Please join me in congratulating Kathy Powell as the winner of our “Sofie Made Me Do It” Contest.

As could be expected, each entry was heartfelt and sincere-each deserving to win.    “Crowning” Kathy as the winner was a unanimous decision by each judge in a silent poll.

It has been my experience that it is unusual for someone who is as young as Kathy to connect so deeply with herself and we all felt a common bond her story.  BUT, because this was supposed to be FUN for everyone and wanted to honor each individual submission.  Everyone who submitted an essay will win a  “Sofie Made Me Do It” Package that includes:

Scholarship to Style Camp,  Brow and Nail Package, Summer Survival Kit, and Soul Coaching to get them started on their style journey!

My special thanks go to the panel of judges who didn’t know what they were getting themselves into!  You are all awesome.  Please visit their website and learn more about what they do!

Susan Cadley, LPC, CSC, Certified Soul Coach, Owner of Living From Within, LLC
Alyson Hoag, CEO, Authentic Beauty, LLC
Kyle Young, CEO, Kyle Young Inc.-Effective Ideas and Multi-TaskingWoman.com

For now, I hope you will enjoy Kathy’s submission and I look forward to posting all summer long as we continue to journal and video her progress in her personal  Journey to Style. Read on and remember:

“Look Good, Feel Great and Have FUN Doing It!”

Dear Sofie,

I did it. In March 2009, I realized that I wasn’t happy with me: how I looked, how I held myself or how I treated myself, so I decided I needed to take control and set a goal to lose weight and revitalize my self esteem. Knowing that slow and steady determination would win the race, I sought support and set to work changing habits. Now, 14 months later at 27 years old, I’ve gone from a size 14 to a size 6. I have energy and muscle definition. I’ve made a commitment to allow myself to take pride in my accomplishments and have embraced my spiritual side and faith to help build me up.

I feel like a new person, but my outside shell is still the woman I was before. The majority of my clothes are size 10 or 12, so my new inner strength is drowning in an over sized, sloppy-looking exterior. I’ve bought some smaller-sized clothes, but on top of losing weight, I’ve also lost any sense of what my style should be or what’s best for my current body. After losing a full cup size and gaining shoulder muscle, I have no idea how to dress my new torso. The shirts I have were designed to hide my tummy and accent my chest, but both seem to have disappeared! I get excited about a smaller size and find myself chasing the lowest number, regardless of how the pants fit. I end up wearing clothes that are either old and too big, or new and too tight, because in my head the smaller the clothes, the smaller I look.

Part of my personal transformation during this past year has been growing into my career. I discovered my passion for nonprofit organizations in college and ever since, have thrown myself into creating, promoting and assisting programs & organizations. I’ve always considered myself a pseudo-professional. I was (and really, still am) a young adult working for small, meaningful organizations on very little money. I’m feeling the inward transition from the worker bee mentee to embracing the expertise I have and stepping up to be a leader in my field. Working for charities and ministries has not been a good influence on my wardrobe. My work spaces have been casual and my budget tight, but as I take my career to the next level, working with larger organizations and starting to do consulting on the side, I need to learn how to best utilize my limited funds with items that fit me and are appropriate for the setting so I can drop the pseudo and confidently present myself as a true professional.

I want this makeover because I’ve been building my confidence from the inside out. It’s time for the outside layer, my wardrobe, to catch up!

Sincerely,

Kathy!

Posted by Karen Hughes on May 15th, 2010 in Events, Makeover