It is a pleasure to introduce Light Spring, Erica Cummings. Erica completely shifted the way I perceived financial confidence when I attended her workshop Financial Empowerment for Women a few years ago. Women often approach their finances the same lack of confidence that they approach their appearance, deferring to others and assuming they aren’t good enough. Erica educates, empowers and inspires women to seek balance in their financial, physical, and emotional lives with the same enthusiasm and tenacity I strive to achieve in helping my clients manage and invest wisely in their personal image with a personal color analysis consultation. Her specialty is in strengthening the relationship between women’s financial and overall well-being by building holistic plans for their financial future.
My passion is helping women find harmony, balance, and success in their lives. I tell women to put their own oxygen masks on first and find time to recharge their batteries. Little did I know that how much I needed to practice what I preached.
Kerry and I met at one of my financial literacy workshops. I thought her business was interesting but saw the services as a luxury. I knew I deserved it, but it was on a long list of things I thought I deserved. Then my friend and colleague mentioned she had a color analysis consultation at Indigo Tones. I did not delve into specifics at first but little by little over time, I would see her walk in the office looking amazing. Not only were her outfits beautiful, her hair color and makeup were striking. After telling her several times, “you look great”, she shared more about her experience and that she would never have thought to wear the bold colors and pretty patterns that suite her if it weren’t for Kerry.
I have worked in the corporate world for twenty years. Think black, navy, gray and stuffy! That same color scheme was mimicked in my evening wear, casual wear, loungewear…basically every “wear”! I was intrigued by how bolder colors and non-conservative styles could look great but still be professional. l booked an appointment, still a bit skeptical as I thought I knew enough about myself.
I wish I could do it justice by describing the experience on paper, but you really need to feel it in person. I arrived for the consult in my typical multi-shade of grey tank and sweater, and we took the initial pictures. Kerry is dynamic, fun, and exceptionally knowledgeable. I had no idea of this world that she so passionately loves. She draped me with fabrics of every shade of every color, all while teaching me how much this affects how you show up in life, how you feel about yourself, and how it creates harmony and flow from head to toe. After seeing clearly that I was a Light Spring, we took several after pictures in the new colors. I was still not completely convinced to donate my black sweaters until I saw the those. The after pictures were nothing short of astonishing. I had lost years on my face, without makeup! I literally looked brighter, felt lighter, and something clicked.
I never knew color and fabric could make such a difference. The swatch book was a game changer for all future purchases. I purposefully spoke little about my experience with my husband. I began adding pieces from my palette, and the compliments came rolling in. That alone was wonderful, but the biggest surprise was how I felt when I saw myself in pictures. I looked so amazing that I knew I could never go back to drab corporate colors and styles.
The statement, “I look so amazing”, is not one that many women ever say about themselves. I feel so much more confident and comfortable in my clothes. I enjoy shopping, no matter what size I am, and my closet looks like it is literally blooming. I don’t need to be in a fitted, uncomfortable suit to look professional. Black is not always slimming, and color can light up a room. This was an investment in me, and now I can be an example to my teenage daughter, my coworkers and clients on how a super woman can look best by being herself.
We live in a society where the pressure to look young and skinny is everywhere. Women (and men) spend thousands of dollars on cosmetic procedures, fad diets, and serums to keep up with social media and photoshopped images. The time I spent with Kerry was a better investment and more effective and uplifting than any of those. Kerry changed my world with her color analysis. I cannot say enough about my experience, both personally and professionally. I am wearing colors and fabrics that I never would have chosen in the past, and compliments abound. More importantly, I feel like a different person. That is her gift. She empowers women to feel like the confident version of themselves. Kerry is a Rockstar!
Erica Cummings is a Financial Advisor and founder of the Harmony Wellness Group at RBC Wealth Management and hosts the podcast series, “A Strong Woman for Strong Women”.
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It’s a treat to introduce you to this month's colorful lives feature, Soft Autumn Tim Stich who is also my son!! Tim’s experience with shopping for clothing and wearing color is unique as I become a color analyst when he was quite young. When he and his sister Clare were little, I tried dressing them in bright colors with strong patterns as was the style then.....but even before learning about personal color harmony, I started to sense that the clothes overwhelmed them and began dressing them in softer colors and solids. I was even shocked the other day to discover when I pulled out his school photos that every single photo (even before I learned of his color palette) was taken in a Soft Autumn color. You can see how his life has evolved wearing the soft, earthy colors that suit his ruddy hair, freckles and soft blue/green eyes.
Over the years, he has mostly been very eager to wear what suits him and looked to me to help him distinguish soft autumn colors from the two seasons nearby - warm autumn and soft summer. We enjoy shopping together, especially now that he lives in Manhattan and the shopping is abundant. It can be a challenge to find his colors in sizes and style that fit but when its perfect, it feels great and he knows it. Read on to learn more about what it’s like to be a guy whose mom is a color consultant!
I am so excited to introduce you the “entertainingly irreverent” (Associated Press) Soft Summer, Valerie Peterson. Valerie is an extraordinary storyteller in a variety of media including scriptwriting, screenplays, fiction, non-fiction and book publishing/consulting. I analyzed her colors years ago in Rhode Island at a girls weekend hosted by a mutual friend (color analysis and girls weekends make a great combo!). In the years since, Valerie has embraced her Soft Summer colors in spite of living and working in New York City where black is a standard and practical.
It was a thrill when her publisher chose a photo of my family for her wonderfully spirited book, Peterson’s Happy Hour. On page 46, you can find me with my family - brothers, Mike and Tim and my parents Marcia and J. Michael Jones circa 1970. The book features many more photographic gems and recipes for a fabulous social gathering!
In this month’s colorful lives blog, Valerie shares her journey with her color palette. As with all her writing projects, she is humorous, colorful and entertaining! She has kept in great condition and still uses the Sci Art swatch book that I provided back in those days!! Be sure to check out her large body of work on valeriepeterson.net and read more in the blog:
While doing color analysis in Boston in June, I had the pleasure of meeting Danielle Burton and giving her a 12-Season Color Analysis. Danielle had recently experienced a 4-Season Color Analysis with a House of Colour consultant and was told she was a Winter. I was skeptical that she was any type of Winter (in the 12 season system, there are actually 3 Winters - Dark Winter, Cool Winter and Bright Winter). Her light eyes, natural lighter and soft brownish hair and skin tone were much more consistent with my clients who fall into the lighter seasons, especially Summer.
Since her hair had been highlighted, we covered it with a neutral gray cap to do the testing portion of the analysis, ensuring that the lighter color did not sway the results of the analysis. It was clear from the beginning that Danielle was responding more harmoniously to the cool tones even some of the lighter cool winter drapes which was consistent with her 4 season color analysis.
But, while she contrasted with any drapes that were dark and bright, she was softened and balanced by the lighter cool tones, particularly Summer. The dark colors brought out shadows under her eyes and the brighter colors overwhelmed her and brought attention to themselves. In the end, she looked lovely and perfectly balanced and harmonious in the Cool Summer colors!
"While I had a great experience at House of Colour, I do think they are missing out on a ton of research and color science by not including the 12 seasons and variants. The added layer of cool vs bright vs dark was a huge difference for me and really solidified which category I best fit”.
Enjoy reading more about Danielle’s experience with both systems and her reaction to her diagnosis as a Cool Summer:
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