The Everyday Icon Style Podcast

Episode 180: Executive Presence Isn’t Just for the C-Suite

• Tiffany Howard

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Your professional presence speaks volumes before you ever say a word—and for administrative professionals, that first impression can shape how you're valued and treated within your organization. Whether you're an executive assistant, senior administrator, or chief of staff, your visual image can either reinforce your authority or unintentionally signal that you're simply "support." The reality is, if you look like support staff, you’ll often be treated like support staff—not due to a lack of skill or respect, but because perception drives interaction.

In this episode, we're tackling how to shift that perception through intentional style choices. You'll learn how to identify wardrobe habits that downplay your presence, add strategic pieces that project confidence, and build an executive image that reflects your real level of influence. If you’re ready to stop being overlooked and start being seen as the powerhouse you are, let’s take it a step further. Book your free discovery call using the link in the description to learn more about the Executive Wardrobe Refresh—a two-hour virtual intensive designed to help you align your appearance with your professional impact.

Speaker 1:

This is the Everyday Icon Style Podcast the space for style-conscious, career-driven women who are ready to look like the next-level version of themselves. Each episode helps you build a wardrobe that reflects not only your executive presence but your real life. With a little bit of guidance, intentional edits and no full-blown transformation required. Let's elevate your style and your authenticity, one outfit at a time. I'm Tiffany, your style coach. Let's elevate your style and your authenticity one outfit at a time. I'm Tiffany, your style coach. Let's get started.

Speaker 1:

So today's episode is going to be a little bit different, a little bit controversial, but this is definitely more for my administrative professionals. So you know my administrative professionals. So you know my administrative assistants, senior administrative assistants, executive assistants or even chiefs of staff or anybody in a form of a support role. And here's the thing that I want to start off by saying If you look like support staff, you will be treated like the support staff, and in this case, it has nothing to do with the hierarchy or level of which, of where you're at within your role, but I'm more so talking about your perception and how people perceive you. Learned, or seen over and over again in corporate spaces, is that how you show up is often way louder than your actual title and our visual cues. They can shape how you're introduced and even the way that you're spoken to in like probably nowadays three seconds or less, and the way that even sometimes people will actually remember you just in that short amount of time span. And unfortunately, too many executive level professionals, especially those in assistant and coordinator roles, are being visually dismissed before they can even speak or say hello. And with the assistant and coordinator roles in executive spaces you have to remember something you are literally the gatekeeper, the backbone that literally runs the company and keeps it all together and keeps our executives, our directors, senior managers. We keep their lives and their calendars and their day-to-day rolling and flowing, and that is a very powerful position for us to be in. So here's the thing that I've been observing over and over again in the corporate environment that the people that do the hefty lifting behind the scenes are often the ones who go visually unnoticed. And it has nothing to do with the lack of value, because we bring so much value and you bring so much value, but it's more because their presence it doesn't reflect the level of their contribution.

Speaker 1:

Now, many people will verbally diminish our level of contribution. But we know that if it wasn't for us, our executives, directors, senior managers might not make it through the day. And that is where we come in. We are the magic behind, as I like to call myself now. I'm Jesus, because I have to make things happen out of nothing. I can be given a sentence and I have to figure it out. I have people asking for their time on my director's calendar and I have to figure out what gets moved, what stays, who gets on and who doesn't, and a whole other list of things that I do. And that's a powerful place to be in and it should not be diminished in any way. Be diminished in any way.

Speaker 1:

And the difference between someone who's treated like a trusted right-hand person and someone who's treated more just like the assistant has nothing to do with skill set. It's actually a signal and your appearance. It actually sets the tone before you even open your mouth. So how people visually see you, it speaks before you do. And in a high stakes environment such as ours or such as where you work, you don't get a second chance to reframe your first impression. So first impressions are very, very critical and important, especially in our spaces.

Speaker 1:

But I want to kind of give you some easy way just to upgrade your visual authority, and I want you to audit your outfit proportions. So are you relying more on oversized cardigans, dated black slacks or flat shoes with no structure? Now, yes, these items are comfortable. Now, yes, these items are comfortable, and let me tell you, I love something that is comfortable, but it also can signal passivity and that power, and we are literally in a place of power. So instead, I want you to introduce just one piece that anchors your look. So it could be anything from a structured blazer, a pop of color, or a sharp shoe with presents, it could even be jewelry. Whatever you decide to choose, you don't have to wait for a promotion to show up like a partner. Let your wardrobe start to signal it for you Now. If this is clicking for you and you've had a few aha moments while I've been talking, then you'll want to look into my executive wardrobe refresh, and this is a two-hour virtual intensive where we strip away what's diluting your presence and create a wardrobe that finally reflects the value you bring to the table. We're not shopping for clothes anymore, but we're going to build visual alignment and the alignment between who you are, what you do and how others experience you. The moment you walk into the room, you'll leave with a wardrobe action plan and a real outfit clarity and I'll link in the description. If you're ready to reposition how you've been, how you're being seen, I invite you to schedule your free discovery call today. I invite you to schedule your free discovery call today.

Speaker 1:

Now let's get back to the information at hand. Here's another truth. Most people never say it out loud. In high-functioning teams, the assistant often has more practical influence than the person they support. But if you're dressing like someone who's waiting for direction, you're blocking that influence. So if you always have to stand there and wait for a cue, for someone to say, I need you to do this or oh, what do you think about this? You're literally being passed over and looked over to someone else. Because someone else may look like they are in a position of power, even though they're not.

Speaker 1:

And the goal isn't to look like your boss, but it's to look like someone they trust to represent them. Because remember, in some of these spaces and places you have to maybe go into a meeting for your boss in their absence, take notes, give his or hers comments or concerns and then take everything back to them. But if you walk into that room and they don't see you as such, as the right hand person, then they're going to go overlook you. In anything that you say or do or bring up or suggest, they'll just brush it off or dismissive. And that means not necessarily like the crisp tailoring or the consistent color stories, it just means being more intentional With your clothes. It could actually help with building your confidence. You don't have to be loud, you just have to be thoughtful.

Speaker 1:

And these aren't random style tips that I'm going to give you.

Speaker 1:

These are executive image strategies, because we now, at these levels, have to dress with a strategy, not just because and when you are quietly polished, it speaks louder than forced trends ever will or even when you walk in, because you just want to look comfortable, because we can look stylish, cute, professional, executive partner, polished and feel comfortable all at the same time.

Speaker 1:

And that is what we want to do. We now want to begin to use our style more as a strategy to say help us get to the next level of whatever that next level can be for you. So if this helped you see yourself and your wardrobe just a little bit differently, then you need to click the link in the bio below and schedule your free discovery call for my executive wardrobe refresh, because there we'll be able to take a little deeper dive, strip away everything that you've learned, heard or have considered, and begin to build a style and wardrobe that reflects who you truly and actually are and to put you on your A-game going into your career, moving forward. So I hope you all have an amazing rest of your day, stay healthy, stay safe, and I will talk to you guys next week in the next episode.