Manifestation Through Wardrobe: How Dressing as Your Future Self Can Change Everything with Chellie Carlson

This is the I Heart My Life show. All right, welcome to the I Heart My Life show. It's Emily Williams here with the incredible Shelly Carlson, and she is a transformational wardrobe stylist as well as a coach. And today, we're going to dive into all things wardrobe as well as manifestation, really attracting the life that you are desiring through your clothes. And although I've had different stylists and wardrobe experts on the show before, we've never talked about it as a vehicle for transformation and creating a life that you love. And so I'm just so excited to dive in and to learn more, because I am somebody who already loves fashion, and just using it as a way to get what I want sounds really amazing. So can't wait to chat. All things wardrobe.

I'm so excited.

Yeah. So one of the things I love to start with on this show is just to hear people's backstories, especially yours, because, you know, not every stylist takes this specific path or know way of doing wardrobe. And I'm just curious to know how you started, what your journeys looked like, and would love to just hear all. All of the backstory.

Yeah, it's been a wild ride. So I grew up on a farm outside of Kansas City, Missouri. I got the love of fashion and style from my mother. I went on. I've had it ever since I was young. It's. It's in my human design, my jean keys. It's in my blood. So I went on to study it in college. So I got a degree of fashion from Central Missouri State. So doesn't really matter where you get your degree. This is proof. I have a fashion degree from Missouri, and I'm. I'm. I'm doing lots of magic out there. So then I immediately moved to Chicago and started. I lived there for 21 years, and 20 of those years, I had the opportunity of working for one of the top lingerie brands in the world. So it was one of the bras was featured on Oprah's Favorite Things. It blew up. I was hired recently, like, in. I found on Craigslist in 2003. 2003.

Wow.

And I never thought I would be with that company for 20 years, but we went through lots of ups and downs in the market. I stayed with them, and I really believed in the product, and I would see what the transformation the right bra could do for a woman and how important it was. So I had many roles I got to go to. I pretty much have been to every Nordstrom in the country. I'VE trained and hired teams all over the country for this brand, and I loved the work I did. And then I got to a place where I knew I was playing small. I knew I was meant for more. I come from a family of entrepreneurs. It was in my blood. And so I knew for about five years. I would tell people, I want to be a stylist, but I didn't have a Northern Star out there. I didn't have someone I could look up to at this time. But I was like, I'm going to be a stylist. I'm going to do this. And then finally, I was started side hustling, because I would meet women in the fitting rooms, and they say to me, shelly, what you just did for my bras, I want you to come do for my whole wardrobe. So the light bulb went off, and that was about a year and a half before I founded. I side hustled and I built my website, built, you know, created business cards and would meet women. Started just networking from the ground up. Anyone I would meet, I'm like, I'm a stylist. This is what I do. And at that time, I was just working hourly, and I was, you know, taking on anyone I could at that time to learn and get experience. And then all of a sudden, I was making more money side hustling than I was in my retail job, which isn't saying much because for 20 years, I ultimately made very little money to almost. Yes, it was very low retail, but I loved it. And I had flexibility, and it was just. It lit me up. So I finally had that. And I know a lot of women out there struggle with this. They're in that nine to five, they're in that job, and they just know they're meant for more. And I just knew I had to. For me to expand and to grow, I had to go out on my own. And so I decided to do it two weeks before COVID hit.

Wow.

Perfect.

Oh, my gosh. And you were still in Chicago.

I was still in Chicago. And it was an interesting. But the beautiful part is I had mutual termination with the brand I worked with. And so I was ultimately on unemployment for about a year and a half, which was pretty much a rock bottom. You know, I was living off of nothing, and I was still living a great life. But at that time, I had the scarcity mindset. I was like, this is. I worked for 20 years making no money. I'm like, this is all I deserve. This is all I'm worthy of. And then after I founded my company. I did a lot more work being in Covid. It was the best gift for me. I got to go deeper in my own spiritual journey, my own personal development practice. And it literally shifted my mindset, my money mentality. And I hired my first coach in 2001, and she changed the game for me. She was a stylist coach. She helped me create my signature service that I still use today. And at that time, she told me to charge $2,500. And I thought, there is no way someone's going to pay this much money for my package. Because at that time, for me, 2,500 was a lot of money. And I was like, this is. This is wild. I'm like, you're crazy. There's no way. And she's like, just sell it. Don't do any other work but this. So that's what I did. And I started it, took off within a month. I had to hire an assistant intern. So I built my team immediately when I launched in 2021, my signature service. And it from there, I would just. I kept growing and growing and growing. And within three years, I have a seven figure business. And I came from nothing. And I did this with zero savings. I had, like, less than $10,000. I have no husband, I no family money. I did it all on my own.

Thank you so much for sharing all that. So inspiring. And, you know, there must have been a part of you that knew that you were meant for this. Like you said, you had that entrepreneurial background with your family, and you've probably seen it firsthand. But what were some of the doubts that you had to overcome? You mentioned the worthiness piece. What else?

Oh, I mean, all of the doubts, like, what am I? There's no. Because I didn't have someone I could look up to. In many industries, you have that northern star of I'm. I'm gonna do what she's doing or what he's doing and recreate that. I didn't have that out there. So I had this, and I still don't have that. I have this blue zone of what do I want to do? What is my magic? And that's why I think I became so successful, is because I. I created what I would want if I wasn't a stylist. And every client, I'm refining and really strengthening my signature service because I know the power of the work I do. And I only do this signature service. No one could call me and say, shelly, I have a photo shoot next month, or help me do this, I have a red carpet. I stay in my lane. This is my zone of genius. This is my gift, and this is where I deliver huge transformations for clients. But back to what it was. It was, you know, it all comes down to self worth and the work I do with women. Even my. My wealthiest clients struggle just as bad as my clients that are struggling financially. We all struggle with self worth.

Right.

And so it's every day I was investing in myself, but it comes down to number one, investing yourself. That first time I invested that $3,000, I got that back that year. 10x. The next investment I made in myself that I feel like a lot of other women should be doing is joining a mastermind. So I joined in 2001amastermind with nine other women. And it was a $20,000 investment. And at that time, $20,000 was pretty much all I had in savings. And I put it all in. It's like, I'm doing it. I'm not doing monthly payments. I'm in. This is going to change the game for me. I 10-12x that that year and it all I had to become a new woman and a different person to ultimately grow my business. And it told the universe, like, I'm worthy of this. This is who I'm becoming. And I made that investment. And this is what I do with every investment I make today. It's from my higher self. Like, what would she do? How can I do? How can I invest from her for her? And that's ultimately what changed the game for me, was investing in myself.

Yeah, I have a similar story. When I started my business, I was over 100 grand in debt, credit card debt, student loan debt. And so my husband lent me his credit card to join the program I was a part of. And for the first time, and it was $7,500. He was only making like 37 grand a year. And so we put everything into that. And little did know that my coach that I was going to be working with, she was also a money mindset expert. And so in the beginning of my business, I had 54 nos in a row. So I had 54 people saying no to me over and over and over as I was pitching. And so I got on a call with her one day and was like, what is going on? And I was crying and all the things. And ultimately realized, you know, I had a scarcity story. I had some limiting beliefs around whether people could actually afford what it was that I was selling. And. And so that money mindset work started to shift things for me. And ultimately I then up leveled to her 25 grand program, then her 50 grand program, and then her six figure program. And I had only made, I'd only been in my business for six months and I invested $120,000 to work with her. And it was crazy, but literally I went to seven figures in 18 months. And now I've like told people. I was like, I actually have made over that $7,500 initial investment. I've made over 900 times that amount since starting. And so.

Incredible.

You're speaking my language.

Exactly. So this is, if you want quantum leaps, this investing in yourself, and this is exactly. I can look at someone and tell them the investment in my work in the eye and tell them this is going to change your life. Because I know that I've done this for myself and I know it's going to work for them.

So let's talk about your methodology and the work that you do with women. Because I've had the pleasure of listening to a couple of the episodes you've been a part of already. And it's so different and so beautiful and like you said, it's truly you and you embodying your gifts. So can you talk a little bit about your process?

Yeah, I would love to. So it's what I've been doing for five years now. We start with the edit session with the client. So no matter where the client is in the world, my team and I fly to her to edit her wardrobe. And this is the most powerful part. We must let go of the past versions of you to then be able to step in and call in that next level style. And all of us are holding on to so much that doesn't serve us number one sizes. You know, recently I've my two clients in Seattle and Chicago, they had been buying and purchasing the wrong sizes. Too small. And no wonder. When you, when you put on pants that are too tight, how does that make you feel? It's not good. You're not gonna have a great day. So it's getting past. Potentially you are no longer that size you were. Let's remove it from the space. Let's dress that body, that the beautiful body you have right now, not the one you had in the past. Limiting beliefs come up. We go back to childhood. You know, your mother taught you, you know, based on how she was taught what you were worthy of investing in and buying and what you should and shouldn't be wearing and, and your habits. So we go back to that and understand what, what stories are still running the show for you? For a lot of women, it's ex partners told me, I can't wear this, I shouldn't wear this. Color shorts are one of the biggest limiting beliefs. Most of my clients say to me, shelly, I don't wear shorts flat out. And I look at them and I, we're in the closet and it's a vulnerable, this is a very vulnerable space. It's raw. They let me in there and I'm there to really understand them and get to know them. And so they're saying, I don't wear shorts. And I say, okay, received noted. The fourth look I put her in when she comes to LA are beautiful shorts with a full look. She looks in the mirror and she's Shelly, I look so beautiful in these shorts. I love them so much. How did you know? And it's like my job is to uncover what's holding you back, your limiting beliefs. And then I set you free to wear what's authentic to you. And so for most women we have. So we've built up so many stories and we're in this little box of what we can and can't wear. And, and that's what's holding us back. It's mostly our mindset around our beliefs and self worth.

And what is your process for uncovering what somebody's authentic self is? Or. Yeah, like, is it the energy they feel when they wear something? Or.

Yeah, it's, it's deep. So I get to spend the whole. So I'm, I'm a healer. I'm. This is the work I do. But it's energetically. I'm in the closet with them for four to five hours. They're sharing everything. We're trying things on. So they're trying things on and saying, they're saying, well, this doesn't feel like me anymore. And I'm like, then we're going to let it go. And then they're saying to me, they're also sharing, I'm talking three to five years out. Like, how do you want to feel? Where are you going? What is your lifestyle? Are you, you know, do you want to attract a higher level partner or are you and your partner traveling the world? Like, I want to know their vision of the next level so that I can ultimately channel and deliver this wardrobe. I can only I meet them where they're at. I can only this first round take them so far. Right. We'll eventually we work together season after season to expand and grow, but I can't take them too far or because they would not be able to handle it, you know, they wouldn't be able to see themselves as that person yet. So it's really a deep understanding of what you love, what you don't love, what's your lifestyle. So many women are not buying the right things for their lifestyle. Right. So it's really understanding what are you doing day to day. I want to know who you are. I see their space, so I see what they value. I understand, like, their authentic code. Essentially, they're sharing with me through this work of, like, what do you value? Do you, you know, do you want beautiful things? Right. Do you want, like. I believe every woman should put beautiful fabrics on every day and feel incredible in their body. And so no matter what their code is, like, I'm able to figure it out and to then deliver it through the wardrobe.

Yeah, I love that.

That's the true magic of what I do.

Yeah. So I haven't shared this with you yet, but our mutual friend Emily Paulson, she has a beautiful podcast, the Curious Life of the Child Free Woman. And I listened to your episode, but before I listened to your episode, I saw a little clip that she had posted on her feed, and it was just a snippet of your conversation, and she was basically saying, repeating what you just said right now, which is channeling your future self and dressing as her now. And when I first heard that, I have to admit to you, I was really triggered, and here's why. So in the past, I would not have been triggered by that. But right now, I'm a mom of a two year old, I'm running two businesses. We just moved. Our 12th move in 10 years. Like, we have a lot going on. And I won't keep going on and on and on and be like the victim. But, like, when I first heard that, I was like, how am I supposed to also dress for the person I want to be when I have all this stuff happening?

Right.

And, like, I. I feel terrible even saying this to you, but I feel like it's important to voice it because I'm sure you hear this a lot.

The other women are feeling this same way.

Yeah. So what would you say to that?

Yeah, I would say every morning you have a choice. You could choose to put on the Lululemon leggings and the sweatshirt and you're gonna be fine all day. Right. You're beautiful woman. You're gonna, you stand out because you're stunning, but that outfit is just going to, like, bring down your vibration. It's Doing nothing for you. But if you put on an outfit that represents where you're going, who you're becoming, say whether it's a tailored, a beautiful piece, a garment that you love, you put it on, you will automatically become more productive that day. You will make better food choices, people will treat you differently. You know, ultimately you're teaching others when you get dressed how to treat you. I don't make the rules. If it were up to me, I'd be sitting here naked right now. I'm like, I. But I have to play. You gotta get in the game, right? And this doesn't mean you have to go out and buy a new wardrobe. It doesn't mean you need to spend tens of thousands of dollars. It just means every day I encourage women to have it stack that. It's an act of self love. And for a mother, it's one of the greatest acts of self love you do every day. Moving your body, feeding what you put in your body and putting clothes that light you up on is going to ultimately make your day better, right? And it doesn't happen. It's small shifts. You can start small and then it's like, and if you love that outfit, wear it two days later. Again, no one's going to notice. No one cares. We're so caught up in this. You know, society's telling you you're not good enough if you don't wear a new outfit every day. And, and I'm a disruptor and these are all lies that we've all been buying into. You know, I'll repeat an outfit two days a week, easily, maybe more. But just giving women permission to wear what feels right for them, getting them out of the comfortable lululemon leggings, because I know so many of you ladies are in it right now or you have a blouse on and then joggers, it signals, it's, there's neuro, it's neuroscience backed that when you put on something that signals to your body and your brain like, I'm ready to work, I'm ready to have an awesome day. And then at the end of the day, you then get to change and downgrade into a comfy cozy. And your brain wants that compartmentalization and ultimately will impact your day and your energy. You know, that magnetism. And that's what I talk about when I have an outfit on that feels like me. I mean, anywhere I go, people are just drawn to my energy. And it's, it's just, it represents me and I want that. I mean, any woman could have that. But we. It takes work. You know, there's a lot of shame out there. A lot of every woman I jump on calls with, they say, you know, I should be able to get dressed. Right. And there's shame around it because as a woman, we're supposed to be stylish. But my clients. It's not your zone of genius. You are running big businesses. You're, you know, a family. You've got so many things to juggle. The last thing you should be doing is stressing about online shopping or going into a store and shopping, and that's. It's a waste of your time. You shouldn't be doing that. And that's when you outsource to people who could, you know, handle that for you, that you trust. And that's where my work comes in.

Yeah, I love that. And when you shop for people, like you said, it's not about spending the most amount of money.

It's not.

Yeah. What do you recommend in terms of, like, the amount of outfits that you have that you rotate or what are some of the guidelines?

Yeah, I would start. So if I was guiding someone who wanted to shop on their own, you know, we want to start with the edit. Their own edit. So I encourage them to buy a rack on Amazon for $60. You're going to use it season after season. We want to pull out all of your entire wardrobe, put it on the rack by category. This way. So many women have their closets organized by, I don't know, color or disarray. You need it by category. So we need to see. I want all the tank tops, sleeveless, and I want to know how many you have. If you have 15 black camisoles, this is a sign. Stop buying black camisoles. And I want you to purge, you know, 12 out of the 15. I want you to keep your top three. That's it. We all have. We think that abundance comes from quantity in the closet. That's another lie. It doesn't. Clarity comes from having fewer pieces in your wardrobe. I want my clients to have one small rack for the season that goes in their closet. I'm typically walking into closets. They have 15 racks of, like, clutter and clothes that they think they need. When we let go of it, they never. In five years, I've never had one client say, remember that one piece you asked me to let go of? I miss it. Never has that happened. Because we're moving forward. And all these. All of the women out there, I want you to know, like, you're growing you're expanding. You can always buy more clothes in the future. But if it doesn't feel good, if it doesn't fit you, get rid of it. Then what you're left with. Now it's time to style that most women, there's no need to even go shopping. You have the basic foundations in your wardrobe to get dressed for that season. You don't need to look outside of you. It just is going to take investing time to do this. And a lot of you ladies out there, you don't want to do it and it's uncomfortable. This editing process brings up a lot tags on a lot of garments. Why did I do that? What was I thinking? I invested in that. I never wore it and there's shame around that. So by removing it, selling it, getting out of your space, it's not going to come up for you anymore. And the only things left should fit you beautifully and then you can style them. The next thing after editing, you want to tailor anything that needs tailoring. I know in a lot of your closets, ladies, you have trousers. You were wearing high heels last, you know, the couple of years or before COVID Now your pants are. You're wearing more of a kitten heel. So you're comfortable. Now you're going to have to hem that trouser and you're not wearing it because the hem is pooling at the ground. So go ahead and invest $20, get that hem perfect. Maybe you've lost weight. Bring in the waist, tailor it in so it fits you perfect, it doesn't fall off. So it's really making sure. I mean, the tailoring is the key element here of making your clothes fit and not having to go buy more. Right.

Why do you think so many people are resistant? Or tailoring was never even part of their process or the conversation.

I. None of my clients really ever tailored anything, they think and when you purchase Ready to Wear off of a website, you think it's just fit your body and then your body's the problem. When actually all it needs is a little nip and tuck and it'll fit you perfect. We. I don't know why so many women miss it. For men, it's more common. Like they're known to tailor their garments more. But for women, we just avoid it. And it's as easy as, again, you don't have. I mean, I work with one of the top in la. She comes to my, you know, appointments. But you can go to your local dry cleaner. You know, these aren't. This isn't rocket Science. These are simple alterations, but they make a dramatic, you know, change to your wardrobe that you, you need to invest in. So that's the number one thing I would try. Take the time to try the clothes on. You may have not tried these pieces on for years. Try them on and if you're like, oh, I forgot, I love this trouser, but it's a little off, go to a tailor. It's going to be worth that investment.

And when somebody is thinking about putting new outfit combinations together or potentially even purchasing something new and thinking about that five year vision or three to five years, you know, I do a lot of work with people who are entrepreneurs or they're just designing, you know, a life that they love. Sometimes fashion comes into it and they say, I want to be able to buy a whole new wardrobe, I want to be able to travel. But like, what are some of the questions you're asking people so they get clarity on what the five year version of them actually looks like. I hope you're enjoying the episode so far. Before we get back to the interview, I wanted to share a little something I think you'll find valuable. If you're looking for more clarity on what you want in life or feel like something is holding you back, I've created a free Dream Life guide just for you. It's a step by step resource to help you get clear on your goals and break through any mindset blocks that might be in the way. You can grab it at I heart my life.com guide. So head over to I heart my life.com guide to download it for free. All right, now back to the conversation.

It's more of the feeling. Because when I put the only question when someone's in my style studio, I ask them is like, how does it feel on your body? Because so many of us are wearing garments that there's this misconception that if it's beautiful and stylish, it's going to be uncomfortable. And that's another lie. Anything I put on a client or my body, I'm wearing it all day long. I could do anything in it. And I'm so comfortable. So it's finding clothes that are actually that fit your body, that flatter you and that are comfortable and that, that feel good when you put it on. Like, how does it. Do you look in the mirror and do you feel like three to five years out? Where are you going? Are you on that stage in this outfit? Are you meeting your friends for brunch in this outfit? And if it doesn't light you up. You should not be wearing it. I'd rather you have five full outfits than a wardrobe full of clutter. And then you can mix and match those five outfits and create 25 looks.

Yeah, I love that. And you can do that for me. And thinking about, like, my closet, and I'm totally gonna go edit this this weekend. For some reason, I invest a lot and put a lot of time and energy in things. For photo shoots, for speaking on stages. Like the glam stuff.

Yeah.

But then my everyday stuff is just kind of boring. And that's so interesting because more often than not, I'm in the everyday stuff versus, like, the time I'm on stages. And so for me, like, that's a mindset shift as well. And I don't think it's like, oh, maybe it is. But I don't. I don't look at it as a worthiness issue. It's just I haven't spent the time to figure out, like, what is my everyday look, what would feel really aligned for me, what would feel really good. And, you know, maybe part of that is. Is being busy and being a mom, but that's not an excuse. And so what would you say the first step would be to figuring out what feels good every day? Even the days where you're not on camera, you're just living your life.

Yeah. So for those. Even those everyday moments, I think they're just as important or more important than the stage.

Yeah.

Right. Because this helps you really hone in on what's authentic to you. So I would say, number one, like, step out of your normal comfort zone. And people might see you and say, oh, my gosh, what are you so dressed up for today? And you're like, because I woke up and I'm alive, and I want to feel good in my body. Right. And I think it's the number one thing is dressing your body. You know, we all have. No, I don't care if you're a pear apple stick. Any. Any size I work with zeros to 20twos. We're always going to bring the eye to the waist. So no matter what you're wearing, bring, we want the hourglass. That is the magic. That's the foundation of my philosophy. It instantly makes you look longer and leaner, and that's ultimately what we want visually. And so if you're. If you're at home, you put on an elevated pair of jeans, make sure. If you put a sweater on front, tuck it so it brings the eye to your waist. Maybe put a Belt on, right? So every day it's, it's adding a little like doing a little bit of extra work to feel good. But the clothes have to fit your body first, otherwise this isn't gonna work. Right. Number one, the sizes and size. So many women are caught up on sizes right now, right? They, they wanna be this certain size because society tells you the smaller you are, the better you are. And so many women struggle with this. So then they keep buying the wrong size and then they're uncomfortable. So really get. When someone works with me, they will not see a label, they will not know what size is going on their body because it doesn't matter. They'll just know that that garment fits them perfectly and they're comfortable and confident in it. So it's really getting comfortable with what feels good on your body and that you should be able to wear this outfit all day long. You know, get in a number one, a big girl bra, like put on a bra that actually fits. 9 out of 10 of you ladies are wearing the wrong size. And I know a lot of you are not even in, you're wearing sports bras right now or little bralettes. But truly when you have a bra with an underwire that brings you forward, lifts you up off your waist, you're going to look more balanced and you're going to stand up taller. It's the most important part is the foundation.

Thank you for sharing that. And what would you say? So you mentioned people not wearing the right size, people not dressing for their body. What are the other sort of mistakes or misconceptions that you see with a lot your clients?

A lot of my clients are wearing this. They think this is their uniform. So I just took on one method client. She wears three quarter lengths shirts. She bought it in every color. She has 15. And then she wears Lululemon pants on the bottom. That's all she knows. And so what does she do when she wants to shop? She'll buy more of those tops and more of those safe pants and that, and she knows that is not her next level south, right? In another client, this is another common one, T shirts. So you could buy this, this client in Sarasota, she had every color of the rainbow in basic cotton T shirts, white to black, the full rainbow. We're talking 50, maybe more hanging up in her closet. And the moment I walked in that closet, I knew this was, this was her thing, this is what she thought was her uniform. And then she would wear a pair of basic average jeans. And after working with me she now is never going to wear a T shirt and jeans again. She loves to put a creative new like look together every day. That feels more like her. Right. Rather than the safe T shirt and jeans.

I love that. And so I, you know, I know a lot of your work is about the mindset piece and the worth piece. Yeah. But we're still talking about something that's extra external. And so I know that, you know, we're not talking about consumerism or just buying things to buy things. You want things to have meaning, but how do you kind of like reconcile with that? Or maybe a better word is, is tie it all together so that people are able to find the worth regardless of what's on their body, but still appreciate having beautiful clothes and see it.

As an expression back to self worth. Like when you choose an outfit and you meet someone, you're ultimately teaching them how to treat you. You're saying to them, this is what I believe I'm worthy of in the world. See me for who I am. And it's a reflection of the inner work you've done. So, so many people pre co or post Covid were wearing sweatpants and then they started. You know, a lot of people built businesses, did a lot of personal development work and then all of a sudden they did all that work, the inner work. But their wardrobe now did not reflect who they had become. You have to invest in wardrobe that ultimately is reflective of who you're becoming. Right. And it isn't about the dollar you're spending or the label or brand designer you're investing in, but it is energy. So when investing in something, you want to sort of push yourself. I challenge my clients to invest in something. Rather than buying five low quality blazers, I would rather a client buy one really high quality blazer that lights them up and I'd rather them wear it over and over again. So it's about when I, when I, when I buy clothes, I feel them, I touch them and I, I make sure it's like I sort of muscle test it. I make sure it feels, feels right for me and that's what I encourage others to do. So like very carefully bring in pieces that, and, and test them. You know, if you buy it, wear it around the house for a few hours, try it on with different things. Don't bring anything you can't style five to seven ways into your wardrobe and then you're going to start built. Like slowly build.

Right.

It's less is more. We think that we just need this quantity and it, it's hard. It's analysis paralysis in the morning. No wonder women can't get dressed. There's. They're overwhelmed with the quantity in their closets.

Yeah, yeah. And I know I put you on the spot with that question, but that's perfect. And I think it's about the attention and the consciousness around, you know, what you're putting on your body. Just like you mentioned, what you're eating every single day. Are you actually moving your body? It's about pay attention to yourself.

Yeah.

And know what makes you feel good. Exactly. Yeah.

It's powerful.

And what would you. What would you say to the person who maybe right now they're. They don't have a ton of extra money? And yes, I love the advice around, you know, choosing the high vibe things and going in on those, but are there any other tips for somebody who might be more money conscious at the moment and not spending a lot?

Yeah, I'd say going back to the root of editing, I want you to let go of anything that doesn't fit and then what's left? Go and get it tailored. Because you might just need to invest in tailoring. And it's going to. You're going to take that average wardrobe by investing in tailoring. It's going to look custom fit to you. It could change the game for you. And you don't even need to shop. Right. So I think tailoring. And then if you do need to shop or I would actually go. Another idea that I suggest for people to do is to take that rack, style some looks, take selfies in the mirror, and create your own album. So by taking a selfie, putting it in the album, in the morning when you're getting dressed, you're like, I have nothing to wear. All you do is access your album. You see your look, and you're like, I can recreate that right now. Boom. And then just rewear, you know, say it's your favorite blazer. The next day you could wear that same blazer, style it in a different way. And if you want inspiration, you can go just Google, say you want to style this certain blazer. Google it and see how other people are styling it. Like five ways to style this one blazer. And you can type in the brand label and. And you will get inspiration. So it's just going to take you more time. You invest that time, it's free, and then you don't have to buy more. So really it's just less is more. But every day you can just rewear things. Women are so afraid to Outfit, repeat. They're terrified of it.

Yeah, my husband does that as well. He's a big fan of David Beckham's passion or fashion.

Oh, right.

And yeah, so he'll, like, take screenshots. And then lately, when we've been traveling, he's come up with his own albums of all the clothes, the outfits that he likes to pack. So he'll go back through, through and be like, oh, yeah, I wore this, and this looks good with this. And this is, you know, so I. I've seen that work.

It worked. And anyone. You ladies can do it. You can use AI you use chat, whatever you want to, like, get some inspiration. And then once you start, my other suggestion is to create that signature look. Once you start getting people's responses, say, it's whatever. I wear the same stack of jewelry every day. I do it intentionally. I, of course, I could wear a different piece every day, but I choose to wear this because it feels authentic to me. It's lightweight. It's one little hook. I could wear it all day long. I don't feel anything. And it's just unique. And so it's my signature piece. And so if I didn't show up wearing it, people would ask me, where's your necklace, Shelly? What's happening here? Right? And so I'm building trust with my audience, and I'm saving money. I don't need to go buy multiple necklaces because I'm going to wear the same one every day, and I have no shame in it. Same with belts. Like, I wear the same few belts over and over again. I wear the same frames every day, and I'm very consistent. Right. And so then it's finding what people are complimenting. Maybe it's a shoe for you. If you love a certain sneaker and you can wear it so many different ways and people are always complimenting you on it. Just keep repeating it and wear it and then start adding in different, you know, ways to wear it. And then you're going to start developing your signature look. And that's when, you know, the magic happens and the power almost. I mean, everyone is a personal brand. I don't care who you are, you're a personal brand. And so dressing and honing in and it's going to. You're going to evolve and change every, you know, every once in a while. But if as long as you. It feels authentic to you, it's going to resonate with others.

I remember when I first started my business, I heart my life. Eleven years ago, I had this photo shoot. It's my first photo shoot and I went to Kate Spade and spent like $80 on this silk hot like hot pink magenta shirt. It had like little like flower flowy sleeves. And anyway, it was a big expense for me at the time and. But I loved the color and I had no idea what the brand was going to become. But once I put on that shirt, it was really clear to me, like hot pink, there's gonna always be hot pink.

And it gave you this power. Like it was your, your power piece. Like it gave you confidence.

Exactly.

Every woman deserves to. You know, every day I feel put on those pieces that light you up. Life's too short not to.

Exactly. And I feel like I did similar to what you're saying, where I got rid of clothes and made space energetically and literally for new stuff to come in. And a lot of people, yeah. Might think that that sounds crazy, but it's the same thing when you're looking to attract anything. If you don't have any time on your calendar for new clients, well, they're not going to come in because you're going to subconsciously block it. Same with relationships. And so this stuff really does work. And so for anyone listening who wants to take that first step, do what we're talking about here, do the edit and look through your closet, make that space and commit to the next level version of yourself.

I, I believe in this so much and I think so many women are just afraid to start like you, you've got to start somewhere. And it's scary doing the edit. It's a really, I mean, it's, you're going, it's personal development work. You're going deep into like, why did I buy these things and now they don't fit me or what if I.

Get rid of them and I don't want money to replace them.

Yeah, exactly. And like you are going to make so much more money by letting that go and putting on and investing in something that aligns with who you're becoming. And you're going to step into her.

Yeah.

10 times faster.

And so clearly, I mean, your transition from 2020 Covid 2021, signing up with your coach, the mastermind that it was four years ago at the time they're recording this and so things have shifted. You're no longer in Chicago. How has your life transformed?

Oh my gosh, it's complete. I'm a completely different person than I was in Chicago. And I lived in a mold filled apartment that I lived in for 17 years. And I'm still detoxing heavily every day and that was my self worth and the mold was a gift. It's now bringing me really close to my body and I'm healing and you know, my business, you know, has in three years grown dramatically and I have this incredible team that I founded here in la and I, I know that it's, it's been a while, like quantum shifts for me and I'm unrecognizable and I feel that I can do it. If I can do it at 40, anyone can do it. You know, there's no, there's, you know, it's, age is just a number. So, you know, follow your dream. But I know this is my gift and I know each of you have yours and you need to really hone in on what that is and just go all in. That's all I can say. Go for it and just know you're worthy of all of these things. And I'm constantly doing that manifestation work and bringing in all the. And I've received everything. I literally manifested this dream house. I said I want, this is my third house in la. And this third one came on the market the day that I was signing on another property that was in the low hills. And this was everything I wanted. I said, I want a saltwater pool, guest house style studio, all the things, gym, everything. It literally came on the market at 6am and I said, I messaged my realtor, I was like, this is my house, we're not signing on the other property. And it was like, okay, we're doing it. And then they gave this to another man who I saw it first. They gave it to a gentleman who paid upfront. He was paying up front, six months cash. And I pulled up in the front yard and met with the owner and I said, this is my house. And said, what do I need to do to, you know, show you who I am, that this is my home, this is where I need to live. And he was, he's like, I'm an entrepreneur, I get it, but how do I know you could pay rent here? And I said, I'm. Trust me, I've got this. And then he said, let me speak to my wife. And the next morning my realtor called me and she said, I don't know what you said to them. They took the offer away from the other gentleman and there was major drama there, and then gave it to me. And now I'm resigning my second year here. Wow, it was a scary thing, you know, it was over double my Other rent, but it was my higher self. I was like, this is my house. This is. I have to become someone different to be able to, like, you know, support this and to live this life. And I've stepped into that. And I work every day on becoming her. So it's wild. It's been a wild ride.

That's so beautiful. Yeah. And it's just another.

Yeah.

Yeah. It's an example of. Of following your desire and that future self versus giving into that fear. And for those of us who do this work, it's. It's not like it's one and done. It's something that's consistent and we consistently practice and show up and engage in it. Yeah. So thank you for sharing that.

Yeah. It's not.

So final question we ask all of our guests. You might have already answered it, but I'm just going to ask it anyway. What is one way that people can create a life that's better than their dreams and far exceeds their wildest imagination?

One way. I mean, this is my challenge for all of you ladies out there. I challenge you to get dressed every day for the next 30 days as your next level self. When you make those choices in the morning, I want you to look in the mirror and say, what would she wear? How does she want to feel? And then put something on that aligns with her and your habit stacking. And you're going to see the shift in your day, how people treat you, choices. You make all of those things and you're going to track that next level life five to ten times faster. Watch it happen. And then you're gonna keep going every day, even if you're. I get dressed like this even if I'm seeing nobody, because it. I. It literally shifts something in my brain and I become more productive and more.

I mean, I think that's just higher self worth. Like, why are we doing it for other people but not for ourselves?

Yep. This is self love, and it's my. One of the greatest tools that I use and I know it works. And you, you don't have to go buy a new wardrobe to do this. Ladies, work with what you have. And go ahead, feel free. DM me. I'm here. I'm accessible. I'm here to support you. I'm. I believe in you.

Amazing. So where can people find you? What's your Instagram?

I hang out on the gram. It's Shelly at Shelly Carlson and it's C H E L L I E. So it's a little funky. Shelly with a C. Thank You.

Perfect. We'll link that below as well as your website. Yeah, and I know we didn't cover, you know, you shared your process, but your one package, tell us a little bit more about what that's called and.

What my, my signature service, my one on one bespoke. So I ultimately deliver your dream wardrobe in less than 30 days. You'll never look or feel the same in your body after working with me one on one. And then I also have this beautiful membership called the Style Society. So it's a style sisterhood. I have members all over the world. And this is. You're on your own little style journey. But month by month, I'm delivering style boards to your inbox, showing you how to wear what you own, giving you a different lens to look at your wardrobe, and guiding you on how to elevate your style on a budget, whatever your budget may be. And then I do a monthly masterclass where the women come in and I review the boards. They can ask me any style related questions and we, we can connect and go deep. There's lots of vulnerability. It's a place where I'm, I'm just, you know, helping support more women and serve more women. And I love this membership. So I'm obsessed with it. Check it out. And there's no style membership on the market. Like, there's really nothing like it. So I love it. And I've had it for three years now. I'm obsessed.

That's amazing. And I think, you know, one of the themes just to kind of bring this home is just owning what your gifts are. And like you said, you didn't have the person out there who was doing what you wanted to do, but you just tuned in to what your uniqueness is, what lights you up. And it's the same thing with clothes. You know, what is authentic to you. And I think so often, especially in the world that we live in now with the influencers and everything we're seeing on a regular basis, it's like you need to have this and you know you're not good enough.

Yeah. Look like this. And if you don't look like this, you're not worried. And it's all. And like, I don't honestly follow a single influencer. I don't care what they're doing. I in my lane and I, I want other women to also do the same.

Yeah.

Focus on what you can control.

Yeah. Amazing. Well, thank you so much. This has been an incredible conversation. Super grateful for you, Shelly, and the work that you bring to the world. I know everyone's going to be taking on your challenge dressing in a way that makes them feel good for the next 30 days. So message Shelly, message me. I want to hear about the results. Me? Yeah, anything. Amazing. All right, thank you so much. Appreciate you. So make sure to check out Shelley's website and her Instagram and definitely let her know that you heard about her on the I Heart My Life Show. If you book her for her amazing one to one work, it sounds absolutely incredible. So thank you so much, Shelly. It's been amazing having you here. Can't wait to hear from everyone who's been listening to learn about how this impacted them. Their wardrobe, their life, their energy, who they are, are. And yeah, just thank you for everything that you're bringing to the world. Thank you for listening to the I Heart My Life Show. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with three friends or post about it on social media using the hashtag I Heart My Lifeshow. And don't forget to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts. It really does help us spread the movement far and wide. Remember, everything you desire is possible. Keep believing in your dreams and taking action.