More Money Podcast - 088 Listener Series - How to Dress for Success on a Budget with Christina Proctor

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hello and welcome to episode 88 of the Momany podcast and another listener series episode. Happy Thursday. I am loving some of the people that have been contacting me to be guests on my show for my listener series. And that, you know, the next episode could be you. So if you have a story, it could be about anything. It could be your story, but it has something to do with money, life, balance. Get in touch with me. I am always looking for new listener series guests, and I really want to feature people that have some great topics to share. So just shoot me an email, Jessica, at JessicaMorales..com and we can see if there's a space for you but for this episode i interviewed christina proctor and she is a style coach something that i think the last time i heard that was kind of uh what was that the do not wear or what's that show called

Starting point is 00:00:56 what not to wear just figured it out what not to wear i used to freaking watch that all the time that's pretty much kind of what christina is about. It's basically figuring out, helping people figure out their style, their personal style, but also how to do it on a budget, which I love. So that's kind of what we're talking about in this episode, how she got started. This is a side hustle for her. So it's a way to make extra income, but she's also helping people in a really cool way and how she does it without the whole, oh, you need to wear designer stuff or you need to buy a bunch of stuff. It's really not about that when it comes down to it, which I learned in this episode. I had no idea because I'm definitely not a style guru whatsoever. It's really about buying quality pieces that last you years so you can maintain

Starting point is 00:01:40 them and all that kind of stuff. So we get into all that stuff. There's also, she had some really cool resources on her website. So I'm going to share links to all of those in the show notes, JessicaMorris.com slash 88, but also talk about those near the end of this episode. So without further ado, here is my interview with Christina Proctor. Thank you, Christina, for joining me on the show. I'm so glad you wrote into me and that we're connecting for another listener series episode. I'm excited that you're here. Oh, I'm excited too. I love listening to the podcast. So this is going to be lots of fun. It is. Okay. So before we jump into what you're doing currently, I'd love to know a little bit of your background, who you are, what you do and how, I guess, what kind of drew you to listen

Starting point is 00:02:26 to my personal finance podcast? Because you're very much in the kind of style niche. Yeah. So I'm born and raised here in Waterloo, Ontario, and I love it. There's such a great entrepreneurial spirit here, which I know. Oh, for sure. The, exactly. So, um, so a lot of people are very interested in starting their own thing and it's also really up and coming. So there's a lot of opportunities to, you know, just try something and see how it goes. And there's a lot of support for, for entrepreneurs and that sort of thing. And back in 2013, I actually started writing a local fashion blog called where out there, because there was this missing piece I saw in the community that there wasn't anyone who is kind of interviewing local shop owners sharing their stories,

Starting point is 00:03:17 because they're very entrepreneurial as well. And through that I've been I grew my following a little bit. And I actually have just recently launched it into into a business. But through my experiences working with individuals, sharing personal style knowledge with with people who wrote in and teaching them where to shop locally. So it's just back in November, actually, 2016, that I launched it. And it's it's been great. So I still work full time. And this is just a side business, but I'm really enjoying it. And it's been a lot of a lot of fun. So I would definitely encourage anyone who has any sort of interest in starting their own side

Starting point is 00:03:57 business to just give it a try. I know that's I think the biggest piece of advice and also just like, you know, it's so simple. And yet most people are just afraid to try something new and to put themselves out there. Like, especially with the blog, you're really, I mean, putting yourself out there, your, your, your thoughts and your ideas and you're afraid of being like, Oh, what do people think? But I think that's awesome that you started with a blog and look what it's turned into. It's turned into a business. I'd be so curious to know what got you into fashion. Like, were you always interested in fashion and developing your personal style and stuff like that? I was. So I used to do modeling in Toronto back when I was a teenager and that sort of thing. But what really drew me specifically to the style piece is kind of the personal psychology and the impact it has on your confidence and self-esteem. And I can say growing up as a young girl, that's something that I really struggled with was my self-esteem. And I just wanted to find a way to help other women as well really embrace who they are and I think especially for millennials it's there's a tough transition I found for moving from my kind of high school college years into

Starting point is 00:05:12 working full-time and my wardrobe had to catch up with that yeah so I really wanted to educate people where to shop even on a local budget and how to build a wardrobe that actually works for you and will help you reach your goals because every especially where I live and there is a lot of tech companies it's a it's a really informal environment but that can be tricky to dress for you know the whole business casual or jeans to work kind of thing so you kind of have to express yourself as well and use your style as a way to reach your goals. So I always love the phrase though, dress for the job that you want, because it's so true. So true. I mean, I remember I, it was the last job I had, the one that I just left when I first started, because it was very corporate environment. I wasn't used to that. Usually the style at my previous jobs were jeans and like maybe a nice top or a t-shirt. And if you

Starting point is 00:06:10 did kind of dress up a little bit because you just wanted to, there's always kind of a running joke. It's like, oh, does someone have a job interview? And you're like, no, I just thought I'd dress up. No, I just found a great job here. Yeah, I know. But so at this job, I was sort of excited to have the opportunity to dress a bit more formal, wear heels every day, kind of splurge and get some nice office dresses because I never had the opportunity to do that. But the one thing that I found difficult, and we could talk about this, and I think this is a big reason why I never really got into the whole fashion realm because I always thought I just couldn't afford it. It seemed like to keep up with the new styles or trends, you know, industry and everything, like what's the best way to kind of, um, you know, have a personal spot, personal style, but not spend too much money, I guess. Yeah. So I always say that the key thing for developing your personal style is that,

Starting point is 00:07:17 I guess I would say that dressing is just as much of an art as it is a science. And I focus a lot more on with my clients specifically on teaching them what will actually work for their body shape. So focusing a little bit less on the trends, because I find a lot of times I'll look at fashion magazines, and it's not really relatable to the general individual, but then also a lot of the trends are very exaggerated, and they just won't work on every body shape. So then you get into this kind of cycle there where you're buying all these trendy pieces but you never wear them because they just don't suit your your style so the key things for developing your own style is to know what your body shape is number one so take your measurements and figure out what

Starting point is 00:08:02 one of the body shapes you fall into. And there's lots of great articles online where you can find that. Then the second thing is to know what your colors are. So what colors really bring out your complexion and your features? That's a good one. I don't think I know my color. I know the ones that definitely don't work because I'm very pale and sometimes I blush. So I try to steer away from like reds or oranges or yellows. They just do not look good. Yeah. And you know what? Another thing too, and I mean, I learned this through my studying to be a

Starting point is 00:08:37 style coach here is that individuals can actually wear any color of the rainbow. It really depends more on what the actual shade or tone of the color is. So yeah, so once you I would recommend you go and get a color analysis done, because once you've done it once, you know, and you know, test yourself, get tested again every couple. Is there a website or where would I do this? Because I'm absolutely going to do a color analysis. That sounds amazing. I'm sure in your region, if you just Google color analysis, someone will pop up. Okay, I'm going to do that. I mean, Toronto is bigger than Waterloo, so there has to be someone there.

Starting point is 00:09:18 That's such a great idea. And then the other pieces are to know what your actual stuff, what your goals are. Because, you know, if you're, and you have to know what your actual stuff, what your goals are. Because you know, if you're, and you have to know what your lifestyle is like. So kind of figure out where you want to go, like, especially in your situation, you know, you're starting a new business, just take a look at your wardrobe and actually take note of like the pieces that you need, that essential pieces to kind of get you where you want to go. I know, I feel like, yeah, this is a critical point for me because I had basically my wardrobe for the past two and a half years was mainly like, I would definitely invest in pieces

Starting point is 00:09:53 for work to look professional and, you know, have the, you know, where the, you know, kind of style you want for the job and everything like that, which is great. It was very simple. I knew exactly what to get, but now I work at home and I'm like, Oh, all my wardrobe is this stuff that, you know, it's great if I'm going to meet someone for a meeting or be on TV or something like that, I'm covered. But when it comes to day to day, I really don't have anything. And it's weird. It's like, now I have to figure out what my casual attire is. I used to get away with, you know, just having a couple items, like some jeans and some t-shirts for the weekends, but otherwise I didn't really invest in that. So that's like a whole new adventure. It'll be fun though. So once you know your colors and your body shape, you'll be good

Starting point is 00:10:35 to go. I know. And then some tips as well for saving money while shopping is definitely a huge trend, especially in my community is to shop consignment. There are a ton of great consignment stores out there. And I can say growing up, I used to be so anti this sort of thing, but it's the whole environmentally friendly pieces while coming back. There is awesome stuff that you can get for like really affordable prices. And not only that, if you turn it around and whenever you clean out your own wardrobe, you can actually go and consign pieces as well and make some money that way. So I always do that with my clients when we organize their wardrobes. That's a good idea. And I've actually never, I've always heard about it and thought about it, but I've never

Starting point is 00:11:24 actually done that. And there's so many great, you know, where I live in Toronto, there's so many great consignment shops. I've just never even given it a chance. That's a really good idea. Yeah, there's tons. And I mean, they all go through your stuff and only pick out the best. So, and there's some consignment stores that are geared more towards younger women, working women. So you just find your fit and I'm sure you'll have a lot of luck that way. So I love to do that and also always shop with a list. That's something I've learned because I love shopping. So this is just for me and I'm working on it.

Starting point is 00:12:02 But yeah, I always shop with a list. So whenever I when I work with clients and also with myself I'll go through their wardrobe and we'll like count the number of t-shirts they have and just really identify any gaps in the wardrobe and then create an actual shopping list so when they're out they're able to just look for those pieces and that kind of keeps you from um buying so many bags if you don't need them, or so many shoes or something like that. It just keeps you really focused. So that's another way to save money as well. Absolutely. One thing that I always have trouble with, and again,

Starting point is 00:12:36 this is me never having really figured out what my personal style is, is when I do go shopping and say, I know what items I need to get, I always seem to pick the same colors or the same style. I very rarely try something new. I'm always kind of like, I really like dark blues and turquoise, and I always go there. And then I come home like, oh my God, I basically already own this dress. Yeah, I know. What is a way that I can get over that hump? Okay, so definitely what I would do is take a little bit of time to identify what your

Starting point is 00:13:14 personal style actually is. So there's five different personalities. Okay. Yeah, so there's lots of quizzes you can do. I mean, I have one as well. Oh, yeah. Yeah. So you identify most people fall into one of these five style personalities. So one is classic. One is creative, romantic, dramatic, and natural. And then look in that spectrum and find a celebrity that kind of has a style similar to something you'd

Starting point is 00:13:46 like to emulate and just see what they have and try and mix up your pieces and and pull things from your wardrobe in a fresh way as well kind of based on what they're already wearing as well so that's one way to kind of branch out and just look pinterest is amazing for style i was just thinking of pinterest i was just thinking of Pinterest I was just like I'm gonna start a Pinterest board right after this well I would say that's such a good exercise because there's so many outfits on there that you can just pull together a whole bunch of ideas really fast and you you'll be able to figure out what your personality is and then just actually use those as outfit inspiration just mix it up a little bit I'm sure you already have all the basic pieces that you need so even

Starting point is 00:14:31 investing a little bit more in some fun accessories here and there you really don't need a lot no yeah and that's another thing with the accessories I and maybe this is part of my personal style or it's just like something I've just never really gotten into is like, it's only in the last year that I started like actually buying accessories. Sometimes I'm just like, ah, who needs it? But they really do like, you know, kind of elevate maybe a boring outfit into like, Ooh. And it's, and it's so funny. It's like, whenever I do wear, I don't know, like some earrings or a necklace, especially I'll always get comments on, Oh, you look nice. Or is that a new necklace? Which I actually don't mind. I like the attention. But it's funny when I don't wear accessories. It's like no one gives a crap. Yeah, it's interesting. Yeah, no, they definitely pull

Starting point is 00:15:16 the whole outfit together. And I could even say a couple years ago, my boyfriend and I went backpacking Europe. So I lived out of a backpack and I relied on my accessories to like make me feel like my outfits were put together because I had so few possessions that I just, I don't know, I just needed that to take. Yeah, you didn't want to look like, yeah, wearing the same outfit every single day. It's like, no, it's new, new scarf. There's something in that too, you know, where it's like you could have your basic pieces and then you just throw on a couple of different accessories and no one will even know that you're wearing the same outfit. It's true. Yeah. So that's another way to save money is just buy things that you love and remix them in different ways with other pieces that you have. Get groceries delivered across the GTA from Real Canadian Superstore with PC Express.

Starting point is 00:16:07 Shop online for super prices and super savings. Try it today and get up to $75 in PC Optimum Points. Visit superstore.ca to get started. Absolutely. One question I have, since you did start your own blog that was focused on fashion, I'm always so curious with,

Starting point is 00:16:26 um, bloggers that are fashion bloggers, uh, how did they start out, you know, and, and still kind of be on a budget? Like for you, was it that you were kind of just writing about, you know, what was going on in Waterloo and also your style, or you just see like all these fashion bloggers and they have a new outfit and they're taking a beautiful photo of themselves. I'm like, how do they afford all of these new clothes? Yeah, I actually didn't buy too many new clothes when I was writing my blog. But what I mostly focused on was sharing the local shop owner stories and different things like that. But I would go there and you know, sometimes you'd get a little present or something like that, which is always great, not expected at all. But But yeah, it was really fun. And, and I did use some of the money that I made from, I actually used to write

Starting point is 00:17:16 like a local fashion column and a little bit for magazine. So I kind of could use that to, to purchase clothes that way. But yeah, it's it's an interesting field to be in because you do feel like you have to look great all the time, especially because you're talking about fashion. So you do have to spend a little bit more on on pieces that that are unique and that you love. So I personally love to go to vintage stores. That's a really fun place for me to shop and get things that are good quality and just really unique. Yeah, I think there's definitely, you know, if anyone's listening and thinking of starting a fashion blog, I feel like there's definitely an opportunity for more people to start like frugal fashion blogs or like, you know, I feel

Starting point is 00:17:59 like that's way more interesting than just seeing, you know, some beautiful person wearing all these designer clothes and no one knows how they, you know, it's like, I'd be more interested in like, you know, where did you go that I could afford to buy those clothes? I know. And I have to say, like, I started watching, I would just watch the documentary on Netflix a couple weeks ago, the minimalism one. Oh, yeah. yeah I just want to downsize on everything and I still my philosophy with shopping is always to buy things that I love that are of higher quality and I love local shopping so that's where I shop as well but just shop for fewer pieces honestly you can get by with a lot uh fewer items and I found over the years I spent so much money on useless pieces that, you know, didn't work for me. And then I would just get rid of them.

Starting point is 00:18:47 And it's just kind of like a wasteful cycle. Absolutely. I used to be really bad where, you know, when I saw a sale, because I don't honestly really like shopping too much. It's like a need. I'll do it when I need something. But before, you know, if I were at the mall or whatever, I would always try to find a sale. And then I would try to like make the piece work when it probably didn't work because I liked the price point. And then of course I would never wear it. I've done that with so many items that I

Starting point is 00:19:15 thought, oh, I can make this work because it's such a good deal. And I'm such a cheap ass. So, and then it's like, I'm actually wasting money because I don't actually wear it. And there's been so many times where, yeah, I've had to kind of, you know, donate clothes. I'm like, this just doesn't fit. I don't know why I bought it. So it's important. It's definitely a vicious cycle that we get into. So it's really, I think it's really important to just invest a bit of time and research

Starting point is 00:19:41 what your personal style is and just figure out what those basic elements of yourself, your colors and your body shape are. And then from there, you can really start to build and have fun again with style because I find sometimes it can get so complicated when it's really such a personal thing. And it's a fun thing, too. I know it needs to be more fun. I usually get stressed out when I it's like, ah, I have to, you know, I have to meet some people and I don't know what to wear, but I need to, maybe it's all about, yeah, like you said, simplifying it. And when you kind of have less, um, things to choose from, it's less overwhelming and a little bit more fun. Cause you're like, well, I only have three earrings, so we're going to go with that one. Exactly. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:20:20 You can get by with so much less, which is great for money saving too. Exactly, exactly. So I'm so curious since you work full time, but you've got your own side hustle. Do you have plans? Like what are your plans for the side hustle just to keep on growing to see where it goes? Yeah, so I just started in November with the business and I've already started working on clients and I have a lot more group workshops booked as well. But I'm hoping kind of by the end of the year, I just find that I work pretty much 24-7. That I'm hoping by the end of the year that I'll be able to kind of rather go down to part-time hours and build the business that way or leave full-time fully.

Starting point is 00:21:03 You know, it's hard. It is hard to balance, but it is something that I think everyone and every millennial should think about. It's starting their own side business because it's sometimes it is hard in your nine to five job that that you're using to kind of pay the bills to actually find your passion and build something and create a life that you really love and that you're passionate about. But in today's, today's day and age with so much technology, you can get paid now to do almost anything that you're that you're interested in. So I know it's probably the easiest, you know, time to start your own business because you can do everything online. You can find clients online. You just really need a website and then to just kind of market yourself.

Starting point is 00:21:52 I'm a big proponent, obviously, of starting your own side hustle as a way to – and it doesn't have to turn into your full-time job, but I think it's nice to have that extra stream of income. It's definitely allowed me to afford trips and know, trips and saving more money and, you know, help to buy or replace and everything like that. But it also, yeah, it gave me a nice outlet to be creative when I maybe wasn't, you know, there wasn't an opportunity at my nine to five. So props to you for, you know, I feel you, it is not easy to have, you know, basically two jobs, but it's also quite fulfilling to, yeah, pursue something that you've always wanted to pursue. It totally is. And I know, for me, it's been a couple of years that

Starting point is 00:22:31 I've been thinking about starting the business. So a big thing for me was looking and thinking about what my savings goals actually were. So I saved money to, so that I was ready to start this, this business, and I would have enough money that I could afford all the startup expenses without going into any debt. So I think that's kind of a big lesson that I've learned is that you, you do have to prepare and you have, and sometimes it takes time, you time you know you have you should be looking like two or three years down the road and saying where do I want to be financially by then absolutely so yeah I know my boyfriend and I are looking to buy a house as well this year so that's something that takes a lot of time and you won't get there unless you start saving right now, that's exciting. As a new homeowner, I hope you find a place to call

Starting point is 00:23:30 yours. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of work and a lot of stress, but so far I also really like it. Oh my God. I have to say, I started listening to your podcast originally because I was so... First of all, it's amazing to meet a Canadian personal finance blogger. Yay. I could not find any. I think I actually Googled like top Canadian personal finance bloggers and podcasts. Because that's what I was going through. And yeah, you popped up there.

Starting point is 00:24:02 Yes. That's really great. And I wanted to know, you had an interview with Gail Van Offstate. Oh, yeah. And I love Gail. I use her budget. I used to watch her on TV growing up. I just over the Christmas break because I'm getting prepared to be a homeowner. I went to the library and I took out two of her books and I read those so I don't know if they thought I had a debt problem or something because I wasn't buying them and I just kept going and taking out these books but I learned a lot I know she's amazing I also really liked that book what's it called your money or your life by Vicki Robin that was a really good one. One of your, um, one of your former interviewers mentioned that and I was like, what an interesting idea. And that's totally changed the way I've been thinking about money as well. You know, thinking of the value of it versus the time and, and you actually

Starting point is 00:24:56 end up making a lot more money, uh, throughout your career than you even realize it just goes all over the place. right? So once you start tracking it, then it's when you... Oh, it's a game changer. Oh my God. For sure. I know. I just started using Mint and that's been really great. So. Absolutely. Absolutely. So before I let you go, where can we find you? What is your website? And I will absolutely link to, um, that quiz that you mentioned that you have. That's about figuring out, is it? Yeah. It's figuring out what your style is, right? Yeah. You're, I can send you it as well. So, okay, perfect. I'll put that in the show notes and your website is www.whereoutthere.ca.

Starting point is 00:25:42 Thank you, Christina, for joining, um, uh for joining me on the podcast. It was a pleasure chatting with you. And that was episode 88 with the wonderful Christina Proctor. You can check out her website and what she's all about, what she's doing at wearoutthere.ca. Wear is spelled W-E-A-R. Haha, very clever. So wearoutthere.ca is Christina's website. And I am going to include a lot of stuff that we talked about and some of her style personality questionnaires and all that kind of cool stuff in the show notes. So make sure to go to jessicamoros.com slash 88 for all that info. Before I let you go, of course, I want to remind you if you have a story, please, and you want to be on my show because who wouldn't? It's super fun. Just shoot me an email, Jessica at JessicaMorris.com. I am absolutely

Starting point is 00:26:31 always looking for new guests for my listener series and maybe the next guest could be you. Second of all, I probably mentioned this a few times, probably not enough times as I should because I'm really bad at it. I have a private Facebook group called the Money Life Balance Group. And it's all about having a safe, encouraging space for people to come together to talk about money, life, and balance. What do you think? So if you want to join my group, we're over 500 strong, growing quickly, please go to facebook.com slash groups slash money life balance. Again, I will link to this in the show notes, but I want to see you in there.

Starting point is 00:27:12 There's a lot of awesome people, lots of awesome conversations going on. And, uh, yeah, I would love to see you in there. And one last thing before I go, uh, I, uh, would love to share some awesome resources that I've made. There's some things that I've spent a lot of time on to make your lives better when it comes to organizing your money, your life, adding more balance to your life, all that kind of stuff. So make sure to check out jessicamorehouse.com slash resources to check some of those out for free. Do it. You will not be disappointed. Thank you so much for joining me for this episode. I appreciate

Starting point is 00:27:46 it. And I will see you back here next Wednesday for another episode of the Mo Money Podcast. This podcast is distributed by the Women in Media Podcast Network. Find out more at womeninmedia.network.

More Money Podcast - 088 Listener Series - How to Dress for Success on a Budget with Christina Proctor

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.