We recently connected with Elle Monus and have shared our conversation below.

Elle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with a fun one – what’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?

I’m not very traditional in any sense, really. My background is in People & Operations for tech startups- that sounds super boring, I know. And it is- to most people, but it’s where I nerd out. So when I started TRUE, I relied heavily upon that background.

I built my company to scale efficiently from a business standpoint, but everyone can do that with the right knowledge. Most companies don’t understand how to maximize their human capital. In simple words- your focus should be on your people, and your people will get you where you want to go. Production optimized for profitability is doing more harm than good for the global workforce, which is creating a vacuum in today’s society.

There’s a gap in our lives, especially in the United States, that we don’t have time to fill. If we do not make a concerted business effort as entrepreneurs to empower our teams to fill that gap with family, friends, hobbies, and things that really matter, we will have a mass exodus of workers in the traditional workforce. It will cost us larger profit margins, but are profit margins really, truly the best indicators of success?

It is my goal to not only revolutionize what a personal image is through TRUE, but to also have a significant impact in changing what the global workforce looks like in the human experience.

Elle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a Stylist, Certified Life Coach, Industry Expert and Co-Author for wikiHow and I build businesses, specializing in branding and scaling high-growth, venture-backed, tech startups. TRUE not being one. My passion for style and branding started even before I had the opportunity to build out the Styling function of a popular clothing subscription box. My passion for personal growth started when I lost it all. I know all too well how to balance a professional presence with edgy femininity in order to wow inside and out of the conference room.

TRUE offers experienced-based styling, branding, photography, an online learning center, and events for anyone ready to level up. We are everything you need in an instagramable world.

We’re more than a personal stylist. We’re dream builders.
What’s an experience-based approach? We listen to your goals and build a plan personalized to your needs where we walk hand in hand alongside you as teachers, confidants and friends. We’ll teach you how to style yourself as we shop, how to pose yourself as we shoot and how to create gorgeous events as we throw a party to celebrate.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Building great relationships. I’m what people call a “subject matter expert”- which gets you a little respect, right? But you can be a subject matter expert and also a jerk- people don’t want to work with jerks. I set my knowledge (and ego) aside and enter every conversation with potential clients, clients, and professional partners as a human.

I’m real and open and I want you to be the same, so I create a space that allows an informal approach. Once we get to know each other and explore personal and professional goals- we can pool our knowledge and resources. Suddenly we are like two friends working together towards a set of common goals.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- it takes a community approach for real success to thrive.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

I’ve touched on it a lot in this interview, but apparently, today is my soapbox day. Treat people well. It’s such a simple concept but it, more often than not, gets set aside to maximize profits. Offer an excellent benefits package. If you can’t afford excellent healthcare benefits, make up for it in other ways. If you’re still offering only 1 week of PTO- you’re behind the curve. If you’re paying less than $15 for entry-level work- you’re behind the curve. You get my point.

Set realistic expectations early, be as transparent as possible (without compromising the integrity of the business) and use a light touch in management. If you trust people to do the job they know best, they will almost always do the right thing. When they make mistakes- use it as training and development. And finally- invest in their future and they will be deeply engaged with your company and mission because it offers them the opportunity to earn a living and grow as a human.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.trueimagegroup.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueimagegroup

Image Credits
Photographer: Brandon Walker with Fifty Two Dallas