It took me a long time, but I finally figured out why I enjoy what I do so much.
It has a little bit to do with the fact that I usually take my first conference call in my pajamas and make coffee with my own espresso machine. However, the real reason why I love my job is because I get to support others in pursuing their passions. In fact, helping people achieve their goals is my passion. I’m a coach, a teacher, and a mom, and I get my kicks from walking alongside friends and clients on their journeys and making them better, anyway I can.
Of course, I’m passionate about lots of other things, too – education, technology, fashion, psychology, and writing top my list. At Audienz, I am super fortunate that my passion for helping people and my personal interests often overlap.
In this post, I’ll be exploring the intersection between fashion and storytelling by featuring the achievements of a friend and all-around fabulous person. Her name is Kathryn Kelly, and she’s quite remarkable. A native of Montreal, Kathryn speaks English and French fluently as well as Spanish and Ukrainian (“not-quite-fluently-but-well-enough-to-make-a-friend”). She relocated to the Seattle area two years ago with her husband and two children. She’s a volunteer art docent at her kids’ elementary school – that’s actually how we met – and, most recently, she became a Lingerie Stylist and Designer Brand Ambassador for lingerie and sleepwear at Nordstrom.
Kathryn is a perfect fit for her role at Nordstrom, no pun intended. She is a dyed-in-the-wool fashion maven – still no pun intended. This truly is her dream job, and that’s why I’m so excited to write about her – she’s a textbook example of doing what you love, so you can love what you do.
Her clients include Seattle’s tech elite, and, lately, she has brought her expertise to social media in her Facebook page, Kathryn’s Showroom, which features, “the latest Nordstrom brands, trends, products, events and more.”
Kathryn’s favorite part of her job is the people. “I meet incredible women on a daily basis.” About being a lingerie stylist, she states, “What I do is very intimate. These women are letting me into their lives, and that is a huge honor!” Her goal is to enable each woman to embrace who she is today. “So I fit and dress them to that end. To make them feel beautiful and confident, as every woman should.”
Many people rightly associate Nordstrom with exclusive brands and higher prices. However, this is a significant part of Kathryn’s motivation to engage more with her clients. “When you’re dealing with premium products, it is so important to educate the customer with regards to types of fabrics, craftsmanship, and brand history,” she says. “So, on my Facebook page, I have that opportunity. My customers go to my page to learn.” In doing so, she hopes to “empower them, so that they have a better understanding to make the right choice, a greater appreciation for their purchase, and respect for the quality of the brands.”
Here are some fashion facts I learned from Kathryn:
- Lingerie brand Naja – one of Kathryn’s favorites – hires single moms or women who are heads of household and pays for their kids’ school supplies and education.
- Hanro of Switzerland has been designing lingerie and sleepwear for over 130 years.
- La Perla, Italian for “the pearl,” is so named because this lingerie was originally sold in boxes lined with velvet, as if they were precious jewels.
Ultimately, Kathryn hopes to reach a broader audience through social media so that she can spread her effervescent enthusiasm. “I want to make them excited about fashion, and excited about feeling great about themselves.”
And who doesn’t want to feel great about themselves? Cheers to that! If you’re addicted to fashion, like I am, I hope you’ll take the time to check out KathrynShowroom on Facebook, and, if you’re in the Seattle area, do ask for her the next time you’re shopping at Nordstrom. She would love to meet you.
As for me, I’m going to keep doing what I love, too–helping people tell their stories. And go shopping. At Nordstrom. Hey, Kathryn, can I get an appointment?
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