Ep 207: Beauty from the Inside Out with Personal Stylist Anetra Byrd

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Society has always been so judgmental of what mothers “should” wear during pregnancy. But celebrities like Rihanna and Beyoncé are showing off their baby bellies and still looking sexy, proving maternity doesn’t have to mean sacrificing style.

Personal stylist Anetra Byrd is here for a fun episode about what to wear while your body goes through changes. If you saw the pictures from my women’s empowerment talk with Tracee Ellis Ross, you know how talented Anetra is. She styled me for that event and made me feel confident and true to myself. You deserve to look good during pregnancy, whatever that might look like to you, and Anetra has a lot of great advice on how to be chic and stay comfortable.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

  • What a personal stylist does
  • How Anetra helps clients express themselves authentically
  • Why you need support from both your bra and your loved ones 
  • What some key pieces are that look cute and aren’t restrictive
  • Why you might consider a stylist for a maternity shoot
  • Why you may need several sets of clothes throughout your pregnancy and after baby’s arrival
  • What a capsule wardrobe is and how it could help simplify your life postpartum

Links Mentioned in the Episode

Keywords

maternity bras, maternity leggings, maternity wear, maxi dress, wrap dress

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Keywords

maternity bras, maternity leggings, maternity wear, maxi dress, wrap dress

Categories

Podcast

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Dr. Nicole (00:00): This is a fun interview where I interview a personal stylist. Welcome to the All About Pregnancy and birth podcast. I'm Dr. Nicole Calloway, Rankins, a board certified OBGYN, who's been in practice for nearly 15 years. I've had the privilege of helping over 1000 babies into this world, and I'm here to help you be calm, confident, and empowered to have a beautiful pregnancy in birth. Quick note, this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Check out the full disclaimer at drnicolerankins.com/ disclaimer. Now, let's get to it.

(00:51): Hello there. Welcome to another episode of the podcast. This is episode number 207. Whether you are new to the podcast or a returning listener, I am so glad that you are spending some of your time with me today. In today's episode of the podcast, we have Anetra Byrd. Anetra is the CEO and owner of NeeChic. She's a certified personal stylist, wardrobe image consultant and personal shopper based in Richmond, Virginia area. Right here where I am, and she has been styling and consulting professionally since 2014. She's partnered with retailers and boutiques such as Dillards and Tailors and Banana Republic in order to offer the best clothing and accessories for her clients. She's also worked with organizations like Boots to Suits to assist veterans who are transitioning from military to civilian life. Anetra is the epitome of professionalism. I can attest to that. She has a great fashion aesthetic.

(01:49): I can attest to that as well. And she, she's an advocate for clients to just help them really feel good about their personal style and image. Her goal is to inspire through her knowledge and to propel through her ability to pick the best clothing and accessories, to fit one's brand, body type, personality, and personal style. She just really strives to invigorate, build confidence, educate and provide exquisite styling for entrepreneurial, corporate, and everyday life. I know Anetra because I worked with her as my personal stylist. If you don't know, back in October of 2022, I had the honor of being invited back to my alma mater, North Carolina A&T State University, in order to moderate a panel discussion, or it wasn't a panel. It was just me and her moderate. A discussion about women's empowerment with Tracy Ellis Ross and Tracy Ellis Ross is truly a fashion icon.

(02:50): So for the first time in my life, I said, you know what? I'm need to get myself together and get some help in order to get this styling together. So for the first time, I hired a personal stylist to help me really look my best for this event, and it was Anetra, and she was just so amazing to work with, and I looked great. Let me tell you, I felt like a boss when I walked into that room. Okay. I looked great. I felt great, and that confidence just helped me bring my best self to that conversation, and it went really, really well. So when she reached out and said that she would like to talk about styling around pregnancy and postpartum on the podcast, I said, absolutely. This is a great topic to talk about. So we are going to talk about just how your body changes in pregnancy, what personal styling is, how it works for you, just things about choosing clothes to wear to help you feel good while you're pregnant, to help you feel good when you're changing body postpartum.

(03:52): We talk about maternity photo shoots. So just a lot of great information. As always, you are going to love it. Now, this episode just happens to coincide with the update of my new website and social media and branding, all of that. Good, great stuff. Check out dr nicole rankins.com. I took some fancy photos y'all put on lashes and everything. I had not put on lashes before this past year. They actually do make your eyes pop in pictures. I must say it. I don't like the Caterpillar lashes, but just a little bit of extra does help your eyes pop. So I updated my website, updated social media things. So go check it out, dr nicole rankins.com. My dream, or my goal, I should say, is to have a TV show version of this podcast. I'm speaking it into existence, and I just wanted to up level my presence to kind of match the things that I want.

(04:47): So go check it out, dr nicole rankins.com. Let me know what you think. And of course, there are tons of free stuff there. It's not just about looking at my pretty pictures. It's also, you can grab some resources there. You can check out the birth preparation course. You can grab downloadables, like a guide to Managing Pain and Labor, things to help you with meditation, questions to ask if you're going to have medical students or residents as a part of your birth warning. Signs to look out for after birth, A guide to prenatal test also. So there's tons of free information and things there for you as well. So do check it out. Let me know what you think. Dr nicole rankins.com, and if you love it and love this show, also do me a solid, share it with three people. Sharing is caring. I am on a mission to reach and serve as many people as I can and help them have that best pregnancy and birth experience. So hit that share button, share this episode with someone I would so appreciate. Okay, let's get into the conversation with Anetra. Thank you so much, Anetra, for agreeing to come onto the podcast. I'm super excited to have you here. All if you remember, or if you know didn't see, or if you saw back in October of 2022 when I was fortunate enough to do an event with Tracy Ellis Ross, and Anetra is the person who styled me. So she is the one who's responsible for me looking fabulous, and I thought it would be great to have her come on and talk about styling today. So thank you for being here.

Anetra Byrd (06:20): You're very welcome. Thank you for having me. It was a pleasure to style you. I'm sure it's not the last,

Dr. Nicole (06:27): It is not the last. We're going to speak it into existence. Yes, it is not the last. Exactly.

Anetra Byrd (06:32): So it was a pleasure working with you and a pleasure to be on today to talk about style and pregnancy.

Dr. Nicole (06:39): Yeah. So let's start off then, just tell us a little bit about yourself and your work and how you got interested in styling.

Anetra Byrd (06:46): So I am a personal wardrobe stylist, certified personal wardrobe stylist, an image consultant. I have been styling women professionally since 2014. When I first started, I was doing, I styling women, men, teens, pre-teens. Okay. But now my focus is mainly on women. I mean, every now and again, I will style some men, but my focus is on women. Like I said, I'm a personal wardrobe stylist and I'm mobile, so I will travel wherever the need

Dr. Nicole (07:21): Is. All right. And you said you're certified. So what does that mean that you're certified? I

Anetra Byrd (07:25): Am. So it means that I know what I'm talking about. So there

Dr. Nicole (07:29): We go. See, yes,

Anetra Byrd (07:31): I have the training and the knowledge to style women, and a lot of it's based on the body type. Sometimes women are like, I don't care about my body type. I just like this garment. I want to wear this

Dr. Nicole (07:44): Garment.

Anetra Byrd (07:45): But a lot of it is that. So I know how to style you for your body type and what will look best on you to give you just that great silhouette.

Dr. Nicole (07:54): Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. And also attention to detail and the little things that we don't always think of. I remember you had every single little detail nailed. So,

Anetra Byrd (08:06): Well, that's so important too, because I do branding sessions as well, and headshot. So when you're on camera more for one, when people are on camera, it's just natural to have some anxiety. Sure. You're a little nervous about it because all eyes are on you. Sure. But it's just important to be focused on the client, and those small details matter because one little thing can be out of place and it throws the image off. Right. Especially you're doing these branding sessions, you're thinking about your brand and how you want things to be. So that's a part of it. And if it's just a one little thing that throws it off, you're like, oh my God, the picture was great, but it's that one little thing. Right. That's throwing

Dr. Nicole (08:52): It off. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Details matter details. So let's start with talking about the pregnant body. We know that the body changes during pregnancy. So what are your top two or three tips for how to dress, how to feel good as your body is changing during pregnancy?

Anetra Byrd (09:10): Well, I will say I have a son too. So I've gone through that. And when I was pregnant, I didn't start showing until about five or six months. So I could just wear regular clothing, and I may have worn regular clothing throughout my pregnancy. Right. But as your body shifts and it, it's growing because it's preparing for your little one or multiples. If you have multiples, one of my suggestions would be to just have support. Of course, you need that support throughout the entire pregnancy and beyond to have that support because you have different hormones, of course, as you know. So you can start to feel a certain way about your body. And sometimes it may not be a positive way about your body. Right. Because it, it's growing. And especially if you're used to being a certain size. So I would say have that support with you, great support, so that they can keep you feeling positive about what you're experiencing and what your body's experiencing. The beauty in that. Gotcha,

Dr. Nicole (10:22): Gotcha.

Anetra Byrd (10:23): So that's one of my top tips for that.

Dr. Nicole (10:26): Gotcha. So have people around you who are supporting you, it starts with sort of the mental piece to connect with your body.

Anetra Byrd (10:33): Exactly. And to be comfortable,

(10:39): You have to be comfortable, because it was a point, and I'm going to go back to my pregnancy again. It was a point in my pregnancy where I was like, ah, I cannot wear a certain garment that I really like to wear. I was like, it's just, it's uncomfortable at this point. So I had to change and wear it, and I had to accept that. And I did pretty early on, and I was like, okay, look, this is just uncomfortable. I need to switch. And I was fine with it. So just be comfortable as well.

Dr. Nicole (11:10): Love it, love it, love it. So what are some, in terms of clothes that folks wear, what are some things that you think are good go-tos for pregnant folks and maybe things that they should avoid?

Anetra Byrd (11:22): Maxie dresses are wonderful even when you're not pregnant, because of course you want to get that material that's forgiving, that stretches right as well. But they're just, because they're so flowy. Maxi dresses are great for a lot of body types, but when you're pregnant, because you are continuing to grow, but just to have that room in it, that's a great piece to have. Sure. It's great to have a tear dress as well, because as you're growing as well, and if you want, you're not ready to let the world know, okay, I'm expecting. Right. You have the tear dress, so you don't have to explain that. So that's a great piece to

Dr. Nicole (12:00): Have. And what is a tear dress specifically?

Anetra Byrd (12:03): So it's a dress that has layers to it.

Dr. Nicole (12:05): Got it. Okay.

Anetra Byrd (12:06): That extra fabric. Okay, that's great. Yoga pants, of course,

Dr. Nicole (12:11): Because

Anetra Byrd (12:12): You have the stretch in that and they become very popular because you can use it as a transitional piece as well, even after you give birth, and you still are like, okay, well I'm not quite ready to get back into my jeans or whatever. I can still wear these. Or even if you want to get back into your jeans, you can still have them because they are comfortable. You want to get pieces that are not constricting. Of course, like belts, because they can be very constricting.

Dr. Nicole (12:46): Yes, yes.

Anetra Byrd (12:47): You want fabric that linen cotton fabrics, maybe not polyester, because polyester can trap heat within your clothing. So you don't want that because

Dr. Nicole (13:00): Yeah, yeah.

Anetra Byrd (13:01): Yes. It's like you're growing. Yes, your body's growing. It's like, okay, you may already be hot. Yes. So you're like, I don't want anything else that's going to retain that heat.

Dr. Nicole (13:10): Man. Pregnancy was the only time that I would be burning up on fire. Burning up. Yeah. I didn't know that about polyester. Yeah,

Anetra Byrd (13:19): It can. So those are some great pieces that you should wear. If you want to get jeans, you have to get something that has a stretch band, or that elastic waste or a waste that expands. You wouldn't want to get Sure, sure. Skinny jeans. Sure.

Dr. Nicole (13:34): Yeah.

Anetra Byrd (13:35): Yeah. Some people do because they may not show until later. But you still want to keep in mind the comfort level. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole (13:43): So

Anetra Byrd (13:43): You,

Dr. Nicole (13:44): I will add one thing that I wish I probably would've invested in sooner is a good bra. Cause your breasts are going to grow. They just are. So

Anetra Byrd (13:56): They really, really are now coming. For me, I don't have a lot there, but during pregnancy I grew. And just to have that, it was just the little things really, really matter because you know, want to make sure you're still comfortable. Again, going back to that, and if you have something that has that wire in it, you're not going to be comfortable with that. So if you get a bra that's seamless, of course, that's good. You could go to blankie. So I'm going to recommend that B L A N Q I. Okay. It's a website that's geared for pregnant women for nursing and postpartum as well. And you can find some great pieces there. Again, comfort.

Dr. Nicole (14:46): Right, right. Absolutely. Yes. Right. Yes. Yes. And

Anetra Byrd (14:50): Wrap dresses are good too, because with the wrap dress, you can always adjust the tie on the side as well, so that you'll still remain comfortable.

Dr. Nicole (14:58): Gotcha. Gotcha, gotcha. So what about for people who are like, I just want to show the bump. I'm ready to have it out. I'm just ready to show it. What are your suggestions?

Anetra Byrd (15:08): Oh, yeah, Rihanna, she's pregnant again, and she was like, I am happy I'm pregnant, and I want everybody to see it right now. I think that she still shopped at some of the retailers that weren't specific towards maternity wear, which was great. She had some crop tops on, she had on the white linen button down, which is great. I mean, that's a staple piece too. So if you get that, it, it's dual purposes, so, gotcha. You don't have to worry about that, but Gotcha. If you still want to shop within the stores that aren't geared towards maternity, I say, go for it again. As long as you're, you're comfortable. You're not restricting yourself or your baby, you're growing bond. Sure. I say, go for it. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole (15:58): Yeah. I definitely say that that has been a change over the last, I mean, my children are older. They're 13 and 15, but we're definitely have become more accepting of look, showing a pregnant body and accepting it as normal. Yeah.

Anetra Byrd (16:11): Yeah. I mean it, it's beautiful. It's life growing. So again, I say, go for it. I think she looked beautiful. And it was another actress, well, an actress who was pregnant during the same time. I think her name was Shay Mitchell, and she was showing her book as well. Right. And the way they were styled, it just looked beautiful. Yeah,

Dr. Nicole (16:35): Absolutely. Absolutely. So we know that maternity photo shoots are so popular these days. Lots of people love to do them. So for people who want to get outfits together for maternity shoots, what are some things that they should think about for a maternity shoot?

Anetra Byrd (16:53): So for a maternity shoot, well, I would say get a stylist. I would, because it's, it's a extra thing that you have to be concerned about. And you already have things going on with being pregnant and maybe being tired Sure. As well, depending on how far along you are. Or just you in general.

Dr. Nicole (17:19): Right. Absolutely.

Anetra Byrd (17:20): To get a stylist so that the stylist could work with you on the shoot, because you may want to do different poses. Now, another popular pose is the flyaway, which is beautiful. You know, have a beautiful gown, and it's just flying away, and you're showing your beautiful bump. And that can be a tasked in it of itself to find a gown to do that maternity shoot. So the less stress you can put on yourself, the better. And then you have all aspects. You have the wardrobe portion, you have the photographer, you have to think about, have to think about the location, just the different aspects. That's why I say higher my stylist, because that's one less thing that you have to worry about. Right.

(18:09): But if you wanted to do it on your own, again, I'm going to go back to the comfort Sure. Aspect of it. You have to think about that when you're thinking about the wardrobe. You have to think about colors. Say, if you're like, okay, I love blue, so I want blue. So you have to think about the pieces that you need to pick out. You have to think about if you want to wear shoes, or if you want to be barefoot, if you want to wear heels, of course, you have to consider that if you can stand in the heel. Sure. Just every little thing that comes into play. Right. With

Dr. Nicole (18:46): That. Right. Right. And also jewelry. What pieces do you want to wear? And

Anetra Byrd (18:51): That Exactly. Good. And photographs. Can you tolerate the jewelry? I mean, sometimes when you're pregnant, you may become allergic to some jewelry.

Dr. Nicole (19:01): I love how you're, you're very much so focused on be comfortable. This is not a time to, don't torture yourself with anything. No, yeah. Don't do that. You can still look great and be comfortable. And it's good to focus on your comfort during this changing time in your life. You are.

Anetra Byrd (19:21): I mean, it's a huge transition in your life, because after it's over, you're going to have this beautiful, precious baby. So again, as less stress as possible, and that's going to help with your self-care as well. Sure. You have to think about that, too. And if you can be in a certain mind frame and do certain activities that will cater towards your mental health, that's even better. Right. Because you know, may not be able to do it as often once the baby comes.

Dr. Nicole (19:56): Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. So let's talk about after you have the baby and you have this new postpartum body. What are your suggestions for feeling good and dressing yourself, dealing with the changes of your postpartum body?

Anetra Byrd (20:12): Well, I will say, first and foremost, just give yourself grace. Give yourself that, because you've gone through this process and your body is going to shift. You may not have the same body type that you had before you had the baby. And that, that's fine. I think within our culture now, because of social media too, it's like the snapback game. It's like a week later, and they're back in the same size. Right. And I'm like, that's not real at all. So yes, probably stay off of social media because

Speaker 3 (20:50): Real, it's not real.

Anetra Byrd (20:53): It's not life. So give yourself that grace and give yourself time too to know that if you have goals for your pre-pregnancy body, it's going to take time. Sure. It really is. And don't get so frustrated if it's taken a little longer. And sometimes you should take longer, right. Because you're enjoying your baby and you're bonding with your baby. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole (21:21): Yeah.

Anetra Byrd (21:22): So absolutely do that. And then when we're talking about the wardrobe aspect of it, that you should still dress comfortably and pieces because your body, your uterus has to do what has to do. Right. Of course. So you still want to dress in those comfortable pieces. Or if you've had a cesarean, you're still sore. Sure. So you still want to be comfortable with those pieces. You can still wear the pieces that I mentioned before, and at some point you can start to shift from that into your pre-pregnancy clothing that you used to wear beforehand. But if your body has still shifted, you probably need to purchase some more pieces, especially if you don't fit into the pregnancy pieces that you've acquired. Yeah. So they're a little too big, but you're still not at that weight you were before. So you probably have to go shopping for new pieces. But still, again, keep in mind that comfort level with the clothing and even with the shoes. Absolutely. Because your feet still may be swollen, a little swollen. My feet did. I mean, I was like, oh my God, my feet are so swollen. I couldn't tie up towards the end. I couldn't tie up my shoes.

(22:44): And I was like, oh. It was all at once for me. Absolutely. Yeah. My cousin, I remember him saying, he came to my mom's house. I was there. He was like, whoa, where? Where'd they come from?

Speaker 3 (22:56): Because

Anetra Byrd (22:57): He's used to me being thin. And it was like last time he'd seen me. Right. I wasn't that big. Right. He was like, Hmm. Right. Where does that come from? Right.

Dr. Nicole (23:05): Right.

Anetra Byrd (23:07): I'm like, it happens that way.

Dr. Nicole (23:08): It happens. It happens indeed. It happens indeed. So then let's talk through what if somebody is like, okay, maybe for the listeners who may be a year postpartum, and they're like, they feel like they've gotten their body kind of subtle where it's going to be. What if they're ready for a little wardrobe update or that kind of thing? What would it be like to work with the stylist and do a closet, clean out, get some staple pieces? What does that look like?

Anetra Byrd (23:37): So when I go back to when we chatted, when we had our consultation, I got to know you a bit better. Right. Because I love to know my client and what their goals are, and what their likes are, what their dislikes are, what they're open to, and what they're totally against. Because that will help me. And sometimes that changes because Sure. A client can say, well, I don't like that. No. And then we go shopping. They're like, oh, but I do like it. So I get to know the client first with the consultation, and then we decide we want to do a closet cleanse, a closet audit, where I will come into their home. And I know it's so personal, so personal, and so many emotions are tied to it now. Even more emotions would be tied to it because it's postpartum. So I take extra care, and I keep that in mind because I'm like, I've gone through this too.

(24:41): I know. And I know how you get emotionally attached to your clothing. So I keep that in mind. And when I do the closet audit, I'm thinking about the goals and the body type and looking for any of those staple pieces that they have. Some clients, they want to do a capsule wardrobe. And the capsule wardrobe includes a lot of the staple pieces. I mean, it could be for the mom, because she's busy and she doesn't want as many options. So she's pretty much living a mini minimalist lifestyle. Right. And at that point, she may want to or need to. So if she wants to do a capsule, that will look a little different opposed to if she wanted more options. And I would assess that and go through the closet and see which pieces we could continue to work with and which pieces need to be donated.

(25:39): Because when I do the closet audit, a lot of the times, the pieces that don't work for her will be donated to worthy causes. Yeah, of course. Absolutely. Absolutely. And then after the audit, we work with what we have and see how we can style those pieces that are left and determine if we need to go shopping. A lot of times, we do need to go shopping for pieces. And when we go shopping, I mean, I do it a few ways. I can do it with the client, I can do it by myself, or we can do a hybrid, the two. Gotcha. Depending on their comfort level, it's all always about their comfort level. Sure. Because some women, they have that anxiety around the whole process. I recently had a client who I've had to do a hybrid with her. We went and did the shopping portion of it, but I was told ahead of time that she had anxiety around the whole process and style and wardrobe. But I assured her, I said, at any point you feel like it's too much. If it's too overwhelming, let me know. Right. Because we will stop and I will pick it up. I will do it on my own. I know your style, I know what you like, but I'll keep you in the loop along the way. And she was like, oh my gosh, thank you so much. It was like she could exhale at that

Dr. Nicole (27:01): Point. Yes. Yes. She

Anetra Byrd (27:02): Really could. Yes. But I wanted her to go shop. I wanted to go shopping with her because we had to have some pieces tailored. So I wanted her to be there for that. Yes. But I could see some of the signs

Dr. Nicole (27:15): That it was a lot for her

Anetra Byrd (27:16): That it was common. So I was like, I don't want to overwhelm her. I don't want to do that. Sure. I want this to be a great experience for her. Right. So we did that, and it's a, a threshold. It's about three hours that I can do it for the audit and for the shopping, because I tested this

Dr. Nicole (27:35): And

Anetra Byrd (27:36): I've seen a client or two, I could see it on their face. It was like, oh my

Dr. Nicole (27:39): God, after it is too much. Right. It's

Anetra Byrd (27:41): Like, no. Yeah. It's over. It's a wrap.

Dr. Nicole (27:44): Right, right, right. Gotcha. Gotcha, gotcha. Yeah. And then the last thing, you mentioned staple pieces. What are things that you consider to be staple pieces?

Anetra Byrd (27:52): No, staple pieces are classic pieces that are not trendy that you'll have forever. Gotcha. Hopefully if your body doesn't shift too much. So say the white button down, that's a staple piece. A pencil skirt, that's a staple piece, a rack dress, that's a staple piece as well. So pieces like that. And then they can be interchangeable as well. A lot of times people like, okay, well, I have a busy life. Maybe I'm going to work. And then after I have a function, so I need those transition pieces, and they're functional as well, and you just swap out maybe your shoe or you take off your blazer. That's a staple piece as well. You're on your way. Gotcha.

Dr. Nicole (28:38): Gotcha. And I guess also too, you don't necessarily, I wonder sometimes does it feel overwhelming? You have to change all these things at once. You can gradually update things and change things. What are your thoughts about that?

Anetra Byrd (28:53): Yeah, I mean, absolutely. Again, going back to the anxiety portion of it and the emotional piece of it. Some people are not ready. They're like, okay, well, I want to do a little bit gradually. And that's the best approach, honestly, if you have a lot of feelings around that, sure. That's the best way to do it. Sure. It's baby steps. Right. Lots of baby steps. Right. Because if I were to push too hard, I would push them away, and that's not what I want to do. I have another client who I worked with, we started with the audit, then we went shopping. And I was like, well, do you want to do branding because she's an entrepreneur? And she was like, I do, but she wasn't ready.

Dr. Nicole (29:45): Okay. She wasn't ready.

Anetra Byrd (29:49): And I was like, I'm fine with that. I'm not going to push. I'm not going to push, because when the time is right, sure. It will happen. So now she's come back around and she was like, I'm ready now. Right. And I was like, okay, good. But I always want to remain in contact with the client too, just to see, not just for professional reasons, but personal reasons, because I want to see what they have going on, how they're doing, how they're growing, how they're excelling. Again, not just the professional part of it. Sure. Because I want to see 'em thrive and do well. Right,

Dr. Nicole (30:22): Right. Absolutely. I love that. I love that. So then as we wrap up, what would you say is the most frustrating part of your work?

Anetra Byrd (30:29): The most frustrating part is I don't think there's a frustrating part. Okay.

Dr. Nicole (30:35): Well, there we go.

Anetra Byrd (30:37): I mean, I love seeing the light bulb moment with the client.

Dr. Nicole (30:43): Okay. Well, that was my next question. What's the most rewarding? What's the most rewarding part?

Anetra Byrd (30:47): Because a lot of times people are visual. They really are visual. And it's like I can explain it to 'em. And I'm like, okay, we're going to put you in these pieces, and this is why I'm putting you in these pieces. But then I take a picture, so I'm going to go back to my previous client, the one who I'm doing the hybrid with. So I was like, okay, I'm going to take pictures and always do that. I always take the pictures and video. And I was like, well, how do you feel about this piece? And then I was like, okay. I could see she's getting a little overwhelmed. I was like, okay, nope. Don't think about it. Right. I'm going to take these pictures after we've tried on these pieces. I'm going to come back to you once you've settled some and just relaxed after you've tried on all the pieces, and I'm going to show you the images.

(31:36): And then you tell me, because before she was, she'd be like, I don't know, a maybe or, I don't know about this piece. I don't know if I like this piece. But then when I came back to her and I showed her the images, she was like, oh, I really do like that piece. And I like that piece, and I like that piece. Right. So sometimes a lot of times we're our own worst critic, and she was just looking at herself in the mirror and just seeing it and just picking herself apart pretty much. But once I showed her on my phone, would it actually look like she was like, oh, yeah. I like that. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole (32:15): So I mean, it sounds like your work is, it's not just about having the person look a certain way. It's about curating a look so that they feel good about themselves. They feel confident in their skin and what they're wearing. And not to look like any celebrity or any particular person. It's really about helping them feel like the best version of themselves.

Anetra Byrd (32:40): Yes. It's very therapeutic. And one of the things of my why's is to help women feel confident and see their beauty. Because oftentimes, unfortunately, they're like, oh, I don't like this. Even they don't like their midsection, they don't like their arms, or whatever the case may be. But I wanted to the process to feel that they can just embrace who they are as we're going through it. Because I'm there to be their biggest cheerleader as their stylist, their curator, their image consultant. But to be their biggest cheerleader and to help them see the beauty that I'm singing, because we're all beautiful. I'm there to help them to see that it starts from within, and then it's going to radiate out. Sure. So I'm there to help them to see that. And they do. They do. They're like, oh my gosh, that light bulb moment, that transformation. Right. And then I'm like, oh, I get to be a part of that, which is a beautiful thing. Yeah,

Dr. Nicole (33:48): Absolutely. Absolutely.

Anetra Byrd (33:49): Yeah. With you too, because I could see it,

Dr. Nicole (33:51): And I was scared to say, I could see this. Listen, I felt like a boss. I was owning everything when I showed up that day. So I totally, that is exactly what I felt afterwards. Yeah, exactly. What I felt. I

Anetra Byrd (34:04): Saw it in those images. I was like, look at her. Look at

Dr. Nicole (34:07): Her.

Anetra Byrd (34:08): And you were standing beside Tracy Ellis Ross, and she's a force, but I was like, oh, she is holding her own.

Dr. Nicole (34:15): She is. I was. I was so well put together. It was perfect, but still felt like myself. So that was the key. I still felt like myself.

Anetra Byrd (34:25): And that's important. A lot of times women are like, I still want to feel like me. And I'm like, of course. When we go through the consultation, I'm like, who do you draw inspiration from? Right. Yes. That'll help me. But putting your own spin on it. Sure. Or us putting the spin on it so that you're still you. Yeah. You feel like you, yeah.

Dr. Nicole (34:46): Yeah. Yeah. So then what is your favorite piece of advice that you would give to someone who's pregnant or a new mom or women in general? About personal style

Anetra Byrd (34:56): Pregnancy or just overall? The

Dr. Nicole (34:57): Either one. How about both

Anetra Byrd (35:00): For, well, pregnancy, of course. I'm going to go back to the grace. Giving yourself the grace and being comfortable. And with the style aspect of it, just, I know you have someone growing inside of you, and I get that. And a lot of times during that state, you feel like, well, who am I? I'm about to be a mom, but outside of a mom, who am I? So it's still important to remain authentic in who you are. Yes. Even though you're, you're going to be a mom. Yes. You still have to be who you are. Yes. And that style should be reflective of that. Yes.

Dr. Nicole (35:39): Yeah. I love that.

Anetra Byrd (35:40): And that's overall. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole (35:41): Yes. You

Anetra Byrd (35:42): Should remain authentic to you. Yes. I mean, because we all have a bunch of different titles where mom, you, you're a doctor, I'm a stylist, but I'm an nitra and I have a certain style. So I want to remain true to that because if you don't, you're not going to be confident. And that's just going to show absolutely how you show up. You're not going to be comfortable, you're not going to be confident in who you are. You're not going to be your best. You absolutely, absolutely. Just remain authentic.

Dr. Nicole (36:12): Yeah. Yeah. Love it. Love it. So where can people find you?

Anetra Byrd (36:15): They can find me on social media. I'm on Instagram. I'm on LinkedIn. I'm on YouTube. Okay. I'm on Facebook all under nhi. Okay. N E E C H I C. And my website is NHI styles with an s.com. Okay.

Dr. Nicole (36:32): Perfect. Well, thank you so much, Anitra, for coming on to the podcast. This was a great conversation. I know folks are going to find it helpful. And again, I'm claiming we'll be working together again.

Anetra Byrd (36:42): Yes, we will. Thank you for having me.

Dr. Nicole (36:50): All right. Wasn't that a great episode? So enjoyed talking to Anetra. She's so easy to work with and so delightful, and y'all just beautiful in person, and her styling is absolutely exquisite. So after every episode when I have a guest on, I do something called Dr. Nicole's notes where I talk about my top takeaways from the conversation. And here are my top takeaways from my conversation with Anetra. Number one, I love her emphasis on comfort. Y'all, comfort is important. I do not believe in dressing up and feeling, being in pain in order to look good, just not doing that. So there should be an emphasis on comfort period. And there definitely should be an emphasis on comfort during pregnancy and postpartum when you're just trying to adjust to your new body and the things that are changing in your body. So comfort, comfort, comfort. All right.

(37:43): Number two, style is not about you looking a certain way. It's not about you being on a certain trend. It is about your outside helping to project the inside and helping you to feel good about yourself. And I don't do trends. I'm not like a trendy person at all. And I love how working with aro, she suggested some things and I was like, that doesn't feel like me. It doesn't feel like me. So it's really about finding things that help you feel your best. So you look on the outside, you feel on the inside. It's not about being on a certain trend or looking a certain way. It's just helping you feel good about yourself. When you look in the mirror, that's important, and that means something. Okay. Number three, your body is going to go through a lot of changes during the course of pregnancy and postpartum during your pregnancy.

(38:41): Your body's going to look different after you have a baby, your body's going to look different. There's so much of the Instagram snapback culture, which is really not helpful at all. I'm all about f the snapback for sure. Do check out my episode 175 of the podcast with an endocrinologist, Dr. Brown, where we talked about postpartum weight loss, some really great information in there. That's Dr. Nicole rankins.com/episode 175. But I say all that to say your body's going to go through changes. Your body's going to be different. Just work with the body that you have. When I took these pictures for my updated website right now, I am really about 25 pounds heavier than I would really like to be. Okay. I'm about 25 pounds heavier than I would like to be, and I, I've lost weight before, but this time, I don't know this age, this season, food just tastes good.

(39:39): Even if I'm not hungry, it's my appetite is just like, Ugh. I don't know if it's hormones or perimenopausal, whatever. So anyway, I'm about 25 pounds heavier than I like to be. And when I look at some of the pictures on my new website and things, it's like looking at my face is a little fluffier than I wanted to be. I'm heavier than I want to be. That's just the reality of things. But you can wait forever for the perfect time. Just work with the body that you have. All right, you still look great. You still look beautiful. You can still show up in sleigh. So work with whatever body you have, not what body you think you should have. Just work with where you are so you can feel good about where you are in the moment in your body. If I would've weighted until I lost 25 pounds in order to take these pictures and update my website and social media and all that stuff, I don't know when I would've done it.

(40:31): So just work with what you have to feel good with where you are in the moment. Okay. All right. And then the last thing is it's nice to splurge on yourself a little bit sometimes. And even if you can't hire a stylist, maybe you invest in just a couple of pieces that make you feel good, like some classic pieces that you can keep that when you pull out, you can feel good. You can work with them like a nice crisp white shirt. You can always dress up in different ways, but just invest in some pieces that really make you feel good. There is nothing wrong with finding things that help you look a certain way, if that's what makes you feel good about yourself. So even if you can't hire a stylist, find some pieces that make you look good, splurge on yourself a little bit, or maybe splurge and get that stylist or do a console.

(41:20): Sometimes they do like closet clean out things. These are things I had never heard of before last year. So do those things. Invest in yourself to just help you feel good. Okay. All right. So you have it. Do me a solid. As I said, please share this podcast with a friend sharing. It's caring. I'm on a mis mission to reach and serve as many pregnant people as I can, and having your help with that would be so appreciated. Just have that share button wherever you are listening to me right now, for anyone who you think may benefit from this episode, and subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening to me. Mostly I'll listen an Apple podcast. So subscribe an Apple podcast, and if you feel so inclined, then leave an honest review there as well. I'd love to hear what you think about the show, whether it's there or whether it is on the gram. I am on Instagram at Dr. Nicole Rankins. I really appreciate it when you send me dms, letting you know what you think about the podcast and episodes. So appreciate it. Always warms my heart, and I always love to see pictures. Pictures of mamas, pictures of babies. So shoot me messages over there on Instagram at Dr. Nicole Rankins. Okay, so that's it for this episode. Do come on back next week and remember that you deserve a beautiful pregnancy and birth.

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