Photo Credit: Tina J. Smith Photography

Solita Roberts is the creator of Style To Impact, an image consulting platform. Solita believes that if more women show up in a confident and purpose-driven way, dreaming bigger, raising our voices for what matters, and becoming leaders in the companies we work for and the communities we serve, we will change the status quo. If not for ourselves but for our daughter; because if they can see themselves in us, they can dream without limits.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I would love to! I’ve jokingly said I am an immigrant all my life, born in the Republic of Guyana, raised in Antigua and Barbuda, and now building a life in the United States. I think these experiences made me the person I am today- resilient, caring and ambitious.

I am the big sister to four girls who are now women; I dreamt of becoming a lawyer, but life happened, so I worked in banking and finance for fifteen (15) plus years, and now I am the founder of Style To Impact.

What inspired you to start your business?

As I mentioned earlier, I now live in the US; what I didn’t say was how recent a move it was. With big dreams, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in 2019, I made the bold step to start my life here in Atlanta, GA, which at the time I taught would have been an easy transition. But boy was I wrong; through many failed efforts to get a job [ because that’s what you’re told] and countless nos, I decided to create my own Yes.

The inspiration to start my own business was partly to have a purpose when life wasn’t going as planned, and the other part was to support other women who weren’t feeling their best with their bodies and wardrobe. In my mind, it was a matter of survival, and if I can inspire and empower other women to be their best, I can become my best in the process.

Where is your business based?

I'm based in Atlanta, Georgia, serving women leaders and professionals both virtually and in person.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

Personal styling was something I did as a creative outlet when I felt like banking and finance was no longer fulfilling. It started with me expressing myself through the clothes I wore to work, and then I started posting style flat lay ideas on Instagram. Of course, that was when I was doing it as a hobby. Once I decided to pursue personal styling as a business, my first thought was, “How can I be different?” and “What do I need help with?” The answer to the latter was hiring a business coach, who helped me create my marketing and content strategy. Then I took the pieces from that session and aligned it to my purpose that It’s more than just clothes -it’s Women Empowerment Through Style

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Definitely, social media to begin with because there was no network or community I could tap into for referrals after moving to the US. So I relied heavily on creating content on social media platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn that spark conversations and eventually lead to paying clients.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Ah! A couple of things, first, bootstrapping without a steady income, and not having, say, a 9-5 paycheck to rely on, made things extremely difficult. Second, not having a community or network to tap into for referral. To overcome those two challenges, I looked for opportunities like applying and securing a spot in the LinkedIn Creator Accelerator program, which came with a $15,000 grant. I network heavily on social media, attending virtual events and taking a shot by reaching out to total strangers.

How do you stay focused?

That’s a trick question because as an entrepreneur relying on your business for security, you can’t help but be focused. There are days when I would like nothing more than to sit on the couch and eat ice cream, but that is not how dreams are built. On those days, I tap my accountability partner for motivation. I also look around at the women who inspired me daily and how they are overcoming obstacles to make a bigger impact in their businesses and careers.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

When I get feedback like "I didn't expect that working with you would be such a deeply emotional experience, I thought you were just going to tell me to wear or to buy that,"

That's what makes me different from my other competitors. If you go on my social media pages. there are a couple of outfit inspirations because, after all, I am into fashion, but what you will see is a focus on empowering women, celebrating women, sharing the story, and uplifting women's voices.

The work that I do as an Image Coach and Personal Stylist isn't a job; it's a mission to remove the patriarchal, societal norms, and biases forced upon women regarding beauty and what we wear.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Social media, specifically LinkedIn, has created tremendous reach for my business. Many entrepreneurs don't understand the power of this platform, and so many fail to use it. It's no longer a place for your resume; it is where you can create change and meet other entrepreneurs doing amazing work. Other strategies I use are podcast guesting and speaking engagements.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Connect what you are called to do on a bigger and higher purpose instead of just inspiring others and making a living. Do that, and every day you get to opportunity to pursue your dreams, you will never feel like it’s work. And it will motivate you to dream bigger than the average person. And be sure to live up to that every day. For instance, I’m an Image Coach and Personal Stylist; that’s nice, but I wanted to go beyond that and make a bigger impact. With Women Empowerment Through Style, I am able to do just that, and how do I live it daily?- well, check out my LinkedIn and website.

 What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

My favorite app has to be the meeting notes, transcription, and voice recorder app Otter. Quite often, I would have an idea for a post or a pitch for a speaking engagement and would struggle to type the words, so I would use the voice recorder feature of Otter to record a free flow of what I wanted to say. The app will then provide a transcription of what I said. After a few edits for grammar and spelling, my proposal is ready in no time.

Favorite Blog: Forbes.com. I like that there are a range of topics to get information on and most of the articles provide some insights I can use in my personal and professional growth.

Favorite Book: I have two, actually “Do it Scared” by Ruth Soukup and “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. These books have been a tremendous resource elevating my business mindset. I even had my book club members read them. Do it Scared reminded me that action is the antidote to fear, while Atomic Habits give me the tools to practice better habits in working towards my goals.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

My favorite business tool has to be Grammarly because my mind and fingers don’t always type in sync, so Grammarly helps to improve my business writing by decreasing my spelling and grammar mistakes.

Who is your business role model? Why?

My business role model has to be Rihanna. As an artist, Rihanna proved that you don't have to do one thing or allow yourself to settle into any industry. You can follow other passions and become wildly successful at them. The biggest takeaway from her success is that she lives life on her terms, and she didn't try to reinvent the makeup wheel with Fenty Beauty; she just made it more inclusive and better. She uses her influence and voice to empower women, inspire others and is unapologetically herself.

How do you balance work and life?

I don’t think there will ever be a balance between work and life; I think it’s important to focus on what’s important at the moment and make room for other dreams and goals you might have. And if the people around you genuinely love and support you, they will inspire you to create balance.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Everything comedy, that’s how I decompress - from Friends to the Jeffersons. There is something about laughing and hearing a joke that puts my mind at ease. Guess laughter is, in fact, the best medicine.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

Travelling has always brought me joy; I want to visit at least one of my bucket list destinations this year- Italy or Barcelona. My goal is to have worked with ten (10) women at the six month mark and do a workshop or speaking engagement on Image Bias.

How can our readers connect with you?

Readers can find me at StyleToImpact.com or directly via email: solita@styletoimpact.com

And on these Social Media platforms:

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/solitacroberts

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/styletoimpact