The Great Closet(s) Cleanout!

Shop early!  Shop often!  All misses/women's sizes and many girl's sizes.  I'm turning over 100's of pieces of clothing, jewelry, shoes, and accessories from business sample pieces and my wardrobe.  All adult pieces are $5, children's $3.  There are many new and like-new pieces, and the "good stuff" is definitely going to go fast!  Call 610-998-9210 or email beth@bethstrange.com for a shopping appointment! 

All proceeds benefit the DAS Piano Scholarship Fund.  Sale ends when most items are gone; remainder will be donated to charity.

A Campaign Image Makeover

Ah! I love the political campaign season. Who wouldn't love watching successful, intelligent adults act like undisciplined middle schoolers? What I want to know is: When did civility get ostracized from the political process? And who was the genius who decided that mudslinging was a good strategy? Here's my position, from an image management perspective, for reforming campaigning.

First, any self-respecting advertising professional can tell you that name recognition is crucial to selling a product. That's why candidates spend beaucoup bucks on placards that say SCHMEDLAP FOR CONGRESS. When we enter the voting booth, the name SCHMEDLAP is theoretically echoing in our brains. So-why is it in a typical slinging commercial that the slinging candidate's name is usually only mentioned once or twice, but the slingee's name is shouted out five to ten times? Whose name will be ringing in our ears on election day?

But in a negative way, you say.

But I say campaigning has become so negative that, like media violence, it rolls off our backs to some extent.

Here's an image principle: As Ms. Strange says, speaking ill of others makes us look ugly, less credible, and distinctly untrustworthy. Whether it's in the office, on the playground, or at home, consciously or subconsciously we know that people who talk badly of others will inevitably turn on us as well. Look at the Primary. SCHMEDLAP is apparently running against his fellow party member, SATAN. Then, when the Primaries are over, SCHMEDLAP and SATAN suddenly can only think of wonderful things to say about one another. Two months ago, SATAN was trying to destroy America, and now he's a "truly great American."

The biggest problem I see with this kind of campaigning is that it's eroding our faith in our political leaders. Apparently they are all scuzzbags (noun: An offensive term for a person that is stuck-up, very mean, stupid, and only caring for themselves. A sleazy, unethical person. [urbandictionary.com]), incompetent, and in league with the enemy-whomever that might be.

What an image makeover it would be for a candidate to carry out a sling-free campaign! I don't know about you, but a candidate like that would grab my attention--and maybe even my vote.

~Fairchild

Meet My Driver!

My name is Fairchild--just Fairchild. We chauffeurs do not have first names--that's why we became chauffeurs. Here's something you may not know about my kind; we're some of the best educated people in the world. "Education." If I've heard Ms. Strange say that word once, I've heard her say it a thousand times. While driving (fetching and toting also) for an image consultant who likes to talk about and knows her stuff, one thing I'm getting is an education. Once I realized that, I started listening, and then I started observing, and then I stared forming some of my own opinions. Not that I don't agree with Ms. Strange on almost everything--after all she is the pro, but if you decide to follow these blogs posts of mine, you will see that working for an image consultant sure makes one think.

First image thoughts coming soon.