Hi, welcome to Soul to Soul. I'm Alicia Raimondo, and I'm here with Erica Sanai. She is actually a really good friend of mine. I've known her for about 13 years, and she has been a stylist on so many shoots that I've done. Um, and just creating these immaculate, amazing outfits and headdresses and all these things. And, um, and at one point in our friendship, I was just kind of, I think I was kind of at this point in my life where I needed to go from who I had always been kind of to where I wanted to be. And I think on the inside I felt that way, but on the outside, I didn't feel that way, and I didn't think people were looking at me that way. So I kind of started talking to Erica about this, and she was like, let me, you know, let me help you. And so we did this whole, like really, um, this personal cycling session, I guess you would call it. And, and she changed my life. She changed my life. She changed how I felt about myself. We did this really deep dive into my closet, um, to figure out, you know, who I was and, and where I had been in my life and where I wanted to go. And it was so life-changing that I really felt that, um, I wanted her to share that same experience, um, with all of you. So, um, so we're Here. Thank You, Erica, so much for coming. Oh, thanks for having me. I'm, you know, thank you so much for that wonderful, wonderful introduction, um, because it's a lot about, styling is a lot about, you know, who you are, not just on the inside, but also on the outside. So, uh, yeah, I really appreciate it. Thank you. Well, I kind of always thought that, um, when you were dressing, it was more just kind of, um, you know, see what's out there, see what's in style or whatever, and put it on your body. But there was so much that you taught me that had nothing to do with style, but more of like, fit and who I was and where I wanted to be in my life. And it was a very emotional transformation, more, I think, than even like an outward transformation. And I think that that's what, um, that's what I found was so amazing about working with you through that process, was just how I, how it changed me on the inside. So I wanted to kind of get with you about, um, let's talk about how you even got into this in the first place. Um, well, I've always, always loved fashion, um, as a little kid, young girl, um, I used to look at all the red carpets and just look at what the stars were wearing and realize that somebody can actually be there, like helping them tell them what to, you know, what to put on their body. But I've always been fascinated by clothes, how they're cut, how they're fit, how things feel, you know, very tactile. Um, and so I just kind of would watch, I, I actually grew up watching musicals, so, um, I used to watch things like Brigadoon or the Sound of Music and see colors and fabrics swirling around and just knew that, uh, clothes were gonna be part of my life somehow, and I didn't know how, but somehow I was gonna make it happen. Well, you have made it happen. You've done so much beautiful, so many beautiful things for, for our shoots. And I love, I always love working with you because, um, we, you know, I can tell you anything like, this is what we're thinking or show you a picture and you're like, oh, and you just take it to like this whole nother level and, and just bring it all to light that it's just, um, amazing what you do. So you've done like, styling on sheets, I know for sure. But, um, but I know that you've also done some other really exciting things like styling bands and going to Japan and like, tell us about other Stuff that you do. I mean, it's been, you know, a a little bit of everything that I've done, it kind of adds up to who I am today. Um, so I've actually gone almost all facets of anything fashion related, but then not just fashion, but lifestyle, so things you enjoy in life. Um, and so I've gone from like working in retail and working in, um, manufacturing, so both sides of the fashion chain to working in styling, to also working in buying. Um, and I've done, you know, new clothing manufacturing and I've worked in vintage clothing. So pretty much almost all areas of fashion there could be, I've probably done it. Um, I've worked in fashion editorials, and for me that was some of the most fun. Um, I've always been about the, you know, the final picture, the bigger picture. Uh, I use clothing as painting. So in a photo I would look at, uh, you know, it needs a little splash of red in here, little splash of red here to balance out what the finished image is gonna look like. So I've never been super huge on like brands, but I've always just loved like how, you know, really great iconic, you know, lines have constructed their clothes, how things sit on the body. And, you know, going, doing, on buying trips, I would, I would go travel them a lot and I always love eating. That's my second hobby, if not first hobby. Me too. I'm with you on that. So, you know, in part parts of like, you know, sourcing places to shop, uh, also sourcing not a great place to eat. I mean, they all go hand in hand, right? There aren't people who are in the creative world that don't enjoy, you know, either a nice, you know, meal or some kind of something in, in lifestyle. Um, so I just love all of it. Um, and so now I've been, you know, doing a little more photography after being on one side of the camera or behind the scenes for so many years, I've slowly ta taken every little thing, and in no way am I gonna say, you know, I'm stepping on anyone's toes, but I'm trying to combine the things that I love. Um, you know, I, I've definitely seen some great writing, some great compositions, um, you know, know it really works of art and it's been the best classroom, um, so to everyone I've ever worked with in the past, it's been such a, a nice, you know, learning that I've taken so much from people that I love and now, you know, trying to create, put something out there for myself. Um, so I've been traveling a lot, um, doing a lot of eating, doing a lot of shopping, documenting it. Um, Yes, I, I need that life. That's What I wanna do. I wanna Travel, eat a lot, shop a lot. Yeah, You and people are always, always asking me either you know, where to go and eat. Um, even in my Instagram, just, you know, styling based, I always have a lot of food in there, so I will show up on set and a hundred percent of the time people ask me, oh, where did you go and eat? That looks amazing. So I'm sort of just naturally morphing where it's been wanting to go. Well, I love that I, and you, you've been kind of leaning your career in some different directions, and I feel like when you're a creative, as creative as you are, you see a vision in your mind. And so recreating that and taking a photograph of it or, you know, it just, it just kind of happens. Like all of that just kind of morphs into, um, the whole, the whole picture of everything. And I love the fact that you can, you know, even travel and take that even further and kind of open up the, that a whole new world of stuff. So. Well, I mean, what's great is switching between different kinds of creative, um, I guess art, artistic expressions. Uh, you can really see and appreciated the thought process behind any kind of thing that's been created, be it a dish, be it, you know, uh, a shop, somebody's lovingly created the balance of how things are presented, even to nail art, when you see, you can understand the many levels of what goes into a great creative, stunning, memorable piece. Yes, Absolutely. Yeah. There's all, And, and, and Even in Nlar, you know, it's going from head to toe, it's taking that whole look and then creating something that, you know, stands out, but that compliments as well. So, but, um, but what we're really here to pick your brain about, um, because you could, we could probably sit here and talk Brandon about food and travel and everything else, but, um, there's a lot of my friends out there, there's a lot of nail technicians out there that have gotten into the same groove, I guess, that I have gotten into. And, and I still go back in there where I just get really lazy and I'm like, you know, uh, wearing sweats every day, you know, where you're just like, okay, jeans and a black T-shirt. Like, that's my wardrobe. That's all I wear. And, um, and we're in the beauty industry, right? So people are looking at us all the time and they're, you know, they're looking to us to kind of help them feel beautiful, and they don't wanna walk in and see me and my sweats, you know, they wanna walk in and see me, you know, feeling good about myself too. And, um, and so that's why we asked you here is to kind of talk about, um, how to get out of that group or where, where to start. Well, that's, that's, you know, a great point that everything that you put on style, it's not so much about what labels are you wearing or how new your piece is, it's about, you know, giving yourself the same love that you would want to give to somebody else. Showing yourself, you know, you respect and love yourself in this moment, your body. Um, and that builds confidence. And, you know, in all aspects of what we do, we want to just be able to put the best, our best, best selves forward. So, um, That's funny. That's exactly what this show's about. This show is about, you know, because now technicians are always, you know, making everybody else feel wonderful and you kind of like, when you're giving, giving, giving, giving, um, if you're not taking at all, you really get drained and kind of down. And so, um, so I love this show because of that, you know, whether we're talking about, you know, cooking and eating or, or whether we're talking about meditating or, you know, being good to our bodies. Um, I think that what changed my life about our work together was, um, how I felt in my clothes. And it was not all the new clothes, it was the clothes that I had in my closet, but maybe just wearing them differently. I think the biggest thing that I learned from you is how clothes were supposed to fit, which I thought you put 'em on and then, you know, they fit. Um, but apparently that's not the case because there is some fitting issues, uh, lots of fitting issues actually, that I had. And one of your first things that you said is, where's your tailor? And I was like, I don't have one. And so you found me a tailor that was near my house. And so now I have, you know, um, sometimes they don't fit depending upon my weight fluctuation, but, um, but I have, you know, my clothes fit now. And it, it does make a difference in not only how you look obviously, but how you feel when you're wearing. And I, and I think that that was a great point too, is is how it feels on your body. Um, and I, and I think that's why we end up in sweats so often. So where, where is that first step that we can take to get out of the sweats and back into some other clothes in our closet? Well, I'm Sure that you've probably heard the phrase, you know, dress for the position that you want. Um, I actually had never heard that until you told me that. And I was like, oh my gosh, okay, I get it now. Um, I mean, it's kind of one of those things, I, I don't know who to attribute it to you, but it's, it's a really well known phrase. Um, but I'm gonna take that a step further and say, dress for the life that you want. Um, and it's actually scientific proven facts. It's, it's called enclosed cognition. Um, and it means that when you start by considering yourself in a certain place, you think about where you want to be, where you want to go. And when you start to put those clothes on, if anything, almost like our room, but not necessarily, but when you start to put these things on, you start to embody it. Um, so you're starting to put a physical sense into the goals that you're aiming for. Um, and, you know, it's, it does do some, it does do wonder for you. So if you're going the other direction and you're putting sweatpants on every day, um, that's the direction you're going to keep leading yourself. Uh, and so it's, you know, it's, it's less about looking good for other people and more about dressing for yourself, bringing out your own confidence and feeling good. I mean, it might sound a little hokey, but you know, think about it, when you put on a pair of heels, it changes how you walk. It changes how you stand when you put on your red lip changes, changes how your looks, which also makes you stand a little different. Yes. It makes you feel a little differently, you know, it, it doesn't necessarily mean better. It doesn't, I mean, it just, it affects you. Yes. And, and it's, it's hard to, you have to acknowledge that, um, same thing you put on, you know, a red lip. It changes how you present yourself to other people. Um, when you get a new haircut, it change, it really changes you. And so clothing really does that. Um, and I think when you, you know, on the day, I'm not gonna say I'm mean to it, we've all done it, especially during pandemic. You know, I went through large periods of time when you were putting on sweatpants because it's comfortable, but you know, that's like one step away from being in bed. You, you're pulling the covers on. Um, and so that's a Good way to, to look at it. For sure, for Sure. Um, and so, you know, pandemic's pretty much done a whole new, you know, sunny outside New Day, bright new Day where yes, you know, we can change our clothes and, Uh, you Know, get one step closer to where we wanna be. I feel like, um, during the pandemic, there was like two different kinds of people that emerged, right? There was the people that emerged like very sad and depressed and like, they've been taken away from everything in their life. And then there was other people like me that, that were like, oh my gosh, you know, I have not spent time at home and dedicated the time to my kids and to my life and to who I am. And it changed like my whole outlook. And so I kind of emerged from pandemic going, who am I? Where am I going, what am I doing? And how, how do I want to balance my life better and be more of who I wanna be instead of just like working all the time? And so I think that that, um, that's kind of where some people are too, is like you said, you know, you kind of, you're, you're in this place of, I want my life to be this way, or I want to, you know, move into something different. And so, um, so changing, you know, changing how, um, how we feel in our clothes. And I'm gonna start saying that and, and not just changing our clothes because it isn't about changing your clothes, but it's more about changing how you feel and um, or maybe even the way you put 'em on. I learned that too. I learned what a belt was. I didn't know before I met Erica. She's like, okay, I've got all these clothes now, where's your belts? And I'm like, like, I don't know. I don't have any. So they, they, do, they make a difference in how you feel in your clothes? Well, that being said, it's kind of the start of how I normally go on a consultation with, um, new clients. Um, those questions you've asked of yourself recently are also questions I normally will have sit down conversation and ask with new clients because it's, it's more about you and where do you wanna go, where do you see yourself? And then creating a wardrobe around that. So it really reflects who you are. We're not trying to make you wear a costume, but it's really bringing who you are out. Um, yeah, Costumes can work sometimes too. True, true. I feel like I have a costume when I have like a stage presentation or something, because it's definitely not something I would normally wear. And she actually made me buy a red dress, a red dress. I, it still has a tags on it I have wore to get, but it does look good. I just haven't, you know, you have to have that real confidence to wear a red dress. Um, but um, and then I put my five inch shields on, which, you know, I wouldn't normally wear, um, walking down the street. And so I do feel like I have that superwoman costume on and I'm able to talk in front of 500 people, whereas, you know, if I'm wearing sweats, there's no way. So I can definitely, um, see how That would, well, definitely it's, uh, even less costume and more armor, you know, gearing yourself up to go into something that, you know, you might, you might need a little boost in confidence. And so it's not even so much of a costume that you're pretending to be somebody else, but it's those things that give you inner, you're inner warrior women, Right? For sure. So, so the first thing is, I guess, trying to figure out who we want to be and where we're going. And, um, and then what do we do after we figure that out? Cause I think a lot of us kind of know what we want, but then what I mean, you know, it's, it's, it's a tough question. It's always tough to sit and look at yourself, look at, you know, really ask yourself these questions. Sorry for me. So, you know, it's to be able to, to say, you know, where am I now? Where do I wanna be? Um, and you don't always know the answer, but if you have an idea of which way you want to go, and if it's say away from sweatpants, for example, um, it gives us a base for to start. Um, you know, we want clothes to be a part of the lifestyle that you wanna live. So if you, you know, foresee a lot of the days maybe running around children in the playground or sitting in doing nails, maybe having an office wardrobe full of suits isn't necessary again, to be the right choice. Um, and so if you wanna be able to, you know, understand where your life is, not be yourself up for where you are now, but be able to say, where do you want to go? How can you sort of, You Know, get on the right path to getting there. One of the first things that, that we did was, um, kind of going in my closet and editing out the big edit. And that was like really, really emotional for me, um, because I was hanging onto a lot of stuff. And I think the, my biggest problem was I could never find anything in my closet because I had so much stuff. And you were like, okay, that's why you can't find anything to wear because you can't see anything in here. There's so much stuff. There was some great advice that you gave me about, you know, all the different things that I could do to edit out those things. And what do you think should be some of those first things that you edit out? Well, I think one of the first things, and you can go through also later with more detail of what is, you know, what makes something worth keeping. But it's really number one addressing what is in the closet. Why are you hanging into all, you know, why are we all hanging onto so many things? And, and you know, I have some clothes in the closet too with the tags on. So, you know, it's, it's kind of human nature. But I mean, you know, we wanna talk about giving the skills to be able to, you know, there's more online shopping now which results in a lot more clothes just hanging in the closets unworn, and you know, that's not going away. So we do, you know, we have to have better tools to understand how to do maybe online shopping a little better or how to search for the right pieces and when to purchase, but also acknowledging why we're still hanging onto the ones that aren't working. We need to make space to be able to embrace and let in the other things that we want for change. Um, and so, you know, having a really cool closet isn't a bad thing, means there are a lot of things there for options. Um, a lot of things that might work. But it also means that there's a lot of things that are taking up room that, you know, either you can't see everything there anymore or you can't, there's a room to maybe try something New. Right? And it's also confusing, you know, it's really confusing when you have all of that to look at. Then you just are like, what am I gonna wear? And then you just kind of fall into the hole. Well, there's my sweatpants, you know, I can always wear that. That's comfy. No, I grew up where we, we didn't have a lot of money, so it was kind of like the sale rack and you're like, oh my gosh, I can get this for $2. And then, so I end up with a lot of things that were like, oh, that was only five bucks, or that was $10. But then you've got all of this stuff and none of it really fits, right? Because, you know, and if you put four of those things together, you could have spent $40 and got something that fit good, you know? So I'm learning, I'm learning. See you, you've left me with some life skills. Yeah, it's definitely, uh, quality over quantity. Um, there's no contest for who has the most amount of things. And you know, actually you have in your whole closet, all of your clothes, you wear 20% of them 80% of the time. Wow. That's, uh, and then the rest of the 80% you only wear 20% of the time. That is true statement right there. I'm, I'm visualizing my closet right now going, you are exactly right. Because my daughter will go into my closet and she'll be like, mom, you never wear any of this stuff. Cuz I, cuz her friends love to go in there and they look at all my shoes and all my, you know, really fun clothes, but I don't wear any of that stuff at all. I think that's really what people wanna know is how can you have that little piece of wardrobe too that's, that you wear 80% of the time, but that is, doesn't consist of, you know, your Lululemon, that your, your workout stabbing though you're not working out. So, um, just finding those like staples that fit good and, and You know, definitely that's talking a lot about functional clothing, um, which is very important. You know, we want, like I said, our clothes to fit within our lifestyle, the lifestyle we have and the lifestyle that we want. Um, and you know, it's, it's not so much about taking away any of the fun. Some of the fun things that you have in your closet might not be the pieces you wear the most. Um, and it's not about becoming boring or wearing a uniform or having a work uniform and then, you know, your your other clothes. It's, it's being able to take your closet, create a hole that each piece is a part of you, each piece is a part of your personality. We wanna be able to have a little bit of everything, um, you know, show you how to bring the fun into your closet and use what you already have and create, you know, new ways to wear things. You already, you know, how to use the existing pieces in your closet. Um, so I think there's a lot of things that we can go through and it'll be, it'll be a lot of fun. Yeah, I, I'm definitely looking forward to that part again. And, um, we're gonna spend the next few episodes going through how to put those pieces together, how to, maybe we'll talk a little bit more about closet editing, I think. What else do you wanna give us some advice on? Well, I, maybe There'll be some advice on closet editing. Things to look for, how to know what to keep, how to know what to buy. Oh my gosh, how to care for your clothes. Um, you know, some of these are not necessarily the most stylish, but it's, it's how to make use of what you have. And, um, so it is, it's, it's that process of, you know, knowing what to get rid of and knowing what to keep. And I think that, um, the greatest part of, of what you're gonna teach us is what we already have. There's probably treasures in there that you don't even know. You just don't know how to maybe put it together correctly. I mean, definitely with all the creative things that we've done, I think the strongest skill you need to have is to be able to edit, because when there's too much of everything, you can't see what's there anymore. So once we kind of call a little bit the closets, um, I think that it would, you know, it's a good way to let a little light shine on what you do have. Um, I think that, you know, before moving on to the next episodes, I think also we need to ask everybody also to do a little homework, do a little inward thinking. Um, you know, really think about where you are, where you want to be, you know, what parts of you know your past, are you proud of? What would you like to work on more, because it might not sound immediately related to fashion or clothing or at all, but as we've been talking about, you know, all of these aspects of life are really, uh, important, especially when we're about to look at what is functional in the closet. And before getting rid of anything, having a clear idea of where you want to go. So she's not only a stylist, she's a counselor too, because I'm telling you, Because when she talks about clothes, We go deep. We go deep about who you are, who you wanna be. And, and another thing that, um, that I think to for them to think about is, um, one thing you pointed out to me is that I dress for all these different people that I am. So like, when I'm going to school to pick up my kids, I'm like, mom, this person, and then when I'm going to work, I'm this person. And when I'm going out on a date with, you know, with my man, I'm this person. So, and you were like, you gotta bring those people together because, you know, I had all this different stuff. So I think that, um, you know, as you're going through this kind of, you know, inward thinking of where you want to go and who you want to be, remember who you are too and all those different pieces of you and what, um, you know, how all of those are so different. Um, and, and Erica's gonna help you kind of bring all of those people together in one closet, in one space, um, with, you know, it's not one outfit, but you can take a lot of, you can do a lot of stuff with, with, um, just a very few pieces. So, you know, first things first, take a step back and, and take a look at yourself from an outsider's point of view as best you can. What do you think your style says about you? What are you saying to the world? Are you conscious about where you're deciding to spend your money on? Are you making these decisions, you know, knowingly? And Then after looking at yourself as objectively as possible, um, you know, take a look at yourself from the inside. What is it that you see for yourself? What do you want? Really, what do you want? What are your goals in life, in career? What are your goals? What is it that you're afraid of? What is holding you back? Are you hiding in your clothes? What is holding you back from becoming the best version of yourself? Are you scared of judgment? Um, is it, is shopping not fun? Um, is, you know, just life throwing obstacles at you? What are they, you know, really think hard about what it's, do you feel worthy of investing in yourself, of putting yourself first and really thinking only about what, what is best for you? Is there anyone that inspires you in life? Who do you look up to, who makes you excited? You know, think about the people in your life and, you know, it's a little old school, but it helps to really sit and put these on paper, putting a pen to paper, writing it down, maybe putting a note in your notes app, but really solidifying these, these thoughts. So now that they have their homework, we're gonna let you guys go and take care of that. And so do it. So write it down, um, you know, have it ready. And when you, we get into the next episode, we're really gonna get down and dirty on what should be in your closet, what you've gotta get rid of, and how things should fit. And, um, and I can't wait for that to happen. So it's so good to see you. I'm so glad she's here. And come back and see us on the next episode.