Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lindsey Kear. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lindsey, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

My career has always been in a creative field. Since I first started in fashion until now working in costumes TV & Features, I have experienced a lack of support in regards to navigating my career. Finding a mentor can be quite difficult for various reasons. I found myself coaching coworkers as well as seeking out advice for myself. There are many areas of support that we need as creative freelancers. Such as negotiating our contracts, networking, building up our self worth, etc. Sometimes it’s easier to give the advice instead of utilizing it for yourself. I’ve created The Costume Consultant to fill this gap in the industry. Whether you have a dream of working in costumes or you’ve been in the game for many years. I can help you problem solve and get you to where you want to be.

Lindsey, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started with a love for fashion but I really did not know what I wanted to do after I graduated from college. I felt overwhelmed by all of the options. I didn’t go to school for anything to do with fashion. It’s always been an interest but I never really thought I could pursue a career in it. My dream though did turn into a reality when a temp agency placed me at Ralph Lauren in the fabric development department for Women’s Collection and Purple Label. I had no interest in fabric but I knew I wanted to be around creatives. I felt inspired everyday going to that office. It was during the prep for fashion week that I learned about fashion styling. Ralph would bring in a stylist to put the looks together. I knew I wanted that job. I heavily pursued it by using my sick days and interning for free and over the weekends for stylist I found online. I eventually completed the Fashion Styling Program at FIT. When I felt confident enough, I quit my job at Coach where I was working at the time. I jumped ship from the corporate world and never looked back.

Another dream of mine was to move to Los Angeles and pursue working in costumes for TV/Film. I moved to LA with no job, no car and slept on a friend’s couch. I was determined to make this happen. Within 2 weeks I got my first Costume Production Assistant job by networking and asking people to coffee. I followed up on every lead I could get. The rest fell into place.
The past 15 years, I’ve worked my way up in the costume department. I’ve created a network of friends and coworkers that I can lean on for support and help keep each other employed. Of course there have been some bridges burned along the way but I’ve tried to keep my head held high and move forward with grace.

Last year while brainstorming of what sort of things bring me joy, I realized helping people really fills my cup. I took some time off of my hectic work life and created a business called The Costume Consultant. It’s a coaching service that helps people pursue their dreams of working in costumes as well as give one on one coaching support to working costume professionals. If someone has a job they’re negotiating, we can work together in real time going through all the deal points. I’ve been able to help costumers and assistant costume designers get a big pay bump. While they didn’t know what they should ask for, I do. I’ve worked with a lot of people and know what the current rates are. A lot of times people just need a confidence boost while asking for what they are worth.

I’ve also helped people relocate to new cities and land jobs on big budget movies such as Marvel’s Captain America 4 based on my connections. Another client of mine completely changed careers and chased her dream of working in costumes. She is now overseeing the costumes for multiple shows while continuing to network with other costume professionals. She completely changed the trajectory of her work life.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I have always been a shy person. I tend to be more of an observer than a participant. About 6 years ago, I decided to change this about myself. I used to always wait for other people to introduce themselves to me. When they did, it provided a sense of relief. Now I am the first person to introduce myself. If I can give other people a sense of comfort or inclusiveness, then I will quiet that voice in my head and step forward. I now consider myself a “shy person in recovery”. Often shyness can be misread as aloof or standoffish. That’s not usually the case but that is the perception it can give off. I realized that this was not my true self. My authentic self was that I did have ideas and I wanted to share them, I had never felt safe to share these ideas for various reasons. Whether it was a previous boss telling me not to speak, my idea being shot down, or others overpowering the conversation. I always wanted to learn and never come off as a know it all. I finally learned that other people don’t always know everything. My ideas were good ideas and if they weren’t, then at least I got in the game. If I was asked to be in the room or to have a seat at the table, it was for a reason. My voice matters.

How did you build your audience on social media?

It has been a marathon, not a sprint. I’ve learned that people want to engage but sometimes in more of an observant way. There aren’t many resources out there as far as costume education. A lot of the education is reserved for people that are already working and in unions. Other people want to learn as well. I have been creating lists of resources from around the world. So when people are traveling, they know where to go. I’ve had some great social media interns as well that have taught me systems such as Trello and Buffer that can help posting flow in an easier way. Your audience wants to trust you. I don’t claim to know everything and I do ask for participation. Again, people like to look but not necessarily actively engage. I do a weekly quiz that is quite successful but it’s multiple choice so people just need to click. I also like to follow accounts that are relevant to costuming. I like supporting other businesses and entrepreneurs. Creating a network of people who lift others up is what is important to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thecostumeconsultant.com
• Instagram: @thecostumeconsultant
• Facebook: The Costume Consultant
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-kear-a657493/
• Other: www.lindseykear.com

Image Credits
Christina Hribar Sean Cliver