It's Sweater Weather! My Favorite Comfy Sweaters

Good news! Sweater weather is here! This is an odd fun fact but I’m a native Floridian and I feel like I have more fall and winter outfits than I do summer. I’m not sure what that’s about but as you can imagine I am stoked! Sunny and…..65 here in Florida!! LOL! Regardless, we Floridians LOVE warm, comfy sweaters just like the rest of you around the world so I picked out some of my favorites and included them below. And don’t worry, I’ve covered balloon sleeve sweaters, fluffy sweaters, h&m sweaters, pullover sweaters, knit sweaters…..I’m starting to sound like Forest Gump here people. My point is, I’ve hand-selected a bunch for you. Happy shopping!

Tired Of The Corporate 9-5? How to Pursue Your Passion

Is the 9-5 corporate grind getting you down? Ok yes, I totally hear ya at times. But, it’s important to remember that before you go making it onto the Top 10 List of “Greatest I Quits Of All Time,” the corporate company you work for DOES in fact pay all of your bills, your medical benefits, and likely provides a much needed service to you or at least someone you know (ahem, Starbucks, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon). So the fact of the matter is, unless you’re swimming in money, you probably need your 9 to 5.

NOW ON THE FLIP SIDE, as long as you wake up, work your 9 to 5 each day, and then come home, go to sleep, and do it all over again tomorrow, well, that is in fact what you’ve set your life up to be, and ALL that you’ve set your life up to be. If you want your circumstances to change, then what you put into each day better change. So rather than flat out quit, perhaps it's time to consider how you can start adding some of the following options instead.

Set up your own company

One way to evade the constraints of a 9-5 corporate job is to step out and set up your own company as an entrepreneur. Then you can have total control over your business's culture and make it as relaxed and as creative as you want. Ha, well that’s obvious. BUT, statistically is it realistic for everyone? Probably not. While this is a VERY oversimplified piece of advice, if there is something that’s been nagging at you that you’re truly passionate about, and you’ve got the drive, then guess what, you CAN in fact make it be just that simple.

Why, how, and what do you mean Kristin? Here’s one thing I’ve learned over the last couple years. You see that last sentence in the paragraph above? Do what you love to do, KEEP DOING what you love to do, and do it BECAUSE you love to do it. Repeat, repeat, repeat. If you are creating something that truly represents you, everyone will admire it and nobody can match it. Repeat, repeat, repeat some more. Do it you because you LOVE to do it, and eventually you’ll start to figure out how and where you can really bring value to others.

Become an artisan

On that note, and also a real departure from the traditional suited and booted 9-5 corporate role (or sneaks in our case, folks), is to become an artisan, someone that makes an elite product usually by hand.

Of course, this can take a significant amount of time to get to a point where you can even earn enough money to live on, let alone match the salary you can expect to see in the corporate world. But like I said above, if it’s a talent of yours, and you really love it, you can set aside say 5-10 hours a week working on this while you keep your day job. Learn how to earn extra money online at the same time while you practice your art. This can help keep you afloat while you establish your businesses and customer base.

And seriously, if you were born and blessed with artistic talent, the world deserves to see it!

Learn a trade

A smart alternative to artisan work is to learn a more traditional hands-on trade such as plumbing, being an electrician, or even a painter. You know, things that every day people need, EVERY DAY! The advantage of these sort of careers is that they tend to pay a lot more than artisan roles, and are in constant demand as well, ensuring that you will get enough business to make a decent profit.

Of course, they are entirely different from the corporate world because you will travel to client locations, and deal with specific and various issues there, most of which will require hands-on work and lateral thinking.

It's also much easier to train in these types of areas as opposed to artisanal pursuits because there are plenty of schools or online resources that offer short courses, allowing you to get up and running quickly.

Help others

It's not that people in the corporate world don't help others. In fact, some roles focus on this, such as human resources and recruitment. Woohoo! (that’s MY 9 to 5). However, how awesome would it be to help others for YOUR cause?

If you are tired of showing up to a job everyday that you don’t feel a tangible connection to, choosing a job where you get to help people for more altruistic reasons can be a much better choice. Start by making a list of everything you love and are passionate about. For example, animals, nutrition, keeping our earth clean, certain vitamins, etc. etc. How could you help contribute to these companies, whether through your time or something else unique your skills and talents could offer them? Start by doing this on a volunteer basis, keep doing it consistently and you’ll get really good at it, and sure enough after a solid, consistent amount of time, I guarantee you someone from these organizations will want to include you on their team in a more formalized manner.

It all starts by you identifying what really makes you happy, and then you getting creative with the skills, talents, and passion that you’ve already got. You will do your best work when you are in love with it. So if that means doing it for a couple hours at night after you’ve already worked a 10 hour day, then it’s still a win-win for you right? Do what can support you, and do what makes you happy. If you can do both of those in one job, then great! If you can do both of those in two jobs, then that’s still great! As long as that happy part is in there, then you’re living a life worth living.

Much love,

Kristin

How to Start Writing In Your Spare Time

When that inkling to write creeps into your heart and mind, that feeling never quite dies. You might graduate college and go a decade into your career, much like myself, but eventually that desire to create expressions through writing will be knocking harder and harder at your insides, so badly wanting to come out.

Let’s face it, writing is the product of SO much passion. When you love to read and create and get lost in an imaginary world, it’s only natural that your mind will often come up with characters and ideas, plots and twists. So whether you were a budding author as a child, or you were someone that just wanted to write features and stories and snippets from your life, you will still have that feeling until you put pen to paper. Or, perhaps more aptly, fingers to keyboard.

So, let’s say you ARE interested in writing in your spare time, maybe even with the intention of turning this into a career. Or selling a story. How do you do it and where do you even start?

First, Just Start

Right now! When you’ve finished reading this post, open up your laptop and just get writing. Brain dump is what I call it. Brain dump whatever it is on your mind and don’t worry a second about grammar or organization. Just let the creativity flow. Getting started is often the hardest part, so if you just do it, you’ve beaten that hurdle.

Set Aside The Time

You’re pumped, you’re motivated on Day 1, but then life takes over again on Day 4, and you stop. Ya’ll, clearly I’ve been mad guilty of this lately. Hence, why I’m writing this post. Find time to write by first determining what’s a doable amount of time to write each day (I did 20 minutes starting out), and then get real with yourself to determine what time of day your brain is most capable of doing this. Perhaps it’s the wee hours of the morning when the world is quiet and it’s just you and your coffee. Or maybe your lunch break when you need to vent about your day. Whenever it is, just schedule it in and make a habit of it. When you’ve got the time set aside for it, you will write.

Kick Into Routine-Mode

You know what they say about the number of days it takes to make a lifelong habit. Do it for those 21 days straight and guess what, writing just became a glorious part of your daily life. Consistency is key to make it big, they say. So make sure you’re being consistent. Again, I have epic-ally FAILED at this recently. Ergo, this is a seriously important reminder on how much you’re capable of achieving when you’re in a routine. AND, the more of a routine you get into with your writing, the easier and more natural it will become.

Take It Seriously!

Like no joke, if you wrote for 20 minutes a day, you are capable of being one hell of a good writer in a matter of months! Umm, hashtag bosscard! And then there may come a time where you feel ready to take this whole writing thing to another level! Maybe you want to look at online jobs from home where you can write to make money and then write in your spare time creatively too. Or, maybe you want to think about getting a pitch together for a book proposal? Umm, my dream! So keep up the consistency and things WILL get serious for you.

Go Big and Without a Care!

Do NOT over-analyze and be hard on yourself. That’s not why you’re writing. You’re writing because you LOVE IT. You’re writing because it’s a God-given TALENT. You’re writing because it releases feelings, emotions, and creativity that make you feel whole each day. THAT is why you’re writing. And when you remind yourself of that each day, you WILL be consistent. And what did we say above? When you stay consistent, you will get really damn good. And when that happens? The possibilities are endless my friend. Go BIG. You deserve to.

-Kristin Leigh

What is a Pinterest Community?

So glad you asked! This feature is literally just days old, right off the presses. (Off the presses - are we even allowed to still use that term? Sad!)

Ok so basically Pinterest Communities are like Facebook groups, BUT BETTER. Here’s why:

1. You are joining a group where your feed is full of beautiful pictures of things YOU care about.

2. You don’t have to sift through everything else you could care less about to get to what you ACTUALLY want to see. (Ahem, Facebook & Instagram)

3. Bye-bye annoying political posts that we’re all sick of seeing. There’s a specific Community for that.

4. Your phone will not be exploding with notifications about literally everything.

5. You can create posts for the group using your own original content, OR you can simply PIN and share other content you love on Pinterest! (Yay, no work!)

6. It’s like Instagram with the pretty pictures, but without the annoyance of fake accounts, follower/like obsessions, AND you don’t have to be the one posting everything, everyone can! (sigh of relief).

7. It’s also better than Instagram because each post contains LINKSSSS! So you can access more information instantly. Praise the lord, hallelujah!

8. There’s way more benefits, I’m literally only 8 hours into using it.

Ok so how do I SEARCH, JOIN, OR CREATE a Pinterest Community?

Literally, the easiest thing ever.

1. First, open your phone’s Pinterest App. Look at the bottom center of your screen. Do you see a Community icon with a heart in the center like below? If not, all you need to do is update the app and then you’ll see it.

2. You have to first JOIN a community in order to be able to CREATE a community (if you so wish to create one).

SEARCH and JOIN communities by clicking that Community icon and inputting your search terms. Or, to make it easier, simply join these two communities right here:

https://www.pinterest.com/community/sneakers/

https://www.pinterest.com/community/career-tips/

3. Now that you’ve joined a Pinterest Community, you can CREATE a Pinterest community in one easy step (if you want to). See that + (plus) sign in the top right corner of my previous screenshot above? Click that to CREATE a new community. And then all you need to do is add three simple pieces of info - Community Name, Description, and a Cover Photo. Voila! You’re now the admin of your new Pinterest Community!

4. Now that you’ve joined a couple communities, feel free to start sharing content! You can upload your own pics OR you can post from pics you’ve already pinned on Pinterest! (This feature is amazing because now YOU don’t always have to be the creator of the content).

Just click the “Write something” field, start writing, and if you want to upload a photo or Pin, just tap that section at the bottom of the screen. And boom, all your recent pins, or your phone’s camera pics, are right there for you to choose from.

And that’s it!! Make sure you join the Sneakers community I just created because I want to meet you and we can share our favorite new kicks!

-Kristin

Why I Disappeared From Instagram

Well hello.  I’m back, after two months Instagram-free.  I didn’t exactly give you guys warning that I was going to do that.  In fact, I didn't even know I was going to do that.  But the truth is, life happened.  And quite frankly, life was happening all around me.  My dog was in front of me wanting to play.  My job consumed me for, no joke, 14 hours every day.  I had family to see, friends to catch up with, and myself to try and pick back up again. 

Life.  The condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter.  Pretty much most things on this earth, other than the material electronics we spend so much time scrolling through and tapping. 

The truth?  Instagram makes me feel really uncomfortable.  Before I signed up for it I thought I could be anything I wanted to be.  I thought I could build a website, contribute to the world with my writings, and inspire people to be themselves every day.  I had a vision.  I saw the end product.  I would be CEO of Suits & Sneaks, the movement that would inspire each person to be themselves, even if working in the corporate world for someone else.

But then, I signed up for Instagram. 

I heard it was the social media platform to be on to help advertise and grow my brand.  And sure, it definitely got my name out there and was very effective at redirecting traffic to my site.  But for the first time, I saw everyone else.

I saw tons of people that looked more successful than me.  I saw girls that were in perfect shape.  They could pull off any outfit they wanted because they looked so young and vibrant.  There was no way I looked like those girls.  I was 34 and exhausted.  I had just spent months pulling all-nighters to get my site up and running.

But these girls?  Their angles were perfect.  Their lighting was perfect.  Their color scheme and flow of their feed was perfect.  They had hundreds of pictures of what looked like every day normal shots.  Don't get me wrong, my photographer  puts out some great shots.  But like, do these girls seriously just walk outside and snap pics of themselves, and look that good daily?  Will I eventually get there?  I hoped so.

For quite some time I completely sucked at getting a good looking Instagram.  How the hell did these girls do it?  Maybe they’re just naturally pretty, and I’m not.  Gee, that was depressing.  I wanted to be as successful as them.  I go all-in at everything I do, so when will I look like these bloggers and win at Instagram?

You guys, what the f---.   

Once upon a time I was so happy with myself for unleashing what I truly believed was a God-given writing talent.  And now, I’ve amounted myself to nothing more than what I believe is an ok photo that doesn’t even come close to the bloggers who have “made it.”  

That is seriously frightening.  A sane person, once myself, could sit here and say how ridiculous that is to destroy your self-worth in such a sad, useless, and non-realistic way.  But for so many Instagram users, this has become our reality.  And it got to the point where I couldn’t take it anymore.

So hi, I’m Kristin. 

And I’m made up of 34 years of hardships, wins, losses, and blessings that have made me into the actual person that actual people see, every day.  Without a camera, I’m actually quite confident in myself.  I know how to navigate the corporate world.  I have a kick-ass work ethic.  I love to inspire and motivate people.  And I am over the moon about the career change I made last year, going from being a CPA to a recruiter.  I have the most amazing beagle-basset hound God has ever created.  And we have quite literally saved each others’ lives, multiple times.  I am really close with my family.  I have the perfect boyfriend.  And I love to wear sneakers. 

But, I’m struggling with my weight right now and my self-esteem is at the lowest it’s ever been.  I deal with endometriosis and food addictions that constantly consume my life.  I’ve come face to face with death two, almost three times.  I was saved by the grace of God, and I’m forever indebted.  But most importantly, I try my best to be forever appreciative.

And yet, with this little app called Instagram, I somehow had dismissed all of that.  How stupid, right? 

So here’s where I stand with Instagram:

First, I no longer give two shits about having who I am validated by the frequency of posts I make or the number of likes or followers I get (or lose) on Instagram.  And neither should you.  Now that I've spent two months away from it, I realize Instagram, in theory, is quite meaningless. 

However, on the flip side, I’ve received some of the nicest messages ever from followers on how I’ve been an inspiration to them.  And THAT is what continues to give me purpose with Suits & Sneaks.  For those of you who were inspired by me, I want to stop here and truly apologize to you that I selfishly disappeared when I could’ve otherwise found ways to continue being an inspiration to you.  Seriously, f---- me for that.  

Second, staying “on brand” actually is really important.  But I have to remember there is more to my personal life than the brand on my, well technically my BRAND’S, Instagram account.  And vice versa, right?  My brand will many times stand alone from my personal life.  My first go-around with this was a bit of a hodgepodge.  I did sneakers, but then I also did my dog and daily life.  Like, do I want Suits & Sneaks to be a brand?  Or do I want it to be me personally?  I’ve had mixed feelings and received mixed responses on this.  I’m honestly open to any feedback.  But I think I’ve kinda figured a way forward with this.  Bear with me.

And lastly, I legitimately missed you guys.  There are a number of followers that have seriously put the biggest smile on my face with their kind words.  And there are a number of followers that I think I was able to help out as well.  And I freaking LOVE that. 

In my day job as a recruiter, I talk to hundreds of candidates, and at the end of every single one of my days, I get the most satisfaction from helping these people feel pumped about themselves and their accomplishments. 

So my Instagram mindset has shifted.  This platform will be for you.  Not for me to compare my stats to others to validate whether I’m "on track" or not.  It will simply be for you.  I wish I could talk to each one of you on the phone every week like I do with my candidates, but guess what, this is the next best thing.  Because now I can reach thousands of you to help you feel good about yourself, especially in your career.  As has been my purpose in creating Suits & Sneaks from Day 1 - I want to inspire you to Let The Real You Shine Through.

Love you all and am glad to be back.

-Kristin

Menswear Blogger, Igee Okafor, On How To Dress For Summer

"When it comes to personal style at music festivals, anything goes." 

Read the full post by Igee Okafor & Peter Minkoff here.

Photography by: Sebastian Cintron

Working With An Invisible Illness

An invisible illness could be depression, addiction, cancer, auto-immune disease, anxiety.  Basically anything internal that only you can see.  The problem is these are not one-and-done illnesses like a cold or a broken arm.  They're chronic.  And they're consuming.

As a current fighter of an invisible illness, I want to talk about the impacts it can have on your career.  And based on my experience, I can share what almost broke me, and what saved me.

I was failing at work.

This time last year was the absolute worst point of my career.  I had stabbing abdominal pains, massive blood loss, regular vertigo, 10 pounds lost, and a fainting episode.  You would never know it if you saw me because I didn't have a scar on the outside of my body to prove it to you.

What people did see, though, was that I started to miss deadlines; again, and again.  I'd disappear from work for hours because I was either sick to my stomach or having another dizzy spell.  "You should really consider short-term disability," my boss eventually advised.  I declined at first, but after a month of not delivering any work output and letting my team down, I agreed it was the right thing to do.

Except that, my insurance provider didn't recognize my situation as a diagnosed condition with a specified start and end date.  My doctors' offices were always too busy to ever provide the documentation that was requested of them.  Relative to their hundreds of older, more seriously diagnosed patients, I was pretty low-risk. 

But, they didn't see me trapped in the bathroom for hours scared out of my mind from the blood loss.  They didn't see me crawling on the floor back to my bedroom from the light-headedness, with nothing left to my vision but spots.  They didn't hear me crying on the phone to my parents or boyfriend for help.  To the disability insurance company and my doctors, I was just a young, non-smoker female suffering from either digestive or gynecological issues.  To be determined as to the cause.  

And therein lies the problem with an invisible illness.  I didn't yet have a diagnosis, so what exactly would I be covered for?  And the only way to get diagnosed, at this point, was through abdominal surgery.  No big deal, right?  Wrong.  "When is your surgery date?  Because we can only cover you for your time out during surgery."  So, aside from the hellacious symptoms I had been suffering through for months leading up to a tentative surgery date, I was also being pressured into having the surgery simply to prove to them I had an illness and be covered for job protection and disability.  This was my life last summer and it was very upsetting.  I had become so worn out and frail that I ended up too sick to even have the surgery.  And as a result, the third-party provider declined me FMLA and Short-Term Disability.

I suffered every day from severe abdominal pains and embarrassing symptoms that I had to admit to my managers in order to explain why I was late to work.  I mentally broke down and could no longer function.  I was literally one day away from throwing my hands up and quitting because I was so embarrassed.  Any good judgment I had left was just about gone. 

And it was at this worst moment when someone walked through the door at work, and without knowing it, saved me.

Here is what saved me.

I listened to her from the back corner of the conference room, sitting by myself with tear-soaked eyes, as she gave her presentation to my colleagues and I.  She was a top executive in our organization.  Yet, something about her just seemed so real.  She spoke with calmness, but I could tell behind her was a career of not just successes, but many hardships that made her into the person she was in front of me that day.  She endured a lot, personally and professionally.  I didn't know it, but I could sense it.

And for the first time, I felt an inkling of hope.  I sat there, and I looked up to her. 

She might have planned her presentation that day to say one thing, but the message I got that day was "stay." 

I then got very real with myself to try and understand what would truly make me happy as I tried to fight through this.  I loved helping people and I loved giving career advice.  I should be a recruiter, I thought.  

So I mustered up every last ounce of energy I had and interviewed for a recruiting position at my company.  It took almost two months of follow-ups but I ultimately got the job.

The physical symptoms of my condition were still there, but I no longer had the time to sit and wallow in pain because I was on the phone talking to people every day. 

Fast-paced interaction and quick wins are what worked for me. 

The nature of my prior Accounting life involved analyzing complex financial data for extended periods of time.  Because it was just me and my computer, I'd lose focus easily and find myself consumed in thoughts of illness and pain.  I was mentally making it worse for myself.

But this sudden shift to a fast-paced, interactive role changed things, because I no longer had the time or space for debilitating thoughts in my head.  I was now less focused on myself, and more focused on helping people get into the desk of their dream job.

Looking Back 

& Lessons Learned

As I look back on my experience, there are five major pieces of advice I have for anyone working through an invisible illness.

1. Hold your doctor accountable.

As you saw above, this was exhausting for me.  And in the end, it didn't even work out.  Your doctor needs to feel your pain and fully understand the impacts your condition has had on your life.  Otherwise, they will be of no help to you as you try to get relief from any short-term disability benefits.

2. Seek help quickly at work.

 Do not try to "stick it out" as long as you can.  If you know your performance is less than 100%, other people can see that too.  The more time you keep to yourself, the less time you spend getting help for yourself.  And in case you forgot, your time in life is finite.  Find a safe environment and someone you can trust.  Swallow your pride and remember, everyone has issues.  Humble yourself and ask for help.

3. Do a serious inventory of what makes you happy.

Make a list of things that really make you smile and laugh.  Start doing these things more often.  If it's certain people, start hanging around them more often.  When you spend more time with the people and things that make you happy, you will be distracted from your illness, and in turn will become a mentally stronger and happier person.

4. A job change could mean everything.

Taking on a new position that you're passionate about will instantly relieve the mental part of your illness.  If you can't change jobs, add variation to your normal work routine.  This sudden shift from the norms will require extra focus from your brain, distracting your thoughts away from any pain and illness.

5. Try to do work that involves quick wins.

Quick wins will inspire you to turn work around that much faster, which will leave you feeling successful that much more often.

I hope this can be helpful to you if you're currently fighting an invisible illness.  Keep your head up.  There will always be someone or some way to help make things better for you.  Even if just a bit.  Reach out anytime if you have questions or want to share your story.  Sending my love to you all!

-Kristin

Women's Tahari Summer Suit Sale Is On!

Happy Friday everyone and I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July!  Many of us are taking some time away from work to recharge and relax.  And many of us love the sales that come with summer.  As you think about how you're going to finish off the second half of your year at work strong, I happened to realize Tahari had a great suit sale going on.  So I picked out some of my favorites for you below.  So get going and pick out your power suit below.  Here's to owning your workday!

Massive Brooks Brothers Sale Is On!

Hey guys, it's summer time which means major sale time.  And I know many of you trust Brooks Brothers from head to toe, so I took some time to scour their online offerings and find you the best sales in line with my favorite styles below.  Major markdowns at over 50% and more!  Enjoy!

Brooks Brothers Button-Downs Over 50% Off!

Brooks Brothers Polos Under $50

Brooks Brothers Ties Marked Down To $25!

Brooks Brothers Blazers Over 50% Off

And Last But Not Least, My Favorite Brooks Brothers Kicks!

Suits + Sneakers + Sunsets

Suits & Sneaks' smart casual attire for the end of your workweek.

Congratulations, you're approaching the end of your workweek.  And what better way to step out of the office and into a happy hour sunset than in your most comfortable and casual pair of suits and sneakers. 

Here, Brooks Brothers meets Ben Sherman.  It's my motto of offsetting at its best. The Brooks Brothers blazer is offset with a more casual Brooks Brothers tee.  BB's pants are then offset with a pair of white canvas sneakers by one of my favorite men's lines, Ben Sherman.

It's the perfect way to untuck your shirt, let loose a little, and still look like you owned the day.  Cheers gents.

-Kristin

Brooks Brothers suit with Ben Sherman sneakers

Suits & Sneaks smart casual with Brooks Brothers and Ben Sherman

Got an Upcoming Interview? I've Got 5 Pieces of Advice For You.

Hey y’all I’m back with probably the biggest interview tip I could ever give you.  You could be the sweetest, smartest, most hardworking person in the world, but if you don’t have this one skill, I’m really sorry, but you likely won’t advance in the interviewing process.  You have heard it before, but I can’t stress the importance of it enough. 

And so I tell you that, COMMUNICATION SKILLS are EVERYTHING.  Now, before your two-second attention span closes this window because you’re like, yeah Kristin I already knew that, realize that there is in fact a LOT more to this communication word than you might realize.  And you not being seriously self-aware and socially aware of each of the five points below could very well cost you the job.  I have seen it many times.

So without further ado, let’s examine the most critical parts of communication:

1.       Your energy

Communication skills are key

If you have naturally low energy, I implore you, I beg you, to do whatever it takes to up your energy level, even if slightly out of your comfort zone.  If you lose someone in the first few minutes, it will be close to impossible to get them back. 

Try your best to be dynamic and bring feeling into your conversation.  The reality is, it’s you and a handful of other people interviewing.  You need to come to the table with a level of professional energy that can outpace your competition. 

2.       Your flow

It ain’t just for yoga class people.  Strive for really good flow in your explanations.  Think chronologically high level with the ability to dive into detail where needed. 

Chronological, high level points will make it easy for the interviewer to follow you.  It shows them you know how to get the most important points across quickly.  Then, dive into detail when asked for specific examples.  This will validate to the interviewer that you’ve actually worked through your situations and can recap your processes and learnings for someone else as well.    

3.       Your questions

While there’s always a balance between quality and quantity, please at least have some questions put together for your interviewers.  A lack of questions will make us think either you don’t care, or perhaps you’re not as well-versed in the subject area as you say you are. 

Very important though, really think through how what you’re asking might be perceived.  For example, I cringe when I open it up for questions and the candidate goes, “what are the working hours?”  Seriously, that’s your first question for me?  Now there could be a legit reason you’re asking, i.e. you have kids to pick up at 4pm, but you need to ask questions demonstrating your interest in the role first, then you can ask logistical questions later.    

4.       Your tone

Be very, very careful with this one.  I’ve seen really good candidates mess this part up in the interview and instantly lose the hiring team’s trust.  If you have a tendency to let annoyance or sarcasm creep into your conversational tone, make sure you check that, and any potentially demeaning words in your vocab, at the door. 

Your ultimate goal for this interview is to remain as positive as possible.  Now sure, you will be asked about difficult situations.  And you most certainly should answer them truthfully.  But you can do this by explaining your difficult situation in a more neutral tone, and then wrap it up by explaining what you learned from that particular situation. 

5.       Your ability to read the room.

Learn to read the room

Otherwise known as social awareness.  Since nobody can be perfect, the next best thing you can do is at least learn to read your audience and adjust accordingly.  If you notice any of your interviewers' eyes start to glaze over, or they lean back in their chairs and sort of slouch, then you’re not talking succinctly or dynamic enough.  So try to make your points a little clearer and a little faster.  If you notice your interviewers suddenly raising eyebrows or looking uneasy, something you said is causing them to question their trust in you.  Don’t be negative and consider adjusting your tone. 

At the end of the day, you should always be you.  Just remember that technical skills can be taught a lot faster than communication skills can.  So as you prep for your interview and gather your technical skills together, use the five points above to make sure you can communicate your experiences to your interviewers as best as possible.

Good luck and as always, comment below if you have any questions!

-Kristin

How To Let Tough Times Develop You, Not Destroy You

I wrote this post for those of us who've had every good intention to start 2018 off on the right foot.  Yet for each of our own personal reasons, we just seem to be struggling through life's curve-balls and challenges.  So my blog post this week starts with a simple realization, then follows with some call-to-actions.  And by the end, I hope you've found a new way to look at these challenges in your life that you might not have thought of before.

First, Realize This: It's Your Round 1.

When we face a challenge, we usually consider it a challenge because, well, we’ve never BEEN through it before.  We’re not sure what to do. 

If this was our Round 2, we’d be working through it with a little more ease, right?  This is an important concept for us to realize at the start of any hardship.  So let's cut ourselves some slack and accept that this is tough, and we therefore may not be our best selves right now.   

Next, Grieve.  Hard. 

Don’t try to one-up your hardship at the very beginning.  If your situation hurts in any sort of way, allow yourself to feel it.  Do what you need to do to truly feel the pain and grieve yourself through it.  This is a good thing. 

Why?  Because you VALUE that part of your life.  Life and all its happenings actually MEAN something to you.  

But When Is It Time For Me To “Get Over it” and “Move On?”

I personally believe you should never “get over” the loss of a loved one, a pet, a relationship, a job, or anything else personal that made up a huge part of your life.  Rather, you can learn to live with their memory in a new way.  Or, if you’re simply upset about something at work, school, home, or wherever, then remember what I said above.  At then end of the day we should let these difficult times develop us, not destroy us.

Ok, How?

If you find yourself in a continuous pattern of sulk where you feel like it’s destroying you or parts of your life, try this.  Zoom out and look at your situation from above.  Like a bird watching over you. 

Really try to understand the entire picture at hand, and how this current hardship plays into your potential 80+ years of life on this earth.  This will allow you to visualize from the entire perspective of your past, present, and future.  Not just from the perspective as you see things right now. 

Find your highs.  Your happy moments.  Your accomplishments.  Grab ahold of them to help you walk forward each day.

Find your lows.  What you perceive as weaknesses.  And while you’re zoomed out on your life at a bird’s eye view, the important thing to notice is this.  These are NOT in fact low points of your life, they’re LEARNING points. 

Because as each hour and day passes, you’re actually gaining something.  You’re gaining experience, strength, and a deeper appreciation for the things that mean so much to you.     

So take your challenges into the New Year as a person of strength.  Because as each day passes, you continue to learn how to live through them.  So that at the end of the day, we let the hardships we face develop us, not destroy us.

Make it a great 2018,

-Kristin

This is How I Toured Paso Robles Wine Country

What is up y'all!  I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are enjoying the kickoff to the holidays!  This year I flew out to California to spend Thanksgiving with my boyfriend and his family.  I took the entire week off from work, UNPLUGGED, and thought what better way to kick off the week than with two days in wine country?  So I landed in LA Monday morning and hit the road immediately to travel the PCH up to Paso Robles. 

Why Paso?  Two reasons - 1) I LOVE Justin wine and 2) I LOVE Ancient Peaks wine.  If these two gems came from Paso, then I was excited to see what else this wine country had to offer.

Paso Robles: The Itinerary

While planning this out, I was warned not to make the mistake of getting "slammered," which is the act of scheduling way too many winery visits in one day.  Whether that actually happened is debatable, but I like to make the most of my days so here's how it went down:

Monday afternoon: Ancient Peaks winery   

Pit stopped into Ancient Peaks since we were driving in to Paso from the South.

Ancient Peaks sits at the bottom end of Paso Robles.  Since we arrived into the area late Monday afternoon, we thought this would be our winery choice for the day before driving into the heart of Paso and checking into our hotel. 

Ancient Peaks' tasting room is more of a storefront experience, versus sitting on sprawling vineyards.  But, I absolutely LOVED the interior of it, and our wine server was so awesome and knowledgeable.  They have a really cute outdoor area with little cask fountains and couches that look out to the streets of the quaint little town of Santa Margarita. 

The wine I went there for is the Oyster Ridge Cabernet, which is the final wine on their tasting menu.  Clearly I have good taste.  The wine that shockingly blew me away was their Chardonnay.  I'm NOT a Chard fan, but I was shocked at how light and airy theirs was.  The flight included 5 wines (1 white and 4 reds) for $15.  Overall good value and I recommend stopping in.  

Hotel: Holiday Inn Paso Robles

I researched a ton of different hotel options, but ended up using IHG points to stay for free at the Holiday Inn Express because it's located in the dead center of Paso.  We were 150% satisfied with the accommodations.  So after getting a much needed long night's sleep, we arrived to Justin the next day, bright and early. 

Tuesday Winery #1: Justin

20 minute scenic drive from hotel out to Justin

Justin sits way back there in the valley so have patience on your drive.  I highly recommend making this your first stop of the day given its distance, then you can work your way back in to town.

The inside of Justin has an open air, contemporary vibe to it.  We took a walk around and found our favorite Justin bottles staring back at us behind thick glass cases.  Justin enthusiasts, carry a napkin to catch your drool.  The Eighty-One and Isosceles never looked so good. 

They also have a restaurant on site that overlooks the vineyard.  We opted not to eat so early, so we instead found a spot outside overlooking their vineyards. 

Looking out from our table at Justin

Justin's tasting is 5 wines for $20.  The pours were average 1 oz as you can see below, and their wines are all SO damn good that even if we got stiffed some, it didn't matter.  In my opinion, their wines are standout in quality. 

Justin Wine Tasting - 1st pour

Enjoying the Isosceles Reserve at Justin 

The views were really nice, and it just so happened that sitting next to us were Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra!  This is me finally realizing why the couple looked so familiar.  No we did not do a group pic lol.  But Justin did have the most adorable fall setup at the entrance of their winery so Derek and I posed for that.     

Having a moment in Justin's fall foilage.

Having a moment at Justin Winery :p

Tuesday Winery #2: Daou

We enjoyed the same scenic drive making our way back towards the center of Paso.

Ok.  Now you want to talk about views?  Daou's views are absolutely breathtaking.  And their outdoor seating area has couches, blankets, fire pits, and spans multiple levels into the vineyard.  Everything about this place is beautiful and you'll want to spend the entire day here... 

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Daou vineyards

Looking out from Daou's upper deck

...If you're the richest man in the world that is.  It is EXPENSIVE, with the wine tastings coming in at a measly $40 per person.    What??  Yes, $40 for 5 tiny pours.  Now it'd be one thing if the pours were generous, but they were by far the tiniest pours I have EVER seen in my life.  Like, so tiny I couldn't even tell you what the wine tasted like. 

I was pretty upset about this, but when I turned my eyes away from the 4 drops of a "tasting" in my glass and looked out at the 360 degree vistas, I felt better. 

We also ordered a $40 cheese and charcuterie plate (as if we had a choice lol), though it was pretty substantial, and really good I might add. 

Yes indeed I was having a moment :p

And then the bill came. 

Pay up at Daou.  $200 and change. That one hurt.

HERE IS THE SECRET TO NOT GOING BROKE AT DAOU:  Do NOT do the wine tastings.  Rather, you can order their best bottle for $65 and share it.  That's an entire bottle for you and your company to spend the day there soaking in the views, for a TOTAL of $65. 

Having a moment in Daou's vineyards.

Here's where it gets even better.  If you do the wine tastings, you're confined to their upper deck, so the server can keep watch on your status and tend to you better.  If you pass on the tastings and order either full glasses or a bottle, you can sit yourself wherever you'd like on the grounds.  And as I mentioned above, they have some STUNNING seating areas.  Trust me, this is 100% the way to go.   

A seating area in Daou's vineyard.

Tuesday Winery #3: Alta Colina

Alta Colina is just a short 5 minute drive from Daou.

Talk about some awesome estate wines.  It was really cool getting to meet this family, including the friendliest German Shepard pup I have ever seen - Honey!  Their wine tasting was $15 for 5 wines.  And it is here I finally bought a bottle to take home, in which they waived our tasting fee.      

Photo credit Alta Colina

This was one of those fun wineries where at this point you're loosened up and just shooting the sh-t with the owners.  Or, if you're like me, you're on the ground giving belly rubs to the family dog. (recall from my Instastories lol). 

Alta Colina's top member, Honey.  And she is absolutely as sweet as honey!

There isn't a view from the tasting room's bar, per say, but that's because the tasting room sits at the base of their vineyards, so the views expand backwards and upwards.  Regardless, it was one of my favorites spots we visited.  

Tuesday Winery #4: Bodega de Edgar

Bodega de Edgar is literally the driveway next door to Alta Colina.

This tasting room actually sits on the 2nd floor of another winery and distillery called Villicana Winery & ReFind Distillery.  So as not to cause confusion when you pull up, look for this staircase on the left side of the building.

Tasting room stairway to Bodega de Edgar

I love Riojas which is what I was hoping to get from this winery, however they didn't have any on their tasting flight.  Major bummer.  We ordered the tasting regardless, which I think was $10, and yeah I'll say the wines were good.  I'll also remind you this was our 4th winery soooo.....recall that term "slammered" above. 

Tasting Room in Bodega de Edgar

Now what I will say is the story of Edgar, the founder, is REALLY cool.  So if anything, I'd recommend reading the backstory to this winery.  And of course if you love Spanish reds, then swing on by for sure. 

Tuesday Winery #5 (barely) : Eberle

Eberle was a short 10 minute drive from Bodega de Edgar.

I mean, can I get a round of applause that we even made it to a 5th winery in one day on our own two feet?? 

My Eberle Wine

So Eberle is the winery with the totally awesome cave tours.  However, we showed up 10 minutes before closing time so the tours were done for the day.  I wasn't really impressed with Eberle's wine quality, however the tastings were FREE so the wine bar was packed with people.  And for as packed as they were, the service was still really good. 

We grabbed two full glasses of wine (for free!) and walked outside to check out the views.  Did we really need two glasses of wine at this point?  Absolutely not.  But the glasses served their purpose, allowing me to get the pretty cool shots you see here.

Sunset at Eberle.  We survived Paso Robles wine country!

Six Wineries in 1.5 Days....That's a wrap!

Whew!  We did good.  We had great weather, great wine, and great company.  Overall verdict - I would go back to Paso Robles in a heartbeat!  For now, I'm taking a teeny tiny break from wine lol.  Hope you all enjoyed this post, and comment below if you've been and want to share your experiences, have questions, or just want to say hi!

Keep doing it for kicks! - Kristin

How To Create 7 Different Outfits With 1 Pair of Sneaks

This was SUCH a fun concept to come up with because a) who doesn't love buying an awesome pair of shoes, and b) who doesn't love justifying them with SEVEN different outfits??

Let me introduce you to the shoe, so appropriately named the Huntington Middie.  It's casual, it's clean, and quite frankly it turns heads.  Which is why I call it my game-changer shoe.  But, GET THIS.  As is the mission of everything Suits & Sneaks, I've taken this shoe and dressed it up for you to wear to WORK, to HAPPY HOUR, and yes, to simply #KEEPITCASUAL on the weekends.

So let's dive into this amazingly comfortable pair of sneaks (which include plush insoles btw!), styled SEVEN different ways for each day of your week.  Here we go!

Monday.

When All You Want Is Comfort.

When you wake up late, still feeling full and groggy from the weekend, and for the love of God just want to feel comfortable for the next 8 hours of your day....This is the outfit for you. 

Offset Casual With a Dose of Glam

For the Perfect Polished Casual Look.

Offset the casualness and comfort of these pants and sneaks with a tan blazer.  And, bedazzle yourself in pearls.  You've heard me say this a million times: Offsetting is the way to go for that refined, polished casual look.

Shop This Look:

Get the Sneaks: Seavees Huntington Middies

Tuesday

Styled Professionally.

You made it through Monday looking good, and if your coworkers had some sort of decency, they saved those important meetings for Tuesday.  Here's where you dress up your look with the easiest, most professional color out there - Black. 

BUT, don't be boring and wear black shoes.  That doesn't interest anyone. 

Hello Game-Changer.

Goodbye Status-Quo Dresser.

Instead, look like you've got style sense by changing up the shoe color with your black pants and blazer.  Sit down status-quo dressers.  Game-Changer just walked into the room.

Shop This Look:

Get the Sneaks: Seavees Huntington Middies

Wednesday

Polished Comfort.

Halfway through the week and starting to tire out?  Simply take it down a notch with a warm, comfy sweater and this soft, muted pink scarf.  Next, offset the comfort on top with some dark fitted jeans or even a pencil skirt on bottom! 

Slipping Into Your Middies

Couldn't get any easier.

Shop the Look:

Get the Sneaks: Seavees Huntington Middies

Thursday

Work + Happy Hour

A popular happy hour day, they say.  You definitely don't want to dress like a boring professional cause you're likely to hit up the bar scene after work.  You also don't want to walk into the office LOOKING like you're hitting up the bar scene after work.  #AMIRIGHT? 

Why Limit Happiness to One Hour

When You Feel This Good.

Here's a happy medium that's fun, but smart enough for the office.  And if jean jackets are more so meant for Friday, just switch this jacket out for a cute fitted blazer!  Hello Polished Casual.

Shop the Look:

Get  the Sneaks: Seavees Huntington Middies

TGI Friday

Jean Jacket Approved.

Ahhh, the day where the jean jacket IS allowed.  Grab those comfy pants from Monday and just swap out the top!  Here you could go with a neutral shirt, or get a little ballsy with a graphic tee under your jacket or blazer.  Just don't forget the accessories with this look. 

Accessories.

They Will Polish You Off.

While your threads are totes casual, you want to offset them with some accessories, like the bandanna scarf I've done here.  Or how about fun jewelry like a wooden watch??  No matter how casual you go, accessories and jackets will always polish you off.

Shop This Look:

Get the Sneaks: Seavees Huntington Middies

Saturday

Sleep In Like A Boss.

I absolutely LOVE these Middies with shorts.  And here's where I stress how dang COMFORTABLE these shoes are.  I never even got blisters from wearing them brand new!  Take it from the girl with the foot injury that put her in sneaks in the first place.  These shoes are SO EASY to wear while you're running around. 

So Comfy

You Could Walk Miles In These Kicks.

The long cardigan takes the look up a notch.  It also covers the top half of your thighs if you're feeling a little subconscious about them.  Like in this case, I would've preferred tanner legs lol.  Florida girl problems. 

Shop This Look:

Get the Sneaks: Seavees Huntington Middies

Sunday

Brunching + Shopping

A day meant for rest that's quite often supplemented with shopping or brunching.  Pair your Middies with a soft, floral shirt.  Top it off with a neutral, fitted blazer, and bam!  You're ready to walk in the door of any occasion. 

#Goals

She Rushed Out the Door and STILL Looked Styled.

My favorite part about this look are the sneakers and the blazer.  Because the combo simply screams: This girl quickly ran out the door and STILL managed to look styled!  Can we say #GOALS??

Shop The Look:

Get the Sneaks: Seavees Huntington Middies

Speaking of occasion, today was a special day!  I mean WOW.  What a post!  You just got SEVEN different outfit ideas!  And all laid out for you with just ONE pair of sneaks!!! 

I hope you all enjoyed browsing through the pictures and outfit inspiration to pair up with your new Middies!  Click the signup or subscribe button and I'll send you an easy-access style card with all the deets!

And allow me to give mad props to my photographer Nick Pecori who took all of the beautiful pictures you see in this post.  Comment below with what you think!

I Guess I'm a Guy's Girl? My Style Explained.

I’ve never officially coined myself as such, but it was the two words that came to my mind when I thought about the history of my style.  I did an Urban Dictionary check just to be sure (total sarcasm people, but for kicks, see below): 

"Guy’s girl:  That girl who can just chill and be one of the guys.  She’s into sports, beer, action flicks, and doesn’t give a damn what others think.  However, unlike the tomboy, she has her gang of girl mates who she shops with and does girly stuff." (Source: Urbandictionary.com) 

So yeah, I guess you could say this describes me.  And anyone who’s known me throughout my life would probably agree:  A guy’s girl. 

Kristin Leigh, Suits & Sneaks

The guys of my youth:

Maybe it’s cause I was the first-born and my dad and I were (still are) super close.  My dad helped me out with everything, from homework to coaching me in softball for years, to perfecting my volleyball serves, to somehow getting the message across when my skirts were too short. 

My cousin Brian lived next door to me on one side, and on the other side of my house were two boys also my age, Keith and Craig.  So we all grew up together, playing mostly non-girly games.  You could probably label me as a tomboy in my youth.  I definitely rocked the backwards hat for longer than I’d like to admit.  But that’s what my inner circle wore.  Don’t get me wrong though, I still had what seemed like the largest Barbie collection in the world.  And yes, I thought Ken was hot AF.  But sitting right next to the Barbie bin was a bin of Legos, and right next to the Legos, a bin of cars.  I really was into just about everything. 

Anyways I guess with all of that, I just took a liking to chillin’ with the boys.  I think cause it was just that, chill.  I showed up to hang out and play games as I felt best myself.  I never really worried about having to win guys over with my appearance because they all liked hanging out with me for my personality.  I think?  (c’mon, we were like 8 years old). 

High school:

Once I hit the teenage years, my parents might argue I was anything BUT chill, but whatever that’s called hormones.  And yes, I still crushed on the cute guys in school.  So at this point my parents (poor dad) had their hands full because I basically always had a boyfriend.  I couldn’t help it, I just liked hanging out with the guys!  I liked what they talked about.  They talked about ACTUAL STUFF, rather than gossiped about each other.  Actual stuff was way more interesting to me.  And I’m not stereotyping girls NOW, I’m merely telling you what I actually experienced BACK THEN.  20+ years ago.

College:

I joined a sorority in college.  Three months of that was all I could take.  I made some amazing friends through it, who were very much guy’s girls like myself.  And basically, we just enjoyed hanging out at the frat houses drinking beer and playing games with the guys.  That didn’t sit well with the more senior sorority girls as you could imagine.  Things started to suck, people were mean, and I asked myself, why would I want to spend my free time in such mental state?  So I quit, and then I could hang out with my frat guy friends as much as I wanted.  Bye Felicia. 

The last two years in college I lived with my two best girl friends, on a floor of otherwise guys.  The guys were our “bros”, and we, although girls, were their “bros”.  Again, one giant group of friends that just enjoyed watching football and drinking beer together.  We wore some makeup.  I’d say we were attractive.  But we just enjoyed hanging with the guys.  Nothing more.  We still call each other “Bro” to this day by the way.

Me, today:

So my style today has been what it always has been, 100% me and however I’m feeling at the time.  I’ve never condoned wearing something outside of my comfort zone solely to solicit a response from someone else.  Though sometimes you just have to do it in the working world (i.e. wear a suit to an interview, please).  But such is the premise of Suits & Sneaks.  I prefer to feel myself and wear what I’ve got.  I can polish things off where needed, but otherwise I’m using my confidence in dressing as the real me, to make wearing jeans, sneaks, and a hat look cute. 

My Style - Kristin Leigh, Suits & Sneaks

If the whole “polish off your look” part leaves you feeling a little clueless, well that’s what I’m here for, so holler at me anytime.  And definitely subscribe and follow me on Instagram.  I give lots of examples on how to effortlessly spruce up your sweats, ripped jeans and then some.  But more than anything, let your confidence come from within.  Be proud of who you are now, where you came from, and the direction you want to take.  A light on the inside can almost always be seen on the outside.

Suits & Sneaks' Kristin Leigh shows off her Kicks of the Day in Tampa Bay. (Vans)

Chat soon!

Kristin

How to Style a White Blazer with Sneakers

Here's a teeny tiny teaser clip on how I styled a white blazer with jeans and pink sneakers!  Be sure to subscribe to my Suits & Sneaks YouTube Channel where I'll be pumping out tons more Suits & Sneaks outfit ideas!  Enjoy!

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