We were lucky to catch up with Michele Williams recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Michele thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

In today’s marketplace, the mature woman is the forgotten consumer as most apparel companies gear styles, marketing, and availability to the under-50 crowd. No wonder a woman 60 or better often has a frustrating experience, whether online or in the shrinking world of in-person shopping. Clothes purchased online are always hit and miss with fit and quality. And retail stores are either bare OR overrun with disorganized racks and no sales staff to help!  Even the savviest shopper gets overwhelmed and has trouble finding what they need. Realizing that I too am THAT woman, I created a business that brings my friends and clients exactly what they need:

• Great looking clothes of quality and lasting value
• A personal shopping experience with a stylist
• A curated selection of pieces for lifestyle, body, and budget
• A fresh outlook to counter the negative perception of aging

I’ve grown my business in thirteen years by helping my clients build their wardrobes and by leading a team of new women entrepreneurs to develop their own Cabi businesses. I teach my clients and team how to assess and address what EVERYWOMAN wants: finding her best colors, uncompromising fit, and wearability, while never sacrificing quality and lasting style. My goal is to ensure that EVERYWOMAN learns to accept and appreciate her unique beauty and discards harsh self-judgment and comparison to others.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Empowering women to be who they are NOW is always my priority. The pervasive images on Instagram and TikTok suggest a certain way that all women should look. It is easy and natural for women who don’t meet that “standard” to think negatively about themselves and quit trying. I am here to help women change the tenor of their inner voices to affirming whispers of love and self-confidence.

I hear from women all the time; my bum is big, my arms are flabby, I am too short/tall/fat/skinny, etc. I guide them to see all the good and to remind them no one is judging them except themselves. Defining and refining personal style through wardrobe choices no matter size, shape, or age is my goal. Choices that are right for a woman’s uniquely beautiful body, budget, lifestyle, and personality are my successes. My services are affordable and cost-effective and whether I am showing the latest Cabi clothing collection in a personalized and private environment or browsing Macy’s, Nordstrom, or TJMaxx, I guarantee a learning experience that is fun and fruitful.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

When I started my business with personal shopping, closet makeovers, and as a Cabi clothing brand representative, there was Facebook and print media advertisement. I paid for ads in local newspapers, had the opportunity to talk about my business on local radio, and simply talked about my business to everyone I knew and asked them for referrals. On every appointment for a closet makeover, I wore Cabi, and with every trip to the mall, I wore Cabi and women started complimenting me on my look and asking where I got my clothes. Mind you I am not a fancy gal; all it takes to look “put together” is to choose great-looking classic modern pieces that fit my body frame and my life.  Moreover, looking good doesn’t require a massive wardrobe; rather, it is only essential to have a few quality and versatile pieces of every type of clothing that will work for a variety of occasions.

Once Instagram became the place to share everything about my business and my life events, I embraced it. I now create images and videos where I share details about pieces, fit, color, and styling tips to help women in their selections. This works very well for clients that I have never met in person. Using YouTube, Zoom, and other platforms I create a virtual fashion show and shopping event with women all over the country. I keep it real with spontaneous pictures of my ensembles as a ‘real woman’ running errands and living an ordinary life. Many of my clients compliment my easy style and lighthearted sense of humor because after all, it’s just clothes, and style is not science.

It’s one thing to share pictures of beautiful models in clothes; it’s another for women to see me as a real woman without filters. In Cabi clothing, and in some other brands, it is all about looking effortlessly comfortable, cute, and relevant for my age, size, and lifestyle.  I think relatability is my not-so-secret ingredient to building a community of women who want to share the joy of dressing well.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Years of doing business have taught me one thing: THE FOLLOW-UP

Do you get a call from a store where you buy clothes? Are you asked if you are happy with your choices…the fit, the ease of wear with other items in your closet??  Does anyone ask if you look in the mirror and like the “pretty” that you see when you wear your new dress or top or jeans? Probably not, but for every client who purchases Cabi wardrobe selections from me, I follow up to ensure their satisfaction and delight. Clothes are expensive and I want women to recognize the value of building a nice wardrobe of Cabi. I am committed to helping women evolve a closet of clothes they love and wear.

Since moving to the Dallas area four years ago, it has been vital I stay in contact with new and longtime clients near and far. I started my business in California and continue to travel to events two times a year to reconnect with new and established clients. Additionally, I have gained new clients in other parts of the USA via Zoom, Instagram, and Facebook styling sessions. It is so easy now with all the technology options available to serve women everywhere. That is the brand loyalty I cultivate with every encounter and purchase.

Contact Info:

• Website: stylebymichele.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/lifeandstylewithmichele
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Olderyesfrumpynever/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@micheleraywilliams4564