How I came to pursue my dream of personal styling.
I was in the middle of a terrible, long bout of insomnia, struggling to survive, to have enough energy to be a good mom, wife, co-worker. In my desperate attempt to feel rested, I sat down to meditate. In the middle of this 20-minute meditation, something vivid and clear out of nowhere dawned on me. Holding out on my dream of personal styling was no longer an option, but a calling. An unshakable feeling down to the very last cell in my body that I had to share my passion for style with the world.
I had no idea, in that moment, that my life would change forever. Or even more shockingly, just how much it would change…
From the time that I was a little girl, I was obsessed with style and clothes. I would wear belts around my pajama gowns (a style choice my siblings didn't much appreciate when I ran out to the end of our gravel road to wait for the bus with them) and change at least 5 times a day to match whatever activity I was doing at the moment (sorry for all the laundry, mom! Now as a mom I get how maddening that must have been).
Growing up with two entrepreneurial parents (a farmer, and an artist), money was tight. I never really felt it, as life was pretty dreamy growing up on a farm. But I now know that some years there was plenty and other years there was not. Which meant that buying the coveted Pepe or Guess jeans in middle school was not always an option for me.
My mom's creativity came out on a canvas. My dad's came out in planning the perfect field of crops. My creativity came out in dressing my body.
From an early age, I learned to get creative. I loved the feeling I would get when I put on an outfit that felt magical. I loved playing around with new ways to wear things. (Ahem, don't forget, wearing pajamas as an outfit is now a thing!) Shopping became one of my most loved activities because the creativity was off the charts! And when I couldn't afford to buy something, I pushed myself to get creative with what I already had. My mom's creativity came out on a canvas. My dad's came out in planning the perfect field of crops. My creativity came out in dressing my body. I could create any version of myself that I wanted simply by what I put on. I wanted to try all the styles. Transport myself into a different person and feeling state with each one I put on.
I was living the dream life as it seemed, but I wasn't.
Fast forward to adulthood, I ignored these desires for style and I chose a practical career: Business and Marketing. Marketing fed my creative side, and business played to my practical, exacting nature. Everyone told me this was where I needed to be. I would be perfect in PR, at an ad agency, client service, etc. etc.
So I followed and excelled and climbed the ladder as high as I could. I followed what was "right," and smart and practical. (As any good #enneagram1 would do.)
But something was missing. I wasn't happy, and I was beyond stressed out. (Never mind that I also birthed and started raising 2 children during these arduous working years.) I was living the dream life as it seemed, but I wasn't.
During these years, my passion for style never left me. I loved dressing up, being creative with my work outfits, and pushing boundaries. Even finding a way to feel and look beautiful during pregnancy. People noticed this passion for style, and would ask me to come and help them with their closet or shop with them. "Me? Help you build the closet of your dreams and shop for a living? Ha! Wouldn't THAT be amazing," I'd scoff to myself. And the idea would leave my head as quickly as it entered.
Something smacked me in the face so clearly that day, and I finally couldn't ignore it.
So back to that fateful meditation session. You know how they say lessons and ideas will continue to nag at your subconscious until you sit up and pay attention? And when you keep pushing them away, they come back strong and stronger until you can't dismiss it? Something smacked me in the face so clearly that day, and I finally couldn't ignore it.
This was the universe telling me to "Wake up!" Why am I holding back? Why am I withholding this gift that could be shared with others?
I decided to stop ignoring my gift and my passion, and started helping women realize the power of style in their lives.
So it began. I decided to stop ignoring my gift and my passion, and started helping women realize the power of style in their lives. It started casually on the side, helping friends and neighbors. Doing it in my spare time while holding down a part-time job. It was a lot of work - but it felt effortless (as all good passions do.)
In that moment, I felt terrible fear and absolute freedom. This was the universe calling me up!
Then the global COVID-19 pandemic hit and three months later, I lost my job. In an instant, my security and comfort and safety net had completely slipped through my fingers. In that moment, I felt terrible fear and absolute freedom. This was the universe calling me up! It was my time to finally own up to who I was always destined to be: a personal stylist.
Today, I work with clients of all shapes and sizes to transform not only their closets and their style, but also their lives as a result. And because I work virtually, I can work with women anywhere - allowing me to make an even greater impact.
I light up when I hear my clients say:
"Ellie not only transformed my style, she transformed my confidence."- Whitney
"Ellie is the absolute PERFECT partner that you need to look and feel your best." - Jessica
"After working with Ellie, I feel totally confident and 100% me every time I walk out the front door. My style is unique, powerful and totally enviable. I was able to walk into a new job feeling amazing about my clothes." - MK
"I walked on stage that day feeling like my truest, confident self." - Kelli
"Ellie nailed each look, her attention to detail making all the difference. I looked so good, you guys!" - Anna
"I'm finally having fun with clothes again. It's been a long time since I could say that." - Whitney
"When I am wearing things I love, my creativity comes back to me, I light up and feel empowered." - Kelli
"Ellie has taught me to uncover what my true style is... and what things flatter me. She has encouraged and supported me and helped me love the body I have today... not the one that I 'hope to have one day.'" - Shelly
If there is one thing I want all women to know, it's this: You deserve to feel amazing, every single day. No body is perfect. And we will all hate something about our bodies. But what we choose to put on our bodies can transform how we feel, how we interact with the world, and how we show up in the world. And that, my friends, is something we all deserve.
Let's talk!
It's time to realize that version of yourself you always wanted to be. Learn more about my Complete Style Transformation service, which will transform the way you feel about your closet and yourself. Or, set up a free 30-minute Zoom Style Consultation on my calendar today.