# The SPARK method: body shape and personal brand style

- **Episode:** [149](https://agents.truthliesandwork.com/episodes/149.md) (2024-11-28)
- **Type:** interview
- **Tags:** body shape, personal brand, style method
- **Time:** 33:59–53:04 (start 2039s)
- **Listen:** [https://truthliesandwork.com/149?t=2039](https://truthliesandwork.com/149?t=2039)

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[33:59] Angela Foster: Oh my gosh, yes, absolutely. So the first exercise, I have a 5-step program that I take all my new clients through. The first one is body shape because that's where it all starts. matter if you know what colors look great on you or you know what your favorite accessories are. If you don't know how to dress for your body shape, we have to stop right there. When I first started style coaching, I heard, you know, and I would start with the whole body shape conversation, I heard a lot of, I'm an apple and my shoulders are too broad and my boobs are too big, or I'm a pear and my butt's too big and my stomach's too big and my hips are too wide. And it was always like, this is what I am and this is why I it's bad, and I spent all my effort trying to hide what's bad. And I was like, oh my God, this is totally depressing. So we flipped the script a little bit. Well, probably a lot. And instead what we do is, so I say to you, what is your very favorite feature? What do you love most about your figure?
[34:55] Leanne Elliott: Do you want me to answer?
[34:57] Angela Foster: I do
[34:58] Leanne Elliott: My boobs. Fabulous
[35:01] Angela Foster: Fabulous. Yes. That's amazing. No, no, no, no. But you know what I think is funny? And you're not the only one that does that, is anytime somebody says, my boobs are my favorite feature, they whisper it
[35:11] Leanne Elliott: Right
[35:12] Angela Foster: I'm like, girl, scream it. Scream it. Now, I know that there's gonna be listeners who are like, oh my gosh, there's no way. I am not gonna wear a bunch of like hoochie mama tops showing off a bunch of cleavage. And that's not what it's about. I mean, obviously I work with professional women. There's not a ton of cleavage going on, right? But there are subtle ways that you can enhance your boobs and still create that balanced body shape. That we're going for. So after you pick your favorite feature, we decide how are we going to accentuate it? Is it going to be layered necklaces? Is it going to be a gentle V-neck? Is it going to be buttoned-up tops? Whatever that is, whatever makes sense with your lifestyle, your personal style, what your aspirations are, and all of that. Then we look at the— and the rest of your body shape. And the idea is, I mean, it's really easy
[35:59] Al Elliott: Yeah
[36:00] Angela Foster: The idea is just to create the illusion of balance. You know how we've all seen those makeup tutorials on YouTube where some chick takes contour and highlight? She doesn't have any cheekbones, and then all of a sudden, magically, she has the most dramatic, exotic cheekbones ever. That's all we're doing with clothes. We're just using clothes as a tool to create the illusion of a balanced body shape. Some women have it naturally, some women don't. It's fine. If you have delicate shoulders and a perky bust, and then a fuller bum and thigh area, then we're going to add volume on top. When I look at you from head to toe, I'm going to say you're balanced, or vice versa
[36:43] Leanne Elliott: Okay. So, you've convinced me. I need to create some kind of brand style that's going to reflect my brand. Where do I start? I remember working with a client once who I was doing some career coaching with. who, um, who, who was known as like the sneaker guy or like the sneaker leader, um, because he'd have really cool sneakers that he'd wear along with quite a sharp suit or, you know, something like that. Um, just do I need that? Do I need a thing? Do I need a bit?
[37:11] Angela Foster: So you're just full of amazing questions. So I love this one. So let's just— well, let's just use the career coach example because I like that one. So say you're on LinkedIn And you're like, you kind of consider it a career coach, but you haven't made the decision yet. You don't level up, all of that. So you're scrolling through LinkedIn and you see a post from Leanne. Oh, she's a career coach. You won't remember, like I won't remember your name. And then I see another career coach and another career coach, and you know how they're like all of a sudden their career coaches are coming out of the walls. Then I see another post from you and I probably don't remember your company. I definitely don't remember your name at this point, but you're the girl with With the loopy curls that always wears super smart glasses or whatever. So, and then I see you the third time and I'm like, oh my God, this girl is everywhere. Every time I turn around, she must be an amazing career coach. So it takes down that when you have a signature, like his sneakers, your glasses, you know, whatever that signature is, it takes down that know, like, and trust factor from whatever it is today because they say it's like, now I have to see you 19 times before I remember your name or whatever. It scrunches that down until that know, like, and trust factor is a lot faster, and you have instant credibility because I'm looking at you going, oh my gosh, she has like— and I'm maybe not thinking this consciously, but I'm thinking like, she really has it pinned down. Like, I bet she could help me. So yes, we call it a signature. It's typically an accessory. It can be— I have a client, she wears red lipstick no matter what she's doing. Everywhere. Like, red is her jam. Red lipstick, red is, you know, like she has red glasses, she has red earrings, but she's always like, it's a bold red statement. I have another one who wears white blouses all the time. Like, that's her thing. She's in a very colorful industry, so that really makes her stand out when everybody else is trying to be super bright and loud and all that
[39:09] Leanne Elliott: So, what signature would you recommend for a podcaster who spent most of her time behind a microphone and is only now starting to show her face to the world?
[39:17] Angela Foster: Well, congratulations. You're just like what we were talking about, like stepping up the visibility. Yes, that is. And when we started that whole like Zoom work from home thing, that definitely became a thing, right? Because we had to keep the party on top because otherwise, like I used to wear like the craziest, highest heeled platform shoes all the time. Well, then nobody can see them. So what difference does it make? Like that, what a wasted effort. So you definitely want to keep it like from the boobs up, you know, to the top. You could do anything. You could do— I do love the smart glasses idea because you are Brainiac, so I like how that ties into your brand and your style and all of that. You could also do fun earrings. You could do something different with your hair, like wear it in a very specific style consistently so it becomes your thing
[40:06] Leanne Elliott: And with that in mind, where does the line go between having a signature and it just becoming a distraction?
[40:11] Angela Foster: Oh, right. Oh, that is such a great question. So, well, number one, if it's distracting to you, it's going to be distracting to everybody else, right? Because you and I do so much work, you know, via video and Zoom and that type of thing. Anything that is too loud, you fiddle with it. That's one of the reasons I started wearing my hair up all the time. My VA said, if you do one more video where you're flicking your hair around— but it was always in my face
[40:37] Al Elliott: Yeah
[40:38] Angela Foster: So I was like, I can't help it. It's just always in my face. So hence the— so now I always have it pulled back so I don't mess with it. So in answer to your question, if it bothers you, it's going to bother everybody watching. But yeah, nothing that makes too much noise or is like you're fiddling with it. I think those are the 2 big things. And don't forget, you always have your backdrop to help reinforce whatever you're doing
[41:01] Leanne Elliott: And if I was looking to build quite a versatile wardrobe with, as you say, those signature pieces? Because that does seem to be a trend, doesn't it? Whether environmental or sustainability or even just cost of living, fast fashion seems like it's had its day. Is there any tips you'd give to people who want to— how to pick those key pieces for a wardrobe?
[41:22] Angela Foster: One of the things that makes it that whole, I have nothing to wear thing that really reinforces that is a lack of staples. When you don't have enough layering pieces that, oh my gosh, it's cold outside, I need a cardigan or I need a blazer to throw over it. When you don't have enough of those pieces, all of a sudden getting dressed becomes a lot more difficult. And that's one of the things, it's not a sexy thing. It's not like, oh really? You think we need basics and essentials? Well, yes. It's not to say that that has to be your entire closet, but you need to have enough that when it gets cold, when it gets hot and all of that, you You can tweak your favorite pieces enough to be weather appropriate, situationally appropriate, and all of that. So that's the first thing. And like I said, it's not sexy. So, and especially for petites, it can be tough to find things that fit that well that, you know, you can have like a button-down blouse in the, you know, all the most important colors. So there's that. The other thing is, is that my clients who come to me that are struggling the most, their closet looks like a rainbow. And they have every color on the planet. They love how colorful they are. And I think that's amazing. And it makes mixing and matching and pulling together an outfit that feels cohesive a lot more challenging, right? Because if you have, you know, unless you're like Rainbow Brite, but do you know what I mean? Because nothing can go. And so if that black pencil skirt has a stain on it, then I'm stuck because, you know, the only other thing I have is an orange pencil skirt
[43:01] Al Elliott: Right
[43:01] Angela Foster: So, having those, like, you know, some sort of a cohesive color theme. A good rule of thumb is if you have a color palette, whether it be black, white, and gray, or navy, khaki, and white, or whatever that is, if 80-ish percent of your closet falls into that color palette, you're going to have a lot more mixing and matching opportunities than somebody who has a rainbow closet
[43:24] Leanne Elliott: And on the flip side of that, if somebody maybe has— I can't imagine who I'm talking about, Angela. But if somebody might have a wardrobe that, say, is mainly black, white, gray, beige, um, with the odd, you know, there might be a bit of green in there, olive green from time to time, um, should, should I feel pressured to inject color in my wardrobe? Or are you like, you know what, Leanne, you do you if that's your thing? Or am I going to blend into the background? How much do I need to think and worry about this?
[43:50] Angela Foster: No, you be you. There is not a thing wrong with black, white, gray, and beige. Not a thing unless you're bored, unless you walk into your closet and you're like, this is not fun because I feel like a monochromatic painting. If that, then absolutely, let's spark, you know, like let's inject some, you know, pops of color. That's such an easy thing to do. But no, don't feel any pressure. Don't feel— this is the other thing. People are like, oh, I feel like I should wear like a floral something. It's spring. Or I feel like I should like inject some prints. Do you like prints? If you do, fantastic. If you don't, who cares? Like, no. And that's one of the things, when you become confident in your personal style, it's so much easier to walk away from things, especially trends that you're like, nope, not going to work on me. I just flat out don't like it. Not going to participate. There's plenty of other trends this season that I can take part in if I want to. So no, don't feel pressured unless you're bored. The best compliment I can get is when my clients say to me, it is so much fun getting up and getting dressed. I have so much fun. That's the best thing they can say to me because I know it's fun because they like what's in their closet and they know it makes them look good
[45:00] Leanne Elliott: Is designer clothes important? Do designer clothes look smarter? Does it give an impression above shopping at the high street?
[45:07] Angela Foster: Some brands and designers can be very important to some women. And if that's important to you, I have zero judgment. about that. I do think you get to a point though in your life where you feel confident enough in how you look, what you wear, what your closet looks like, what you do for a living, and you have a level of happiness that you don't feel that's so necessary. Do my clients buy designer? Sometimes if they like it. I don't feel like they're buying it just because of the brand though. So I think you get to a certain point where it's more important how I feel in something Versus, you know, advertising for Louis Vuitton
[45:48] Leanne Elliott: At this stage, you might be feeling that this is a bigger project than you initially thought. I wanted to know from Angela what she recommends listeners do to get started. Angela starts by telling us what not to do, then walks me through her 5-part SPARK method. Oh, and she also has a free gift for you. Yes, you. Is there one thing that Is there anything that anyone could do today to maybe start to— or I guess a starting book? Because like you said, we've talked about so much stuff and so much exciting stuff that I instantly want to get onto Pinterest and go shopping. But for the sake of my bank account, where should I start?
[46:25] Angela Foster: Okay. Don't shop. That is going to be the key takeaway for the listeners. Don't buy another thing. Don't purge anything until you have a plan, because that's what got us into the situation we're in right now. And we end up wearing the same thing over and over and over again. So don't shop until you have a strategy, whether that's my strategy, Leanne's strategy, a strategy you got from someone. Do you know what I mean? But have a plan because just to your point, just spending money on more stuff is rarely the answer. Rarely the answer. As many of my clients who've said, oh my gosh, I don't have anything to wear, not one of them have they shown me their closet and it literally be empty
[47:10] Leanne Elliott: Yeah
[47:10] Angela Foster: So I think that's a really good point. Like, there's stuff. There's stuff in there. That might not be the right stuff, but until we know what that is, just buying more wrong stuff isn't helpful
[47:19] Leanne Elliott: How does everything we've talked about fit into your SPARK Method?
[47:25] Angela Foster: So, we've talked about a lot. The first one is body shape. The second one is the perfect pant formula, because, Leanne, you know, like, pants are troublesome for short girls. They come up to your boobs or they're dragging on the floor and all of that. So there's a simple 3-part formula that we put together so you can always find pants that fit you. Then we talk about accessories. So accessories can either go to your signature accessory like we're talking about, your headphones. I'm going to keep slipping that in there so afterwards you're like, yes, I want to go look for a pair. But it can also be what accessories can accentuate your favorite feature. Then we talk about refining your style. So that's where the 3 adjectives come in and also what colors look best on your skin tone. Now, it's not— we are not the color police around here. Like, I am not going to tell somebody not to wear a color that happens to be their favorite because it's not on their ideal color palette. But it does help sometimes to fix an outfit that's not working. When you put something on, whether you're in a store or whether you actually own it, and you're like, gosh, what is this? Like, I just don't feel as good in this. I don't feel like my skin as smooth and pretty looking or whatever, you'll know. And I think a lot of times knowing how to fix an outfit that's like on the fence is as powerful as just being able to pick out the right stuff, right? So that's refining the style. And then the last step is doing— keeping your closet clean. So purging the items that don't work, you know, filling in the blanks, knowing what to buy, not about just shopping without a purpose. You need to have a list. You need to know why, you know, like, why am I— but when I get this perfect black belt, what does that mean? That I'm going to have all these other options, or it's going to make this outfit look more polished and that type of thing. I think one of the things that's so harmful to a woman's self-esteem is when she walks into her closet and she's like, nope, makes my butt look big. Nope, my hips. Nope, shows off my stomach. Nope, nope, nope. And you just filled your mind with all garbage about how your body is wrong and all of that, how are you supposed to leave the house and feel amazing and go crush your goals? I mean, I can't do that. I can't imagine there's a ton of women out there. So we want to get rid of the items that aren't working, slowly add items that will work and will make it fun to get dressed in the morning. So many women are like, I'm I'm however old. I'm 40 years old and I haven't found out my style and I don't know how to shop and I don't know what to wear and all of that. And then they get to that point where, oh, I just wasn't born with the style gene. Like there's a gene, there's an extra chromosome somewhere that some women have and some women don't, and I don't have it, so I'm just stuck feeling frumpy or not stylish or whatever. And that's not the case at all. I really look at style as it really is. It's a science
[50:23] Leanne Elliott: Yeah
[50:24] Angela Foster: And there's lots of women who are going to— people, stylists, who are going to make it sound super complicated, but it's not. It's really not. I have a gift for your listeners. It's a body shape quiz so they can get started knowing the styles and silhouettes that flatter their shape the best. They can go to angelafoster.co/leanne and they'll get thrown right into the quiz with a personalized video afterwards with recommendations and that sort of thing. type of thing
[50:53] Leanne Elliott: That is us done for today. Let us know what you think, and if you take some, some of Angela's advice, um, and do have a mini glow up, then send us your before and after photos. Everybody loves a little bit of a makeover montage, don't they?
[51:05] Al Elliott: Even better, why not post them on LinkedIn and tag us and Angela in? Because I'm pretty sure she'd be thrilled to see what you've done with her advice. Join us again next Thursday where we bring you another brilliant guest with a real story and practical advice on building amazing workplace cultures
[51:20] Leanne Elliott: But if you cannot wait a week, then don't worry, you can join us next Tuesday for your weekly fix of workplace news, those spicy hot takes from our expert panel, and of course our famous Workplace Surgery where Al puts your tough questions to me. Until then, make sure you have subscribed to the show on whatever platform you get your podcasts. And if you really want to support us, consider posting on LinkedIn about how much you enjoyed this episode. Um, and hopefully you did, because as we said, there's a little gift for you in the show notes from Angela. Go check that out
[51:50] Al Elliott: Also check the show notes for Leanne's email address. Feel free to send her questions. She personally answers every single one, even though it does take a little bit of a while. And if you'd like your question to be read out and answered on the show, then use the subject line Workplace Surgery, and I'll make sure I'll put it to Leanne over the next few weeks. And you can tell me if you want it anonymous or not. So have a fabulous Thanksgiving if we've got the date right. I'm not sure it's out on the day of Thanksgiving, but either, either way, have a fabulous one. I hope you had a fabulous one. And as Leanne Leanne always says, may your turkey be moist and your yams sweet. Say goodbye, Leanne
[52:19] Leanne Elliott: Goodbye, Leanne
[52:20] Al Elliott: Bye, guys
[52:24] Angela Foster: Bye-bye
[52:25] Leanne Elliott: And what I wear is not about me. No, sorry, usually, usually better than this
[52:35] Al Elliott: You are
[52:36] Leanne Elliott: And one final word. If there is anyone out there who is now thinking Sorry. And one final word. And one final word
[52:50] Al Elliott: You can do this
[52:52] Leanne Elliott: And one final— sorry, mouth click
[52:54] Al Elliott: 9th time lucky
[52:55] Leanne Elliott: And one final word on this. If there is anyone out there thinking— okay, do you want to just start again?
[53:02] Al Elliott: Is that easier? Yeah, much easier