Executive Presence with Joanna Lovering
Executive Presence with Joanna Lovering
For better or worse, the pandemic has normalized Zoom and other online connections. We used it pre-pandemic, but 2020 made a number of companies question the value or need for one-on-one interactions, to the point that we should all practice or feel highly confident with our Zoom presence going forward. This is why I’m excited to chat today with Joanna Lovering, an executive presence coach, workplace psychologist, and fashion stylist, who helps women develop transformative leadership skills. Joanna joins me today to discuss some best practices when putting our best foot forward, at least in the sense of online interactions. I learned so many great tips from this conversation and I hope you do as well.
What are we drinking?
Joanna - Harney & Sons, Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea with lactose free milk; Grapefruit Spindrift
Shannon - Black Cherry Schweppes
Podcast Notes
Joanna is an executive presence coach who works primarily with women, to help them feel like they are showing up with power in any room they are in. She helps them lead with confidence, character, and style.
Her professional experience is in the world of internal management consulting, HR, leadership development, and coaching. She used to stand up in front of 30 or 40 leaders and teach them to stop sucking at leading. She also did one-on-one coaching and small group interventions.
On the side, Joanna is a self-taught fashion stylist. There is a confidence-building benefit that helps you feel like you are in control. Many of us open our closets and feel completely out of control.
Joanna started Copper & Rise as a side hustle, while she was working full time. She was in graduate school at Columbia University and one of her classmates said she had an interview and she didn’t know what to wear and she asked Joanna to take her shopping.
After that, she was booked every weekend and she decided she should be paid for it. Copper & Rise originally started as a style coaching firm, where she used her psychology and coaching lens to help men and women feel great in their wardrobe every day.
Now, with the pandemic, nobody is getting dressed. She needed to pivot so she became more explicit about her 10-plus years in leadership development, and now she calls it executive presence. It is all about how you communicate with others, how you influence others, and what you look like when you are in that room.
For both men and women, one of the top things is body image issues. About 99% of us walk around with a feeling of less than in some physical area of their body. The clothing we wear is a reflection of that and it can affect our emotions and vice versa.
There are so many high-powered, ambitious people who don’t think about clothes. It isn’t a priority and oftentimes they feel like it is superficial and it doesn’t matter. First impressions are a thing. Many times we need to play the game of who is around me and how can I influence them positively.
You might as well have some choices, so you can manipulate that and influence positively. It is about having control of the influence you have on others.
The science has taught us the color red does something for us, both for the wearer and the onlooker. It gives the perception of creativity as well as being more of an expert. Well-fitting garments make you feel more at ease.
The first way to figure this out is about awareness. What is ground zero in regards to your closet. Go through your closet piece by piece and tag each with what emotions they make you feel. If there is anything that makes you feel a negative emotion, get rid of it.
The second way is to get on Instagram or Pinterest and find what inspires you. After about 20 pins, you will be able to see some common threads. Seeing those trends can make you feel like you have a direction.
Every woman needs a fitted black blazer, a pair of jeans that make you feel incredible, a leather jacket, and white sneakers (lace up or slip-on). Everybody needs a pair of walk-around shoes to get you through a day in New York City. Bombas no-show socks are the best.
The best way to look like an expert and look confident on camera is to reduce distractions. You are the start of the show, not what you are wearing. Zoom backgrounds are distracting. Reduce distractions for the viewer, so they can listen to what you are saying.
Colors you should wear on screen are colors that will fall away, like muted earth tones, sage green, tan, and mustard yellow. Jewel tones are great for in-person, including red, because they tell the other person that she or he is bold, grounded, and confident. Our laptop cameras are not high quality and they have a hard time dealing with saturated colors, especially bright red and orange.
Steer clear of high contrast prints, like black and white. Our cameras don’t do well with those colors. One of the worst colors to wear on Zoom is black, because the camera can’t see the folds. You look like a blob with a floating head on top.
Be comfortable and get some sort of breathable fabric. Shiny fabric is distracting. A light olive green or sage green cotton t-shirt wins Zoom. The Universal Standard Tee Rex shirts are Joanna’s favorite.
Joanna’s favorite black blazer is the Veronica Beard black blazer. It is a neoprene scuba material and it is very stretchy. Joanna recommends the ALLSAINTS Dalby leather jacket. For jeans, she recommends J Brand Maria Jeans (or the Natasha).
Joanna is currently wearing jeans by Good American. Their plus-size jeans are fantastic.
Executive presence is not about how much confidence you actually have. It is about how other people perceive you and how much confidence they think you have. It starts from the outside in.
Many of us have talked about imposter syndrome. There are certain behavioral tweaks that make you appear more confident.
The first way is to not allow others to be distracted by your Zoom background or blingy earrings.
Second, give people in the meeting the feeling that you are really listening and taking it in. In person, it is through non-verbals and eye contact. When you are speaking, speak into the camera. When others are speaking, you can look around. Draw a smiley face on a post-it note and stick it next to the camera. On Zoom, in gallery view, you can get rid of your picture, if it is distracting you.
If you agree with the speaker, nod your head. If someone says something funny, chuckle or smile. These allow the speaker to see you as their best friend.
The vast majority of us do not intend to influence people in a negative way and sometimes we don’t realize what we look like or what facial expressions we make. We need to have more awareness about how others may perceive us. We can’t influence everything, but we can do our best.
If you want to increase your executive presence, there is a reason why, a goal. If you don’t have that intention right now, that is okay. Save your energy and focus it somewhere else.
Always have your camera on, because it is a sign of respect. Allowing people into your life, by having your camera on, is a sign of confidence and strength.
Prop your laptop up so you are looking directly in the camera, not looking down. You don’t need to spend anything on this. You can use a box or books or both. You need your camera to be at eye level for a positive impression and for the most flattering look.
Takeaway: My biggest takeaway is the value of empowering yourself through your online connections. Simple and cost-effective changes can make big differences in how you’re perceived by co-workers, bosses, or potential new bosses.
Random Three Questions
How do we combat Zoom fatigue? Blue light glasses: www.zeelool.com . Make sure to get the anti-reflective coating.
What is something you binged during the pandemic?
If this was your last night on earth, what is your final meal?
Connect with Joanna
Instagram Handle: @copperandrise
Website URL: https://www.copperandrise.com/
If you have any topics you would like me to cover on this podcast, or if you’d like to get in the financially naked hot seat, I encourage you to email me to Shannon@fingyms.com, or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group, and let me know what you want to hear.
We are halfway through 2021. How are you feeling about your finances? If you want to make 2021 the year you empower yourself with your money choices, I hope you’ll reach out to my team at The Financial Gym. We have a number of affordable membership options and we also recently launched the first of many online courses, so you can either work on your financial health at your own pace or with one of my trainers. Head over to financialgym.com to get set up today.