Erica Ball is a personal stylist based in Los Angeles. Erica combines the art of personal styling and curated shopping to help her clients create a brand, image, and wardrobe that they love.

Perfect fit

Erica finds that email is the best method for initial communication with clients, it lends itself well to fast-paced interaction and any quick-fire questions that clients might have such as, "Do you work with teens?" or, "What do you charge?"

If Erica and a potential client appear to be a good fit, she'll invite them for a quick chat on the phone. Once the pair decide to work together, Erica likes to conduct an initial face-to-face meeting if possible, "I find face-to-face meetings help to build our relationship and trust faster."

Set your goals

First things first, Erica needs to be aware of her client's goals and their expectations of working with her. To find out Erica asks, "What do you hope to have by the end of our time together?"

From there, Erica dives straight in. "Getting inside someone's closet with them and going through each item is probably the most helpful method of uncovering their style, I ask a lot of questions about each item in their wardrobe—do you wear this piece? Do you love it? Do you know how to style it?"

Self-investment

"Self-care is hard for many of us, but especially for women and even more so for mothers. Sometimes the hardest part of my process is getting a potential client to see the value in my services."

Erica often has to explain to clients that whilst her services may seem like a big expense upfront, she will in fact be saving them hundreds, if not thousands, down the road. "I teach my clients how to shop smart for their body type and lifestyle and stop throwing their money away on items they'll never wear."

Client deep dive

In Erica's experience, mothers often choose to invest in their teenage children's style before helping themselves. So, we challenged Erica to uncover the values and goals of a teen girl who's ready for a style transformation—if she had just ~5 questions to work with.

What... is your ideal look for...

1. school?

2. hanging out with friends?

3. spending time with family?

When... you look in your closet, how do you feel? How would you like to feel?

Why... do you want to change your style?

Who... do you admire for their style (celebrity, influencer, friend, etc.)?

Where... do you like to shop? Do you even like to shop?

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Learn more about Erica's services on her website, or subscribe to Erica's YouTube channel for a bank of styling tips and tricks.