Do it with passion, honesty and integrity.

It’s likely you’ll be disappointed, because you didn’t just book in with the company you first started looking at! You got distracted by the bright shiny lights, the FOMO preying company, was shining in your eyes because they are really good at nailing the algorithm!

I am happy to stand corrected if this isn’t a justified thought process I have about these peeves.

The thing is, popularity doesn’t make you good at what you do. Preying on people’s serious FOMO makes you really great at marketing, but heck if it works go for it, you do you!

However It is my humble opinion that these kinds of sell tactics are misleading and will eventually end up coming round to bite your business ass in the butt, probably in more ways than one!

I am here to encourage you, to believe that running your own business should be more than just bottom lines and targets. It should be more than just a popularity contest or a way to get ‘instafamous’.

This is a career you’ve chosen for your foreseeable future, emotional investment in business is what will get you through the tougher times, that lord knows we have been having and will have more of into the future.

Emotional investment and passion are always the silver lining, the driving force behind why you do what you do. The passion I have for my business is seeded deep within my very being.

If a farmer, who relies solely on the weather, only ran his business based on bottom lines and targets, there would be no generational farmers, they all would have given up! PASSION is the only thing that gives them hope for the next year.

Do what you do not because you have to, not because it’s what someone else is doing or thinks you should be doing.

Do it with passion, honesty and integrity, no ones saying it’s going to be easy, but I promise getting through the harder times will seem just that bit easier if you do.

And remember, you selling you is how you will sell what you do (you like that I came up with that one?).

You won’t need any of those cringeworthy marketing tactics, you won’t need to be over selling the sizzle and serving up rump steak when you promised people it was going to be rib eye.

Simply because you will operate your business from a soul led, passion led and heartfelt place and that will always see you though.

So…will your ideal clients be on your waiting list or blinded by the shiny lights?

Lydia Kalleske –

For Abel Photography (The Baroassa’s Storyteller)

If you’re searching for honest, transparent and fluff free photography, I photograph you, your family, your business, doing you, real people, real stories, real photos with timeless consistency always. Bringing people together, highlighting the beauty of connection across all of my photography.

With over 12 year of experience, we pride ourselves on our timeless, high-quality images, capturing real people real photos and telling real stories through our imagery.

Offering Business Session, Family Sessions and Luxe Barossa Experiences, with flexible payment options and yearly subscriptions. Having your photos taken doesn’t need to be expensive or stressful.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH LYDIA

Web: forabelphotography.com forabel@internode.on.net

Facebook: forabelphotography

@forabelphotography

By Julia O’Connell –Crops & Sequins Styling Image Credits – Roslyn Clare Photography

Moving to a farm, being surrounded by dust, tractors and big farm machinery could easily have you thinking that fashion has no place amongst the crops – but it has!

Standing out amongst the crops isn’t always easy but believing in myself and my business has been key to my success. My name is Julia O’Connell, and I am a regional fashion stylist helping mums rediscover their style, feel comfortable in their body and build the wardrobe they love to wear.

Having lived in the suburbs I never really appreciated the convenience of how close everything was. The shops were down the road, the nearest shopping centre was only a 15 minute drive away. I could take the train to the city and shop the latest fashion whenever I wanted. I was surrounded by the glitz and glamour the fashion industry had to offer and I never took a second to really think about it.

Fast forward a couple of years, falling in love with a farmer, moving to our farm in the middle of nowhere, the fashion glamour was quickly replaced by sweltering heat, sturdy boots and a hat. I didn’t think my qualification as a fashion stylist was ever going to be used again.

Along came our first baby with all the ups and downs of motherhood. It was through becoming a mother that my passion for fashion was reignited or better put, it was fuelled by anger.

Having grown as a person and experienced my body grow another human, I really came to reflect and see the fashion industry as a notoriously unattainable standard setting beast. I started to resent my body and my wardrobe as I no longer fit what once was. Suddenly, the tag on the clothes had gone up a few numbers and I felt deflated. Brands I used to shop at were no longer drawing me in because I knew I had to reach for a size ‘Large’. I reached the point of ‘enough is enough’! There must be another way, and there is.

Initially moving to our farm appeared to be the sudden death of my styling career, but it has been a blessing in disguise!

Moving away from all my supports, throwing a pandemic into the mix, and a new baby gave me a lot of time to think and reflect on what I wanted my business to be. I trusted myself and Crops & Sequins Styling came to life.

I am super proud to have turned something personal into a business. My why is and was the journey to motherhood. Losing myself in the process of having kids (yes along came a second!), not really feeling confident in my new body and looking at my wardrobe with resentment. Far away from the initial runways and fashion shows, I have learnt a lot about myself and the journey of loving yourself as you are. Bundled with creating a wardrobe you love and will actually wear. I have grown into a stylist that loves to teach and share my knowledge with other women along their styling journey.

My name is Julia O’Connell, and I am a regional fashion stylist helping mums rediscover their style, feel comfortable in their body, and build the wardrobe they love to wear.

I empower you with my styling knowledge, so you can stop wasting money on clothes you won't be wearing anyway!

How do I do this?

By being your trusted style coach.

I am a qualified stylist and I am teaching you about YOUR body, and how you can look beyond the trends and sales, to create your own amazing wardrobe to suit your style and personality.

Fun Fact: I do it all from a rural farm in NSW!

Keep In Touch With Julia

Web: cropsandsequinsstylingau.square.site

Facebook: CropsandSequinsStyling

@crops_and_sequins_styling

5 Things I have learnt along my business journey:

1. IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, WHO WILL?

YOU are your number one cheerleader. I used to be embarrassed about sharing that I am a stylist, let alone have my face on social media.

That is my business though! I am the face of my company. I am the product and/or service I am selling.

These days this is exactly what you are seeing on my website and social media – me. People like to see who they are spending money with. When they invest in my services, they are trusting me as a person.

2. SWIMMING AGAINST THE FLOW MAY LEAD TO GREATER PLACES. When I studied to become a stylist, and probably even for some time after, I thought I had to be super glamorous and always wear the latest fashion to be a ‘real’ stylist. That’s what I thought. That’s not who I became!

Finding my niche and knowing my target audience has been my key to feeling aligned with who I am, my business and achieving business success.

3. YOUR POSTCODE DOESN’T DEFINE YOU.

Initially I had limiting beliefs that fashion has no place on a farm. Sometimes a mix up of perspective or in my case location, gave me the opportunity to approach my business from a different angle and flourish.

The closest shopping centre is over 100 kms away, however what I teach is irrespective of that distance. In a world of online shopping, I don’t have to be close to a shopping centre. Some of my clients are in a different state. How I teach means I can reach you on an outback station, on a farm across the state or living in town.

4. MAKING CONNECTIONS. Reaching out to others, forming connections and building a community of trusted women in business has been vital to overcoming the physical isolation that working on a farm creates.

I am big on supporting small, and as such making connections with small business owners has helped me discover new fashion brands and accessories across Australia. Another reason why I don’t need a shopping centre close to me. I know I can reach out to Leonie or Tracey, or Sarah and they’ll have me spoilt for choice for my clients.

5. NETWORKING AND UPSKILLING. I never stop learning. Whether it’s learning from others leading by example or upskilling in other areas. There are always gold nuggets to be found when getting another perspective.

If you are curious to know a little bit more about me and how I can help you with your clothes, then you can find me on Instagram or Facebook. To find out about my services and courses head to my website. Let’s stay connected by signing up to my email newsletter, links can be found on my socials and website.