Strategic Initiatives Manager | Growth & Impact through Collaborative Partnerships

I lead and write from a place of purpose, heart posture, and story. 

My work spans development, partnerships, and strategy, and the thread through everything is relationship. I listen closely, notice what’s often unspoken, and use storytelling to help people feel seen, valued, and invited into something meaningful.

At the core of who I am is this
people matter
stories matter
and when the heart is engaged, everything changes.

Summer Applegate🍏

I help women corporate professionals and entrepreneurs to dress for success at work! Refine your brand image, feel confident, and attract premium career opportunities

I have helped over 500 women professionals and entrepreneurs advance in their careers by dressing for success at work.

Here is what makes working with me different: 

 #1  Organized Closet with a polished wardrobe ready to go, so you don't have to worry about your physical presentation and stress if you look good

 # 2 Create a powerful image that says you are a professional, trustworthy, respectable leader who commands authority in a workspace

 #3 Dress well for all kinds of work situations without having to spend hours of your time shopping

Recent client transformations: 

Client #1 Mallory is a corporate professional at a medium-sized tech company. She had no idea what her style was. But was worried I might suggest a trendy style that won't work for her. Within three weeks of working together, she attended a very important conference where she was presenting. She made a massive impression on her boss. The CEO asked her to represent the company, who bypassed 3 people in higher positions.


Client #2, Jaqueline, had a small wedding planning company. Before we started working together, Jacqueline worried that she would be forced to spend lots of money on her new wardrobe. Instead, we started with identifying Jaqueline's style profile while keeping her budget in mind. Her business grew so much that she got a book deal in September of 2022, and her calendar is booked for a year in advance.

Client 2 Lina is a Director at one of the Big State universities. Before we started to work together, She was worried that she would be forced to throw away most of her wardrobe. We incorporated some of her wardrobes and added new pieces that elevated her style. After 8 weeks, her confidence and image skyrocketed, and as a result, she was promoted to a Director position shortly after. 

To book your Personal Style Consultation click the link below.
https://calendly.com/basia1/stylingsession?month=2022-10&date=2022-10-07

A little bit more about me: 

Hi, my name is Basia Richard. For over 15 years, I've styled top celebrities in the business, like Selena Gomez, Sarah Hyland, and Irina Shayk.

I have created a powerful image that helped them position themselves on top of the industry, as a result bringing lots of work and business opportunities.

Because of my work, many powerful women in leadership asked me to help them create a signature style they desired.

I am originally from Poland, but I have lived in Los Angeles for the past 18 years. I am a mom of a 7-year-old daughter and 2 senior rescued cats. I have an amazing and very supportive husband of 20 years.

Basia Richard

20 years ago, I moved to Los Angeles with one clear goal.

I wanted to play violin in an orchestra that records film scores.

I auditioned. I gave it everything I had.

Afterward, the recruiter said something I still remember clearly:
“Your sound is for soloists, not for the orchestra.”

I was crushed. I genuinely thought that was it for me.

I kept auditioning.
More no’s followed.
At some point, I needed distance from music just to breathe.

Around that time, a friend asked me to help him shop for a performance outfit.

Shopping had always come naturally to me, so I said yes.

He loved the result and asked me a question that changed everything:
“Why aren’t you doing this for a living?”

The truth was, I didn’t even know this could be a career

One month later, I was interning with a stylist.
Three months later, I styled my first photoshoot.
Nine months later, I signed with an agency.
A year later, I booked my first celebrity client.

Looking back, I’m grateful to the recruiter who didn’t hire me.

I still disagree with him about my sound.

But he was right about one thing.

I was never meant to sit quietly in the back of an orchestra.

Sometimes rejection doesn’t end your path.

It redirects you to the one you were meant to own.

I build polished wardrobes for 6-figure + women professionals and entrepreneurs who want their clothes to reflect their career success, make them feel confident, and project the authority they’ve earned.

There’s a point in your career where dressing “professionally” stops doing the job.

Because the outfit you keep reaching for is the same one worn by the women sitting around you, not the one running the meeting.

- Black blazer.
- Neutral top.
 - Nothing wrong with it. Nothing memorable about it either.

I see this pattern constantly when working with senior women.

They’re leading teams, managing budgets, presenting to executives.

 But their wardrobe is still built around not being questioned, not being recognized.

So on Monday morning, before a leadership meeting, they default to the safest version of themselves.

 And visually, they blend in with their own team.

At this level, the goal is no longer to look appropriate.

 It’s to be instantly recognizable as the one in charge.

This is what we will work on toghter inside the Elevated Image Mastermind.

Here is more info: https://lnkd.in/g92iDm_k

My first business coach told me I wouldn’t be successful.

His reason was simple.

Hiring a stylist, in his words, is a “nice to have.”

Not something serious women actually pay for.

At the time, that almost stopped me.

Even though I had:

- styled celebrities
- worked with major brands
- led national campaigns

I was told that “regular women” would never invest in this.

And he was right.

A “regular” woman won’t pay someone to tell her what to wear.

But my clients were never regular.

My first client was a project manager who was excellent at her job and exhausted every morning because getting dressed felt harder than running meetings.

Then came an Executive Director with a full closet who still wore the same five safe outfits on repeat.

Then a founder told me,
“I know exactly who I am on stage. But my wardrobe doesn’t reflect that woman at all.”

That’s when it became clear.

They weren’t hiring me for outfits.

They were hiring me because their clothes weren’t reinforcing what was already on their résumé.

They wanted to be taken seriously the moment someone saw them, not after a long explanation of what they do.

That’s why I didn’t quit.

I stopped taking advice from people who don’t work with women whose careers are already proven.

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I have 2 spots open inside the Elevated Image Mastermind. 
More detail here: https://lnkd.in/g92iDm_k

People will remember your outfit before they remember your name.

That’s not opinion. That's the fact

First impressions are formed in seconds, and more than half of that impression is visual.

Which means by the time you start speaking, the room has already placed you.

You could have 

- the sharpest pitch, 
- the strongest idea, 
- the perfect response 

But if your outfit signals “I am like everyone else” instead of "I lead", you start behind.

And once that first impression is set, you don’t get those seconds back.

You spend the rest of the meeting earning attention instead of using it.

That’s the part most women miss.

It’s not that their clothes look bad.

It’s that their wardrobe costs them time, credibility, and momentum before they ever speak.

This is why I don’t treat a wardrobe as style.

It’s a positioning tool.

Because people may forget your exact words 

But how you show up decides how much they trust, defer to, and remember you.

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If you want my eyes on your professional wardrobe, so every time you walk into a room, you immediately signal that you are the one in charge, we can do this inside the Elevated Image Mastermind

More info here: https://lnkd.in/g92iDm_k

I took 2 weeks off work

This is something I would never have done a few years back

Not because I had to work

But because of the pressure I put on myself

- I thought my business would collapse
- People would forget about me
- It would be difficult to recover

But the reality was:

I came back and picked up exactly where I left off

Nothing needed explaining
Nothing needed repairing
And it made me realize how much of the stress we carry is imagined

We assume we’re needed every minute

That stepping away equals losing ground

Most of the time, that’s not true

It’s just a story we tell ourselves

And live by without questioning it

--------------------------------------------------
I have 3 spots inside the Elevated Image Mastermind
More info here: https://lnkd.in/g92iDm_k

I’ve seen over 600 closets of successful women.

That’s a lot of clothes.

You’d think they’d all look different.

They don’t.

Most of them are nearly identical.

The same pieces.
The same colors.
The same shapes.

And honestly, this makes sense.

This is what happens when you walk into a department store and head to the “professional” section for women who need clothes for work.

It’s the most uninspired part of the store.

Safe.
Generic.
Built around what women "should" wear to look "professional." 🤯

So when I open a woman in leadership’s closet, I already know what I’m going to see.

The same items.
The same generic pieces
The same visual message.

Professional, yes.
Memorable, no.

And when your wardrobe looks like everyone else’s, your presence does too.

--------------------------------

This is what we will fix inside the Elevated Image Mastermind
Here are more details: https://lnkd.in/g92iDm_k

After seeing over 500 closets of women in power

I know one thing

Most of them own very similar wardrobes

Something they invested in 2 promotions ago, but now that they operate at a different level, they feel stuck with a wardrobe that doesn’t reflect their leadership. 

People subconsciously underestimate their influence, even when their skills are top-notch

Nothing is wrong with the clothes.

They’re professional. Appropriate. Safe.

I work with those clients on a 3-step process:

- Building a visual brand 
- Edit what's holding you back
- Fill in the blanks

This is what I do with my clients inside the Elevated Image Mastermind. Taking their "professional wardrobe and turning it into an executive level

More info here https://lnkd.in/g92iDm_k

I always say building a strong image is like building a house.

And decorating it is the fun part, right?

New kitchen cabinets.
A fancy couch.
An accent wall.

But if the house is built on a shaky foundation, none of that really matters.

The same thing applies to your wardrobe.

If you want a strong wardrobe that reflects your brand and seniority, it has to be built on a solid foundation.

Most women assume one good shopping trip will fix it.

But if buying better pieces actually worked, it would already be fixed.

Just like with a house, a wardrobe without a foundation never comes together.

And that foundation is clarity.

Clarity on your image.
Clarity on your brand.

Not just how you want to feel, but how it actually looks visually

Whether it's 

Edgy.
Classic and minimal.
Preppy with a feminine edge.

Once that foundation is in place, shopping becomes the fun part again.
And this time, it actually works.

------------------------------------------
If you want my eyes on your professional wardrobe, so every time you walk into a room, you immediately signal that you are the one in charge, I can help you inside the Elevated Image Mastermind

More info here: https://lnkd.in/g92iDm_k

You’re not dressing at your level.

You’re maintaining a version of yourself you already outgrew.

You’ve invested. You’ve shopped. You’ve saved Pinterest boards.

But when you open your closet, you still reach for the same safe outfit that worked three promotions ago.

Let me guess. Your “strategy” looks like this:

- “I’ll grab something professional.
 - It won’t stand out.
 - It won’t raise eyebrows.
 - It won’t get questioned.”

And when you look in the mirror, you already know it’s fine.

But it doesn’t look like the woman who’s supposed to run that meeting.
It looks like someone there to support it.

Meanwhile, I’ve watched women walk into high-stakes meetings, presentations, and boardrooms without thinking twice about what they’re wearing.

No last-minute changes.
No fixing things in the elevator.
No wondering if they look like too much or not enough.

Not because they tried harder.
But because their wardrobe already signals exactly who they are in that room.

So when they sit down at the table, they don’t blend in.
They don’t look interchangeable.
They don’t look like one of many.

So no, the answer isn’t to “try harder.” You already do.
And it’s not to “shop more.” You already have.

The real issue is this:

 You’re still relying on what used to work.

- You dress to avoid attention, not to hold the room
- You default to outfits that won’t get questioned, even when you should be recognized
- You dress like someone protecting her position, not owning it

And until that shifts, getting dressed will keep requiring effort.

You can’t keep showing up as the leader if your wardrobe is still built for a role you left years ago.

At your level, your wardrobe should already be doing the talking.

This is what we will work on together inside the Elevated Image Mastermind.

Here is more info: https://lnkd.in/g92iDm_k

Every time I work with a senior woman, the clothes are never the real issue.

The habits are.

Most of what we’re taught about “dressing professionally” is designed to help women: 

- blend in
- stay appropriate
- and not rock the boat.

That works early in your career.

It quietly works against you later.

Because the goal eventually changes.
It’s no longer about fitting in.

It’s about being clearly seen at the level you’re already operating at.

And that shift requires letting go of rules that once felt safe.

If this sounds familiar, you’re exactly who I work with.

I have a few spots open to work with me inside the Elevated Image Mastermind

More info here: https://lnkd.in/g92iDm_k

Professional wardrobe beliefs you should unlearn 

You can be excellent at your job and still not be seen as the one in charge.

I see this constantly with accomplished women I work with.

- They’re confident in their expertise. 
- They’ve earned their role. 
- Their performance isn’t the issue.

What trips them up is their wardrobe

Every morning, they reach for what feels safe.

Professional. Neutral. Familiar.

The kind of outfit that “does the job” and lets them get out the door without thinking too much.

And in rooms where decisions are made, doesn’t read as authority.

Leadership presence isn’t about being louder, trendier, or more dressed up.

It’s about intention, fit, structure, and choosing clothes that reflect your level, not your comfort zone.

Your wardrobe shouldn’t disappear the moment you walk into a meeting.

It should quietly reinforce that you belong at the head of the table.

---------------------------------

I have 3 spots open inside the Elevated Image Mastermind. 
More detail here: https://lnkd.in/g92iDm_k

I tell my clients a brutal truth.

Because they expect this from me.

- Not validation.
- Not “you look fine.”
- Not polite styling advice.

They hire me because something feels off, even though they’re successful, respected, and good at what they do.

So my feedback sounds like this:

“This piece keeps you looking junior.”
“The outfit feels dated.”
“This is what someone wears when they don’t want to be questioned.”

And yes, sometimes it stings.

But that honesty is exactly what fixes the problem.

Because the issue isn’t that they don’t have clothes.
It’s that their wardrobe is still built around an older version of their role.

This is exactly what you can expect from me when we work inside the Elevated Image Mastermind

More info here: https://lnkd.in/g92iDm_k

After seeing thousands of closets of successful women

I see the same two problems over and over again.

1) The clothes themselves are generic and dated

2) The way outfits are put together reads as blending in, not leading

And this is the part most women miss.

The fix isn’t more shopping.

It’s a contrast.

Contrast is what separates the woman who looks “put together.”
from the woman who looks like the decision maker.

And when you see a very well-dressed woman and think "how did she do it," it's becuase she is using contrast as a tool to elevateher outfit 

It’s never about having better clothes.

---------------------------------

If you want my eyes on your professional wardrobe, so every time you walk into a room, you immediately signal that you are the one in charge, we can do this inside the Elevated Image Mastermind

More info here: https://lnkd.in/g92iDm_k

Every single day, I watch successful women quietly lose thousands of dollars on their wardrobe.

Becuase they keep investing in the wrong order.

- Another blazer.
- Another capsule list.
- Another shopping trip.

They expect a shift.

Instead, nothing changes.

Six months later, they tell me the same thing:

“I don’t understand why I still don’t feel taken seriously.
 I’ve spent so much money. I should be past this.”

And it’s not because they bought the wrong clothes.

It’s because without an image strategy, every new piece just adds noise.

More outfits that look fine but don’t land.

 More clothes that technically work but don’t position you.

 More money spent reinforcing a version of you that you already outgrew.

That’s how women end up with a $20K closet and are still seen as professional, but not powerful.

I don’t want you learning this the hard way.

Because once your image strategy is locked in, everything changes.

What stays.
What goes.
What’s missing?

Shopping finally makes sense.

Your wardrobe starts working as a system.

And how you’re read in the room shifts before you say a word.

This is how my clients walk into the same meetings, with the same expertise and the same responsibilities, and suddenly get treated differently.

Not by buying more.

By fixing the one thing that controls perception.

If you’re done throwing money at clothes and hoping they’ll magically elevate you,

DM me IMAGE and I’ll tell you exactly what’s out of order in your wardrobe.

I’ve seen over 500 closets of successful women in leadership.

And there’s one type of clothing I immediately tell them to remove.

Clothes from subscription boxes.

I can spot those wardrobes from a mile away.

I get why women use them. 

Stitch Fix and similar boxes feel convenient. They reduce shopping fatigue. They promise an easy solution when you’re busy running teams, leading meetings, and making decisions all day.

But convenience isn’t neutral.

What comes in that box, and what it does to your presence, matters more than you think.

In my latest YouTube video, I break down:

- Why subscription box clothes keep you looking junior even when you’re already in leadership

- What those clothes quietly signal in leadership rooms, presentations, and meetings

- What subscription boxes get fundamentally wrong about women in leadership

Here is the link: https://lnkd.in/gZxQP8SW

I can usually tell why a woman in leadership feels invisible at work the moment I see her closet.

- She’s not dressing badly.
- She’s not underdressed.
- She’s just doing what she was told would be “right.”

She went to the department store and headed straight for the professional section.
She picked the blazer that felt safe.
Navy. Black. Maybe gray.

Nothing too loud. Nothing that could be questioned.She ordered a Stitch Fix box and checked the boxes that said “work appropriate,” “polished,” “corporate.”

She upgraded the quality.
She chose neutral because neutral felt smart.
And piece by piece, her closet filled up.

Here’s what I usually see when I open it:

Blazers that technically fit, but that's about it
Dresses that work on paper but disappear in the room
Outfits chosen because they won’t stand out and won't make a mistake. 

There’s effort here.
There’s intention.
But it’s the same intention everyone else is following.

And that’s the problem.

Because when you build a wardrobe using the same rules as everyone else, you don’t end up with a strong professional image.

You end up with a uniform.

So you walk into important meetings, conferences, or high-visibility rooms expecting to feel different.

More confident.
More grounded.
More like the leader you are.

But visually, you blend in.

Not because you did something wrong.
Not because you lack confidence.
But because you were never taught how to build an image that goes beyond “professional enough.”

Buying better versions of the same safe pieces won’t change that.

It just makes the uniform more expensive.

If you want your wardrobe to actually reflect who you are and how you lead, the approach has to change.

That’s exactly what I do inside the Elevated Image Mastermind.

We stop dressing you like everyone else and start building an image that actually represents you.

If this finally explains what’s been off, Dm me the word "image" and let's chat

You hear, “Wear a smart casual outfit for the meeting.

What does that actually mean?

- Is it casual
- Is it dressy
- Is it something in between

I get it. Dressing casually is easy. You throw on jeans and a tee, and you’re done.

The professional dress code feels clear, too, until suddenly you’re given a dress code with vague terminology and no real guidance.

And now you’re stuck trying to figure out how not to show up overdressed, underdressed, or send the wrong signal with your wardrobe.

That’s exactly why I created my latest YouTube video.

I"ll break down:

- What a smart casual dress code actually means, so you can dress appropriately for different work situations

- Which pieces belong in smart casual, and which ones quietly work against you

- A simple step-by-step way to build smart casual outfits using clothes you already own

Here is a link: https://lnkd.in/gmXaTnpM

What we wear to work has changed a lot over the years.

That includes jeans for many professional women.

Not that long ago, denim wasn’t considered appropriate for work.

Today, jeans are allowed in many workplaces.

 But just because you can wear them doesn’t mean they support your role.

That’s where most of my clients get stuck. 

With so many cuts, washes, and styles, it’s easy to end up in jeans that are technically fine, but don’t help you look how you want to be seen at work.

In my new YouTube video I will tell you:

• Which denim silhouettes, washes, and styles you can actually incorporate into your work wardrobe and still look like the leader running the meeting

• Which jeans to avoid completely because they make you look underdressed for your level

• Which denim brands are worth investing in across different body types and sizes, so you can find a pair that works for you, not against you

Here is a link: 
https://lnkd.in/g2RkXTYZ

You can be very good at your job and still feel like your wardrobe is a step behind your role.

It’s not that anything looks wrong. 

Most days, everything you wear is perfectly fine. 

Professional
Appropriate
The kind of outfit no one questions.

That’s exactly why you keep reaching for it.
It's not that you are bad at dressing well.

You’re cautious about how you’re perceived. 

You don’t want your clothes to become a topic. 

You don’t want to look like you’re trying to prove something.

So you rely on what’s familiar. The same pants. The same blazer. The pieces that have worked for years.

The problem is that your role has changed, but your wardrobe hasn’t.

And when you walk into rooms where decisions are made, you feel it.

 Nothing is wrong, but nothing feels aligned with the level you’re operating at, either.

This isn’t about dressing louder; it’s about knowing what actually elevates your presence without feeling forced or feeling like your wardrobe is distracting.

You are missing a strategy on what pieces to get so they will elevate your typical corporate look, and how to mix and match with your current wardrobe

That’s the part most women were never taught.

This is what I will help you with inside the Elevated Image Mastermind. 
Send me a dm to chat or if you are ready, here is more info:

https://lnkd.in/g92iDm_k

The number one question I get over and over from women executives is this:

“What shoes should I wear with my outfit?”

- They know how to mix and match their wardrobe.
- They have a go-to blazer.
- They can accessorize

But shoes are where everything falls apart.

Which shoes work with pants, jeans, skirts?
What actually elevates an outfit.
And what is worth investing in versus what quietly ruins the look?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a strong, polished outfit lose all its authority because of the shoes.

You can get everything else right and still miss the mark because of the shoes.

In my latest video, I will tell you:

- The shoes every executive should own if they want to look polished without overthinking it 

- The outdated styles I remove first because they make even great outfits look junior 

- How to choose shoes so your outfit always reads polished and intentional 

Here is the link: https://lnkd.in/gNj5ZYSq

taplio

The Battle

Summer Applegate🍏

Basia Richard

Followers

Posts

Engagements

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Performance ScoreBasia Richard's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Summer Applegate🍏

Basia Richard

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Basia Richard's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreBasia Richard's LinkedIn Performance