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The 5 Questions Podcast
Join us as we unlock real estate and business insights, one question at a time.
The 5 Questions Podcast
Dress for Success: How Your Wardrobe Impacts Wealth Building With Patrice Milord
First impressions happen in seven seconds or less, making your personal style a critical but often overlooked component of business success and wealth-building.
• Professional men's stylist and real estate investor Patrice Milord shares how dressing well directly impacts business opportunities
• Personal experiences demonstrate how clothing choices can help or hinder professional relationships
• Quick style upgrades include investing in three essential suits: light grey, charcoal, and blue
• Basic shirts in white, light blue, and light pink provide versatile options
• Clean, polished shoes are crucial as they're often the first thing people notice
• A sport jacket over even casual clothes instantly elevates your appearance
• Fashion connects to wealth-building by attracting better deals and business connections
• Looking professional increases credibility when seeking investment partners
• Dressing well boosts confidence, helping you speak and act more assertively
• When attending professional events, the rule to follow is "when in doubt, overdress"
• The rule to break: ties aren't always necessary with suits in today's business environment
• Being mindful of your audience and researching events helps determine appropriate attire
Connect with Patrice:
Instagram: @patricemilord
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pat.milord
It only takes seven seconds or less for someone to make an impression on you.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the 5 Questions Podcast, where we unlock real estate and business insights one question at a time. Welcome to the 5 Questions Podcast. I am your host, Mario Lamar. Our guest on today's show is a professional men's stylist and real estate investor on a mission to help others build generational wealth while looking sharp doing it, From custom suits to rental properties. He believes that first impressions and smart investments both start with intention. Welcome, Patrice Millard. Patrice, welcome to the show today.
Speaker 1:Thank you, Mario. Thank you for having me. Super happy to be here.
Speaker 2:Patrice, the concept of the podcast is real simple. I ask five questions, either about business or real estate, and we get straight to the point. You ready, born ready, all right, first question I have for you. You believe that in business, clothes absolutely makes the man. Can you share maybe a personal story where dressing well directly impacted either a client's success or maybe a success of your own?
Speaker 1:Well, it's not just towards real estate, it's in life generally. Because we are humans, we tend to judge. We always judge, despite what people say. People say it's what's on the inside that counts, but I disagree with that, because we tend to judge based on what we see. We perceive people based on the way they dress, and it only takes seven seconds or less for someone to make an impression on you, so why risk it?
Speaker 1:So I've had, even in my personal life, experiences where I've had opportunities that I'm convinced that I wouldn't have because of the way I dress. I've also helped my clients increase their sales, build their confidence, because it's all part of personal development, because the way you dress, if you feel good on the inside, you're going to be more confident. You're going to be more, you're going to speak more uh, be more confident, you're going to be more assertive. People are going to tend to say well, this person is intelligent, successful. People will even be nicer to you based on the way you dress, like opening doors, complimenting you and getting some benefits that others would not uh, would.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and do you have top of your head a story of a client or one of you that directly impacted your success?
Speaker 1:Yes, I can tell a personal story about one of my rental properties that I was renting a few years ago and there was a bunch of people that came because it was available for a new tenant. So we had a bunch of people that came because it was available for a new tenant. So we had a bunch of people over and there was this person that came first. She had all her documents ready, but, as I said, humans tend to judge, so I didn't really pay attention to her because of the way she was dressing and because, in the back of my mind, I'm like, if it's the way she dresses, how is she going to take care of my property? Now, to make a long story short, I ended up selecting her, but I think people lose out on opportunities. So it's not about opportunities that you get, but opportunities that could be lost.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're absolutely right. You never know what you missed. Maybe you'll find out later in life, but you want to put all your chances on your side to give the best first impression you can get to other people.
Speaker 1:Yes, and people need to just give it a try, because a lot of people undermine it and think that people don't judge or it doesn't matter. But it does actually matter and I would encourage people to just give it a try and see how it's going to impact their life.
Speaker 2:Brings us to our second question. And for someone just starting to improve their appearance, OK, we all start somewhere. What's the quickest upgrade someone can make without maybe breaking their bank account, you know?
Speaker 1:well, I work mainly with men, because I do believe that men need help, lots of help, and I'm here to help them become the best version of themselves. So what I would say is always wear a sports jacket. Ditch those t-shirts with graphics of animes and all that stuff, especially as you're an older and you want to enter in the professional space. Just wear plain t-shirts and you can throw a sport jacket over. Wear nice dress shoes, laced up shoes, clean, because it's the first thing that people pay attention to when they look at you. Also, you need to have at least three suits. Three suits light grey, charcoal and blue.
Speaker 1:As for shirts as well, same thing white shirt, light blue and light pink. Those are quick, little steps that you can take in order to improve your wardrobe, and you don't need to break the bank. You don't need to buy the designer clothes and you can take in order to improve your wardrobe and you don't need to break the bank. You don't need to buy the designer clothes, and you can also use those clothing to do mix and matches. It's going to give you a number maybe over 20 to 30 different outfits that you can wear, so you can get started right away.
Speaker 2:So basic colors, specific colors you said three of them. Clean shoes take that 15 seconds, 20 seconds to just polish your shoes before you leave the house. And a jacket, even over a T-shirt, will upgrade the appearance.
Speaker 1:Correct, you can even wear jeans with a sport jacket on, a blazer and a shirt under. It's going to bring you a business casual look.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, certainly going to try that next time I go out. Good Brings us to a third question. Yeah, brings us to our third question, and how does your work as a stylist connect with your mission to build generational wealth? Because, we mentioned, you're a real estate investor, so you know you're taking fashion and building generational wealth. How does those two connect together?
Speaker 1:connect together. For me, fashion is a personal passion of mine. I can do this in my sleep. I just did a lot of research and worked on it myself, so it's a way to help people become the best version of themselves, whereas real estate it's the vehicle that I chose to be able to help me build generational wealth, because there's other vehicles that are great, but I do believe in real estate for what it provides, because it provides something that is and especially when you do it the right way that is sustainable and that can last to future generations.
Speaker 2:And then how do you match the two together?
Speaker 1:Well for me, the way I address, I can attract deals that may not be available to others, better connections with realtors or other professionals, because it helps level up your credibility. Also, in terms of personal branding the way you present yourself you're going to be taken more seriously.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, and that's for sure. I mean, if your name is not made out there as a long term real estate investor, maybe you can take the luxury to dress a little bit more like you as you wish. In you want to put all the chances again on your side. A lot of people need to attract capital right Financial investors or partners to invest in their deals. How better way than to look sharp, you know, to attract that capital, that money?
Speaker 1:That's absolutely right, because people think that you're successful, intelligent. Just those little things make a big difference.
Speaker 2:Yeah, all right, let's go to our fourth question. And what role does confidence play in both style and entrepreneurship? How can maybe upgrading your wardrobe elevate your mindset?
Speaker 1:Well. Again, as I mentioned, dressing and dressing well and proving the way you dress as part of personal development, because it helps you feel better. When you feel better and you throw on that jacket like I do, like I feel more confident. You walk a certain way. People perceive you a certain way. When you speak, you're more. Speak from a place of authority, you're more assertive. It really affects the way you perceive yourself and how others perceive you. Yeah, so it's a byproduct of becoming giving you confidence.
Speaker 2:I completely agree with that. You know, feel good about yourself mentally, in your mindset, without even knowing it. You're going to be more assertive. Like you said, you're going to talk with more confidence and people are attracted to that. Nobody wants to make a deal with someone who's unsure of themselves Absolutely. That nobody wants to make a deal with someone who's unsure of themselves absolutely. If you show up in all the different types, in your personality, in your delivery of your message, in your, like you said, your, your, your, your wardrobe. Well, guess, guess who's going to get the business? You are 100, I agree, all right. Well, this brings us to our last and final question for today. If someone's listening right now, who wants to stand out in a room full of professionals, because we know real estate is a competitive ground, what's one clothing rule that you should follow and one they should definitely break?
Speaker 1:Well, when you're about to enter a room you're being invited to in a professional setting, when in doubt, overdress, overdress Don't undermine the appearance. The way you look and show up as the best version of yourself, it doesn't matter if you're overdressed. It's going, you're going to feel good and people are going to be attracted to you. They're going to be coming to you. They're going to be coming to you. You're probably most likely going to get it's a great conversation starter. You're going to stand out. So that's what I would say to that Rule to break. I know sometimes when people, when you wear suits, people always recommend that you wear a tie, and but some rules are meant to be broken. I know we're kind of a bit looser now with the way we dress, but you can look very good with just a suit and you don't need to wear a tie. And, of course, if you're going to a wedding, you're gonna wear at least a tie and no sneakers at at a wedding. So that's what I would say to that yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:I was gonna ask you like a sub question of question five, what?
Speaker 1:do you think?
Speaker 2:What do you think you know? Because some people go to the extreme and they'll show up in a tuxedo and you know, or super bright colors and attract, like eye attention versus you know, like you said, maybe you wear a nice clean jeans with a blazer on it, maybe a shirt or a T-shirt underneath, like where do we find the middle ground? What's not enough, what's too much? What's your take on that? If you're?
Speaker 1:going into a professional setting in a business event. You got to be mindful of your audience, so don't show up with a flashy suit with all the bling. It's not the appropriate setting for that. If you want to let yourself loose, maybe when you go to a wedding or a fashion show, but for business events, wear navy, blue suit, those neutral colors, because you don't want to appear too flashy. You're going to appear out of place and you're going to make a fool of yourself. I can get away with that because it's part of my style and I wear it and I'm aware of. I pay attention to these things as well when I go to events. There are certain suits that I'm going to wear, depending on the nature of the audience or the nature of the event.
Speaker 2:Know your surrounding, make some research before what type of event you're going to attend and address accordingly. That's right, Patrice. Thank you so much for all your insights today. I certainly think that some of our listeners can take a piece of your advice to elevate their standards and to stand out in a room full of investors, to attract not only the business but differentiate yourself from the competition.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the information is out there. People can Google this information. I'm not creating anything that hasn't been, that's not out there already. So there's no excuse, literally no excuse.
Speaker 2:Thanks again for being on the show today, patrice. It was a pleasure talking with you and we'll talk soon again. All right, thank you, it's been a pleasure. Thanks for tuning into the 5 Questions Podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to subscribe, like and hit the notification bell on our YouTube channel so you never miss an episode. Stay tuned for more insights and tips to transform your real estate and business game. See you next time.