Would you take advice from a dutty, crusty foot somebody?

For the most part, we all hold our brands to a higher standard. We understand the value of good customer service (Even if we are not giving it), we know the value of having quality products (even if it's not), and so on. However, we seem to miss an important detail. One that no small business owner nor a personal brand who is serious about business and making money should miss. That is, image matters!

I have participated in many conversations where the thought expressed on 'image' is that it is superficial and that people don't care about how things look, they only care if the product or service works. That may be true for some, but, is catering to that 'some' worth losing the attention of the masses?

This post is not to try to influence you on why image matters, because if you were getting ready for a date, a job interview, or any other life-altering moment, you will be wearing your Sunday best. Church suit affi gwan! This post is to share that looking your best is not just reserved for phone screens and important moments but also every moment of your goal-getting, life.

I cannot tell the number of posts I've seen on social media that says something to the effect of:

"Want to get rich? Stop caring about the way you look."

or

"Want to be successful? These successful people paid more attention to their actions than their looks."

You then see a picture of a billionaire or gazillionaire man in a plain shirt and Jeans. *Roll eyes and slaps forehead*

It's not that they don't care about the way they look. Every interaction they have (which is more than the average Joe), is being scrutinized, so they rely on a look that they cannot possibly mess up or make look bad. A plain shirt and jeans pants are timeless, effortless, and can easily translate to being well put together.

Does that mean we all need to throw out everything we have in our closets and start buying uniforms? No! Whatever standards we have created for our brand online or for those big moments, need to be replicated, duplicated, or be a version of who we are in our everyday lives. (So no more running to the supermarket in dutty slippas and hair bonnets). It also means that just because we don't think we are going to be seen by anyone, or no one knows who we are, we can get away with looking our ultimate worse. The thought should always be, "So you don't know me? Well after receiving this amazing first impression, you're gonna wanna know me!"

Let me tell you about an experience I had, donkey years ago, when Jesus was a bwoi. I was with a team of persons getting ready to be ambassadors for the Jamaica 50th celebration (Big deal). We were doing a venue tour and briefed on the requirements of the team. This lady then walks up to us in the dirtiest flip-flops I have ever seen, a stretched-out white cotton blouse, dirt-stained blue capris, and her hair looking like a bird made a home in it. We could tell she was there from mawnin, running around trying to organize things. We did ready fi gi her a likkle bly, cus she's an obviously hard-working woman, until, she started to go into lengthy discussions on how we should look, what we should wear, how our hair should be combed, and *Pause for dramatic effect* if she sees us looking any less than the standards, what she would do.

A wah dis! a who and she? First of all miss... I looked at my friend, who at the time was the best-dressed male in Jamaica; he looked at me; we looked at her, both in disbelief. Then she says, "You should take my advice, I am a stylist" No miss, not today you ain't!

I've had my run-ins with the fashion police and have been charged many times with crusty heelbackary* and dry lip slaughter, not to mention when I don't feel like combing my hair. We all have our moments, no one is perfect, but the aim is not to be perfect, it is to always put our best foot forward, no matter how small the occasion. The truth is, if we were to only rely on our first impressions, no one would take advice from a crusty heel back and dutty foot person.