We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kimberly Rodriguez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kimberly below.

Alright, Kimberly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us about a time where you or your team really helped a customer get an amazing result?

My client has been with me for 11 years. She was my 3rd client when I started out. I consider her success story more of her success, with my guidance:) When I met Sue she was a relatively young widow, who had been her husbands caregiver all while working full time. She hadn’t taken care of herself for years because of this. When she reached out to me she had “hit her bottom” so to speak. She was overweight, unhealthy, and unhappy. She bought all of her clothes at stores like Target, Walmart and Costco, basically where ever she was shopping for groceries or special things for her husband, she would pick something up for herself. She realized her wardrobe was out of control and she was starting to lose some weight but had no idea where to start to regain her style. She was not my ideal client and not because of her weight or where she shopped, but because I wasn’t sure if I could change her mentality around clothes and the importance of clothes that fit and make you happy.

We first started with a full closet edit basically leaving her with 1/4 of what she had before. We got rid of old, ill-fitting pieces that didn’t serve her or fit her her anymore, honestly they probably never did. She was and is a successful career woman so she needed to show up like that everyday to work, so I told her. She was starting to come around to that idea but had a long way to go both emotionally and physically with her health journey, but she was getting on track.

I shopped for her, brought her clothes from mid level stores on sale, so elevating her wardrobe with no sticker shock. I purchased wisely for her to mix and match pieces to create several options for her and also pieces that could be tailored or work well with weight loss. As time went by we would just add intentional pieces so that she always had 2 weeks worth of great pieces to wear to work. Her weight has fluctuated over the years but the most important thing is that she doesn’t hesitate to tailor or shop as she truly understands now what it feels like to be happy in your clothes no matter what your size.

She then started to travel for work, hence needing a capsule travel wardrobe, and then met someone abroad, so she needed dating outfits too:) Her weight has fluctuated over the years but the most important thing is that she doesn’t hesitate to tailor or shop as she truly understands now how it feels to be happy in your clothes no matter your size. She understands fit, nice fabrics, brands that work well for her, and she leaves all the shopping up to me (she still doesn’t like to shop:)

Sue trusted me with her vulnerabilities especially during a dark time for her. We’ve gone through many life’s transitions together, she isn’t just my client, she is my friend.

The stylist and client relationship is very personal, so when it works, and sustains over 11 years I think we both can celebrate this success!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Kim Rodriguez. I am a Personal Stylist based in Miami, and started my personal styling company 11 years ago. I help busy women both professionally and personally elevate their personal style, and find their confidence again in clothes! My services include personal styling, shopping, wardrobe editing, and special service, all of which can be done virtually or in person. Since almost all services can now be done virtually this has allowed me to work with wonderful women across the country.

I graduated from FIT in NYC and for 18 years worked there in the fashion industry. Upon moving to Miami with my family I really missed the business, but back then Miami was limited in fashion careers. I decided to do something on my own and really focus on what I loved. Styling is one of my skills, but I also wanted a real connection with my clients to truly help them with not just looking nice, but understanding how their clothes make them feel. I wanted them to understand the importance of fit and fabric, how budget does not have to dictate how you look, and most importantly your size is just a number, your body is never the problem, it is the clothes!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

My immediate market is Miami, which is large, transient, and with lots of competition in almost every field. Since my work is about building very personal relationships (i’m in peoples homes and closets) I’m extremely sensitive to always making my client feel 100% comfortable, even while they are changing clothes. I’m professional, personable, compassionate, but also the expert they hired. I really listen to them and then offer my expertise, support and guidance. I’m grateful for my clients so I conduct our meetings, text exchange, calls, with respect, gratitude, and also fun! Over the years many of my clients have become friends, and I would not survive without my referral business.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

As soon as Covid hit, like every other service industry, my business stopped. Once it became clear this was not a temporary closure, I needed to figure out how my services would still be viable. I knew I would not just stop working but I needed to figure out how I could still service my clients without seeing them, or without going into stores. I reached out to everyone weekly and offered free 1 hour consults if they needed support with styling, online shopping, or just to talk and ask me fashion questions or tell me about their kids. Just to keep the connection going. I spent money on master classes, joined 2 network communities, learned different marketing tools, and spent money on an online virtual course. I was determined to learn and execute a new business model, and that’s what I did. So today all my services can be done virtually or in person. It’s allowed me to help women all over the country with their style journey virtually. I still have local clients who love the virtual component as we have more freedom with scheduling and life’s interruptions.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.krpersonalstyle.com
• Instagram: @krpersonal_style
• Facebook: krpersonalstyle