The psychology of colour

Will the girl go to the ball? Yes... despite my lack of a suitable dress. With a theme of Cleopatra and a dress code of gold, white and turquoise I am wondering if they will refuse me entry in purple? It is the colour of royalty - although it does looks a little more grecian than egyptian...

I predict a last minute panic.

Talking of colours, I was consulting with a chap this week who is about to give the speech of his life... the one that in his words ‘will catapult me into orbit, or into an early grave’. We were discussing the right colours to wear and finally settled on the old power combination, black, white and red. I don’t know whether you have noticed, but anyone needing authority goes for this combination - just watch the politicians. Black suit, white shirt, red tie. The psychology of colour is a topic in itself... on the suit front, the paler the grey, the more approachable, the less authority... so a good colour when rallying the troops in a ‘we’re all in this together’ meeting... but don’t try to have the ‘better get your act together’ discussion in this colour, it just doesn’t hold much weight.

Valentin Borissov

Celebrity clairvoyant Valentin Borissov is one of the top psychic consultants in the UK, with a growing international reputation. He inherited his psychic gifts from his grandmother, a Romanian countess as the ability of second sight runs in the family.

From all accounts, Valentin is able to give amazingly accurate predictions and guidance whether the questions relate to business & career or personal relationships.

Valentin uses a combination of divining tools including the little known cards designed by Madame Lenormand, astrologer to Napoleon Bonaparte. For business readings, he uses specially designed cards created by world famous psychic and hypnotherapist Valerie Austin, author of a number of bestselling books including Self-hypnosis.

You can book either a personal or business reading with Valentin. Call Nathalie: +44 20 7349 0093 or email: info@the-alchemist.co.uk.

What brand are you?

It feels as if summer has arrived, although it may well be snatched from our grasp by tomorrow. Just googled ‘bbc weather london’ and it seems that we are in for a 10C drop by Sunday. 14C is just not good enough for the end of May. Then googled ‘bbc weather cannes’ where everyone seems to be this weekend, and discovered that its 32C. I would like to lodge a formal complaint. 14C is not good enough for any time of the year and we are just a hop, skip and a jump from Cannes. Give me sunshine, sandy beaches, gently undulating waves and the whisper of a breeze... please.

Back to reality and my client yesterday really made me laugh. We were in the middle of a personal branding consultation discussing his brand attributes and his PA walked in. He asked her how she would describe him in terms of a well known brand. She said that he was a can of heinz baked beans. He looked a little bemused and she said ‘great if you are starving, nothing else left in the cupboard, better hot, with hp, on toast.’ He asked why - and she said that beans were pretty boring.... I don’t think that I have ever seen anyone laugh so much!

Who loves you?

acoolworld, asmallworld, facebook, professionalblackbook, youtube, myspace, abigworld, qube, decayenne, iqons... by the time you have logged in and fiddlefaddled about its time to go home. Is this the strange personal alter-ego push/pull that is a personal parallel to reality tv? Or perhaps its our 15 minutes of fame reduced to 1.5 seconds. Or worse... competition in its most basic form - who has the most contacts, connections. Who is most loved?

Pretty interesting social phenomenon and at this age I am already considered a comms dinosaur by anyone under 30. Hard to fathom but I guess they are on the money. My saving grace is the blog but hell, that’s probably old hat.

Talking of old hat, I was with a client shopping for the penultimate Ascot wow-factor yesterday... It seems that we all have a fascination with hats - for some, a great way of adding a little mystery, for others, personality. From the wide-brimmed to the bejewelled scull-cap, I found myself asking who is wearing who? Do you wear the hat or does the hat wear you? I have only one comment: make sure that it’s the former!

Personal Branding

We are hearing so much about the power of Personal Branding - the hot topic that seems so illusive.

Most experts agree there are two types of branding: tangible and intangible. Tangible branding involves tying your name to a specific benefit that people will get from dealing with you. Intangible branding involves creating a positive feeling in people about you.

Creating a personal branding statement starts by first identifying your target market and then pinpointing the most important benefit they want from a person in your position. Then you must create reasons why people should believe you will deliver on your benefit promise.

And if possible, you should create a unique difference between you and your competition. Creating a personal brand identity helps you become known as the one to call in your industry. Using the Internet is a very cost effective method of promoting your personal brand.

In a Fast Company article, business guru Tom Peters advises individuals to follow the lead of the corporate world and do what they have been doing for years: create your own personal brand.

Peters says that no matter what your career title, you are really the CEO of your own personal service company: Me, Incorporated. He says each of us is "a free agent in an economy of free agents" and that we all must establish our own "micro equivalent of the Nike swoosh." Peters says that "everyone has a chance to stand out. Everyone has a chance to learn, improve, and build up their skills. Everyone has a chance to be a brand worthy of remark."

For more information or to book a consultation, give me a call on +44 776 800 2840 or e-mail louise@mowbraybydesign.com.

Blue Velvet and champers on tap...

Mmmm, I have been rather absent, but I’m back. A busy week to say the least. Pleasantly surprised, or should I say relieved, by Mary Poppins in the West End... was prepared to be dulled into a deep sleep but the production was fab. Dinners galore from Mr Chow’s champagne fuelled marathon of a feast to rock star prices at the Abingdon... £22 for a fillet? Surely you need to be more than a gastro-pub to charge over £20 for a steak? Nobu, Carpaccio, Bluebird, Zuma, Nozomi and a black tie at the Savoy. Need a mantra... my body is a temple, my body is a temple... or perhaps nil per mouth might be more effective.

Went to The Hempel last night for what must be one of the most creative jewellery and accessories sales ever, hosted by Blue Velvett the Lounge Boutique. What a great idea... the super cool setting of the Hempel, champers on tap, contemporary jewellery by upcoming designers and loads of people tripping out with their little white bags of treasured purchases. Intriguing to watch people trying on jewellery. I was tempted to advise perfect strangers and just about managed to keep my council. No one values advice they haven’t paid for and there is a very good chance of offending...

Babes with Babies

Being a new mother is an extraordinary time. However, let's be honest, it's often far from glamorous. Babes with Babies was founded in 2006 by Sophie Devonshire to help all new mothers feel a little more human, pampered and beautiful.

This e-boutique offers gorgeous clothing and gifts... from flattering, feminine clothing to stylish babychanging bags, jewellery, 'yummy mummy' T's and matching 'pint & half pint' T's for father and son. Sumptuous aromatherapy cupcakes, aptly named 'Mama Melts' that make bathing heavenly... matching mother and baby cashmere beanies, and so much more...

For more information, click on this link.

Tourists and tribal norms

I have a friend and her teenagers staying and its always rather thought provoking to see London through fresh eyes. The familiar trivial little things we take for granted causing surprise, delight and the occasional look of disgust and eeeuu’s. A sense of calm and order emerges as I see them out of the door to ‘do’ London in the mornings, with chaos returning en-mass early evening...

I would love to know why teenage girls in particular subscribe to having the image of the playboy bunny dangling from their necks, ears, key-rings... on handbags, fluffy slippers... cushions? What is it about this, the ultimate in commercialised symbols that reduces womankind to caricatures of male desire, that is suddenly in the realms of cool? Beats me, although one can only pay homage to rather smart marketeers and brand consultants. Oh, and all the other usual human stuff like a tribal sense of belonging that never really leaves us no matter what the age.

A case in point with a client that I am working with to prepare him for a change in role and industry... new market, new clients, new set of tribal norms. And they really do differ from an external perspective, although the underlying drivers are all the same. He needs to establish his presence... to beat the drum with a rhythm that others will recognise and march to. If not, he says it will be an uphill struggle he can do without.

The Secret

I have two rather delicious books on the go at the moment... The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, which needs concentration, imagination, no interruption, and Piers Morgan’s ‘Don’t you know who I am’... immensely amusing and something one can dip in and out of. Yes, as captivating your life is Piers, you are easy to put down! There is something rather self indulgent about reading books. I feel a little guilty, as if I should be reserving them for true downtime on a beach somewhere, not languishing on my sofa ignoring the call of electronic comms. Wicked, in the old fashioned sense of the word.

I donated an Image Consultation for a charity auction last year. The person who successfully bid for it turned out to be someone I needed most... an accountant. I guess The Secret is all too true. The power of intention, of our thoughts more fundamentally far reaching than we are consciously aware of. There is such a buzz about this book at the moment... I was chatting to the builder who I am working with on my Knightsbridge project and he was telling me that he always imagines his parking place, waiting for him, empty, exactly where he needs it, and how its almost always there.

So as ever I am flirting with how to further employ this in Personal Branding. If the power of how we think creates our reality (and I am sure that we all subscribe to this in one way or another), what price not? It always seems to come down to ‘what price not’.

On a more down to earth note, I was shopping with the accountant yesterday. When I asked him what he wanted out of the session, he said that he wanted to look ‘debonaire’. I like that. I like that a lot... even more so as he was up for it. So if you spot the unusual sight of a debonaire accountant lunching cafe style in Chiswick this long weekend, you will know who I am talking about!

Interview with Paul Richardson, Director, Barclays Wealth

Paul Richardson is a Director of Barclays Wealth, the Wealth Management arm of Barclays plc where his role is Global Head of Sports Media and Entertainment. We have had a couple of conversations on the power of image and personal branding, and I wanted to explore further...

It seems that Paul has always had an interest in sports and media - he started his career as a solicitor specialising in this field before becoming head of legal and business affairs for the sports marketing group, API, which later became Octagon Marketing.

In 2000 Paul joined Coutts as Head of the Sports and Entertainment division before being made Head of London Private Banking in 2004. He moved to Barclays Wealth in August last year.

I asked Paul what image means to him... "Image is your personal brand, the way that you convey yourself to the outside world. It is a collection of your brand values... professionalim, honesty, integrity... Initially its about what we see, how someone looks, after that, its about picking up on someone's brand values by observing their actions."

Paul says that whilst we are aware of the impact of others image, he likes to take the time to form a view or make a decision about someone. "People can look the part, however, once they start talking to you, or if their body language is incongruent, the warning signals may flare..."

In a market that has traditionally hired from its own ranks, Barclays Wealth has embarked on a programme of 'lateral thinking' in growing their now multi-skilled and multi-experienced team. "We launched this new and thorough approach with the understanding that we can educate people on the technical aspects of the role... we look for the raw material... an individual's substance and brand values, combined with their professional experience and areas of interest."

Paul's clients are the rich and famous - I asked him about celebrity. "We are all the same, my clients are good at what they do, they are just doing it in the public eye... they expect professional, objective advice."

And does he adapt his image depending on who he is meeting? "Its about dressing appropriately... if I am there in a business capacity, then I need to look the part, however, it would be rather strange for me to attend something like a concert in a shirt and tie..."

©The Power of Image

7% Of what we communicate to others are the actual words we use. This means that the remaining 93% is made up of how we look, how we sound and our body language. We make up our minds about someone in seconds, and then spend the rest of the time justifying our decisions to ourselves.

Frightening really, especially if we are constantly doing subconscious things that are putting people off. So what can we do about it?

How we look: It's the first thing that people notice about us, however, it doesn't hold as much weight as tone of voice. Pay attention to what your grooming and clothing/accessories are saying about you, and dress appropriately for the environment that you are in.

Tone of voice: we reveal all in the intonations, the emphasis, the volume to name but a few. Take a second to think about what reactions the tone that you use will provoke in the person you are talking to...

Body language: the ultimate test, the big revealer. This is where it all comes together and whatever your true feelings about a situation, your body will not lie. Become conscious of the little unconscious things that you do...

And if all this makes you realise that you might be due for an Image overhaul, you can book an Image & Personal Branding Consultation by calling me on +44 776 800 2840.

'The Bianca'

The iconic white suit worn by Bianca Jagger is being brought to us in May, and I for one will be first in the queue.

Originally created by Nutters of Savile Row in 1972, Bodymetrics at Harrods will exclusively launch a digitally re-mastered version of the white suit from May 07.

Following the success of the Amphora suit from the Vivienne Westwood archives, the Bianca suit by Nutters will be the latest in the Bodymetrics made to measure Vintage Collection. Each season the range will be expanded so the Bodymetrics customer will be able to take advantage of new designs, adapted to their own taste, on a regular basis.

WHEN: May 2007
WHERE: Bodymetrics, The Designer Studio, Room 2, 1st Floor, Harrods, London

Shop 'till you drop

Have been hard at the mac all day getting the newsletter together - due out tomorrow and its a rather diverse selection this month. It makes me laugh as its a process of happenstance... a happy discovery of various products and services over the course of a month, mentally ticking them off as I go along. And then the final unrelenting haul of pulling them all together.

I have been interviewing key people in business who are using ©The Power of Image to their advantage and they really are refreshing. One can see why they are successful... savvy, aware, curious cats. There is much to be said about questioning how we go about doing things.

Not so my client yesterday who flew in for a monster session... ohmy. It was all about knocking off a list of designer simply have to have’s and I struggled at times grasping and gasping for rhyme or reason. We laughed so much during the process. She kept joking that she was challenging my sense of taste and style. And she was. Nonetheless, with a big personality and an even bigger social life, we managed to play it all to within a few millimetres of drawing the proverbial line. Then a glass of very necessary champers whilst scheduling another round (help!) Thank you darling... not complaining, such fun!