narrate anaccurate story about who our
clients are from the inside out.
And so It's helping you tofigure out how you want to show
(05:59):
up and present yourself in theworld and making sure that
you're doing that through theclothing in which you wear and
ideally in a way that feels athome and natural for you and
that brings out your best.
So it's more about who you areas a person more so than what's
happening in fashion.
And while they're bothimportant, that's the
distinction that I like to makeand how I choose to work with my
clients personally.
Bonnie (06:20):
Really, the image consulting is more so
personalized based on who youare versus this is the trend.
And here's where we're goingwith what you're going to wear
for this season or whatever thecase may be.
Heather Riggs (06:33):
Like I said, both are important and I do teach on
trends and I want my clients tohave the information about how
to look current, but I thinkthat's putting the cart before
the horse.
It's really important first todial in what styles do you like
to wear and what's going to makeyou feel your best and having
you discern which trends tobring into your wardrobe based
(06:53):
on that I never want someone tolook back at pictures of
themselves in 10 years, 20 yearsand say, What was I thinking?
It's so much more important tochoose the pieces that you love
and that make you feel good.
And if you want to bring in acouple of trends for the season
that align with your personalityand your preferences and your
lifestyle, that's great.
But we really want to focus yourbuilding out your wardrobe on
(07:13):
what you actually need to getthrough your day to day life in
a way that just makes you feelgood and enjoy the process of
getting dressed It is somethingwe have to do every day so we
might as well make it moreempowering for you.
Bonnie (07:24):
Even if we have scrubs on, there's a way to do that to
where fun.
It meets your personality.
Looking professional is veryimportant for me.
And important to me.
It reflects, how you think ofyourself.
To me, that shows me, what doyou think of yourself?
How can we present our bestselves and feel comfortable to
(07:46):
be able to save a patient's lifeif we need to at the same time?
Heather Riggs (07:50):
I would say that's the most important thing,
right, that you're ready to showup and do your job and certainly
don't let what you're wearingdistract you from that in any
way.
Your superiors do take notice ofhow you're showing up and how
you're presenting yourself, notonly in terms of how you're
engaging with people in yourbedside manner, but also in your
visual presentation.
(08:12):
The way you present yourself istelling a story about who you
are and research shows it usedto take seven seconds to make a
first impression, but now in ourswipe left, swipe right, quick
scrolling society, it actuallyonly takes one tenth of a second
for someone to form an opinionabout you based on your visual
appearance and I know it's likewe all want to get to the heart
(08:32):
of who people are but whenyou're, in a quick moving world,
you've got to think about thestory that you're telling in the
way that you show up, especiallyat work, because if you are
looking to gain a promotion,gain respect, it matters that
you are paying attention tothose little details.
Even expressing yourself in away that feels unprofessional.
If you're maybe wearing too muchjewelry in a way that's
(08:55):
distracting or keeping you fromdoing your job to the best of
your ability, that is somethingthat your employers are going to
notice.
A lot of my clients end upgetting unexpected promotions
just because of the extra timeand thought that they're putting
into their presentation at work.
It really does make such a hugedifference and go hand in hand.
It does really make it that muchmore important to think about
(09:16):
how you're styling your hair andyour makeup and the jewelry.
That you're choosing not thatyou have to spend hours getting
ready in the morning but justsome of those little touches can
really go such a long way inmaking your look feel more
polished.
Helping you to show up more puttogether and it really does make
you look more trustworthy,credible and show that you do
take pride not only in yourappearance, but in the job that
(09:38):
you're there to do.
Bonnie (09:39):
What should be the bare minimum of what we could look to
say these are the things that Ishould probably do every day to
show up well at work.
Heather Riggs (09:49):
You said it first, Bonnie, and it's making
sure that your clothes arepressed and that they look neat,
so not showing up with stains onyour clothing or things that
look like you maybe pulled themback out of the hamper, right?
So just having a neat and freshappearance is really important.
I think it's great, especiallywhen you're working in health
care, to make sure that yournails are trimmed and clean I
(10:10):
don't think that you need to gofrom not caring much about your
appearance to spending hoursgetting ready.
But what I would encourage ismaybe look up a quick five
minute hair and makeup routine.
Just something really simple tostart.
You don't have to take a bigleap and do a gigantic makeover
of your whole wardrobe andappearance, but start small.
Spend a few extra minutesthinking about maybe styling
(10:33):
your hair in a more polished wayor doing a little bit more with
your makeup again, not to lookoverly dramatic at work unless
that's your personal style, justmaking some small little changes
along the way can build up overtime and make such a huge
difference not only in howpeople are perceiving you, but
in your confidence, too.
You want to feel your best whenyou go into work and feel
(10:55):
equipped to do the job.
And what's really interesting isthat there have been studies
done to show that people performbetter when they are dressed
better and really showing up fortheir work.
In fact, NorthwesternUniversity, did a whole study
around this and they came upwith a term called enclothed
cognition, which shows thatclothes really do have an
influence on our psychology.
(11:16):
When you step into your scrubs,you probably feel a mental shift
of, okay, I'm ready to work now,and I'm here to show up for my
job, versus if you were to comein in your daytime clothes, or
your weekend clothes, youwouldn't feel like you were
really a nurse, right?
There's something mental thathappens with that shift of
putting on the uniform, andlikewise, when you put some more
attention into how you'representing yourself and showing
(11:38):
up, you really will see theconfidence follow suit.
Bonnie (11:41):
A great point because if I can have an opportunity where
I don't have to wear scrubs,then I won't.
But once I put on scrubs, mymindset shifts totally.
It's almost like I'm putting mygloves on and I'm ready to get
down and dirty if I need to.
As we talk about that and thescrubs, let's transition to
(12:01):
exhibiting their personal styleoutside of that clinical
environment.
There may be a nurse who isgoing to a conference or
sometimes they're coming in fora one or a two hour class if
it's in person or even showingup virtually.
And sometimes it's like a basiclife support class or an
(12:22):
advanced life support classwhere you're learning how to do
CPR, or you're just rehearsingthose skills.
You're not working in a clinicalsetting that day.
How can they best transitionfrom, scrub life to, personal
style and it's professional?
Cause I've seen leggings, I'veseen yoga pants.
(12:43):
That's a great question.
I just thrown scrubs or eitherthey just thrown scrubs cause
it's easy.
Heather Riggs (12:49):
And it's more socially acceptable.
Now I think, post COVID peopleare wearing leggings out of the
house and athleisure has becomehuge.
So it feels more acceptable towear those clothes in all
different scenarios.
So I understand the thoughtprocess behind it.
I think the first question thatwe need to ask is what is your
(13:09):
signature style.
Do you know clearly what thingsyou prefer to wear?
And I think it really does startthere.
Figuring out what your personalstyle is.
The question is, how far is yourpersonal taste from the
professional image that you wantto portray?
If they feel light years apart,if you are someone who's like,
I'm wearing leggings every daywhen I'm not at work, or I'm
(13:32):
someone who likes to be reallycreative and artistic and
expressive in my style, maybe Ihave more of a Gothic or
Bohemian edge to my style,whatever it is, things that
maybe don't feel like they havea place in a professional
environment.
That's when we need to be alittle bit more creative and how
we bridge the gap there.
And what I would recommend ismight be really smart to invest
(13:52):
in a really small professionalcapsule wardrobe, and you don't
have to spend a ton of money onthis, but maybe you just need
two or three outfits that youcan switch out the pieces and
wear to those things.
So it's not that the bulk ofyour wardrobe has to feel
polished and professional.
And when you're completely offthe clock when you're just at
your house, when you're hangingout with your friends, you can
really lean more heavily intoyour personal style, but when
(14:15):
you are still showing up torepresent your company to
represent yourself as aprofessional, you do want to
marry that difference a littlebit more and still make sure
that you are showing up inappropriate attire that you are
looking a little bit morepolished, that you are showing
that you do care about your joband how your patients perceive
(14:35):
you, and that you're there to doyour job seriously.
Because again, the psychologyjust makes such a big difference
in how you feel and show up todo the work, and also how your
superiors are seeing you showup.
I hope that answers yourquestion, but I think it's just
kind of figuring out thedifference there.
Some people have a reallyclassic style.
They're comfortable wearing,nice, crisp straight leg jeans
and a button down shirt and theycould go into a class and they
(14:58):
would look great and otherpeople just don't have that as
their personal preferences andso they may not own those pieces
but it might be smart to investin just a couple of things that
you can wear to those settingsand really still feel your best.
Bonnie (15:10):
I love all of those ideas.
I've seen, the wording aroundcapsule wardrobe can you go into
a little bit more of what is acapsule wardrobe?
You don't necessarily have to goin depth but just give us some,
for those who may not know.
Heather Riggs (15:26):
I appreciate you asking that because my
perception of a capsule wardrobeis probably different than a lot
of people's or what youraudience might even be thinking
of when they hear about acapsule wardrobe.
I don't see it as, an allneutral wardrobe of 33 pieces.
Creating capsule wardrobe isreally simple.
It's just that you're building acloset or a collection of pieces
(15:47):
that are interchangeable, thatmix and match easily, so that
you can do a lot more with less.
It's just being intentional.
I think a lot of times as women,partly because we're busy and we
don't have time to think thatmuch about our wardrobes, we
might need to get an outfit foran occasion and we're just
running out and buying randompieces, but we're not thinking
about how things workcollectively together.
(16:09):
So we often might find that wehave a lot of pieces that we
like, or maybe a lot of pieceswe don't like in our closet, but
it's hard to put them togetherinto outfits.
And so when you're thinking moreabout a capsule wardrobe, it's
looking for pieces that areversatile, that coordinate in
color, and that you can reallyjust do a lot with less.
And that's why I suggest thatspecifically if you are looking
(16:30):
for a few professional polishpieces for your wardrobe, it's
going to be that much moreimportant that they are a little
bit more timeless and that theydo mix and match really easily.
So let's be strategic in maybejust get a couple of different
blouses and a couple ofdifferent pants and you can mix
them up and you might only needtwo or three of each piece, but
you could wear them to a classor to a conference.
(16:50):
You've kind of got that setlittle wardrobe ready.
And then to bring in yourpersonal style, maybe it is
adding different jewelry to itor the way that you're styling
your hair and makeup or thecolors that you're choosing.
Maybe if you have a really bold,dramatic style, you're going to
pick some fun colors and prints.
Versus someone who is a littlebit more elegant and reserved,
might want to choose moreneutrals or stick to some,
(17:13):
simple jewel tones, so it'slooking for little ways to
infuse your personal style, butmaking sure that your pieces are
going to mix and match well,just so you don't have to spend
too much money or buy too manypieces for your wardrobe.
It's great when you can haveless, but better.
Bonnie (17:26):
Awesome.
Everyone, please make sure yougo and take Heather's quiz.
The quiz answers, the questions,and then it gives you based on
your answers, what your personalstyle would likely be and then
she has some Pinterest boards togo with it for you to really see
how the pieces go together.
And she.
also sends out great informationeven beyond that.
(17:46):
So, it's not just about thequiz, but it's just about
connecting with her.
So what are some common fashionmistakes professionals make when
dressing for interviews,networking events, or leadership
opportunities?
I think those would probably allgo together in the same bucket
Heather Riggs (18:03):
You touched on a big one, which is really
nowadays just showing up toocasually or a little bit sloppy
Maybe especially because a lotof us we don't really have the
need to buy suits if that's notthe basis of your wardrobe It
could be easy to show up lookinga little bit unprofessional in
that way.
I also think as women ingeneral, maybe not prioritizing
our best colors and fits, andchoosing pieces that are the
(18:25):
most flattering for us, and thatdo work to bring out your best.
Ignoring the details, so nottaking the extra five minutes to
steam your clothes before youhead to your interview, or, not
making sure that things aremaybe tucked in in the most
flattering ways.
I think one of the biggestopportunities that you have is
you hear this all the time, notdressing for the job that you
(18:48):
have, but the job that you want.
Even as I mentioned for myclients, a lot of times, the
reason why they get unexpectedpromotions is because they're
starting to invest a little bitmore.
And it really does triggersomething in their supervisors
that, Oh, this person's serious.
Like this person's showing up.
Yeah, they're ready.
And they notice that.
(19:09):
And you don't think sometimesthat people are paying attention
to those little details, butthey really are.
And as I said, it takes just afraction of a second to make a
first impression.
So it's even more important whenyou're going in for an interview
that you are putting yourabsolute best foot forward.
So if there's one day a weekthat you are going to spend time
getting dressed and fixing yourhair and makeup and all of that,
(19:29):
make it your interview day sothat you can really show up and
shine.
Bonnie (19:33):
I love that.
That's definitely quiteimportant.
Usually on peer interviews, notnecessarily a main interview I
really just recently went to onethis past week where, it was a
networking event, but it wasalso an event where we were,
networking with legislators.
It's not a casual event.
It is a advocacy event whereyou're more so just talking
(19:56):
about yourself as the work thatyou do as a nurse.
Now, I'm in a leadershipposition within my organization
who hosts it, so I had to levelup for the role I'm walking into
versus the current role that Ihave.
then I would But even beforethen I would show up in just
business casual, and I hadthrown something together in my
(20:16):
wardrobe that, I've probablyworn different pieces of in
different times, but I got somany comments on that one outfit
and I was like, oh, okay.
I'd never worn that combinationtogether.
So I knew it was going to lookdecent, but, I'd received a lot
of comments from that particularoutfit.
So, definitely know people justprobably look at me differently
(20:39):
just because of how we show up.
Heather Riggs (20:43):
And I feel like you just said something really
key, which is you notice thatpeople gave you a lot of
compliments and acknowledgementover that outfit, so for anyone
listening, when those thingshappen, take note, what
silhouettes were you wearing?
What was the color comment?
Do more of what's working.
I think as women, sometimes it'slike, I don't know what to wear.
I don't know what looks.
(21:03):
Good on me, but you do and youdo know the things that people
tend to compliment you on.
So I really want to encourageeverybody.
You've got to learn how to trustyour own style intuition.
And when people arecomplimenting you, when you wear
a certain color or when you putyourself together in a certain
way, you probably want to leanin and do more of those things.
So don't reinvent the wheel,don't overthink it.
(21:24):
Gravitate towards the piecesthat are already working well
for you and that you feel goodin.
Bonnie (21:28):
I never thought about like, as I'm getting compliments
on a, on a particular thing,just kind of lean into and make
note of this is a stylecombination that works for me.
So I thank you for that tip.
Heather Riggs (21:39):
One of the key differences, too...
you always want people to sayyou look great before they say,
I like that shirt.
It's great if people like theclothing that you're wearing, if
you get compliments on specificpieces, but it's even better
when people say, you look great,or you look so professional.
That's more of my goal for you,is that you would stand out
above the individual pieces ofclothing or jewelry that you're
(22:02):
wearing.
But it's still worth noting whenthose individual pieces do work
well together, but we alwayswant to make sure that you're
taking center stage and thatyour outfits are working to
bring out the best in you.
That's something else to thinkabout what are the outfits that
you've worn that people justsay, you look great, you look
really refreshed today becausecolors have such a huge
potential to do that for us, tomake us look more youthful and
(22:24):
radiant and alive, so just asubtle distinction that I wanted
to point out.
Bonnie (22:29):
We're going to come back to interviewing but real quick
I'm gonna match the two up.
I'm sure there's a differencebetween you're going in for an
interview, as far as how you'redressing and colors if you are
interviewing for a more soleadership managerial director
position, manager, director...
(22:49):
so what are the best colors thatpeople should, and I'm thinking
about this from two levels, onelevel you're already in a
leadership mindset, but you'rewanting to either interview for
a manager position, a directorposition, or a little bit more
of an executive level position,versus you're fresh from
stepping away from the bedsideand you're interviewing for a
(23:13):
position right out of gradschool or you're interviewing to
get into grad school.
A lot of times that happensdepending on the graduate degree
that you're going for.
Heather Riggs (23:22):
I would recommend the same colors where I think
the difference would be betweenkind of an entry position or
that initial transition intosomething more administrative
versus the higher up managerialrole.
I think that difference would bemore in the formality of the
clothing that you're wearing.
So, making sure that if you arestepping into more of a
(23:43):
leadership role, that you arepresenting yourself as such,
that you look really polished,that you're, maybe investing in
a little bit of tailoring tomake sure that your clothing
fits you beautifully, justtaking the extra step there with
your outfit.
But in terms of the colors thatI would recommend for an
interview, there's two thingsthat you can think about.
One is just general colorpsychology, and that is the fact
(24:06):
that blue, for example, is acolor that symbolizes trust.
You think of true blue.
So wearing a great navy, whichis also a universally flattering
color, so that's kind of a good,safe way to go is to get a great
navy.
Trouser or blouse or suit,whatever feels best or most
appropriate for the interviewsetting for the position or,
academic, role that you're goingfor.
(24:28):
But blue would be a really greatgo-to color and something
classic, not a vibrant ian orsomething offbeat, but just a
classic Navy, classic, crispblue, something that feels
really timeless is a great colorto instill trust.
Also brown is a great color.
That's one you might not thinkof for an interview, but if you
(24:49):
think about what can brown dofor you?
Brown is a color at LouisVuitton.
It's about quality.
It's about reliability.
So anytime that you want to showup and you're like, I am a
reliable candidate.
I am a trustworthy candidate.
Those neutrals are really goodoptions for you going with a
basic classic blue or brown.
Your personal coloring, thinkyour hair color, your eye color,
(25:10):
your skin tone, those colors toalso communicate something
psychologically.
And the coolest one that I loveto recommend for an interview,
and sometimes this is going tobe the same colors I already
mentioned, but is if you wearyour eye color.
What's really great about thatis it also helps to build trust
and rapport.
But if you think about it, whenyou're wearing your eye color
it's almost impossible forsomeone to not be immediately
(25:32):
drawn back to your eyes.
So it's a really powerful colorto wear when you want to have
great communication withsomeone, when you want to
maintain good eye contact.
So I definitely recommend thatyou consider wearing your eye
color to an interview as well,whether it is blue, brown,
green.
But that's a great color to wearfor an interview.
I also recommend it for a firstdate.
(25:52):
Anytime that you kind of want tobe able to build some really
good rapport and have goodcommunication with someone.
That's a great go to color.
Bonnie (25:59):
Oh, I never thought about it like that.
Heather Riggs (26:01):
And it's great because you can just look in the
mirror and see what your eyecolor is and know confidently
that that's going to be aflattering choice for you.
Bonnie (26:08):
And now I'm thinking back I had on Navy at the event,
the networking event.
Heather Riggs (26:13):
Case in point.
Bonnie (26:14):
But I'm also thinking of certain outfits that I've worn
like, my eyes are brown and Ithink I had like a gold on or
like an autumn color.
Heather Riggs (26:23):
Yeah.
Bonnie (26:24):
And I've gotten compliments there too.
And I'm like, yeah, it looksgood.
All right.
Heather Riggs (26:29):
Yeah.
Well, most, people have a lot ofdimension to their eyes too, so
it might not even be, like achocolate brown or something
that you're thinking of.
It might be more of an amber,kind of a golden, you can play
with that and try some differentthings and see what makes you
feel your best.
And also wearing your hair colorcan be a great choice,
especially for pants, shoes,belts, kind of those grounding
(26:49):
pieces.
It does help to create some nicevisual repetition in your
outfit.
When you're incorporating yourhair color in other places, it
kind of helps keep the eyemoving up and down.
It creates some visual interest.
It can also make you look alittle bit more down to earth
and approachable.
I don't know that that would bemy first choice for an
interview, unless if you havereally dark black hair, that's a
more professional one.
(27:11):
If you have lighter hair likemine, you may want to do
something that's a little bitmore formal for an interview,
but it's just another greatpersonal neutral to keep in mind
for your overall wardrobe.
Bonnie (27:20):
Many nurses, struggle sometimes even working three
days a week, I would say thisprobably happens more so with
those of us who work five days aweek.
We have a little bit more timeconstraints and energy, when it
comes to shopping for clothes.
I know for me.
I probably hadn't shopped forclothes since COVID I love
shopping.
I just don't have the time to doit.
What are the best tips forbuilding a stylish and versatile
(27:43):
wardrobe with minimal effort?
Heather Riggs (27:46):
No matter how many hours a week you're
working, I think everyone canrelate to just feelings of
busyness.
We're so pressured to do all ofthe things these days, and
there's so many things we can doand fill up our time with.
I completely relate to that andit makes it even more important
to be strategic because we don'twant to waste time shopping.
You don't want to be wanderingaround the mall for hours.
(28:08):
You don't want to be browsingthe myriad of options online
either.
So my best advice to do thiswith minimal effort, and this is
maybe going to sound like it'smore work, but I promise it's
worth it in the long run, Beforeyou start doing any shopping do
a little bit of prep.
First, figure out what yoursignature style is so that you
can narrow down a little bit andknow more clearly what you want
(28:29):
your wardrobe to look and feellike.
But then you've really got tothink about your average week
and what you have going on andwhat you actually need to get
dressed for.
If you thought about your weekahead of time and what you have
going on to make sure that youhave the right outfits for those
occasions, you're going to feelso much better.
It's going to be a lot easierand you're going to save time
when you go to get ready.
What special occasions do youhave going on?
(28:51):
And then how would you like toshow up for those activities?
You've got to think about whatclothing pieces you need and
what the gaps are in yourwardrobe before you start
shopping because we need to knowwhat to look for.
I think it's going to save you aton of time if you can build out
a quick shopping list.
I know I need these pieces everytime I go to get dressed.
I wish I had a belt or I wish Ihad, this color t shirt, there's
(29:12):
always these little gaps thatyou've just got to take a few
minutes and write out your listand then figure out what your
budget is.
And my best advice is instead ofbrowsing, you've got to hunt for
those pieces.
The more specific that you canbe especially shopping online,
the more specific you can get inthe search bar and look for
those specific pieces in yoursize at your desired budget, the
(29:33):
faster you're going to find whatyou actually need.
There's so many options andthere's so many distractions
too.
And then you're going to end upfilling your shopping cart with
stuff that you don't reallyneed.
It's just like going to thegrocery store.
The times I go to the grocerystore and I don't have a list of
things, I come home with themost random stuff and then I
don't have anything to actuallymake dinner for the night.
It's the same way with gettingdressed.
(29:54):
It really is so important tohelp you stick to your budget
and also maximize your time.
Go to the store, find anassociate, and tell them what
you need.
They can help you find thosepieces and not be wandering
around aimlessly for hours.
So it's all about huntinginstead of browsing.
I think will make a hugedifference.
Bonnie (30:10):
Hunting instead of browsing.
Any advice for showing up bettervirtually so that we have more
confidence, in virtual settings.
Some may not want to turn thecamera on, some just don't turn
the camera on because they'renot ready or some are required,
to turn the camera on.
So how do you show up as yourbest self?
Heather Riggs (30:31):
Two things.
The first thing is don'tunderestimate the importance of
wearing your best colors,especially by your face.
When you're on camera we talkedabout personal color psychology,
actually wearing a color that'skind of related to your skin
tone color can actually make youlook more awake and rejuvenated.
Wearing your blush color.
is going to make you look moreapproachable.
(30:52):
Obviously we talked about howpowerful it is to wear your eye
color or just thinking aboutsome of those good basic
neutrals that will make you lookreally polished and professional
that you don't have to put a tonof thought into.
Those could be easy go tos ifyou're choosing your best ones.
I have clients tell me all thetime after they get their
personal colors done that it'sso much easier to show up for
zoom calls because they knowwhat's going to make them look
(31:12):
great on camera.
Now my second piece of advicemight surprise you because you
probably think I'm going to saydo your hair, do your makeup, do
your jewelry.
Please wear appropriate bottoms.
I know you're showing up oncamera and you might think no
one's ever going to see, and youcan wear your pajama pants and a
great blazer.
If you have to get up forsomething unexpected.
(31:33):
I can't tell you how many timesI've been on a Zoom with someone
and they have to get up forsomething they weren't expecting
and then they're apologizing forwhat they're wearing.
Don't do that to yourself.
Just dress, look good, feelgood.
Show up as if you were in personwith someone.
You can get changed and put yourcozies on after your meeting's
over.
But put the nice jeans on.
Put actual pants on.
You will feel more empoweredwhen you show up to the call.
(31:55):
You won't have to make anyexcuses for yourself if
something happens and you haveto get up.
So just come prepared.
Bonnie (32:02):
You got my number on that one.
Usually virtually I'll have anice top on.
I won't have pajama pants on,but I will have some gym clothes
on like, oh, I can just easilygo out for a walk.
Heather Riggs (32:11):
Believe me, the days I don't have meetings, I'm
often in leggings.
I wear casual clothes when Idon't have to show up for
something.
But when you know you have ameeting and you're going to be
with someone, take the extra twoseconds to put real pants on,
just in case.
Bonnie (32:23):
It's never anything that I would be embarrassed to show,
but sometimes it's a little bitbaggier or sometimes it's a
little bit tighter.
So you got me on that one forsure.
Anything else on the top of yourmind related to our own self
confidence when it comes tostyling, dressing, color
analysis that we haven't touchedon?
Heather Riggs (32:45):
When you're showing up with confidence, I
know thinking about yourclothing and spending more time
and maybe even a little bit moremoney on what you wear can feel
really superficial or reallyunnecessary.
But if you think about it, whenyou are showing up with
confidence, when you know thatyour clothing fits you, you're
not tugging on pieces, you'renot uncomfortable, you're not
(33:06):
cramming yourself into clothingthat's too tight, or trying to
hide your body in clothingthat's way too big and baggy.
When you're showing up and youknow that you look good, you
feel good, and you can go aboutyour day, it allows you to be
able to really fully focus outon others and not be in your
head about what you're wearing,not be feeling self conscious.
So, I just want to say I know itcan feel silly sometimes to
(33:29):
think that much about ourclothing, but it really is a
selfless act to show up at yourbest for the people in your
life, for your colleagues, foryour bosses, for your patients.
After you're dressed, you moveon.
You go about your day, you'regood with how you look, and you
can truly focus out on otherpeople.
I think it's such an impactfulthing that we don't give enough
(33:49):
credit to.
Just put yourself together sothat you can be your best self
and really show up and do yourthing.
Bonnie (33:56):
All right.
This has been an awesomeconversation.
It's just a reiteration of thisis just how important it is when
you're working on growing inyour career, It's not just about
professional growth, but thisalso impacts your personal
growth.
Where can our audience find youshould they, choose to continue
to follow you wherever you maybe?
Heather Riggs (34:19):
I would love to connect and if you have any
follow up questions, I'm morethan happy to answer them.
The best place to reach me is,through my free Facebook
community where you can come andhang out, get a lot more daily
tips in there, connect withother women who are working to
uplevel their, personal style intheir wardrobes.
You can, join the community.
It's at HerStyleLLC.
com slash community.
(34:39):
I would love to connect with youin there.
And then of course, you can alsolisten to my podcast, which is
Her Style Podcast.
Wherever you're listening toBonnie's show, you can find mine
there as well.
There's over 200 episodes.
Again, I really think it'shelpful to just start small.
Don't feel like you need toimplement a ton of changes
overnight.
Maybe listen to one episode,find a title that speaks to you
(35:00):
and then just try to implementone small change at a time.
It will make a huge overalldifference.
Bonnie (35:04):
Heather's usually talking about trends.
She's talking about colors.
By the time you hear thisepisode, she will have, her
spring trends episode.
Definitely go and check thatShe's a great person to follow.
Y'all go and find her podcast.
Heather, thank you for beinghere with us today and, helping
us to level up.
Hope to see you soon.
Heather Riggs (35:25):
It was my pleasure.
Thank you so much for having me.
I hope you enjoyed today'sepisode.
If so, would you take 30 secondsand share it with another nurse
who may be unsure of where to gonext in their career or maybe
need some career clarity?
Also, please leave a quickreview for the show on Apple
(35:47):
Podcast.
It brings me so much joy and somuch encouragement to know this
podcast is helping you now goget the career you want and not
the one you settle for.
And I'll meet you back here nextThursday for another episode.
See you soon.
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