Today we’d like to introduce you to Anita January.
Hi Anita, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
As a young child, I’ve always been bigger than most children in my age group. It was difficult to find clothes that I could fit and be comfortable in. Nothing that they made in my size had any type of personality. I actually dreaded shopping and buying new clothes because I knew that I wouldn’t “love” any of the items. This led to quite a few episodes where I felt quite hopeless and my self-esteem dropped dramatically. I started to not care about my appearance and often “hid” behind bigger clothes thinking that this would hide all my “imperfections”. I didn’t care to be seen and preferred to just be invisible if I could. Mentally, that’s a dangerous place for anyone to be in especially a young lady. Everyone is aware that the “plus-size” options back in the ’90s and early 2000s were terrible. The options were scarce and quite unappealing. Being a plus-sized teen was not going to defeat me, I had to do something and my mother was a perfect inspiration. My mother is a pretty stylish woman and one day she told me that it didn’t matter what size I was. She encouraged me to learn more about what styles I liked, what styles worked well for my body type and more importantly to love myself. As I aged, I learned more about my personal style and learned how to be more creative and accessorize the bland clothes that I was seeing in the stores. Following my mother’s advice, I mastered what looked well on my body and learned how to make the wardrobe I had sustainable. I’m a firm believer in, “when you look good, you feel good”. This led me to think about other individuals that didn’t like what they looked like or the clothes they wore when they looked in the mirror. I had to figure out a way to help individuals be their best selves. That’s when I discovered the career path of a personal stylist. I knew that I could personally help people reach their full potential by guiding them to look and feel their best. I styled individuals for years as a hobby, especially seeing that I was a stockbroker for many years and that took priority over my “hobby” of styling. During my journey as a stockbroker, I was still plus-sized and was often sought after to help other plus-sized beauties slay in the workplace. That’s when I concluded that uplifting and styling was my ultimate passion. In 2017, I put a plan together to resign from my corporate job and pursue my dream job as a personal stylist. In 2018, I had some health issues that ultimately lead me to take a risk and start my own company: M’Brace Personal Styling. I wanted people to know that it’s okay to embrace your personal style at any size and that you don’t need to be a celebrity or break the bank to get help to do so. My company is all about uplifting, elevating and embracing individuals through style.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Of course, the road to building a successful business has been a bit tricky. These were uncharted waters for myself and I had to learn a lot along the way. How I was going to fund and maintain my company while new was challenging. There were times when I had to be a one-woman show and would work literally 24/7 to make sure I was operating the business properly. Like most new business owners, I had to figure out who my ideal clientele was instead of marketing to everyone. I struggled with building systems that would work for a personal stylist but eventually, I figured it out. Social media was a struggle for me and still is to this day. I’m so used to being behind the camera that it’s hard getting in front of the camera for business needs. Covid-19 was another devastating blow to a lot of business owners like myself. I had to be creative in the services that I offered going forward since the pandemic changed how we. operated. I’m still building up from the pandemic.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about M’Brace Personal Styling?
My company is called M’Brace Personal Styling. I’m the Lead stylist and I’m known as Stylist AnitaJ. My company is all about uplifting, elevating and embracing individuals through personal style. I don’t just throw clothes on people or organize closets, I really make an effort to learn who my clients are, what their goals are and how I can add value to their lives. My services include, personal/wardrobe styling, accessory revamps, wardrobe planning, event styling, closet organization, closet revamps, closet cleanses, personal shopping and motivational sessions. There are many people who absolutely despise shopping and would rather someone do it for them. Others may have some type of anxiety that limits them from shopping and others just lack the time and patience to do it. Those are the most common reasons people seek out my services.
I specialize in assisting women & men that have “transitional bodies” and also plus-size individuals. Transitional bodies refer to individuals that have had a major weight loss/gain and they need to relearn to style their new bodies. I believe that each of us has our own personal style and I help individuals embrace that. I work with a lot of individuals that may have had gastric bypass or gastric sleeve surgeries. I enjoy helping these individuals learn about their new bodies and gain confidence that they never had before. Personally, I really relate to these individuals because I too had the gastric sleeve back in 2018. I know exactly what to expect and how many times your body can change in the process of weight loss. I’m very familiar with the rollercoaster of emotions and body image issues that come along with massive weight loss/gain. I’m most proud when finishing with a client and I can see the love, happiness, and confidence pouring out of them. My clients all rave about how motivated, encouraged and uplifted they felt after my services. Those are the moments that keep me going and inspired. I like to tell people that personal styling is another form of self-care. Developing and maintaining your personal style is vital in the psyche of a person.
Hiring a personal stylist is new to some individuals and no package is the same. I customize packages for each and every client depending on needs. I encourage people to take advantage of my free consultation (www.stylistanitaj.com) to see if they’re a good candidates for my services.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Most people are surprised to find out that my previous career as a Stockbroker/Investment Consultant. It was an amazing career and I learned a lot but I would tell anyone that my passion for fashion trumped my career in the financial industry. People thought I was crazy to leave my “stable” job but I was so unhappy. I had to choose my happiness and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Also, I have a niece that’s autistic and plan to host a fashion show to educate others in regards to the topic.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stylistanitaj.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/stylistanitaj
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/MBrace-Personal-Styling-LLC/100075679813566/
