#awinewith Imogene Whittle
MEET Imogene, Founder of Spree with me.
You can find them here:
Transcript
Danielle Lewis (00:07):
All right, Imogene, welcome to Spark tv. I'm so thrilled to have you here.
Imogene Whittle (00:13):
Thank you. It's so great to be here.
Danielle Lewis (00:16):
We have known each other now through the Spark community, so I'm so excited to share your story with our fabulous Spark people because it's really exciting. I love the variety of people we have on this show and the fabulous stories. And I know yours personally, so I want to share it with everyone. Let's just start by telling everyone who you are and what you do.
Imogene Whittle (00:42):
Thank you. Well, my name's Imogene. I'm a personal stylist, and I'm also the founder and director of Spree with me. So Spree with me is a marketplace of personal stylists.
Danielle Lewis (00:52):
So cool. And so how did you even get into being a stylist? Has you done this forever or was this
Imogene Whittle (01:00):
Well, no, no. I mean, I'm someone who once upon a time hit absolute dag mode and I needed to pull myself out of that. It was after my second child, I just kind of looked in the mirror and did not recognize myself. And kind of rewinding back from that, I've always had a business and arts background, and along the way I always knew that I wanted to have my own business. I just thought one day I'll find the creative industry that really clicks with me. I've tried a few different things and I can talk about that later. But personal styling, when I stumbled upon this industry because I needed help for myself, just it clicked and it felt so me. So I was trying to find a personal stylist that resonated with me and my personal style, and I found it surprisingly difficult to find somebody. And I realized that there was huge gaps in the market. And also the more I spoke with personal stylists, the more I realized that there's a way that I can help them in their business too. So yeah, I love that that's the initial background story. Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (02:16):
And I do love that because oftentimes it is our own problem that we build a business around. We kind of feel the initial pain and think, oh my God, I can actually do something about this. And that's kind of the spark that helps us start the business. Now I'm very curious, before we get into the current business stuff, tell me a bit about that background. So what other businesses did you have or what's the arts background? I'm super keen on hearing that.
Imogene Whittle (02:45):
Yeah, sure. So my first degree was business management, Japanese and PR as well. So after doing that, I lived in Japan for a bit, and then I worked in Accenture business consulting firms and went down that route of being the
Danielle Lewis (03:05):
Corporate diva, corporate corporate one,
Imogene Whittle (03:07):
International hr, doing things like that. Wow, that's cool. Yeah, so I've got that background, but then after a while I just didn't feel like me and I felt like I was having a quarter of crisis. I'm like, this is not who I want to be. So then I went back to university to study Creative Industries management. I was able to fast track that career, and so I was doing creative industries management. I was kind of interested in the music industry, so I was doing a bit of music as a sub-major as well. And then went on student exchanges, of course, after Southern Japanese, after the first degree. I also worked in Japan for a bit, and then when I came back, I found my way into youth arts, and that was amazing for me. So I worked my way up to manager of young people in the Arts Australia, which was the National Peak Body for Youth Arts. And then from there I was the creative director of Youth Arts Queensland, which was the Queensland Peak Body. So that really felt like the peak of my career. That's huge.
(04:18):
And then I had kids and really had to change tech. And I started Nature Play Queensland as the marketing person was there for a very long time, and screw that, which felt I had a marketing background as well. So that felt wonderful, especially while I was a mom and helped to build that career. And after a while, I got burnt out and really wanted to do something that was just purely for myself and did a huge deep dive into who I am, what are my skillset, what are my interests, and really curated an organization that built a sum of all my parts. I can honestly say that everything that I do in my business, I've done before in a different role. For example, when I help the personal stylists, I consider them the artist that I was supporting when I was at Youth Arts Queensland, building their business career success and considering them as creatives.
Danielle Lewis (05:22):
I love that so much because it's really funny. A lot of times people hate their corporate jobs and want to start a business, and I totally get that. I was one of those people. But when you reflect on all of the experiences you've had in life, I do love that you can draw on all of them. I feel like no experience is a waste. You
Imogene Whittle (05:45):
Can Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. You might have organizations that didn't feel like the right fit for you, but you can still have taken, for example, I worked in one recruitment in Brisbane. That was just not good. But you know what? I learned a lot about what to do and what not to do in business and how to recruit amazing people. And that's the kind of skillset that still stays with me. So there's no regrets. Just there's always something you can gain. Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (06:18):
Oh, that is so good. I love that. So when you went out to the market and you were looking for a personal stylist for yourself and was struggling and decided to take the leap into business, did you have to then study styling or how did that work?
Imogene Whittle (06:36):
I actually started the business before I was a personal stylist myself. So I started the business being like, I'm going to be the figurehead. I'm going to gr all these amazing stylists and really create a business from a different perspective, from the client perspective rather than the traditional perspective that all the other stylists are doing. So because personal styling, I really wanted to change the way it's seen. I think to now it's really been something of an elite service and something that's just for the ritual celebrities, and I'm really trying to change that perspective. So I felt confident going against the grain of the way things are done traditionally. So again, starting the business before I was a personal stylist, got a great team on board, worked out the correct processes and ways to set up the business. And then during covid, things were pretty difficult. It was during that period that I decided to upskill as a stylist myself. And of course there was things like the language and a few things like that, that it was just like, I need to do this, I need to be able to do it. And it felt like such an easy fit and such a natural transition for me. And I can honestly say I've come leaps and bounds in such a short time that it feels very natural to me, and I'm very passionate about helping women now myself.
Danielle Lewis (08:05):
Well, I love that because you're right, when it's the right fit, it is easy. You do tend to pick things up faster, want to learn more, want to expand your skills when it kind of is that alignment into what you are super passionate about.
Imogene Whittle (08:24):
Yeah, I mean, it was always something that I had a natural interest inclination in. I was always expressing myself really creatively through the way I dressed. And like I said, I lost that. And I think that the way you dress and style and fashion should really just be a tool for self-expression. Anyway, so that's the kind of thing that I'm trying to share. And by losing my style, it was more so that I lost part of my self identity by just giving myself so much to the journey of motherhood family. And yeah,
Danielle Lewis (08:58):
I mean, I think that's actually a really nice thing to expand on. And I love your point around personal styling is not just for celebrities, it's not just for the rich and famous. It's not just for the elite. And then marry that with what you just said around it is a way for us to express who we are. So who should get a personal stylist? Everyone,
Imogene Whittle (09:24):
Honestly, the most unassuming people use personal styling or use personal stylists. And I think it's fantastic is people who hate shopping, people who love shopping, people who have nothing in their wardrobe, people who have too much in their wardrobe. How can you say? Often it's people who have some kind of transition in life, whatever that is. It could be something as simple as a new job or their daughter's getting married and they want to have a special outfit for those things. But it could also be coming out the other side of my children are now in school, or my children are now in high school and I'm hitting that new phase in life, or I'm
Danielle Lewis (10:09):
Just got a divorce. I've just been divorced. I dunno who
Imogene Whittle (10:12):
I am. I've just lost a whole lot of weight. Whatever it is, people have these transitions or they don't have to, but it's when people know that they're ready to reach out for help, we're here. And I figure that personal styling is going to become one of those services that is going to be more and more in demand. And I really, really hope it is for the purpose that it is helping people or women more specifically service. It can help anyone, but I think there's such a societal expectation that we should know how to do these things already and there's so much external pressure, but it's not about hitting those expectations. It's about just feeling good in what you wear. But using a personal trainer or using a beautician, these are services that are now we take for granted that we can ask for help and use that help. But styling is also personal trainer that, but you're actually a personal trainer, but you only have to use it maybe once or twice a year to look
Danielle Lewis (11:24):
Bonus mean. But I'd have to see a personal trainer every day. I do love that. It's such an interesting thought that that we are expected just to know what looks good on us or what's in fashion, or how it represents what we do or who we are. How the hell would we know that We're never taught anything like
Imogene Whittle (11:47):
That. Right. Honestly. And what we've fed through things like magazines, if you're looking, that's the trends. What's hot, what's not style, and what suits your personality, your body shape, your coloring, who you want to be, what are your life goals, all that kind of thing.
Danielle Lewis (12:04):
Yeah, that's so cool. It sounds like more than clothes,
Imogene Whittle (12:10):
To be honest. Absolutely. Absolutely. I wish I had a psychology degree now, but along the way, it's
Danielle Lewis (12:18):
Like when you get therapy from your hairdresser, this
Imogene Whittle (12:21):
Is just Oh, exactly. It's so much. And honestly, I just love the stories that I hear from all of the women that I work with and support. And everyone's got their own reason for wanting to use personal stylists, and I love being there for them. Being in someone's wardrobe or in the change room with them is such an intimate experience, not just because they're getting undressed. It's way more than that. It's about them showing delays of who they they're and what their challenges in life have been.
Danielle Lewis (12:53):
And it's really interesting. So I remember back in primary school not knowing what to wear. I remember dressing in a certain way, and I used to make clothes. So I'm an fashion designer. I used to make all my own clothes and I used to love it. And then I would look at the other girls, they were into surf wear, and I just remember that feeling of, oh my God, I've got to go and buy that because that's what everybody else is wearing. Oh
Imogene Whittle (13:25):
Yeah, comparison artist is the worst.
Danielle Lewis (13:27):
Totally. I even remember like, oh my God is, I know I'm unleashing my soul here, but I remember going to a school fate and I think someone commented on what I wore. I walked home and I changed, and I went, I know. And I'm like, so this isn't just a now issue. This is a problem forever. This happens to women from the moment you get dressed.
Imogene Whittle (13:52):
And you know what? I was so fortunate recently to be invited to speak at a high school, and that was the first time I'd done that. And it was so wonderful. I was asked to come, was to talk about shopping, which is, I can talk about it later on with you as well, but I think also sharing things like what the style archetypes are and that there's no one style is not better than another person's style. It's just the tool for the self-expression. So getting those kind of messages early on and being able to share that and create these standards of what's okay and what's not okay with these young girls was just so wonderful.
Danielle Lewis (14:37):
It's so important. I think it's really difficult. And look, I'm sure it's difficult for men too, but this is a woman's podcast, so I'm just going to go there. But I think there's just challenges with body image and style and identity and it starts so young. So I think that that is so important that you're in there having those.
Imogene Whittle (14:59):
I've got two young girls too, so Oh my God.
Danielle Lewis (15:03):
Unfortunately it doesn't end. It does. No. Okay. Anyway, I could rant on about that all day. So let's switch it up to business. So talk to me about when you decided to then create the platform for other stylists. So you decided I'm going to go in and solve problems for stylists. What was it like going from being an employee to then starting your own business in a new industry? How did that feel for you?
Imogene Whittle (15:31):
How did feel? It felt super exciting, just being able to make the decisions, make the calls, be brave, just pick up the phone and talk to people. And yeah, I absolutely loved it and I'd survive. I think doing my own thing.
Danielle Lewis (15:47):
That is so cool. Plenty of learnings along the way, I'm sure.
Imogene Whittle (15:52):
Absolutely, absolutely. There's been so many hurdles and learnings, but I really don't get too hung up on the things that went wrong, like I said about even just other work environments I've been in, they're all just learning opportunities really. It's like nothing particularly bad happened. It's just, okay, well next time I'll do it better and bigger.
Danielle Lewis (16:17):
Yeah, I love that. I think you've got to have that attitude. I don't think if there's one thing I've learned over the last decade plus in businesses that things don't always go to plan, but that's not bad. Sometimes it happens for the better and sometimes it happens for the lesson. So I love that attitude of just take the learning or it's all good.
Imogene Whittle (16:40):
I think so, yeah,
Danielle Lewis (16:41):
You're very zen in business. I love this.
Imogene Whittle (16:43):
I'm a bit of an optimist or maybe, yeah,
Danielle Lewis (16:47):
I know. I think what's important, and I think entrepreneurs tend to be overly optimistic, which is I think you kind of have to be though because there are challenges because you do have to learn constantly. Being an optimist is a good thing, I think in business. And I think it's so easy. There's lots of narrative around, especially on Instagram about business is hard, economic crisis, blah, blah, blah. So I think actually being an optimist in business is so important because you do sometimes have to put the blinkers on and go, no, I'm actually solving a real problem here. People get value out of what I'm doing. I'm creating an impact. I will keep going.
Imogene Whittle (17:28):
Yeah, absolutely.
Danielle Lewis (17:30):
So
Imogene Whittle (17:30):
Good. Focus on what's working and do more of that.
Danielle Lewis (17:33):
Oh my god, that should be just the poster for business, focus on what's working and do more of that. It's like I've got a marketing background, and that's what I say to people too. I'm like, the thing is in marketing or business or whatever, you've just got to try a bunch of stuff, figure out what works, figure out what doesn't do more of the stuff that works.
Imogene Whittle (17:52):
Exactly. I feel like I'm now just getting into that phase of, okay, I know what's working. I know I've got the style trails, I've got the styling, I've got the stylists and just kind of the models, the processes, but it's taken a long way of trial and error. Like I said, I'm creating something completely new that hasn't really existed. Of course styling has, but the model of how I'm doing it, but the style trails are something that's very new, and that's been really interesting too. So what
Danielle Lewis (18:26):
Are the style trails? Tell me about that.
Imogene Whittle (18:28):
They're a shopping tour with a personal stylist as your guide. So they're in Brisbane and in Melbourne. Nice. So it's like a curated tour or about after six people. So usually friends or family. So it can be either people who are, say in Brisbane and they're celebrating a birthday party together or people who are traveling to Brisbane. And honestly, when I travel, I love to explore where the local designers are and where the like-minded people would shop and go to cafes or restaurants, and I've decided to create that experience. So when I travel, I just was thinking I would love to meet a like-minded person who could just take me out, show me around, show me the kind of things that I'm looking for, have some food and wine and
Danielle Lewis (19:19):
I'm in,
Imogene Whittle (19:20):
Right. I'm not getting stuck in the tourist traps. So that's something I've created and every tour is curated to the group, but that has been a big journey in combining fashion styling and all the big things with tourism as well. So now I'm really very heavily involved in the tourism industry too.
Danielle Lewis (19:42):
Wow, that is awesome.
Imogene Whittle (19:44):
Yeah, and it's quite a new thing that I've just done an international trade ready program, so now working with the international travelers as well.
Danielle Lewis (19:53):
Oh my God, I love that.
Imogene Whittle (19:56):
That's what I'm saying. It's new.
Danielle Lewis (19:57):
Yeah, that's awesome. And I love this conversation because I think if you said, I'm a personal stylist or I'm in the personal styling industry, someone might have a preconceived idea of what that means. And I absolutely love that you are just saying what is actually the opportunity in this industry? What's missing? What do people actually crave as customers or consumers? And doing it completely differently and building a business model around solving those problems. I think this is
Imogene Whittle (20:29):
So
Danielle Lewis (20:29):
Cool.
Imogene Whittle (20:30):
And when I started it, of course I had this concept and then covid happened. So creating a tourism product during Covid just felt ridiculous. But after that, I had everything ready and set to go, and I'm being told time and time again that it's filling a gap and a need in the industry now, which is wonderful. So I'm getting all this interest from things like the tour of Queensland and Vita, so being useful.
Danielle Lewis (20:59):
It's so cool. And I even think about as a local, how important it would be. So I fall into the camp of hating shopping. So I don't like spending all day exploring places that I don't want to look at. So even as a local, I think it'd be such a cool idea to go on one of these tours with friends or family, whatever you felt comfortable with, and actually just get a shortcut, like, okay, this is your style, this is what you want to explore. Let's take you out and we'll show you where to go. I actually think as a local, it's such a cool idea as well.
Imogene Whittle (21:35):
Yeah, yeah, it's a lot of fun. It really, oh, I should go far. Can we cut that out? Oh
Danielle Lewis (21:42):
My God. So no, because it's so funny. We can be like, but just for everyone not watching the video, we've had a little hearing malfunction. Oh no. I dunno where the
Imogene Whittle (21:52):
Bus is now. Oh, well I'll just take the other one out.
Danielle Lewis (21:57):
That's perfect. Perfect. Oh, so good. So do you think that reflecting on your time in business, there's been some kind of secret to your business growth, any kind of wisdom you could impart with us? Spark women?
Imogene Whittle (22:14):
I wish there was one big secret, but I can share with you a few little secrets. I think number one is having a really big vision and being able to see the bigger picture of where you want to go rather than getting just stuck in the day-to-day. Just really to keep your eyes on that big prize of where you want it to be. And I think also understanding business and how you can work B2B as well, rather than just the next client, the next customer, the next individual, which has I think been quite useful for Spri with me being a business, it means that we can work, we can create more by leaning on each other as myself and the stylists and create more opportunities by working together. So that's been a big thing. And also making sure that the team that we're working with is a perfect fit.
(23:09):
So because what we're doing is a little bit unconventional in terms of what the stylists are doing, people who are open to collaboration, people who are willing to do things might potentially slightly differently to the way that they might have been traditionally taught. And there's no right or wrong way to do things. It's like however you can support a client in businesses, the right way to do things. But I think if people are open-minded to just sharing ideas, being flexible to whatever needs to happen and not being competitive, like celebrating each other's successes in business, when you are working as a team, when we're all contractors at the end of the day, really working side by side and supporting each other. So as long as we can be open and collaborative,
Danielle Lewis (24:08):
And that's just what came to my mind while you're talking. I was like, it's the idea of collaboration over competition, but at all levels. So like you said, amongst your team with other businesses, and I love that. That's awesome.
Imogene Whittle (24:22):
And I really honestly think that, I mean, all stylists are welcome to join Spree with me just as long as we're No, that's the dream. That's the dream across Australia.
Danielle Lewis (24:35):
I love that. And I love your big vision comment too. I think why not dream big? Why not?
Imogene Whittle (24:43):
Why not? Yeah, things have been doing continued learning. So I've done mentorships. Of course, working with yourself and doing other just lifelong learning has been really, really useful for myself. Partnerships has been a huge thing, and when you connect with them, just say yes and work it out later. I
Danielle Lewis (25:08):
Love that philosophy.
Imogene Whittle (25:11):
And also taking Google seriously on a very practical level, that has been something that has really, really helped me. Just working out the SEO, the analytics, all of that that's important. And giving clients. Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (25:24):
It's so true. We do live in a time where you can Google anything and someone's probably created a video or a blog about it. So how lucky are we that if you've got a problem, you can probably find the answer on the internet.
Imogene Whittle (25:37):
Exactly. Exactly. I think you can do advertising about personal styling, but it's until someone that criticizes that they want it, that they're going to look for it.
Danielle Lewis (25:48):
Yeah, totally.
Imogene Whittle (25:49):
If you advertise, people might go, okay, that sounds great. I might do that in six months a year, or I might buy after
Danielle Lewis (25:56):
That big milestone.
Imogene Whittle (25:59):
Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (26:01):
So good. I love it so much. So what's next for you? What's coming up for Spree with me or the styling? Tell me everything.
Imogene Whittle (26:10):
Great. So we've just had a few new people join Spree with me, which is wonderful. One of the stylists is Chinese Australian, so we're looking to connect with China for incoming travel for the style trails, which is great. We're also going to expand to new locations, so Gold Coast is next and across Australia definitely want to go to different locations, but I'm really looking to partner more for the style trails with more hotels and travel agents, and also for just individual styling with the shopping centers, gyms, and personal trainers I think would be great too. So just creating a bigger network of stylist and other organizations around us too.
Danielle Lewis (27:03):
That's so cool. I didn't think of that, but that's such a great marketing strategy. Think about where the people are, so hotels, gyms, and creating partnerships with those people to obviously send people your way. I think that's genius.
Imogene Whittle (27:19):
Well, yeah, of course. And I want to of course that wrong, but of course getting the balance of the supply and demand is always there, so just making sure as well that customers know that we exist.
Danielle Lewis (27:37):
So good. I love that. I love that so much. Okay, we could talk all day, but let's wrap up with, so our audience obviously is the incredible Spark community, women in business. Would there be any reflecting on your time in business, would there be any pieces of advice that you would pass on to other amazing women in business?
Imogene Whittle (27:59):
Yeah, sure. I've got a few. I think the first one would be to get connected with other people. So again, whether it's with Spark or whether it's with myself, if you're a personal stylist, you don't have to do it alone. And I think another thing is to, like I said, already think big and be flexible and follow what works and everyone will have an opinion on what you're doing. So while it's great to communicate and connect, especially with your team, but everyone else will have an opinion. So just really trust your gut and your own vision and the team vision as well to work towards your goals because it's easy to get pulled in different directions. One example of that is I've learned recently that it's okay, for example, to be a personal stylist and not have to be an Instagram model. At the same time, I really was feeling the pressure that I needed to wear all the clothes and be Instagram ready to be able to run my business. And I was like, just because other people are doing that doesn't mean that that's right for me. And what does feel right for me is doing things that are unexpected and unusual, like the style trails, like shop styling, like saying that personal styling isn't for the rich and celebrities, which is a different way to what it's been in the past. Yeah, following gut and doing what feels right to you.
Danielle Lewis (29:44):
That's so cool because you're right, it is interesting feeling the pressure, especially in your industry to be that Instagram model is also probably putting off a lot of people. If I looked at an Instagram model, I'd be like, well, I don't want to look like her. I want somebody that's going to make me feel comfortable, someone that's relatable, someone that knows how to get the most out of our session. It is interesting. You're probably actually attracting better clients and more clients because you are showing up authentically
Imogene Whittle (30:14):
And it feels good to be able to be authentic. And the more I am, the more I get the right kind of client. And there's no wrong client, but it's just that people see you and they see exactly who you are and they think I resonate with you because, and they want to be able to make that link rather than it being a smoke and mirrors industry where you can't really feel a personality behind the website or behind the words. Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (30:43):
Yeah,
Imogene Whittle (30:43):
The pictures. I love that.
Danielle Lewis (30:46):
So good. You are absolutely incredible. Any last pieces of advice or should we wrap it there? I didn't want to cut you off.
Imogene Whittle (30:56):
Off. No. Off off. I could keep talking as well, but I'll keep it there. I've just had a blast. Thank you for allowing me to share my story with you and your words of wisdom, and I've loved listening to your other Spark TV podcast as well.
Danielle Lewis (31:13):
So good. No, and I know that everyone dialing into this episode, tuning into this episode would have gotten a lot of value. So thank you so much for being here and sharing your wisdom and your experience. I'm very grateful.
Imogene Whittle (31:30):
Thank you, gorgeous to chat with you.
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