Association of Image Consultants International Ohio/Pennsylvania Chapter

April Teleclass-Maintaining Your Financial Business

2010-04-26T12:07:00.002-04:00

Our chapter had an excellent presenter on Maintaining Your Financial Business. Dan Betts, a certified Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney gave a two part teleclass that offered .2 CEU's on how to plan for your future and how to use receive tax credit with your business. We learned what we should be giving to our accountants and Six Ways to Prepare for Retirement as a business owner.

Educational Teleclass in February with Linda Thomas, AICI CIP

2010-02-09T09:50:00.002-05:00

This educational teleclass is open to members and nonmembers of the AICI OH/PA Chapter. One of our chapter's focus is to provide education for professional development. This month we are excited to have a very well-known corporate trainer, Linda Thomas, AICI CIP conduct a one-hour teleclass on "The Four Generations".

Four Generations in the Workplace
Whether your goal is to help employees understand each other by improving their day-to-day communications or to increase your own success with a wider variety of clients, this session will demonstrate the importance of connecting with the four generations working side-by-side in today's changing workplace.

Four Generations in Your Clients
This program will define the four generations and discuss the various ways in which a consultant or vendor can enhance their services for their clientele while being aware of age-related concerns.

Four Generations in Style
Helping our one-on-one clients and program attendees understand what ‘age appropriate’ dressing is for them while having their own personal style can be tricky, especially if you and your clients are of different generations. This session will be about current styles and who can best wear them for their workplace and/or lifestyle.

Linda Thomas, AICI CIP has been in the image industry for over 10 years and is a published author and corporate trainer. She has served on AICI's South Central Chapter and is on the board in Texas for the National Speaker's Association. Some of her clients have been FedEx Kinko's, Four Seasons Resort & Club, Boeing, Merrill Lynch, Texas Instruments, and TGI Fridays, just to name a few.

To register sign up here http://fourgenerations.eventbrite.com/

Achieving Success in 2010

2010-01-24T20:44:00.003-05:00

This year has kicked off to a great start with Brenda Kinsel's teleclass called, "10 Simple Steps to Achieving Success in 2010" offered to all of OH/PA & NY's Tri State chapter members. OH/PA AICI's President, Erica Torres-Dudziak, opened up the session introducing Brenda, one of AICI's CIP veterans, who has been in the industry for 25 years and brings with her a level of energy and spirit that leave her participants wanting more of. This seventy-five minute session was packed with great information on getting our business on track and off to a running start for 2010.

Brenda took us through ten steps that she discovered over the years has brought her business to new heights. We kicked off the session by taking a look at our accomplishments from 2009 and discussed ways in which we can start tracking our success. Many of us left this session with new energy and great ideas from the presenter and each other and how we can frame this year with a name!

Brenda has launched a new website www.brendakinseletc.com that is dedicated to image professionals worldwide.

Member of the Year: Erica Torres-Dudziak

2009-11-16T18:32:00.002-05:00

Erica Torres-Dudziak was unanimously voted Member of the Year for 2008-2009 in September 2009.

Education Day, November 21, 2009

2009-11-16T18:29:00.000-05:00

AICI OHPA Chapter Education Day on November 21st will feature seminars on Men's Tailored Clothing & Men's Image in the morning and a Body Language seminar in the afternoon. Lunch will be provided.

CEUs earned will be: 0.2 CEUs

Men's Tailored Clothing & Men's Image by Brian Lipstein, AICI FLC

Brian Lipstein is the President of Henry A. Davidsen, a Philadelphia based firm specializing in Custom and Made-to-Measure clothing for professional men. Brian has been the Men's Image editor of AICI's Image Update since 2007 and has recently been interviewed for AICI's BlogTalk Radio program about Custom Clothing 101.

- Learn about construction of Men's Suits - What exactly makes a $3,000 suit and why is it worth it?
- Learn about Fabrics, Weaves, and why materials are so important
- Learn about Fit of the garment
- Learn Wardrobe building strategies for Men - What should every man have in his closet.
- Learn about the difference between Made-to-Measure and Custom Suits

Body Language by Sara Canuso

As an Image and Body Language Specialist, Saa Canuso, President of a Suitabe Solution, empowers individuals to use non-verbal communication, image, and body language as tools to communicate effectively with others and understand not only what others say, but to discover the unspoken messages and feelings behind their words and actions.

This seminar will teach body language as a means of negotiation and how to persuade and influence before you speak a word.

AICI OH/PA Update September 2009

2009-09-15T19:46:00.000-04:00

For those of you just starting your business, they say that make up sales have gone up since the recession because when people are down, they still want to look good. This means that if you are in the business for helping people to look good, feel good, or become more successful because of one of these, this is a great time to get in the business.

The new board has been working hard on getting things ready for this new chapter year. We are currently working on a schedule for the entire chapter year so that all of you can make preparations ahead of time. We are looking at scheduling one meeting in PA in November, one meeting in OH in April, and at least two teleclasses. We are in the process of trying to book speakers and offer CEU’s at both the PA and OH meeting. The speakers will receive a portion of the event fee so if anyone is interested in doing a workshop or knows of anyone, please forward the information to our VP Education, Jennifer Betts at jmbohio@aol.com.

The board is committed to bringing our two states together in order to combine our strengths and talents which will only enhance the value in our membership and networking capabilities for our businesses and clients. We respect your time and commitment so therefore these education day meetings in PA and OH will only be half days. This will allow for those that may need to travel to avoid any overnight expenses and will be located near an airport. We look forward to meeting new members, interested parties, getting to know you better, and being more collaborative in our efforts!

Board of Directors 2009-2010 AICI OH/PA Chapter Year

2009-06-15T20:02:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to the new Board of Directors for the 2009-2010 AICI OH/PA Chapter year.

President

Erica Torres-Dudziak

President Elect & VP Education

Jennifer Betts

Treasurer

Brian Lipstein, AICI FLC

VP Marketing/Communications & Secretary

Mary Kot

VP Membership

Beth Strange, AICI FLC

Teleclass "Networking for Business" 6.29.09

2009-06-08T19:22:00.002-04:00

When: Monday, June 29th 2009

Time: 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. ET

Topic: Networking for Business

Speaker: Brian Lipstein, AICI FLC

AICI Ohio/Pennsylvania's last quarterly membership meeting for this chapter year will be a teleclass on how you can increase your business opportunities with networking!

Where are the best places you should be going to network for your business?

Are you meeting the right kinds of people at events but then never hear from them or follow up?

What are the 5 essential pieces of information you need to obtain from a person for a successful business networking interaction?

Join us on Monday, June 29th from 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. and hear from one of the very few certified image consultants, Brian Lipstein, AICI FLC, provide us with what has helped make him a success through "Networking for Business"!

Conference call details will be sent out before the event. Please contact Erica@positiveperceptions.info for any questions.

AICI OH/PA Chapter Meeting Minutes 5.02.09

2009-06-08T17:00:00.003-04:00

Meeting Location: Youngstown, OH
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Speaker: Danielle Turcola
Topic: Dining Etiquette and Business Entertaining

Attendees:
Board of Directors: Chapter President- Erica Torres-Dudziak, VP Education & President Elect- Michelle Pratt, VP Membership - Tonya Woods
Francoise Litch, Jennifer Betts, Kurk Shelton, Danielle Turcola

Welcome & Introductions- all introduced themselves and why they were interested in this topic

Featured Speaker- Danielle provided each participant with a workshop guide. Workshop covered: Business Entertaining, The Gift of Diplomacy, The Art of Hospitality, Wine Connoisseur, Your Manners Are Showing, Place Setting Savvy, Stimulating Conversation, Tipping, Credibility Robbers, Food Challenges, and Mealtime Taboos.

Danielle's workshop included information, demonstrations, and concluded with Q&A on this topic and other tips on business-related topics (e.g. where to find pictures for purchase, public speaking, and body language).

This course was conducted over lunch at a Youngstown restaurant.

2009-02-22T19:46:00.002-05:00

"DINE IN STYLE"

When: March 20th, 2009 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Where: Brant's Bistro - 375 E 4th St - Mansfield,OH 44902
Speaker: Danielle Turcola
Topic: Dining Etiquette
Register at: aici-diningetiquette@eventbrite.com

Join us on Friday evening to learn from a well-known and respected consultant and coach who specializes in business presence. Discover how you can increase your business opportunity & sales in a dining situation.

As the founder of Professionalism International, Danielle Turcola provides Fortune 500 companies and major associations a variety of customized programs to increase their revenue by making their business memorable and influential.

Dining etiquette is a must for those of us involved with any aspect of image and presence. It's the one skill set that separates the classes. Because we work in the image field, we are highly scrutinized on appearance, behavior, conduct and communication. Even if you don't teach dining etiquette, clients know the rules and expect you to also!

Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from one of the best in the industry!

This meeting will be educational and fun with the opportunity to learn about and network with your colleagues across the state. Dress Preferred: Casual Elegant

4 COURSE MEAL INCLUDED IN WORKSHOP FEE

First 15 to register will qualify to win a gas card gift card in a drawing that evening.

Color Training-Cleveland, OH- Summer 2009

2009-02-02T08:39:00.001-05:00

Many of you have been waiting for some local color training... well, here it is! Pat Henshaw MFIC is co-author of Colour me confident, Image matters for men published in January 2006, Colour me younger published May 2008 and Be a beautiful bride to be published in 2009. Pat is the founder and CEO of Niegma Consulting Ltd. and her company is contracted on a regular basis by CMB Europe to write, develop and run training courses for them. Training with Pat on color and style will be held in Cleveland, Ohio in June 2009.

Full Color Analysis - June 15 - 18
$2000 (includes full set of drapes and your own color wallet)

Abbreviated Color Analysis (for consultants trained under different programs) – June 19-20
$1000 (drapes not included)

Women's Style - June 22-24
$1500

Men's Style - June 25-26
$1000

Location: Crowne Plaza Cleveland Airport with a special rate of $99.00 per room per night

Class size will be limited, so please contact Candace Bradfield at aumentestyle@gmail.com
ASAP to reserve your spot. She will get back with you to let you know when deposits ($500) will be required.

New Committee Positions for 2008-2009 Term

2008-12-18T22:33:00.003-05:00

Our VP of Education/President Elect is looking for individuals who would be interested in being on the Education Retreat Committee. This committee will assist with planning our 2009 Education Retreat which will be held in PA.

If interested, please contact Michelle Pratt at michelle.pratt@chellebelle.com .

Our VP of Membership is looking for individuals who would be interested in being a part of our Membership Committee. This committee will be working on putting together and implementing a strategic recruitment plan for our chapter as we plan for the next couple years.

If interested, please contact Tonya Woods at firstimpression-id@hotmail.com .

AICI OH/PA Chapter Membership Meeting Minutes 12.06.08

2008-12-18T22:11:00.000-05:00

Akron, OH

9: 00 a.m. – 9: 30 a.m. Breakfast & Networking
The meeting began promptly at 9:00 a.m. Erica Torres-Dudziak welcomed everyone to the meeting and started the icebreaker and introductions. Those present at the meeting included:
Candace Bradfield
Michelle Pratt
Erica Torres-Dudziak
Amanda Levy
Tonya Woods
Jennifer Betts
Francoise Litch
Brenda Johnson
Latasha Morgan

At the beginning of the meeting attendees led a discussion on networking and ideas to increase business. Some ideas included participating in social media outlets, women’s events such as trade shows and bridal fairs, weight loss programs and senior citizen living center programs.

Other ideas included possibly hosting an “Image Consulting Convention” that includes different specialties of image consulting and have outside vendors in the beauty industry pay to be part of the event.

Attendees also talked about business referrals. Some helpful sources included the AICI Web site, data service and working with vendors in the beauty industry. To help with challenges of gaining new clients attendees shared their innovative ideas on how to increase their business.

9:30 a.m. – 10: 30 a.m. Association/Chapter Updates

VISION
Erica started off the chapter and association updates by providing the following information to attendees:

a. Changes: The OH/PA chapter has undergone several changes in the past couple of months. The rest of 2008 and all of 2009 will be about planning and setting “long term” goals to sustain the chapter and its projected growth.

b. Expansion: We have expanded by having meetings in the PA area for members who could previously not participate--Historically our OH meetings have been in Columbus. We are going to try new locations/topics/events this year to see what works. The chapter is also pleased to announce that membership has been expanding since 2007. The following expansion goals were given:

The chapter’s current membership: 34
Chapter Board Goal for this year: 50
Average # of participant per meetings: 5-10 (between OH & PA meetings)
Number of attendees per meeting goal: increase to 40% of membership

d. Chapter meeting schedule: Our next meeting is planned for Friday March 20th, 2009 and we are planning to have a social event at a restaurant in the evening and get some dining etiquette training from one of Ohio’s most sought after Business Image Consultant’s, Danielle Turcola!

e. Increase membership involvement and expertise: We want to have more CEU education topics and bring awareness about certification opportunities—if anyone is interested in a phone study group please let Erica know. For a local study group for FLC exam email Erica@positiveperceptions.info and we can gauge interest and see how we can set something up.

f. Increase membership: The chapter will offer a Member of the Year Award to help increase chapter involvement.

g. Increase media presence: In order to continue to grow the chapter we will look to add a VP of Marketing for 2009 to focus on creating a voice for the chapter through press releases, publicity through AICI publication and connecting with philanthropic opportunities. If you are interested in this opportunity for next year please contact Erica.

h. Increase board 2009-2010: As mentioned we would like to add a VP marketing and have committee sign ups with voting. Erica will be bringing “Role Descriptions” to the next meeting in March to start gauging interest.

CHAPTER BOARD
Erica introduced the current board members:
President- Erica Torres-Dudziak
Treasurer- Brian Lipstein
Secretary- Amanda Levy
VP Education/President Elect- Michelle Pratt
VP Membership- Tonya Woods

Michelle led a discussion on her role as VP of Education. Michelle will plan the 2009 Education retreat as well as create innovative programming to increase chapter involvement. She also talked about and how members can get CEU’s as well as participate in an upcoming Education retreat and Education committee:

a. Michelle outlined the benefits of attending AICI’s annual conference and that it is the best venue to earn CEUs.
b. Michelle also reminded attendees that our local chapter can host CEU events and topics can be certified ahead of time by AICI. Topics can vary and can include working with outside organizations/individuals to increase attendance at events.
c. Having certification by taking the FLC or earning your CIM or CIP is a great way to establish credibility for yourself and your chapter. Visit AICI’s Web site at www.aici.org to learn more.
d. Michelle is currently planning the 2009 Education Retreat and is looking for volunteers to be on the Education Committee.

Tonya Woods, the chapter’s current VP of Membership talked about her role. She will welcome new members and reinforce benefits of attending meetings and being part of AICI. Her recruitment strategies to help increase involvement in 2009 include:

a. The chapter’s goal is to increase membership to 50 members and to keep moving forward as a chapter.
b. Tonya’s goal is to find interactive ways to make recruitment fun. Meeting attendance has been a challenge and she is currently looking for ideas to help increase involvement.
c. Tonya challenged members to try to recruit at least one person to the chapter to help reach 2009 goal.
d. The chapter has completed a membership feedback survey to help determine recruitment needs/opportunities.
e. Please contact Tonya directly if you are interested in being on the Membership Committee to help with the 2009 Recruitment Strategy.

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. “Branding”- Michelle Pratt
The meeting’s guest speaker was Michelle Pratt, MBA, founder and principal of Chelle Belle, The Image Advocate, an image consulting and special event planning company. Michelle is also the current VP of Education and President Elect.

Her presentation titled “Branding” offered the following learning objectives:
Understanding branding; Assessing your business mission; Analyze your market; Understand benefit vs. feature; Define your Unique Selling Proposition (USP); Determine your brand message; Create a tagline and Develop brand identity.

Throughout her presentation Michelle asked attendees to participate in writing exercises that helped give attendees an objective and tactical view of their own current business practices. After the presentation attendees understood how to create effective message to help strengthen both their personal brand and their company’s branding.

11:30 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. Color Training Opportunity
The chapter has received several requests to offer color training locally. Candace Bradfield presented a color training opportunity through Colour me Beautiful which will be taught by Pat Henshaw co-author of “Color Me Confident”. This color analysis system is different from the “four seasons” color technique and offers clients wallets with their selected colors.

The color training opportunity is still in the planning stages but will be a three-day course held tentatively in Cleveland in June 2009. The specific location of the meeting is still being determined. Please continue to check the chapter Web site and blog for updates.

11:50 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Wrap Up/ Surveys
Membership feedback surveys were given out to all attendees and were filled out before the end of the meeting. Erica provided closing comments and thanked everyone for attending. The next OH/PA chapter meeting will be held on Friday, March 20 in the evening. The location is to be determined.

The meeting concluded at 12:00 p.m.

AICI Ohio December Member Meeting

2008-11-20T20:34:00.002-05:00

When: Saturday, December 6th, 2008

Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12: 00 p.m.

Location

Yocono's Italian Foods

1666 W. Exchange St.

Akron, OH 44313

Education Topic: "Branding"

Cost

Members $21.00 (Breakfast Included)

Non Members $35.00 (Breakfast Included)

RSVP

By December 4th, 2006

Join us for networking, fellowship, and information on how you can grow your business!

Our education topic speaker, Michelle Pratt, MBA, is founder and principal of Chelle Belle, The Image Advocate, an image consulting and special event planning company.

Register at http://aicidecembermembermtg-emailinvite.eventbrite.com

Recent Chapter Transition & December Member Meeting

2008-11-16T15:13:00.002-05:00

Greetings,

Our OH/PA AICI Chapter is very excited to bring new workshops and opportunities to you!

Due to a recent change in our board of directors I am excited to present our chapter’s 2008-2009 Board of Directors to you:

President: Erica Torres-Dudziak

President Elect/VP Education: Michelle Pratt

Treasurer: Brian Lipstein

Secretary: Amanda Levy

VP Membership: Tonya Woods

This is going to be an exciting year for our chapter. Our chapter has grown in size by almost 100% in the past year and we are striving to continue to see new faces and hear new voices.

With new people comes new ideas, and creativity is definitely a characteristic of our chapter. This chapter year we are going to try different city locations so that more of you can have a chance to participate in an educational session.

If you would like to learn more about image consulting, network with other consultants and affiliates, promote your products or training programs, than you will definitely benefit from our next chapter meeting being held on Saturday, December 6th 2008 from 9:00 a.m. to 12: 00 p.m.

This meeting will consist of networking, AICI national and local updates, an educational component, and the last 20-30 minutes will be reserved to learn about local training providers or products that could benefit your business.

The meeting location and details will be sent out via Event Brite within the next few days. If you would be interested in talking about your training/product please email me so that I can add you to the agenda.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Erica Torres-Dudziak
President
AICI OH/PA Chapter

AICI OH/PA 10.12.08 Meeting Minutes

2008-10-16T22:13:00.005-04:00

AICI OH/PA Chapter Meeting
Meeting Minutes

October 12, 2008
Attended: Kristen Kaleal- Chapter President, Erica Torres-Dudziak- Chapter Vice President, Tonya Woods- Chapter VP of Membership, Michelle Pratt- Chapter VP of Education, Danielle Turcola, Jocelyne Elyse, Jennifer Betts, Dawn Zima, Theresa Olson

Survey Results
We went over the Survey Monkey results on increasing meeting/chapter participation (results on spreadsheet distributed)

Adding CEU’s
 Michelle Pratt will look into how to get programs certified for CEU
offerings

Distance
 Have the 2 larger groups (OH/PA) meet quarterly
 Have nearby cities have more informal meetings throughout the year
 Ohio’s central meeting location will be in Mansfield- locations for
secretary to research are: Comfort Inn, Ashland University, Libraries,
nearby Amish restaurant (Camp Mohican for longer OH events)

Day/Time
 Alternate quarterly meetings from Friday evenings to Saturday mornings
 2 meetings on Friday (6pm- 9pm) evenings and 2 meetings on Saturday mornings (9am-12pm)
 Shorter meetings with snacks included (i.e. Friday meeting 3 hrs with a snack during meeting)
 Erica Torres-Dudziak will send out a revised tentative meeting schedule for 2008-2009 AICI OH/PA Chapter year.

Topics
Suggested meeting topics:
a) Product Development
b) Business Development (insurance, umbrella policies, LLC vs. Partnership, etc.)
c) Best Business Practices
d) Dining Etiquette (Danielle volunteered to give workshop at no cost to the chapter)
e) Personal Branding, Internet marketing, Dressing Men

Mentorship Program
 It was suggested to have a mentorship program for OH/PA Members ONLY
 Members should email Erica Torres-Dudziak their availability and expertise they could share as a mentor to other OH/PA members
 The idea would be we would learn and grow from each other

FaceBook
 Important media tool
 You can link YOUTUBE on it
 Twitter is another great networking in conjunction with Facebook (microblogging service)

Education Day
 We are looking to have an education day on a Saturday in October 2009 potentially in Pittsburgh
 All day program offering CEU’s
 Potentially 1 key CEU speaker and a couple non CEU presentations from our members (topics may be on: Basic Color Theory/Principles, body/style, dressing men?)
 Education Committee will have a teleconference call scheduled for November to sstart the planning process

Action Steps
 Michelle will get details on how to get programs CEU certified
 Erica will send out a tentative 08-09 chapter meeting schedule with new location
 City leaders will take initiative to set up mini meetings (if desired) in their area with local members
 Members will email Erica their expertise and availability for Mentorship Program
 Erica will coordinate with Michelle to set up Education Committee teleconference for November

Saks Fifth Avenue Tour
Kristen Kaleal set up a tour of the Saks Fifth Avenue Club Tour with Dixie Lee Davis. We learned about the protocol of geographical inventory, tips on dressing the cost conscious man, and we were able to see how our clients could benefit from working together with an image consultant and a Saks Personal Shopper.

For information on AICI's OH/PA Chapter please contact Erica Torres-Dudziak at Erica@positiveperceptions.info

Congrats!

2008-09-12T12:12:00.005-04:00

Congratulations to our members who completed
New Member/Image Review Training!

Jennifer Betts

Kathy Callan

Amanda Levy

Brian Lipstein

Theresa Olson

Jocelyne Walker

How to blog with Blogger

2008-09-12T11:47:00.001-04:00

1. Create a Gmail account

2. Go to www.blogger.com and log in with your gmail account.

3. Click on the blog you want to contribute to. It will most likely be the Chapter
Archive.

4. Click “new post” and type away or paste text. Sometimes you will have to alter the
layout of the text, but it shouldn’t be too difficult.

The blog defaults to the correct font and size.

You can add photos, links, etc with the toolbar.

5. Include labels. Click “show all” and pick the labels that apply to your post. Or create a new label if you need to.

6. When you’re finished, click “publish post.”

7. You will have the option to view the blog in a new window or edit your post.

Definitely check on your post and see if it needs edits. If you edit, just publish and check again until it looks right.

Board Meeting - September 8, 2008

2008-09-07T14:44:00.002-04:00

1. Ethics

2. Goals

- Increase Membership

- Increase Revenue

- Support Tools

3. Chapter Records

4. Member of the Year

5. Positions & Responsibilities

- President / Kristen Kaleal

- Vice-President / Erica Torres-Dudziak

- Treasurer / Brian Lipstein

- Secretary / Amanda Levy

- VP Membership / Tonya Woods

- VP Education / Michelle Pratt

6. Education Weekend

7. Planning Ahead

8. Chapter Survey

9. Notes

Board Meeting - 7/29/08

2008-07-29T20:55:00.000-04:00

Brief History of Chapter

GOALS

Grow & sustain membership

Increase profitability from meetings and

Education Weekend (August 2009)

DUTIES

All

Participate in AICI counterpart calls 2-3 times a year

Attend quarterly board teleconference

Learn to utilize the chapter blog (need a Gmail account)

President – Kristen Kaleal

Main contact

Marketing & Communications officer

Vice-President – Erica Torres-Dudziak

Education Weekend point person

Plan & promote quarterly board meetings (week before or week after meetings)

Manage Member of the Year program

Treasurer – Brian Lipstein

Fiduciary contact

Budget

Secretary – Amanda Levy

Books venue for Ohio meetings

Records chapter meeting and board meeting minutes

VP Education – Michelle Pratt

Coordinate speakers and programs for events

Lead Education Committee (Jennifer Betts and Kathy Callan)

VP Membership – Tonya Woods

Create and manage prospect database

Send welcome note to new members

Member/prospect surveys

Check our chapter email and respond to requests

2008 Member of the Year

2008-07-27T15:24:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to our 2008 Member of the Year, chapter president Kristen Kaleal!

Cool Careers You've Never Heard Of - Image Consulting

2008-07-14T10:30:00.002-04:00

From MSN Careers

Image consultant
Image consultants advise people with discretionary income how to make positive impressions -- through appearance, wardrobe, etiquette and communication skills -- in order to get ahead in their careers and social lives, and boost their self-confidence. You don't need a college degree, but organizations such as the Training Institute School for Image Consultants (http://www.newyorkimageconsultant.com/) in New York City offer course work in color analysis, wardrobe and style analysis, and personal shopping.

Want to make this your dream job? Join the Association of Image Consultants International (http://www.aici.org/) and see if you can work as an apprentice to someone who has already established herself in the field.

New Member Training Course

2008-03-30T16:00:00.001-04:00

If you are planning to participate in the new member training course, here is some info you will need.

- Training will be via conference call and will be two 45-minute sessions per month for three months. (Cell minutes or normal long distance rates will apply.)

- Teleclass sessions will be on Tuesday evenings, 8-8:45pm (that is the only evening I have available on a regular basis).

- You will need to order the text we will be working with:

Looking Good: A Comprehensive Guide to Wardrobe Planning, Color & Personal Style Development by Nancy Nix-Rice. It is a standard text in the industry and touches on almost every aspect of style and image. Amazon.com has them new and used.

- Any AICI OH/PA member is welcome to participate in any of the sessions. If you are not yet an AICI member, we ask that you join the organization before April 15^th if you would like to be a part of this course.

- If you have been an AICI member for under a year and participate in at least 5 of the classes and complete all of the assignments, you will receive a certificate of completion.

- Having this course under your belt will be a great foundation for your business and will get you off to a strong start. In addition, if you wish to sharpen your skills and build on your knowledge base, this is a great (and free!) resource we're providing for our members

SYLLABUS

Session 1 May 6 Intro to Image Consulting

Session 2 May 20 The Basics of Color

Session 3 June 3 Personal Style Evaluation/Fashion Personality
Session 4 June 17 Working with Clients – Wardrobe Evaluation
Session 5 July 8 Working with Clients - Shopping

Session 6 July 22 Marketing & Business Basics

About the Facilitator – Kristen Kaleal
I am a full-time image consultant and personal stylist. I present seminars to corporations, colleges and women's organizations on the topics of professional image and personal style. My personal clientele include television personalities, professional athletes, business people, and women looking to improve their self confidence.

I trained with a former Hollywood wardrobe consultant and at the London Image Institute under Lynne Marks, one of the seven Certified Image Masters in the world.

I teach fashion consulting at Virginia Marti College of Art & Design and am an online and print columnist. I am regularly featured as an expert in the local media. My newsletter goes to over 16,000 people on 6 continents.

Future Leaders Conference Call - March 11

2008-03-10T09:48:00.009-04:00

AGENDA

Advantages to serving on the Board

What to expect in the next Chapter year

Meeting Attendance

Surveys

Monthly Conference Calls for Chapter Board

Support – International Board, Intl. conference calls

Broadcast emails and posting archives to the blog

Education Weekend - Summer 2009

Position Descriptions
Below are the best descriptions we have of each position. Please understand that since we are a small chapter, we sometimes need to be “jacks of all trades.” Some of the duties listed are simply what has worked for us in the past.

President

Acts as chief communication officer

Establishes meeting agenda, leads meetings

Promotes certification process to members

Coordinates marketing efforts aimed at media and prospective members

First contact point for prospective members – passes to VP Membership to start recruiting process

Oversees Chapter blog and archives

Vice-President

Supports president in Chapter initiatives

Chief Researcher

Oversees Board positions

Co-leader of meetings

Ensures compliance with Corporate (Chapter Accord, Bylaws, etc)

Secretary

https://www.aici.org/membersonly/kit_sec_duties.asp

Keep accurate the history and records of the association.

Send out minutes within one week of meeting.

Schedules meeting room locations, food service, room set up

Record all minutes from:

Annual Membership Meetings

All Board of Director’s Meetings

International Board Conference Call meetings

Strategic Planning Meetings (SPM)

Treasurer

https://www.aici.org/membersonly/kit_treasurer_duties.asp

Act as chapter financial manager and advisor; ensuring that proper accounting procedures are established and accurate financial records are maintained.

Act as liaison to AICI Headquarters and the International Treasurer for chapter financial business.

VP Membership

https://www.aici.org/membersonly/kit_vp_membership_duties.asp

Leads recruiting activities

Create and maintain Membership Database (ongoing duty)

Welcome new members on behalf of Chapter Board

Receive updated membership lists from President who receives them from International Board

Follows up with prospective members

VP Education

https://www.aici.org/membersonly/kit_vp_education_duties.asp

Plans programs with Board approval

Determines budget with goal to be at least self-sustaining

Books speakers

Has CEU credits approved

Leads Education Committee in planning of Education Weekend (Summer 2009)

Communicates with International VP Education to brainstorm ideas and ensure compliance for CEU’s

Sends thank you letters to presenters

Education Committee

3 Chapter members plus Board members who wish to participate

Supports VP Education in planning Educational programs, Education Weekend (Summer 2009)

Participates in quarterly conference calls to plan Education Weekend (calls will become monthly an then weekly, leading up to the event)

Researches speakers, CEU-approved programs

Meeting Minutes - March 2, 2008

2008-03-06T05:09:00.019-05:00

Attended: Kristen Kaleal (President), Erica Torres-Dudziak (Vice-President), Arnita Nina Kindle, AICI, Kristie Burnett, Shawn Ozoglu, Jocelyne Walker, Clarissa Stevens

Introductions
The meeting started with introductions of the AICI members and non member visitors. Kristen gave an overview on the history of our chapter and we welcomed Nina Kindle as our newest member (previously a member of the Chicago chapter). Some of the visitors are looking to get into the image industry where as others have been in the industry for several years.

Lunch and Networking
During lunch a large portion of our conversation was on the topic of Color. As color always remains a popular subject Kristen suggested how it would be great to have someone come in and do a workshop on the foundational basics of color theory. We all agreed that having an idea of your personal colors is what disciplines you when you are shopping for yourself and your clients.

Great Tips & Sharing
Clarissa Stevens, previous AICI chapter member, shared the idea of her CBS check; starting with identifying a client’s Color, Body Analysis, and Style. She also mentioned she had been suggested to use a cigarette case to hold your business cards: large enough to carry your cards and other people that you meet with a design to camouflage any scratches.

Conference Call
We will be having a conference call on March 11^th at 8:00 p.m. to discuss our chapter’s upcoming leadership openings and involvement. You have to be a member to participate on the board. We will be nominating for the following positions: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, VP’s of Education, Marketing and Membership, as well as adding an education committee which the VP of Education will lead.

Reasons to get involved in the Chapter Board include looking more established in the industry (even if you're green), increased access to those making things happen in our chapter, increased visibility to the International Board and among high-ranking experts in the image field, and an opportunity to shape the future of the chapter through our decisions and activity.

Member of the Year Award
Last year we started the member of the year award with our chapter. To qualify you must be a member of our chapter and criteria was based on participation and recruitment effort. We will be voting in early April and the winner will be announced at conference this year in Tampa, in our next chapter newsletter, and win a $50 gift card and plaque.

Education and Training
We discussed the idea of having a mentorship program for new members to gain insight into the field and be better prepared as an entrepreneur. The idea would be for them to be paired with an experienced member and have unlimited email contacts and one to two phone conversations per month. This could be accomplished with a drawing to create random pairings. More to come on this. Job shadowing was also suggested by a visitor.

Erica will follow up with the international board to see if it is official that members can put AICI after their name and those who have passed the FLC can put FLC after their name.

We are looking at having the next summer retreat in Pittsburgh in 2009.

The page of links for AICI-approved training programs can be found here:

http://www.aici.org/resources/index.htm

Be sure to seek out the best training that fits your needs. Connect with the trainers and ask questions!

Books were brought in and shared as great ways to get more information on the field and get started with your business:

a. “What’s my Style” by Alyce Parsons
b. “Dress for Success” by John Malloy
c. “Color me Beautiful” by Carole Jackson
d. “Looking Good” by Nancy Nix-Rice
e. “Guerilla Marketing” by Jay Conrad Levinson
f. “Guerilla Publicity” by Jay Conrad Levinson
g. “How not to look old” by Charla Krupp

Ideas to get you noticed by the public

Letters to the Style Editor-introduce yourself
Woman Networking Organizations
Meetup.com-networking
Fashion week

Workshop

Nina Kindle AICI, OH/PA chapter member, did a workshop for us on Image and Diversity. The group participated in a conversation about what diversity is and how important this topic is in relation to what is going on with our country and its current presidential elections. We discussed how diversity can play an impact on internal communication with coworkers as well as external communications with customers. Nina discussed the Primary Dimensions of Diversity (Age, Race, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Physical/Mental Ability, Ethnicity/Nationality, Religion, and Class) as well as the Secondary Dimensions (Education, Income, Family Status, Organizational role, Geographic location). She stated that as humans, it is the Secondary dimensions we want to be known for.

All of us enjoyed and appreciated the “Paradox of Diversity” statement she shared with us:

-We are each unique and like no one else
-We are each like some other people and unlike other people
-We are each like all other people

The workshop ended with a discussion on how to manage diversity in our lives.

- Submitted by Erica Torres-Dudziak

Quarterly Columbus Meeting Agenda - Mach 2, 2008

2008-03-06T05:05:00.004-05:00

Welcome & Introductions

Lunch & Networking

Chapter News

Presentation

Nina Kindle, AICI ~ Image & Diversity

Break

Leadership & Involvement

Future leaders conference call March 11^th

~ Member of the Year

~ New Chapter Positions

Membership & Marketing

Education & Development

~ Training Sources

~ Mentorship Program

Panel Discussion for

New & Prospective Image Consultants

2008 Meetings

June 15, Sept. 7, Nov. 9

AICI Conference - May 15-19, 2008 - Tampa, FL

Meeting Minutes - Philadelphia

2008-02-05T07:21:00.001-05:00

Monday, February 04, 2008

Meeting Started at 6pm

JoJami Tyler and Dana Persia began with a joint presentation on PR - Dana handed out a packet with lots of examples and information - key topics below

Reviewed what PR is- radio, print, TV, internet

Prepping a Press Kit/Media Kit - suggestion: "spend $ on a professional photo" Sara recommended Milton Perry in Philly

Sara Canuso and JoJami both suggested the book and online course - "Book yourself solid" - Michael Ports (www.bookyourselfsolid.com)

JoJami - suggested using Sabina at www.redbranchpr.com - she does an inexpensive press release jumpstart kit

Writing a Press Release - create a "buzz" - have a "hook"

Key Points - be an expert - write an article (start small with local newspapers/mag)

JoJami - have 5 key talking points ready for interviews

Brian - has a PR person - Megan Smith www.brownstonepr.com

Topic of Color

There is a lot of interested from all present to get certified in color - Chris Baeza will contact Donna Cognac of Essential Colors to inquiry if she would come to Philly for training.

Meeting Ended just before 8pm

Presentation and discussion was done by 7:30 with time for more networking

In attendance: Donna Dixon, Sarah Canuso, Nicole Green, Brian Lipstein, Fatiha Occhialini, Dana Persia, JoJami Tyler, Chris Baeza

-Submitted by Chris Baeza

New & Prospective Members Conference Call Minutes

2008-02-04T11:17:00.000-05:00

(Thanks to Erica for typing these up)

CONFERENCE CALL FOR NEW & PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS

MEETING MINUTES - 1/29/08

General Information

AICI is an international organization with around 1200 members.
Our chapter started in Ohio and had recently branched out with a sub chapter in Philadelphia.
Intro of our board (KK and ETD were the only ones on the call)
We get together every quarter to have a discussion with other image consulting professionals on things going on in the field. We generally meet in Columbus as a general mid way point.
We had our first retreat in Cleveland this past summer but there is talk of hosting the next one in Pittsburgh in 2009.
AICI members and affiliates come from a variety of backgrounds
Some image consultants go by the name: Personal Shopper, Stylist, Etiquette Consultant, Branding Expert, Wardrobe Consultant, Media Consultant, Visual Communications Expert, etc.
Start up cost in the industry: The largest part of start up is training. Most training is held outside of Ohio although there are some online trainings available (available on the resource page of the AICI website) The particular online training mentioned on the call was Joyce Knudsen’s www.imagemaker1.com
Susan Abrams, International VP of Membership will email a list of questions to ask/interview a potential trainer to Kristen Kaleal so that it can be distributed to those on the call (See below)

Membership/AICI Information

You can get a discounted rate for joining AICI as a student from an accredited university/institution and majoring in something related to the image consulting field
You do not have to have started your own business or be in a student status to join AICI
Currently the FLC exam is given once a year at conference in the United States and AICI tries to hold it out of the country to reach its international members at other times of the year
AICI is currently trying to hold another FLC exam in the states and that may be announced at Conference 2008
If you cannot make conference most of the audio tapes are available for purchase through the AICI website

Benefits of joining AICI

Learning more about the field/Learn from other consultants
Getting and bouncing ideas off of other professionals in the field
Motivation, support, and friendship with other professionals in the field
Ethical basis and accrediting agency
Educational opportunities – international conference (Tampa, May 2008) and on the chapter level.
Resume builder/credibility to your clients
Marketing from AICI website (potential clients can find a consultant in their area from the AICI site)
Opportunity to get on the board and enhance your credibility
Advocate the image industry as a business, as opposed to a hobby

**It is your due diligence to call and interview training companies. Here are some sample questions:

- Will the course cover the core skills required for taking the AICI FLC exam?

- Do the trainers hold certification (AICI, CIP or CIM) with AICI?

- What is the duration of the training course?

- What subjects are covered?

- Does the course include training in marketing and business development?

- What is the size of the class?

- Are there additional costs to the training? (i.e. equipment, drapes, cosmetics etc.)

- What, if any, is the consultant's contractual obligation to the company after training?

- Does the company have an after-training support system for consultants?

- Are opportunities available for further training?

- Does the company provide lists of their consultants to the public on request?

- Does the company have a product line and if so, what is the profit margin and/or potential income from this?

- Is it possible to speak to one or two previous trainees?

Conference Call Agenda

2008-01-28T21:54:00.001-05:00

AICI OH/PA CHAPTER

CONFERENCE CALL FOR NEW & PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS
January 29, 2008 ~ 8:00pm ET

1. Welcome & Introduction of Chapter Board
2. What is AICI?
3. Chapter Mission Statement
4. Benefits of being a member
5. Our stories
6. What is certification?
7. How to get started in the industry
8. How can you get involved?
9. Coming events
10. Questions

Let us know what we can do for you!

Next Philadelphia-area Meeting!

2008-01-25T09:22:00.000-05:00

When: Monday, February 4th, 5:30pm - 8:00pm

Where: Henry Davidsen Showroom, 17th and Spruce Streets, Center City Philadelphia

(There are parking facilities on 17th Street and on Spruce Street, and street parking is also available.)

5:30-6:00 networking

6-6:45 Speaker and discussion
PR and your business, how to make it work for you.
JoJami will talk to us about what it would take to get you more PR!

- Why PR?

- How to get started

- Do you have a catchy “Hook”?

- Writing an effective press release

- Starting local and moving your way up

JoJami Tyler is an Image and Media coach, who works with actors, speakers, authors, and entrepreneurs to build their media wardrobe and perfect their on camera presentation.

JoJami is the co-author of “TV Image, Live~ How to get on TV and perform like a star” and writes for the fashion blog, www.fabulousafter40.com. She is an image expert for radio and TV and most recently a guest host on QVC.

6:45 –7:30 Speaker and discussion
Topic: TDB

7:30-8:00 networking

Please try to arrive by 5:30 so that you have time to find parking, and have a few minutes to meet everyone before we get started.

Also, please remember to bring $5.00 to cover the cost of snacks and beverages.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email:

Chris Baeza
www.elementalessence.net
Cell: (610) 529-5524
Email: personalstyle@verizon.net

REMINDER: Conference Call & Newsletter Deadline

2008-01-16T18:13:00.000-05:00

I have two reminders for you:

1) Conference Call for New & Prospective Members January 29^th at 8pm

We have been fortunate to have an onslaught of interest in our industry and our chapter recently. We have new members and a lot of people who are interested in becoming members.

Let’s chat - about AICI, what we do, where we meet, and how you can get involved.

We’ll address training options, resources, industry trends, career opportunities, and most importantly, figuring out what is right for YOU and YOUR CAREER GOALS.

I have invited the international VP of Membership, Susan Abrams to join us on the call to answer any additional questions you may have.

Please let me know now if you plan to take advantage of this opportunity and I will add you to my list. A call agenda and dial-in number will be sent out a few days before the date.

Read more about the conference call here.

2) Submission Deadline for our Chapter Newsletter is January 31^st.

This is the very first edition of our newsletter and is open to any member of the OH/PA Chapter. Writing for it will make a great addition to your dossier and will provide you with materials to distribute to your own mailing list as well.

In my experience, becoming a prolific writer (even when I didn’t want to be!) has been the single best way to become a known expert in the field. When you have published articles – even in a “trade publication” like this, it establishes you as an authority. And that is something you can’t buy!

(To make it even easier, you can even reuse an old article you’ve written. It’s that simple!)

The first edition is coming out on March 1^st. Please submit your head shot as well as a brief bio, including where you are located and your education and training background.

Read more about the newsletter here.

The Nordstrom Experience

2008-01-16T18:10:00.000-05:00

February 19 ~ 7pm ~ Cleveland, OH

Hello Everyone

We have scheduled our tour of the Beachwood, OH Nordstrom for February 19, 2008 at 7:00pm. We will have the opportunity to learn firsthand about how things work at the company, how they consistently delight their customers, and about coming trends for the spring.

We will have the store manager, Fran Broda, facilitating this event.

This event is free to AICI members and $15 for non-members. Everyone must pre-register. Please click here for registration.

This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity – not only if you are in the image industry, but if you are in any type of customer-oriented field. Nordstrom literally wrote the book on customer satisfaction.

Professional head shots with Eric Mull (Cleveland-area opportunity)

2007-12-30T21:30:00.000-05:00

Need a New Head Shot?

I do! I no longer look like my old pics from last January and this is a problem for my business! It made me start thinking….

I know a lot of us have old pictures of ourselves that we have on our web sites or submit whenever we need to use a professional portrait for some purpose.

Take a good look at your current head shot.

· Do you have one? I hope so. Every professional should.

· Does it present you the way you look right now? If it was taken five years ago and you look completely different now, it could be giving the public the equivalent of deceptive advertising.

· If you have a very formal picture and your business is a little less formal, your head shot should reflect a little less formal tone. And vice versa.

· Are you just getting started in your business or still very new? A professional head shot makes you look more established – instantly!

· Are you just not happy with your current picture for any reason? Was your hair, makeup or clothing just not quite right? These are all are factors in making or breaking the photo! You deserve a picture you are happy with!

THE EVENT

I am joining with photographer Eric Mull (he does a lot of work for Cleveland Magazine), my favorite makeup artist, the fabulous Wendy Fitos and excellent hairstylist Julia Niedzialek to offer a special event to everyone in my community.

Date: Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Time: Morning appointments

Services & Pricing:

PHOTOGRAPHY - $100

Includes several shots and one selected pose as a digital file. Eric will clean up any blemishes, soften wrinkles, etc.)

This is an exceptional price for the caliber of work he does!

Extra shots will also be available for purchase. If you are interested in more than one outfit (an extra sitting), that will also be available for an additional fee.

MAKEUP & HAIR

$20 for makeup, $20 for hair styling (no cutting or coloring)

Both are optional, but highly recommended. If you’ve ever had a picture with flyaway hair or flat hair or haven’t worn enough makeup (and looked washed out) or wore too much makeup (and looked like a clown – I’ve been at both ends of the spectrum!) you can’t afford to miss this opportunity to have both done by professionals.

***

Please let me know if this is something you would be interested in. And please spread the word around to your friends and colleagues who may need this service.

Remember, it’s all about image!!! Your professional head shot sets the tone for your business persona. Is yours accurately representing all that you do???

Stay warm, everyone!

Kristen

Kristen Kaleal
President, AICI OH/PA Chapter

p 440.742.0385
f 440.579.0100
kristen@kkimagedesign.com

IF YOU WISH TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THIS EVENT, PLEASE CONTACT ME.

2007-12-22T22:33:00.000-05:00

The Nordstrom Customer Service Experience

2007-12-18T14:33:00.000-05:00

A Cleveland-Area Event

Ladies & Gentlemen –

If someone asked us who has a challenge with working one-on-one with clients, I would be the first to raise my hand. It’s just not my favorite part of what I do. I bet that a couple of you feel that way too. Sometimes I don’t feel like I give a 100% customer-centric experience and that bothers me.

But every time I go shopping on my own or take a client to one particular store, I have an amazing experience. It’s probably no surprise that it’s Nordstrom. They go above and beyond to accommodate my clients and me each and every time.

I have asked the store manager of the only Cleveland-area location if they would be willing to have a group of us come in to tour the store and learn about how they impart top-notch customer service skills to their employees and how that leads to greater sales and return customers.

Hey, we may not all own retail establishments, but isn’t that what we want too??

We are planning this event for early-to-mid February on a Mon, Tues, Weds or Thurs evening. It would be free to AICI members and $15 for non-members.

If it’s a success, then we could coordinate the same sort of mini-events for Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Columbus.

If you are in Cleveland, please let me know which of the aforementioned days works for you.

Warmest regards -

(literally! It's freezing here!!)

Kristen Kaleal
President
AICI OH/PA Chapter
kkaleal@aol.com
(440) 742-0385

Newsletter clarification

2007-12-11T10:48:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone!

I apologize for not stating this more clearly in my previous email -

At the moment, we will only be able to showcase the contributions of the OH/PA Chapter members in our newsletter. With our chapter beginning to hold meetings in Philadelphia, we have added several AICI members to our mailing list who are not in our chapter. It is our goal to keep everyone up-to-date on what is happening with us, whether you are a chapter member, a member of another chapter, or a former or future member.

With the newsletter, it is our goal to extend the knowledge of our members to others within the industry and excite those who want to get started in this wonderful and rewarding career.

Sorry for any confusion this may have caused. (Believe me, I hate having to create rules!!)

And thanks so much to everyone for your enthusiasm and support! It is a really thrilling time to be in AICI!!

Kristen

A Chapter Newsletter!!

2007-12-11T10:46:00.001-05:00

Being an ambitious AICI Chapter president, I feel that it's time to start a chapter newsletter, everyone! I hope all of our chapter members will join me in this new venture!

Have you written an article that would interest your fellow AICI members?

Have you answered a client question in an email or in print that could help others?

Have you been in the media – on TV or radio or in a newspaper or magazine?

Do you have an opinion you want to share on something related to our industry?

If so, we want to hear from you!

Send us your article before the deadline with a brief bio of 2-5 lines and a headshot, along with your email address and a link to your site or blog. Photos or images to illustrate important points are always welcome as well.

If sending us an article about you, please include the publication, link and date. For video or audio links, please let us know the program and date.

What are the benefits of participating in our newsletter?

Increase your visibility among your peers

Writing articles counts toward your future CIP designation!

Increase your chances of being found on the Internet (search engine optimization

You will have an article to send out as a newsletter to your clients and prospect

You will be a contributing writer in the image industry, which you can add to your resume or curriculum vitae
You can then submit the article to AICI publications or even publish them as an ebook!

Pretty cool, huh?!

Although there is no limit, we will include articles on a first come, first served basis and they will also be put on our blog (which is very sensitive to search engines). One article per person and as many media links as you can list (in the quarter covered by the newsletter issue).

Now are you interested?!!

Our newsletter will be sent out quarterly, starting on March 1st! The first deadline is January 31st.

Attached, you will find the editorial calendar with all issue dates and deadlines.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Warmest regards,

Kristen Kaleal

President

AICI OH/PA Chapter

kkaleal@aol.com

(440) 742-0385

Conference Call for New & Prospective Members

2007-12-07T11:30:00.000-05:00

Winter Greetings Everyone!

We have been fortunate to have an onslaught of interest in our industry and our chapter recently. We have new members and a lot of people who are interested in becoming members.

Let’s chat - about AICI, what we do, where we meet, and how you can get involved.

From my experience, involvement in AICI is one of the fastest and easiest ways to establish oneself as a professional in the industry. I will share my story and I hope it will inspire you to join us and become part of a chapter that is starting to grow and thrive.

We are having a conference call on Tuesday, January 29^th at 8pm to address what AICI can do for you and your career.

We’ll address training options, resources, industry trends, career opportunities, and most importantly, figuring out what is right for YOU and YOUR CAREER GOALS.

Whether you’re already working in the industry, if you’re trained and ready to get going or if you’re just starting to explore the possibility of an image career, be sure to be on this call.

Any AICI member – past or present – is also welcome to join us for a refresher. (We have a lot of past members still on our email list. If you’re interested in getting back into the business, be sure to be on this call.)

I will send out the specifics (call-in number, etc) as the date approaches.

Bring your questions! We are looking forward to speaking with you!!

Kristen Kaleal

President

AICI OH/PA Chapter

kkaleal@aol.com

(440) 742-0385

P.S. We will have a conference call in February for anyone interested in becoming a leader

and board member! More info to come....

Web Update

2007-11-19T00:23:00.000-05:00

Sent an update to AICI corporate 11/5 with Columbus meeting dates (PA meetings are TBD). Added pics from the retreat and the satellite meeting.

Minutes from the Board Meeting 11/4/07

2007-11-12T14:10:00.000-05:00

Board Meeting Minutes
AICI OH/PA Chapter
November 4th, 2007
Columbus, Ohio 1:00 to 4:00

Board Members:
Kristen Kaleal (President) LisaMarie Luccioni (Treasurer/Past-President)
Erica Torres-Dudziak (Vice-President) Jill Haney (Secretary)

Proceedings

President's Report:

- Update on the Delaware Valley Satellite Meetings.

- The goal is to grow the chapter and have more Eastern Pennsylvania involvement, including leaders with board positions.

- Conference call to be held with current board members and interested OH/PA members from the Delaware Valley area – most likely in January. Will put out an open call shortly.

- The 2008 OH/PA AICI meetings will be held as follows: March 2nd, June 15th, September 7th, and November 9th. All meetings will be held on Sundays in Columbus, Ohio**.

- Discussed possibility of holding next meeting at Macy’s at Easton or Polaris (since we now have a PR contact) for a tour of the store, preview of spring trends, and secrets of department store shopping.

**Other locations to be determined. We are looking for a meeting space that has a meeting room but will not pay for use of room above lunch price (hotels are currently charging $150-$250 setup fee, which as a small chapter, we will not incur). We are also losing $60 or more at each hotel meeting per meeting due to guaranteed counts. A possible option is Panera Bread, which typically has meeting space. If anyone in the Columbus area has any suggestions, please let us know.

Vice-President's Report:

- Discussed the AICI Leadership & VP Marketing conference calls.

- The AICI Publicity Handbook, which can be downloaded on the website, can be used to market our chapter and our own businesses.

- Anytime any of us is in the news, please send the information to AICI headquarters.

Treasurer's Report:

- Our chapter is fiscally sound! The Chapter Financial report was submitted and approved by HQ.

- This report must be submitted to HQ two times a year in order to get chapter rebate of $60 per member.

- Chapter checking account has a balance of $951.43 with additional rebates pending.

Other business:

- Board members discussed the idea of having a chapter retreat in 2009. Pittsburgh is a possibility as it would encompass both the PA members and OH members.

- Members discussed the option of getting CEU's for the retreat as this would help draw more members and possibly members from outside of our chapter, as there was an interest in the 2007 retreat from outside the chapter IF there were CEU credits offered.

- Submitted by Jill Haney, Secretary

Pics from the 1st Delaware Valley Satellite Meeting

2007-11-06T17:10:00.000-05:00

JoJami Tyler, Nicole Green, Donna Dixon, Fatiha Occhialini, Brian Lipstein, Dana Persia, Sara Canuso, Ann Bernicker, Diane Reginato, Jennifer Ashton, Chris Baeza

Sara Canuso, Chris Baeza, Diane Reginato, Ann Bernicker

Brian Lipstein, AICI

JoJami Tyler (side of head to camera), Dana Persia, Nicole Green, Sara Canuso, Chris Baeza, Diane Reginato, Ann Bernicker, Jennifer Ashton

Photos courtesy of Renu Dalal

2008 Meeting Schedule for Columbus, OH

2007-11-05T18:27:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

We had a very productive board meeting yesterday, and before the official meeting minutes are sent out, I wanted to let you know our meeting schedule for next year.

For those of you who have wanted to attend a Columbus-area meeting and it hasn’t coincided with your schedule, I’m hoping this will be enough advance warning for you :)

Don’t forget that you can always use the chapter blog as your resource for current information. The top section lists our coming meetings and other necessary info. We will also have this list posted on the official AICI chapter site very soon.

As soon as we know the Delaware Valley’s meeting schedule, we will put that on the blog and AICI site as well.

Columbus, OH Meeting Dates for 2008

March 2
June 15
September 7
November 9
(As always, these are all on Sundays)

**If any of the dates change, we will let you know as soon as possible**

We will have reports from yesterday’s board meeting and the first Delaware Valley Satellite Meeting (happening right now!) posted soon.

Here’s a picture of us from the meeting yesterday –

(L-R - me, LisaMarie Luccioni, Erica Torres-Dudziak, Jill Haney)

Kristen Kaleal

President

AICI OH/PA Chapter

kkaleal@aol.com

(440) 742-0385

Board Meeting Agenda - 11/4/07

2007-11-03T23:12:00.001-04:00

Current Events & News

State of the Chapter
President’s Notes
Treasurer’s Report

Delaware Valley
Satellite Meetings

Membership Drive
VP Membership conference call – Erica
Brainstorming

Education & Development
Training Ideas
CEU’s

Leadership & Involvement
Future leaders conference call in January
Member of the Year

Promotion
AICI website, blog, email list, etc.

2008 Meetings
Columbus list
DVSM list (from Renu)

Nov. 4th Columbus, OH Meeting - Canceled

2007-10-29T03:07:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone -

Instead of having an Ohio meeting that is open to members, non-members and prospects, the chapter board has voted to use this meeting as a closed strategic planning session for the future of the chapter. We are currently poised to do great things, with meetings happening at two points within our boundaries.

We want to make sure to maximize these opportunities in order to make the chapter stronger and prepare ourselves for a highly successful future.

A couple of the agenda items include creating a list of all Ohio meetings for 2008 and brainstorming ways we can utilize the tremendous enthusiasm of the members in the Delaware Valley area to make us even better.

How exciting is it to be a part of a chapter that is on the move?! I told previous AICI president Marion Gellatly as well as current president Karen Brunger that it is my goal to be the preeminent small chapter in all of AICI. (For those of you who don’t know me well, my plans are always quite grandiose!) Let’s face it, we will never be as big as San Francisco or Southern CA or Atlanta, and that’s fine. But if we can be an exemplary chapter in our own right, I think that is pretty fabulous. Wouldn’t you agree?

With your participation, I am so pleased that we are already making it happen!

We will have a productive planning session on Sunday and we look forward to 2008, where we will continue to flourish in both Ohio AND Pennsylvania!!

All my best,

Kristen Kaleal

President

AICI OH/PA Chapter

kkaleal@aol.com

(440) 742-0385

Delaware Valley Satellite Meeting Agenda

2007-10-29T03:03:00.000-04:00

November 5, 2007

5:30 – 6:00pm – Networking / Introduction and Welcome by Renu Dalal, MS, AICI

6:00 – 6:30 – Session 1 – Brian Lipstein, AICI

Topic: The Details of Menswear

· Machine vs. Hand construction in suits.

· What fabrics work best for your client?

· Quality vs. Quantity - how to justify the investment.

Brian Lipstein, AICI is Vice President and Co-Founder of Henry A. Davidsen, Master Tailors & Image Consultants. Building on over 100 years of family tailoring tradition, Henry Davidsen focuses on outfitting professionals and helping clients plan the strategic use of their image in their career.

6:45 – 7:15 – Session 2 – Sara Canuso

Topic: Clarity of your Fees and Services

· Being clear on your services, hourly verses package pricing.

· What are the services you are offering?

· Do you currently have a Niche?

Sara Canuso is President of A Suitable Solution and advises some of the Philadelphia region's most successful men and women on the impact of image. As a speaker, writer, teacher and motivator, she also helps clients entering the business arena to cultivate a polished professional image that commands respect and to acquire a winning presence.

7:30 – 8:00 – Session 3 – Chris Baeza

Topic: Intention; “What you think is what you will receive”

· Creating the vision for what you have “in mind” to be, do and have.

· Vision story

· Mapping

· Feng Shui tips @ intention

Chris Baeza is a trained Fashion Feng Shui® Facilitator. Fashion Feng Shui® is an innovative, transformational dressing technique inspired by Feng Shui, Fashion Feng Shui® teaches you how to dress with mindfulness & intention so that your clothes express your authenticity and attract your deepest desires. Chris has over 15 year in the fashion business, Fashion Feng Shui® Facilitator, and is apprentice to a Color Me Beautiful consultant.

First Delaware Valley Satellite Meeting

2007-10-11T14:56:00.000-04:00

Dear AICI members of the Delaware Valley,

I already know some of you, but wanted to introduce myself for the benefit of those whom I have not yet met: my name is Renu Dalal, and I am a personal wardrobe consultant in Philadelphia; I have been an AICI member since 2004.

For some time now, I have been discussing with local colleagues about the inconvenience of going to NYC for AICI meetings, not to mention that Columbus, OH, is virtually impossible to get to without committing a full day or more...So when Kristen Kaleal, the president of the AICI OH/PA Chapter asked about member interest in putting together local meetings, I thought I'd volunteer to coordinate the first (of many, I hope!) Delaware Valley Satellite Meeting.

I believe it is very important to have an AICI presence here in the Delaware Valley - with almost twenty members total in Delaware, SE Pennsylvania, and South Jersey - it would be wonderful to have a network of colleagues with whom we can share tips, ideas, and even overflow business. I have already been in conversation with a few members about possible dates, locations, and topics of discussion.

Mr. Brian Lipstein of Henry Davidsen, has graciously volunteered his showroom at 17th and Spruce Streets, in Center City Philadelphia, as a location for our first meeting, and we are looking at the early evening (5:30-8:00pm) of Monday, November 5th as a tentative date. Please let me know at your earliest convenience if this date, time, and location would work for you - at least for our first meeting, I'd like to have as many people attend as possible.

In addition, if you have any ideas for topics of discussion, or questions you'd like to ask of your colleagues, or if you'd like to lead a short presentation, please let me know at your earliest convenience. Some topics already proposed include: fee structure - hourly vs. package rates; sources for outside sizes (plus, petites, and very tall); and men's' image. Also, just FYI, we would like to collect from each attendee, $5.00 at the door, to cover the cost of refreshments (bottled water, beverages, light snacks) for the evening.

I look forward to hearing from all of you soon - your participation will help us make our first meeting a great success!

Warm Regards,

Renu
484-270-8355
renu@flairconsulting.com

Thank you, Renu! Looks like everyone is looking forward to this event!

- Kristen

Satellite Meetings

2007-10-01T22:26:00.000-04:00

If anyone cannot make it to our quarterly meetings in Columbus, OH, but is interested in connecting with other AICI members in your area, please let me know.

We are already setting up some get-togethers and education sessions in Cleveland, since we have a large group of AICI members here. I have suggested that the Cincinnati/Kentucky contingency do the same.

We have several chapter members located in Philadelphia, most of whom we’ve never met, and I’m sure you haven’t met each other either!

If anyone is interested in putting a small local meeting together (maybe over coffee) with members that are close to them, please let me know and I would be happy to make the connections for you.

Kristen Kaleal

President

AICI OH/PA Chapter

kkaleal@aol.com

(440) 742-0385

Next Meeting & AICI Membership Info

2007-09-23T13:52:00.000-04:00

Greetings!

It’s the first day of autumn, everyone. Bye-bye summer :(

I just wanted to keep you informed:

1) Our next meeting is on November 4, 2007 in Columbus, OH. The location is

still to be determined. We are always open to suggestions.

2) Our featured speaker will be Jill Haney, AICI.

Boutique Business:

Serving your clients and enhancing your business through relationships with boutiques.

Jill will also discuss choosing the right jeans for your clients and you and how to track fashion trends like a pro.

Jill Haney has over 15 years of retail experience in sales, management and as a buyer. She was the managing owner of one of Cincinnati's premier boutiques - which was profiled as one of Cincinnati Magazine's "Best Of.”

3) Last year our board of directors voted to limit attendance at our meetings by non-members to two times.

If you have attended your allotted two meetings (this includes August’s retreat), we invite you to join us and continue to enjoy the unique educational opportunities and camaraderie we are proud to provide.

(Also, AICI members receive discounts on our international conference – May 2008 in Tampa – and on our chapter meetings.)

If you are interested in AICI membership, the membership categories are as follows:

Associate Member
Dues: $275 per year
Privileges: As an Associate member, you can

· Vote locally and internationally;

· Hold local office and serve on local and international committees;

· Attend local and international meetings; and

· Use the AICI logo and “Associate Member of AICI” under your name.

To Qualify, you must be an entrepreneur or corporate employee working in the field of image consulting or a related field.

Affiliate Member
Dues: $275 per year
Privileges: As an Affiliate member, you can

· Serve on local committees if it is not a conflict of interest;

· Attend local and international meetings; and

· Use the designation “Affiliate Member of AICI” after your name.

To Qualify, you must be an individual working in an affiliated business and be supportive of the Image Industry.

Student Member
Dues: $165 per year
Privileges: As a Student member, you can

· Serve on local and committees;

· Attend local and international meetings; and

· Receive a reduced rate for membership dues, conference registration fees, and, at the discretion of the chapters, local meeting fees.

To Qualify, you must be enrolled at an accredited educational institution (college or university) in preparation for an image- or fashion-related career. Proof of registration and enrollment are required. Student status cannot exceed two years.

Here’s the link: http://www.aici.org/join/categories.htm

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Happy Fall to you!

Kristen Kaleal
President
AICI OH/PA Chapter
kristen@kkimagedesign.com
(440) 742-0385

Image Consulting as a Career

2007-09-11T21:40:00.000-04:00

Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 1, 2007

Improving the Image

You've seen them while watching TV shows such as Extreme Makeover, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy or What Not to Wear. Image consultants are paid to show people how to create a fabulous impression. They also offer advice that can help people land a job, get a promotion or find someone to love. Kristen Kaleal is founder and president of Kristen Kaleal Image Design, a Cleveland-based image consulting company.

Q: What are the opportunities in this field of work?

A: Image consultants can do a variety of things from working one-on-one with clients where we organize closets and shop with them or for them to speaking for companies and organizations on professional image and style. Some cities are naturally more image-conscious and present more chances to ply your trade.

Q: What are the typical requirements for employment?

A: You must to be willing to work for yourself with the understanding that it means not having a steady and stable income. You are the greatest example of your abilities, so presenting your own flawless image at all times is a must. A lot of people believe that if you love to shop, you can be an image consultant. There is a lot more to it than that.

Q: What are the frustrations?

A: Cleveland is not intensely image-conscious, like L.A. or New York, so creating a profitable business here can be a challenge. Working outside of the area at times is mandatory.

Q: What changes do you think are coming?

A: There is currently a backlash against strict corporate image - the navy suit mentality, I call it. People are happiest at their jobs when they are allowed to be themselves while still dressing appropriately for work. Business casual dress was supposed to bridge this gap, but has created its own challenges. It really is an exciting time because a new professional standard is being created, and I get to be one of the people making it happen.

Q: What does it take to succeed?

A: The one inescapable fact is that if you want to be a working image consultant, 80 percent of your success is in how well you market yourself. I have an e-mail newsletter, a style column on ClevelandWomen.com and my blog. Professional affiliations are also a must. I am president-elect of the Association of Image Consultants International (AICI) so I can actively watch the industry from a local, national and international perspective.

So You Think You Want to be an Image Consultant?

2007-09-09T20:48:00.000-04:00

By AICI OH/PA president Kristen Kaleal (http://kristenkaleal.blogspot.com)

I receive several calls and emails every month from people who want to do what I do for a living.

People naturally assume that my career involves lots and lots of shopping. How fun does that sound? For most women, it probably sounds like the best job in the world!

While yes, I do provide personal shopping services, there is far more to it than that.

There are several prerequisite skills for an image consultant:

- A Great Eye – This is something that can’t be taught. We look for harmony, balance and visual interest in our clothing and accessories. What flatters our coloring, our body and our face?

- Knowledge of Color – There are many facets of this. Personal color is just one of them. Which colors look best on a person? While this skill is entirely learnable, one must also have a great eye to put colors together to create visual interest and harmonious outfits. There is also the psychology of color and the use of color in creating slimming body lines.

- Understanding of Proportion – How do you make a long torso balance with shorter legs? What size print should a petite woman wear? Why are horizontal stripes almost always a bad idea? Again, this falls into the “great eye” category. You can learn this, but academic image training can only take you so far before instinct needs to kick in.

- The Art & Science of Shopping – This doesn’t mean if it’s pretty, you buy it. Shopping is easier said than done in most cases. Can you build a wardrobe from the ground up that looks like it was created with a master plan in mind? Can you help someone shop in their own closet – seeing new ways to use what they already have?

- Do you understand Fit? You don’t have to be a master tailor to know if an article of clothing needs a mere tweak or if it won’t fit properly regardless of what work is done to it.

If you want to be a working image consultant and do this full-time, it is imperative to have a good business mind. I spend the majority of my time – probably 80% - marketing. Networking, speaking engagements, my newsletter, the articles I write, my blog, and even my forthcoming book are some of the ways I market what I do. I have relationships with the media and with people in related professions who refer me business. I am in the paper, in magazines, or on TV on a regular basis.

We recommend the book The Perfect Fit by Lynne Marks, AICI CIM and Dominique Isbecque, AICI CIP to determine if image is the right field for you.

Retreat Minutes

2007-09-05T21:45:00.000-04:00

Minutes from the OH/PA of the Association of Image Consultants Summer Education Retreat in Cleveland, Ohio Friday, August 17th-19th, 2007
Recorded by Jill Haney, Secretary

The OH/PA of the Association of Image Consultants Summer Education Retreat opened Friday, August 17th with a one hour Lolly the Trolley tour of downtown Cleveland. Who knew there were so many fascinating and innovative ideas and buildings that originated in Cleveland?

After the tour we had a fabulous etiquette training dinner presented by our very own LisaMarie Luccioni at the Metropolitan Cafe. Thank you LisaMarie for all that you taught us regarding table manner and dining etiquette. It was very educational indeed.

Saturday morning opened with Introductions of the Board and welcome to speakers:

Chapter Board
Kristen Kaleal, President
Erica Torres-Dudziak, Vice President
LisaMarie Luccioni, MA AICI CIP, Treasurer & Past President
Jill Haney, AICI, Secretary

Erica gave the history of AICI

Founded 1990 and currently has over 900 members in 40 countries!
In addition to image consultants, members of AICI include: dieticians, hair stylists, business consultants...a very broad range of members.

Saturday Presenters:
Coach Joelle Prochera gave a very motivational and informative presentation on living passionately and daring to dream big.

- Who we are in the future has nothing to do with who we have been in the past.

- Everything starts as a dream and we can be A Master Life Creator! In order to do this we need to follow the rules: play, show up. and be open, flexible, and curious.

Leslie Carruthers-TheSearchGuru.com

- Marketing on the internet. Your customers are searching for you online. Can they find you? Websites can be a highly productive sales channel.
- Have a strategy so your customers can find you.
- Clear business objectives: protect your domain, improve visibility (remember customers are looking for you), and increase traffic, sales, and market share through testimonials.

Assessing your website.
- Never change your domain EVER because an older domain outweighs a younger domain.
- Follow the rules of usability and be compliant on accessibility.

Set Benchmarks.
- Determine your website statistics: how many clicks, how long did visitor stay, and who are they? Check this information monthly.

Identify Keyphrases
- Understand the importance of titletag, metatag, and keyphrases. These all set a strng foundation for your SEO efforts.
- Perform keyphrase research at least once a year.

Blogging helps your business develop a corporate personality and helps grow your website. Make sure blog is on your website and not on blogspot (for example).

People and spiders need to be able to find you. People first and spiders second. Make sure those spiders can find you!

Research how your html is running.

Make sure every page of your website has a call to action.
- For example, call or e-mail for your free image consulting consultation.

Kelly Smith: Messages from Martha

The ClevelandWomen.com trend columnist was fortunate to have the opportunity to hear Martha speak on being a successful entrepreneur.

- Regarding image, Martha suggests to always look pulled together, make sure we present ourselves in a positive note when meeting someone for the first time (a positive first impression) and take into consideration how we present ourselves to others. In order to have a powerful presence we need to be aware of our attitude towards others.

- Riches in Niches: In order to be successful how can we fill a void in the marketplace and offer what no one else is offering. Always relate decisions back to the customer and how to make them happy.

- Successful entrepreneurs surround themselves with creative and supportin g individuals. They will help keep ideas fresh.

- Remember the ultimate consumer...be aware of the small details (devil is in the details as they say). Keep on top of business practices by connecting with clients and consumers.

Everyone in attendance received a copy of The Martha Rules, courtesy of the AICI OH/PA Chapter!

Debbie Carney, CPO - Business Organization Strategies
Debbie provided us with organizing solutions for our business and our personal lives.

- Organization is all about making decisions. Disorganization translates into lost revenue!

- Debbie gave us many tips and tools to help keep us organized. In particular she likes the website seejanework.com for cute tools to get our offices organized. She also recommends RoboForm software to manage and organize our passwords.

Our very own Kristen Kaleal spoke to us on Platform Building: Getting to the next level NOW!

What is a Brand? The promise of an experience. Are we consistent with who we are? What are our goals, visions, and attitudes that help us deliver the promise of our brand?

What is a Platform? That which makes you stand out from the competition. As image consultants it is important to always look the part.
- You never know if your big break is right around the corner. It's best to keep an official record of everything you do.
- We need the credentials to back up what we do. (For example, membership in AICI and testimonials from clients.)
- We need strong connections with movers and shakers in the community.
- Why do we need a Platform? It brings value to everything we do, creates buzz in our community, and makes us the obvious choice.

How to start your Platform.
- Have a website and know how many hits it receives a month.
- Speaking engagements are key in helping create buzz (check out buzzdoodle.com for tips). Always get email addresses from participants at speaking engagements.
- When on the radio or tv maintain a library for your website.
- How to build a Platform template. Have an organized resume or biography that lists your current projects, education, all professional qualifications, and all media appearances (print, radio, tv).
- Make it happen! Have a newsletter to send to everyone on your email list, schedule speaking engagements, write a book, if possible, it lends credibility and can be your ticket into the big time.

Jen Gonzalez - Hair stylist from Joey and Me salon in Amherst, OH
Jen was cute as a button and offered great information on what products to use.
Poker straight hair is out and more voluminous hair (think hot rollers) is in. Also, bobs (think Jenny McCarthy and Victoria Beckham) are hot.

- Products are our friends. Great tip...put product in wet hair and put on makeup and get dressed. Let the product sit in the hair for a few minutes. On a personal note, I have been doing this since the retreat and I notice a big difference.

- As we age hair can become very dull. Toners can provide a rich, shiny color and last 3-6 weeks. Ask your stylist about toners.

- Best home hair color is Clairol and worst is Feria. Do not use Feria because it contains sulfur and will make it difficult for hair to be treated with another color.

- Hair below the shoulders does nothing for the shape of the face....Hollywood take note.

Samuel Hilliard - Menswear specialist for Jos. A. Bank
(coming soon!)

Our Fabulous Weekend!

2007-08-23T14:49:00.000-04:00

The Association of Image Consultants Ohio-Pennsylvania Chapter hosted a hosted a 3-day retreat in Cleveland the weekend of August 17-19, 2007.

Many Cleveland-area women attended, in addition to guests from Cincinnati, Columbus, and even Pittsburgh! Those in attendance experienced a once-in-a-lifetime transformational event for their lives and businesses!

The weekend started with a trip on Lolly the Trolley. The folks from out of town were given a quick perspective on our host city and those who were born here learned a lot of new facts. (Chef Boyardee is from Cleveland? As is John Heisman, for whom the Heisman Trophy is named.)L-R Nina Kindle, Valerie James, Erica Torres-Dudziak, Coach Joelle, Kristen Kaleal, Peter the trolley driver, LisaMarie Luccioni and Jill Haney

The <a href="http://www.aici.org/about/chapters/ohio_penn.htm">Association of Image Consultants Ohio-Pennsylvania Chapter</a> hosted a hosted a 3-day retreat in Cleveland the weekend of August 17-19, 2007. Many Cleveland-area women attended, in addition to guests from Cincinnati, Columbus, and even Pittsburgh! Those in attendance experienced a once-in-a-lifetime transformational event for their lives and businesses! The weekend started with a trip on <a href="http://lollytrolley.com/">Lolly the Trolley</a>. The folks from out of town were given a quick perspective on our host city and those who were born here learned a lot of new facts. (Chef Boyardee is from Cleveland? As is John Heisman, for whom the Heisman Trophy is named.)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_47j0dvtYDm0/Rs3XTkgze3I/AAAAAAAAADg/A2UKzqj0D_M/s1600-h/Trolley.jpg"></a> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> L-R Nina Kindle, Valerie James, Erica Torres-Dudziak, Coach Joelle, Kristen Kaleal, Peter the trolley driver, LisaMarie Luccioni and Jill Haney The University of Cincinnati’s <a href="http://www.artsci.uc.edu/communication/faculty/facDetails.cfm?username=luccionil">Professor Lisa</a><a href="http://www.artsci.uc.edu/communication/faculty/facDetails.cfm?username=luccionil">Marie Luccioni</a> then led the group in an etiquette dinner at the <a href="http://www.hydeparkrestaurants.com/metro/index.htm">Metropolitan Cafe</a>.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_47j0dvtYDm0/Rs3X9kgze4I/AAAAAAAAADo/eGPYDhDmahg/s1600-h/Etiquette+2.jpg"></a> Front: Chapter president Kristen Kaleal, Nina Kindle, VP Erica Torres-Dudziak, Valerie James, Danielle Turcola <o:p></o:p> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> Back: Past President/treasurer LisaMarie Luccioni, Kelly Smith, Coach Joelle, secretary Jill Haney<o:p></o:p> Saturday started out with <a href="http://www.coachjoelle.com/">Coach Joelle</a>, who had the group drawing and dancing. There were tears and breakthroughs and an outpouring of love and acceptance from all in attendance. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The group heard from Leslie Carruthers, <a href="http://www.thesearchguru.com/">The Search Guru</a> on search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is a mystery to many business owners who are not technologically-savvy. Leslie’s accessible expertise and warm approach makes the topic less intimidating to non-techies. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Presentations followed from ClevelandWomen.com’s <a href="http://www.clevelandwomen.com/fashion/kelly12.htm">Kelly Smith</a> on her opportunity to hear Martha Stewart speak about business and professional organizer <a href="http://www.neworder.vpweb.com/AboutUs.html">Debbie Carney</a> on organizing one’s business. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> AICI chapter president, ClevelandWomen.com’s <a href="http://www.clevelandwomen.com/fashion/kristenmain.htm">Kristen Kaleal</a> finished the day by speaking on personal brand development for image consultants and entrepreneurs. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Front L-R: chapter VP Erica Torres-Dudziak, president Kristen Kaleal, Valerie James<o:p></o:p> Back: Sandy Scott, Nina Kindle, Leslie Carruthers, chapter secretary Jill Haney, Kathy Callan, past-president LisaMarie Luccioni, Kelly Smith, Jocelyne Walker, Tina Diggs <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> On Sunday, hairstylist <a href="http://www.joeyandme.com/stylists.asp">Jen Gonzalez</a>, who studied with Nick Arrojo from TLC's What Not to Wear, discussed how to work with clients, stylists and products.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p>  <o:p></o:p> <jen gonzalez="" sprays="" a="" powder="" product="" onto="" danielle="" s="" hair=""><o:p></o:p></jen> <o:p> </o:p>   <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Samuel Hilliard from Jos. A. Bank Clothiers talks about selecting menswear for clients.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The best part of the weekend came after Saturday’s festivities, when the group dined, laughed, enjoyed cocktails and shared experiences at <a href="http://www.ponevecchioristorante.com/">Ponte Vecchio Ristorante</a> on the Superior Viaduct and then went to <a href="http://www.sunsetloungecleveland.com/">Sunset Lounge</a> for salsa dancing! <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p>  Cincinnati’s Jill Haney and LisaMarie Luccioni<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> CW’s Kelly Smith, KK and Coach Joelle<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Front: KK, Sandy Scott, Danielle Turcola<o:p></o:p> Back: Jill Haney, Debbie Carney, Leslie Carruthers, Erica Torres-Dudziak, LisaMarie Luccioni<o:p></o:p>  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p>  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> KK, LisaMarie Luccioni<o:p></o:p> <div> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> Danielle Turcola, Erica Torres-Dudziak<o:p></o:p> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div style="text-align: left;"> </div> Event presenters Debbie Carney & Leslie Carruthers<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Sandy Scott, KK, LisaMarie Luccioni, Erica Torres-Dudziak<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> KK, Leslie, LisaMarie Luccioni<o:p></o:p>

The University of Cincinnati’s Professor LisaMarie Luccioni then led the group in an etiquette dinner at the Metropolitan Cafe.Front: Chapter president Kristen Kaleal, Nina Kindle, VP Erica Torres-Dudziak, Valerie James, Danielle Turcola

Back: Past President/treasurer LisaMarie Luccioni, Kelly Smith, Coach Joelle, secretary Jill Haney

Saturday started out with Coach Joelle, who had the group drawing and dancing. There were tears and breakthroughs and an outpouring of love and acceptance from all in attendance.

Coach Joelle leads the group

The group heard from Leslie Carruthers, The Search Guru on search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is a mystery to many business owners who are not technologically-savvy. Leslie’s accessible expertise and warm approach makes the topic less intimidating to non-techies.

Presentations followed from ClevelandWomen.com’s Kelly Smith on her opportunity to hear Martha Stewart speak about business and professional organizer Debbie Carney on organizing one’s business.

AICI chapter president, ClevelandWomen.com’s Kristen Kaleal finished the day by speaking on personal brand development for image consultants and entrepreneurs.

Front L-R: chapter VP Erica Torres-Dudziak, president Kristen Kaleal, Valerie James
Back: Sandy Scott, Nina Kindle, Leslie Carruthers, chapter secretary Jill Haney, Kathy Callan, past-president LisaMarie Luccioni, Kelly Smith, Jocelyne Walker, Tina Diggs

On Sunday, hairstylist Jen Gonzalez, who studied with Nick Arrojo from TLC's What Not to Wear, discussed how to work with clients, stylists and products.

Jen Gonzalez sprays a powder product on Danielle's hair

LisaMarie scowls at first and then gets a whole new (temporary) 'do!

Samuel Hilliard from Jos. A. Bank Clothiers talks about selecting menswear for clients.

The best part of the weekend came after Saturday’s festivities, when the group dined, laughed, enjoyed cocktails and shared experiences at Ponte Vecchio Ristorante on the Superior Viaduct and then went to Sunset Lounge for salsa dancing!

Front L-R: Kristen Kaleal, Sandy Scott, Danielle Turcola
Back: Jill Haney, Debbie Carney, Leslie Carruthers, Erica Torres-Dudziak, LisaMarie Luccioni

Cincinnati’s Jill Haney & LisaMarie Luccioni

ClevelandWomen.com columnists Kelly Smith, Kristen Kaleal and Coach Joelle

Kristen Kaleal & LisaMarie Luccioni

Danielle Turcola & Erica Torres-Dudziak

Event presenters Debbie Carney & Leslie Carruthers

Sandy Scott, KK, LisaMarie Luccioni, Erica Torres-Dudziak

Kristen Kaleal, Leslie Carruthers, LisaMarie Luccioni

From My Blog

2007-08-20T14:48:00.000-04:00

Image Consultants Invade Cleveland

[AICI OH/PA] A Fabulous Weekend!

2007-08-19T17:53:00.000-04:00

Thanks, everyone for an informative, transformational, thoroughly wonderful and fun time!!!!!!

Before I crash on the couch, I just wanted to download my pics, say a quick thanks to my planning partner Erica and our amazing guest speakers Coach Joelle , Leslie Carruthers the Search Guru, Debbie Carney from New Order Organizers, Kelly Smith, Jen Gonzalez, and Samuel Hilliard of J^os. A. Bank Clothiers at Legacy Village.

(LisaMarie and I weren’t so shabby either!!)

Members and non-members from the local area attended as well as several from Cincinnati and Columbus. The events included finding out more about Cleveland on our trolley tour, forming a conga line in the conference room, dining in style, enjoying cocktails and dancing the night away.

Oh, yes and we learned a bit too :)

Here’s a quick look at the fun time we had!

I will post the pics up on the blog as soon as I can. For those of you who also took pictures, please forward them to me so I can post them as well.

Loved seeing everyone. Thanks again for a fabulous time. Can’t wait to do it again!

HERE’S TO US!!!!!

Kristen Kaleal

President

AICI OH/PA Chapter

kristen@kkimagedesign.com

(440) 742-0385

P.S. A BIG AICI OH/PA WELCOME to founding member of AICI, Danielle Turcola! We are so delighted to have you back!!!

Retreat Locations

2007-08-03T19:03:00.000-04:00

IMPORTANT PLACES & INFO

Marriott at Key Center
127 Public Square, Cleveland OH 44114
(216) 736-7047
www.clevelandmarriottdowntown.com

Lolly the Trolley
Call 216-771-4484
info@lollytrolley.com

Metropolitan Café

1352 West 6th Street
Cleveland, Ohio, 44113

(216) 241-1300

http://www.hydeparkrestaurants.com/metro/index.htm

Ponte Vecchio Italian Ristorante

2100 Superior Viaduct Ste. 520

Cleveland, OH 44113

(216) 556-8200

www.pontevecchioristorante.com

Sunset Lounge

1382 West Ninth Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44113

216.535.0001

http://www.sunsetloungecleveland.com/

Retreat Schedule!

2007-08-03T18:56:00.000-04:00

Friday

Those traveling, please plan to arrive and check into the hotel no later than 3:30pm.

Locals, please arrive at the Marriott by 4pm.

4:30pm Leave to catch the trolley.

5:00-6:00 Trolley Tour

6:30pm Etiquette dinner with the LisaMarie Luccioni, MA AICI CIP at the

Metropolitan Café in the trendy Warehouse District

Saturday

9:00am Breakfast and welcome message from Kristen and Erica.

9:30 – 11:00 Coach Joelle

11am – 11:15 Break

11:15 – 12:15 Leslie Carruthers – The Search Guru

12:30 – 1:45 Lunch

2:00 – 2:30 Kelly Smith: Messages from Martha

2:30 – 3:30 Debbie Carney, CPO – Business organization strategies

3:30 – 3:45 Break

3:45 – 5:30 Kristen Kaleal - Getting to the Next Level NOW: Platform Building for Impatient People!

Kristen will also facilitate: Professional Bio and Speaker Introduction Workshop

6:30-? Dinner on the patio at Ponte Vecchio on the West Bank of the Flats.

Cocktails and salsa dancing at Sunset Lounge to follow!

Sunday

9:00 – 10:00am Breakfast and Menswear with David Dennis, A Shoppe for Men

10:00 – 10:15 Break

10:15 – 11:00 Jen Gonzalez – Hair Stylist

11:00 – 12:00 Wendy Fitos – Makeup Artist & Esthetician

12:00 – 1:30 Lunch at the hotel and Goodbyes!

Retreat Registration

2007-08-03T18:55:00.000-04:00

Greetings, Everyone!

We are currently setting up a new PayPal account, so for anyone who has tried to register for the retreat and has found no link, this is why!

We decided to leave the price as it currently is – no increase after 8/4 - and registration will close on August 15^th (two days before the event).

I will send out an EventBrite link on Sunday to start the registration process. If there are any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

In the meantime, we are really looking forward to this unique business development opportunity. Even our business speakers on Saturday are coming early and staying around after they present to hear what the others have to say!

If you know of anyone who is looking for business and marketing training but is not in the image industry, we have kept our registration fees very reasonable. It’s a steal for all the amazing information you will gain!!!

Here’s all the info:

http://www.aici.org/about/chapters/documents/AICIOH-PARetreat.pdf

If you are in the Cleveland area and can’t attend all three days, feel free to come for just

just one day or join us Friday or Saturday for dinner and drinks!

Kristen Kaleal

President

AICI OH/PA Chapter

kristen@kkimagedesign.com

(440) 742-0385

Check out our blog! Here is a link to pictures from the Style & Cocktails party I hosted this past Monday, which was attended by chapter vice-president Erica Torres-Dudziak, AICI member Nina Kindle, as well as retreat presenters Coach Joelle, Kelly Smith, Wendy Fitos and Debbie Carney!

Thanks to everyone for coming out!! It was a blast!!!

AICI Members at Style & Cocktails 7-30-2007

2007-08-02T16:33:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share some pictures from an event I hosted this past Monday in Cleveland!

Enjoy!

~ Kristen ~

AICI's Nina Kindle & chapter VP Erica Torres-Dudziak

ClevelandWomen.com's Style Experts
(and speakers at our retreat!!)
Kelly Smith, Wendy Fitos, me and Coach Joelle

Erica with friend Alicia

Coach Joelle, my friend Michelle White-Grady & me!

All pics can be viewed here.

Photos courtesy of ClevelandWomen.com

Sent by AICI's Corporate Office

2007-07-27T19:37:00.001-04:00

AICI Chapter Education Opportunity

Hosted by the Ohio/Pennsylvania Chapter

August 17 - 19, 2007

The Ohio-Pennsylvania Chapter invites you to our first-ever weekend education retreat, taking place in Cleveland, Ohio, August 17-19.

We are thrilled to host an etiquette dinner with LisaMarie Luccioni, MA, AICI, CIP, as well as a day of business development including building your platform, search engine optimization, organizing your business, and motivational strategies from a professional life coach. Sunday features makeup, menswear, and a hair stylist who trained with Nick Arrojo of TLC’s What Not to Wear.

Please click here for all the information or check out our blog - http://aici-ohpa.blogspot.com.

If you have any questions, please contact chapter VP, Erica Torres-Dudziak at erica@positiveperceptions.info or
(440) 258-5384.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The OH/PA Chapter

More Retreat Info!

2007-07-22T13:14:00.000-04:00

Greetings, Everyone!

We are so excited about our upcoming retreat!

We are pleased to invite current, past and future members to hear some really unique speakers on business building, beauty and style.

We have kept the price very low for current AICI members, and if you know of anyone who is interested in image consulting as a career and is currently a student, we have a special student rate as well.

The event will be held at the elegant Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center.

Please see the attached PDF for all the details.

If you are planning to attend, please send Erica Torres-Dudziak a quick email so we can start a preliminary count. An ‘official’ invitation with payment options will be sent out soon.

We are so looking forward to spending this time learning and socializing. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to connect with me.

Hope we will see you there!!!

Kristen Kaleal

President

AICI OH/PA Chapter

kristen@kkimagedesign.com

(440) 742-0385

Chapter Retreat

2007-07-12T15:40:00.000-04:00

LisaMarie Luccioni, MA AICI CIP

Dining Etiquette Essentials

Popular AICI Conference speaker and the University of Cincinnati’s “Miss Manners” presents a basic course on etiquette over dinner at a hot Cleveland restaurant!

Kristen Kaleal

www.kkimagedesign.com

Getting to the Next Level NOW:

Building your platform to ensure your present and future success

The AICI OH/PA Chapter president is currently at work on her first book. Through the publishing process she has learned just how important building a brand and a sphere of influence is to creating lasting success – no matter how far-reaching your goals are.

Kelly Smith

Fashion Trend Expert – ClevelandWomen.com

Messages from Martha

As a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Kelly had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity this past winter to participate in an intimate audience where Martha Stewart spoke on business. Hear some of the lessons taught by one of the greatest entrepreneurs of all time.

“Coach Joelle” Prochera

Professional Life Coach

www.coachjoelle.com

What would you want to make happen if anything were possible - a career you love, rich friendships, harmony at work, great love, more money, more free time, more fun, more peace, more success? Coach Joelle has spent a lifetime searching for the keys to being happy and to living a life full of joy, passion and peace. Today, she is happy to say that she gets to live a truly delightful life, with fabulous relationships, work she is passionate about and the belief that what she wants for herself, her family and business is an inevitable result. Her mission is to share with others what she has learned about creating dreams in your reality and how to love the ride.

Leslie Carruthers

President, The Search Guru

www.thesearchguru.com

In today's technology-driven environment, you can't afford to get lost among your competitors. Understanding search engine optimization (SEO) can help you:

grow your business as quickly and cost effectively as possible;

attract more qualified prospects to your website;

increase visibility in the search engines and directories that your prospects use;

convert more site visits to actual sales;

establish your site as the primary source of new business;

take your search engine optimization efforts to the next level.

Deborah A. Carney, CPO

Certified Professional Organizer

New Order Organizers, LLC

http://www.neworder.vpweb.com/

Deborah Carney, CPO® (Certified Professional Organizer®), and founder of New Order Organizers LLC began her career in the organizing industry in 1990. Formerly the Assistant General Accountant for a division of national retail chain operating 250+ stores, Deborah's interest in the then fledgling organizing industry prompted her to make a career change and fulfill her dream of being able to work for herself. For the last 17 years, she has been using her accounting background and detail oriented skills to help others attain their organizational goals.

Wendy Fitos

Makeup Artist & Esthetician

Born and raised in Cleveland, Wendy began enjoying the art of makeup at age twelve and realized that succeeding in the beauty industry was her ultimate goal. She began working professionally in the industry at age 18 while attending college.

After almost 12 years in the retail cosmetics world, Wendy returned to her true passion – educating people to use makeup and skincare to enhance their natural beauty.

She regularly attends makeup seminars in Toronto, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles and helps people with skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, and birthmarks by teaching them how to use corrective makeup. She also covers burns and scars and wanted to be able to educate people so they could be able to do the same at home.

Jen Gonzalez

Hair Stylist

Trained by Nick Arrojo, of TLC’s What Not to Wear and has done hair for several episodes of the show. While living in New York, Jen was Janice Dickinson’s personal hair stylist. Her work has been seen in Vogue and O Magazine.

Retreat Presenters

2007-06-19T10:01:00.000-04:00

Greetings Everyone!

I am so pleased to inform you of the progress of our upcoming chapter retreat!

I wanted to give you a preview of the talent that will be sharing their know-how with us! (And a couple of us will be sharing as well!)

We will also be able to do some sightseeing and have an evening of fun in the Rock n’ Roll capital!!!

LisaMarie Luccioni, MA AICI CIP

www.uc.edu/lisamarie
Dining Etiquette Essentials

Popular AICI Conference speaker and the University of Cincinnati’s “Miss Manners” presents a basic course on etiquette as well as a sumptuous dinner at a hot Cleveland restaurant!

Kristen Kaleal

www.kkimagedesign.com

Getting to the Next Level NOW:

Building your platform to ensure your present and future success

The AICI OH/PA Chapter president-elect is currently at work on her first book. Through the publishing process she has learned just how important building a brand and a sphere of influence is to creating lasting success – no matter how far-reaching your goals may be!

Kelly Smith

Fashion Trend Expert – ClevelandWomen.com

Reflections on Martha

“Coach Joelle” Prochera

Professional Life Coach

www.coachjoelle.com

What would you want to make happen if anything were possible - a career you love, rich friendships, harmony at work,

great love, more money, more free time, more fun, more peace, more success? Coach Joelle has spent a lifetime searching for the keys to being happy and to living a life full of joy, passion and peace. Today, she is happy to say that she gets to live a truly delightful life, with fabulous relationships, work she is passionate about and the belief that what she wants for herself, her family and business is an inevitable result. Her mission is to share with others what she has learned about creating dreams in your reality and how to love the ride.

Wendy Fitos

Makeup Artist & Esthetician

mkeupjunki@aol.com

Wendy began enjoying the art of makeup at age twelve and realized that success in the beauty industry was her ultimate goal. She began working professionally in the industry at age 18 while attending college.

After almost 12 years in the retail cosmetics world, Wendy returned to her true passion – educating people to use makeup and skincare to enhance their natural beauty.

She regularly attends makeup seminars in Toronto, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles and helps people with skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, and birthmarks by teaching them how to use corrective makeup. She also covers burns and scars and wanted to be able to educate people so they could be able to do the same at home.

Leslie Carruthers

President, The Search Guru

www.thesearchguru.com

In today's technology-driven environment, you can't afford to get lost among your competitors. Understanding search engine optimization (SEO) can help you:

- grow your business as quickly and cost effectively as possible;

- attract more qualified prospects to your website;

- increase visibility in the search engines and directories that your prospects use;

- convert more site visits to actual sales;

- establish your site as the primary source of new business;

- take your search engine optimization efforts to the next level.

Deborah A. Carney, CPO

Certified Professional Organizer

New Order Organizers, LLC

http://www.neworder.vpweb.com/

Jen Gonzalez

Hair Stylist

This 3 day event will be open to all of AICI, so watch for emails from the corporate office. We will have pricing and registration available soon!