Improvability Blog

I was so sorry to hear that Kathryn Kalisz Donovan had been killed In January this year.  I had absolutely no idea until a kind soul told me yesterday.

Kitty Kalisz was mad about colour and was the founder of Sci\ART a company dedicated to the study of colour therapy, colour analysis and its effects on human beings.

I’d often spent many a happy hour poring over the amazing amount of information on the website.  And I remember now that, at some time in the long and distant past, I definitely had a copy of her book ‘Understanding Your Color’.  I’ve searched high and low this morning but can’t find it so I must have lent it to someone (something I absolutely do not do at all these days!).

Kitty worked for 6 years as a colourist at the Munsell Color Co and then started to teach, developing her own colour analysis system based around 12 tones.

What always struck me about Kitty was her clear understanding that not everyone has either Warm or Cool skin tones, and that a percentage of the population have neutral tones. To me, this was evidence of a shining light in an industry that has been so guilty of sticking rigidly to what it thinks it knows without even questioning it!

Many so-called leaders in our field have not moved forward because they’ve stuck for so very long to that old, boring adage ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ so I always admired Kitty for being different and having the guts to say so.

By the way, if you’re wondering what on earth the 12 tones system is, I suppose it could be likened to the Extended Seasonal system or, as it was known in the good ol’ pioneering days, as the Flow system.  Yes, I know, we could get into all sorts of debates here so contact me if you would like to discuss it some more.

A memorial website celebrates the life of Kathryn Kalisz Donovan much better than I can, and we send our condolences to her family, heavily belated though they may be.

The actual colour of Tyrian purple, the original color purple from which the name purple is derived, is the colour of a dye made from a mollusk that, because of its incredible expense (many times more expensive than gold), in classical antiquity became a symbol of royalty because only the very wealthy could afford it.

Therefore, Tyrian purple is also called imperial purple

Royal purple is a dark violet colour and is bluer than the ancient Tyrian purple. In medieval Europe, blue dyes were rare and expensive, so only the most wealthy or the aristocracy could afford to wear them. (The working class wore mainly green and brown.) Because of this (and also because Tyrian purple had gone out of use in western Europe after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476), Europeans’ idea of purple shifted towards this more bluish purple known as royal purple because of its similarity to the royal blue worn by the aristocracy. This was the shade of purple worn by kings in medieval Europe

Orchid is a light shade of purple

Heliotrope is a brilliant shade of purple

Psychedelic purple was created in the late 1960s by mixing fluorescent magenta and fluorescent blue pigments together to use in psychedelic black light paintings

Electric purple is precisely halfway between violet and magenta and thus fits the artistic definition of purple

Hi, Kim, I read the emails you send out and they really inspire me. I recently got my certification as an image consultant.

It doesn’t seem as in demand in the States as it is in European countries. Image consulting was a real big hit in the 80s and it has really faded away.  Personal stylists are the revamped version, but is more popular with the Hollywood stars and people with tons of cash.

Although I have the ability to change my clients’ lives with my talent, I have not purchased complete color palettes, nor do I have drapes. I made my own seasonal palettes with small fabric pieces glued onto a larger piece of fabric.  

I’m on a really tight budget with  starting my own hair salon also. Do you have any suggestions on how to make these items or do you have anything at a very low cost? Thanks, Esmeralda

Dear Esmeralda,

The perception of the image industry may well be that it’s old-fashioned, out-of-date and considered very 80s but if YOU (an image consultant) have those same thoughts about it, that’s going to kill your business before you’ve even started. 

I would suggest that you re-think what you’re offering and change the way you describe yourself, if that helps you to think higher of yourself.

When YOU’re confident about what you’re offering, you will attract clients.

There are plenty of ladies out there who need your help

I don’t think the essence of what image consultants offer will ever fade away; people will always want our services and skills but it’s up to us to market ourselves better and explain what we can do to help our potential clients. 

Call yourself something different - an image coach, or a wardrobe consultant, or a personal stylist - it’s only a title.  The bookings will come because people want YOU, not what you offer.

As for the wallets, offering a home-made version is only going to appeal to low-paying clients. Is that really what you want? 

You need to think about what kind of business you really want

Low-cost investment => low-paying clients => low income

If you want high-paying customers, you’re going to have to offer them something much higher value than home made.

Invest in your business

If you’re serious about working as an image consultant, you need to invest in your business with good colour tools:

• My own drapes have been going strong for over 25 years
• I’ve had my seasonal wallets for 20 years
• and my tonal fans for about 16 years

Colour tools or props are a one-time investment that will pay dividends over and over again. 

Speak to whoever trained you and ask them to help you source good quality drapes, wallets, etc. for your business. Or take a look at our wholesale catalogue.

Colour analysis is NEVER about the swatches

And remember, this isn’t about the swatch wallets, or the drapes, or your premises, or any of those other distractions.

What we offer to our clients is confidence - confidence in how they look and how they feel about themselves. 

The successful consultant has to be totally confident about her own abilities and about the services that she’s offering.  If not, the client will know. 

You have to believe first and foremost that what you’re offering is worthwhile and that there are women out there who want your services. 

And there are absolutely loads of them!

30 years in this wonderful business!

I’m clearly much older than I look (tee hee).

I have so many stories to tell from the last 30 years that I could be here some time. But I’ll start by reminding you that this is the last day of our mad sale. 

Self-study ‘in a Box’ training courses

1. Use coupon code CK30 at the checkout to save £300 on any of these three Colour Analysis training courses:

• Colour in a Box
• The Complete Colour Analysis Training Kit (includes colour supplies)
• The Complete Colour Analysis Training Kit Platinum Edition (includes Advanced Colour Analysis for Image Professionals)

2. Use coupon code AK30 at the checkout to save £200 on Advanced Colour Analysis for Image Professionals

3. Use coupon code MM30 at the checkout to save £200 when you pre-order 3 Steps to Success for Image Professionals

4. Use coupon code LS30 at the checkout to save £150 when you pre-order Ladies’ Style in a Box

THIS SALE ENDS TODAY 12th AUGUST 2010

PS. If you haven’t been receiving my newsletters then you’ll know nothing about this sale so register now so that you don’t miss any future offers.