New & Prospective Members Conference Call Minutes

(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

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!

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

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

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)

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.

The Nordstrom Customer Service Experience

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

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!!

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