Are You Cool Under Pressure?

. . . . you can be!

Just about everyday we –you and I– are placed in situations that test our ability to remain patient, calm, composed, classy, productive, and in control.

Honestly, it’s quite easy to let emotions take over in situations that are considered stressful. Gosh, so many individuals let themselves turn into snappy, curt, unproductive monsters in the face of stress it must be easy to lose control emotionally.

Too often the excuse/apology for acting poorly is: ” I was stressed out”.

Listen up! Instead of loosing it in these situations we are presented with the opportunity to reveal the best we have to offer! 

Create that “cool under pressure” persona for yourself. You can do it too! People do it everyday and those individuals are highly respected. No, it may not come naturally but it’s not impossible! Do things like prepare as best you can for pressure packed situations you know are coming  i.e. big auditions, job interviews, presentations, negotiations. 

Hey! Look the part! Take attorneys for example, their clothing and their facial expressions, it doesn’t hurt to look great while navigating your way through pressure packed situations and it may very well sway the outcome.

More seriously, take stock of your emotions when you feel it coming. Do not just let yourself  lose control, instead seek solutions. Listen up, ask questions, and communicate.

There are ALWAYS situations that test us to the limit and are simply more than we anticipated but practicing the art of staying cool under pressure will make it a reaction that comes more naturally.

 . . . 

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Upscale works closely with select clients to help guide their pursuit of personal and professional excellence and Upscale is so very happy to offer valuable, fun, information packed, reasonably priced courses directly to you–just when you need them!

So often people  ask:

• “do you know how I can get into the industry?”
• “will you help me get into modeling?”
• “can you help me impress clients?”
• “are you able to help me prepare for my competition?”
• “can you speak to my staff about etiquette?”
• “do you have any expert advice for me?”

The answer to all of these questions is YES!  

There is an Upscale course that’s just perfect for answering your questions and helping you pursue personal and professional excellence too!

Classes forming NOW and filling fast (class size limited).

Are You a Smart Spender?

Recently, Upscale conducted a brief survey (two questions). 

THE QUESTIONS:  

1. If  you were given $90.00 could you immediately list the ways you would spend the money?

2. If you were given 90 days could you immediately list the way you would spend those 90 days?

THE RESULTS:        

95% of the individuals surveyed responded to question #1 with an overwhelming “yes” followed by a 10-15 minute detailed run down of how they would spend  their $90 – every penny of it.

Question #2 however, wasn’t so easy, 75% of those surveyed responded first with “uuuhhhh” followed by a meandering list of things they’d like to do with nowhere near the detail and precision given when answering question #1.

These results are amazing but not surprising! 

Often, the value placed on fleeting objects like money is much more than that placed on valuable things like days or time.

  . . . 

Would you be able to answer this question with ease:         How would you spend 90 days?

If  you answered ”no” then I encourage you to take steps to change that. Its much easier than you think and the benefits are well worth your time!                                  

The way you spend your days can significantly alter your position in life, your state-of-mind, and your overall well being!

No, no , no, it’s not about establishing some unreasonable goal for yourself but for your own well being you should consider working toward something you’ve been wanting to accomplish and begin to take small steps to make it happen!

FIRST, identify and state your goal.

SECOND, take one step toward making your goals a reality.

THIRD, set a realistic time frame for yourself.

and Lastly, congratulate yourself! Completing even one step toward reaching your goals is wonderful.

Spend your time as wisely as you spend your money and you will love the results.

Be a smart spender!

Now go go go and spend spend spend – wisely of course!

Think something was forgotten? Want to leave a comment?  Have questions? Need advice? Leave a comment below. Thank you!

Are You Prepared To Be Successful? You can’t just rely solely on luck if you truly want to achieve your dreams.

What happens when being prepared, persistance, and perfect timing all intersect?  ……..nothing bad I can tell you that much!

Phenomenal acts like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, or ANY professional athlete have all benefited from being prepared when the intersection of persistance, and perfect timing meet.

It takes more than just relying on luck; there are VERY few over-night success stories. Successful people tend to work hard!

Perhaps you’ve seen “Behind the Music: Destiny’s Child”. The original members of Destiny’s Child were working hard, performing and singing at an early age so they could be ready when their lives lead them to the ever important intersection where perfect timing met preparedness and as they say: “the rest is history”.

Read a little about the flamboyant super star Lady Gaga and you’ll find that she too was more than prepared when it came time for her to be catapulted into the spotlight. Lady Gaga learned to play piano by ear at the age of 4 and by age 13 she had written her first piano ballad. When Ms. Gaga was 17 she became one of very very few students to earn admission to Tisch School of the Arts at NYU.

And professional athletes, well you’ve seen their bodies and the level at which they compete. You can bet that takes dedication and hard work.

The consistent pattern for success is preparation prior to that so-called “lucky moment”.

Ask yourself now, if you were given the chance to live your dream would you be prepared?

Want to be a model?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Have you been eating right, exercising, and studying the craft so when the right people in the industry spot you,  you’ll be ready to go?!

Want to be a professional athlete?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Is your training regimen anything similar to those in ‘the league’ so when it’s time to perform at the highest level, you can?!

Want to be the manager at your job?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Have you been giving your best effort to each task so when it comes time to promote someone you’re top of mind?!

When your prep and the right time intersect, that’s where you’ll find your success; be ready! Don’t just rely on luck to make your dreams come true.

Now go go go be prosperous!

Let’s address dress speaking specifically about the term ‘business casual’.

At times traditional business attire can be quite formal; suit, tie, pantyhose, etc.

Business casual, in simple terms, means business attire toned down. 

Many offices have adopted this toned down attire as their own dress code policy.     

Business casual DOES NOT mean completely departing from professional dress.

The term ‘business casual’ still has the word business in it. Dress accordingly!      

There seems to be some confusion surrounding the term business casual. This is apparent when you visit any office with a business casual dress code. You’ll find a wide variety of clothing worn by office personnel, everything ranging from sports jerseys to yoga pants to T-shirts.

You and by “you” I mean men and women, can never go wrong by wearing slacks, blazers, collared shirts, modest length dresses or skirts, button down shirts, blouses, and sweaters.

Most importantly, your business casual wardrobe should be appropriate for interacting and doing business with your clients/customers. You’ll find that the respect you command in the work place (and outside of it) is directly related to the way you present yourself. Wardrobe is a very important part of your self presentation so spend time focusing on it and you’ll see amazing results.

If you are still unsure about ‘business casual’ simply ask yourself: WWSW? a.k.a What Would Supervisors Wear? If your boss isn’t wearing flip-flop sandals or sweat pants to work perhaps you shouldn’t be either.

No go go go and be the most appropriately dressed person in your office!

Hello and Happy 2010 to you and yours! What a wonderful gift!

Here we all are, fully immersed in a new year and it also happens to mark a new decade too!

Yes, 2010 is more than just the year that follows 2009, it’s the beginning of a new decade.

What are your plans for this decade? What do you hope to accomplish? Unsure? Well, you can begin by simply asking yourself what you’d like to change. You can aspire to change something huge or you can aspire to change something small. It’s just most important that you think highly enough of yourself and your abilities to set a goal and work hard to achieve it.

Make the most of this decade! Increase in 2010!

Now remember, there are negative individuals out there who seek to denigrate you and tell you that the stuff you’ve dreamed about for years is “never going to happen” or “is a waste of your time”. Don’t believe anyone who tells you that you “can not” or ”are not”!  The limitations that others see for themselves should not and can not apply to you.  

The single determining factor in your success is YOU!

If you’ve spent even a moment believing the negative words that have been utterd in your presence or those that have been sent to you in a text message or via email, then you’ve wasted a portion of this wonderful gift that is 2010, but it’s not too late.  Spend a little time imaging something wonderful and then place yourself  in that scenario and go for it!

Not sure where to start ?! Contact UpscaleImageConsulting@gmail.com or leave a comment below and lets talk! Upscale is 100% dedicated to helping you achieve personal and professional excellence!

Happy New Year! Now go go go be prosperous!

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Things do change after Labor Day. Say buh bye to summer whites and hello to winter whites (in moderation of course). Colder weather equals warm cozy clothing and a few fashion rules.

10 Cold Weather Do’s and Dont’s!

1. Yes, this is still the rule: Do not wear white after Labor Day. No more white tanks, white shoes, or white jeans.

(Exceptions are made for winter whites).

2. Yes, it’s time for those cozy Uggs and other fashionable boots.

3. Do put on your favorite scarf and gloves!

4.  Do incorporate some cute cute patterned tights into your wardrobe.

5. Gentlemen, let that attractive 5 o’clock shadow keep you warm. 

6. Do throw away your holy socks (I’m not talking church) and buy new ones.

7. Ladies, try a belted coat. It will keep you warm and accentuate your lovely curves.

8. Purple is the new black! Invest in a few beautiful deep purple pieces!

9. Don’t be caught in flip-flops.

10. Furs, whatever your political stance, if you have one (faux or real)  now is the time to wear it.

Let’s talk goals. Not just soccer goals.

(but those are included too!)

No matter if your goal is to pass a test, vowing to do a better job keeping a budget, spending more time with loved ones, finding a well paying  job, going to college, reading an entire book, training harder for the season, or becoming the next president of the United States, you are special! As someone once said, “when you visualize the impossible it becomes possible for you.”

There is something special about those of you who are ambitious enough to set a goal and dream of reaching it.

Don’t let anyone say you aren’t special because you haven’t reached your goal just yet or because you are still in pursuit of the goal             –no matter how long it’s been.

Hold onto your dreams!

You are special because in contrast to the millions of  people around you, most people aren’t goal setters. They are satisfied with their current lifestyle and whatever comes their way. Now don’t mistake what I’m saying as being against those individuals who are content, perhaps they’ve met their goals already, but you, you are special and not a part of the norm. You want to climb, achieve, elevate, and progress from where you currently are. You’re awesome! I’m excited that you are brave enough to think big!  You are the thing that success stories and reality shows are made of.

Theres something special about you individuals who can picture yourself  in a different and higher place than you are now. Really, just take a moment and think of all the people you know that never talk about any of their goals. . .

Yeah, you are special! Go for it and I wish you the best!

This summer don’t forget to keep it classy!

Summer really is a delightful time. Lovely sunshine, time off, everything is a bit more relaxed, social events galore, and frolicking in the water.

With this being said there is no reason to stop keeping it classy!

What is keeping it classy? Simply put, it’s the opposite of  trashy and trashy is exceptionally easy to identify.

Classy can be defined differently by each individual–as it should be–but one common thread that every classy individual possesses is     SELF RESPECT! This is for you gentlemen too. Please respect yourself so that others are compelled to do the same.  Know your self worth. Not sure what your worth is?…..It’s a lot!!!!!! Act accordingly.

Be positive, encourage others, be brave enough to chase your dreams, and go go go be phenomenal! 

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