PODCAST SHOWNOTES

Nicole Otchy: Today I am joined by my client, Julia Nauer. A personal stylist who has built an incredibly successful business, using a business model that gives her the flexibility she wants, as a mom. Julia and I started working together about a year ago when, she was already established, but was dealing with inconsistent income, and trying to figure out how to make her marketing attract more of her ideal clients, after seeing a drop off in inquires generated by google and traditional SEO. Since then she has increased her repeat business, sharpened her messaging, become much more consistent across the board in her business, and has started pursuing bigger visibility opportunities. You’re gonna wanna stick around as we talk about what actually changed in her business since last fall. And why it wasn’t one giant business overhaul, but a lot of small things done consistently.

This is the Six Figure Personal Stylist Podcast. I’m Nicole Otchy, and this is a show for personal stylists building world class businesses, and setting the standards in their industry. We’re talking all things profitable growth, thought leadership, and real client transformations. Because the best stylists don’t just edit closets, they shape culture.

Thank you for being here Julia, I’m so excited to chat with you.

Julia Nauer: Me too. Can’t wait.

Nicole Otchy: Why don’t you tell everybody a little about you, where you are located, and the kind of client that you work with?

Julia Nauer: I have been styling since 2020, full-time since 2022. And I work with busy parents and professionals, to really help make getting dressed the easiest part of their day.

Nicole Otchy: Remind me, were you in corporate before you became a stylist?

Julia Nauer: I was a buyer, so I worked in buying and merchandising for over a decade before pivoting to personal styling. So, like a lot of people during the pandemic, I had a little bit more time on my hands, my pay got cut, and I started thinking about like, what I could do on the side. And thats why I started my styling business.

Nicole Otchy: Interesting, actually I, I forgot that. Thats right. So Julia and I first spoke in September 2025, which surprised me when I looked at that, because I though that it was many years ago. We’ve only been in eachothers world for a year. So why not take us back to our first conversation. I think thats a good place to start ‘cause your business was definitely not a side hustle anymore, it was up and going. Tell us a little about what was, sort of, going on?

Julia Nauer: Yeah, I think the biggest thing for me was just having inconsistency in terms of income months. Like, I would have a really great month, I would have a slower month, and I was just having trouble understanding how to, like, take control of my business in terms of marketing and consistency, and just how to have a consistent business, really. And how to use, instagram to drive clients. Instead of just wasting my time like, just posting random things. Basically.

Nicole Otchy: You were in a situation a lot of my clients had been in, and I was in, for many years, where you were doing really good with google searches.

Julia Nauer: Yes. So thats still where I get a decent chunk of my clients, but, I definitely start to see that drop off. I also moved locations. So I moved from Baltimore to Pittsburg, so I was trying to like, rebuild my google profile, essentially, to come up in Pittsburg searches. And so i just was feeling a little bit frustrated with that and wanted to take a little bit more control of my business in terms of my marketing.

Nicole Otchy: So you actually, are someone that, like I was, you style in two markets.

Julia Nauer: Yes. So, I still see clients in like, the DC/Baltimore area, and Pittsburgh and my goal is to ultimately like, stop traveling eventually, since I have a young son. But, it's definitely been very worthwhile for me, as I was making that transition to continue to see those clients, for sure.

Nicole Otchy: Yeah. And you go, I think a lot of people are fascinated by this, because I get asked all of the time, but also how do you schedule that out, how do you have specific days you go see those clients in DC?

Julia Nauer: I typically go once a month, depending on how many clients I'm seeing. And I try to schedule multiple clients, on those days. It's actually been, I think, that like one of the biggest things about having, having a baby, has it's given me a lot of like constraints around my business. And it's actually made it a little bit easier for me to, put structure in place. So, I go once a month and it's, it's I have like, specific time slots to schedule in, and to book in, and then I just keep moving people to the next month, if I can't fit everyone in.

Nicole Otchy: I love that perspective of motherhood giving you like the structure you need to be like more efficient versus it being –

Julia Nauer: Yes. –

Nicole Otchy: – Yeah, it's still hard. I'm not, no one saying it's not hard, but it just when you have a hard stop, you have a hard stop.

Julia Nauer: Yeah, and I do the same thing with my local clients too. I schedule all of my styling appointments, my closet edits, everything happens on Thursdays. And then I have a couple of other days scheduled for shopping, for mood boards, lookbooks all of those things.

Nicole Otchy: I love regimented you are, how structured you are. It really is possible to make the business manageable, but it really does require that on our parts, which I know can be a little tricky sometimes. But I wanna talk about, what you think the biggest things were that got you closer to consistent income, when you look at it. Like, I know there’s a couple factors, so what do you think the biggest one is?

Julia Nauer: Consistency over all, in the business. So a couple things, I think treating marketing and social media as something that is business critical, which, it was always the first thing to fall off of my list, whenever I got busy with clients, and then I was in that like boom and bust cycle. Where I would get really busy, I would drop off with marketing, and you know, I would be like “Oh crap I don't have any clients.” After I wrapped up with those ones I was working on. So I think just really treating it, is, it's a business and marketing is business critical to that business. That would be the first thing, the second thing would be increasing my repeat client rate, which was a big thing that I learned, in the accelerator program. –

Nicole Otchy:Yeah

Julia Nauer: –and my repeat client rate right now, I just checked, it's it's between like 30 to 40% –

Nicole Otchy: Yes!

Julia Nauer: –of my revenue –

Nicole Otchy: Yes!

Julia Nauer: – for the year. And I think a lot of it, is the process, and like the onboarding, the off-boarding process, giving clients, like, a clear path to continue to work with you, at the end of your service. But then the other thing, I think too, is like it sounds so simple, but this is also another thing that you, I feel like you encourage as well is like, that like, 15 minutes of bravery, just like, reaching back out to people and just asking them “Hey, do you want to work together again? Do you need anything?” That actually has been one of the biggest game changers in my business also, and I think that I used to get, I used to make it like, more emotional. Like “Oh God, what if they didn't enjoy working with me?” Or “What if I did a bad job?” But I have been shocked at the amount of people that when I reach out individually, not like a mass email, I found works a little better, that say like “Yeah, I'd love to work together again.” So that's really been my biggest unlock, in this, in the last year, I would say.

Nicole Otchy: I think it’s so wild when you finally realize that the thing that was getting in the way, was you just not making anything mean anything. Like, if you just keep taking action, that you don't make it mean anything, good or bad, it's like crazy what opens up to you. And it is personal, when you have a business. So it makes sense that you were like, takin’ a minute. But. You have worked really hard to make sure that you are being consistent in every area of the business which is not sexy, and not always fun, but it allows the other side effect which is to have that sense of like “Wow, people really do like working with me. Like that's a huge payoff of confidence, I would imagine?

Julia Nauer: Definitely. Absolutely.

Nicole Otchy: When you came into Accelerator, you knew who your ideal client was. And you've worked very, very hard to sharpen your messaging. So, while we are definitely talking about impressive repeat client rates, and all those things, I think it's important for us to be honest, you know, and transparent that, like, it's still, there's still parts of this that are skills that we are sharpening. And so a couple weeks ago, you sent me some stats, showing me a reel that had done really well, and we were kind of going back and forth. Tell me a little bit about what your biggest challenge has been to, get to that point with your marketing?

Julia Nauer: I think, overthinking it is the biggest, probably my biggest challenge. And thinking that I needed to put out there, like, some like deep emotional, something that's going to like cut to the core. But it's, it's a lot more, I think, simple than that, and I –

Nicole Otchy: Yeah.

Julia Nauer: – My, my reel is literally, I think it was a reel, was literally just about like not constantly wearing black pants. And, I, like it's it was so simple. It's just like ‘Black pants are ruining your outfit’ right? And it wasn't some big like emotional thing, but it's something that a lot of women I think connected with. Like, my friends were like texting me like “Oh my god, I’m wearing the exact same outfit that you’re talking about.” Or things like that, that like, it doesn’t take a lot to connect with people. Like, I was just overthinking everything, when it came to my content.

Nicole Otchy: Well, and that’s fair. You do also listen to my podcast, and are in my world, and I think a lot of my marketing tends to be, like, that angle to explain like, ‘this is why people need systems’ this is where that, so you're not unusual that a lot of people do overthink it. What’s wild is how close you are to the problem, too, like you had the answer from your client experiences, right there ready for you to pull out.

Julia Nauer: Right. Yes and just, like, literally using like, language that like, your client would say to you, instead of trying to say it in like, stylist speak, or overcomplicating it for them.

Nicole Otchy: Right, it's almost like your brain was like, “This is too easy.” This can't be the answer.

Julia Nauer: I also would say too, that I, I actually feel like accelerator, like, I did have an idea of my ideal client. But, I think that the accelerator program really helped me to sharpen my point of view around my client, and get very specific, and allow me to improve my marketing, because of that. And like, who I was like really talking to. I feel like, I, that was actually something now, that I'm thinking back that I did struggle with prior to the accelerator program. Like, I completely updated my website after we worked together, to have the language speak more clearly to my direct client, I feel like that's a big piece of what I've updated in my social media marketing. Like, I really feel like, I like, honed in through everything that I learned in the accelerator program, even though I had an idea prior. It just got a lot sharper.

Nicole Otchy: Yeah, you, you are a really good example of someone that, went through their program that, that a lot of your success wasn't from like massive changes. Like yeah, we upped your prices, yeah we refined the marketing, but it was like, the smaller over time tweaks –

Julia Nauer: Yeah.

Nicole Otchy: – not this huge rebuild.

Julia Nauer: Yes, absolutely. And I actually think that's, that’s another thing that I've taken away from accelerator is that, there's not like, overnight success right? Like nothing, it's just like a slow, like, consistent like, everything like, builds on, on each other, and just because you posted about it once, you have to continuously, like, post about it. You have to like, remind, like, it's not, it's like a slow burn.

Nicole Otchy: Yes.

Julia Nauer: With marketing especially on social media so that's I think that that was also another big takeaway for me from the accelerator program.

Nicole Otchy: Yes, I wish it was sexier. Like I wish I could be like, “Yes even in four, 8 weeks you will have like a different business.” But like, it would absolutely burn everyone out, if I even had that solution. Like, nobody could do it, especially if your mom, and you have kids, and you're doing all the things. Consistency doesn't sound sexy, but it's the thing that actually makes it like sustainable so I'm glad you –

Julia Nauer: Right, absolutely.

Nicole Otchy: – One of the things I’ve been really excited to talk to you about with you, because I've watched you go after this really, really intentionally, is you really been working on increasing your visibility, and you’ve, definitely done that for your marketing, and your consistency there. But I know you're wanting to do more public speaking, and you were just recently on TV. Can you tell us a little bit about, how you approached that push for more visibility?

Julia Nauer: I think it just comes from the desire to also take everything that I'm working on online, into an offline experience. And like, actually meet real people, and real ideal clients, in real life, and where they actually are. Trying to get in front of professional groups, things like that. That's really like where that desire is coming from, and then just, you, taking any opportunity that I can, to hone that skill set. So, the TV speaking gig, like, probably isn't going to get me a ton of clients, or it hasn't gotten me a lot of leads. But it really helped me see, myself in a different way, and helped me work on, just an opportunity for me to practice my public speaking, I would say. So, I think it's like a little bit two fold, like, I'm taking whatever opportunity I can to practice. And then also, the actual like speaking, is helping me to get in front of like my ideal clients.

Nicole Otchy: Interesting. Because, one of the things I hadn't thought about, until you said that, is that it's so many of us think with “Oh,I wanna do public speaking, I wanna be on a stage, I wanna be on TV.” And many of my clients hire publicists to do that, you didn't, right?

Julia Nauer: No, I just pitched myself. –

Nicole Otchy: That’s my girl.

Julia Nauer: –That’s another thing, that like if you could just find the email, like you can find the person. And. Yeah, so it was pretty easy, just, you just have to send the email.

Nicole Otchy: That’s amazing. Thank you for that little inside Tip. See, you don't, it's really not that hard, you just got to do a little extra leg work. What, one of the things I was thinking is, how your social media messaging was actually, sort of, one of the steps, that allowed you to confidently take those steps. And we don't see those things as connected, but every opportunity to practice, and see what lands with your ideal client, gets you closer to being better on a stage, being better on TV. But we think of it as like, online and offline. So, I love the way you put that of getting in front of like, real people.

Julia Nauer: Yeah, absolutely. And I think, definitely everything that I've worked on in terms of like, speaking to the camera in reels, like that helped me with being on TV. And then I also, I help with like, my neighborhood boutique doing their content. That's where I, I know they looked at my reels, and like, that's all part of it, so one thing can just lead to the next.

Nicole Otchy: Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so like, you set the intention, but not like the strictest of plans and then said yes to whatever came up.

Julia Nauer: Right, yeah. I’m just trying to gain as much experience as I can at this point.

Nicole Otchy: That's a really interesting other angle, I hadn’t, now that you said that, I was like oh, a lot of my clients actually have gotten gigs doing like, social media, or marketing, or working with local boutiques because of their, how specific their social media is, speaking to their ideal styling client. And then the boutique, or the store in town is like “Wait that's our ideal client like, she’s genius at talking to them, we want to hire her for that.” So that's a really, other, that's a great other, sort of like, side option that can that can show up that's cool. That's so cool.

Julia Nauer: Yeah. Yeah, it’s been fun.

Nicole Otchy: Is there a point in your journey over the past few years, where you started to think of yourself less as just a stylist and more as, a business owner or CEO? Or do you think you're sort of in progress of that?

Julia Nauer: I think I’m still in progress of that. But I do think, that I've had a big mindset shift over the last year. I don't know that there was one moment, I think it's been gradual, but just thinking like I said earlier, like thinking of the business like, as a business and a little bit separate from me, personally, and like my personal life, I think has helped so much. And not taking, I think not taking anything personally, has helped a ton. So like, the like, if someone doesn't email me back, if they don't, you know, if they ghost me on an inquiry, like, it's just all like, it has nothing to do with me. Like, people are so busy, and just I think that like, separating the two out, has really, really helped me just like, regulate my nervous system, and just be able to just, enjoy everything more, I would say. And just do the right thing for the business, and like continue on, and not get like, sucked up in my feelings, and like, and paralyzed, and not do anything because of that, because of how I'm feeling.

Nicole Otchy: So relatable. We have all had those days. All of us. I wannna talk a little bit about being a mom, to a little one. What are the, some of the things that you feel, like you said, you like changed or adapted the business or even in the future things you want to change or adapt the business to help you be, you know, able to sort of juggle family life and business?

Julia Nauer: Yeah. I think that the biggest thing that, and really the reason why I started the my business too, is like, back prior to having kids. I could see that, there was no, in my current career, there was no way, that I could have the type of like motherhood experience that I wanted, with my full-time, corporate job. And being like, tied to, a pretty like, strict travel schedule, like monthly travel, and like having no flexibility, ‘cause we're going to like, specific trade shows, and like different cities, and there just wasn't a lot of flexibility. And being a buyer you can't really be like, a part-time buyer. Like you’re, It's just hard, like you can't, it's not something you can go part-time in. So that was actually a big reason why I wanted to, I wasn't sure at first, like what type of business I wanted to have, but I knew that I wanted to have something that was more flexible. So then when I did become a mom, go, I basically, I, he goes to daycare Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and it's provided that like structure for my business, that I think I really needed. And it's like, those are like my days where I have to be really on. And then Monday and Friday I typically do something work-wise, but it's not as, you know, I can take him to the library, I can take him to the park, like we can do something fun. So I'm kind of a bit of like a hybrid like working mom, stay at home mom type of thing. And it really works well. So I just really like, try to like squeeze as much as I can into those three days, and it truly like, I just have to be like a master of efficiency with everything. But it's given me that, that's really like, what styling has given me is like, the flexibility, right? ‘Cause it's like, they always have a doctor's appointment, so you'll do like, it's not like I'm having to like, take off work like, or do something. Daycare’s always closed on a Monday anyways, so it's like, I'm home, it’s fine yeah. And then I have an assist, I, I just onboarded a new assistant so that's been very helpful to like, do all the unboxing and returns, and things like that. But it's overwhelming to me when I don't have someone to help me with things like that, but that's been a huge a huge piece of it too.

Nicole Otchy: Yes, I would argue that styling did allow you that, because it doesn’t, you get to make it how you want. But what actually allowed you that, was the fact that you approached it like a business, and have taken this consistency thing so seriously, and are, have really been like, I think the two things that like lack of emotion, or trying to kind of keep it separate, allows you to make the right decisions in that very short period of time.

Julia Nauer: There's no time. To like, worry about it. You know what I mean? Like, here's another example too, is I didn't hear back from, I helped this client with an event. And I was really worried, ‘cause like, we were supposed to have a follow-up call, and she didn't, she was like “I might not have time, like let me just text you over the weekend. Like my outfit, if I have any questions.” And she never texted me, and then I was like “Oh my god, it's like the event is happening right now.” Like, did it work out, did it not work out? Did she not say anything because she didn't like it, and I just, in the past I think I just would have like, not asked like “Hey how did it go?” Like, I think I would have been too nervous, like “Oh my god, like, she must have not have said something because she hated everything.” And I, so, I just shot her an email last night, because I was like I need to know, like did it work? Did it not work? And she wrote back like “Everything was amazing. Like, here are some photos, like, I'm in the middle of writing a Google review.” So I think, just like you were saying, like it, it does like, build your confidence when you continually, like, ask for feedback, even though asking for feedback is, is scary. It's really scary, to do.

Nicole Otchy: It’s so scary. It's so scary, and, but it's also, the other angle that's really helped me, as someone that has very long relationships, even in this business with clients, is to feel like before you ask, you're like grounding into the fact that you're asking ‘cause you care.

Not ‘cause you’re being annoying, not ‘cause you're like, and because you've done so much work in your business, to not make everything mean something. You, you can maybe be a little nervous. But you know that, whether they respond or don't respond to your coming from the right place. I'm proud of you for reaching out, that’s –

Julia Nauer: Thanks. Yeah.

Nicole Otchy: –that is hard especially when it's such a big important event.

Julia Nauer: Thanks. It was three different looks, like it was like a big like, you know her company is like, remote so she doesn't get to see these people in person very often, she wants to like, you know, move into a more leadership role, so it was just, it was a big moment for her, so.

Nicole Otchy: I know that as ambitious as you are, have a lot of things that you are looking forward to, and things you want to do in the business. What are a couple of things that you are most excited about in the future?

Julia Nauer: In, I honestly, I feel like I'm at a place where I don't know what's next, I don't know, like, I'm excited to continue to, like, continue to sell my signature offer, and work one-on-one with clients, I don't think I ever want to stop doing that. But I am thinking about like, down the road, how do I bring in even more flexibility into my business? So, how do I maybe, do a group styling program, or an online styling program, that, maybe takes a little less of my time, but I can work with more people, continuing like, speaking. I think sub-stack is really interesting for stylists, and like, I just, learned about how that could possibly be like, a really great place to bring in high ticket clients. And that's something I'm interested in focusing on, so I'm not really sure. I don't know exactly like, where, what I'm going to do next, but I just want to continue to, keep growing, keep growing the business, and keep learning. I think that's a really big thing too, it's just how do I continuously like, keep evolving like, my skills to keep up with the market too.

Nicole Otchy: Yeah. Well I'm excited for you to be in New York, because we’re gonna definitely talk about all of those things too, so.

Julia Nauer: Yeah. Yeah, I'm excited.

Nicole Otchy: Thank you so much for being here with me, and for sharing your journey with everyone.

Julia Nauer: Thanks. Of course! Yeah, thanks Nicole.

Nicole Otchy: Thank you so much for hanging out with me. It turns out that social proof is actually pretty important, so if you could help me out, I’d so appreciate it. If you just had a quick free moment, and could leave a rating, a review on the podcast app, that would be killer. And even better, if you wanted to share this episode on Instagram and tag me, that would totally make my day. And it would bring so much more awareness to the podcast, and would help other stylists, just like you, who are looking to build a lucrative styling business. Because the better each of us does, the better all of us do. Thanks for hanging out with me, and I'll chat with you next time.