54: Stacy London – How to Turn Personal Struggles Into a Career

Fashion is an industry, but style is for everybody.

We have all had trouble accepting ourselves the way we are. Sometimes, people use clothes and fashion as a way to cover up who they are, or to beat people to the punch of putting them in a box.

But fashion can also be impressive, thought provoking, and a way to get what you want. That’s what I’m talking to Stacy London about today.

If you haven’t heard of Stacy, you are missing out. She is a veteran TV host, having been on What Not to Wear for ten years, and just recently launching her new show Love, Lust, or Run. But she’s also a stylist, an author, and a woman with an infection sense of energy and authenticity.

I can’t wait for you to hear her story of battling multiple diseases, hunting for her perfect job, and how she’s changing the world, one outfit at a time.

For all the negative messages that loop in all of our heads about what we’re not, I try to use style to dislodge that kind of negativity.

Some things we learn in this podcast:

• What the title of her new show on TLC means [4:00]
• Translating your style into your message to the world [5:10]
• How to develop your sense of style [5:45]
• Different clothes make you feel different [6:50]
• How changing your style can shake up your brain [7:20]
• How her health problems led to her interest in fashion [13:45]
• The value of getting fired [18:05]
• Her transition from fashion styling to personal styling and shopping [19:20]
• How she first got on TV [20:00]
• The success of What Not to Wear [22:45]
• The three E’s of good reality television: entertainment, education, and emotions [24:55]
• How to offer good, constructive criticism [26:20]
• Stacy’s involvement in anti-bulling campaigns [28:55]
• Why her anger and sadness affected her career [32:40]
• How Love, Lust, or Run, her new TV show, is different [36:55]
• What it means to fit one’s body in clothing [39:20]
• Why self knowledge, intention, and purpose are important in fashion [41:30]
• There’s a way to express anger without making people afraid of you [47:35]
• Why we all need to pull ourselves away from the mirror sometimes [48:00]
• The difference between a good stylist and a great stylist [50:35]
• The power of “Yes and” in fashion: the “yes” is self acceptance and self awareness, and the “and” is all about creativity and beauty [54:15]
• The importance of being able to accept and move on [55:15]
• Why you have to give yourself permission to do what is best for you [57:45]
• On being a product of the fallout and failures of feminism [59:40]
• Don’t sweat the small stuff; Instead, start with a core understanding of yourself [1:02:30]

Links mentioned:

• Check out Stacy’s new show, Love, Lust, or Run on TLC
• You can also check out her old show What Not to Wear
• Learn more about style in Stacy’s book, The Truth About Style
• Music Credit: Make It Last feat. JMSN by Ta-ku

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