Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lici Tomkiw, Founder of Brasilian Image & Style Consulting, located in Middle Village, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I train women to have a career as image and style consultants who help others communicate their values, goals, and personality through their personal appearance. It is a thorough program in which they learn all that is necessary to begin in the business. They learn about color theory, body silhouettes, line movement and direction, pattern, textures, style, personality, authority, and approachability to adequate people's image to their professional and personal needs and wants.

Tell us about yourself

I never dreamed of being a stylist and had no idea what image consultants were until I had the opportunity to reinvent myself when I moved from Brazil to the USA. I took the opportunity to learn new things and realized what I did as a hobby was a career and that I could be a professional if I took the proper training. It was just a natural move from that to becoming a trainer and having my own professional course.

However, I have always seen personal image as a tool to communicate who you are, not as a fashion variant. Moreover, to me, it has always been about making people find their true essence and heal their life wounds through self-esteem. Therefore, in my professional training, women learn to understand what lies beneath image struggles and how to help women feel and look competent, confident, and comfortable in their own skin by means of informed fashion and style choices.

The tears of joy I see in my students' eyes when they start their own transformation make me fall in love with what I do on a daily basis.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I have made my training affordable and am always looking for ways to offer it to people who will use it in their personal ministries and to those who otherwise would not have the means to build a solid and rewarding career. I am happy and humbled to say I have students who are missionaries and use their knowledge to rescue the self-worth of women who have been abused and neglected. Also, it makes my heart jump in joy when women who were cleaners are not helping their clients clear closets and dress to their best opportunities due to the knowledge I have imparted to them.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The hardest thing as a business owner is having to deal with all other tasks that are not the ones you love doing. It comes to a point where your business is about administration, marketing, and finances, not what you do best. So, learning to ask for help, simplify and not lose the passion for what you do is a struggle we live on a daily basis.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Know what you have to learn and start doing it.
  2. Remember that your client does not know the much you do.
  3. Give your best always; your client deserves nothing short of that.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

If you are looking for professional training to become an image and style consultant, make sure you compare the cost and the content. Many programs out there teach a lot of things you will never need and lack to give you the proper instruction to get started. Knowledge alone is good for nothing if you don't know how to change that into services. Find a program that teaches about the business and how to apply the tools and techniques and learn from someone who will also be a mentor and is not afraid of you as a competitor.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://product.licitomkiw.com/icbl
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/us.licitomkiw/

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/licitomkiw/
https://www.instagram.com/brasilian_nyc/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lici_Tomkiw
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/licitomkiw/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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