Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Seeman.
Hi Amy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I have been a Fashion Stylist for about 10 years now – 7 of which was as a side hustle while juggling a full-time career in a leadership role. There isn’t a traditional educational path to becoming a Fashion Stylist as in most other fields, so I like to say I mastered my craft by doing. My favorite past-time as a child was playing dress up in my closet.
In college, I was the room everyone came to for help deciding what to wear before going out. When I graduated and began a career in corporate America, I would get endless compliments about my ability to put an outfit together mixing and matching pieces in countless ways. I started offering to help my colleagues shop over our lunch hour or reimagine the possibilities in their closets after work. Eventually, I had another female leader sit me down after I had worked my magic in her closet and encouraged me to start charging for my time and talents. She had seen firsthand the way it increased confidence and improved performance in the women within our organization I had styled. She gave me the confidence to turn my hobby into a business without any formal credentials.
Around the same time, I started a blog which got some local notoriety in the Maple Grove Magazine and then ultimately led to a monthly style segment on Twin Cities Live! My book of business was growing and my corporate environment was becoming increasingly more toxic. I found myself at a crossroads where I knew something had to give so I took a leap of faith walking away from a six-figure income in pursuit of my passions. That was 3 years ago and I can honestly say it was 100% worth the risk. Life is too short to stay stuck.
In September of 2020, I opened a styling studio at the Shoppes of Arbor Lakes as a low-touch intimate way to better serve my clients one on one. Having my own space to create was something I didn’t know was possible but the universe has a way of opening doors for you when you start to lead a purposely driven life. The transformation in the men and women who walk out the door after a style session with me is all the validation I need to keep doing what I’m doing.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. And that’s okay. It has been one of tremendous growth and that makes it all worth it. Year one after I quit my job was by far the hardest. What a lot of people didn’t know then was that I had ultimately left my corporate job after I was sexually harassed by a male leader in a position of power over my role. I went through a grueling investigation and in the end, they determined there was not enough concrete evidence to prove anything unlawful happened because the perpetrator denied the accusations and the only other witness was my direct boss who chose to protect himself over me. It took me nearly 6 months to have the courage to share my story publicly so while I was at home grieving the loss of a career and struggling to accept the disbelief, I felt this pressure to put on my happy face and start building what was next yet most days I couldn’t get out of my robe. I eventually started to open up on social media about my experience and the response was so overwhelmingly positive that it pulled me out of a dark place and into therapy. Once I got my mental health under control, I became less paralyzed by doing the actual work. That also proved to be more difficult than I expected. As a solopreneur, you have to be all the things: sales, marketing, customer support, project management, social media, finance…I’m strong in about half and the other half, well, it’s still a work in progress.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a Fashion Stylist on a mission to empower everyday men and women to authentically dress for their best selves. My philosophy as a stylist is that it’s not about following trends, it’s about finding pieces that make you come alive. When we feel good we do better and I firmly believe we all deserve to feel good. I am most known for putting together outfits that are a bit unexpected yet feel attainable. I am not here to sell you a shirt, I am here to show you 6 different ways you can wear it. I am really proud of how I’ve turned my love for fashion into something that is greater than me. I am an educator, a confidence builder, and a permission granted. The greatest joy comes from the transformation I see in my clients knowing that I have truly helped change their lives.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Inviting someone into your closet and exposing all of your fit issues and body image insecurities is a very vulnerable experience. In order to be effective as a stylist, you have to be able to build trust and rapport with your clients in a very short period of time. You also have to be able to think on your feet as you don’t know what you will find until you step into their closet or start seeing the clothes you picked out on their body.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: amyseeman.com
- Instagram: @mamaseeman
Image Credits
Carleen Olson Photography
Ashley Nicole Inc
Lina Barengolts
Adam Meyer
