Today we’d like to introduce you to Tonia Ramsue.
Hi Tonia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Why did I start my own business? Lotus Image Consulting started because I was doing something that I loved to do. I like most women today, love to look good. Fashion was always a part of my life. I grew up in a house with a bunch of seamstresses. My mother, sisters, and eldest brother sewed. One of my sisters sewed everything that she wore but my oldest brother was the meanest seamstress in the house. He not only sewed but he drew his own designs and made his own patterns. Now I am not a seamstress although I did give it a try a time or two. So, fashion was something I lived with. I loved dressing my Barbie dolls up to have fashion shows. I was a teenager, have participated in several fundraising fashion shows, often time modeling my brother’s designs. My original dream was to become a model, but my height would not let me be great.
Just because I wasn’t tall enough to walk the runways of Paris and Milan didn’t mean I couldn’t use the city streets as my runway. Growing up in New York, as a young girl I used to love walking down Fifth Avenue to window shop and see all the latest fashion trends. So, when I graduated from college and landed my dream job in the merchandising world of Lord & Taylor, I was in heaven. I would spend time walking the store and picking out items in their designer shop to purchase.
When I moved to Atlanta, my wardrobe of designer fittings also came with me. Lotus Image Consulting started with me being me. Walking the halls of The Coca-Cola Company, I would often be complimented on how I looked. Women would ask me to help them get the polished look that I exuded. I began going shopping with women and men to help them with their work attire especially since Business Casual was becoming very popular in corporate America. After all, I loved to shop and there’s nothing better than shopping with other people’s money.
Lotus Image Consulting has since expanded its offerings to career coaching, leadership development training, and behavioral assessments because I quickly learned that just looking the part isn’t going to get you what you wanted for your career. So, I earned a certification in strategic leadership and became a certified professional career coach and DISC consultant to help my clients build their brand on the inside and out.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been crowded. I say crowded because the number of career coaches that are on LinkedIn has grown significantly over the past several years. So, trying to find my niche market and stand out from the others has been my biggest challenge. That is one of the reasons why I went back to get certified in strategic leadership and now pursuing a doctoral degree in strategic leadership. Being a published author and professor allows me to rise above other career coaches as well.
Trying to grow a new business during the pandemic has presented challenges for many businesses but it also presented opportunities as well. Many people are looking to transition their careers and develop themselves, which provides plenty of opportunities for career coaches. The image consulting arm of my business struggled the most. Not being able to meet and shop with clients presented challenges.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Lotus Image Consulting, LLC?
Lotus Image Consulting, L.L.C. was re-established in 2018. Lotus Image Consulting, L.L.C. helps executives build their brands inside and out. I developed this concept after realizing it takes more than just hard work to get the recognition we, as executives, deserve. Executives must possess an outstanding brand, the look, the emotional intelligence, as well as the talent. These three things must work together in their favor when they are not present.
Lotus Image Consulting, L.L.C. will help clients build their confidence through executive coaching sessions to achieve their personal growth objectives. Feeling good internally will be transferred externally by their confident interaction in business settings. DISC Assessment will help the client identify their communication style, identify other communication styles, and adapt their communication to create valuable relationships. Since your brand is what people say when you’re not in the room, we want our clients to have a positive impact on all people they work with. Their brand would allow them to advance their careers by making the unspoken statement with the way they look and carry themselves in their working world.
Now that I am certified in strategic leadership, I have added a new segment to my business by providing executive leadership development to companies willing to invest in their employees. This new segment also includes training on building high-performing teams as well. Coming soon will be my online executive leadership development training class that I am currently working on.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
The most important lesson I learned from the pandemic is to not give up and be agile. Just because something didn’t work out one way doesn’t not mean it won’t work another way. One of my favorite quotes and I’m not sure who the author is but “when you win, we win”. My passion is helping others. After all, that is why God created us to give Him praise, fellowship, and help one another. So when I help a client develop their “Brand Bridge” to move them from one position to another, or when I help that college grad take the first career step, or when I help someone feel confident about themselves that they are able to get unstuck, I am living in my God-given purpose.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lotusimageconsulting.org
- Instagram: lotusimageconsulting
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=lotus%20image%20consulting%2C%20llc
Image Credits
Makeup by: Painted by Pettina Photography: Tyrone Myrick
