Ginny Villegas empowers others to present their best selves to the world
Back in the ‘90s, whenever my mom caught me slouching or being overly shy in certain circumstances, she would bring up the idea of sending me to a finishing school. I then learned that such an institution is the go-to venue for girls to learn about deportment and etiquette. While I did not attend one, I turned to books on related topics to feed my fascination through the years.
Fast forward to more than two decades after, I still had the yearning to have a better grasp of personality development and its evolution to image enhancement and personal branding. Luckily, during the early days of the pandemic, I got to sign up for an online webinar and met Ginny Villegas, a pleasant and soft-spoken lady who is the epitome of her very own brand – Flair Image Consultancy.
As we celebrate International Women’s Month, Ginny’s journey to improving herself, finding her place in the industry, and helping other women do the same for themselves serves as an inspiration.
“Image consulting is a professional field that aims to empower individuals and organizations through the ABCDs of image – A-ppearance, B-ehavior, C-ommunication and D-igital image,” Ginny said, giving an overview of her work. She further explained, “Image is all about perception. We all have a self-image. The challenge is to enhance our self-image and match it with how we are perceived by others.”
Ginny added that in today’s playing field, it is not enough to believe that we are credible or smart. There is a growing need for us to effectively communicate that through the way we speak, behave, walk, and even dress up.
“A professional image consultant can bridge the gap between your identity and how you are perceived by others,” she elaborated.
After years of doing freelance work as a personality development speaker and image consultant since 2003, Ginny’s career started to flourish when she joined the Association of Image Consultants International (AICI) in 2012. AICI is the largest professional association of personal and corporate image consultants worldwide. The organization certified Ginny as an image consultant in 2015, two years after she founded her own brand Flair.
What began as a simple interest in art, fashion, and decorum turned out to be an expanding career. A Fine Arts alumna of the University of Santo Tomas, Ginny initially intended to pursue fashion design abroad for further studies. When plans got derailed, she found herself involved with an NGO or non-government organization work along the line of women development. Before going solo, she put up a foundation with like-minded friends, aiming to encourage women to dress with dignity and be empowered consumers of fashion.
To equip themselves with the technical know-how, the female bosses took courses and underwent training. Ginny gained the confidence to professionally offer her services as an image consultant after studying Personality Development at the school of John Robert Powers (JRP). Eventually, she has also been certified as a Color Consultant by the International Image Institute and a Corporate Etiquette Consultant by the Protocol School of Palm Beach. At present, Ginny is the President of AICI Philippine Chapter and she mentors other members and prospective image consultants.
Ginny learned how to roll with the punches given the global health crisis. She migrated her training and coaching services to the digital platform. Her Adapting to the New Normal webinar series included topics like wardrobe essentials, new normal etiquette, reinventing image and personal branding, and reinventing executive presence.
Inspired heavily by the legendary French fashion designer Coco Chanel and Jordan’s Queen Rania for their brand consistency and elegance, Ginny pushes forward with her mission to bring out the best in others. “Seeing how people change for the better and gain confidence. That is rewarding!” she raved.
Asked what advice she can give those who wish to improve their image, the expert had this to say, “One has to be aware of individuality, identity, and positioning. Credibility must also be worked on.”
Ginny also asked, “What makes a person stand out among his peers? By figuring this out, one can work on a personal brand statement or tagline. In my case, my brand tagline is also my business brand: Flair Image. I always want to project my image with flair.”
Get more information about Ginny’s image consulting services via imagebyflair.com or reserve a seat for Reborn: Leadership and Innovation in the New Future virtual conference on March 24 through https://bit.ly/reborn2022.
For your random thoughts, e-mail the author at kate.adajar@gmail.com.