Working from Home? Yes, In Style!

If you are like me - you spend a lot of time in calls, while working from home. Are you on camera? You probably heard why being on video is important, but may not feel quite comfortable yet. Here are my top 5 for being your best professional self, while working from home.

We all know it - being on video is so important. It helps people to connect with you better. It is more personal. It helps those who may have hearing or connection issues to better understand you. So, are you on camera? Or are you using the band-width excuse to be off? Here are a few simple tips to be back connected with your whole self, not just your voice:

1. Color is king! People will see color on camera, but not the cuts, nor the quality of fabric. That amazing red scarf may be old. That flattering cool-grey shirt may be your pajamas... but people will see the color before they will see anything else on camera. Wear your best statement colors! And don't worry about them being a tint too bright - camera dulls the color.

2. Pattern (or lack of it) is queen! Patterns don't work well on camera. Did you notice that news speakers never wear a checked shirt? The two no-go patters are small checked patterns, and busy polka-dots. Busy patterns create blurr on camera. And they also add weight to your apperance. And when I said weight, I meant kg's, not importance.

3. Make-up and accessories are your friends. Make up is very important on camera. People you see on Netflix all wear make-up, so do people you see on the news. If you do make-up usually - don't worry to overdo it a little on camera. Focus on eyes, especially if you wear glasses. Make sure to add lipstick, if eyes are not your thing. If your image is usally pure, or you do not wear make-up at all- ensure your accessories and hands are your professional statement.

4. Accessories & Hands = Your state of mind. Weird, but people will define your state of mind by your accessories. Why that? I think humans like fast conclusions about their counterparts. So, we use the small clues, bits of information we get to determine the state of mind of our countepart on camera. Glasses, jewlery, haircut, and neatly clipped nails. Why nails? Because your hands will sometimes be in large focus. Unattended nails send a much stronger message on camera than in real life.

5. That little image of yourself can be a trap. Do move your own camera projected image close to where your camera's eye is. It is funny how most laptops have integrated camera at the top of your screen, but connection apps will project your own image somewhere at a lower corner. Move that little image up. We are all looking at our own image, from time to time. And every time you take a peak - you have just lost that big of confidence in your appearance.

So, here you go. These are my top 5. Let me know what you think or if you have questions. And stay healthy, safe and beautiful as you are!