I would imagine that there are three kinds of readers of this message: those who know me very well, those who know aspects of who I am, and those who are still figuring me out.
For the last six weeks I have been hosting exclusive evening events in my atelier built in 1692 in Covent Garden. The house is on the Harry Potter tour route and when my guests arrive they are surprised and delighted to have found a hidden, magical part of central London.
At these events I generate discussion by describing my business consultancy and fashion work through a narrative that combines both. People who don’t know me so well might comment on how diverse my two businesses are but in truth they are not.
In a nutshell my story goes like this. When people meet me they initially see my clothes, posture, style, my smile. Intentionally, I tell them about my values and therefore reveal aspects of my inner self. The topic that currently prompts the most debate is when I discuss my digital self.
While I feel able to control my external and inner self, I find keeping up to date with my virtual personality more challenging. My guests, who have followed my logic so far, express concern about the new, smart connected products that gather detailed information about each of us.
I can see value in business for this new interconnectedness. I prefer to manage My Digital Self rather than leave it to others to define me.